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

old bloke said:
Hi, I would like to give you my take on this question, I owned the Sony 100-400 and it was indeed excellent in all respects but even with the 1.4 converter it just did not give me the reach that I required, I had read many conflicting reports about the Sigma 150-600 on Sony cameras so I decided the only way to tell if it worked or not was to get one and try it myself, to minimise any loss should it not work I bought used, the lens, Mc-11, the dock, and a 1.4 converter were all bought used at a considerable saving, with everything including my A7111 updated to the latest firmware I found it worked very well indeed even with the 1.4 which surprised me, I was happy enough with it to sell the Sony lens and I have not regretted it, I should emphasise that this is with the A7111 on latest firmware I know this will not apply to all the Sony models, the Sony lens is sharper and the AF is quicker but the difference is small, my conclusion is if 400mm is long enough or indeed 560mm at F.8 go for the Sony you will not regret it The Sigma I bought is the sport version and the only downside I can find is that it weighs as much as a small car, no doubt some one will be along soon to tell me how wrong I am but this is my experience.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your take on it, I do appreciate all opinions.

My initial steer was to the sigma 150-600 sport. It is for use on my A7R3, so the camera is up to spec for it, it is the weight of the sport that bothers a bit, at 2.7kgs, whereas the sony is 1.4kgs.which is a sizeable difference!
 
simonbarker said:
I can't recall having visible dust in my photos with a Nikon over 2-3 years of use but with the Sony it happened almost immediately, to date I've been running the cleaning routine and giving it a blast from a rocket which has worked fine but for some reason the last session had a lot of dust in all the shots.

DSLR was so much less hassle in this regard, not the end of the world of course but annoying I've had to go from not worrying about it to needing a routine.
Click to expand...

Just checked mine and was ok, though a couple of spots removed with the artic butterfly.

Haven’t used the in camera cleaning yet either. Always think they’re pretty poor, where’s the dust tray for emptying? [emoji3]
 
-markie- said:
Sold my D750 and just a couple of lenses to shift before i make the leap to the a7iii and sigma 35mm. Just realised that the a7iii doesn't come with a charger and you have to charge in camera... annoying :(

Had a brief boiler scare today, so need to buy it asap before the misses claims the funds :D
Click to expand...

yeah rather silly they skimp on the charger of all things!
 
david357 said:
Thanks for your take on it, I do appreciate all opinions.

My initial steer was to the sigma 150-600 sport. It is for use on my A7R3, so the camera is up to spec for it, it is the weight of the sport that bothers a bit, at 2.7kgs, whereas the sony is 1.4kgs.which is a sizeable difference!
Click to expand...

I used to the have the 120-300 Sport and the issue I found was balance. Due to thesis the weight is all on the front (lens support) hand which made it difficult to operate the zoom and support the lens. For this reason I switched to the FE100-400, it feels much better and easier to operate. I see you have the A7Riii, so you can also switch to crop mode for 18mp @ 600mm and thats before you add TC's
 
david357 said:
Thanks for your take on it, I do appreciate all opinions.

My initial steer was to the sigma 150-600 sport. It is for use on my A7R3, so the camera is up to spec for it, it is the weight of the sport that bothers a bit, at 2.7kgs, whereas the sony is 1.4kgs.which is a sizeable difference!
Click to expand...
I also have the AR3 and the AF is not quite as quick as the A73 but there is very little in it, it doesn't work with the 1.4 but as Chris pointed out the crop mode on the R is first class which makes up for that.
 
david357 said:
There was an issue with the original gel sticks on sony sensors, and Eyelead brought out a sony friendly version - I have the sony version but haven’t used it yet, I find wet cleaning simple and effective.
Click to expand...

I have a Sony one. It's a different colour to the 'standard' ones but I can't recall which..... lol I've not used it yet though.....
 
I cleaned the sensor today (Sony A7 III)

Bought the camera brand new approximately a month ago and recently I noticed some spots and dust on the sensor. Usually I am very careful when I change lenses, but it could happen.

I was not sure that I could manage to do it by myself, but it appears to be a relatively easy procedure.

