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

If I was using Sony I'd get the 18 and maybe the 45 1.8 to start, they look very good for the money. The 35 1.4 and 85mm 1.4 look even better, though the 35 is pretty big and heavy
I'm really happy with the 45mm f1.8. AF does struggle slightly in lower light, but otherwise it's great. Small, light, sharp and renders nicely. I'll be purchasing the 85mm f1.4 in the next couple of days (y)
I think the 24mm is worth a look
I've bought that as it's very small and easily fits in pockets. I've not actually used it yet though.
From personal ownership, the 85 f1.4 is excellent, the 35 f2.8 and 18 f2.8 are good. I have a 45 f1.8 which is optically OK stopped down a little but a bit soft wide open. I also had a 50 f1.4, and that was very pleasing optically, though a little slower to focus (but much better focussing than the Sony 50 f1.8) and will probably get another at some stage.
As above, my 45mm is sharp.
 
The 18mm f2.8 is the reason I own a Sony camera - Weight is very important to me and no other system has a genuine wide angle this small and light.
So when I go out I either take my 18mm and 35mm or my 18mm and 28-70.
 
The rumor site has a link to an A6600 review at DXO. Here's a direct link to DXO...

https://www.dxomark.com/sony-a6600-sensor-review/

"Conclusion
Sony continues to stay ahead with its 24MP APS-C Exmor sensor, particularly with regard to low-light performance and high ISO dynamic range, though overall image quality is largely unchanged from earlier models. It has also ceded some ground to rivals’ smaller Four-Thirds sensors (albeit most likely Sony-made); as for APS-C, Canon has trumped Sony in resolution with a new 32.5MP sensor.

Nevertheless, the Sony A6600 is capable of producing superb-quality images, and the inclusion of its Real-Time Tracking Autofocus for both stills and video, along with a larger battery over its predecessor, make it an appealing upgrade over the A6500. With a well-rounded feature set, the Sony A6600 is an attractive camera at a relatively affordable price."
 
The rumor site has a link to an A6600 review at DXO. Here's a direct link to DXO...

https://www.dxomark.com/sony-a6600-sensor-review/

"Conclusion
Sony continues to stay ahead with its 24MP APS-C Exmor sensor, particularly with regard to low-light performance and high ISO dynamic range, though overall image quality is largely unchanged from earlier models. It has also ceded some ground to rivals’ smaller Four-Thirds sensors (albeit most likely Sony-made); as for APS-C, Canon has trumped Sony in resolution with a new 32.5MP sensor.

Nevertheless, the Sony A6600 is capable of producing superb-quality images, and the inclusion of its Real-Time Tracking Autofocus for both stills and video, along with a larger battery over its predecessor, make it an appealing upgrade over the A6500. With a well-rounded feature set, the Sony A6600 is an attractive camera at a relatively affordable price."

Sony needs to update the 24MP APSC sensor they are using, its getting old now, even Fuji is using Sonys newer 26MP sensor which is a little ridiculous.
 
It may be getting old but reading that article and looking at the various graphics there does seem to be little in it between all the major players and going back to the 2011 Nex 7 only shows 0.5 ev difference. On the competition, it's interesting that a MFT Oly pushes Canon so hard.

Having said that I'm all for pushing things on and I hope they do but adding another control dial would be my first choice and adding a compact 24mm equivalent lens would be high on my list too. A new sensor would be nice but the current one wouldn't stop me buying into the system whereas other things do.
 
It may be getting old but reading that article and looking at the various graphics there does seem to be little in it between all the major players and going back to the 2011 Nex 7 only shows 0.5 ev difference. On the competition, it's interesting that a MFT Oly pushes Canon so hard.

Having said that I'm all for pushing things on and I hope they do but adding another control dial would be my first choice and adding a compact 24mm equivalent lens would be high on my list too. A new sensor would be nice but the current one wouldn't stop me buying into the system whereas other things do.

The body could also do with an update. Its a bit crap that theyve also used the same body for so long. Sony is chucking the cash at FF, they arent to concerned about the APSC market. Samyang 18mm is close enough, theres also the Sigma 16.
 
Ah, sorry, typo. I meant to post about a compact 24mm lens for an equiv 35mm.

On bodies, some seem to want an APS-C mini slr style camera. Surely Sony could do that tomorrow if they wanted to.
 
Ah, sorry, typo. I meant to post about a compact 24mm lens for an equiv 35mm.

On bodies, some seem to want an APS-C mini slr style camera. Surely Sony could do that tomorrow if they wanted to.

