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

I'm very pleased with the Olympus OM 21mm f/3.5 that I picked up for £250. Nice little lens, smaller than the Leica R 24mm albeit a bit slower, and a bit larger than the diminutive Voigtlander 21mm f/4. Here it is with those lenses with their relevant adapters attached:



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It's very sharp which tails off slightly to the egdes at f/8, has very slight vignetting at f/8. Examples all at f/8 with some post processing to suit:

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Bloody Flickr has changed its photo sharing options. Doh!
 
If only buy one FE lens, which one you guys will choose? 35 2.8 or 55 1.8?
 
rambits said:
If only buy one FE lens, which one you guys will choose? 35 2.8 or 55 1.8?
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35 because it's smaller and you'll take the camera with you more often.

On another topic, I photographed a Christmas party last night (a properly paid gig I should add) and used the A7R for all the candid shots. I have to say I'm well impressed with the results. Using a Leica Summarit-M 50 2/5 it's turned in some really excellent pictures in very low light.
 
The kiwiFotos adapter turned up. Looks great and is boxed with instructions, a nice piece of kit. But...it turns out there was nothing wrong with my existing adapter, Canon lenses mount fine on both of them. The issues lie with the adapters I'm stacking on top of the EOS-Nex adapter i.e. M42 and Contax to EOS adapters that are loose (they don't fit the locking pin well)! Proper facepalm moment for me :rolleyes: Guess I'll just buy dedicated M42-Nex and C/Y-Nex adapters.
 
Ah. Yes. :lol:

Also, if you're stacking multiple adapters, you're stacking the manufacturing tolerances, which makes it more likely you'll encounter difficulties with even focus across the frame.
 
Musicman said:
Ah. Yes. :lol:

Also, if you're stacking multiple adapters, you're stacking the manufacturing tolerances, which makes it more likely you'll encounter difficulties with even focus across the frame.
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Are you Roger from Lensrentals.com? :lol: In all seriousness I've had no issues like that, I assume you'd need special software to see a difference. I will buy a dedicated adapter and post my results just to be sure though :)
 
Musicman said:
Ah. Yes. :lol:

Also, if you're stacking multiple adapters, you're stacking the manufacturing tolerances, which makes it more likely you'll encounter difficulties with even focus across the frame.
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Is this comment based on Roger Cicala's blog? If so, I think he's barking up the wrong tree.

The problems he's getting with adapters are largely a reflection of a flawed test procedure, ie shooting a flat test target, and what he's effectively measuring is depth of focus (as opposed to depth of field) that is really not a problem in real world picture taking and only shows up with fast wide angles anyway. There are ways around it, but it involves a lot more work - basically you have to refocus all edge and corner readings individually.

His new optical bench has some set-up problems too, being off to one side, but that's kind of a separate issue.
 
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Anyone using this with longer lenses and getting shutter vibration ruining the image?
 
HoppyUK said:
Is this comment based on Roger Cicala's blog? If so, I think he's barking up the wrong tree.
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I've had the same thought since I first started using adapted lenses on m4/3 and have always bought dedicated adapters where possible.

I'll happily concede it's based purely on theoretical considerations and not on any testing.
 
twist said:
I'm not sure it effects the a7 as much as the 7r.
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Is some of this at least just the product of high resolution and people looking really closely and finding issues that are hidden in other images?

When viewing real world images normally or even quite closely but not at very high magnification on screen I wonder if the problems is that acute?
 
As usual for me the above are via Photobucket and will not look as good here as on my screen but from what I see on my screen...

The 5D+Sigma give the sharpest image at f1.4. At f2.8 things are closer but if pushed I'd say that again the Sigma shades it. By f4 I'm looking very closely and seeing not a lot if any difference.

Bokeh wise I'd say that the Sigma is the winner between the 50mm's but you have to look really closely. At smaller apertures the shape of out of focus highlights will differ as the Sigma will render them rounder whilst the Rokkor and Zuiko will give angular highlights... so it's down to taste.

The cameras...



 
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I think that the Sigma 50mm f1.4 is a very good lens and almost certainly "better" than the Rokkor 50mm f1.4 and Zuiko 50mm f1.8 unless you prefer the bokeh of the older lenses.

However, lovely though the Sigma is, and it is, the bulk and in faceness of the 5D package is something that I struggle to be happy with, hence the G1 and now the R7.

If someone can come out with a lens of the quality and price of the Sigma for the A7 but shave some of the bulk and weight off, I'd be very interested.

PS.

Between the Rokkor 50mm f1.4 and Zuiko 50mm f1.8...

I'd say that the Zuiko is a shade sharper at f1.8 than the Rokkor at f1.4 but really there's nothing in it. The Rokkor is a bit bigger and it costs a bit more... The Zuiko can be had for under £20 whilst the Rokkor is anything from £40+ to about £100 depending upon if/when you find one.

Image quality wise I'd say there's nothing in it but for cost and size I'd go for the Zuiko* They're slightly different in use, the Zuiko has a clunky aperture ring while the Rokkor is smoother but the Zuiko is less easily knocked... and the Rokkor offers intermediate f stops. People may prefer either. I'm not too sure that the difference between f1.4 and f1.8 matters much.

*I should add that there's a Rokkor 50mm f1.7 that's smaller and lighter than the f1.4 and it can be had for under £20 and would be an equally good bargain as the £20 Zuiko.
 
