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

jonneymendoza said:
What third party adapter u going to use?
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Ended up going for a Fotodiox Pro as the early reports said it was faster than the Metabones IV on the α7rII- I can believe that as the IV has a microprocessor in-body which (going from early indications) appears to get in the way and actually slow down the new AF system.
 
Some help please. Got the nissin flash again trying it I can't understand how it works with the camera settings for instance in aperture mode I set it to say f8 and the shutter is stuck at 1/60. When I adjust the aperture the shutter stays at 1/60 is that how it's supposed to work?

In manual mode I set them both to say 1/160 and f8 and the EV flashes -2 even if I change settings it stays flashing.

I've never used a flash before as you can probably tell.
 
robj20 said:
Some help please. Got the nissin flash again trying it I can't understand how it works with the camera settings for instance in aperture mode I set it to say f8 and the shutter is stuck at 1/60. When I adjust the aperture the shutter stays at 1/60 is that how it's supposed to work?

In manual mode I set them both to say 1/160 and f8 and the EV flashes -2 even if I change settings it stays flashing.

I've never used a flash before as you can probably tell.
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Have you checked flash synch speed in your menus? May be fixed at 1/60.
 
Ah well, so much for 'avoiding terrible rushed sample shots' with the a7RII, a few out there now getting far too much attention and analysis and even people making decisions on whether to buy or not based on a photo of some blown out sky!

Maybe reviewers are only getting cameras along with us mortals?
 
robj20 said:
Some help please. Got the nissin flash again trying it I can't understand how it works with the camera settings for instance in aperture mode I set it to say f8 and the shutter is stuck at 1/60. When I adjust the aperture the shutter stays at 1/60 is that how it's supposed to work?

In manual mode I set them both to say 1/160 and f8 and the EV flashes -2 even if I change settings it stays flashing.

I've never used a flash before as you can probably tell.
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not sure on the max sync speed, but the default setting is likely to be fill in flash, so the camera will likely try to get most of the way there with ambient, and then use a little bit of flash to get what it thinks is the right exposure. you can jiggle it about with flash exposure comp, and normal comp

matt granger on youtube has some good flash videos

the basics is shutter speed effects ambient exposure, aperture effects flash (mostly) and iso effects both
 
pingu666 said:
not sure on the max sync speed, but the default setting is likely to be fill in flash, so the camera will likely try to get most of the way there with ambient, and then use a little bit of flash to get what it thinks is the right exposure. you can jiggle it about with flash exposure comp, and normal comp

matt granger on youtube has some good flash videos

the basics is shutter speed effects ambient exposure, aperture effects flash (mostly) and iso effects both
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Cheers, it does appear to be the camera again just preferring 1/60, apparently Nikons do the same thing, i'm used to my old Canon which with flash enabled would fully utilise the flash and give you a nice fast shutter speed.
Looks like i can just ignore the ev metering in M mode and as long as the screen/viewfinder looks right go with it. So i can at least use 1/160 shutter.

Now, what's the difference between Auto mode and TTL? They appear to do the exact same thing.
 
Just a thought does anyone shoot jpeg only? I shoot jpeg only on my RX100 and love the output the added bonus of the built in effects as well.
 
jonneymendoza said:
Quality. Could you try and post a raw file some time that has underexposed darks in as I wanna see how it can push the darks ie testing it's Dr.

Cheers
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There are already loads of RAW files available through Dropbox on the DPReview forum from people who had deliveries yesterday.
 
Just got the A7 this morning and i have been doing a few quick auto focus tests with the Canon 24-70 F4

First test was with the commlite outside just with single point focus set and it performed really well very quick there was just a very small lag when going from close to far focus, the performance was far better than the sony FE 24-70 on my A7R and it seemed as fast as my nikon d750 with a variety of lenses on.Now i tried it inside with a dimly lit room, the performance went way down lots of hunting and at times you could hear the lens motor ticking away making small changes back and forth not so good.Turning the lights up a bit in the room and it was able to lock focus but again there was a fair bit of hunting.Also the commlite suffered from reflections if the was a strong light source from above like a light.

