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

[Ed Sutton]

That A6400 I bought in October was a gateway drug. I now have this little lot...



For once I've chosen the lenses first and the bodies/system to fit them.

The 20-70/f4 was the decider. It suits my way of seeing and does away with the need for a wide angle zoom or prime as I don't like to go wider than 20mm when 24mm isn't wide enough. I bought that and a body, used it four times and was sold!

Likewise the close up ability of the 70-200/f4 tempted me as being useful for details. I'm not a fast lens obsessive. I learned that I don't need them the expensive way. Nor am I fixated on pixel peeping. Most lenses are sharp enough for my needs. Still learning how to get the best out of the focus tracking but otherwise I've got the bodies set up pretty much how I like them.

The Tamron 50-400 surprised me. It was pretty much all I needed at Saturday's sheepdog trial. The first one's a fairly big crop.



53mm

 

[snerkler]

Another gloomy day for a dog walk.


DSC01445 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

DSC01467 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

DSC01483 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

DSC01506 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

 

[Swanseajack]

How good or bad is the Sony 50mm f1.8 lens....When I had my Nikon Z gear I had the Voigtlander APO f2 and 50mm f1.4 lenses but I hardly ever used them. So as I'm now with Sony what would you guys recommend for a small lightish 50mm lens.

 

[snerkler]

How good or bad is the Sony 50mm f1.8 lens....When I had my Nikon Z gear I had the Voigtlander APO f2 and 50mm f1.4 lenses but I hardly ever used them. So as I'm now with Sony what would you guys recommend for a small lightish 50mm lens.

I would recommend the Samyang 45mm f1.8 over the Sony 50mm, it's got good AF, pretty sharp and renders really nicely. It's also very small and light.

 

[nandbytes]

That A6400 I bought in October was a gateway drug. I now have this little lot...

View attachment 476495

For once I've chosen the lenses first and the bodies/system to fit them.

The 20-70/f4 was the decider. It suits my way of seeing and does away with the need for a wide angle zoom or prime as I don't like to go wider than 20mm when 24mm isn't wide enough. I bought that and a body, used it four times and was sold!

Likewise the close up ability of the 70-200/f4 tempted me as being useful for details. I'm not a fast lens obsessive. I learned that I don't need them the expensive way. Nor am I fixated on pixel peeping. Most lenses are sharp enough for my needs. Still learning how to get the best out of the focus tracking but otherwise I've got the bodies set up pretty much how I like them.

The Tamron 50-400 surprised me. It was pretty much all I needed at Saturday's sheepdog trial. The first one's a fairly big crop.

View attachment 476496

53mm

View attachment 476497

View attachment 476498

I really liked my 20-70mm
Recently replaced with 20-200mm
20-70mm renders better and of course bit sharper too

 

[Ed Sutton]

I really liked my 20-70mm
Recently replaced with 20-200mm
20-70mm renders better and of course bit sharper too

There do seem to be some good do-it-all options. But I reckon I'm sorted. Unless I get tempted by the new Tamron 35-100. If the 35-150 wasn't so big I'd have one as I used the F mount f2.8-4 was my most used lens.

 

[nandbytes]

There do seem to be some good do-it-all options. But I reckon I'm sorted. Unless I get tempted by the new Tamron 35-100. If the 35-150 wasn't so big I'd have one as I used the F mount f2.8-4 was my most used lens.

I had the 35-150mm briefly, too big for my liking.

Just like you I really like the zooms starting wider at 20mm. I also normally don't need wider, I have the small Sony 16G for wider and astro shots.

 

[woof woof]

The light was poor again yesterday and is again today. We're not going out today.

Yesterday. A7III and Sony 24mm f2.8.



Unfortunately with the light being poor I didn't think any wider scenic shots were worth taking.

 

[woof woof]

I thought this was interesting, from the Rumor site. I didn't realise that cinema lenses were quite long. He mentions 100/70mm.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOMCzMHFhto&t=767s

 

[ancient_mariner]

How good or bad is the Sony 50mm f1.8 lens....When I had my Nikon Z gear I had the Voigtlander APO f2 and 50mm f1.4 lenses but I hardly ever used them. So as I'm now with Sony what would you guys recommend for a small lightish 50mm lens.

