Calling all Sony Alpha users! (Part 5)

heidfirst said:
this is wrong. If it's a 5-pin lens then it means that it's screw-driven AF & the 330 has an in-body screw drive (it also means that the lens is quite old, iirc Minolta introduced 8-pin in 1992 but it wasn't until 2003 that they brought out an SSM lens).
If you don't have AF it's because you have a setting wrong, the AF gears on the lens are broken or being an old Sigma it has a firmware incompatibility

it's telling you that the settings that you have set are 2 stops out from what the camera thinks correct exposure is.
I'll see if I can dig up a manual that explains it.
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Thanks for the quick reply, I think that there is a problem with either the lens gears or incompatibility. I forgot to mention that I forgot to turn of the AF on the camera and there was A strange grinding noise either from the camera or from the lens. I not to bothered about the AF as in a couple of articles and books it recomends using manual focus for macro work. Thanks for explaining the the other question. The shutter speed and apeture on that were actual choosen by the camera, however with the fill-flash still engaged the photos didnt look to bad ie not underexposed just a little fuzzy on focus in places but that was probably down to my focusing skills or should I say lack of. I will switch off the flash and try it again adjusting downwards the shutter speed until the MM reading is +/- 0.0 as I was at the time working at the max apperture of 5.6. If you can find a manual for the lens it would be good to know why the AF is not available.
 
heidfirst said:
this is wrong. If it's a 5-pin lens then it means that it's screw-driven AF & the 330 has an in-body screw drive (it also means that the lens is quite old, iirc Minolta introduced 8-pin in 1992 but it wasn't until 2003 that they brought out an SSM lens).
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On the specific point about the 8 pin lenses, Minolta introduced those circa 2000 with the "D" designation. I have 5-pin lenses from the mid to late 1990s (300/4 and 17-35/3.5, for example).
 
Ive been reading up lately after the small annoyance i have with Lightroom reading in a700 RAW files and i think ive nailed it now.

Here are the camera and LR settings...

In camera
Creative style = DEEP, -1 contrast, High ISO NR OFF, DRO OFF. This is the closest match between the camera's output and Lightroom in terms of colours and histogram.

In Lightroom
Use these as a starting point:
Fill light = 0
Blacks = 0 or 5
Brightness = 0
Contrast = 25
Tone Curve = medium
Camera Calibration:
Process = 2010
Profile = Adobe Standard
Shadows = 0
Red = +4, -4
Green = 0, 0
Blue = +10, +6

Does anyone have any thoughts? Anyone want to try it and give some feedback?

Also, i have to say, i completed my first wedding last week and even tho i bought two spare batteries which never turned up i managed to get 850 shots out of one battery and it was still showing 66% left! Amazing.
 
ki_user said:
Nobody used them both?
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I have the 1.8 sony and its a lovely lens, so i can imagine the 1.4 version being even better.

Do you need a half stop extra tho? I think the price of the 1.8 vs that half a stop of the 1.4 a no brainer personally.

Im sure reviews say after F2 IQ is pretty much the same.
 
clownfish said:
Get yourself a spotting scope ?
Make sure is uses t2 of course.
You would need to spend big to get good IQ but cheap would let you get shots that are not possible with a lens. Just don't expect lens quality.
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That's a good idea. My Dad is into spotting scopes, I'll see if he has one with a T2 mount. Give him a good excuse to go out and buy another if I pinch one :thumbs:
 
ki_user said:
Nobody used them both?
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I have. The Sony 1.4 is sharper at the same apperture at low f values, but the Minolta is an excellent performer anyway and the improvement with the Sony is consequently not massive.

Only worth doing if you want f/1.4 IMO, otherwise the Minolta will do fine.
 
onomatopoeia said:
On the specific point about the 8 pin lenses, Minolta introduced those circa 2000 with the "D" designation. I have 5-pin lenses from the mid to late 1990s (300/4 and 17-35/3.5, for example).
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they were introduced in 1992 with the Xi-series - at that time the extra contacts were used for the motorised zoom.
It was only later that the extra contacts were used for SSM & ADI functionality.
The 300/4 & 17-35/3.5 have none of those so didn't need to be updated with 8-pins.

Melmount, the Sigma 180/5.6 apparently was intoduced in 1990 but none of the user reviews on Dyxum report non-AF (instead they mention slow AF & hunting which are not unusual on Macro lenses).
You have both the lens' & body's AF switches on the same setting?
Which mode/settings on the body did you have when you got the MM indications?

ki_user as others have said the main difference is the f/0.3 & is that worth the cost to you of the switch?
 