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Kartman doesn't get any happier, no matter what lens you point at him. There's a moral there. Somewhere.
 
He also doesn't complain if I post his picture on line... unilke some other people :exit:
 
You have to buy single ones even at that price, I just wouldn't buy a mince pie that was in a serious relationship.

Beach + seaweed.
 
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Red Thing... You make my heart sing. You make everything groovy... Red Thing...

 
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Mmm, mince pies.

My Olympus OM 24/2.8 MC turned up today :) So I took it out for a quick evening spin (ISO 3200):

View attachment 2780

It's a lovely small lens :) I've also taken delivery of a couple more Contax lenses - a Zeiss Tessar 45/2.8 pancake and the 50/1.7 Planar.
 
Anyone else had any difficulties getting the A7 to charge the battery in camera with a different USB power supply to the one that came in the box?

I've come away to my parents for Xmas and to save packing space just brought my iPad PSU (which is capable of supplying a decent amount of current over USB) and the it's utterly refusing to charge. Same goes with plugging it into my MacBook Pro.

The rear screen just says 'USB Connecting' or some such when it's plugged in and the camera turned on (though following the manual, I have the camera turned off when charging normally). The light next to the micro USB port on the camera doesn't come on.

Original Sony battery, USB cable supplied with the camera. I have one spare, fully charged battery left to last me till Friday. Eek!

I rather thought one of the few advantages of not having a separate charger was that I could use just about any USB port...

Currently entertaining the following possibilities

- USB cable has failed
- camera charging circuit has failed
- camera doesn't like the fact that I've previously used a Hähnel external charger to charge my Sony batteries

:confused:
 
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Have you tried removing the battery, putting it back in and then putting the cable in? Also have you got access to a phone charger with micro USB? These should work, it's what I use.
 
Musicman said:
Anyone else had any difficulties getting the A7 to charge the battery in camera with a different USB power supply to the one that came in the box?

I've come away to my parents for Xmas and to save packing space just brought my iPad PSU (which is capable of supplying a decent amount of current over USB) and the it's utterly refusing to charge. Same goes with plugging it into my MacBook Pro.

The rear screen just says 'USB Connecting' or some such when it's plugged in and the camera turned on (though following the manual, I have the camera turned off when charging normally). The light next to the micro USB port on the camera doesn't come on.

Original Sony battery, USB cable supplied with the camera. I have one spare, fully charged battery left to last me till Friday. Eek!

I rather thought one of the few advantages of not having a separate charger was that I could use just about any USB port...

Currently entertaining the following possibilities

- USB cable has failed
- camera charging circuit has failed
- camera doesn't like the fact that I've previously used a Hähnel external charger to charge my Sony batteries

:confused:
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Apple leads can be very temperamental at charging anything but apple products,and even with their own sometimes (n)
 
Willo said:
Have you tried removing the battery, putting it back in and then putting the cable in?
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Yep. Lots of times. No dice.

Also have you got access to a phone charger with micro USB? These should work, it's what I use.
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Unfortunately not.

simonblue said:
Apple leads can be very temperamental at charging anything but apple products,and even with their own sometimes (n)
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I've never had a problem with the iPad charger not supplying current to other non-Apple devices before.

Besides, it's also not charging when plugged into the USB ports on either my mum's Asus laptop and my dad's MacBook, nor if I daisy chain it via a USB hub, so I think i can rule that out.

One other oddity: despite the camera showing the USB Connecting message when plugged in to a USB socket, it's not showing up on the USB device tree on my MacBook Pro.
 
The Sony products aren't great with other chargers tbh, nex 6 is the same. Laptops may not have enough voltage to charge or power some devices that's why you get those 2x split USB cables for hdd, Need a desktop as it will be 5v.
 
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twist said:
The Sony products aren't great with other chargers tbh, nex 6 is the same. Laptops may not have enough voltage to charge or power some devices that's why you get those 2x split USB cables for hdd, Need a desktop as it will be 5v.
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All standard USB connections are 5V, it's the amps that vary.


Edit: A bit of Googling suggests that most laptops and desktops may only offer 0.5A and/or 1A charging via the USB ports and probably aren't labelled to indicate which. iPhone chargers also only run at the lower amps. An OEM iPad or other OEM tablet wall charger should normally supply 2.1A, but check the rating on the transformer. This is the same reason that cheap car chargers struggle with tablets and smart phones, particularly struggling with charging whilst the device is in use (e.g. as satnav).
 
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I'm appalled. In Japan you can buy the Sony Zeiss 55mm 1.8 at several reputable retailers for 82800 yen, which is £485. Thats almost half price of the cheapest price in the UK.

Edit: and the 35mm 2.8 is from £382, and the a7r is £1060.... :runaway:

Good thing I'm going to Japan again in March so I can get hold of the 55mm but still feel like an idiot for paying the price I did after seeing the prices in Japan.
 
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Interesting, do you have a link to the store and perchance a price for the 'standard' A7 ?

No bother, found one for £872 but then there's those damn taxes and duty.
 
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steveclem said:
Interesting, do you have a link to the store and perchance a price for the 'standard' A7 ?

No bother, found one for £872 but then there's those damn taxes and duty.
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Well to be honest I wouldn't bother unless you read Japanese but this is the best price comparison website

kakaku.com

and I wouldn't order from them from the UK with tax and duties to pay.
 
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