I'd agree with Toby, the Sammy 45 is much better in every respect.

 

[f/1.2]

How good or bad is the Sony 50mm f1.8 lens....When I had my Nikon Z gear I had the Voigtlander APO f2 and 50mm f1.4 lenses but I hardly ever used them. So as I'm now with Sony what would you guys recommend for a small lightish 50mm lens.

The Sony 50 f/1.8 actually renders pretty nice but it has horrendous a.f and would be best avoided.

For a cheap 50mm the Viltrox Air is supposed to be decent. The Samyang 45mm as others have mentioned is very good value.

 

[woof woof]

How good or bad is the Sony 50mm f1.8 lens....When I had my Nikon Z gear I had the Voigtlander APO f2 and 50mm f1.4 lenses but I hardly ever used them. So as I'm now with Sony what would you guys recommend for a small lightish 50mm lens.

If you can stretch to £220-250 and are willing to buy used there's the Sony 55mm f1.8.

 

[snerkler]

Got a bit bored earlier so had a bit of fun with one of my photos on ChatGPT, here's the before and after

 

[ancient_mariner]

At this size it's very convincing.

 

[f/1.2]

Got a bit bored earlier so had a bit of fun with one of my photos on ChatGPT, here's the before and after

View attachment 476590

Google Gemini is much better for photos have a try with it.

 

[snerkler]

Google Gemini is much better for photos have a try with it.

Gemini's version, interesting how similar the background is, the only prompt I gave was african wilderness.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Gemini's version, interesting how similar the background is, the only prompt I gave was african wilderness.

View attachment 476611

Probably trained on common data sets.

 

[snerkler]

Probably trained on common data sets.

Yeah probably are.

Last one

 

[Bungieben]

Yeah probably are.

Last one

View attachment 476612

That's how they should look

 

[snerkler]

That's how they should look

I can only dream of going on adventures like that. I live my life vicariously through watching the Ewan and Charley programs

 

[woof woof]

We went to the seaside today.

A7cII and Sony 40mm. Stream running into the sea.



A panorama.

 

[Swanseajack]

I would recommend the Samyang 45mm f1.8 over the Sony 50mm, it's got good AF, pretty sharp and renders really nicely. It's also very small and light.

I'd agree with Toby, the Sammy 45 is much better in every respect.

The Sony 50 f/1.8 actually renders pretty nice but it has horrendous a.f and would be best avoided.

For a cheap 50mm the Viltrox Air is supposed to be decent. The Samyang 45mm as others have mentioned is very good value.

If you can stretch to £220-250 and are willing to buy used there's the Sony 55mm f1.8.

Thanks for the replies folks.

Ordered the Samyang 45mm f1.8 from Ffordes for £189 plus postage plus I picked up a Viltrox 14mm for £159 for when I don't want to use my MF Voigtlander 15mm. Also, AF lenses are better for my wife to use on my cameras. Both are out for delivery today.

I think I'm now done with buying lenses for the time being after swapping over to Sony six weeks ago. Only other thing which could be on my list for the future is the 100mm Macro lens.

 

[snerkler]

Thanks for the replies folks.

Ordered the Samyang 45mm f1.8 from Ffordes for £189 plus postage plus I picked up a Viltrox 14mm for £159 for when I don't want to use my MF Voigtlander 15mm. Also, AF lenses are better for my wife to use on my cameras. Both are out for delivery today.

I think I'm now done with buying lenses for the time being after swapping over to Sony six weeks ago. Only other thing which could be on my list for the future is the 100mm Macro lens.

Thanks for the heads up on the 45mm at £189 +P&P, just picked one up myself

 

[f/1.2]

Thanks for the heads up on the 45mm at £189 +P&P, just picked one up myself

Welcome back to the noodle maker 45mm club.

 

[snerkler]

Welcome back to the noodle maker 45mm club.

Been thinking about getting one for a while for when I don’t want to lug the 50mm f1.2 around and at that price I couldn’t pass it up

 

[woof woof]

Thanks for the replies folks.

Ordered the Samyang 45mm f1.8 from Ffordes for £189 plus postage plus I picked up a Viltrox 14mm for £159 for when I don't want to use my MF Voigtlander 15mm. Also, AF lenses are better for my wife to use on my cameras. Both are out for delivery today.

