[Leica] Testing 70-200 range lenses on the A7II

Sun Jul 1 12:08:24 PDT 2018

Mark... read my report again... the Whiz-Bang Modern, designed with fancy computer programs, G lens, compared to a 15 year old, half weight, consumer grade cheapo AF ( not G, therefore AF by screw movement)  lens did not do as well as it should have.
The 75-240 lens outperformed its 10x more expensive younger brother, by quite a bit.....

Then again, if you own a body that does not have mechanical AF ( the older AF system), you have but one choice.... the G lens.

Could have been the sample I had???????  I found quite a bit of difference in quality with the 3x 75-240 lenses I own.....  I picked the best....

Frank Filippone

Red735i at verizon.net

-----Original Message-----
From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+red735i=verizon.net at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Mark Rabiner
Sent: Sunday, July 1, 2018 8:59 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Testing 70-200 range lenses on the A7II

I just got the new cutting edge for Nikon AF-G 70-200 F4. This lens is so gorgeous I almost don’t care that the pictures it makes are also as gorgeous.
With F4 meaning it's not less professional than an f 2.8 in this case. A Canon does have a full line of top run f4's not just 2.8's.
Well I hoped it would be a lot lighter. I got a Kirk Tripod collar ring with  Arca swiss spec quick release bracket built into it and it balances and revolves coolly beating out L brackets by a mile.
And my first lens with VR vibration reduction which is like being weightless in outer space. I ain't in Kansas anymore.
 f 15th of a second at 200mm and be there! All bets are off!
 In real life we could never do this with a long lens. 
I’m getting a monopod for it. I'm too much of an old guy for this much weight having not kept up with my pull ups. I'm going to start doing exercises, really!
A real professional feel and build.
My other Nikon zooms zoom like toys compared to this. I've been too much of a cheapskate with this stuff in the past using consumer gear for pro use.
Looking forward for your comparative results, Frank!
I also have a cheap compact slow 70-200 which was probably made by someone other than Nikon. I wonder if I'll ever use it again and for what.
Oddly enough the  Internal Focusing and zooming blows me away  almost as much as the VR which stands for vibration reduction.
There is absolutely now swelling of any kind ever!

 AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR $1,399.95
Approx. Weight 30.0  oz.  (850  g)

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/camera-lenses/af-s-nikkor-70-200mm-f%252f4g-ed-vr.html#tab-ProductDetail-ProductTabs-Overview

-- 

Mark William Rabiner
Photographer

On 7/1/18, 9:42 AM, "LUG on behalf of Frank Filippone" <lug-bounces+mark=rabinergroup.com at leica-users.org on behalf of red735i at verizon.net> wrote:

    Yes , more testing of legacy lenses against the current whiz bang
    wunderkinds…..  I am trying to get a great optically, light weight kit of
    lenses for my A7ii, without spending a fortune.

    The lenses are 

    Leica 70-210 F4 Vario Elmar    Introduced in 1984…. !

    Nikon AF-D 75-240 F4.5-5.6  Introduced in 1999.  Only 1 year of production.

    Nikon AF 70-210 F4    1986-1987 production

    Nikon AF-G 70-200 F4  Current lens

    Komura 85-205 F3.8  Not worth looking up….. Pre AIS.

    ( Sony lenses, 70-210 F4, are $1K used.  The most expensive lens in the test
    set was $600.  If I were to spend $1k on a lens in this range, it would be
    the Leica 80-200 F4.  Supposed to be great!)

    Tests were done by photographing my notorious 45 year old natural grey cedar
    fence in the front yard, about 25 feet distance, in bright sun.

    Test settings were… 70mm ( or shortest), 135mm, 200mm and  Longest focal
    length, if over 200mm.

    Test shots were taken at Wide open ( F4 or about F4), F8, and F16.  All
    combinations of focal length and f stop.

    Focusing was done by the modern equivalent of ground glass, at selected FL
    and aperture.  Some lenses had a noticeable amount of focus shift from
    change of aperture.  With an EVF, this is a pretty trivial concern.

    The same adapter was used on all, the Fotodiox Pro Smart AF adapter ( the
    one purported to blow up your A7  camera, which has never happened except
    once …. To someone else.    It should be noted that ALL the Nikon lenses had
    full camera operable apertures through this adapter.  However, AF does not
    work on any AF lens with Nikon body AF screw, and the G lens did not work in
    AF with this adapter.)    The adapter is going off on Monday to be replaced
    by a new Fotodiox AF adapter that has a better track record for not blowing
    up cameras.

    Lenses were checked for IQ in the center of the frame…. 

    No IBIS, the camera was tripod mounted.

    Let’s get the worst one out of the way… The Komura was just not in the same
    class as the others.  Even for the $9.00 I paid for it, it was terrible.

    Now the surprise winner…. The Leica 70-210 just was great…. Better than
    anything else by a pretty good margin.  

    #2 was the Nikon 75-240, considered to be a lowly consumer lens ( lower
    quality than the Pro lenses..????).. and the lightest lens by ½…. 

    #3 was the Nikon AF-G Wunderkind be all and end all…. It did not hold up at
    any aperture of focal length to the Leica…. At the longer FL, beat out the
    75-240 by a bit….  But its cost is greater by factor of 5, so it loses out
    on at least price / performance ratio…..

    The Nikon AF 80-200 F4, while considered a cult lens of superior quality,
    just did not cut it.. the faster lens performed quite a bit worse than its
    newer, lighter, and cheaper sibling….

    Ergonomically, all the Nikon lenses worked great with the adapter, for iris
    control.  The Leica requires full manual operation….

    I do not need AF.  I am lazy and like to have it, but do not need it.

    The non-G Nikon lenses require manual focusing…no big deal for accuracy, BUT
    the focus ring in on the outermost part of the lens and is hard to grab to
    focus.    The G lens has a nice big wide focus ring.

    The best Nikon lens weighed in at 410g

    The Leica  weighs 720g

    The Nikon G lens weighs 850g

    Plus the appropriate adpter.

    One last comment.. the Leica lens showed a bit of a color shift towards the
    blue.  Certainly correctable, if it bothers.

    So there it is…. The Leica lens was the best optically ( but you knew
    that)…..

    Which will I bring to my next big trip?????? It gets down to more automatic
    features or better IQ.  

    Frank Filippone

    Red735i at verizon.net

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