The Amazing Sony A1/A7/A9/APS-C & Anything else welcome Mega Thread!

[wookie6262]

Start up time sounds a plus, I know it only takes a couple of seconds or so to turn on but it can be a pain

Formatting is quicker too by a good margin. I also left the camera in my Peli all night switched on and it was cold and only used 20 percent of one battery. Previously it would have got very warm and been out of battery completely. I think this update may be better than I had anticipated and is solving some poor firmware as well as some useful additions

 

[billgatese30]

My map is switchable so I can choose 95,97 or 99.

Can do the same if I go stage 2 as well.

Haven't decided if I want to go stage 2 or not yet. Have had the car about a year or so now and starting to get itchy feet looking at other cars.

Quite like the Hyundai Kona N spec would be a good sensible choice in terms of the size of the car, there is only for sale in N.I at the moment though and it's not the colour I want. Also considering a Mercedes CLA45 AMG which I passed on when I bought the ST, but that would be a less sensible choice. In an ideal world I would go for a Mercedes C63 but my budget won't stretch that far, well it would but the Missus would kill me.

CLA45 is a great car, as is the C43 (plus they have 4wd compared to C63 or M3). I test drove a few of each before I went for my S7. The C63 and M3 were hideous at putting the power down even in the dry! C43 would be my choice of them, but I went for an Audi S7 as I wanted a V8 so badly!

 

[snerkler]

Formatting is quicker too by a good margin. I also left the camera in my Peli all night switched on and it was cold and only used 20 percent of one battery. Previously it would have got very warm and been out of battery completely. I think this update may be better than I had anticipated and is solving some poor firmware as well as some useful additions

Do you not have your camera set to turn off automatically if not used for a while, maybe the firmware has changed this setting without you knowing?

I’m off to Oulton Park tomorrow and don’t want to risk bricking my camera before then, but I might take the plunge after

 

[Throttle]

Picked up a Sony A7C II for something more compact and the Sigma 35mm F2 which arrived today so i grabbed this whilst out today giving it a quick test
IMG_7555 by David Leather, on Flickr

 

[T_J_G]

Anyone else with the Sigma 85 1.4 DG DN suffer really bad (ugly) flare when shooting into the sun? I'm sure it never used to be like it is now.

 

[nandbytes]

Anyone else with the Sigma 85 1.4 DG DN suffer really bad (ugly) flare when shooting into the sun? I'm sure it never used to be like it is now.


View attachment 421516

I remember sending you a backlit picture from this lens before. Never had any such issues myself from this lens.
I no longer have this lens, so I can't test this now.

 

[snerkler]

Anyone else with the Sigma 85 1.4 DG DN suffer really bad (ugly) flare when shooting into the sun? I'm sure it never used to be like it is now.


View attachment 421516

I’ve never seen anything like this, but I don’t do a lot of backlit. Was this with the hood on?

 

[sjh2008]

@Throttle
Nice photo, the Sigma 35mm F2 is a cracking lens nice and sharp and decent bokeh from it.
Lovely build quality and feel to it

I enjoy using mine on an A9

 

[T_J_G]

I remember sending you a backlit picture from this lens before. Never had any such issues myself from this lens.
I no longer have this lens, so I can't test this now.

I swear it was never this bad when I got it, and I shoot a lot of backlit subjects (when the sun is out!) and this on at least 15 photos all in different environment from an engagement session last night and I've also noticed it before this.

I’ve never seen anything like this, but I don’t do a lot of backlit. Was this with the hood on?

Hood is always on, I've wanted to replace this lens for a while as it no longer manual focuses (no bid deal) and it's absolutely battered. But there seems to be not much on the market to replace it with, other than the 85 1.4 GM which surely must be due an update soon.

 

[Throttle]

@Throttle
Nice photo, the Sigma 35mm F2 is a cracking lens nice and sharp and decent bokeh from it.
Lovely build quality and feel to it

I enjoy using mine on an A9

Cheers and yes it’s a nice lens and the build quality on it is nice, I also have the 35mm GM yet i wanted to get something a bit smaller to suit the camera body.. I was tempted to get the 40mm f2.5 yet the Sigma was cheaper and faster so went with it.

