Calling all Sony Alpha users! (Part 4)

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Starastin said:
I finally did it ! I posted my beloved sigma for sale ! :geek: . want to try something different.
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In Sony fit, either the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 Di or Konica Minolta 28-75 f/2.8 or the Minolta 28-70 f/2.8 "G" or Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8 (if you are feeling flush!) all smoke the Sigma 24-70.

Any of those 4 will be better.

To cover 24mm cheaply, a Sigma 24mm f/2.8 Super Wide II is a lovely little lens.
Ditto the Minolta 24mm f/2.8.

Avoid the Sony or Minolta 28mm - not really that good, and fairly weak even compared to f/2.8 zooms.
 
puddleduck said:
In Sony fit, either the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 Di or Konica Minolta 28-75 f/2.8 or the Minolta 28-70 f/2.8 "G" or Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8 (if you are feeling flush!) all smoke the Sigma 24-70.

Any of those 4 will be better.

To cover 24mm cheaply, a Sigma 24mm f/2.8 Super Wide II is a lovely little lens.
Ditto the Minolta 24mm f/2.8.

Avoid the Sony or Minolta 28mm - not really that good, and fairly weak even compared to f/2.8 zooms.
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I don't believe that even the zeiss smokes it hard enough to pay 3 times the price. as for the others - I don't know, I find my copy very,very good ! :)
yes, it is heavier than the tamron or re badged tamrons, but that's about it.



I'll have a look at the sigma 24mm :) thanks. sounds tempting.
what I want to do for now is - get a 24/28mm and a 85mm f1.4 samyang.
 
mastertrinity said:
the samyang seems good for the money but is it a manual aperture lens?

i know its manual focus but i heard somewhere that you have to adjust the aperture manually.
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Yep, when you stop down from f/2.8 to f/4 the viewfinder will get darker per stop.

I'm quite used to adjusting aperture from my Nikon lenses, but the viewfinder doesn't go dark in Nikon, as the body can hold the lens open with the aperture lever.

I don't think its worth it in Sony fit, purely as unless you want to shoot wide open, you are going to have a dark viewfinder as soon as you stop down with the aperture ring.
 
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Starastin said:
I don't believe that even the zeiss smokes it hard enough to pay 3 times the price. as for the others - I don't know, I find my copy very,very good ! :)
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I went from the Sigma 24-70EX DG to the Zeiss 24-70 and the difference was astonishing! If the Zeiss was x5 the cost I would still have bought it as there is really no comparison.

The Zeiss may be three times the price of the Sigma but it is infinitely better!
 
Deasy said:
I went from the Sigma 24-70EX DG to the Zeiss 24-70 and the difference was astonishing! If the Zeiss was x5 the cost I would still have bought it as there is really no comparison.

The Zeiss may be three times the price of the Sigma but it is infinitely better!
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Have to say I agree. And I'm really not a lens snob or a Ziess snob.

When I got my A900, I bought loads of lenses (as I tend to do, so I could try them all for myself) - Tamron 28-75, KM 28-75, Minolta 28-75 and Zeiss 24-70. The Sigma was the weakest. Images looked flat, it flared badly with any sun in the frame, and sharpness on the long end didn't match the A900 resolution.

Tamron 28-75 and KM 28-75 are basically the same lens - both excellent.

Minolta 28-70 f/2.8 I had in mint "as new" condition - I sold that on Dyxum last week, but that was REALLY good. That's virtually up there with the Ziess.. but not quite.

I also tried the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 HSM and that was just as bad in Sony fit as the Nikon version I tried on the D700 last year.
 
I recommended the Sigma 24mm f/2.8 Super Wide II to a few people.

This was straight out of the A900, wide open


4082878269_15341ba03a_o.jpg

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Here a full JPEG from an A200 (just a boring test shot, wide open) but you can see how close it'll focus and the sharpness wide open.

http://www.andydrakeimages.co.uk/stuff/DSC09189.jpg
 
so is anyone planning on purchasing the 85mm f2.8 or 35mm f1.8?

I'm very tempted to get a 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.8 and possibly the 85mm however i might just opt for the Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro as I can get in close for my abstract and product photography and it would be a good telephoto for portraits.
 
I bet if I were to get a FF , then I would want a better lens for the camera.

the super wide II seems to be pretty rare lens ! :( .


about the 35mm and 85mm - I too would like to try them on.
 