Before:
KAL03437-1600x1066.jpg


and After:
KAL03438-1600x1066.jpg


Used this kit:
( https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pixel-Pe...l-Frame-Cameras-12-x-Swabs-Fluid/122192776062 ) and quite happy that was so easy.
 
Because the dust is on the sensor, my settings is normally like Aperture priority, iso 100, f/16 and then point it somewhere white and wave it around as much as possible.

Because that way you know every dot is dust on sensor, not dust on the wall.

If you are shooting the same thing twice dead still...well, you get the idea.
 
david357 said:
I plan on some wildlife photography next year, so a long zoom is on the cards for me. I was looking at the sigma 150-600 lenses, then the sony 100-400, and now the sigma 60-600. The new sigma is getting brilliant reviews, but the sony is about a kg lighter it seems, very sharp, and works well with converters if needed.
Any opinions? (The sony price is considerably better grey)
Click to expand...
Wildlife is my main photographic interest. When I got into the Sony system I had both the 100-400 GM and tc and also the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary with MC-11 adapter. As mentioned the Sigma combo didn't cut the mustard with AF, I was very disappointed as the Sigma was a brilliant lens and I was quite prepared to return the 100-400. Instead it was the Sigma that went.

More recently it seems that firmware updates to the MC-11 have resulted in this AF problem being addressed although I have read that it is still not a complete solution. A poster I know on another forum has produced some excellent results with his Sigma with new firmware but has now moved on to the 100-400 combo and is even more satisfied and producing even better shots with many more keepers.

Using adapted lenses appears never to be as completely satisfying as using native ones but we all can only cut our cloth etc. The 100-400 with tc works beautifully for me on my A7R3 which is just as well as there is no way I could afford the 400mm prime. It's relatively light and compact enough to fit into my shoulder bag for casual use.
 
footman said:
Wildlife is my main photographic interest. When I got into the Sony system I had both the 100-400 GM and tc and also the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary with MC-11 adapter. As mentioned the Sigma combo didn't cut the mustard with AF, I was very disappointed as the Sigma was a brilliant lens and I was quite prepared to return the 100-400. Instead it was the Sigma that went.

More recently it seems that firmware updates to the MC-11 have resulted in this AF problem being addressed although I have read that it is still not a complete solution. A poster I know on another forum has produced some excellent results with his Sigma with new firmware but has now moved on to the 100-400 combo and is even more satisfied and producing even better shots with many more keepers.

Using adapted lenses appears never to be as completely satisfying as using native ones but we all can only cut our cloth etc. The 100-400 with tc works beautifully for me on my A7R3 which is just as well as there is no way I could afford the 400mm prime. It's relatively light and compact enough to fit into my shoulder bag for casual use.
Click to expand...

Thanks Laurence, that is just what I need to hear right now, I had come round to the decision that the Sony was the lens I wanted, and was bracing myself to spend some serious money on one, when one appeared in the classifieds last night.

WE have agreed a deal and I am just about to transfer funds, so should get my new toy in time to play with over the Christmas break. Opinions generally are that the lens works extremely well with the Sony bodies (as it should do, it's native!), and I will look for a 1.4 tc which will almost fill the gap to the Sigma's 600mm. I read somewhere that there is a Clear View Zoom (or similar?) that gives a good digital boost to the files?

Thanks again, Merry Christmas.
 
photosample said:
I cleaned the sensor today (Sony A7 III)

Bought the camera brand new approximately a month ago and recently I noticed some spots and dust on the sensor. Usually I am very careful when I change lenses, but it could happen.

I was not sure that I could manage to do it by myself, but it appears to be a relatively easy procedure.

Before:
KAL03437-1600x1066.jpg


and After:
KAL03438-1600x1066.jpg


Used this kit:
( https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pixel-Pe...l-Frame-Cameras-12-x-Swabs-Fluid/122192776062 ) and quite happy that was so easy.
Click to expand...

Is that sensor damage or an insect on the sensor that shows before and after cleaning Kalin?

On a new camera I would be very worried.
 
4wd said:
I thought the same but it's a centering mark on a sheet of paper.
Hopefully ...:LOL:
Click to expand...
Ah, you could be right.