I then tried the Metabones Mark III outside very fast even a hair quicker than the commlite it felt as quick as the D750 to be honest.Trying it inside and it was definitely better than the commlite it was able to lock focus better although at times it still hunted trying to lock yet other times you could move it around the room at it would lock instantly so from an early quick test indoors i would have to say the auto focus is a bit inconsistent but very usable just after that i tried my A7r with the 24-70 FE and it was about the same in the same dimly lit room.Also the reflection problem isn't as bad as on the commlite.

Ill have to check to see if i am able to update the firmware on the metabones see if that improves things any, the mark iv version would probably be better still.

Over all very impressed the 24-70 works very well i mainly shoot landscape so auto focus speed isn't that important to me.
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af is pants indoors it seems. no better than any other a7 camera. maybe thats what sony is hiding
 
I'm sure that there'll be a lot of reviews and example shots from now on. I expect an avalanche of them.

I'll almost certainly pass on the A7rII but I may well be interested in an A7III when and if it comes along and includes the nice things that are attractive in the A7rII. Nice additions to my A7 would be in body image stabilisation and an electronic shutter, oh and a toggle switch for EVF/back screen.

I'm still loving the 35mm f2.8 but I do wish it could be f1.8 and have a closer focusing distance. I'd definitely be interested in a compact 35mm f1.8 with closer focusing and in fact I think I'd be more likely to spend my money on that lens than on an A7III.
 
Just get an extension to get it focusing closer, with the ones I have I can have the lens touching and still focusing.
 
I never thought of that.

It's not too much of an issue but it would be nice to use the 35mm for the odd close up shot for flowers etc. My MFT 17mm f1.8 will focus much closer and is much better for the odd flower shot.

Actually I could try my close up filters on my 35mm but all in all a closer focusing lens would be better and less hassle.
 
Yes lots, make sure you get full frame ones though.
 
Got my A7rii today. Really great camera. Coming from shooting Canon for my entire pro life, it's really weird moving to a different system, but there are some really nice touches that show that the Sony system is really well thought out,
AF Performance with Sony lenses (at least with the 24-70 f/4 I have) is excellent. Performance on a Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM using a photodiox adapter was good. Very good. Not quite up to Canon standards, but still very good! Only tested in good light though. Also tested on a Canon 400mm f/2.8 IS USM. AF performance was terrible, to the point of being unusable. Manual focus on a lens like this is generally much easier, seeing as it would be static on a tripod. This is an older style lens, which (going by other reports online of other adapters) don't perform well anyway. Would love to try this on a Metabones IV once it's been optimised for this body, and other brand adapters.

Hope some of that information is helpful :)
 
there was some snippet of info that the sony af on mirrorless doesnt like over 200mm, but i dont know why or how that would come about
 
What's in a name? Zeiss provides details on lens partnerships and production

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/25...s-details-on-lens-partnerships-and-production

Of the Sony/Zeiss lenses, the blog says: 'ZEISS supports Sony throughout the optical design and development process and then tests and approves the prototypes.' Which noticeably doesn't even say that Zeiss is particularly involved in the design process, just that it gets to approve whether the design is of a high-enough standard to bear its name.

...Interesting, so they arent real Zeiss lenses, Zeiss checks consistency throughout production.
 
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Someone already posted that a few pages ago, where have you been? :D:p
 
twist said:
.Interesting, so they arent real Zeiss lenses, Zeiss checks consistency throughout production.
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By that logic though, even Zeiss lenses aren't real Zeiss lenses, since all of their photo lenses are outsourced to other Japanese manufacturers such as Cosina and Tamron. So Sony/Zeiss lenses are just as much of a Zeiss lens as a standard Zeiss lens.

Not that it matters - I don't care who designed a lens - Zeiss, Sony, or the grand high pixie lord, just as long as it performs well.
 
some of their still lenses are still made in germany i think, the zm 50mm 1.5?
 
Crossroads said:
By that logic though, even Zeiss lenses aren't real Zeiss lenses, since all of their photo lenses are outsourced to other Japanese manufacturers such as Cosina and Tamron. So Sony/Zeiss lenses are just as much of a Zeiss lens as a standard Zeiss lens.