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Hi heidfirst thank you for your help. The settings when I got the MM were M on Mode dial and manual focus set on the camera. When I had AF set on the camera there was a loud grating sound from either the camera or the lens. There is a button on the lens which doesn't appear to do anything if you press it. It is not marked AF/MF as on the camera. I have no instructions for the lens so I don't know what this button is for or does. I can see when using the lens looking through the viewfinder a focus grid with focus points on it, along the bottom shutter speed, apperture, EV grid and steady shot. The manual focus seems to work ok.
 
Melmount said:
Hi heidfirst thank you for your help. The settings when I got the MM were M on Mode dial
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that's what I expected but it conflicts with your earlier "Thanks for explaining the the other question. The shutter speed and apeture on that were actual choosen by the camera,". As I said the camera was telling you that your manual (M) settings were 2 stops off what it would have chosen itself.

When I had AF set on the camera there was a loud grating sound from either the camera or the lens. There is a button on the lens which doesn't appear to do anything if you press it. It is not marked AF/MF as on the camera. I have no instructions for the lens so I don't know what this button is for or does. I can see when using the lens looking through the viewfinder a focus grid with focus points on it, along the bottom shutter speed, apperture, EV grid and steady shot. The manual focus seems to work ok.
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there is a chance that the AF gears in the lens have broken - this is what can happen if the lens & body settings don't match.
However, as you have found most of the time for Macro manual focus is the way to go.
 
Thanks for clearing things up. As you proably have guessed I'm a bit of a newbie to DSLR use having used a small compact for some years. If the camera is giving me an MM value -2.0 in manual mode am I right in saying if I change the aperture by 2 f stops that that will give MM of 0.0. If I wish to keep the original aperture and change the shutter speed to 1/2 the original value ie 1/125 to 1/60 that this will give the same result. I will then leave you in peace. Again thank you for your patience and help, much appreciated.
 
Just to let people know, there are still A700 grips kicking around in Currys.

£129 if you can find one!
 
jonesy_ni said:
Just to let people know, there are still A700 grips kicking around in Currys.

£129 if you can find one!
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and given that a near new one sold for £240 on ebay this week, that's a good deal...
 
I had given up and didn't think there would be any left. And there it was looking at me a glass cabinet!
 
So....

Thinking about upgrading when I have the money. Currently got a700 and a sensible route would be the a77 when it comes out (when). But I'm not a big fan of evf I have to admit.

I have been lusting full frame for a while, but are they really that much better?

I'd like the a900 for obvious reasons but its almost twice the price of the a850 now. Zeiss glass would be a must, or I could just opt to jump ship and get a Canon 5d mkII.

Anyone got any thoughts for landscapes on what to do? Anyone got any 100% samples I could see to see what the difference is in terms of quality between crop and FF?

I have a feeling I need to borrow a couple of these cameras for a day and use them in anger and see if the results are any better?
 
Granty_ said:
So....

Thinking about upgrading when I have the money. Currently got a700 and a sensible route would be the a77 when it comes out (when). But I'm not a big fan of evf I have to admit.

I have been lusting full frame for a while, but are they really that much better?

I'd like the a900 for obvious reasons but its almost twice the price of the a850 now. Zeiss glass would be a must, or I could just opt to jump ship and get a Canon 5d mkII.

Anyone got any thoughts for landscapes on what to do? Anyone got any 100% samples I could see to see what the difference is in terms of quality between crop and FF?

I have a feeling I need to borrow a couple of these cameras for a day and use them in anger and see if the results are any better?
Click to expand...

a77 should be out sometime next month, can't imagine supply will be amazing to start with though.
 
Granty_ said:
So....

Thinking about upgrading when I have the money. Currently got a700 and a sensible route would be the a77 when it comes out (when). But I'm not a big fan of evf I have to admit.

I have been lusting full frame for a while, but are they really that much better?

I'd like the a900 for obvious reasons but its almost twice the price of the a850 now. Zeiss glass would be a must, or I could just opt to jump ship and get a Canon 5d mkII.

Anyone got any thoughts for landscapes on what to do? Anyone got any 100% samples I could see to see what the difference is in terms of quality between crop and FF?

I have a feeling I need to borrow a couple of these cameras for a day and use them in anger and see if the results are any better?
Click to expand...

