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

definitely prefer my zeiss 35mm :D

The AF f1.4? If that's the one you mean they're completely different lenses. Yours is a modern 35mm f1.4 AF lens and it's whopping. Mine's teeny tiny and whilst being a modern lens it's AFAIK a modern redo of an older design.

It just goes to show that there's choice as I'm just not interested in these large modern lenses. If the AF 35mm f1.4 was smaller maybe... but as it's the typical size of a modern AF 35mm f1.4 I'd choose the teeny tiny and old stylie Voigtlander every single time and live with the old style bokeh. It's not as if I'll be shooting foliage at f1.4 and minimum focus distance all that often as there'll be zero dof, f2.x-5 is much more likely and at those apertures the bokeh is far more modern and f1.4 is there for when it's needed and when the subject suits.
 
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The AF f1.4? If that's the one you mean they're completely different lenses. Yours is a modern 35mm f1.4 AF lens and it's whopping. Mine's teeny tiny and whilst being a modern lens it's AFAIK a modern redo of an older design.

It just goes to show that there's choice as I'm just not interested in these large modern lenses. If the AF 35mm f1.4 was smaller maybe... but as it's the typical size of a modern AF 35mm f1.4 I'd choose the teeny tiny and old stylie Voigtlander every single time and live with the old style bokeh. It's not as if I'll be shooting foliage at f1.4 and minimum focus distance all that often as there'll be zero dof, f2.x-5 is much more likely and at those apertures the bokeh is far more modern and f1.4 is there for when it's needed and when the subject suits.

yep, it was more of a tongue in cheek response :D
 
It's a slot for drop in filters. Without seeing if they're using their own filters or any 37mm diameter it's hard to know but I assume they will account for polarisers with it being a target landscape lens.

I hope any 37mm filter....
 
yep, it was more of a tongue in cheek response :D
I know... :D

Anyone looking for more restrained rendering in a modern Voigtlander f1.x lens of this sort of focal length could take a look at the 40mm f1.2, but it's bigger than the 35mm f1.4.
 
I want to 7Artisian 50/1.1....

The bokeh at f1.1 is not to everyone's taste but I quite liked it. If you are up for some experimenting and fun get the techart pro LM-EA7 adapter and you can AF with this lens :D
With A7III you may even get eye AF :D :D

but IMO the rendering is better than the voigtlander 50mm f1.1 which plain poo :p

(Of course I would not advice using it for anything that requires reliability but it sure is great fun)
 
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The bokeh at f1.1 is not to everyone's taste but I quite liked it. If you are up for some experimenting and fun get the techart pro LM-EA7 adapter and you can AF with this lens :D
With A7III you may even get eye AF :D :D

but IMO the rendering is better than the voigtlander 50mm f1.1 which plain poo :p

(Of course I would not advice using it for anything that requires reliability but it sure is great fun)

How does that work? I thought that was April Fools !
 
Zeiss bokeh…..

vu7waBe.jpg


Imagine if it was the A7R3.

ChvxLM0.png
 
Its obvious garden time..

(while supper cooking) garden shot with the Sony 100mm STF that arrived today..

2018-04-20_07-22-56 by Simon, on Flickr

Heavily cropped and focus not spot on.. but the STF is slow to focus and it is only an a7.. excuses excuses!!

Original at roughly min focusing distance..
_DSC0868_1 by Simon, on Flickr
 
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How does that work? I thought that was April Fools !

No sir, it really does AF manual focus lenses. Plenty of youtube video if you search for techart pro LM-EA7.

basically the way it works is you park your lens to infinity focus, then the focussing is done by the helicoid in the adapter which is driven by a motor in adapter.
Of course you can also set the adapter to MF and use the helicoid just as an extension tube to get close focus.
 
No sir, it really does AF manual focus lenses. Plenty of youtube video if you search for techart pro LM-EA7.

basically the way it works is you park your lens to infinity focus, then the focussing is done by the helicoid in the adapter which is driven by a motor in adapter.
Of course you can also set the adapter to MF and use the helicoid just as an extension tube to get close focus.

I see, like extension tubes, but micron level.
 
Is there such a thing as *too* smooth?! I’m not entirely sure I’m a fan - it’s.. a bit unnatural looking, for me. Like a photoshop Gaussian blur, lol.

There's always the Canon 50/1.8 for not so smooth bokeh. :p

I think in the right situation, this lens will be sensational, I can't wait.
 
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Is there such a thing as *too* smooth?! I’m not entirely sure I’m a fan - it’s.. a bit unnatural looking, for me. Like a photoshop Gaussian blur, lol.
I guess it has its places, but I'm a big fan of buttery smooth.
When I had my first STF was blown away, especially for portraits.. a sort of soft smooth focus, with a focal plane of sharpess.
I do think it's a marmite thing though.
 
I guess it has its places, but I'm a big fan of buttery smooth.
When I had my first STF was blown away, especially for portraits.. a sort of soft smooth focus, with a focal plane of sharpess.
I do think it's a marmite thing though.

Better than headache inducing shallow dof. Messing about with close focus shallow dof is different to proper environmental portraits where a very good 35 1.4 shines, like you say... high contrast tack sharp subject separation with a buttery smooth for & background.... beautiful.