 

[wookie6262]

Do you not have your camera set to turn off automatically if not used for a while, maybe the firmware has changed this setting without you knowing?

I’m off to Oulton Park tomorrow and don’t want to risk bricking my camera before then, but I might take the plunge after

I mirrored the settings from the old to new firmware. They were both set to 30 mins shutdown. It will be interesting to see if it has any effect on battery life

 

[f/2.8]

Anyone else with the Sigma 85 1.4 DG DN suffer really bad (ugly) flare when shooting into the sun? I'm sure it never used to be like it is now.


View attachment 421516

Yeah it flares quite bad.

Try with the hood off it flares like a lunatic.

I swear it was never this bad when I got it, and I shoot a lot of backlit subjects (when the sun is out!) and this on at least 15 photos all in different environment from an engagement session last night and I've also noticed it before this.



Hood is always on, I've wanted to replace this lens for a while as it no longer manual focuses (no bid deal) and it's absolutely battered. But there seems to be not much on the market to replace it with, other than the 85 1.4 GM which surely must be due an update soon.

I recently replaced my missus 85GM with the Siggy. It does flare have noticed it myself as we shoot backlit a lot. Every 85 will to be fair.

I don’t find the flare as bad as the G.M though. I like a bit of flare and the Siggy’s flare is more pleasing than the G.M.

New G.M is supposed to hit July I think the rumour guy said.

 

[f/2.8]

Cheers and yes it’s a nice lens and the build quality on it is nice, I also have the 35mm GM yet i wanted to get something a bit smaller to suit the camera body.. I was tempted to get the 40mm f2.5 yet the Sigma was cheaper and faster so went with it.

I haven’t bought a 35 for my A7CII set up yet we already have the 35 GM and the Sony 35mm f/1.8.

Not sure if I will bother or not. At the moment I have went full cheapskate with lenses for the A7CII. I have the Samyang 18mm f/2.8, 45mm f/1.8 and the 75mm f/1.8 and the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8.

Was tempted to get the Samyang 35 f/1.8 as they are on promo at the moment but seems silly to buy another 35mm.

 

[snerkler]

I swear it was never this bad when I got it, and I shoot a lot of backlit subjects (when the sun is out!) and this on at least 15 photos all in different environment from an engagement session last night and I've also noticed it before this.



Hood is always on, I've wanted to replace this lens for a while as it no longer manual focuses (no bid deal) and it's absolutely battered. But there seems to be not much on the market to replace it with, other than the 85 1.4 GM which surely must be due an update soon.

85mm f1.4 GM II has been rumoured for a while, keeps seeming to get pushed back.

 

[snerkler]

New cashback offers for Sony

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[woof woof]

85mm f1.5 GM II has been rumoured for a while, keeps seeming to get pushed back.

Typo? That'd be unusual. f1.4?

 

[snerkler]

Typo? That'd be unusual. f1.4?

Yeah, typo

 

[T_J_G]

Yeah it flares quite bad.

Try with the hood off it flares like a lunatic.


I recently replaced my missus 85GM with the Siggy. It does flare have noticed it myself as we shoot backlit a lot. Every 85 will to be fair.

I don’t find the flare as bad as the G.M though. I like a bit of flare and the Siggy’s flare is more pleasing than the G.M.

New G.M is supposed to hit July I think the rumour guy said.

I'm sure it's got worse, never used to be like this and I absolutely love(d) the lens. And these flares are always big and ugly not like good looking ones and it's always red. I'll have to hold on and see if these GM rumours turn out to be true.

On a side note, loving the 35 GM I picked up recently.

 

[f/2.8]

I'm sure it's got worse, never used to be like this and I absolutely love(d) the lens. And these flares are always big and ugly not like good looking ones and it's always red. I'll have to hold on and see if these GM rumours turn out to be true.

On a side note, loving the 35 GM I picked up recently.

Not sure what would make it more prone to flare tbh than it was previously. Am sure you would have noiticed if the coatings had been damaged.

 

[woof woof]

One I came across whilst mooching. Taken on a cold January morning in 2021.