Samyang 24mm and Tamron 24mm.

They could and should do, could easily drop an apsc into A7 body as a quick fix.
 
Samyang 24mm and Tamron 24mm.

They could and should do, could easily drop an apsc into A7 body as a quick fix.

Just had a look and I wouldn't class either of those as compact. Might as well get the Sony 24mm f1.8 as those.
 
Thanks to my rather fantastic local London Camera Exchange (Derby) I have managed to pick up an absolute mint a7r iii for a more than reasonable price :) Showing 549 shots !

Obviously very similar to the a7 iii but really appreciate the improved EVF and rear screen - makes it a much nicer camera to use.
 
With regards to the 24mm 2.8 Samyang its not a bad lens at all - just not as good as the 35mm f2.8 which I really like.
 
Roland TB-03, a remake of the iconic TB-303 Bassline Synthesizer. Shot with a single off camera flash which was quite tricky not to add reflections and/or shadows (although I left the reflections on the LCD screen as I thought it looked better)

(Edit: Looks very blurry on here, view on Flickr as per usual.)


A7R00388-Edit
by TDG-77, on Flickr
 
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Kyoto

mjM69f8.jpg


Seoul

n7hqb1b.jpg


Busan

5qyxYiB.jpg
 
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Roland TB-03, a remake of the iconic TB-303 Bassline Synthesizer. Shot with a single off camera flash which was quite tricky not to add reflections and/or shadows (although I left the reflections on the LCD screen as I thought it looked better)

(Edit: Looks very blurry on here, view on Flickr as per usual.)


A7R00388-Edit
by TDG-77, on Flickr

Do you actually use this? I like me some electro now and then. I would be primarily hard rock or hip-hop but I'm an 80#s child, I 'digged' the early 90's dance scene also
 
Do you actually use this? I like me some electro now and then. I would be primarily hard rock or hip-hop but I'm an 80#s child, I 'digged' the early 90's dance scene also
Yes, although not as often as I like. I keep dabbling in learning music production but it's very time consuming. I'm currently learning synthesis at the mo.

Here's a remix of an old acid house track I did last year, the TB-03 features in about 2/3 of the track. I might tweak the master EQ at some point to brighten it up.
View: https://youtu.be/IMXBXI5PFHY





This is the original for reference
View: https://youtu.be/-P1g6FLjYBQ
 
Still can’t believe you can’t get Haagen dazs matcha ice cream in the U.K. , has to be one of my favourite flavours.

At least you can get Starbucks matcha frapachino’s here now even if there slightly sweeter

The lack of matcha ice cream basically "forced" me to get a machine to make my own.
 
Another newbie question I’m afraid. With reference to the A7ii when shooting in Aperture Priority mode after setting the desired aperture how can you (or if you actually can) set a preferred shutter speed as its currently defaulting to 1/80 (auto iso) which cost me a fair few good pictures today as buses, tuk-tuks, cyclists etc entered the frame. Don’t really want to go full manual if at all possible. Swapped over to full auto where the shutter speed was 1/125 or 1/250 which was much better.

I have looked on the menu options but again have been defeated trying to work it out on my own.
 
Another newbie question I’m afraid. With reference to the A7ii when shooting in Aperture Priority mode after setting the desired aperture how can you (or if you actually can) set a preferred shutter speed as its currently defaulting to 1/80 (auto iso) which cost me a fair few good pictures today as buses, tuk-tuks, cyclists etc entered the frame. Don’t really want to go full manual if at all possible. Swapped over to full auto where the shutter speed was 1/125 or 1/250 which was much better.

I have looked on the menu options but again have been defeated trying to work it out on my own.

Not sure about the A7II on the A7III, A9 and A7RIV you can set the shutter speed for aperture priority in the setting called ISO AUTO min. SS as default the minimum is set to the closest shutter speed of the focal length of the lens being used, would imagine it is the same on the A7II.
 
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Another newbie question I’m afraid. With reference to the A7ii when shooting in Aperture Priority mode after setting the desired aperture how can you (or if you actually can) set a preferred shutter speed as its currently defaulting to 1/80 (auto iso) which cost me a fair few good pictures today as buses, tuk-tuks, cyclists etc entered the frame. Don’t really want to go full manual if at all possible. Swapped over to full auto where the shutter speed was 1/125 or 1/250 which was much better.

I have looked on the menu options but again have been defeated trying to work it out on my own.

