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

gman said:
I can't shake my desire for the Sigma 35mm 1.2 and it doesn't help that I watched a video on it last night showing a guy in an almost dark room yet it looked like daylight! But the size....that's something I'll need to think about as the main reason for moving from the D750 was size, although the eye AF has quickly become a leading benefit and will obviously be a Godsend with the thin DoF of the 1.2. I've been looking more into the DN bit and that's definitely the way forward for me if I go Sigma.

Here it is on my camera compared to the other 35mm lenses:

Sigma 1.2 ---> Sigma 1.4 ---> Sony 1.4 ---> Sony 1.4 Distagon ---> Sony 1.8 ---> Sony 24-105mm (for reference)

I'm sure I read that the Distagon isn't a good lens, could be wrong but something rings a bell. I'm not all that bothered by weight, but the 1.2 is some lump, although the lens hood doesn't help. It doesn't seem all that much bigger than my 24-105mm, whilst also bearing in mind this will extend and become longer. Perhaps it's not going to be so bad after all?

I suppose I could trade my brand new 24-105mm to lessen the sting, but it is a good lens for video and handy to have the reach for pano stitching, although I'm now thinking about the Sigma 100-400 DG DN for that among other things.


View attachment 312019
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may be wait till the 50GM is released?
50mm f1.2 is rumoured to be lighter than the current Zeiss 50mm f1.4. may be that's a better f1.2 lens to get and then buy a small 35mm f1.8 lens?
 
f/2.8 said:
Did anyone update the firmware on their A7III's?

Seeing lots of posts on Facebook this morning with people having problems after installing the new firmware.

Lots of people are getting an error message saying that "Image Database File not ready" and others having issues with third party batteries.

I have purposely held of doing ours to wait and see if their was any issues having run into the whole debacle with them not working with Sandisk cards after a firmware update a good while back.
Click to expand...

I've done the update on my A9ii - I got a message with a non OEM battery that said something like - "The safety and usage of this battery cannot be guaranteed - continue anyway?'.
I confirmed 'yes', and it hasn't come up since.
No other problems at all.
 
gman said:
I can't shake my desire for the Sigma 35mm 1.2 and it doesn't help that I watched a video on it last night showing a guy in an almost dark room yet it looked like daylight! But the size....that's something I'll need to think about as the main reason for moving from the D750 was size, although the eye AF has quickly become a leading benefit and will obviously be a Godsend with the thin DoF of the 1.2. I've been looking more into the DN bit and that's definitely the way forward for me if I go Sigma.

Here it is on my camera compared to the other 35mm lenses:

Sigma 1.2 ---> Sigma 1.4 ---> Sony 1.4 ---> Sony 1.4 Distagon ---> Sony 1.8 ---> Sony 24-105mm (for reference)

I'm sure I read that the Distagon isn't a good lens, could be wrong but something rings a bell. I'm not all that bothered by weight, but the 1.2 is some lump, although the lens hood doesn't help. It doesn't seem all that much bigger than my 24-105mm, whilst also bearing in mind this will extend and become longer. Perhaps it's not going to be so bad after all?

I suppose I could trade my brand new 24-105mm to lessen the sting, but it is a good lens for video and handy to have the reach for pano stitching, although I'm now thinking about the Sigma 100-400 DG DN for that among other things.


View attachment 312019
Click to expand...

The Siggy f/1.2 is a good lens I borrowed one for a little while has well known problems with video but for photography it’s good.

I wouldn’t buy one though it’s far too big and cumbersome. The distagon doesn’t have the fastest a.f and is known for having decentering issues.

I think I have tried or owned all the 35mm a.f lenses at one point or another.


The 35GM is definitely the best of them. Best value for money is the Siggy f/1.4 but you have to be able to live with the extra weight and size.
 
Hi there!
Sorry if not the right place for the inquire, but I'm thinking of changing camera (I have an Canon1300d with 18-55mm + 24mm f/2.8 + 50mm f/1,8) and the A7iii it's on my radar!
I only do photography and I'm looking to the A7iii + 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 SEL for around 1 845,90 € (I'm from Portugal).

