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excession
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:57 pm

Seems to me that the last of those four lenses has a bit of an underexposure problem!
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:44 pm

TheEmrys wrote:
Oh, the deal I had fell through. I was getting a deal with an a7, LEA4 Adapter (A mount), 2 batteries, and external charger. But, I was very torn about it. I am glad it fell through.


Ah, well. Sometimes when I get a bad case of GAS, I give my current equipment a thorough cleaning... that seems to alleviate the pressure a bit.
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:45 pm

excession wrote:
Seems to me that the last of those four lenses has a bit of an underexposure problem!


The last one is warmer, too.
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:39 pm

Yeats wrote:
excession wrote:
Seems to me that the last of those four lenses has a bit of an underexposure problem!


The last one is warmer, too.


They are:

#1. Minolta 35-105 Original. Its a superb lens, bought it for $40, it goes for ~$100. It has some great qualities to it (contrast, bokeh) even when wide open. I like the sunstar visible on the chrome.
#2. Minolta 24-105. Good lens, but not great. Has to be stopped down to get sharp. No sunstar. I am currently trying to sell this lens. It has modern coatings, Distance encoding (useful for flash or with the a99 focus limiter), and is smaller, but it just doesn't have the qualities of the 35-105, or any of the original Minolta Maxxums.
#3. Sony 50/1.4. Based off of the Minolta 50/1.4, but with a Distance encoder. Good sharpness and color.
#4. Tamron 28-75/2.8 Di XR LMNOP (j/k on the last part) - This is typically a better lens for yellows, and some skin tones. Definitely not as neutral as the older minoltas/Sonys. Does appear to be a bit darker overall, which is why I only use it indoors. Its just a bit of a funky lens as an outdoor walkaround.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:23 pm

TheEmrys wrote:
#4. Tamron 28-75/2.8 Di XR LMNOP (j/k on the last part) - This is typically a better lens for yellows, and some skin tones. Definitely not as neutral as the older minoltas/Sonys. Does appear to be a bit darker overall, which is why I only use it indoors. Its just a bit of a funky lens as an outdoor walkaround.


Heh, Tamron does tend to go overboard with the nomenclature, don't they? I actually did have that lens 6 or 7 years ago. I liked it a lot, but the AF was occasionally a little funky with my Pentax K100D; I sold it to help fund my lens capriciousness.
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:13 pm

excession wrote:
Seems to me that the last of those four lenses has a bit of an underexposure problem!

Lenses tend to have wildly different light transmission rates, so while one lens may tell you one exposure, another lens at the same aperture setting might give you something else entirely. Very common to run across this, and you'll notice cine lenses will give a T rating as opposed to F number for light transmission.

TheEmrys, I'm on Dyxum as well and have a full Sony kit that saw the recent addition of the A7 with 55/1.8 and 35/2.8. I have some street photo images I threw up on this thread with the A7+55/1.8.

That being said, the A7 has proven itself to be an awesome little camera and could totally be something you could swap out your a99 for if your most used focal length is 50mm. I can't part with my a99 as I'm a wedding photographer, so the a7 will be my 2nd body. How much would you be willing to spend on a a7+55/1.8 combo?
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:41 pm

DxOMark rates transmission amongst their primary set of measurements, which helps for comparisons.

Also, in the thread you linked hieu, you say that you want to move to an A7R- having an a99, I can understand, but won't you be disappointed in the lower AF performance for the same kind of street shooting you posted in that thread?
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:37 pm

Airmantharp wrote:
Also, in the thread you linked hieu, you say that you want to move to an A7R- having an a99, I can understand, but won't you be disappointed in the lower AF performance for the same kind of street shooting you posted in that thread?


Street portraiture displayed in that thread doesn't require fast or even acceptable AF speed; I actually just picked up a Voigtlander 35mm 1.2 and looking to the Voigtlander 21mm 1.8 as my next purchase, so AF isn't even something I require in my style of shooting. :wink: I'm no sports shooter, and when I need faster [not by any means fast] AF, I'll go to my a99.

I think there's too much doom and gloom when it comes to the reports on cameras "deficiencies." I was assisting on an event that past weekend, I brought the A7R along with me to just shoot around out of boredom, and even in the dingy, poorly lit halls of the Marriott, the AF performance was fine by my standards with the AF illumination beam turned off, as it's disturbingly specular and bright. The first three photos on my stream were shots taken with the A7R, and while they're nothing spectacular, it's these sort of situations I will be using the camera under, and it's proven itself up to task: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boyracer/
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Tue Mar 18, 2014 1:30 am

Works for me! Though like your a99, I won't be giving up my 6D anytime soon :).
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Tue Mar 18, 2014 1:52 pm

Yeah, I don't get caught up with the whole fast AF thing. I don't do enough enough sports with any lens but my Minolta 80-200 HS G, which is a very fast focuser.

