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

robinsslee said:
Maybe I should also consider Sigma 20-200mm too... :)
Click to expand...
Reviews don't seem as favourable for that, soft corners and distortion apparently. That being said the 24-70mm f4 got crucified and I was more than happy with the results so reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt imo. Lenses are so good these days that reviews are hypercritial.
 
snerkler said:
Reviews don't seem as favourable for that, soft corners and distortion apparently. That being said the 24-70mm f4 got crucified and I was more than happy with the results so reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt imo. Lenses are so good these days that reviews are hypercritial.
Click to expand...

My expectation is that they quietly fixed it. I looked at actual pictures taken by a forumite, and it was remarkably poor, and distinctly worse than the old Nikon 28-105 D I was using on a D610.
 
snerkler said:
Reviews don't seem as favourable for that, soft corners and distortion apparently. That being said the 24-70mm f4 got crucified and I was more than happy with the results so reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt imo. Lenses are so good these days that reviews are hypercritial.
Click to expand...
Corners are fine especially stopped down a little
Distortion is no better or worst than 20-70G
I'd say overall it's a fantastic lens

Reviews all test single copies and it's worth reading a few and trying to find some concensus

My experience is close to these, it never gets critically sharp but then i don't use such a zoom for that, I have primes

sonyalpha.blog

Sigma 20-200mm F3.5-6.3 DG Review: Ultimate Travel Zoom

Discover the Sigma 20-200mm F3.5-6.3 DG lens review: outstanding sharpness, versatile zoom, and perfect for travel photography.
sonyalpha.blog sonyalpha.blog

phillipreeve.net

Review: Sigma 20-200mm 3.5-6.3 DG C - Better than you Think

The Sigma 20-200mm 3.5-6.3 DG DN Contemporary is the only 10x zoom starting at an impressive 20mm, but how does it compare to
phillipreeve.net phillipreeve.net
 
Recent mentions of 24 GM has me thinking.
I’ve not had one for a while. I’ve been using my Manual Focus 28mm Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4
Revisited an old 24 GM shot. Worries about distortion can be eased with careful framing.

Example below. Might have to check prices…

Caffe Racer Velo by -justTrev-
 
Ed Sutton said:
:agree:

One thing to note with Sigma zooms is that the zoom rings turn the 'wrong' way.
Click to expand...

Nikon lenses too or at least the film era ones I had. If you think about why it actually makes a lot of sense, more sense than doing it the other way maybe but it's what you get used to that matters.
 
nandbytes said:
It's super annoying, I'm still not used it after a year with it
and it's the only zoom lens I own!
Click to expand...
I've never thought about it. I just "rock" the zoom ring till I get the composition right. And besides, no muscles and no memory. :p
 
Kieran_89 said:
That’s really nice, does the tide ever come up and surround the boat?
Click to expand...
Thanks. I've no idea, but from the colour of the sand I would guess so.
 
I haven't been out with a camera for a few weeks but today I got to take a picture at home. I picked up my A7III and 24mm by mistake and then decided to use it rather than the A7cII and 40mm just to be different. So, A7III and 24mm G with No.4 close up filter.

DSC01388.jpg

The one with 4 hands is my first and probably only NH34 GMT. It was a pit of a pain to build as I didn't do any research so setting the time and lining up the hands was a bit of a faff. The divers is an ordinary NH35 but everything about it was nice as all the bits seemed to be better quality than the usual stuff I've been getting.

Just like the cheap film era primes were a nice little hobby when I couldn't get out and also when I could building these has been a nice little hobby for when I can't get out. When I was into the film era lenses it became a bit of an obsession and the watches have been getting that way too so I think I must stop now as I've now built 14 and that takes my total watches up to something like 36. I have a busy few day and than I hope I'll be back to photography :D

PS.
The bezel on the divers isn't lined up to 12 in the picture but it does get there near enough.

PPS.
And the crown is wound out :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
woof woof said:
Nicely done symitry and straight verticals and horizontals there Toby :D
Click to expand...
Thanks, my wife takes the mickey out of me for those things, I'm a bit OCD with them :lol:
 
snerkler said:
Thanks, my wife takes the mickey out of me for those things, I'm a bit OCD with them :lol:
Click to expand...

As you may have noticed I can be affected by the odd bit of ocd and obsession now and again.

I was telling The Boss about the GMT build and how things don't quite line up at the intermediate points, it's about three minutes out and it aligns perfectly elsewhere but this could be down to where exactly you judge alignment to be. She just laughed and gave me the same line she always does, "You're only one who'll notice. No one else cares." She's banned me from writing to the makers about this.
 
Last edited:
woof woof said:
As you may have noticed I can be affected by the odd bit of ocd and obsession now and again.