I think I'm now done with buying lenses for the time being after swapping over to Sony six weeks ago. Only other thing which could be on my list for the future is the 100mm Macro lens.

Wonna bet? I hope you're strong willed. I keep saying I'm done but there's always something tempting coming along

 

[woof woof]

More picture from yesterday. I really should get around to getting a new laptop as this one is really straining now.

Someone's work of art.



Almost empty pier. I'm surprised there weren't more people about. We went for fish and chips and were the only customers in the place.



Panoramas. The view from the pier.



A pano of the pier from near the funicular hut at the top.

 

[woof woof]

A couple of questions on panoramas partly prompted by my creaking old lap top and partly due to what I've just read in another thread.

How many pictures do you take and how big a file do you want?

I think the most pictures I've done is 20 odd, less than 30 anyway. A while ago I used to reduce the size of the pictures before stitching them but recently I've just stitched them as they are. Reducing the size of the pictures reduces the processing time and the size of the final picture but they're still big enough for me and I usually keep the individual pictures so if I do want a very large file later I can redo it.

 

[Sootchucker]

Some very rare (for me) Sony bird images. Went out for a walk yesterday with the A7RV and my APS-C 70-350 Sony lens (the longest lens I own). In the distance I saw this tree creeper flitting about on a tree trunk. Not the greatest photos in the world, and these are all very severe crops (good job the A7RV is still 26MP in APS-C mode)

 

[ancient_mariner]

A couple of questions on panoramas partly prompted by my creaking old lap top and partly due to what I've just read in another thread.

How many pictures do you take and how big a file do you want?

I think the most pictures I've done is 20 odd, less than 30 anyway. A while ago I used to reduce the size of the pictures before stitching them but recently I've just stitched them as they are. Reducing the size of the pictures reduces the processing time and the size of the final picture but they're still big enough for me and I usually keep the individual pictures so if I do want a very large file later I can redo it.

Anything up to 15. I don't see the point of reducing size before stitching - might as well use a wide angle and crop.

 

[snerkler]

A couple of questions on panoramas partly prompted by my creaking old lap top and partly due to what I've just read in another thread.

How many pictures do you take and how big a file do you want?

I think the most pictures I've done is 20 odd, less than 30 anyway. A while ago I used to reduce the size of the pictures before stitching them but recently I've just stitched them as they are. Reducing the size of the pictures reduces the processing time and the size of the final picture but they're still big enough for me and I usually keep the individual pictures so if I do want a very large file later I can redo it.

I only tend to do 5-6.

 

[woof woof]

Anything up to 15. I don't see the point of reducing size before stitching - might as well use a wide angle and crop.

These days I usually go out with just the one lens, two at the most and the widest I have now is 20mm. For me the point of a panorama is not really about ending up with a large picture it's about getting a picture that a single shot can't.

 

[snerkler]

These days I usually go out with just the one lens, two at the most and the widest I have now is 20mm. For me the point of a panorama is not really about ending up with a large picture it's about getting a picture that a single shot can't.

I've only tended to do panos with my 16-35mm so it's been pretty wide to start with

 

[Swanseajack]

A few photos from me using the Sony A6700, I have hardly picked up the A7RV...The weather overall has been dire for me and the rest of the UK so photo opportunities have been very limited.

Sony A6700 & Sony 200-600mm lens.

Testing Sony 200-600mm lens on A6700 body by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

Sony A6700 and Sony 70-350mm a quick grab shot of the wife while she was weeding her garden pots.

Sony A6700 & Sony 70-350mm lens. by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

Sony A6700 and Sigma 500mm f5.6 lens. Large crop of a Coal Tit.

Testing Sigma 500mm f5.6 lens and Sony A6700 body. by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

 

[woof woof]

I only tend to do 5-6.

I think about 6 or 7 is more common for me but some of yesterdays were over 20 and that one above pointing towards the pier was 35 but I did crop it a bit so could have done it with 25 or so.

I've only tended to do panos with my 16-35mm so it's been pretty wide to start with

I haven't had a really wide lens since the Sigma 12-24mm in my Canon DSLR days. Most of my panos have been at 35 or now 40mm.