Also, I had already checked your thread on Dyxum. I sooo lust for that 55mm. Shoot, I love all three of the FE Zeiss's.

I am soooo tempted to move to the e-mount. I missed a deal which had an a7, hvl-60 flash, 24-70/4, and a 55/1.8 for $2799 and the $300 other camera credit, bringing it down to $2499. I would have parted with my HS G for that kit at that price. But, I am currently looking at options to getting a 24-70/2.8 (Zeiss or Tamron). I am leaning towards the Sony Zeiss, because AF-D is something I value. and I already have a set of 77mm filters. Its just so dang big. And I would end up getting rid of my 17-35, 28-75, 24-105, and my beloved 35-105 to swing it. But what a simpler setup for a walkaround and indoor kit. I am just not completely sold on the price tag at $1500 used.

Ideally, if money were no object, I'd go with the a7 (I don't need the mp and I like a quieter shutter), the 35/2.8, 55/1.8, the 24-70/4, and an LEA-4. I would probably call it a day then. I tried to run the numbers of selling off my all of my a-mount stuff, except for a beercan and 100-300 APO and I just keep being about $1k short.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Tue Mar 18, 2014 5:17 pm

Keep looking for deals and refurbs?
Mine was previously a demo camera from Adorama, with maybe 200 shutter actuations. There was a tiny ding on the lens, but at the price, it was basically free, saving me $300.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:35 pm

Well, I pulled the trigger today. B&H had a promo that knocked the price down to $1298 plus a $300 credit for our 6 year old Kodak digital P&S, so I got it for dirt cheap, relatively. Also ordered the LEA-4 and a 55/1.8. Once all my lenses sell, I'll get the 35/2.8 and 24-70. Pretty excited.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:42 pm

$1298?!?! Holy cr@p! CONGRATS. :D
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:06 pm

asd;lkfjas;ldkfjasdlkf

That's phenomenal. I'm jealous. At that price (if you skip the 35mm) you can probably keep your 80-200 G!

Also, to chime in about the vignetting I saw earlier, I've realized it's due to the CPL. The lens has a step-down ring from 72->67mm, and with the UV filter and CPL, the filters were blocking light. I'm not entirely sure this is what was happening with the Vivitar, but I did just change UV filters there and I'm not seeing any issues.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:46 pm

Its actually $998 because of the rebate. So I bought an lea-4 adapter for $350. To say I am thrilled is to tell a lie through understatement.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:51 pm

TheEmrys wrote:
Its actually $998 because of the rebate. So I bought an lea-4 adapter for $350. To say I am thrilled is to tell a lie through understatement.


I'm looking forward to your comparison of the AF with the LA-EA4 + A7 versus the a99 with A-mount lenses :)
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:02 pm

Got the a7 today with the A Mount adapter and the 55/1.8. Very little battery charge, but I can say this: There is absolutely no loss in speed on A-Mount lenses. Wow. Did not expect that. However, I didn't even fire off a shot (did not format the card) because the battery needs a full charge. Will update later today.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:41 pm

TheEmrys wrote:
Got the a7 today with the A Mount adapter and the 55/1.8. Very little battery charge, but I can say this: There is absolutely no loss in speed on A-Mount lenses. Wow. Did not expect that. However, I didn't even fire off a shot (did not format the card) because the battery needs a full charge. Will update later today.


I believe this is something they addressed with the newest firmware update, along with IQ and support for FE 70-200 (I just installed it today and haven't had a chance to play). So when this is all said and done, what will your kit look like?
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:09 pm

A7, 55/1.8, 24-70/4, 70-210/4, 100-300 apo, and I may keep the 50mm/3.5 macro and the 35-105. If I sell them, I will get the 35/2.8.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:50 pm

Alright, I went outside and tried out the 55/1.8 (holy crap!!!) and a 30 year old Beercan (70-210/4). Throwing them all on to my Flikr Stream. So if you are on the TR Flikr group, they will come across. I included everything, so there are no outtakes at all. Missed focus, poor exposure, all if it will be seen here.

Flikr is taking forever to upload.... I'll get the link here when I can.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:53 pm

Here is the link for the photostream.

First thing, you can sure see the CA on the Beercan. And there is something wonky at 210mm/4 on the shrub. I need to see if I need to clean the lens or not. But I love the bokeh and detail on the 55. I am sure that the poor light bokeh will not be very good at at all (per the photo's I've seen, but then again those may have been the a7r with its moire from the lack of an AA filter).