Currys have (or had) the A900 on clearance for £1399 - see http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/dslr_clearance-1601-commercial.html

I use the Minolta 17-35/3.5 and 28-70/2.8 lenses for landscapes on mine and am very pleased with the results (not that I get out to take photos very often).

Replacing them with the equivalent Zeiss lenses is tempting but at the moment I have other non-photography things that need money spending on them!

If I get the chance later in the week I'll try to dig out some 100% crops from my last outing as I used both. Very busy at the mo though.
 
snapsnap said:
hi got the a900 and 58am flash does it need the hvl 20 to allow it to go wireless? i would like to keep the ttl mode.

I also have the sigma super 530 but i cant get that to work.

Cheers
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With the A850 / A900 you need either the HVL 20 or HVL 58 to act as the wireless trigger. The recently 'announced' HVL 43 may also work as a wireless trigger.
Obviously the HVL 20 is the cheapest option.
 
From what I've read, the HVL-43 will act as a trigger and will support ratio control, just like the 58. If you can afford it, get a 43 or 58. Ratio control with TTL is just wonderful.
 
Thanks for the reply people. I have already got 1 58am and have just got my hads on a 20 for £60 so not a bad price. This should allow me to go ttl right?

The main reason i want this for portraits outside so i can expose for the sky (e.g 2000 F4) and let the ttl and the light to expose for the people (e.g 250 F4). Does this sound right?

Cheers
 
That should work, but be aware that optically triggering the remote flash can be problematic in strong sunlight. I use sony's built-in wireless indoors but 3rd party radio triggers (manual) for outdoor work. It depends how critical misfires might be. For a relaxed model shoot it might not matter if you miss every other shot. At a wedding, it could be a disaster if it doesn't work every time.
 
snapsnap said:
Thanks john, When you use manual flash are you changing power alot to getting a different sort of shot? Or do you leave it for most shots and if you want to change exposeure maybe up the speed of F stop?

Sorry for all questions cheers
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That's one of those simple questions that needs a really complex answer to do it justice. Suffice to say that, assuming the simplest scenario (basic one flash fill on a sunny day), then no I generally don't find a need to keep changing flash power levels. Once you've got the subject exposure where you want it, you can vary the amount of ambient by changing the shutter speed (up for less ambient, down for more).

The limitation is that you won't get HSS with a radio trigger, so there's a limit to how much you can tone down, for example, very bright backlighting with just shutter speed alone. That said, the 58 is very powerful at full power, so you might be surprised how well it works within the 1/200-1/250 sync speed limit.

I'd recommend getting used to it by using your 58 in manual, on-camera. Adjust the flash power until you get the subject exposure where you want it, then take a few shots at different shutter speeds to see the effect on the ambient light.
 
Hi people, was told about this thread and just thought id ask a question....just wanted to find out off any Sony DSLR users if they use Sigma lenses and if they are ok on them.

The reason i ask this is because of the fault that became apparent on the Sigma 70-300 F4-5.6 and the gears stripping.

just wondered if any of the other Sigma lenses have the same problems as i am looking at some new ones.

Thanks in advance
 
Sorry, can't help with Sigma as I don't have any but if you are buying them new I wouldn't worry to much.
 
The A700 used to be known for stripping gears on the Sigma 70-300 I think, something to do with higher gearing.

I'm sure there have been some issues also with some Sigma lenses and SLT Sony cameras, but I don't think the A450 is an SLT, best to ask the question over the Dyxum
 
yawny said:
Hi people, was told about this thread and just thought id ask a question....just wanted to find out off any Sony DSLR users if they use Sigma lenses and if they are ok on them.

The reason i ask this is because of the fault that became apparent on the Sigma 70-300 F4-5.6 and the gears stripping.

just wondered if any of the other Sigma lenses have the same problems as i am looking at some new ones.

Thanks in advance
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This was something I looked into about 18 months ago, when I was looking to get my A700.

The 'problem' is certainly worst with the A700 when set to 'high speed AF' and the Sigma 70-300, but there were reports of gear stripping with a range of bodies and lenses.

Obviously, lenses with HSM are not a problem.
EX lenses seemed to have very few problems.
Older lenses were more prone than newer lenses.
Telephoto lenses were more prone than wide angle.

It is difficult to quantify how big a problem it is - there were plenty of reported problems, but also a significant number of people saying they were happily using Sigma's with no problems.