I'm trying to get a new camera that will serve me for a few (long) years, I manly shoot street, landscape, architecture and starting with a little Portraits also...what do you guys think?
It's a little stretch for and amateur hobbyist like me but I would make an effort to get this "beast" machine!
 
Smnol said:
Hi there!
Sorry if not the right place for the inquire, but I'm thinking of changing camera (I have an Canon1300d with 18-55mm + 24mm f/2.8 + 50mm f/1,8) and the A7iii it's on my radar!
I only do photography and I'm looking to the A7iii + 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 SEL for around 1 845,90 € (I'm from Portugal).

I'm trying to get a new camera that will serve me for a few (long) years, I manly shoot street, landscape, architecture and starting with a little Portraits also...what do you guys think?
It's a little stretch for and amateur hobbyist like me but I would make an effort to get this "beast" machine!
Click to expand...

Hi Safarrede, the A7III and that kit lens will be a good start. Its not a difficult camera to use, but it IS worth setting it up before you use it much (youtube tutorials can help). The difference in quality over the 1300D may not be immediately obvious, but when you look closely at the images and especially when you process them harder then the difference will be more obvious.

I have an A7III and use a Samyang 35 f2.8 for streetwork - the lens is really small, and it makes the camera much less obvious. It is also not expensive.

Hope you enjoy your new kit.
 
nandbytes said:
may be wait till the 50GM is released?
50mm f1.2 is rumoured to be lighter than the current Zeiss 50mm f1.4. may be that's a better f1.2 lens to get and then buy a small 35mm f1.8 lens?
Click to expand...

A 50mm could be an option. I was initially worried it might be too tight for indoors but I do like closer in shots. I'll give this some thought thanks.
 
f/2.8 said:
The Siggy f/1.2 is a good lens I borrowed one for a little while has well known problems with video but for photography it’s good.

I wouldn’t buy one though it’s far too big and cumbersome. The distagon doesn’t have the fastest a.f and is known for having decentering issues.

I think I have tried or owned all the 35mm a.f lenses at one point or another.


The 35GM is definitely the best of them. Best value for money is the Siggy f/1.4 but you have to be able to live with the extra weight and size.
Click to expand...

Cheers, what's the video issues? I think I mind something about the af twitching slightly.
 
Smnol said:
Hi there!
Sorry if not the right place for the inquire, but I'm thinking of changing camera (I have an Canon1300d with 18-55mm + 24mm f/2.8 + 50mm f/1,8) and the A7iii it's on my radar!
I only do photography and I'm looking to the A7iii + 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 SEL for around 1 845,90 € (I'm from Portugal).

I'm trying to get a new camera that will serve me for a few (long) years, I manly shoot street, landscape, architecture and starting with a little Portraits also...what do you guys think?
It's a little stretch for and amateur hobbyist like me but I would make an effort to get this "beast" machine!
Click to expand...
It’s definitely a great setup and the 28-70mm f3.5-5.6 is very good for a kit lens. It’s not ideal for portraits due to the small aperture but maybe a cheap prime lens will be affordable down the line.
 
gman said:
Cheers, what's the video issues? I think I mind something about the af twitching slightly.
Click to expand...

From memory if you use 100p or 120p video recording you will get flickering. There was another problem as well. They couldn’t fix it via firmware.
 
Smnol said:
Hi there!
Sorry if not the right place for the inquire, but I'm thinking of changing camera (I have an Canon1300d with 18-55mm + 24mm f/2.8 + 50mm f/1,8) and the A7iii it's on my radar!
I only do photography and I'm looking to the A7iii + 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 SEL for around 1 845,90 € (I'm from Portugal).

