Jump to content

Sell my 30,70mm S lenses for a 30-90 zoom good idea?


kuau

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

A friemd of mine is getting oit of his S system and has the 30-90 zoom he is sellimgi

My current lineup is a S006, 30,70,120 and 180 Lenses.

I shoot mostly landscapes on a tripod F11 usually.

 

So I would sell my 30/70 to fund the 30-90

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

For me, the convenience without loss in quality overcame the heavier, different filter size, F-size issues.  I do miss shooting at F2.5 etc but this is a very good lens for travel.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Try it and see.

 

For me, the 006 and zoom worked well on a tripod, but not for my occasional desire for handheld use in other than ideal light.  Also, with the split prism screen, half of it goes dark at smaller apertures, notably at the slower long end.  I would have much preferred the faster primes (and, frankly, the faster 007), despite the inconvenience, although the cost of a full set to match the zoom range (let alone the higher 007 cost) was not practical.  IQ-wise, it really depends how large one prints and how critically one considers outer edges, etc. (discussed in other threads).

 

YMMV, as they say.

 

Jeff

Edited by Jeff S
Link to post
Share on other sites

The primes will give you sharper images and greater contrast, there should be less distortion. However, zooms can allow for exact framing so cropping is done in camera and not post processing. Both have advantages.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I sold my 30 and 70 non CS lenses for the 30-90 for use on my 1st gen S2.  Optically, the zoom does exhibit a bit more barrel  distortion than the 30.  Internal flare is well controlled, I can shoot in all conditions without worry of changing lenses with my most used focal lengths.  When I am out shooting landscape, many times there are environmental reasons that make me stop and not change lenses, now I don't have to compromise.  The one thing I miss is the close focus ability from the 70, so when a pristine CS came up for sale I bought it.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

A friemd of mine is getting oit of his S system and has the 30-90 zoom he is sellimgi

My current lineup is a S006, 30,70,120 and 180 Lenses.

I shoot mostly landscapes on a tripod F11 usually.

 

So I would sell my 30/70 to fund the 30-90

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

You will lose IQ in exchange for convenience, the corners and edges on the primes is superior,but maybe shooting mostly at f11 will mitigate that.

Link to post
Share on other sites

If you shoot events the 30-90 is fantastic.  Yes, even though the long end is 5.6 you still get nice isolation of the subject from even a nearby background. That plus a 180 is all you need for that kind of work.  There is no substitute for fast lenses if the light is low... though at the cost of shallow DoF, which some folks might not like. People used to looking a pictures from their phones might not *get* images where a person's right eye is in focus and the other not.

 

That said, the 30-90 isn't a substitute for macro possibilities with the 120, and the reach or rendering of the 180.

 

Look at your metadata and see which focal lengths are most used. That might provide good data points.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I had the 30 and the 70 when I bought the 30-90.

That 1st 30-90 lens had issues on the lower right corner, which I explained in this forum, and Leica contacted me and changed it for free.

The 2nd 30-90 is ok between 30mm and 60mm all over the frame, at 70mm it is quite ok, and at 90mm the corners could be better.

But I do use it mostly between 30mm and 60mm, so it's ok for me as it is.

 

I sold the 30 because I knew I would not use it having the 30-90. I don't need opening more than f.4.

 

But I kept the 70mm: IMO selling it would have been silly, because it is a super lens, fast, with an unbelievable quality, because it is light and small, and because it is unbeatable when doing repro work (no distortion).

 

...

 

The 006 + 30-90 is very nice when on travel, even if it is heavy. After using several bags (Koenig, Peak Design, Billingham Hadley Pro Large, Think Tank City Walker 30) now I favor the Billingham f.1.4, the one with which I began carrying this rig.

Edited by Manolo Laguillo
Link to post
Share on other sites

30-90 is great for all round use, especially travel. Keep the 70, best value in the S lens lineup for all the reasons Manolo gave.

I own both, and both have been through broken AF as mentioned in other posts - I got so frustrated I put all my S kit up for sale. The IQ is fantastic, though.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It is a great lens for all around work, but it does not perform as well in the edges of the image as the primes do. Unlike RVB, I have not found this to be improved by stopped down. The edges will be soft above about 70mm. 30-60mm is fine. Otherwise, the lens is brilliant. The image has a lot of snap and acceptable distortion, nice bokeh, low flare or chromatic aberration. It focuses well and is all around a joy to use. But in my use of photographing landscapes, I did not find it acceptable. It could be my copy, but I brought it myself to the Leica factory and they gave it a tune up and said it was performing to spec.

 

 The 70mm is not all that much better in some situations, but stopping down to 8 or 11 will bring the edges and corners into sharp focus (In my experience, it has a curvature of field that will soften the edges and corners at long distances when the center is in sharp focus). I find the best S lenses for landscape are the 35, 45mm and 120mm, though I have not used the 100mm. Please do not get me wrong, I use the 70mm all the time for landscape work and no one complains! But it, along with the zoom, are demonstrably inferior to the other primes. 

 

I think that if you are using the zoom in situations where the edges are less critical or otherwise obscured by depth of field (using it in close quarters or indoors, in portraits or street work etc), then you will be very happy with it. Unfortunately, despite paying full price for a new copy when it came out, I did not find it lived up to the marketing as being "as good as the primes." It isn't. Sorry. 

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

It is a great lens for all around work, but it does not perform as well in the edges of the image as the primes do. Unlike RVB, I have not found this to be improved by stopped down. The edges will be soft above about 70mm. 30-60mm is fine. Otherwise, the lens is brilliant. The image has a lot of snap and acceptable distortion, nice bokeh, low flare or chromatic aberration. It focuses well and is all around a joy to use. But in my use of photographing landscapes, I did not find it acceptable. It could be my copy, but I brought it myself to the Leica factory and they gave it a tune up and said it was performing to spec.

 

 The 70mm is not all that much better in some situations, but stopping down to 8 or 11 will bring the edges and corners into sharp focus (In my experience, it has a curvature of field that will soften the edges and corners at long distances when the center is in sharp focus). I find the best S lenses for landscape are the 35, 45mm and 120mm, though I have not used the 100mm. Please do not get me wrong, I use the 70mm all the time for landscape work and no one complains! But it, along with the zoom, are demonstrably inferior to the other primes. 

 

I think that if you are using the zoom in situations where the edges are less critical or otherwise obscured by depth of field (using it in close quarters or indoors, in portraits or street work etc), then you will be very happy with it. Unfortunately, despite paying full price for a new copy when it came out, I did not find it lived up to the marketing as being "as good as the primes." It isn't. Sorry. 

 

Manolo posted examples in an earlier thread and Leica sent him a better sample...   http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/250720-30-90-zoom-first-impressions/  (note post #32)

 

So, the zoom may not be up to prime standards, but apparently some are much better than others.

 

Jeff

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you, Jeff, for making that quote :-) :-)

I was too tired yesterday night to search for that post, wanted to go to bed immediately.

 

In general we agree, don't we?: the 30-90 is ok between 30 and 65.

 

That's 24 to 50 in 24x36, which are the focal lengths I use the most.

 

With the Jobo LensTrue converging line correction device fixed to the bottom of the camera (which I am now currently testing) the 30-90 becomes a quite satisfactory substitution of a shifting lens.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have the 30-90 for travel and it is very convenient. I usually shoot open at f/8 so that the corner/perimeter softness is not that major an issue. Furthermore, I make it a practice to crop the sides as I deliberately frame the shot more liberally.

It works and beats changing primes in the heat of the action!

I did keep the 70mm for low light and have the 24mm as well for WA...

Albert   :)  :)  :)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...