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

I've just watched a couple of Tamron 20-40mm reviews, one from Pav and one from Gerald Undone. Pav seemed positive (no surprise there) but Gerald gave a more critical review and said that it wasn't the dream lens he'd hoped for but gave it a 7 or 8 out of 10 in most categories. Of the things Gerald highlighted the distortion and a couple of other things seemed less of an issue for me and I think the softness would be most noticeable to me but on the whole maybe it's ok.

After the recent reviews, is anyone still pretty keen to get one or will people wait for more sample pictures?
Still planning on getting one.
My takeaway is.
Shock horror a zoom lens isn't as sharp as a pretty top end prime.

Its not a silly price, it's compact, it's fast. So id say it still ticks all the boxes for me.
 
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Continuing my changes on lens collection.

After I’ve sold my 85 1.8 and 16-35 f4 I’ll be left with:

Sony 24-105 f4
Sony 100 STF
Batis 135
Sony 200-600

Given my main interest is portraiture, and I’m finding that I don’t get as much use out of the STF as I thought I would, I thought about selling the STF and Batis and getting the 70-200 f4 and either the 85GM or Sigma equivalent.

However, I’ve had another thought after realising a small gain on some shares - sell the STF and Batis and replace both with the 70-200 gm ii.

Would this be wise, or would the prime/zoom combo be better?
Why not keep your 85mm f1.8 and sell the STF? I prefer 50mm and 85mm for portraits.
 
Why not keep your 85mm f1.8 and sell the STF? I prefer 50mm and 85mm for portraits.
I’ve never really liked the 85 1.8 rendering/bokeh, so wanted something that would give a cleaner result. Generally, if I’m in the studio, the 24-105 is fine, as I rarely work wider than f4, but on location I generally shoot at wider apertures.

The STF was a lens that I’ve always wanted to try, but in reflection it’s not suited to my style, and I do want more flexibility in the 100-200 range in terms of focal length. This led me to the 2 options outlined.
 
I’ve never really liked the 85 1.8 rendering/bokeh, so wanted something that would give a cleaner result. Generally, if I’m in the studio, the 24-105 is fine, as I rarely work wider than f4, but on location I generally shoot at wider apertures.

The STF was a lens that I’ve always wanted to try, but in reflection it’s not suited to my style, and I do want more flexibility in the 100-200 range in terms of focal length. This led me to the 2 options outlined.

I still think back to the old Sigma 85mm f1.4 I had for my Canon DSLR's.

I haven't used my Sony 85mm f1.8 much at all but having said that a couple of pictures I've taken with it are favourites.
 
A frosty scene from December 2016 taken with my A7 and a film era prime.

jQfUE2j.jpg


I think it must have been a 50 or 85mm. Ha! I remember! It was a Minolta 50mm f1.2.

1ODTgtx.jpg


My favourite from that day. I remember crouching to take this.

Frosty leaves.

bETi7j8.jpg
 
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I think he's trying to explain the difference between a semi-decent lens and the distorted mess of a phone wideangle lens - nothing to do with sensor size.
 
I posted “April 1st?”

Then he told me to go back to bed and he deleted all comments!
I've just found your comment - he's not deleted them.

And what's more bizarre is that he's NOT actually comparing APS-C to FF - he's just stating APS-C is a 'large sensor', and gets quite upset when people suggest that FF may be better.
A few quotes from his replies;
What is the advantage of a large sensor? Do you know what a camera sensor is? How big is an APS-c vs the one on your own camera? You DO own a camera don't you? one without a phone attached?
Nobody has mentioned "full frame" except you. APS-c is the topic.
If I did not understand the value of a large sensor I would not own an APS camera nor post pictures it takes. Go somewhere else to troll please.


His post from 2d ago may help explain his 'limitied' understanding;

I have decided to make a photography hobby a profession. How many pictures will I have to sell to recoup a $4200 outlay for equipment? How long will it take to sell them? Thanks for your help.
 
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From other comments on that group I think he blocked several of those who responded (and was, in turn, blocked by a whole load who decided it was the simplest way to avoid his rubbish!)

With that attitude he isn’t going to learn anything and never going to improve and make it.
 
Morning Peeps, well just an update from me....
firstly Thanks to TGphoto for buying my 24-105.. It was a pleasure

As some of you know i had a mental stutter and decided to step down from the A1. It all went to Park and MPB and the quote was very good, HOWEVER................................
I went and played with the Olympus and Fuji and spent a day snapping stuff then went to mates to play with the files. All i can say is i wasnt 100% happy ive used OLY for years and as we do we chase that Rainbow for better and better gear.