Not that it matters - I don't care who designed a lens - Zeiss, Sony, or the grand high pixie lord, just as long as it performs well.
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Not quite, Sony Zeiss lenses arent designed by Zeiss, Zeiss just checks production, Zeiss lenses are designed by Zeiss and manufactured by Cosina, thats a very big difference. Im not to bothered when Sony make lenses like the 55, but the 24-70 shouldnt have a Zeiss badge, neither should the 16-70 imo.
 
I'm not even sure if they even design all of them either. For example the Batis 85mm lens construction suspiciously 100% matches an earlier Tamron patent. There's been a few other such suspect lenses too although I can't remember which off the top of my haid.

Again though, it doesn't bother me. I don't think Zeiss has some secret ability to deign lenses that nobody else in the world can. What they do have is the reputation for great lenses, so if I see a Zeiss badge on the side of the lens, I know it's probably something worth paying attention to. No, I don't know how the 24-70mm got that label either, though.
 
Crossroads said:
I'm not even sure if they even design all of them either. For example the Batis 85mm lens construction suspiciously 100% matches an earlier Tamron patent. There's been a few other such suspect lenses too although I can't remember which off the top of my haid.

Again though, it doesn't bother me. I don't think Zeiss has some secret ability to deign lenses that nobody else in the world can. What they do have is the reputation for great lenses, so if I see a Zeiss badge on the side of the lens, I know it's probably something worth paying attention to. No, I don't know how the 24-70mm got that label either, though.
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Sony owns part of Tamron so I wouldn't be surprised to see the be designing some bits for Sony
 
Crossroads said:
Again though, it doesn't bother me. I don't think Zeiss has some secret ability to deign lenses that nobody else in the world can. What they do have is the reputation for great lenses, so if I see a Zeiss badge on the side of the lens, I know it's probably something worth paying attention to. No, I don't know how the 24-70mm got that label either, though.
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Totally, its just those odd Sony/Zeiss branded lenses that make you think wtf?!
 
This who made what thing really shouldn't matter and if it does how far down the road do we go? I'd imagine that the lens design fraternity is fairly small and the top and good people very possibly flit from one design desk to another so is a Zeiss lens not a Zeiss lens unless it was designed by a German who was trained by Zeiss in a building with Zeiss written over the door who has never worked for anyone but Zeiss? What if Zeiss poach a top Cosina designer and he pens the next great Zeiss lens? I suppose it's not really a Zeiss?

I may have mentioned my past careers... I'll bore you with some of it... I worked for various computer manufacturers and maintainers and later for wider equipment and component manufacturers. I worked for whoever paid and I worked for companies which completed projects for various other companies all over the world from the USA to China and yet neither my name nor that of the companies I worked directly for appeared on the products. The name on the product was that of the company which brought the product to market. It was their product, designed and manufactured to their specification or at least satisfaction and it rightly carried their name. I suppose this happens in just about every industry.

IMVHO a Zeiss lens is a Zeiss lens if it carries their name no matter who designed it or made it as I have no doubt that they're far from sleeping partners or just the appliers of badges. I have less respect for total badge jobs. Panasonic / Leica springs to mind :D
 
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imo a true zeiss has that special rendering and colour etc and top notch construction. the16-80 a mount lens lacks the second part :/
 
Have a Sony zeiss 55mm 1.8 for my a7. Don't give a monkeys a*se what it is or who made it. Just know it's a damn fine piece of glass. Probably the best lens I've ever used.
 
addicknchips said:
Have a Sony zeiss 55mm 1.8 for my a7. Don't give a monkeys a*se what it is or who made it. Just know it's a damn fine piece of glass. Probably the best lens I've ever used.
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Yup it really is nice and technically very good.

My stand out lenses have been... Sigma 50m f1.4, 85mm f1.4, 150mm macro and 12-24mm and Voigtlander 25mm f0.95 for MFT. Added to that little list now are the FE 55 and 35mm f2.8. Got to admit though that I do find charm in less good lenses :D My Minolta 50mm f1.4 and f1.2 can't match the across the frame sharpness of a modern lens but the way they fall away and I suppose the optical faults too particularly with the f1.2 combine to make nice pictures :D Not technically nice but just nice to look at :D
 
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