 

[Swanseajack]

Some very rare (for me) Sony bird images. Went out for a walk yesterday with the A7RV and my APS-C 70-350 Sony lens (the longest lens I own). In the distance I saw this tree creeper flitting about on a tree trunk. Not the greatest photos in the world, and these are all very severe crops (good job the A7RV is still 26MP in APS-C mode)

Very nice a bird I have never had the opportunity to see, but one on my wish list to photograph. I have been very pleased with the Sony 70-350mm and the 200-600mm lens. I find the 200-600mm seems to balance and feels lighter than the Z 180-600mm and the Sigma 500mm is very light and possibly similar to the Nikon PF you own. The Z 400mm f4.5 was a lens which was hard to leave go when I made the Sony switch.

 

[f/1.2]

A couple of questions on panoramas partly prompted by my creaking old lap top and partly due to what I've just read in another thread.

How many pictures do you take and how big a file do you want?

I think the most pictures I've done is 20 odd, less than 30 anyway. A while ago I used to reduce the size of the pictures before stitching them but recently I've just stitched them as they are. Reducing the size of the pictures reduces the processing time and the size of the final picture but they're still big enough for me and I usually keep the individual pictures so if I do want a very large file later I can redo it.

How long is a piece of string really as surely it depends on the subject?

For example if I am outside a venue and i don't have a wide lens handy and only have my 35 it will take anywhere from 8-12 images usually.

Have also done Brenizer style portraits with over 200 images. My mac Studio even flies through those. Personally I edit in full size then reduce files size as needed on export.

 

[woof woof]

How long is a piece of string really as surely it depends on the subject?

For example if I am outside a venue and i don't have a wide lens handy and only have my 35 it will take anywhere from 8-12 images usually.

Have also done Brenizer style portraits with over 200 images. My mac Studio even flies through those. Personally I edit in full size then reduce files size as needed on export.

And the format, and the focal length and the distance to the subject etc. Yes, they all come into it but I didn't expect a carved in stone answer that stood for every instance I just wondered and apart from the number of shots taken there's the file size. Another factor is that I'm just a happy snapper and not taking panorama shots to meet a customers spec. I don't need a 2m print. The biggest prints I've had framed were A3 but when we redecorated I took them down and they never went back up and the biggest now fill an A4.

I do like zooming in looking around and seeing the detail but if I was doing a lot of panoramas I might not save them all as full sized files. At the moment I think the biggest panorama file I have is 70 odd mp. The few Brenzier shots I've done have been about the same as my panoramas, something between 6 or so and 20 or so with lenses in the 35 to 85mm range.

 

[f/1.2]

And the format, and the focal length and the distance to the subject etc. Yes, they all come into it but I didn't expect a carved in stone answer that stood for every instance I just wondered and apart from the number of shots taken there's the file size. Another factor is that I'm just a happy snapper and not taking panorama shots to meet a customers spec. I don't need a 2m print. The biggest prints I've had framed were A3 but when we redecorated I took them down and they never went back up and the biggest now fill an A4.

I do like zooming in looking around and seeing the detail but if I was doing a lot of panoramas I might not save them all as full sized files. At the moment I think the biggest panorama file I have is 70 odd mp. The few Brenzier shots I've done have been about the same as my panoramas, something between 6 or so and 20 or so with lenses in the 35 to 85mm range.

Customers spec for me is usually an iPhone screen

 

[snerkler]

And the format, and the focal length and the distance to the subject etc. Yes, they all come into it but I didn't expect a carved in stone answer that stood for every instance I just wondered and apart from the number of shots taken there's the file size. Another factor is that I'm just a happy snapper and not taking panorama shots to meet a customers spec. I don't need a 2m print. The biggest prints I've had framed were A3 but when we redecorated I took them down and they never went back up and the biggest now fill an A4.

I do like zooming in looking around and seeing the detail but if I was doing a lot of panoramas I might not save them all as full sized files. At the moment I think the biggest panorama file I have is 70 odd mp. The few Brenzier shots I've done have been about the same as my panoramas, something between 6 or so and 20 or so with lenses in the 35 to 85mm range.

I don’t worry about file size, my computer can handle stitching numerous large files, if you do ever get around to buying a new computer that should be one less thing for you to worry about