I have to say, the AF is very good. Every one of the FE Zeiss's have SSM built in, so its fast and silent. Love it. I will see if I can do some low-light work tonight with and without the AF assist light. Meanwhile, I post links to a couple of shots in the Gen Photo thread.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Thu Mar 27, 2014 12:11 pm

Alrighty, here is there week long user's report.

a7 - its just dandy. It feels like it is 1/3rd the size and weight of the a99, with as good IQ in RAW and better IQ in jpeg. The jpegs are just plain fun for me taking snapshots of my son, who is 15 months and has had diarrhea (its been a very good week :roll: ). Handling-wise, I may end up springing for the vertical grip. Here is why: I love how then the body is and weight is great. The VG would make it taller, which make make my ham-fists more comfortable gripping it. Add in I would get 2 battery slots, and its a tempting buy for a power hungry camera. Putting it in airplane mode is pretty good though. I did a test of NFC, and it worked very well indeed. Took two shots of my son sleeping, NFC'd it to my phone, and sent it as an attachment in a text message to my wife. Pretty painless and excellent quality.

The Shutter. There has been much discussion on this. I love it. It is so solid and smooth. It tells me I am making a photograph, not taking one. I use the Electronic Front Curtain Shutter most of the time and its lovely. Turned off, it can be a bit more noticeable, but I only do that in very high shutter speeds (1/4000 and above) or with legacy minolta lenses (currently, only the 35-105). The shutter has such a nice and silky feel to it. So, I am in the "love it" camp.

Battery life is adequate, and that's about it. I don't do anything professional, and lately is been all about snapshots of my boy. But, when I get a chance to go out, we shall see. I never really used it before the firmware update, but I can say that if the power on time went from 4 seconds to 1, it was a firmware update well worth it. It simply makes the camera more useful. I can turn it off between shots, and its not a big deal.

AF is great for FE lenses. I have only used the 55/1.8 so far (24-70 is on its way), but it is very quick. I have not yet had a moment where I felt as if the AF didn't keep up. My only problem has stemmed from being in single shot AF vs continuous for shots of my son walking. Even so, I get a better than 50% in focus rate (not that they are great shots, but they are good snapshots) for a child walking unsteadily towards me. C-AF is far better. I wish it had an Automatic AF that would choose between them like the a99 had, but it is a small matter. The Auto AF was about as successful as the S-AF. The hybrid PDAF and CDAF works very well indeed. It is like being able to use AF-D mode from the a99, but in single shot and continuous. Love it. It is probably the biggest reason why the a7r has slower AF.

The LEA-4 is excellent. It goes quite well with my 35-105 as well as the 100-300 APO. I may end up getting rid of my 35-105, depending on the quality of the 24-70/4. But for the 100-300, its quite good. AF speed may not be quite as good as the a99, but it is close enough to not really be impactful. Now, LEA4 vs the native 55/1.8 - I would say the 55/1.8 gets the win. If something ever has to hunt, the LEA4 will rack the lens through the focus range twice to get focus back. The Sony 55mm with the excellent SSM will rack it to the end and come back to where it needs to be. For all of the doom and gloom that has been heaped on the AF system of the a7's, I believe it is largely unfounded in the a7. The a7r is designed to be a much slower camera to use (high mp, no IS, CDAF only) and it really should be treated as such. However, the hybrid/dual AF system is simply magnificent. Is it as fast as my 80-200 HS (High Speed) G? No. But is fast enough for me, which is all I really care about. I cannot see anyone really taking this body into a sports system, so for all other uses, its going to be good.

The 55/1.8 as a lens, is simply stunning. I have only used it for snap shots and for the one day walking around my back yard, but if you checked out the photo stream through flikr, there are perhaps only 2 shots where I missed focus. I tried hard to miss focus, trying to focus on skinny branches in front of large limbs, then shift focus to the larger limb behind the tree.... It just was so stinking accurate. I love it. I am very glad I chose this lens over the 35/2.8. I am sure I will pick up a 35/2.8 at some time to give me a much smaller walkaround, but I cannot wait to try the 55mm as a short portrait lens. The lens will miss focus in very low light (as in, I am shooting at 1/30, f/1.8, and ISO 3200 or 6400), but anything around 1/60 will usually nail focus. I suspect this is why Sony likes the 1/60 shutter speed in P mode so much. It really is the bottom end of excellent AF. I am willing to accept that. The sharpness really shoots up at f/4 up until f/8. I may have to try it for landscapes/cityscapes. It has the sharpest output I've ever achieved.

Weird stuff:
1. The AF zones are just... weird. I can shift from overlapping thirds of the screen. When I needs something that far over, I really need to just switch to CDAF mode.
2. I want to be able to turn off PDAF with a button program. But I can't. So sad.
3. I want to be able to manually switch the EVF and back monitor by a button push. But I can't. Also sad.
4. A couple of the menu groupings are odd. I would do it differently.
5. Why in the world do the first 3 pages of menu items duplicate the Fn screens? For all that is holy, it would simplify everything if you just left them out!