My take is that if I have a choice between Sigma and non-Sigma, and otherwise the lenses are on a par (similar price, IQ, etc) I'd avoid the Sigma as it is a potential risk, if the Sigma is better than the alternatives in some way then it's very much a personal choice on the relative benefits - if buying new then you always have the warranty as 'insurance'!
 
It seems to cluster around particular people having problems with multiple sigma lenses. Think there was one chap on here with an ex 105mm that got eaten and some other zoom. Then someone else that used one for sport said theirs died. I remember it being mentioned in one of the photography mags saying that they had heard this but there were never numbers on it. When I rang sigma about it they were vague and from what I gathered it was like a handful of people. I asked how to avoid it and he said always making sure the camera was switched off when changing lenses helped which makes me think it is partially user error. But mentioned my lens was getting old and he couldn't guarantee it wouldn't be eaten. Had an a350 a year and used it with an a580 for the last few months and it isn't dead yet. It does make some noises now but I put that down to using a polariser sometimes as it seems to make it struggle for focus more. It take it off and it is quieter. If you google away for problems then you can see that it seems to be a handful of people on multiple forums complaining. I think when I looked last it was only 2 or 3.

I am also pretty sure that sigma added a thing in their lens booklet telling sony users to make sure if there was a choice of AF speeds it was always set to slow.

I suspect the victims were mostly sports and wildlife where there would be heavy AF use and any inherent weaknesses would appear. I haven't heard of any recently which makes me think it was just a batch of A700s or a batch of sigmas that had the problem and it has been resolved now.

I deliberately got a tamron in the same length as the sigma just in case and I didn't know whether I'd go the SLT route either which is more problematic with sigmas due to the mount incompatibility.
 
I have a double sided view on Sigma..... My Sigga 17 - 70 F2.8 is in for a repair at Sigma as it was making an awful high pitched sound (nails down blackboard). This only happened when fully open on AF, still waiting for a quote 3 weeks in. However I also have a Sigma 70 - 300 APO and to date I have not had any problems with it. Although not fantastic glass, its good enough for what I want. I try to make sure the camera is off when changing lens, and also dont let it hunt too much. ;) The airshow piccies in my flickr where taken mostly with the 70 -300 sigma.
 
srichards said:
................ I asked how to avoid it and he said always making sure the camera was switched off when changing lenses helped which makes me think it is partially user error. .............
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Nope, no user error. Simply the fact that Sigma used cheap plastic gears and Sony DSLRs have (or at least had) very powerful AF motors. Happened to me twice (105 macro & 24-70 f2.8 so it may be me you are remembering) and when they fixed them, they replaced the gears with stronger ones. Hopefully, all new sigma lenses have the stronger gears, I haen't heard about the gear stripping problem fr quite a while now.
 
fabs said:
Nope, no user error. Simply the fact that Sigma used cheap plastic gears and Sony DSLRs have (or at least had) very powerful AF motors. Happened to me twice (105 macro & 24-70 f2.8 so it may be me you are remembering) and when they fixed them, they replaced the gears with stronger ones. Hopefully, all new sigma lenses have the stronger gears, I haen't heard about the gear stripping problem fr quite a while now.
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Ah. Might have been you. It was what the sigma chap said and inferred it was partly down to the user in those cases. But at the same time he couldn't guarantee observing that restriction would be a guaranteed way of preventing damage. He also mentioned leaving the camera in MF mode when switching on and off too. Again that wasn't guaranteed to prevent it either.
 
Hi andy i have the sony @55 and use the sigma150-500 and as yet all is ok. I have the sigma 70-300 macro and the photos with that are no good at all.
 
hi guys...okay,i want to use my HVF-L42M flashgun off camera,but don't want to use the pop up flash to fire it,so as i understand it,i will need a flash sync cord to do this,yeah? Also,the 42 doesn't have a terminal[?]to connect the cord to,but i've recently purchased an hotshoe adapter[HS1100 i think]which has a terminal for the sync cord,so could i connect the cord to this,and mount the flash on top allowing it to work?

hope this all makes sense...:thinking: :lol:
 
Hi folks,
I am thinking of buying a ring flash for macro and I saw the MINOLTA MAXXUM MACRO1200 AF RING FLASH FOR SONY/MINOLTA on ebay current bid £19.99 and would appreciate if anyone could give me any information on the item. Has anyone used it ,will it fit the a330 and what size of lenses does it take, as there is little information on the sellers site? Any information would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Melmount.
 
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