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

tapetheescape said:
Nikon user here planning to move to an A7.

The whole lens situ is a bit of a minefield for a chap like me whos been spoilt for lenses.

Are there Sony equivalents of the following? Best reccomendations?

50mm 1.8
24-70mm 2.8
70-200mm 2.8

From what I can see so far, the Sony equivalents are more expensive and slower aperture, am I getting something wrong?

Also the whole adapter situation, what are the tradeoffs? Do you lose a stop using them? Is AF acceptable or very slow?

I understand this may be a can of worms, but I will be moving to the A7, love the form factor and liberating size coming from a Nikon FX.

Thanks!
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The Sony 55mm f1.8 is the closest equivalent to the Nikon f1.8, its a cracking lens but does come at a price (c£620 v £135 for the Nikon..)
As Rob already mentions there aren't native 24-70 f2.8 or 70-200 f2.8 lenses but its strongly rumoured that a 24-70 f2.8 is coming next March, I'd expect it to be quite expensive though given that the generally slated 24-70 f4 is around £805.
 
tapetheescape said:
Nikon user here planning to move to an A7.

The whole lens situ is a bit of a minefield for a chap like me whos been spoilt for lenses.

Are there Sony equivalents of the following? Best reccomendations?

50mm 1.8
24-70mm 2.8
70-200mm 2.8

From what I can see so far, the Sony equivalents are more expensive and slower aperture, am I getting something wrong?

Also the whole adapter situation, what are the tradeoffs? Do you lose a stop using them? Is AF acceptable or very slow?

I understand this may be a can of worms, but I will be moving to the A7, love the form factor and liberating size coming from a Nikon FX.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Only the prime lens
 
robj20 said:
What Nikon are you coming from?

You can almost certainly negate the f4 vs f2.8 by using a higher ISO with the A7. There is an 24-70 f2.8 incoming though so if you wait on that one you can have it, would expect to see a 70-200 f2.8 at some point as well. Nothing to stop you using an A mount lens via the adapter though.
Click to expand...

I'm coming from a D610.

If I use an A mount lens though, won't that negate the benefits of getting a full frame sensor?
 
chrism_scotland said:
The Sony 55mm f1.8 is the closest equivalent to the Nikon f1.8, its a cracking lens but does come at a price (c£620 v £135 for the Nikon..)
As Rob already mentions there aren't native 24-70 f2.8 or 70-200 f2.8 lenses but its strongly rumoured that a 24-70 f2.8 is coming next March, I'd expect it to be quite expensive though given that the generally slated 24-70 f4 is around £805.
Click to expand...

Ouch and ouch. I probably should have done all my homework before now.....
 
tapetheescape said:
Ouch and ouch. I probably should have done all my homework before now.....
Click to expand...

Its not cheap! I've been studying options across a range of systems for the last month or so as I consider what my settled kit will look like, body wise the A7ii and A7rii aren't too bad v their Nikon equivalents (D750/D610 & D810) but generally the lenses cost a fair bit more (based on UK stock)
 
tapetheescape said:
Nikon user here planning to move to an A7.

The whole lens situ is a bit of a minefield for a chap like me whos been spoilt for lenses.

Are there Sony equivalents of the following? Best reccomendations?

50mm 1.8
24-70mm 2.8
70-200mm 2.8

From what I can see so far, the Sony equivalents are more expensive and slower aperture, am I getting something wrong?

Also the whole adapter situation, what are the tradeoffs? Do you lose a stop using them? Is AF acceptable or very slow?

I understand this may be a can of worms, but I will be moving to the A7, love the form factor and liberating size coming from a Nikon FX.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I've just moved from a D750 to A7Rii. I have gone with the 55mm 1.8. I am deciding whether or not to get the 24-70 f4 because rumour has it a 2.8 may be out soon. The 70-200 is supposedly good.

Mine arrived today and I love the form factor so far!
 
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Any suggestions for a flash to complement the A7Rii

I had a Neewer 985 for the D750.
 
I use a phottix mitros+ which gives ttl if needed, and a phottix oDIN transmitter so that I can have off-camera ttl if I want (the mitros+ has built in receiver, the mitros doesn't).

The mitros+ for sony fits directly in the sony mis shoe, but the odin transmitter for sony has the old style minolta shoe and will need the adapter to make it fit.

Be aware also that there are two versions of most sony flashes, old and new style shoe fittings, with very similar model numbers. Some sony flashes are prone to overheating.

Another flash to consider is the Nissin Di700 Air, ttl with a trigger to use off-camera, and a bit less than £200.
HTH.
 
david357 said:
I use a phottix mitros+ which gives ttl if needed, and a phottix oDIN transmitter so that I can have off-camera ttl if I want (the mitros+ has built in receiver, the mitros doesn't).

The mitros+ for sony fits directly in the sony mis shoe, but the odin transmitter for sony has the old style minolta shoe and will need the adapter to make it fit.

