Chinese lenses for Sony: Four years ago purchased a Sony A-100 and a Zeiss DT 16-80. The lens which came with the body was a DT 18-70 made in China. Didn't know the Chinese were great...

muralist0221

Four years ago purchased a Sony A-100 and a Zeiss DT 16-80. The lens which came with the body was a DT 18-70 made in China. Didn't know the Chinese were great lens makers, so don't use it much. What is a good way to determine the merit of this product. Am I being prejudiced?

Nikon_DonB Loc: Chicago

Buy chinese and reap the dis-appointments. They are nothing but counterfeiters, as well as trying to destroy our way of life.....

Obviously you haven't watched the news in the last 5 years.....

muralist0221

I "live" to watch the news and am distrustful of the lens. Hence, the reason for this inquiry.

Nikon_DonB Loc: Chicago

muralist0221 wrote:

I "live" to watch the news and am distrustful of the lens. Hence, the reason for this inquiry.

Then You understand.................

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I have known a lot of people who bought Chinese lenses AND filters over the years, but never one of them who was happy with the product, or still uses them for that matter. You are MUCH better off to "buy once, cry once" as they say. Bite the bullet and but the best you can afford, not necessarily the best there is, and you will be much happier with your decision in the long run. I still use quality lenses I bought in the 70's.
Its going to be very hard to beat your Zeiss I think. That lense was specifically designed for the APS-C CCD sensor in the A100 body. Tough to beat a matched set!

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

muralist0221 wrote:

Four years ago purchased a Sony A-100 and a Zeiss DT 16-80. The lens which came with the body was a DT 18-70 made in China.

I assume that you still have both lenses. They are remarkably similar in focal lengths. Why not tripod your camera, then take identical photos with each lens, at various mags. You can then tell us how the Chinese stack-up to the Germans.

Guy Johnstone Loc: Ocean Shores WA

I think a fair # of Nikon and Canon lenses are now Chinese, and I don't think many Zeiss lenses come from Germany anymore.

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

Do the China made lenses have a brand name on them?

tomfr Loc: Brevard N.C.

Camera companies have been using lenses made in China for sometime, they are marketed under various names. In regards to Japanese Camera brand names, once the little gold quality control sticker was no longer placed on photo equipment, things began to slide.

tomfr

RacerDan Loc: Virden Illinois

"MADE IN CHINA" wish I had read these posts a few months ago, there would have been alot more research done before I bought my canon 60d. May explain why after only 2 months it is back at canon getting rebuilt.

ephraim Imperio

Guy Johnstone wrote:

I think a fair # of Nikon and Canon lenses are now Chinese, and I don't think many Zeiss lenses come from Germany anymore.

Correct about the Nikon and Canon lens made in China. Look at the new Nikon AFS 50mm f1.8 G lens that just got released. This lens is sharp, sharp, sharp! It rivals the legendary holy trinity of Nikon Zoom lens, which also I own in sharpness. The chinese have to abide with the Nikon and Canon standards of manufacturing lens for them to keep the business.

prestonphoto Loc: Bath, NY

When I bought my Canon Rebel XTi I looked on the bottom of the camera - "Made in Japan". If it'd said "Made in China" I would have looked somewhere else. Same with my lenses - not being made in China was a selling point for me. Anything China made should have the moniker "Made for suckers" on it.

les_stockton Loc: Eastern Oklahoma

For the most part, the phrase "you get what you pay for" holds true, no matter what brand and no matter what you buy. There are obvious exceptions for items you pay a lot of money for because of the brand, but are disappointed in afterwards. For the most part though, "you get what you pay for".

and, if all else fails, you can google and read what others experience with whatever product you are thinking about buying.

senad55verizon.net Loc: Milford, NJ

prestonphoto wrote:

When I bought my Canon Rebel XTi I looked on the bottom of the camera - "Made in Japan". If it'd said "Made in China" I would have looked somewhere else. Same with my lenses - not being made in China was a selling point for me. Anything China made should have the moniker "Made for suckers" on it.

Maybe you're not old enough to remember that everybody used to say that about "Made in Japan". (Pre WW II.)

jackinkc Loc: Kansas City

senad55verizon.net wrote:

prestonphoto wrote:

When I bought my Canon Rebel XTi I looked on the bottom of the camera - "Made in Japan". If it'd said "Made in China" I would have looked somewhere else. Same with my lenses - not being made in China was a selling point for me. Anything China made should have the moniker "Made for suckers" on it.

Maybe you're not old enough to remember that everybody used to say that about "Made in Japan". (Pre WW II.)

This is exactly right. I was a Navy photographer back in the '50s. Most photographers - those who knew nothing about the matter - referred to Canon and nikon as cheap junk. Then the news began to spread about how David Douglass Duncan had trashed his Leica during coverage of the Korean war. Desperate for immediate replacement of his gear, he could not find either Leica or Contax in Japan. He had to have a camera ASAP so he bought what was available, from Canon or Nikon, and was so impressed by the build quality and, especially the lenses, that he never looked back. By the early '60s Nikon had pretty much put Contax out of the market. Canon never managed to do this, though they carved out their own, respected niche.

Many Chinese precision instruments industries are yet in early stages. Nonetheless, when they build cameras and lenses for leading brands like Canon or Nikon, their products will meet parent company standards.