non zoom guys?

[willie_901]

Joe,

I only mention the new line of XF mount lenses Zeiss will offer in 2013 in order to minimize your cabin fever.

 

[stompyq]

Eye opening comparison here of the 18mm prime vs the zoom at 18mm.

Damn!! That zoom sure looks good

 

[back alley]

interesting trip to the camera shop this morning...they have the zooms as part of a kit...i can exchange my x-e1 for up to 2 weeks (7 days left) for a kit...just add 400 bucks and i get the zoom. not a dreadful deal and the zoom feels like a quality lens in the hand...smaller than i expected with a nice heft to it. but it's a zoom and when i put it on my camera and 'zoomed' it did nothing for me.
so i bought the very lovely, small and sharp 60 macro instead.

time to upgrade the firmware...

 

[back alley]

i'm now wondering if the zoom might not be worth the extra 4 bills...

 

[back alley]

btw, that 60 searches for the green...and searches...and...

 

[Herjulfr]

You mean it's really bad at focusing?

I'm curious... I should maybe wait for the 56mm (I have no interest in the zoom), but I'm still drawn to the 60mm. I don't really need it to be fast, so I would not mind the f2.4 aperture. But if the autofocus is much worse than the 35's, I might wait for the 56mm or just buy... a Voigtlander 75mm 😛 At least I won't pest about the camera due to the focusing speed.

 

[back alley]

i have only played with it around the house so i cannot say for sure yet...it's faster when set to continuous frame rate.

 

[back alley]

i think i'll be passing on the zoom...it seems very sharp and is getting good reviews but i don't really like them...so why get it?

 

[Herjulfr]

I have handled it, it feels nice, but since I really prefer primes, i'll just get the 18 and the 60... I feel lazy and less focused on what I have to do when using a zoom. Its not that the zooms are bad, it's something going weird in my head I guess 🙂

 

[GaryLH]

btw, that 60 searches for the green...and searches...and...

Remember the af is all about good contrast. As It gets darker, af focus gets much harder since contrast gets less decernable. Af focus point, stay away from horizontal lines as the contrast focusing point as light gets dimmer. Find vertical lines when possible..

Sometimes it helps to change your af target zone to,smaller than default as well.. When it start getting too dim, switch to evf so u know exactly that the af marker is on the right area.

Hope that helps
Gary

 

[back alley]

I have handled it, it feels nice, but since I really prefer primes, i'll just get the 18 and the 60... I feel lazy and less focused on what I have to do when using a zoom. Its not that the zooms are bad, it's something going weird in my head I guess 🙂

zooms disappointment me...they sound good in theory...18 to 55...but it seems like such a small change when i actually zoom...i prefer to move, change positions with one focal length in order to improve the shot.

 

[back alley]

Remember the af is all about good contrast. As It gets darker, af focus gets much harder since contrast gets less decernable. Af focus point, stay away from horizontal lines as the contrast focusing point as light gets dimmer. Find vertical lines when possible..

Sometimes it helps to change your af target zone to,smaller than default as well.. When it start getting too dim, switch to evf so u know exactly that the af marker is on the right area.

Hope that helps
Gary

thanks gary...i think i need to play with it some more before i can really comment.
i took a shot of some headphones hanging closeby and it was incredibly sharp...tomorrow, i'll head head for some shooting and see what's what.
i like the 3some so far (18/35/60)...

 

[splitimageview]

zooms disappointment me...they sound good in theory...18 to 55...but it seems like such a small change when i actually zoom...i prefer to move, change positions with one focal length in order to improve the shot.

I'll prefer the zoom over the 18mm and the 56mm because it covers those two lenses but only takes up the space of one.

Yeah, both the primes are faster...but...that being said:I don't really care about f/2 on the 18mm; shallow DOF matters little on the wide side, and the camera can shoot at high ISO with ease so f/2 is not needed for low light, especially with OIS

I'd rather carry a smaller kit and use the 35 for speed and shallow DOF.

So for me it's not about zooming to save footsteps, it's zooming to save weight.

 

[back alley]

lots of good reasons why zooms are as popular as they are...

 

[doncraig]

Remember the af is all about good contrast. As It gets darker, af focus gets much harder since contrast gets less decernable. Af focus point, stay away from horizontal lines as the contrast focusing point as light gets dimmer. Find vertical lines when possible..

Sometimes it helps to change your af target zone to,smaller than default as well.. When it start getting too dim, switch to evf so u know exactly that the af marker is on the right area.

Hope that helps
Gary

Gary, really good suggestions.

With the 60mm, I am more apt to switch to EVF which tends to suit the type of photography that I’m doing with it. That is portraits and shooting in poorly lit venues for work.

 

[back alley]

been reading your blog don...some great tips there!
i thought i had read the manual but you have stuff that i didn't know that the x's have!!

 

[jsrockit]

I've been rethinking this zoom. Once it comes down in price on the used market, I may try it out.

 

[AdrianGB]

I prefer primes (and have m-mount 20, 35, 50 and 90) but got the zoom as part of the kit.
I am in two minds whether to sell it, as it is big/bulky and might always get left at home. However the quality is superb and my primes are all manual focus. So I am thinking it might work to keep hold of it for the times I need AF and IS. To be honest I am not sure yet...

 

[zwarte_kat]

I didn't get the zoom, but sometimes wonder if I should have. The reason is IS. I like my images sharp, especially doc style image of surroundings. When I am in indoors or at dim light situations, and want to take the environment, I often want some more DOF. The great low light performance of the camera already helps, but having an extra couple of stops of IS sounds really desirable to me. I'd rather not bring a tripod, because the whole idea is a small package.

Also I will not buy any of the first 3 primes, and might sell my 35mm at some point, don't like the AF, both in performance and loudness, linear AF motor for me!

 

[back alley]

is and silent...good points...still unsure if i will get it...basically, the zoom would cost me $400. if i exchange my x-e1 for the kit...of course i could return my 60, use the 55 end of the zoom and wait for the fast 56.