As you know the main issue causing problems when using M-Mount lens on the Sony A7r is the extreme angle at which the light is hitting the sensor because the lens is placed so close to the sensor. So I was hoping that by using the R-Mount lens that is designed to be further from the sensor many of the problems would not be present and we would get much better performances.
Of course one downside is that the adapter will extend out much further, so the total length of the adapter and lens will usually be much longer than using M-Mount lens, as you can see from the pictures above. The weight though is about the same as for M-Mount lens, so in fact some people might even prefer the larger size of the R-Mount lens because is easier to hold and handle...so it might not be a downside after all. So what about the performance...
Vignetting
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f2 testing for vignetting |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f2.8 testing for vignetting |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f4 testing for vignetting |
I do not know if it is because of the less extreme angle at which the light is hitting the sensor but in terms of vignetting this is the best performer out of all the lens I have tested so far. At f2 there is still noticeable vignetting, but just stopping down to f2.8 most of it has disappeared and by just f4 there is hardly any vignetting to be seen.
Corner Smearing
Again as with the vignetting, there does not seem to be any corner smearing at all with this lens. However, the corner sharpness still needed to be tested though.
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R Corner Test at f2 |
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| 100% Crop at f2 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R Corner Test at f2.8 |
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| 100% Crop at f2.8 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R Corner Test at f4 |
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| 100% Crop at f4 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R Corner Test at f5.6 |
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| 100% Crop at f5.6 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R Corner Test at f8 |
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| 100% Crop at f8 |
When shooting with wide apetures like f2 or f2.8 the corners of the photos from this lens are quite soft. Stopping down to f4 seems to sharpen things up a lot and the peak of this lens seems to be at f5.6 when the corner is actually really sharp. As you stop-down further the photo starts to go a bit soft again, but still much sharper than at f2 or f2.8.
Flaring
A bigger problem with this lens though I feel is it is prone to suffer from flaring. I am not talking about the kind of lens flare effects you see used in flims like Star Trek Into Darkness either. When there is light coming in from the side, even as wide as 90 degrees from the direction you are shooting (for example during sunset) the photos can really "haze over" losing significant amount of sharpness and contrast. I have often found this in many old lens of which this is one.
But Can It Shoot?
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f4 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f2.8 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f5.6 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f8 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f8 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R at f4 |
Having said all that when it comes down to it can this lens produce good photographs? I would certainly say so. While there are probably better 50mm lens out there the all-round quality of the Leica 50mm f2 Summicron-R especially when considering that you can get secondhand ones for about $400 right now offers amazing value and I would certainly recommend it to anyone wanting a lens for their mirrorless camera.
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