I'm trying to get a new camera that will serve me for a few (long) years, I manly shoot street, landscape, architecture and starting with a little Portraits also...what do you guys think?
It's a little stretch for and amateur hobbyist like me but I would make an effort to get this "beast" machine!
Click to expand...
You might find the 28-70 often not quite wide enough for architecture.
I originally bought the 24-105 and found the same thing so added a (used) F4 16-35.
Bear in mind with the A7iii you can easily jump into APS-C mode which effectively zooms in with little loss of quality.
 
Thanks @snerkler my main doubts are "changing" to a different "ecosystem" and with the "fame" of being with expensive lenses, but I'll can get the camera in the near future (when I sell the 1300d) and later on think on a good zoom like an 17-50mm kinda lens for the a7iii. The counter part is sticking with canon and going with the RP and RF lenses, it's hard to make the decision.

@4wd ,yes, I have read that that situation could happen, turn the a7iii in APS-C mode and give more "margin" with the zooms lens, thanks!

The main goal here is checking some thoughts about giving almost 2k (being a little of an stretch for my budget) for an a7iii with the kit lenses in 2021 just for photography only and an amateur hobbyist like me!

But thanks for the input guys! :)
 
Smnol said:
Thanks @snerkler my main doubts are "changing" to a different "ecosystem" and with the "fame" of being with expensive lenses, but I'll can get the camera in the near future (when I sell the 1300d) and later on think on a good zoom like an 17-50mm kinda lens for the a7iii. The counter part is sticking with canon and going with the RP and RF lenses, it's hard to make the decision.

@4wd ,yes, I have read that that situation could happen, turn the a7iii in APS-C mode and give more "margin" with the zooms lens, thanks!

The main goal here is checking some thoughts about giving almost 2k (being a little of an stretch for my budget) for an a7iii with the kit lenses in 2021 just for photography only and an amateur hobbyist like me!

But thanks for the input guys! :)
Click to expand...

Cheaper here.

Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera with 28-70mm Lens

€2,029.00 - 12 Months<br />Warranty - 14 Days<br />Money Back - 100%<br />Brand New - Import Tax<br />Included
www.e-infin.com www.e-infin.com
 
4wd said:
You might find the 28-70 often not quite wide enough for architecture.
I originally bought the 24-105 and found the same thing so added a (used) F4 16-35.
Bear in mind with the A7iii you can easily jump into APS-C mode which effectively zooms in with little loss of quality.
Click to expand...

28-70 is as pretty much as wide as their current widest lens
 
Smnol said:
I didn't knew this website, thanks so much, it's good to buy??
I'm from Portugal, sometimes the prices are a little bit infatuated around here! :)
Click to expand...

Yes they are fine grey market and delivery can take up to 2 weeks also have a look at Panamoz.com still cheaper than retail but more expensive than e-infin but they give really good 3 year warranty.
 
Smnol said:
Thanks @snerkler my main doubts are "changing" to a different "ecosystem" and with the "fame" of being with expensive lenses, but I'll can get the camera in the near future (when I sell the 1300d) and later on think on a good zoom like an 17-50mm kinda lens for the a7iii. The counter part is sticking with canon and going with the RP and RF lenses, it's hard to make the decision.

@4wd ,yes, I have read that that situation could happen, turn the a7iii in APS-C mode and give more "margin" with the zooms lens, thanks!

The main goal here is checking some thoughts about giving almost 2k (being a little of an stretch for my budget) for an a7iii with the kit lenses in 2021 just for photography only and an amateur hobbyist like me!

But thanks for the input guys! :)
Click to expand...
Lenses for the Sony FE mount don't need to be expensive, you can buy used and there are many excellent 3rd party lenses from the likes of Sigma, Tamron and Samyang to name a few. Before changing systems it is always paramount to decide what lenses you want and whether you can afford these in the future. As good as the Sony 28-70mm is for a kit lens I'm not sure I would swap what you have to get that and no thoughts to add to the system at some point, what you have now (camera and lenses) will likely serve you better than the Sony with kit lens imo.

