{"id":5031,"date":"2015-05-20T20:38:27","date_gmt":"2015-05-21T01:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=5031"},"modified":"2015-05-21T03:53:07","modified_gmt":"2015-05-21T08:53:07","slug":"review-zeiss-fe-55mm-f1-8-za-sonnar-t","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/review-zeiss-fe-55mm-f1-8-za-sonnar-t\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Zeiss FE 55mm f\/1.8 ZA Sonnar T*"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Zeiss FE 55mm f\/1.8 Sonnar has been around since the beginning of Sony’s full frame E-Mount launch, and a lot of people consider it an outstanding lens.  I thought about not doing an FE 55mm f\/1.8 review, as it’s been out for a while, but after using the lens over the past two weeks, I simply have to share my thoughts and feelings on this lens.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss FE 55mm f\/1.8 Sonnar on the Sony A7 II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Construction and Handling<\/h3>\n

The FE 55mm f\/1.8 shares the same all-metal construction that is found on essentially all the Sony Zeiss lenses.  The smooth aluminum barrel has no creaks or movement at all, and the only control is the finely ribbed focus ring. The lens is reassuringly solid and has a subtle heft to it.  It’s not a huge lens, though it is a bit longer than most normal prime lenses.  Overall, the 55mm f\/1.8 balances well on pretty much any Sony body. One somewhat interesting, though inconsequential fact about this lens is that the front element is concave, rather than the typical convex elements seen in most lenses.  This doesn’t affect use in any way, but I thought it was somewhat interesting.<\/p>\n

\"Zeiss<\/a>
Zeiss FE 55mm f\/1.8 ZA Sonnar T*<\/figcaption><\/figure>The manual focus ring is well damped and very smooth to operate. Like all the Sony E-mount native lenses, the focus is fly-by-wire, so there are no hard stops and no focus scales present.  The lens comes with caps, a case and a lens hood.  The hood is somewhat large in comparison to the lens body, but provides good shading and protection. It’s nicely constructed of plastic with a metal band around the base near the lens.  This band doesn’t do anything, but it feels nice and a bit more premium as a result.  It’s a nice touch. The bayonet mount for the hood is recessed slightly, and is similar to the hood attachments for many of the other Sony\/Zeiss E-mount lenses.<\/p>\n
\"The<\/a>
The FE 55mm f\/1.8 isn’t the most compact normal lens, but it’s not large either.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Autofocus<\/h3>\n

The FE 55mm f\/1.8 sports a very fast and quiet autofocus motor.  The lens locks focus very quickly on both the A7 II and the APS-C a6000 in good light, and slows somewhat it dimmer light.  However, that slowing is relatively minor for the most part, and speed is still pretty good when shooting higher contrast subjects in low light. I have noticed that when shooting people in lower light situations, that sometimes the lens will hunt through the range a bit, which can slow things down somewhat.  Part of this is that I found it best to use the smallest focus point setting on the camera, due to the relatively shallow depth of field that an f\/1.8 lens can generate on a full-frame body.  Using larger focus points, especially when shooting closer up to people, would often have the lens focus on eyebrows instead of eyes, which can be notable in these situations.<\/p>\n

The lens does not feature an optical image stabilizer, which is common among normal prime lenses.  It would have been nice, given the APS-C normal prime from Sony has optical stabilization, but I don’t view it as a major downside, especially if you’re shooting on the A7 II.<\/p>\n

Continue: Image Quality<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Image Quality<\/h3>\n

To be blunt, the FE 55mm f\/1.8 Sonnar is simply a fantastic lens optically.  Given the very high price tag for an f\/1.8 normal prime, you’d expect impeccable image quality, and with few exceptions, the Zeiss 55mm delivers. Let’s dive into the details.<\/p>\n

Sharpness<\/h4>\n

The Zeiss 55mm f\/1.8 is a full frame ‘FE’ designated lens, and is designed to be a long normal lens for the A7 series of cameras.  However, the 55mm focal length also makes it perfect for a short telephoto lens for Sony’s APS-C E-mount lenses as well, where the lens will have a field of view equivalent to an 85mm lens on full frame.  While the vast majority of my shooting was done with the A7 II, I did test the lens on my a6000 as well.  Zeiss is well-known for creating very sharp lenses, and the FE 55mm really shows Zeiss at the top of their game. On a full-frame body, the lens is a blisteringly sharp optic at smaller apertures and extremely good wide open as well.  It is one of only a handful of lenses that I’ve shot with that is truly sharp to the corners wide open, with an aperture at f\/2 or wider, and most of those were short to medium telephoto lenses, which are easier to produce for cross frame sharpness.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Rooftops<\/a>
Rooftops – Sony A7 II with Zeiss FE 55mm f\/1.8 ZA @ f\/5.6 (Click to Enlarge, Press green arrow to enlarge further)<\/figcaption><\/figure>Perhaps the only other normal lens I’ve used that exhibits similar sharpness across the image frame is Zeiss’ own Touit 32mm f\/1.8 for APS-C cameras, though the FE 55mm f\/1.8 outclasses the Touit even in this regard.  Now, I’m not saying it’s as sharp as it gets right at f\/1.8 – the corners are slightly<\/em> softer at this aperture than they are at, say, f\/4, but it’s something that’s really only visible when doing some 100% pixel peeping.  Shooting on the a6000, the lens is also very sharp right from wide open.  While it’s not quite as pixel perfect sharp at f\/1.8 on the a6000 as it is on the A7 II, it is very sharp across the frame, and tack sharp stopped down just a bit.  It’s really a remarkable performance in this regard, and it is easily among the very best lenses I’ve used with regards to resolution.<\/p>\n

