Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA

This upcoming article examines the Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA lens paired with a Sony A7 camera. It documents my impressions of the lens, and how autofocus fits my process.

I've used this lens for two weeks. Bought it to provide a comparison between native and adapted lenses. Investigate relationship between sensor stack and unoptimized lenses.

dsc00459-820x547

Tested with cats!

Ergonomics

  • Lens is a bit bulky, but lightweight
  • Manual focus ring works well, acceleration curve is nice
  • Wish there was an aperture ring
  • Have not used the lens hood, adds too much bulk

Image quality

  • It is sharp
  • Artifacts in out of focus highlights, probably due to molded aspheric elements
  • Out of focus areas mostly pleasant

Focusing

  • Wish it could focus closer
  • Autofocus is quiet, fast and accurate in good light, hunts in low light
  • Unsure how to best use autofocus yet
dsc00459-2-820x547

100% crop of focused area.