A7 and Voigtlander 35mm f1.4.

 

[nandbytes]

a fixed lens FF panasonic coming soon apparently

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP3RaGbqiDo

 

[andybod]

My map is switchable so I can choose 95,97 or 99.

Can do the same if I go stage 2 as well.

Haven't decided if I want to go stage 2 or not yet. Have had the car about a year or so now and starting to get itchy feet looking at other cars.

Quite like the Hyundai Kona N spec would be a good sensible choice in terms of the size of the car, there is only for sale in N.I at the moment though and it's not the colour I want. Also considering a Mercedes CLA45 AMG which I passed on when I bought the ST, but that would be a less sensible choice. In an ideal world I would go for a Mercedes C63 but my budget won't stretch that far, well it would but the Missus would kill me.

We did a back to back road test with the i30n and a seat Leon 290 cupra, wife wasn’t interested in the cupra until she drove it.
nothing at all wrong with the Hyundai and you wouldn’t have been disappointed with it one the drive it drove very well and made all the right noises.
My Son however was most put out when he saw a Porsche caymen a couple of weeks later and I explained I did try and convince his mum that was the way to go apparently she needs 4 doors and more than two seats.

 

[woof woof]

a fixed lens FF panasonic coming soon apparently

I could be interested,

One thing that blights some of my Panasonic cameras is a poor evf or maybe it's not actually the display but whatever optics Panasonic put in there. If it has a decent evf and Leica/Fuji type controls and a lens I like I could be interested.

I was just looking today and couldn't find any new toy to buy so thanks for this I might just keep the pennies for now and see what this looks like. I wonder if Sony will do one? If they do I bet it'll have a max shutter of 1/4,000 and be missing a control wheel.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

I could be interested,

One thing that blights some of my Panasonic cameras is a poor evf or maybe it's not actually the display but whatever optics Panasonic put in there. If it has a decent evf and Leica/Fuji type controls and a lens I like I could be interested.

I was just looking today and couldn't find any new toy to buy so thanks for this I might just keep the pennies for now and see what this looks like. I wonder if Sony will do one? If they do I bet it'll have a max shutter of 1/4,000 and be missing a control wheel.

You’ll talk yourself out of it with dust on sensor worries……….

 

[f/2.8]

I could be interested,

One thing that blights some of my Panasonic cameras is a poor evf or maybe it's not actually the display but whatever optics Panasonic put in there. If it has a decent evf and Leica/Fuji type controls and a lens I like I could be interested.

I was just looking today and couldn't find any new toy to buy so thanks for this I might just keep the pennies for now and see what this looks like. I wonder if Sony will do one? If they do I bet it'll have a max shutter of 1/4,000 and be missing a control wheel.

The EVF on the full frame Pannys are pretty fantastic

 

[snerkler]

The EVF on the full frame Pannys are pretty fantastic

I wish they’d give Sony some tips then

 

[woof woof]

You’ll talk yourself out of it with dust on sensor worries……….

That could happen and Panasonic do have a history of sloppy sealing on their sensors, or so I'm told by the company who fixed one of mine with contamination under the glass.

The EVF on the full frame Pannys are pretty fantastic

Well lets hope that if it comes it has a nice one.

 

[Throttle]

I haven’t bought a 35 for my A7CII set up yet we already have the 35 GM and the Sony 35mm f/1.8.

Not sure if I will bother or not. At the moment I have went full cheapskate with lenses for the A7CII. I have the Samyang 18mm f/2.8, 45mm f/1.8 and the 75mm f/1.8 and the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8.

Was tempted to get the Samyang 35 f/1.8 as they are on promo at the moment but seems silly to buy another 35mm.

I was tempted with the Sony 35mm 1.8 yet the Sigma appeared with a decent deal so i just jumped at it the majority of my Sony lenses are Sony G or GM so quite big i do have one Sigma the 105mm 1.4 which is also big, I did plan on just going with the Sony 20-70mm yet found that it can get a bit bulky on the A7C II so want a smaller prime... knowing me i'll end up with more smaller primes too.
I will end up using the 20-70 on it yet i did tend to catch my fingers against the lens when holding the camera grip using it with the A7C yet never noticed that or my other cameras.