I'm tempted by the 85mm but I'm not sure how much I'd use it or if I really need it. Not sure it's going to give me that much more than my Tamron 28-75, the difference is about one pace forward!
 
Got a question for the A200 users out there, I have just got my B&W ND110 filter for long exposures, went to use it for the first time the other day and in all my photos I kept getting a white haze to my photos, I have been told this is light coming in through the viewfinder during long daylight exposures.

This is quite annoying is it is quite hard to remove during editing and is also worse as the exposure gets longer. Is there anyway to stop this happening? Am I able to get a viewfinder cover?
 
TurnipFarmer said:
This is quite annoying is it is quite hard to remove during editing and is also worse as the exposure gets longer. Is there anyway to stop this happening? Am I able to get a viewfinder cover?
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The A900 has a viewfinder blind you can close to stop this happening, but this feature is only on Pro bodies like Sony A900 / Nikon D700. Not on the A200 unfortunately.

You could just cover it up with some black tape - I'm pretty sure you can get a piece that will cover the viewfinder - probably a few pence from HK...?
 
I think the making the 85mm f/2.8 is a mistake - I can see Sony fans desperately trying to say what a masterstoke f/2.8 is, but when you have Canon and Nikon both making excellent f/1.8 lenses for similar money it all seems a bit odd.
 
puddleduck said:
I think the making the 85mm f/2.8 is a mistake - I can see Sony fans desperately trying to say what a masterstoke f/2.8 is, but when you have Canon and Nikon both making excellent f/1.8 lenses for similar money it all seems a bit odd.
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this is what I'm thinking as well. f2.8 isn't ideal for prime lenses because the whole point of primes are for the wider apertures that zooms can't get. the only advantage of the 85mm f2.8 is that its a cheap way of getting an 85mm focal length because the f1.4 version is around £1000 and sigma nearly the same money and even to get 85mm on a zoom would require a 70-200mm which the cheapest is £600 for the Tamron and then you would have to compare to see which is better.

as people have said before, if it has the image quality of the 50mm f1.8 then it would be a worthwhile purchase but for me I like to have primes at f1.8 (or even f2) so I can stop them down to 2.8 to get brilliant IQ whereas this might have to be stopped to f4 or worse f5.6.
 
Starastin said:
I think there's about 30% price difference.
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Too high for such huge f-stop difference.

Look at price between 50mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.8 lenses - the gap here is MUCH wider...but the price difference much narrower.
 
puddleduck said:
Too high for such huge f-stop difference.

Look at price between 50mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.8 lenses - the gap here is MUCH wider...but the price difference much narrower.
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50% difference.

anyway - for cheapskates even the 85mm f2.8 will be o.k.
but yes - sony sort of makes up with the camera body low prices in lenses :|
 
mastertrinity said:
yeah the 85mm at jessops is £220 and others are around the £320 mark, so yeah its about 30%.
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and I think that ebay price would be 190 delivered. might try to risk, but then again that's the exact same price as samyang 85mm f1.4 (I hope it has aperture blades release :| )

If I had a Nikon I would probably laugh at 85mm f2.8 for 220quid, but unfortunately I can't and it's a cheap option for portraits.
 
For the Samyang, you'll need to shoot in "M" mode so you get lens release - I think only the A700 will shoot "A" mode with it.
 
puddleduck said:
For the Samyang, you'll need to shoot in "M" mode so you get lens release - I think only the A700 will shoot "A" mode with it.
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yes, but the guide helps a lot in the M mode.

A priority can be shot with a700 and a100, but still you need to go into menus and allow the camera to release the shutter .
 
Starastin said:
yes, but the guide helps a lot in the M mode.

A priority can be shot with a700 and a100, but still you need to go into menus and allow the camera to release the shutter .
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If you want to get a fast f/1.4 MF lens, might be worth considering one of these:

http://focusingscreen.com/

It'll really help, as you won't get any sort of focus confirm.

I don't really understand why Samyang don't chip them..!
 
puddleduck said:
If you want to get a fast f/1.4 MF lens, might be worth considering one of these:

http://focusingscreen.com/

It'll really help, as you won't get any sort of focus confirm.