After that day i decided i still need to step down at some point but an R5 doesnt command the 1900 extra premium over a 4A, so ive decided to wait. I cancelled all my quotes gears back tomorrow and that is that.... I will sell the 14-24 Sigma to MPB though hopefully and just grab a 24-70 Sigma to fill my hole :)

What grabbed me was after spending a day playing with files PureRawTOPAZ and such like, when i came home looked at my Sony 50 meg files the details were noticeable you have a lot more bandwidth obviously on cropping but overall, it was a better more detailed experience. SO thats me locked into massive files i think, ive tried i wanted it to work, but it didnt :(. A close friend of mine always challenges me on megapixels and sometimes i agree, but the past 2 weeks of farting about as made me realise its the way forward for me, and not to tempt myself with other systems...
 
As some of you know i had a mental stutter and decided to step down from the A1. It all went to Park and MPB and the quote was very good, HOWEVER................................
I went and played with the Olympus and Fuji and spent a day snapping stuff then went to mates to play with the files. All i can say is i wasnt 100% happy ive used OLY for years and as we do we chase that Rainbow for better and better gear.

I go through all this on a lesser scale with my A7, MFT and now Fuji kit. None of the MFT or the Fuji can match the files I get from my A7 and there are times when I wonder why I'm taking the other kit when I could take the A7.

In my case the MFT or even the Fuji do have advantages as my A7 is slooooow and can't shoot silently but for people with newer Sony FF cameras I do think that swapping to or adding other kit is something that needs thinking about as the replacement or added kit needs to offer some advantage, but for some that could mean freeing up money.

Good luck with it :D
 
I go through all this on a lesser scale with my A7, MFT and now Fuji kit. None of the MFT or the Fuji can match the files I get from my A7 and there are times when I wonder why I'm taking the other kit when I could take the A7.

I know buying kit is half (or more) of the fun but with the selection of lenses you have maybe a move to recent Sony body (a7iii) would pretty much solve most of your "problems" and leave you with one "do it all" camera. I'm aware that "do it all" is almost impossible to achieve.
 
I know buying kit is half (or more) of the fun but with the selection of lenses you have maybe a move to recent Sony body (a7iii) would pretty much solve most of your "problems" and leave you with one "do it all" camera. I'm aware that "do it all" is almost impossible to achieve.

I have a lot of film era lenses and at the mo they're sitting unused. Those I've sold on here have gone for much less than I'd value them at and very possibly less than what similar lenses go for on ebay so I don't know if it's worth bothering to advertise any more here. I might at some point box them up and send them to Ffordes as that's at least a one stop and possibly more or less hassle free solution.

Over the past few years the situation I'm in has meant that to be honest I need a bit of an escape and even if I can't get out the researching and hunting for kit has been a bit of a release and escape and hobby but that has gone a bit too far, but money wise it's not a big hit so I suppose I can't really beat myself up too much :D

Yes, an A7iii would be an almost all in one solution but I think if going that way I'd keep a MFT body and two lenses, a long zoom (45-150mm maybe) and a prime to go with it. The majority of everything else could very likely go bjt then what would I do for a hobby whilst tied to the house? :D
 
Sad day approaching for me if I'm being honest with myself: I'm just not using my Sony kit and I think it's time to sell it on. Tempted to dabble in MF and perhaps specialise in something to make it a worthwhile investment. I will need to look at what sort of prices the Sony stuff is going for, but I tend to prefer a quick sale over a few extra quid so no doubt some bargains to be had for someone.

A little advice would be appreciated, but do you think I should sell separately, or as a kit? All Sony: A9 | 35mm 1.4 | 24-105mm f4?
 
Sad day approaching for me if I'm being honest with myself: I'm just not using my Sony kit and I think it's time to sell it on. Tempted to dabble in MF and perhaps specialise in something to make it a worthwhile investment. I will need to look at what sort of prices the Sony stuff is going for, but I tend to prefer a quick sale over a few extra quid so no doubt some bargains to be had for someone.

A little advice would be appreciated, but do you think I should sell separately, or as a kit? All Sony: A9 | 35mm 1.4 | 24-105mm f4?

Just on the outside as I will probably never have A9 or MF kit...

If you're not using the A9 will MF kit inspire you to use it more?
 
People interested in these cameras will already know what's what but for the rest of us, a short vid...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k69uPftneWA

Yeah saw this, if the R5 had been sub 3k my decision would have been easier.... but having it 600 cheaper than an A1, was daft. Dont get me wrong Efinity will in a few months i bet have it sub 3k but its 3800 i think at moment :(.

MFT aside i will in time pick up an OM1 just for the computational stuff.

Tonight is Camera club night so i,ll have a good play with my friends OM1 see what i think.
 
Sad day approaching for me if I'm being honest with myself: I'm just not using my Sony kit and I think it's time to sell it on. Tempted to dabble in MF and perhaps specialise in something to make it a worthwhile investment. I will need to look at what sort of prices the Sony stuff is going for, but I tend to prefer a quick sale over a few extra quid so no doubt some bargains to be had for someone.

