This is part 6 in a series of posts on a prototype of the Kolari Vision thin-stack sensor modification for the Sony a7II. The series starts here.
The Leica 18mm f/3.8 Super Elmar-M ASPH is a darned good lens on the Sony a7x cameras, though it likes a little stopping down. How is it on the Kolari-modified a7II?
The scene, at f/5.6, with both a stock and a Kolari-modified a7II:
Same color shift we saw in the earlier pictures.
In the lower left corner, at all whole apertures, enlarged 3:1, processed in Lightroom with daylight white balance and otherwise default settings:
A huge difference in favor of the Kolari mod.
Darned good performance from the Kolari, and smeared from the standard sensor.
The standard sensor is doing a fair to middling job. The Kolari is excellent.
The standard sensor is good. The Kolari is excellent.
Both are softening up because of diffraction. The Kolari is ahead by a nose.
Hi Jim,
I had my A7s modded for almost half a year and had done aperture series on all my RF lenses as well: ZM 15, G 21, 28, Elmar 24, Lux 50 and Cron 50 AA. Remarkable improvement on some lenses! I do wonder if you would compare the Kolari result against the M240’s. Thank you.
Great series Jim. Thank you. Hoping you might have the time to test if the Kolari upgrade also improves performance of the 21mm Distagon.
The only 21 Distagon I have is the F-mount one.
Jim
Hi Jim, I was wondering if the increased sharpness of the kolari mod A7II is also in part due to the removal of the AA filter which a stock A7II has?
I don’t know. If they remove the AA filter, that would increase sharpness and aliasing. Do they?
Thanks for your response Jim. On Kolari’s website they state “Included anti-aliasing filter removal as part of the service”, so i’m guessing they do it as part of the thin filter replacement service.
Thanks. I probably would have looked for the effects of that had I twigged to their removal of the AA filter.