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

I don't have an A6300 (I'm tempted though) but do have a Panny GX7 which is an RF style camera but with a compact prime fitted to my A7 and GX7 I don't think there's an awfully significant difference in bulk between the two. Zooms are another matter but an A7 with a compact prime is a pretty compact set up and makes me wonder what the true advantages of a small RF camera are... but zooms are another matter.

This is the thing, I've taken the A7RII with 55 f1.8 out with me in a small bag and it's perfectly fine, even with the 35mm f2.8 I don't see it being a problem for travelling..... it's still a very compact setup vs that FF goodness.
 
you have to choose the right lenses to be compact, alot of the fe line just isnt actually compact.
28, 35 or even 50/55mm are pretty compact and really it's only when you go up in aperture, quality or focal length that the lenses get bigger and that's to be expected. For someone like me who mostly uses the 28 to 55mm range the A7 is a very compact system and not significantly bigger than my MFT G7 (a SLR style MFT camera) and an equivalent length lens and significantly more compact than something like a 5D an a similar prime.
 
I like my old lenses but I do realise that they'll never compete with the technical excellence of a modern lens if you go looking for the shortcomings and I just find it amazing that someone is surprised that an old mass market film era lens doesn't stand up to comparison with a modern lens.

As long as they are reasonably sharp it's usually the unique looks that come from the old lenses that gives the appeal to most of us :)
 
Really love the processing of those image
 
Decided to stick with full-frame goodness and not bother with the A6300 & 16-70mm f4
Bought the 35mm f2.8 to add to the 55mm f1.8 as my travelling setup. :)
 
Really love the processing of those image

Me too, it suits the retro vibe of the MK1 Escort so well.

Great processing and composition

Like these Lee, fancy sharing your PP process?

I'd be interested to know how this result is achieved as well.

Wow! Thanks for the comments all.

I seem to get this a lot. But I don't do a lot!!

Initially I pick a 'camera calibration' profile from the selection for whichever gives the basic look/boost I fancy. Then a custom WB, a slight shadow lift, saturation/vibrance reduction, curves adjustment to remove the blacks... Well, that's looking at the above shots in LR anyway.
 
Few more from me.

Balos Lagoon.
13516385_10154967556598502_821109836315993070_n.jpg


Samaria Gorge
13615487_10154991004633502_8202479741287460980_n.jpg


And this one from Braithwaite. Love a moody sky and sun beams.
13754419_10155036728588502_7278644889517651800_n.jpg
 
I thought I'd ask this question here as there doesn't seem to be a designated thread for the A6000.
I've recently invested in the Sony system with an A6000 body, I have a couple of the Sigma Art lenses to play with (19 & 60mm f2.8) & the 16-50 kit lens which came with the body but would welcome suggestions as to the best legacy lenses for this body as I'd like to have a play with them?

I've seen some good results on the A7 / A7 mkii bodies so what would be your recommendations for the crop system please? I've seen an Olympus F Zuiko 50mm f1.8 which would be 80mm equivalent and am quite interested in that but are there better options?
I'm also looking for a fast wide angle lens for night landscape photography and maybe Astro at some stage.
Any advice would be appreciated.
 
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I've seen some good results on the A7 / A7 mkii bodies so what would be your recommendations for the crop system please? I've seen an Olympus F Zuiko 50mm f1.8 which would be 80mm equivalent and am quite interested in that but are there better options?
I'm also looking for a fast wide angle lens for night landscape photography and maybe Astro at some stage.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Can't help you with the A6000 but I've used the Zuiko 50mm f1.8 on my A7 and also on my MFT cameras and I think they're lovely little lenses. They'll perform better on an A6000 than they do on my MFT as the bigger the sensor the less hard they have to work. I have some cheap adapters bought off evil bay for £10 or so and also some Novoflex adapters which go for £90-100 and I have to say that the cheap adapters seem perfectly adequate to me.

I prefer the pictures I get from my Minolta Rokkor's to the Zuiko's but the latter are very compact and just lovely things. I adapted quickly to the 100mm FoV on MFT and 75mm equivalent FoV on an APS-C body might be very nice.
 
Thumbs up for the FE 35mm f2.8, it's very light and small :)

Right folks, just a heads up for those who have asked me, I will be putting up the following for sale in a week or two.

Sony A7RII with extended Sony warranty, and 2x 32GB SD cards.
Sony A7II /RII /SII Battery Grip
Zeiss Batis 25mm f2.0
Zeiss Batis 85mm f1.8
Nissin i40 flash

Cheers,

Riz
 
I have put this in this group as I will mostly be posting in it. How do you insert pictures as links, deadly from flicker?
 
Thumbs up for the FE 35mm f2.8, it's very light and small :)

Right folks, just a heads up for those who have asked me, I will be putting up the following for sale in a week or two.

Sony A7RII with extended Sony warranty, and 2x 32GB SD cards.
Sony A7II /RII /SII Battery Grip
Zeiss Batis 25mm f2.0
Zeiss Batis 85mm f1.8
Nissin i40 flash

Cheers,

Riz

Will you be keeping the 35mm f2.8?
 