Oh, and don't worry about what you spend, most of us on here are "just" hobbyists. The only difference between a hobbyists and a pro is that a pro makes money from their photos (some enthusiasts are better than pros and vice versa), and there are no rules on what you can or should spend "just" because it's a hobby (y)
 
Haven't really taken any photos for ages. Did a few today, here's a couple I quite like. Absolutely love this Sigma 56mm F1.4, it's such an awesome lens.


Horses by Merlin 5, on Flickr

And this one I call Girl and New Friend :)


Girl and new friend by Merlin 5, on Flickr
 
Merlin5 said:
Haven't really taken any photos for ages. Did a few today, here's a couple I quite like. Absolutely love this Sigma 56mm F1.4, it's such an awesome lens.


Horses by Merlin 5, on Flickr

And this one I call Girl and New Friend :)


Girl and new friend by Merlin 5, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Two very nice shots Lee, liking them both but #2 pushes all the right buttons for me.
 
G.K.Jnr. said:
Two very nice shots Lee, liking them both but #2 pushes all the right buttons for me.
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Thank you George. Second one became a sort of unintentional street photo :)
 
snerkler said:
Lenses for the Sony FE mount don't need to be expensive, you can buy used and there are many excellent 3rd party lenses from the likes of Sigma, Tamron and Samyang to name a few. Before changing systems it is always paramount to decide what lenses you want and whether you can afford these in the future. As good as the Sony 28-70mm is for a kit lens I'm not sure I would swap what you have to get that and no thoughts to add to the system at some point, what you have now (camera and lenses) will likely serve you better than the Sony with kit lens imo.

Oh, and don't worry about what you spend, most of us on here are "just" hobbyists. The only difference between a hobbyists and a pro is that a pro makes money from their photos (some enthusiasts are better than pros and vice versa), and there are no rules on what you can or should spend "just" because it's a hobby (y)
Click to expand...

Yes, I had read that are other brand options that are more budget friendly for the A7iii. I think that for the long run, I'll check or trying to get something around the 17-50mm F/2.8 (likewise) I think it's my range.
You're saying that You don't trade the 1300d with the 18-55mm iii for the a7iii with the 28-70mm? The A7iii is a better camera that the 1300d, how come ? :)

The money is a big question because it's always (for me) a struggle and seems a lot but I know IT would be a good buy and I will love it! Just being very conscious and very undecided!
 
Smnol said:
Yes, I had read that are other brand options that are more budget friendly for the A7iii. I think that for the long run, I'll check or trying to get something around the 17-50mm F/2.8 (likewise) I think it's my range.
You're saying that You don't trade the 1300d with the 18-55mm iii for the a7iii with the 28-70mm? The A7iii is a better camera that the 1300d, how come ? :)

The money is a big question because it's always (for me) a struggle and seems a lot but I know IT would be a good buy and I will love it! Just being very conscious and very undecided!
Click to expand...
Because you have two other lenses for the Canon giving you more scope. For example the 50mm f1.8 would be a much better option for portraits than the 28-70mm (y)
 
snerkler said:
Because you have two other lenses for the Canon giving you more scope. For example the 50mm f1.8 would be a much better option for portraits than the 28-70mm (y)
Click to expand...

But the a7iii is a better camera than the 1300d, and it's only on Portraits in this case
 
Smnol said:
But the a7iii is a better camera than the 1300d, and it's only on Portraits in this case
Click to expand...
I think you’re misunderstanding me (y) What I said was I wouldn’t swap the Canon plus your 3 lenses for the A7iii and 28-70mm, unless you plan on extending your Sony lenses down the line.

Yes the A7iii is a better camera, but it doesn’t make up for the loss of lenses IMO.
 
snerkler said:
I think you’re misunderstanding me (y) What I said was I wouldn’t swap the Canon plus your 3 lenses for the A7iii and 28-70mm, unless you plan on extending your Sony lenses down the line.

Yes the A7iii is a better camera, but it doesn’t make up for the loss of lenses IMO.
Click to expand...