I was telling The Boss about the GMT build and how things don't quite line up at the intermediate points, it's about three minutes out and it aligns perfectly elsewhere but this could be down to where exactly you judge alignment to be. She just laughed and gave me the same line she always do, "You're only one who'll notice. No one else cares." She's banned me from writing to the makers about this.
Click to expand...
When we had our kitchen done I walked in and straight away said the hob's not centred, I didn't check for it, it just jumped out at me. The kitchen bloke said it's because I was looking at it from an angle (I was in the doorway and the hob is halfway down the room on the left wall) so I walked in front and said, yep definitely out. He measured it and it was 3mm out :oops: :$ I made him move it :ROFLMAO:
 
Last edited:
woof woof said:
As you may have noticed I can be affected by the odd bit of ocd and obsession now and again.

I was telling The Boss about the GMT build and how things don't quite line up at the intermediate points, it's about three minutes out and it aligns perfectly elsewhere but this could be down to where exactly you judge alignment to be. She just laughed and gave me the same line she always do, "You're only one who'll notice. No one else cares." She's banned me from writing to the makers about this.
Click to expand...
Oh, and also the aperture numbers don't quite line up with the line on my X100VI, they're about 1/2mm out. I have thought about senidng it in for 'repair' several times :exit:
 
snerkler said:
When we had our kitchen done I walked in and straight away said the hob's not centred, I didn't check for it, it just jumped out at me. The kitchen bloke said it's because I was looking at it from an angle (I was in the doorway and the hob is halfway down the room on the left wall) so I walked in front and said, yep definitely out. He measured it and it was 3mm out :oops: :$ I amde him move it :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...

Whenever I go OTT, and I do, I remember that if I wasn't like this I wouldn't have been able to retire at 49. It's not much comfort to The Boss though.

Just on lining things up at home. I started out as an electrician and one thing I was told and then sometimes followed is that sometimes when you install something perfectly level / straight it doesn't look right as lots of things in houses and premises aren't level or straight. Sometimes it's best to put things in slightly skewed so it looks... right in the environment.

snerkler said:
Oh, and also the aperture numbers don't quite line up with the line on my X100VI, they're about 1/2mm out. I have thought about senidng it in for 'repair' several times :exit:
Click to expand...

Yup. This is a thing but sometimes only when turning the ring in one direction and in the other they may be ok. I've seen that with Sony.

The main thing is not to look too odd to the normals. We know we're right and that lining things up and doing things right is essential to the order of the Universe but honestly it's not worth drawing too much attentions and upsetting the normals :D
 
woof woof said:
As you may have noticed I can be affected by the odd bit of ocd and obsession now and again.

I was telling The Boss about the GMT build and how things don't quite line up at the intermediate points, it's about three minutes out and it aligns perfectly elsewhere but this could be down to where exactly you judge alignment to be. She just laughed and gave me the same line she always do, "You're only one who'll notice. No one else cares." She's banned me from writing to the makers about this.
Click to expand...
Sounds familiar. I am always making sure place mats are at 90 degrees to one another and the table edge. Even my computer keyboard has to be exactly parallel to both the desk edge and the monitor mount. Gives ‘er something to moan about because I’m perfect about everything else. Not her words exactly. ;)
 
Stephen L said:
Sounds familiar. I am always making sure place mats are at 90 degrees to one another and the table edge. Even my computer keyboard has to be exactly parallel to both the desk edge and the monitor mount. Gives ‘er something to moan about because I’m perfect about everything else. Not her words exactly. ;)
Click to expand...

I think there's more of us about than you'd think.
 
woof woof said:
Whenever I go OTT, and I do, I remember that if I wasn't like this I wouldn't have been able to retire at 49. It's not much comfort to The Boss though.

Just on lining things up at home. I started out as an electrician and one thing I was told and then sometimes followed is that sometimes when you install something perfectly level / straight it doesn't look right as lots of things in houses and premises aren't level or straight. Sometimes it's best to put things in slightly skewed so it looks... right in the environment.
Click to expand...
There are definitely times (probably more of the time) it's best to line things up by eye rather than measurement, but when there's cutouts int eh upstand where the hob goes it needs to be centered ;)
 
woof woof said:
Yup. This is a thing but sometimes only when turning the ring in one direction and in the other they may be ok. I've seen that with Sony.
Click to expand...
They're all out, but it gets gradually worse the higher up the f number you go. As my go to is f8 for cities, landscapes etc it annoys me as I see it most of the time I used the camera :lol:

Fuji said that it shouldn't be like that and that I can send it back to have a new aperture ring fitted, I probably will at some point :help:
 
Kieran_89 said:
Sony A7RVI + Sony 70-350, straight from the camera, i don't heavily edit images, just resize usually as i'm uploading.

DSC08370 by kieran, on Flickr
DSC08346 by kieran, on Flickr
DSC08303 by kieran, on Flickr
DSC08278 by kieran, on Flickr
DSC07880 by kieran, on Flickr
DSC07808 by kieran, on Flickr
DSC07722 by kieran, on Flickr
Click to expand...
Very nice. Regarding the eagle photo, if you have Lightroom desktop sometimes using the remove reflections tool gets rid of a lot of the fencing when it’s blurred and hazy like this.

