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Dr-F0x

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I know Deviantart is not a great place for reviewing camera gears since people here focus more on the final products, but anyway, I like doing this and want to do it a bit more seriously, without going anywhere else.
This E mount lens, FE 28mm f2, was announced recently but I can't find any user review yet so I write this for others who is considering getting this lens. From what I've read, this lens is a bang for the buck, with good quality and quite cheap while there is not many choices for full frame E mount cameras. Currently I get this lens for using on my NEX-6, but it's just the preparation for the use on a full frame camera I will get in the future, so I want to see if its performance on crop sensor body is still worthy buying or not.

The look and feel

This build of this lens is great with mostly metal (I corrected it after getting a feedback that it's not full metal, but what I mean was just all the important mechanic parts were made from metal), which is very similar to my beloved SEL 50mm f/1.8 OSS. The FE 28mm is quite smaller and feel more solid in hand with smaller detachable hood. The combination of this lens and my NEX-6 is really comfortable and I can carry any where without considering the size and weight. (The image of the box was shot with this lens at wide open)




Minimum focus distance

The minimum focus distance is 30 cm, which is not really close compared with other wide lenses. The bokeh at the closest distance is smooth and pleasing.


Sharpness

At minimum focus distance and wide open (F2), the sharpness is acceptable, which is not as sharp as the SEL 50mm f/1.8 (because that is the lens I like the best). I compared the sharpness in focus, which is around the center area, from f/1.8 to f/6.3. The test was done using tripod and aperture priority mode. The center sharpness increases obviously from f/2 to f/3.2, but stopping down further doesn't make much different. Seems like f/4 is good enough for get sharp, crisp images.

and here is 100% crop at the focus point:


Focus to far distance

I tested the lens outside for outdoor scenery, but today it was raining heavily so I can't make it as I wanted, but I provided here the images for the ideal of how the lens perform for landscape. There is no noticeable distortion or vignette here. And by comparing the 100% crops in the center, I saw a slight increase in the sharpness from f/2 to f/3.2, otherwise they're almost the same by stopping down. I will shoot again in a nice day and compare the corner performance, too.

and here is 100% crop at the center:

Chromatic aberrations (CA)

Quite strong CA at wide open and it's gone completely at f/4. Different from the common purple/green CA, I found the CA of this lens is very similar to Tomioka lenses with cyan/brown CA. The level of CA at wide open is somewhat similar to the SEL 50mm f/1.8 and it can be fixable in Lightroom or Photoshop.

Bokeh

At closest focus distance, the bokeh is smooth, but at longer distance, it's not very great, especially at wide open with the chromatic aberations, creating distracting color patterns in the background

Other samples:



with color adjustments:

Live-Laugh-Love (Sample for FE 28mm f2) by Dr-F0x

Fading (Sample for FE 28mm f2) by Dr-F0x

Did you watch it closely? by Dr-F0x

Another sunset by Dr-F0x

Landscape with f/5.6



Please click into each photo to get the full resolution images that I uploaded to my Flickr, also I will provide other samples and testing images to Flickr, too.

In conclusion, even though I was a bit disappointed with this lens, based on what I've read, but it's still a good choice for wide angle with Alpha E-mount users. Currently I don't have a full frame E-mount camera to test this lens but I hope I will get it soon.

Thank you for reading.

UPDATE: For all the people blaming me, as I mentioned, this is a user review, not expert review and there are people who acquired this lens for using on crop sensor bodies like me because it's still a rather good choice for E-mount lens with this price, and it can be used on full frame sensor cameras when we can get them. I'm actually waiting for the announcements of the new full frame sensor E-mount cameras since I'm still not really sure about getting any of the available ones, and I think I'm not the only one who doing that. On crop sensor body, the focal length of this lens is equivalent to 42mm, which is more suitable for portraits than landscape, that's why I didn't focus on testing the corner performance. I was quite disappointed with the wide open performance of this lens with the sharpness is just acceptable, and it has nothing to do with the size of the sensor. Except that point, it's still a good lens.
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I want to learn how to draw clothes, I'm really poor with this kind of things :(
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Happy new year!

1 min read
2011 is here, new challenges, new opportunities. Enjoy your happiness, refresh yourself everybody
:community: :#1:
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Llama World!!!

5 min read
I'm collecting Llama accounts, if you know any, please tell me :eager:
:iconlamaplz::iconllamalaplz::iconplusllamaplz::icongiveallamagetallama: :iconllamasongplz:
:iconllamabadgeloveplz: :iconsuperllamaplz: :iconalbinollamaplz: :iconsuperalbinollamaplz: :iconninjallamaplz: :iconfancyllamabadgeplz: :iconkingllamaplz: :iconspartanllamaplz: :iconwizardllamaplz: :icongoldenllamaplz: :iconrainbow-llamaplz::iconpinkllamaplz::iconsasukellamaplz::iconstarwarsllamaplz::iconspockllamaplz::iconrainbowllamaplz::icon1upllama::iconllamala-plz::icondalaillamaplz::iconllama-rideplz:
:iconllamaplz1::iconllamaplz2:
:iconllamaplz3::iconllamaplz4:              
   :iconllamaplz5::iconllamaplz6:            
:iconobamallama1plz:
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:iconobamallama1:
:iconobamallama2:
:iconrunllamarun::iconllama-plz::iconkayetehpirate::iconcrazyllamaplz::iconllamabrigadeplz: :iconllamacanplz: :iconllamabrigade2plz::iconllamabadgesftwplz::iconllamajumpplz::iconllamacopterplz: :iconllamacopter2plz::iconshakeminillamaplz::iconthanksforllamaplz::iconthanksllamaplz::iconblinkthanksllamaplz::iconllamawooshplz::iconbeatadeadllama:
:iconllamarideplz::iconminillamaplz::iconllamaglomp::icondalekllamaplz1::icondalekllama2::iconlittlemissllamalover:
:iconllamatradeplz1::iconphotographerllamaplz::iconphotographylovellama::icongagallamaplz::iconllamallamaduck2plz::iconrainbowllamasplz::iconcommunistllamaplz:

For some who don't know how to use them, just use that formula :icon xxx: (without space) and hover your mouse over the one you like that I listed here to find the xxx (name of an account with the image of llama) :boogie: :boogie: :boogie:

Added: :iconllama3dplz: :iconllamadanceplz:
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Since I can not thank each person who favors my work, I'll give a Llama Badge to each person who likes or comments on my deviation. Thanks everyone for visiting my gallery, I love you all :love:
:iconrunllamarun: :iconrunllamarun: :iconrunllamarun: :iconrunllamarun: :iconrunllamarun:
Thank for sending back Llama to me :excited:
***** EDIT: I'm sorry, now I can't send you all the Llama badge, since the number of favorites are increasing very fast. I really appreciate your favor, please understand me. Thank you very much for visiting my gallery and have a good time!! :thanks:
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Featured

Review of Sony FE 28mm f2 (E mount) on NEX-6 by Dr-F0x, journal

Clothes clothes clothes by Dr-F0x, journal

Happy new year! by Dr-F0x, journal

Llama World!!! by Dr-F0x, journal

Llama for thanks :) by Dr-F0x, journal