Oh ok, sorry. And yes, down the line I'll try to get other set of lens, When I brought the 1300d was with the kit lens and the 50mm and later I brought the 24mm for landscape. I imagine that if I go with the Sony (also checking the Canon 90d and(or) the Canon RP) I could use an adapter to use the 24mm and the 50mm lens of Canon and down the line try to get something on the order of an 17-50mm f/2.8 kinda lens I reckon...My main "goal" is to change to a body that could give more, it's my kunundrum
 
Smnol said:
Oh ok, sorry. And yes, down the line I'll try to get other set of lens, When I brought the 1300d was with the kit lens and the 50mm and later I brought the 24mm for landscape. I imagine that if I go with the Sony (also checking the Canon 90d and(or) the Canon RP) I could use an adapter to use the 24mm and the 50mm lens of Canon and down the line try to get something on the order of an 17-50mm f/2.8 kinda lens I reckon...My main "goal" is to change to a body that could give more, it's my kunundrum
Click to expand...
If you intend to add to the lenses then yes the A7iii is a much better body. You can adapt your lenses to Sony BUT a good Canon to Sony adapter is around £350 and you can buy the Sony FE 50mm f1.8 for £159 brand new,

Also, just be aware that the field of view of your Canon will be different to the Sony as the Canon is a crop sensor and the Sony is Full Frame. If you're not familiar with crop factor then this should help.
photographylife.com

What is Crop Factor? Here is What You Need to Know

Wondering about what crop factor is and how it affects images? In this article, we provide a detailed explanation of crop factor in photography.
photographylife.com photographylife.com

Canon has a crop factor of 1.6x so your 24mm gives the field of view of a (24 x 1.6) 38.4mm lens and the 50mm gives you a field of view of an 85mm lens. I'm surprised the 24mm lens with it's effective FOV of 38.4mm worked for you as a landscape lens as 38.4mm isn't very wide. There's no right or wrong with which lenses you use for what, but 'classic' landscape lenses are usually wide angle, so 28mm (in full frame terms) and wider, so 17mm and wider on your Canon. I tend to prefer the 16-35mm focal length (FF) for landscapes, that's approximately 10-22mm on your Canon.
 
Just on APS-C and FF and kit lenses and the like.

At the longer end of a kit zoom you're going to be at 70mm and f5.6 but if your aim is to get a shallow dof look that could well be enough to give some separation. I'm not generally a great fan of having one eye in the dof and little else so 70mm and f5.6 or even f8 for a tighter framing could well be enough for all the face and most of the head and little else to be in the dof.

Other than that I'd have thought the extra DR over a Canon APS-C and the advantages of mirrorless could be worthwhile advantages.
 
snerkler said:
If you intend to add to the lenses then yes the A7iii is a much better body. You can adapt your lenses to Sony BUT a good Canon to Sony adapter is around £350 and you can buy the Sony FE 50mm f1.8 for £159 brand new,

Also, just be aware that the field of view of your Canon will be different to the Sony as the Canon is a crop sensor and the Sony is Full Frame. If you're not familiar with crop factor then this should help.
photographylife.com

What is Crop Factor? Here is What You Need to Know

Wondering about what crop factor is and how it affects images? In this article, we provide a detailed explanation of crop factor in photography.
photographylife.com photographylife.com

Canon has a crop factor of 1.6x so your 24mm gives the field of view of a (24 x 1.6) 38.4mm lens and the 50mm gives you a field of view of an 85mm lens. I'm surprised the 24mm lens with it's effective FOV of 38.4mm worked for you as a landscape lens as 38.4mm isn't very wide. There's no right or wrong with which lenses you use for what, but 'classic' landscape lenses are usually wide angle, so 28mm (in full frame terms) and wider, so 17mm and wider on your Canon. I tend to prefer the 16-35mm focal length (FF) for landscapes, that's approximately 10-22mm on your Canon.
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Well, the ideia is to get a new body and start growing from that, if it's Sony it's Sony, if it's another brand it's another brand.

Here you can see an example with the 24mm (38.4mm to be exact :) )

IMG_1745 by Safarrede Oliveira, no Flickr

woof woof said:
Just on APS-C and FF and kit lenses and the like.