A little advice would be appreciated, but do you think I should sell separately, or as a kit? All Sony: A9 | 35mm 1.4 | 24-105mm f4?
get quotes from both MPB and Park i found Park much better Graham. But for the record if u want a grand for the 2 lens ping me :)
 
Just on the outside as I will probably never have A9 or MF kit...

If you're not using the A9 will MF kit inspire you to use it more?

I think the MF will because my interest has shifted to pano landscapes and perhaps more controled portraits of family etc, so I don't need to worry about AF so much and maximum image quality will be the priority. The phone takes care of the daily stuff. I will still need to think about delving into MF but I have made my mind up about the Sony gear. A great camera for sure and perfect for weddings, wildlife and sport, of which I don't do.
 
get quotes from both MPB and Park i found Park much better Graham. But for the record if u want a grand for the 2 lens ping me :)

Thanks, I think Park has been recommended to me before when I was seeing what WEX would offer (WEX tried to play some silly games with me so the trust is gone with them). I would have hoped offering up to someone on here would have been better first?

I think a grand for those two lenses might just be a touch light lol
 
@gman I came back to Sony from a GFX50S II as the EVF made me feel sick, it’s not great so would urge you to try one first, seems to affect some people more than others, it’s a mismatch between EVF and sensor speed.

Maybe an A7RIIIa would be a good solution? Lovely sensor and you keep some of the Sony advantages?
 
@gman I came back to Sony from a GFX50S II as the EVF made me feel sick, it’s not great so would urge you to try one first, seems to affect some people more than others, it’s a mismatch between EVF and sensor speed.

Maybe an A7RIIIa would be a good solution? Lovely sensor and you keep some of the Sony advantages?
or go old skool with the original GFX50S and that lovely tiltable EVF :cool:
 
I think the MF will because my interest has shifted to pano landscapes and perhaps more controled portraits of family etc, so I don't need to worry about AF so much and maximum image quality will be the priority. The phone takes care of the daily stuff. I will still need to think about delving into MF but I have made my mind up about the Sony gear. A great camera for sure and perfect for weddings, wildlife and sport, of which I don't do.

I've watched the reviews of the Hasselblad digital MF and have always thought it looks lovely. Maybe hire something before buying?

@gman I came back to Sony from a GFX50S II as the EVF made me feel sick, it’s not great so would urge you to try one first, seems to affect some people more than others, it’s a mismatch between EVF and sensor speed.

Maybe an A7RIIIa would be a good solution? Lovely sensor and you keep some of the Sony advantages?

Good suggestion?
 
Thanks, I think Park has been recommended to me before when I was seeing what WEX would offer (WEX tried to play some silly games with me so the trust is gone with them). I would have hoped offering up to someone on here would have been better first?

I think a grand for those two lenses might just be a touch light lol
all id do is make sure u take a log of serials get wife to hold the lens and spin it while you take a video, they can sometimes say there's a dint in it and try it on
 
if memory serves me correct
Like new best offer was Park at £575 24-105
Sorry cant comment on 35mm but id say 650 to 850 ish
A9 mate had his quote and it was 1350 which i thought was a bit poo poo
 
if memory serves me correct
Like new best offer was Park at £575 24-105
Sorry cant comment on 35mm but id say 650 to 850 ish
A9 mate had his quote and it was 1350 which i thought was a bit poo poo

I had a wee look at usedlens.co.uk as it's quite good for a comparison across sites. I ignore eBay results though.

Aye, I was thinking around £1,400-1,500 would be reasonable for an A9.
The 35 1.4 mint seems to be fetching over a grand, although that is a shop where they offer a warranty, although I've got about a 1 + 1/2 year left which I believe is transferrable.
The 24-105mm seems to be coming in at over £550 as you say.

I would need to factor in the inevitable haggle margin lol
 
@gman I came back to Sony from a GFX50S II as the EVF made me feel sick, it’s not great so would urge you to try one first, seems to affect some people more than others, it’s a mismatch between EVF and sensor speed.

Maybe an A7RIIIa would be a good solution? Lovely sensor and you keep some of the Sony advantages?

I've never heard of an EVF making one sick, I'll need to check that out. I use VR and never get sick whereas many others seem to, so hopefully I would be ok. I was thinking about the A7Riv for a while but it still didn't have that magical MF look.


or go old skool with the original GFX50S and that lovely tiltable EVF :cool:

I'll have a look!

I've watched the reviews of the Hasselblad digital MF and have always thought it looks lovely. Maybe hire something before buying?



Good suggestion?

Yeah, the MF thread is killing me!
 
I've never heard of an EVF making one sick, I'll need to check that out. I use VR and never get sick whereas many others seem to, so hopefully I would be ok. I was thinking about the A7Riv for a while but it still didn't have that magical MF look.




I'll have a look!



Yeah, the MF thread is killing me!
If you shoot me a PM with your email i'll send you a video clip I took.
 
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