 

[Throttle]

a fixed lens FF panasonic coming soon apparently

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP3RaGbqiDo

I hope they announce it soon as i'll be very tempted to give up on my X100VI preorder and go for this instead depending on what the specs are on it

 

[f/1.4]

Anyone else with the Sigma 85 1.4 DG DN suffer really bad (ugly) flare when shooting into the sun? I'm sure it never used to be like it is now.


View attachment 421516

This is normal, easy enough to mitigate it somewhat but yes that's how the lens performs

 

[f/2.8]

I was tempted with the Sony 35mm 1.8 yet the Sigma appeared with a decent deal so i just jumped at it the majority of my Sony lenses are Sony G or GM so quite big i do have one Sigma the 105mm 1.4 which is also big, I did plan on just going with the Sony 20-70mm yet found that it can get a bit bulky on the A7C II so want a smaller prime... knowing me i'll end up with more smaller primes too.
I will end up using the 20-70 on it yet i did tend to catch my fingers against the lens when holding the camera grip using it with the A7C yet never noticed that or my other cameras.

This was my conundrum with the A7CII as well. I went for the A7CII over other options because it allowed me the option to use my existing lenses. However all my existing glass felt way to big on the A7CII so I ended up buying the small primes instead.

I don't regret getting the A7CII as it's pretty much perfect for what I wanted to use it for but if I had realised when purchasing just how odd it would feel to use my existing glass with it, I might have tried something else as I had to buy new glass for it anyway.

 

[woof woof]

I don't normally use big lenses but do occasionally use my 100-400mm on my Panasonic GX cameras, those are the smaller RF style ones. I don't find handling or balance an issue as my right hand holds the camera and my left is under the lens. It works fine for me apart from me not liking bulky kit.

 

[Throttle]

This was my conundrum with the A7CII as well. I went for the A7CII over other options because it allowed me the option to use my existing lenses. However all my existing glass felt way to big on the A7CII so I ended up buying the small primes instead.

I don't regret getting the A7CII as it's pretty much perfect for what I wanted to use it for but if I had realised when purchasing just how odd it would feel to use my existing glass with it, I might have tried something else as I had to buy new glass for it anyway.

I did have the Nikon Z5 ( also own a ZF ) which i initially had for the same intention of the A7C II for a more compact setup.. With the firmware update done and for what i wanted the focusing was fine and i liked the camera and images from it and the 28mm and 40mm pancake lenses was decent sized and sharp enough.

So i decided i wanted something wider and looked at primes yet the Nikon 20mm was way larger and heavier than my Sony 20mm ( much like the Nikon Z 50 1.8 that’s big for what it is )
So then i started looking at the A7C II so i ended up selling the Z5 and thinking this will be ideal the A7C II with the 20-70 yet it’s a little bulky on it yet i think I’ll just live with it.

 

[Sootchucker]

Guys, looking for some advise / inspiration. Loving my new first foray into Sony with my little A6700 and my trio of lenses (15mm F1.4, 10-20 F4 PZ and 18-135 F3.5-5.6). Whilst I told myself I only got the Sony as a walkabout and vacation camera, I'm loving using it so much, that I'm considering investing in a faster standard zoom. I don't want to spend an absolute fortune as my Nikon Z9 / Z8 system is still my go to system for anything other that when small and light is the order of the day.

Apparently two lenses keep cropping up. They being the Sigma 18-50 F2.8 and the Sony E 16-55 F2.8 G. I do like the compactness and lightness of the Sigma, and it seems optically to be reported as very good indeed. Trouble is it only starts from 18mm (27mm effective), and I do like a 24mm effective (16mm APS-C) lens, and the Sony lens also goes a little longer to 55mm (82.5mm) vs 50mm (75mm) on the Sigma. Whilst it seems this is a very highly regraded lens from what I've seen on the web, it's obviously much larger and heavier than the Sigma.

I only ideally want to buy once, so need to get this right. What are people's thoughts please - does compactness and weight of the Sigma trump focal length advantages on the bigger / heavier Sony ?

