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I'm "Disappointed"...
I'm "disappointed" that my $4,000 (if you can find one at retail) Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 didn't blow this $300 Sony lens out of the water. This will be a limited, non-technical review, as there are plenty of in-depth reviews on-line already, and my quick comparisons were only done at f/2.0. First, I shot both lenses using my tripod mounted Sony Nex-7 APS-C at 1/125 sec, manually focusing on a building and street construction across the street from my loft. The average person would not be able to chose which photo was "best," though the aspherical lens Leica had a very slight edge (sharpness, distortion, color e.g.) over the Sony. I then shot close-ups at ~3 ft, table mounted, 1/30th sec, f/2.0. Bokeh and sharpness on the Leica was only slightly better, unnoticeable to most, and again the Sony performed beautifully in this David versus Goliath comparison. Of course, for my extra $3700 I can open the Leica to f/1.4 and leave the Sony in tears. Or did I just see the egoless but autofocusing and anti-shake Sony wisely smile at my all-manual big-ego Leica?
March 2012 · Electronics