USD 600 camera worthy of a USD 5400 lens? – Resolution (NEX-5N with Leica glass)

[zvos1]

That Sony sensor in 5n is worthy of any lens...

 

[emraphoto]

It could, but vacations last a few weeks, while a lens can last a lifetime.

most of my trips last a lifetime

 

[rdeleskie]

I enjoyed the test, thanks for posting the results. What I found interesting is how well the WATE held up in the corners compared to the kit lens (I'm specifically talking about the results wide open at 18mm). From what I have read about the NEX5N, I would have expected the reverse: the kit lens performing well in the corners because of sensor optimization, the WATE less so.

 

[Speedfreak]

Thanks for the comparison. Not that the WATE would be anywhere in my league of budget, but at least I know what I am missing.

Even though Leica glass may be priced like luxury, these lenses will still be awesome in 30 years. The Sony kit looks and feels like a disposable in comparison.

 

[shadowfox]

Hm... A Noctilux vs one week with drunken apes on Mallorca? Thank you, I´ll take the Noct.

It's good that *that particular* idea of a vacation never entered my mind 😀

My idea of a vacation is a week off work, traveling with my family.

That wins over any lenses, especially a Noctilux.

 

[uhoh7]

Honestly, the kit lenses are terrible. ..

Nice shots. The kit lenses are not terrible. Your lenses are fantastic.

The sony kit lenses are much harder to use than, say, a 28 cron on the nex.

The focus is all over the place. Sharpness varies wildly with aperture and zoom.

Try the 1855 between 24 and 28 at f/5.6 and confirm your focus. It's pretty good. The 55210 is not bad at all 75-135. The 16 is strong close in and will surprise you even in landscapes sometimes.

That said, I almost never use them 🙂

RF glass and MF glass of all description is too fun.

1937 zeiss 50/1.5
I don't have a WATE, but I do have a sigma 8-16:

and i guess more to the point, a zm18

philber at FM turned me on to the zm18, a WATE for mortal bank accounts and one of the sharpest wides on the nex sensor.

 

[dct]

I just looked at your comparison. It's fun but not surprising. Sort of like comparing a base model Kia SUV to a fully loaded Porsche Cayenne. 😀

I see your argument around such comparisons. But like the Kia vs Porsche contest, it was very interesting to see how visible better the expensive lens goes. It is like cars, wrist clocks or rifles. For the last % better performance, craftsmanship and quality, you pay always an exponentially higher price than the real difference is.
To bring it back to this comparison: The Leica glass met my expectations. 😎

 

[flyalf]

Thanks for feedback, as I said its up to each to make conclusions.

Cost on the Leica lenses. The second hand price are for many lenses higher than the purchasing price. For high quality Leicas you can expect your selling price to keep up with inflation. So you are really just making a loan to yourself 😱. But yeah, the size of this loan can be debated 😉.

About resolution: Im a bit puzzled about the high edge sharpness compared to center with the WATE. This is similar with other Leica lenses I have tried. I can only assume that Sony has been successful with their micro lenses, but that the AA filter actually reduces the center sharpness?

An finally please take this for what it is. This is not a real test, just an attempt to compare under certain conditions. I urge you to do your own "test" and share.

 

[RObert Budding]

It could, but vacations last a few weeks, while a lens can last a lifetime.

I have memories to last a lifetime from travels during my youth.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

I think there is merit in this kind of testing. It's very hard to judge a lens from it's images without a comparison. With a new lens, or when I have a concern, I'll shoot paired comparisons with a known good lens.

In this case, I would prefer to see the WATE compared to a prime instead of to the kit zoom at it's max wide end.

 

[jsrockit]

+1 for the vacation, memories can last a lifetime too, I don't think any of my photos would be improved by a $5k lens vs. a $500 one.

True. It can go both ways I guess.