 

[T_J_G]

Not sure what would make it more prone to flare tbh than it was previously. Am sure you would have noiticed if the coatings had been damaged.

all looks fine from the outside, but if the glass/coatings are as rubbish as the body of the lens then that wouldn't surprise me

 

[f/2.8]

Was at a wedding conference thing today that Sony had sponsored and they were there doing free repairs and sensor cleaning etc.

Had a chat with the rep but they spend as much time looking at Sony runours as the rest of us and hadn't a clue about anything new coming up. He did mention that the reps think that Sony is working on a new full frame competitor to the X100 series and that they were fed up with people asking about the new 85GM and were hoping it would come soon.

Apparently they can give us working togs special discounts as well, for example they can do me a U.K A9III for £5200.

 

[snerkler]

This is normal, easy enough to mitigate it somewhat but yes that's how the lens performs

I’ve not seen any reviews/examples showing big red streaks across the frame like TJG posted?

 

[snerkler]

My 100-400mm showed some weird behaviour again at BSB today in that some shots taken at a distance looked out of focus.

I saw it before at Silverstone with MotoGP and put it down to heat haze, but today it wasn’t particularly hazy. I started trying some test shots of trees etc and they were the same. I upped the shutter speed from 1/100 to 1/320 and it cured the problem which would lead me to think it was camera shake, however I can normally hand hold much slower than this. I then went back to 1/100 and 1/60 and I could get sharp images again.

Not sure what’s going off there

 

[woof woof]

Was at a wedding conference thing today that Sony had sponsored and they were there doing free repairs and sensor cleaning etc.

Had a chat with the rep but they spend as much time looking at Sony runours as the rest of us and hadn't a clue about anything new coming up. He did mention that the reps think that Sony is working on a new full frame competitor to the X100 series and that they were fed up with people asking about the new 85GM and were hoping it would come soon.

Apparently they can give us working togs special discounts as well, for example they can do me a U.K A9III for £5200.

With this possibility and the possibility of one from Panasonic too maybe I might get to spend some money.

I think I'd be happiest with a changeable lens camera with manual controls then I could still clean the sensor

 

[Bodian]

Guys, looking for some advise / inspiration. Loving my new first foray into Sony with my little A6700 and my trio of lenses (15mm F1.4, 10-20 F4 PZ and 18-135 F3.5-5.6). Whilst I told myself I only got the Sony as a walkabout and vacation camera, I'm loving using it so much, that I'm considering investing in a faster standard zoom. I don't want to spend an absolute fortune as my Nikon Z9 / Z8 system is still my go to system for anything other that when small and light is the order of the day.

Apparently two lenses keep cropping up. They being the Sigma 18-50 F2.8 and the Sony E 16-55 F2.8 G. I do like the compactness and lightness of the Sigma, and it seems optically to be reported as very good indeed. Trouble is it only starts from 18mm (27mm effective), and I do like a 24mm effective (16mm APS-C) lens, and the Sony lens also goes a little longer to 55mm (82.5mm) vs 50mm (75mm) on the Sigma. Whilst it seems this is a very highly regraded lens from what I've seen on the web, it's obviously much larger and heavier than the Sigma.

I only ideally want to buy once, so need to get this right. What are people's thoughts please - does compactness and weight of the Sigma trump focal length advantages on the bigger / heavier Sony ?

I only have the Sigma 18-50 (and A6600). I think it's excellent; compact, light and very good quality. Swapping to mirrorless, I did wonder about losing a couple of mm - but I don't seem to have missed it too much. But I also bought a pretty cheap Rokinon 12mm for the times when I do want something wider. That is also so light and compact, that I just put it in my jacket pocket, or in the bottom of my camera bag. I looked at the Sony 16-55, and also the Tamron 17-70 in store. But they just felt so much bigger and heavier - and the main benefit of the small mirrorless cameras is their portability.

Given that you have the 10-20, how often will you 'need' f2.8 at 16mm anyway? I find I use it more at the 50mm end.

You'll probably miss the 50-135 more than the 16-18.