When I get the 24-70, I will let you know how things are. But the size and bulk of this thing is perfect. I can use an honest to goodness neckstrap again. I still have my shoulder strap, but I can have this thing hanging from my neck without a risk of major Manning-style surgery. Oh, and the VG would help balance this from my neck with a heavier lens. Hmmm... still a very good option.

Anyway, I get out and about shooting with this, I will update. I bought a Contax C/Y adapter to try out some friend's Zeiss lenses. There is a 135/2.8 I am dying to play with.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8
 
lonleyppl
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Thu Mar 27, 2014 1:38 pm

Nice! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Just out of question, what C/Y adapter did you get, and how does it feel? Also, I'd like to hear your impressions of lenses you try. I've seen really great results from the 45 Planar, and the 90 f/2.8 Sonnar is extremely enticing.

I think I need to learn a bit more about the AF modes. Currently I just put it in center focus, AF with a half press, and then reframe the shot. That gives me the best results, but I haven't been entirely happy.

You have a much better baseline to compare your a7 to than I did, and I'm glad you've found the a7 to fit your needs. It's definitely a great camera, even if the menus can be a bit of a pain.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:26 am

I went with a cheap $20 fotodiox. Once I find a lens or two I want to keep in C/Y mount, I'll get a novoflex.

As to AF for you, well, do you have PDAF on? It has to be turned on in the menu, which is such a pain for me. It will only work with your 35/2.8, but will automatically turn off for any non-native mount. If you shoot landscape at higher apertures with non-native glass, I would use the wide setting for your AF. If you shoot landscape or anything that fills the frame, I would use the zone setting, keep it in the center, with PDAF on. I have found this to be most accurate for me.

However, for anything with critical sharpness, I would use DMF with focus peaking on medium. It will AF to where the camera thinks everything is sharp, but then with the shutter half pressed, you will MF override, so you can give it a slight front or back focus. For things you want in focus, there is no better mode. Its amazing. You can also play around with the focus zoom, which is pretty spiffy, too. I find its best for tripod work, which I have not yet done.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:31 pm

Will PDAF work with the 28-70? I believe PenGun is the one with the 35/2.8.

I've not found focus peaking to be as useful as I was expecting. The magnified live view is much more useful, even hand held. That may just be because most of my lenses are MF only though.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Sat Mar 29, 2014 3:31 pm

PDAF will work with every Sony lens for FF Emount. I believe they have added support for many of the A-Mounts as well with the LEA adapters.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:31 pm

TheEmrys wrote:
PDAF will work with every Sony lens for FF Emount. I believe they have added support for many of the A-Mounts as well with the LEA adapters.


Gotcha, thanks.
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri May 09, 2014 9:58 am

Okay, so after having a couple of weekends out with the 24-70/4, I have to say that this lens's biggest issue is that it is inconsistent. At the ends of its range, its adequate to good. Still exceedingly sharp in the centers, but the corners and edges are lacking. But, I have to say this about it: this lens is simply amazing at 35mm. LR5 has taken care of the bulk of my distortion issues, but the sharpness t 35mm is stellar. As in, approaches the 55/1.8 on an a7. I would bet anything the difference would be apparent on the a7r, but for me, it is simply amazing from f5.6 to f/11. F/4 is awfully sharp as well. I am surprised more people have not talked about this. I thought I might be a bit crazy, but that's the impression I had. So, I decided to look at dxo's sharpness field maps (they do not screw these up), and compared it to the this lens and found that it is sharper both than the Sony Zeiss 24-70/2.8 @ f/5.6-8 or the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM. I then checked the field maps at f/4 for the Sony FE 35/2.8 and the Sigma 35/1.4 ART on a Nikon 800 ART. The sharpness for the Sony Zoom is better than both..

This lens is amazing at 35mm, and makes for a sharper lens @ 35mm than the best 35mm's made today. It is also very, very good up to 65mm. Knowing this limitation has made me enjoy this lens much more. For snapshots and candids, no issues. But when it matters, I will work within 35-65mm.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Fri May 09, 2014 3:23 pm

Might want to temper your enthusiasm just a bit- comparing Sony's mediocre zoom on a 36MP AA-less camera to the best standard zoom made on a 22MP camera isn't exactly a straight comparison :-p
 
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Re: Need advice on camera switch

Mon May 12, 2014 11:05 am

It still stands up to the best 35mm prime. And sure the Canon is a stellar lens, and renowned for its consistency and control of artifacts. I hope its sharpness comes out whenever Canon releases new sensored bodies. Hopefully for Photokina. But for today, the oddly flawed 24-7/4 is amazing at 35mm. I am most disappointed by this lenses' inconsistencies, but now knowing its strengths, I am going to keep it. There is an awful lot to be said for a consistent zoom.
Sony a7II 55/1.8 Minolta 100/2, 17-35D, Tamron 28-75/2.8

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