The stuff from me in this thread is just messing around.
 
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Better than headache inducing shallow dof. Messing about with close focus shallow dof is different to proper environmental portraits where a very good 35 1.4 shines, like you say... high contrast tack sharp subject separation with a buttery smooth for & background.... beautiful.

The stuff from me in this thread is just messing around.
And this is what I liked about it..

https://flic.kr/p/268JmgT

Sorry for the link and not embedded, and yes the sharpness of the wood is distracting.

Kind of reminds me of that soft focus 80s portrait, but with a modern sharpness.
 
It was..... the Zeiss and samyang are better... the art was my favourite lens. Wash my mouth out, cant believe I said that but at the moment it's true.
 
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It's been sunny but a bit hazy here Thursday and Friday. I can't go out on Saturday.

Was 28c today, early morning haze but cleared up, wish I was out all day. Tomorrow looks okay, 20c+. Hope the light isn't flat, would like to test all the new gear.
 
And on the subject of dof...

It's a shame that 7 Artisans lens is in M mount not FE. I have a Minolta 50mm f1.2 and I wonder if the 7A lens offers enough over the legacy 50mm f1.2's which are known quantities and maybe cheaper. I have a Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 as well so I don't know if I should look too closely at any more 50mm f1.x's as I'll only end up buying one.

Anyway, Steve Huff on the 7A 50mm f1.1 on a Leica... write up, example shots and video...

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2018/04/19/first-look-7-artisans-50-1-1-lens-for-leica-m-and-sony/

And while I'm here. I think this is my favorite Minolta 50mm f1.2 shot to date. Her again...

DSC07734.jpg

It's not even at f1.2.

Must stop reading 7A/Voigtlander 50mm f1.1 reviews.
 
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And on the subject of dof...

It's a shame that 7 Artisans lens is in M mount not FE. I have a Minolta 50mm f1.2 and I wonder if the 7A lens offers enough over the legacy 50mm f1.2's which are known quantities and maybe cheaper. I have a Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 as well so I don't know if I should look too closely at any more 50mm f1.x's as I'll only end up buying one.

Anyway, Steve Huff on the 7A 50mm f1.1 on a Leica... write up, example shots and video...

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2018/04/19/first-look-7-artisans-50-1-1-lens-for-leica-m-and-sony/

And while I'm here. I think this is my favorite Minolta 50mm f1.2 shot to date. Her again...

View attachment 124788

It's not even at f1.2.

Must stop reading 7A/Voigtlander 50mm f1.1 reviews.

You can use a LeicaM > FE mount adaptor with the 50/1.1 to use the 7A on your Sony. The 7A lenses are available through Hamish Gill at 35mmc;

https://35mmc.com/shop/product/7artisans-dj-optical-50mm-f1-1-lens/
 
Jim has just received a Sony A7 III and has begun extensive practical & scientific testing for the phase pixel issue including comparing it with the Sony A9.

It’s on the DPR forum under “a7III PDAF striping in practice”

“There will be plenty of time for more scientific testing, but this looks to me like it's been with us for a while, and is not an a7III-only issue.

It also looks to me like you have to work pretty hard to get it to happen. And there are fixes available, so I'm not very excited at this point.

Jim”

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4275809

:)
 
You can use a LeicaM > FE mount adaptor with the 50/1.1 to use the 7A on your Sony. The 7A lenses are available through Hamish Gill at 35mmc;

https://35mmc.com/shop/product/7artisans-dj-optical-50mm-f1-1-lens/

One advantage of lenses that need an adapter is that you can take them away and use them on something not made by Sony. I've been getting a bit nervous recently as the Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 is my fifth FE mount lens.

I'd be more confident if more reviews of these M mount lenses appeared using Sony A7x cameras.
 
Jim has just received a Sony A7 III and has begun extensive practical & scientific testing for the phase pixel issue including comparing it with the Sony A9.

It’s on the DPR forum under “a7III PDAF striping in practice”

“There will be plenty of time for more scientific testing, but this looks to me like it's been with us for a while, and is not an a7III-only issue.

It also looks to me like you have to work pretty hard to get it to happen. And there are fixes available, so I'm not very excited at this point.

Jim”

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4275809

:)

It's annoying for us geeky types as we want stuff perfect but I don't think this would put me off buying one.

Would anyone here be put off?
 
Just a quickie while I'm here...

I'm often impressed with these A7 24mp files and how much they can be pixel peeped. This was taken from half way up the steps at Saltburn with the Voigtlander 35mm at f5, focus was on the sign at 1 but at 200% I can read the name on the side of the pub at point 2 :D

I can see the appeal of the higher mp count bodies and as I haven't tried one I can only imagine how good they are for pixel peeping :D but in reality I do know that 24mp is enough for me.

These will not look as good here as on my screen as I haven't done any clever sharpening for web use or anything like that, just resize and save as quality 9 rather than 12.

1-DSC00039.jpg

1-DSC00039-c.jpg
 
Gorgeous weather lads. Make sure you all dust off your cameras and go shooting outside! I expect bags of images posted here later
 
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