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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH |
I have been so busy testing other lenses on the Sony A7r that I forgot to test one of the best reviewed Leica M-Mount lens out there, the 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH that many people say is better than the more expensive Summilux version. I have got to say the lens looks great on the camera, it is also amazingly light and small.
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH |
But those reviews were based on using the lens on Leica camera bodies, both film and digital. Sadly however, when used with the Sony A7r despite showing flashes of brilliance it suffers from so many problems (at least in my experience) that you are probably better off looking at other lenses.
Vignetting
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Vignetting Test at f2.8 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Vignetting Test at f4 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Vignetting Test at f5.6 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Vignetting Test at f8 |
The vignetting test was the first test I did and straightaway I could tell that this lens is probably going to suffer problems when used with this camera. Not only does it suffers from significant vignetting, some color casts could already be seen. Also even more worryingly the vignetting is not symetrical which in my experience suggests that the lens is suffering from something more than just natural vignetting.
Corner Sharpness and Edge Smears
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Corner Sharpness Test at f2.8 |
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| 100% Crop at f2.8 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Vignetting Test at f4 |
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| 100% Crop at f4 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Vignetting Test at f5.6 |
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| 100% Crop at f5.6 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Vignetting Test at f8 |
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| 100% Crop at f8 |
If you just look at the sample pictures above you might think that the corner performance of this lens wide open at f2.8 is not very sharp and it get progressively better as you stop down until you reach f8 when the lens is at its peak. I have seen tests of this lens before however, and know that its sharpness is actually really good right from being wide open so I am pretty sure it is suffering from some edge smearing effect.
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Edge Smearing at f2.8 |
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| 100% Crop at f2.8 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Edge Smearing at f4 |
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| 100% Crop at f4 |
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| Sony A7r with Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit ASPH Edge Smearing at f8 |
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| 100% Crop at f8 |
By taking some more shots with more fine details at the corner of the picture we can clearly see that the lens suffers quite badly from edge smearing and it is not just soft in the edges. You can see this in the foliage and leaves at the edge of the photo.
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| Close Focus at f2.8 |
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| 100% Crop at f2.8 |
One thing that I have finally figured out is that the further away you focus the more the lens suffers from edge smearing (especially at infinity). This holds true not just for this lens but all M-Mount and Rangefinder lenses used on the Sony A7r. This seems to explain why when using the same lens I would notice severe edge smearing in some shots but not other.
Conclusion
If you already have the lens you might be able to use it for street photography where the focus is usually pretty near or shots where you do not need the entire photo to be sharp. If you are however planning to buy the lens to use on the A7r I do not think it will be worth it.
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