Color and Contrast<\/h4>\n

In typical Zeiss fashion, the FE 55mm f\/1.8 displays superb color and contrast, with a rich, high-contrast look at any aperture.  The combination of high contrast with excellent sharpness and quick falloff to out of focus areas makes images pop out a bit when shooting at wide apertures.  There’s really not much more to say here, so let’s move on to bokeh.<\/p>\n

Bokeh<\/h4>\n

A fast prime is often used at wide apertures to create subject separation, and the Zeiss 55mm f\/1.8 is a lens that displays excellent bokeh to go along with the excellent sharpness of the lens, which is a difficult feat to accomplish in lens design.  The out of focus areas are generally smooth and specular highlights are nice and evenly illuminated.  It’s not ultra-creamy, as you’d expect for such a highly corrected lens, but the overall effect is very pleasing to my taste.  If you look closely, some onion ring patterning can be seen in the specular highlights due to the use of aspheric elements, and wide open, a cat’s eye shape is created near the frame edge. Those tend not to bother me. However, bokeh is a very subjective thing, so check out the image samples to see how it measures up for you.<\/p>\n

\"Spring<\/a>
Spring Flower – Sony A7 II with Zeiss FE 55mm f\/1.8 ZA @ f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chromatic Aberration, Flare, Distortion and Vignetting<\/h4>\n

With regards to lens aberrations, the FE 55mm f\/1.8 again turns in an excellent performance, with a few small caveats.<\/p>\n

The lens displays virtually zero field relevant lateral chromatic aberration at any aperture, which is truly excellent.  Like many fast lenses, however, longitudinal CA, displayed as green and magenta fringes behind and in front of the focus point, is visible at wide apertures.  Overall, however, a very good performance here.<\/p>\n

\"Sunrise<\/a>
Sunrise on the River – 3 shot HDR – Sony A7 II with Zeiss FE 55mm f\/1.8 ZA @ f\/8<\/figcaption><\/figure>The lens controls distortion fairly well, with just a touch of barrel distortion at the edges, which can be easily corrected with a lens profile if it bothers you.  With regards to flare, the 55mm f\/1.8 also performs very well.  Some veiling flare can be introduced with the lens, especially if the sun is near the frame edge, but I find the effect subtle and rather beautiful, rather than distracting.  Ghosting is well controlled and generally not an issue, though green blobs can be introduced in the right circumstances.<\/p>\n

The Zeiss 55mm does vignette notably at wide apertures, and it improves upon stopping down, but vignetting never completely disappears.  I am one who likes a bit of subtle corner shading, so I quite enjoy a lens like this, but for those who want pure even illumination, some minor correction in postprocessing will be required.<\/p>\n

In all, it doesn’t get much better.  The lens is optically stellar and probably the best corrected normal lens I’ve ever used.  This type of performance is usually reserved for top-tier telephoto lenses, which are a bit easier to design.<\/p>\n

Continue: Conclusion and Image Samples<\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

Pros:<\/h4>\n
    \n
  • Solidly built lens with a beautiful fit and finish<\/li>\n
  • Fast and very accurate autofocus<\/li>\n
  • Truly excellent cross-frame sharpness at any aperture<\/li>\n
  • Beautiful color and contrast<\/li>\n
  • Smooth bokeh with evenly illuminated specular highlights<\/li>\n
  • Good flare control<\/li>\n
  • Excellent control of lateral chromatic aberration<\/li>\n
  • Minimal distortion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Cons<\/h4>\n
      \n
    • Vignetting is strong at wide apertures and is present stopped down<\/li>\n
    • Some longitudinal CA at wide apertures<\/li>\n
    • Expensive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      I have to be honest.  When the FE 55mm f\/1.8 was first announced, I was incredulous.  I couldn’t believe Sony and Zeiss would have the audacity to charge $1,000 for a normal lens that was only f\/1.8.  I mean, Canon’s 50mm f\/1.8 is just over $100, and Nikon’s is still 1\/4 the cost of the Zeiss 55mm.  However, after using the lens for several weeks, I can say that while the price is still a little high, it’s not outrageous considering the quality of the optics.  The lens is very sharp, even in the corners at f\/1.8, with great bokeh, excellent contrast and color and few lens aberrations.  It also is relatively compact and has quick, quiet and accurate autofocus.  There’s extremely little to complain about.  If you want a normal lens for your A7 series camera, you really can’t go wrong with the lens.<\/p>\n

      However, it’s much harder to recommend if you are exclusively an APS-C shooter.  It’s not that it doesn’t perform well on APS-C; it performs brilliantly.  The thing is, there are other lenses that offer far better value, so you really need to evaluate your needs in this area.  For instance, the Sigma 60mm f\/2.8 is just as good optically on my a6000 at less than 1\/4 the cost of the 55mm f\/1.8, though it’s a bit more than a stop slower.  That extra stop and a third will cost you nearly $800.  However, the lens gains value if you own both full-frame and APS-C E-mount cameras, as it pulls double duty as a normal lens and a short telephoto and does so brilliantly.<\/p>\n

      So, yes, the lens is expensive, but great glass often costs greatly.  Make no mistake, the FE 55mm f\/1.8 is a great<\/em> lens.  It has quickly become one of my absolute favorite lenses.<\/p>\n

      Purchasing your gear (or anything) through the B&H link below helps support Admiring Light at no additional cost to you.<\/em><\/p>\n