Calling all Sony Alpha users! (Part 5)

just completed some building work for someone and got paid today

is this lens any good and does anyone have any pics taken with it
http://www.parkcameras.com/11478/Si...ogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=pid11478

mat

Looks to have fairly reasonable reviews on Dyxum (generally the first place to look for info on a lens for the A-Mount).

The downside to a 50mm macro is that it is a bit short if you want to catch insects, etc, as you will need to be really close to get 1:1. Generally the Tamron 90mm macro, Sigma 105 Macro or Sony / Minolta 100mm Macro are the ones to go for if you want to get anything that might not like you so close.
 
Looks to have fairly reasonable reviews on Dyxum (generally the first place to look for info on a lens for the A-Mount).

The downside to a 50mm macro is that it is a bit short if you want to catch insects, etc, as you will need to be really close to get 1:1. Generally the Tamron 90mm macro, Sigma 105 Macro or Sony / Minolta 100mm Macro are the ones to go for if you want to get anything that might not like you so close.

thanks mate

i will look into the lenses you mentioned but it was gonna be more for flowers and still life so it maybe ok having said that i will require one for bugs aswell so basically its a case of what do i get first


mat
 
Just tested, it does the same thing. Underexposes with a wider aperture.

I had this happening...does it do the same without the flash or using a different lens? - the lens Iris was sticking on mine.
 
thanks mate

i will look into the lenses you mentioned but it was gonna be more for flowers and still life so it maybe ok having said that i will require one for bugs aswell so basically its a case of what do i get first

mat

If you know you are going to want to do macro on bugs later, then probably better to wait and get just the longer macro, as it will be just as good as the 50 for static targets!

OneStopDigital do the Tamron for £249
 
Im looking for something longer than my 70-210 Minolta, can anyone reccomend something other than the Sony G *** i think thats a bit out of my price range? lol. Macro and 300mm would be ideal. :)

Looking at the Sigma 70-300 APO DG macro.
 
I think Tamron do something similar. If that is the sigma I'm thinking of then it is made of butter and drops to bits!

If you can find a 70-300 I'd go for tamron equivalent. I just bought an early tamron for £70 that is 28-300 with macro. Bit bashed about but seems ok. Later ones are lighter but are more expensive.

Check out dyxum first.

http://www.carmarthencameras.co.uk/...oltaaflenses/940bc487f4869586c64524a85205d7bc

They've got a minolta 100-300 and the sigma 28-300 I have an earlier version of. Both reasonable. Siggy is a bit soft at 300mm. Latter does macro but I don't think the minolta does.
 
Last edited:
If you know you are going to want to do macro on bugs later, then probably better to wait and get just the longer macro, as it will be just as good as the 50 for static targets!

OneStopDigital do the Tamron for £249

cheers mate good advice

although ive been looking at macro results between the tamron and the siggy 105 and i think that the siggy has better results, is that right

mat

im guessing this is the siggy

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SIGMA-105mm-F...767890&cguid=72287bf612d0a0aad515d325ffe3a2b6
 
Last edited:
i had that lens, very noisy but really good results, never used it though so i sold it on.
 
cheers mate good advice

although ive been looking at macro results between the tamron and the siggy 105 and i think that the siggy has better results, is that right

mat

im guessing this is the siggy

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SIGMA-105mm-F...767890&cguid=72287bf612d0a0aad515d325ffe3a2b6

That looks like the EX, which is an old model, the current is the EX DG. Not a lot between them, ratings wise, but they are different internaly (number of lens elements).

I have seen excellent results from both the Tamron and the Sigma, I suspect they are very similar in overall quality (likewise the Sony), with individual skill being by far the greatest factor in the results people get with the various lenses.
 
Quick question, as its looking very difficult to sell my Sony gear, how would I go about triggering bowen studio lights with the A700 without using the on board flash? Problem I have is the studio I want to use as got everything I could ever need and great if your a canon or nikon user but sony has a different mount so going to have to buy something myself to trigger it.
 
Last edited:
Have you tried a hot shoe adapter that converts the sony shoe into a standard one? If the studio gear has something that fits onto a standard hot shoe then that should work I would assume. If bowens have a tech support number then I'd give them a call as they're bound to know what is out there that will do the job.
 
Quick question, as its looking very difficult to sell my Sony gear, how would I go about triggering bowen studio lights with the A700 without using the on board flash? Problem I have is the studio I want to use as got everything I could ever need and great if your a canon or nikon user but sony has a different mount so going to have to buy something myself to trigger it.

The A700 has a standard sync socket just like a Canikon anything. Use a lead.

You can get Minolta / Sony to ISO hotshoe adapters from China for about £8 on ebay if you absolutely must use wireless (or about £100 from Sony).

It's very difficult to sell Sony gear on here, which is (one of the reasons) why I don't. Other forums are available.
 
Anyone here go to Focus on imaging last year? Was it worth going?

I've just won a pair of tickets for the show from Sony. Maybe they'll chuck in some freebies.
 
Anyone here go to Focus on imaging last year? Was it worth going?

I've just won a pair of tickets for the show from Sony. Maybe they'll chuck in some freebies.

I'd go if you got the tickets for free. If you've got a ticket spare I'd be willing to use it hehe ;)

yeah it's good to go to look at new products etc I just don't like the costs involved in going mainly because you pay for ticket then food and transport and it can mount up to £20-30 and it outweighs the "deals" that you could find. The presentations are good though and last year they had some great ones on the Sony stand so it's definitely worth a look :)
 
I'm going. £8 for a ticket is trivial. My petrol will be several times that.

Not looking to make any big purchases this year, I recently bought a Minolta 28-70 so that gap in my lens lineup is filled (was going to look for a bargain ZA 24-70)
 
Not many retail outlets at Focus. Jacobs were hardly cheaper than on their web site but Camera World have some Sony deals. Here's the best of them:

A33+18-55 £500
A55+18-55 £600
A580+18-55 £600
A850 body £1300
A850+28-75 £1800

CZ24-70 £1170
70-300G £570
70-400G £1000

HVL-F42AM £150
HVL-F58AM £270

VGB90AM £200
 
got myself the 50mm F/1.8 from camera world for £99...:)

50mm f1.8 Pah, look what I bought.

CCP_8027.jpg
 
It's the prototype 500mm F4 G. He must be quite the charmer, they wouldn't let me near it :'(

As Beer Stalkers post
It's a case of not what you know ;)

I can say that Lee would have been the only one to have got his hands on that this week! Big thanks to my friends at Sony (I've not let on to them that I use Nikon ;) ) for letting us play with this! :thumbs:
 
Back
Top