I always have the lens set at f22, out of focus, and the camera constantly moving, taking a shot of a white wall, so that the only sharp objects on the image will be those on the sensor.
 
david357 said:
Thanks Laurence, that is just what I need to hear right now, I had come round to the decision that the Sony was the lens I wanted, and was bracing myself to spend some serious money on one, when one appeared in the classifieds last night.

WE have agreed a deal and I am just about to transfer funds, so should get my new toy in time to play with over the Christmas break. Opinions generally are that the lens works extremely well with the Sony bodies (as it should do, it's native!), and I will look for a 1.4 tc which will almost fill the gap to the Sigma's 600mm. I read somewhere that there is a Clear View Zoom (or similar?) that gives a good digital boost to the files?

Thanks again, Merry Christmas.
Click to expand...
Excellent move David, you will enjoy it. In my opinion the 1.4 converter does not affect the quality of images. Using f8 with the tc is a bit of a bind but the Sony sensor copes with the high ISO admirably, I regularly take wildlife shots at 12800 ISO. Merry Christmas to you too.
 
david357 said:
Ah, you could be right.

I always have the lens set at f22, out of focus, and the camera constantly moving, taking a shot of a white wall, so that the only sharp objects on the image will be those on the sensor.
Click to expand...

That's how I do it, with a shutter speed low enough to give something like a 2 second or more exposure just to make sure that no features or marks on the target are visible in the picture.
 
Last edited:
david357 said:
Is that sensor damage or an insect on the sensor that shows before and after cleaning Kalin?

On a new camera I would be very worried.
Click to expand...

Just centering mark with pen.
Next time will try as the others suggested longer exposure.
Hope next time will not be soon though :)
 
 
I have just purchased a lens from this forum, so went out to try it today. The images are not brilliant by bird photographer standards, but for me, and taken handheld, I am very pleased. I hope my skills improve, but to get sharp shots at the 400mm end, including a sharp bif, makes me happy.Sample 1.jpg Sample 2.jpg Sample 3.jpg Sample 4.jpg
 
Following my request for help to choose a long zoom a few posts ago, the Sony 100-400mm came up in the classifieds, so a quick decision was made and the lens was in my hands ready for the weekend (Thanks Graham).

What a fantastic lens it is, I am so pleased with my first attempts at handheld shots of birds (above). I guess the 1.4 converter is next on the list!

GAS - what me, never!!
 
david357 said:
I have just purchased a lens from this forum, so went out to try it today. The images are not brilliant by bird photographer standards, but for me, and taken handheld, I am very pleased. I hope my skills improve, but to get sharp shots at the 400mm end, including a sharp bif, makes me happy.View attachment 140826 View attachment 140827 View attachment 140828 View attachment 140829
Click to expand...
Looks good. I’m hoping to add this lens sometime in the new year. The reviews I’ve read seem to say it’s good. I only recently started the move to Sony so I’m releatively new to it all. So far so good. I’ve been impressed with AF on the A7R3 and 70-200 f4. It seems to be fast enough for me and accurate too which is always good. I’ve recently been photographing Otters and it has done well. They are fast little things, only surfacing for a few seconds or quickly diving or changing direction. The only issues Ive had were shooting rapid bursts this morning. I had to keep waiting for the buffer to clear before I could access settings. It feels like a faster card is definitely needed to get the best speed performance and reduce buffer time. I’ve also been impressed with silent mode. This morning I was at first shooting normally with the mechanical shutter and then decided give the silent mode a try. It seemed to worked well although it will take some getting used to as it just doesn’t feel like you are taking photos!
 
rob-nikon said:
Looks good. I’m hoping to add this lens sometime in the new year. The reviews I’ve read seem to say it’s good. I only recently started the move to Sony so I’m releatively new to it all. So far so good. I’ve been impressed with AF on the A7R3 and 70-200 f4. It seems to be fast enough for me and accurate too which is always good. I’ve recently been photographing Otters and it has done well. They are fast little things, only surfacing for a few seconds or quickly diving or changing direction. The only issues Ive had were shooting rapid bursts this morning. I had to keep waiting for the buffer to clear before I could access settings. It feels like a faster card is definitely needed to get the best speed performance and reduce buffer time. I’ve also been impressed with silent mode. This morning I was at first shooting normally with the mechanical shutter and then decided give the silent mode a try. It seemed to worked well although it will take some getting used to as it just doesn’t feel like you are taking photos!
Click to expand...