I found this out by accident a few weeks ago when I tried Ito remove reflections from a car windscreen at the British GT championship. Ironically the tool is rubbish at removing reflections in glass :lol:
 
snerkler said:
Very nice. Regarding the eagle photo, if you have Lightroom desktop sometimes using the remove reflections tool gets rid of a lot of the fencing when it’s blurred and hazy like this.

I found this out by accident a few weeks ago when I tried Ito remove reflections from a car windscreen at the British GT championship. Ironically the tool is rubbish at removing reflections in glass :lol:
Click to expand...
Cheers, I’ll give it a go, I didn’t know LR had a remove reflections tool :ROFLMAO:
 
On the Rumor site... A Nikon A7cII type camera but with no VF.

Competition news: Nikon announced a new $1400 Full Frame camera | sonyalpharumors

Nikon announced the new Z5 IIc at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, Clifton, WexUK. In short, this is basically a Nikon Z5II with the EVF chopped off and a $300 discount. It looks a bit like a Sony A7C II without the EVF. I’m not sure whether Sony should offer something...
www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com

The Panasonic GF1 taught me that I need a VF so this new Nikon wouldn't be for me if I was still with Nikon.
 
woof woof said:
On the Rumor site... A Nikon A7cII type camera but with no VF.

Competition news: Nikon announced a new $1400 Full Frame camera | sonyalpharumors

Nikon announced the new Z5 IIc at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, Clifton, WexUK. In short, this is basically a Nikon Z5II with the EVF chopped off and a $300 discount. It looks a bit like a Sony A7C II without the EVF. I’m not sure whether Sony should offer something...
www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com

The Panasonic GF1 taught me that I need a VF so this new Nikon wouldn't be for me if I was still with Nikon.
Click to expand...

Bold Move from Nikon. Odd styling too... Looks like something from late 90's/early 00's.

TBH I don't really use a VF anymore - I was spoiled by Fuji and the one on my A7Cii is awful by comparison. I only use it if it's too bright to see the rear screen, which is rare.

I can't imagine the space saving would be significant, but if it saved on price and battery life, I'd gladly take a body with no VF.
 
jimmyjamjojo said:
Bold Move from Nikon. Odd styling too... Looks like something from late 90's/early 00's.

TBH I don't really use a VF anymore - I was spoiled by Fuji and the one on my A7Cii is awful by comparison. I only use it if it's too bright to see the rear screen, which is rare.

I can't imagine the space saving would be significant, but if it saved on price and battery life, I'd gladly take a body with no VF.
Click to expand...
No viewfinder = no buy for me (old school perhaps but that’s me)
 
I used to mostly use the vf but more recently I've started to use the screen for the non eye level perspective but I don't want to be without a vf for eye level shots, when I want to focus manually and when the sun makes screen use difficult to impossible.

Strangely and unlike others I find the A7cII evf perfectly ok.
 
woof woof said:
Strangely and unlike others I find the A7cII evf perfectly ok.
Click to expand...
I did not like the EVF of the first iteration of the A7C, and that was one reason for selling it, but I am quite happy with that of the A7Cii. Don't know if it has changed or I have? Granted it's not the largest in the world, but it certainly suffices.
 
Stephen L said:
I did not like the EVF of the first iteration of the A7C, and that was one reason for selling it, but I am quite happy with that of the A7Cii. Don't know if it has changed or I have? Granted it's not the largest in the world, but it certainly suffices.
Click to expand...

I wear glasses most of the time and so have my eye a little back from the eye piece so the evf doesn't look tiny to me as it might with my eye up against the vf. Detail wise I find the cII evf perfectly fine.
 
woof woof said:
On the Rumor site... A Nikon A7cII type camera but with no VF.

Competition news: Nikon announced a new $1400 Full Frame camera | sonyalpharumors

Nikon announced the new Z5 IIc at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, Clifton, WexUK. In short, this is basically a Nikon Z5II with the EVF chopped off and a $300 discount. It looks a bit like a Sony A7C II without the EVF. I’m not sure whether Sony should offer something...
www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com

The Panasonic GF1 taught me that I need a VF so this new Nikon wouldn't be for me if I was still with Nikon.
Click to expand...
View: https://youtu.be/EKiQJdEz728?is=_I0ffZSzmxAWnOQB
Review was out yesterday
 
Stephen L said:
I did not like the EVF of the first iteration of the A7C, and that was one reason for selling it, but I am quite happy with that of the A7Cii. Don't know if it has changed or I have? Granted it's not the largest in the world, but it certainly suffices.
Click to expand...
I didn't like the EVF on the A7C II, but as a left eye shooter I found it awkward. Maybe I'd be better now I've got used to shooting with the X100VI.
 
Kieran_89 said:
Cheers, I’ll give it a go, I didn’t know LR had a remove reflections tool :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
Click on the eraser tool in the devlop module, go down to the bottom and you'll see distractions and underneath is reflections. Open it up and click apply, make sure best is selected. It's been rubbish for removing reflections for me, and it's painfully slow, but it removed distracting catch fencing for me, well made it much better anyway.

Screenshot 2026-09-25 at 14.42.07.jpgScreenshot 2026-09-25 at 14.43.20.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top