At the longer end of a kit zoom you're going to be at 70mm and f5.6 but if your aim is to get a shallow dof look that could well be enough to give some separation. I'm not generally a great fan of having one eye in the dof and little else so 70mm and f5.6 or even f8 for a tighter framing could well be enough for all the face and most of the head and little else to be in the dof.

Other than that I'd have thought the extra DR over a Canon APS-C and the advantages of mirrorless could be worthwhile advantages.
Click to expand...


I'm very indecisive on what camera body to get, just learning all the possibilities that I can get. I see the photos taken on an a7iii yesterday I saw a few with the kit lenses and were pretty good, but I also see good ones with the Canon 90D and with the Canon RP...it's a hard choice!
 
Smnol said:
Well, the ideia is to get a new body and start growing from that, if it's Sony it's Sony, if it's another brand it's another brand.

Here you can see an example with the 24mm (38.4mm to be exact :) )

IMG_1745 by Safarrede Oliveira, no Flickr




I'm very indecisive on what camera body to get, just learning all the possibilities that I can get. I see the photos taken on an a7iii yesterday I saw a few with the kit lenses and were pretty good, but I also see good ones with the Canon 90D and with the Canon RP...it's a hard choice!
Click to expand...
OK, so if you're undecided on which body to get then this would be my advice:-

- Wait until after lockdown (if you're still in lockdown in Portugal) and then try a few to get a feel for how they feel in the hand, ergonomics are very important.
- Look at which cameras have features that you want, such as Eye-AF, decent frame rate etc etc.
- Have a look at which lenses you will possibly want in the future and see which system has the best and/or more affordable options.
- Also look into which system you prefer the colours of, for example a lot of people like the colours Canon produce but some prefer the more true to life colours and Nikon and Canon.

I would worry less on what the camera is capable of (as long as it has the features you want) as 99.9% of modern cameras are all capable of great images, whether they be full frame, APS-C, M4/3 etc etc. For example, these are taken with the much smaller m4/3 system, but they're some of the best wildlife shots I've seen.

500px

500px.com 500px.com
 
snerkler said:
... Also look into which system you prefer the colours of, for example a lot of people like the colours Canon produce but some prefer the more true to life colours and Nikon and Canon.
Click to expand...
Just to add that this is much more relevant if you are shooting JPeg - if you always shoot RAW, then to a large extent any colour differences are a matter of your processing.
 
Those wildlife shots look nice but with MFT there's an issue with dynamic range for me as there just isn't the exposure latitude and ability to retain the highlights and boost the shadows you get with even my elderly A7. Not without processing and NR skills beyond me and my CS5 anyway.
 
snerkler said:
OK, so if you're undecided on which body to get then this would be my advice:-

- Wait until after lockdown (if you're still in lockdown in Portugal) and then try a few to get a feel for how they feel in the hand, ergonomics are very important.
- Look at which cameras have features that you want, such as Eye-AF, decent frame rate etc etc.
- Have a look at which lenses you will possibly want in the future and see which system has the best and/or more affordable options.
- Also look into which system you prefer the colours of, for example a lot of people like the colours Canon produce but some prefer the more true to life colours and Nikon and Canon.

I would worry less on what the camera is capable of (as long as it has the features you want) as 99.9% of modern cameras are all capable of great images, whether they be full frame, APS-C, M4/3 etc etc. For example, these are taken with the much smaller m4/3 system, but they're some of the best wildlife shots I've seen.

500px

500px.com 500px.com
Click to expand...


That are great tips, thanks, the one of going to try it out I was already thinking about it, when the shops reopen I'll give it a go, but I'll have a sort of list of that kind, it probably help me understand it better and figure out some way or path for me! Thank you so much,

And the wildlife picture are insane!

Faldrax said:
Just to add that this is much more relevant if you are shooting JPeg - if you always shoot RAW, then to a large extent any colour differences are a matter of your processing.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I shoot in RAW and edit the stuff over in Ligthroom
 
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