I am using the R3 too, I did have the A9 which would probably better for fast moving things but I had the R2 previously, and did miss the big files for cropability.

Good luck in finding a 100-400, I am seriously impressed.
 
This comment in the above ZX1 link caught my eye...

"I really like the look of this tool, it has the simplicity of an M10, with just enough of the benefit of an iPhone. What it doesn't seem to have is the complexity of the Fuji, Sony, Nikon or Canon of this world, even though it is almost certainly very closely related to Sony."

When I read this sort of comment I do wonder what's wrong with ignoring the complexity or turning it off and using the camera in Aperture, Shutter or Manual exposure mode with one focus point and shooting in one shot mode. Used like that any of the current modern complex cameras become very simple devices with only the following controls needed...

- The on/off switch.
- A dial for adjusting the aperture or shutter when in Aperture or Shutter mode.
- Two dials for adjusting the aperture and shutter when in Manual mode.
- The shutter button.

Adding a couple more things such as a way of moving the focus point, changing the ISO, changing exposure mode, formatting the card and altering the clock twice a year shouldn't really tax even the mode hard core luddites nerves too much, surely. I just don't really like reading that cameras are too complex when 1/2 an hour turning the complexity off and getting used to ignoring it is all that's really needed.
 
I've just got a close focus adapter for my M mount 35mm f1.4 and it works very well and really transforms the lens for general use including the odd close up shot of a flower or leaf etc.
 
woof woof said:
I've just got a close focus adapter for my M mount 35mm f1.4 and it works very well and really transforms the lens for general use including the odd close up shot of a flower or leaf etc.
Click to expand...

They've a fairly 'dense' feel to them for their size but my 40/1.4 lives on a helicoid adapter :)
 
I have two adapters now but after using the close focus adapter I can't really see why I'd want to use the standard one. I still can't get used to focusing with the focus tab and I still feel like I'm juggling the camera. I don't know if I'll keep it so I'll have to make my mind up.
 
Not sure how to explain this one but my a7RII will only focus at close distances, as soon as I point it at something more than a few feet away it basically does nothing. I assumed it was an issue with my MC-11 and Sigma Art lenses, but I've just acquired the FE 50mm 1.8 and it does exactly the same thing.

If I manually AF to something further away it will then adjust focus in that range, but otherwise it just flat out refuses to function if it needs to rack from near to far or vice versa.
 
Last edited:
ukaskew said:
Not sure how to explain this one but my a7RII will only focus at close distances, as soon as I point it at something more than a few feet away it basically does nothing. I assumed it was an issue with my MC-11 and Sigma Art lenses, but I've just acquired the FE 50mm 1.8 and it does exactly the same thing.

If I manually AF to something further away it will then adjust focus in that range, but otherwise it just flat out refuses to function if it needs to rack from near to far or vice versa.
Click to expand...
Strange one, I assume these have no focus distance switches on the lenses?

Maybe contacts, could try giving them a quick clean?
 
ukaskew said:
Not sure how to explain this one but my a7RII will only focus at close distances, as soon as I point it at something more than a few feet away it basically does nothing. I assumed it was an issue with my MC-11 and Sigma Art lenses, but I've just acquired the FE 50mm 1.8 and it does exactly the same thing.

If I manually AF to something further away it will then adjust focus in that range, but otherwise it just flat out refuses to function if it needs to rack from near to far or vice versa.
Click to expand...

Have tried taking the battery out and putting it back in?
If that doesn't work resetting the camera?
 
I've solved the issues temporarily by buying a a7III :) Got a few January weddings coming up so didn't want to be without a back up.
 
nandbytes said:
Have tried taking the battery out and putting it back in?
If that doesn't work resetting the camera?
Click to expand...

Yep done all the basics. It actually started a few weeks back in Hong Kong but until now I've only had adapted Canon Sigma Art lenses. I assumed it was just that till I receiver my 50mm 1.8 today.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top