Will you be keeping the 35mm f2.8?

100% yes, it's such a small light weight lens and just what I wanted part of my travelling setup.
The IQ is good too vs its size.
So I'm thinking of keeping my 70-200mm f4 G OSS too, so my current travelling setup will consist of:-
A7RII
35mm f2.8
55mm f1.8
70-200mm f4

But once the A9 comes out it might be too bigger body for travelling, so then I'll have to see what's available ....
 
I thought you'd like the 35mm :D I've taken some of my favourite pictures with that lens and as I've said many times my only wish is that it was f1.8 :D

My A7+35mm f2.8 fits in the same small Lowepro bag my Panasonic GX7+17mm f1.8 fits in.
 
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I thought you'd like the 35mm :D I've taken some of my favourite pictures with that lens and as I've said many times my only wish is that it was f1.8 :D

My A7+35mm f2.8 fits in the same small Lowepro bag my Panasonic GX7+17mm f1.8 fits in.

With the A7RII you can crank up the ISO to compensate ;) one for sale soon lol ;)
 
The last few weeks I've been learning to use my lenses, but not taken anything particularly wonderful. However having said the 90mm macro is probably my least favourite lens bought, I thought I should say it is still pretty damn good and easy to use hand-held, though relatively weighty:
Used it in low light indoors:

DSC01638

DSC01640

and outdoors:

DSC01680
 
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Both of the macro shots are out of focus/missed focus but it's never an easy method! Were you hand-holding these or using a tripod? Also, I'd recommend using manual focus over Autofocus for anything close up as it's pretty likely to focus on the 'wrong' point (as per the last shot that's focused on the main flower rather than the stamen.
 
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Guys the GAS nearly got to me yesterday. i had a 1dx2 reserved in the shop and walked in yesterday about to buy it but then sense kicked in as well as looking at the existing 1dx size and i flopped and walked out empty handed!

Back on topic i have a question in regards to the A7r2.

When i shoot over F8, the PDAF doesnt kick in and instead the CDAF does and makes auto focusing above f8 very very slow!

I heard that disabling Live view effects will enable PDAF to work above f8 as the camera will act like a DSLR by stopping down to its brightest apature to enquire focus but in my case it doesnt. It still executes the CDAF insead of PDAF?

i have the latest 3.20 Firmware version
 
Guys the GAS nearly got to me yesterday. i had a 1dx2 reserved in the shop and walked in yesterday about to buy it but then sense kicked in as well as looking at the existing 1dx size and i flopped and walked out empty handed!

Back on topic i have a question in regards to the A7r2.

When i shoot over F8, the PDAF doesnt kick in and instead the CDAF does and makes auto focusing above f8 very very slow!

I heard that disabling Live view effects will enable PDAF to work above f8 as the camera will act like a DSLR by stopping down to its brightest apature to enquire focus but in my case it doesnt. It still executes the CDAF insead of PDAF?

i have the latest 3.20 Firmware version


As I said before GAS is very bad sickness :)
About your focusing.. hm. I never had any native Sony full frame FE lens with my Sony A7R II (...I know, I should buy some) , but I think it should be automatic choice between PDAF/CDAF.
I had some problem focusing in dim light environment, but if the light is good - no problems.
 
Both of the macro shots are out of focus/missed focus but it's never an easy method! Were you hand-holding these or using a tripod? Also, I'd recommend using manual focus over Autofocus for anything close up as it's pretty likely to focus on the 'wrong' point (as per the last shot that's focused on the main flower rather than the stamen.

Good points. Hand held (lowlight indoors, in the wind outside) with autofocus. Ideally should have taken the cut flowers outside and cut the growing flower... Shoot in a sheltered area with as you say, manual focus, and larger aperture. And taken my manfrotto. Or get some lighting; or a greenhouse LOL
Every macro lens should come with a warning sticker "This lens requires thought, preparation and other equipment in order to achieve half decent results."

I was visiting my mother in Co Durham at the weekend and her garden was a tempting mass of colour. Took the 90 and 50loxia but spent much of the time cutting down a tree. Life!
 
Well im blown away by this lens. I sold all my lenses and only had the A7ii body to sell as I was adamant on moving back to MFT. However, before I did I wanted to try the Sony 55mm 1.8. OMG! I cannot believe how sharp this is, the contrast is wonderful and cropping ability is significant.

I have attached a couple of quick pics one of an old amp with the focus on number 10 and one of my dog with focus on the eye. Im now going to keep this camera grr GAS was a dangerous thing!

DSC01575_DxO_zpskmo1zqse.jpg



DSC01581_DxO_zpsvdo8hfes.jpg
 
Oh yes the Sony 55mm 1.8 Ziess is one hell of a lens..
 
Well im blown away by this lens...
When I first got mine I tested it against my legacy 50mm's and tried to keep in mind the results I got from my Sigma 50mm f1.4 snd Canon 50mm f2.5, the Sony really impressed me with very surprising sharpness across the frame even at wide apertures.

It really is an excellent lens and when you consider how compact and relatively cheap it is it's doubly impressive :D
 
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