With the two high-intensity fixed focal length of Sony I have already had good experience. In low-light environments, so just Indoor and especially under artificial lighting this I often have the photos saved. I feel is even noticed that 35mm on APS-C in practice are often not enough weitwinkelig. Especially at events when I have the time of the camera is pressed one or the other in the hand, the feedback was "but since one has to go far away" while you leaned back on tables, and so on.
On the one hand I had already two F1.8 lenses and appreciate the intensity, on the other hand I have a Zeiss lens and appreciate the quality. This gave me the final push now, 24mm F1.8 to invest the money for Carl Zeiss. The purchase price was well below the direct Sony offer, but still a steep price. I was skeptical about whether it makes sense in addition to all other lenses even to buy the SEL24F18Z, especially at this price.
As my other Carl Zeiss it comes in a huge lens for Sony Alpha box. Delivered the optics is caring packed. Supplied with lid for the bayonet and 49mm filter thread. These elaborately designed lens hood comes with metal application and light-absorbing, matte black coating inside. The sun visor is relatively large and long for a 24mm lens, protects therefore quite well against light and dirt.
The lens itself is made of high quality, which can be seen in every detail. The paint has a very fine and uniform matting for which a Matalluntergrund must be present in order to be uniformly smooth enough and rough enough to stick around. Also, the rotary ring for manual focus moves absolutely fluid, rotates very soft going and not hackelt. The ring is not rubberized, so it can be cleaned again even after a long usage time.
Next to the optical performance: This is truly outstanding. As confirmed by other reviewers, is one of the best quality lenses for E-mount at all. The picture is sharp from the center to the corners. I can not notice any vignetting, no chromatic aberration and no pincushion or barrel distortion. Especially with the sensors with 24.3 megapixels, I have found that since high demands are placed on the lens to really get every pixel sharp. And on a 4K screen with 50 inches you can use the real resolution also.
The nonexistent stabilizer is already a real downer on an otherwise really perfect lens. With a focal length of 24mm (mm camera equivalent 36mm) shake when shooting out of hand is not as strong as transmitted at 50mm or even 200mm telephoto. In Aperture mode (A) the automatic exposure control of the Alpha 6000 tends anyway to achieve the exposure time than 1 / 60s and goes high before the ISO. If it is to go fast, that's good. If you want to make high-quality images, you need the automatic. At this point I would like to see more ways to set the automatic exposure control of the camera. In fairness it must be said that for people shots a stabilizer is not to use the most when they move. In the case of moving subjects you have anyway down with the exposure time.
Although the lens has an impressive size for a fixed focal length, which can be hardly vermeindlich, because it is a Tessar. A Tessar is almost completely corrected an arrangement form of the individual lenses, the aberrations at the image. And in this light intensity and power of the glasses you get to this same length. But the weight is really easy, it pulls the Nexen or Alphas down not top-heavy. Compared to the other F1,8ern Sony has been a union fee piston at the camera.
The final image seems very konstrastreich. Fine details are displayed very sharp and the colors are brilliant. What I technically can not explain, is that the white balance with my two Zeiss lenses is usually better than with other lenses on the same camera. This may be an indirect effect through the high-contrast imaging, as a more precise operation of the software is possible here.
I've tried to make some comparisons between the Sony and Zeiss lenses. When I look at the images, I often get the feeling that the images of Carl Zeiss are brilliant, konstrastreicher, more detail, fine, pure color and sharp crack. Often I think to myself, "Just to look from the professional image." Want this statement really taken with caution see note because the placebo effect is not to be underestimated, which is caused by the investment and the perfect exterior of the lens. For me personally it anyway joy and the images come really good.
Very positive is also to be noted that this lens is the only apparently that the minimum focus distance gets a few centimeters in front of the final lens. Even the expensive macro lenses, also from the competition, often creating not even 50 cm. This Objektv is indicated by 16cm, it is still the length deduct. With sun visor installed one comes already on the object, at least if one is inclined ran. Incidentally, I do not understand why not get other lenses, the minimum focusing distance closer towards, technically a lens would have to move a little further still. In any case, one can thus spontaneously make wonderful photomacrographs aufzubasteln without any rings or close-ups. And sharpness can not at close range after the slightest.
Incidentally, the lens supports the hybrid autofocus Alpha 6000 (Konrast- and phase measurement). This becomes clear when one measurement mode to "continuous" and measuring range "field" comes. Instead the beep and the green box and green boxes, you watch small boxes that follow a moving subject in real time. Makes sense in my opinion only at longer focal lengths and photographing moving objects in sports or animals.
Conclusion: If you provide the highest standards of image quality and megapixels really needs, it is one of the best lenses for E-mount, high speed, high contrast, color fidelity and an incredibly flexible tool. You should buy when before investing in Sony-fixed focal lengths that exceed the Tessar 24mm in total. However, it is a luxury and not necessary, you can also live with the cheaper lenses.