I don't really understand why Samyang don't chip them..!
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i suppose it's to keep costs down, i don't mind manual focus as such i think its manual aperture that would seem a pain however if they where AF chipped then at least you don't have to do two things and only concentrate on the aperture.
 
mastertrinity said:
i suppose it's to keep costs down, i don't mind manual focus as such i think its manual aperture that would seem a pain however if they where AF chipped then at least you don't have to do two things and only concentrate on the aperture.
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You can chip it yourself - buy an M42 adaptor with focus confirm, take the chip out, and fit it to the Samyang mount (you'll need to modify it a tad)

You'll get the lens reported as 50mm f/1.7 but you'll get focus confirm, and steady shot and will be able to shoot in "A" mode.

5 minute job to do.
 
puddleduck said:
If you want to get a fast f/1.4 MF lens, might be worth considering one of these:

http://focusingscreen.com/

It'll really help, as you won't get any sort of focus confirm.

I don't really understand why Samyang don't chip them..!
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me neither ! the newer models are chipped, but they are more expensive than the original model.

thanks for the screen tip ! :)
 
puddleduck said:
You can chip it yourself - buy an M42 adaptor with focus confirm, take the chip out, and fit it to the Samyang mount (you'll need to modify it a tad)

You'll get the lens reported as 50mm f/1.7 but you'll get focus confirm, and steady shot and will be able to shoot in "A" mode.

5 minute job to do.
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or even easier - just buy the chip itself.

p.s. have you tried the 11quid adaptors from evilbay ?
 
Starastin said:
or even easier - just buy the chip itself.

p.s. have you tried the 11quid adaptors from evilbay ?
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Yep, I've got one.. chipped M42 for a Super Takaumar 55mm f/1.8 - lovely lens -40 years old. Don't find the AF confirm that accurate so I tend to focus by eye.
 
mastertrinity said:
as people have said before, if it has the image quality of the 50mm f1.8 then it would be a worthwhile purchase but for me I like to have primes at f1.8 (or even f2) so I can stop them down to 2.8 to get brilliant IQ whereas this might have to be stopped to f4 or worse f5.6.
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The AP preview suggests that the lens in quite usable wide open:
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/New_Sony_DSLR_lenses_previewed_news_300407.html

It's probably more useful on FF than APS-C.
 
Beer_Stalker said:
The AP preview suggests that the lens in quite usable wide open:
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/New_Sony_DSLR_lenses_previewed_news_300407.html

It's probably more useful on FF than APS-C.
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grrrrr.......

"This web page is not available."

I could only find small info in dyxum.com , which seems to be the official info

"features:
This is the first full-frame lens in the ‘Easy Choice’ range, so its launch represents an important development of the line-up as a whole. The 85mm focal length is a standard for portraiture because of the natural perspective that it provides. On an APS-C sensor camera the 85mm F2.8 SAM (SAL85F28) functions as a 127.5mm (35mm equivalent) telephoto lens – and features a Sonnar-type optical design that is considered ideal for mid-range telephoto lenses.

The lens is sharp center to corner, and features smooth defocusing thanks to its large F2.8 maximum aperture and circular aperture design. At 0.6 metres, the minimum focusing distance is the shortest in its class, and SAM motor technology ensures smooth autofocus operation.

The quality optical and mechanical features of the lens mean it is suitable for serious photography and should more than satisfy intermediate to advanced users."
 
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puddleduck said:
Yep, I've got one.. chipped M42 for a Super Takaumar 55mm f/1.8 - lovely lens -40 years old. Don't find the AF confirm that accurate so I tend to focus by eye.
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is it a beep or something that confirms the af ? I use adapters with no chip + don't care about the AF as I feel I can do it manually pretty good ! :)
 
He does make an interesting point about the impracticality of shooting anything at less than 2.8 unless you just want to show off DOF.
 
Starastin said:
is it a beep or something that confirms the af ? I use adapters with no chip + don't care about the AF as I feel I can do it manually pretty good ! :)
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You do get a beep if you keep the camera in "AF" mode,but that means the motor will grind.

In MF mode.. no beep.. just green focus confirm light in bottom left of viewfinder.
 
Starastin said:
grrrrr.......

"This web page is not available."
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Strange. It works here and I'm currently in no man's land internet wise (Myanmar).

The guy says: "Working wide-open and at a distance of just a few feet, I found depth of field just about shallow enough without feeling I wanted to open the aperture any more. A diffused desk lamp allowed a hand-hold-able shutter speed of 1/50sec at ISO 1600 – so I didn't feel deprived at all.

The resulting images are sharp and crisp, with attractive out of focus areas. In all, I am very pleased with the results."
 
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