As far as I know you can't set a minimum shutter speed so going manual may be the best option. What I do is use aperture with auto ISO until the shutter speed drops and then switch to manual and dial in a useable shutter speed, again with auto ISO. My brain seems to work in aperture rather than shutter speed mode so aperture and then manual and usually bypassing shutter priority seems best for me.
 
Another newbie question I’m afraid. With reference to the A7ii when shooting in Aperture Priority mode after setting the desired aperture how can you (or if you actually can) set a preferred shutter speed as its currently defaulting to 1/80 (auto iso) which cost me a fair few good pictures today as buses, tuk-tuks, cyclists etc entered the frame. Don’t really want to go full manual if at all possible. Swapped over to full auto where the shutter speed was 1/125 or 1/250 which was much better.

I have looked on the menu options but again have been defeated trying to work it out on my own.
For what you want I'd recommend using manual mode but with Auto ISO, this way you specify the shutter speed and aperture and the camera takes care of the exposure (assuming correct metering) by altering the ISO automatically.
 
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It does look that way as yours is worse on the left hand side but it is a crap lens and that is about the normal sort of perfomance you can expect.
I know it's not the sharpest, but I'd still expect the left to be the same as the right (y)
 
I think my Samyang 24mm has a decentering issue, what do others think?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q2uae0ringrgabm/A7R00424.JPG?dl=0

yep looks bad but....
did you test on a tripod? there seems to be a little shake.

It does look that way as yours is worse on the left hand side but it is a crap lens and that is about the normal sort of perfomance you can expect. It is known for not being very sharp and being particlularly bad in the corners.

mine wasn't as bad as his test chart though.
 
I know it's not the sharpest, but I'd still expect the left to be the same as the right (y)

With Samyang :oops: :$ you will be lucky. :ROFLMAO:

Honestly it is probably the worst e-mount auto focus lens avaiilable for the system.

Samyang build quality is also pretty ropey at best and there is massive copy variation, but even you get a very good one of these it still won't be very good. I swapped out 5 copies of the 24mm to find a half decent one for my daughter, the last one we got was slightly better but still pretty poor. She kept it anyway because it's small. :ROFLMAO: Although that to eventually ended up going back to Amazon several months later.
 
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Sure about that? The Samyang has the hood on. How small do you really expect it to be/get? Or are you expecting a unicorn?

View attachment 271129

Deep sigh.... that's a f2.8 twist. I know you can get more compact f2.8's but they wouldn't be on my list as what I was talking about was a competitor for the Sony 24mm f1.8 not a cheapo f2.8 even if it is compact.

Never mind unicorns, I was just hoping to compare roughly comparable lenses :rolleyes:
 
Ok so it looks like manual mode is the way to go, next question how do you set the two different parameters of aperture and shutter speed. Currently the wheel that changes the aperture in AP mode changes the shutter speed when in manual mode but can’t work out how to then toggle over to setting the aperture. Back in my day I’d just change the aperture on my lens!!,,, Apologies if these seem very basic controls and thanks for all your help and suggestions to date.
 
Ok so it looks like manual mode is the way to go, next question how do you set the two different parameters of aperture and shutter speed. Currently the wheel that changes the aperture in AP mode changes the shutter speed when in manual mode but can’t work out how to then toggle over to setting the aperture. Back in my day I’d just change the aperture on my lens!!,,, Apologies if these seem very basic controls and thanks for all your help and suggestions to date.

In the menu there should be a section for customising the dials, top front and top back. You should be able to set things up so that you can at least live with them.

Other than that one thing which may help with the shutter speed issue is to set some custom settings. You could have a custom setting set up for manual with whatever aperture you want and 1/250 (or whatever) with auto ISO and eye/face detect and anything else you fancy and another with different settings...

This would give you the option of using aperture as normal and setting whatever you want and then switching quite quickly to a custom setting with known values without having to change anything except selecting the custom setting.
 
Deep sigh.... that's a f2.8 twist. I know you can get more compact f2.8's but they wouldn't be on my list as what I was talking about was a competitor for the Sony 24mm f1.8 not a cheapo f2.8 even if it is compact.

Never mind unicorns, I was just hoping to compare roughly comparable lenses :rolleyes:

Look wed all love a fast APSC/FF prime that is optically perfect with a 1.4 aperture and is only 10mm in length with a build quality like a brick outhouse and triple linear AF motors, but it aint going to happen.
 
Look wed all love a fast APSC/FF prime that is optically perfect with a 1.4 aperture and is only 10mm in length with a build quality like a brick outhouse and triple linear AF motors, but it aint going to happen.

Not with that pessimistic attitude. You need to believe harder.
 
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