Dale Matson
Sony With Adapted C/Y Zeiss 100mm F3.5
As a mountain photographer who often has to carry my camera,
lenses and backpack over high Sierra Nevada passes, I am always looking for a
good combination of lens quality and weight.
I am primarily a landscape photographer and am only willing
to haul a heavy telephoto lens when I am in possible Sierra Nevada Bighorn
Sheep territory. My adapted Sony 70-400mm lens weighs more than my tent! What I
wanted was a short telephoto option for when I am not in Bighorn Sheep
territory. I considered the expensive Zeiss Batis 85mm 1.8 lens. However, my
carry lens is the Sony Zeiss 55mm f1.8 and I really don’t gain that much reach
over my 55mm lens with a 85mm lens. Yes, I know the Batis is faster and has AF
but this is landscape photography not sports or wildlife. My C/Y Zeiss 100mm lens including
the adapter is 4.5 inches long and actually weighs in at 15 ounces versus 16
ounces for the Batis. My other mountain lens is the Sony Zeiss 16-35mm f4 when I need ultrawide.
Now you are saying, “Yes I know but what about picture
quality?” That is a fair question so I have included both photographs using the
100mm lens and the 100mm lens with the 9 ounce C/Y Zeiss Mutar 1 2X
teleconverter making it a 24 ounce 6 inch long 200mm lens. All of my shots were
handheld using focus peaking. The Sony A7R2 IBIS makes this possible. The photographs were as they came out of the camera. The 100mm shots at actual size were tack sharp. The actual size shot using the 2X teleconverter was not sharp but acceptable quality as posted.
Lone Pine Peak With Mt. Whitney On Right
Four Gables With Sony Zeiss 24-70mm f4 At 70mm For Comparison
Four Gables With C/Y Zeiss 100mm F3.5
C/Y Zeiss 100mm 3.5 With Mutar 1 2X Teleconverter
"I considered the expensive Zeiss Batis 85mm 1.8 lens. However, my carry lens is the Sony Zeiss 55mm f1.8 and I really don’t gain that much reach over my 55mm lens with a 85mm lens." What an airhead I am sometimes. A Zeiss Batis became available, I bought it, sold the C/Y 100 and am poorer but happier for it.
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