Be aware also that there are two versions of most sony flashes, old and new style shoe fittings, with very similar model numbers. Some sony flashes are prone to overheating.

Another flash to consider is the Nissin Di700 Air, ttl with a trigger to use off-camera, and a bit less than £200.
HTH.
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That's - this helps a lot. I suppose that is something I liked about the D750; the trigger built into the camera to trigger off camera TTL with nothing mounted to the shoe. I will do some research.
 
the canon 35 L focusses so well on the a7II that I might sell my zeiss 35
seriously impressed, also had great success with the 16-35 2.8, ended up selling my zeiss 16-35 because I valued the extra stop and the body has IS so a 2.8 zoom with IS

canon 24-70 II works really well
40mm stm worked ok, considerably cheaper and comparably size and IQ to the zeiss 35 which IMO is way over-priced
50 stm worked ok but the zeiss 55 is a better lens overall and focusses a lot better
50 1,4 canon manual focus only
35 art works really well but is a little big, the zeiss and the canon are the same size, the sigma is larger than both

70-200 IS II works well up to about 135mm then falls apart, also the balance is terrible
85 1.2 mk1 manual focus only
sigma 150mm macro, manual focus only

sigma 85 1.4 arrives tomorrow so will test that

trying to think of any other lenses i've tested on it, my flatmate has an a7rII so I have compared them side by side
 
christurbo said:
I've just moved from a D750 to A7Rii. I have gone with the 55mm 1.8. I am deciding whether or not to get the 24-70 f4 because rumour has it a 2.8 may be out soon. The 70-200 is supposedly good.

Mine arrived today and I love the form factor so far!
Click to expand...

the adapter loses no light, focus really depends on the lens, there are various lists online with people who have tried the different canon lenses and can comment on their usability, AFAIK there is no nikon adapter

a could of quirks, you won't be able to use EYE-AF, which is fine I never use it anyway, and you can't use the AF assist light, again I don't use it

christurbo said:
Any suggestions for a flash to complement the A7Rii

I had a Neewer 985 for the D750.
Click to expand...

I really like the nissin i40, tiny flash and really works great on the camera
 
does anyone have an a7sII, I have conflicting information about AF compatibility with canon lenses, so would appreciate feedback from anyone that's used it with adapted lenses
 
domart said:
the canon 35 L focusses so well on the a7II that I might sell my zeiss 35
seriously impressed, also had great success with the 16-35 2.8, ended up selling my zeiss 16-35 because I valued the extra stop and the body has IS so a 2.8 zoom with IS

canon 24-70 II works really well
40mm stm worked ok, considerably cheaper and comparably size and IQ to the zeiss 35 which IMO is way over-priced
50 stm worked ok but the zeiss 55 is a better lens overall and focusses a lot better
50 1,4 canon manual focus only
35 art works really well but is a little big, the zeiss and the canon are the same size, the sigma is larger than both

70-200 IS II works well up to about 135mm then falls apart, also the balance is terrible
85 1.2 mk1 manual focus only
sigma 150mm macro, manual focus only

sigma 85 1.4 arrives tomorrow so will test that

trying to think of any other lenses i've tested on it, my flatmate has an a7rII so I have compared them side by side
Click to expand...

Thanks for this.
Which adapter are you using? Metabones?
I had previously considered the sigma 85 - but it's a heavy lens and not sure the balance will be right.
 
christurbo said:
I've just moved from a D750 to A7Rii. I have gone with the 55mm 1.8. I am deciding whether or not to get the 24-70 f4 because rumour has it a 2.8 may be out soon. The 70-200 is supposedly good.

Mine arrived today and I love the form factor so far!
Click to expand...

How would you compare the focusing speed between the two cameras?
 
addicknchips said:
Thanks for this.
Which adapter are you using? Metabones?
I had previously considered the sigma 85 - but it's a heavy lens and not sure the balance will be right.
Click to expand...

A really cheap one, can't remember the brand. My mate has the metabones and tbh I think there's nothing in it between them, except his was £300 more and supports firmware updates, although tbh with the cheap adapters just buy a new one of it becomes incompatible
 
architectfadi said:
How would you compare the focusing speed between the two cameras?
Click to expand...

Interesting you asked this as this was one of the noticeable differences I found last night. I shot some low light images and it hunted a lot more than the D750 which was more or less instant. It maybe the AF settings, etc of which I have not spent much time playing with. Lens shot wide open. I haven't tried bright light conditions yet.

I need to learn how to effectively manage the functions of the A7Rii because flexible spot was a pain to use and took ages. I am sure I will get there.

However overall I am very impressed with IQ and the sheer amount of detail I can get from these converted DNG files. The f1.8 is very sharp - really impressed with this lens. I cant believe how tiny the system is compared to my D750 this is a massive plus for me because it means I will use it a lot more to capture images I never would have with the D750.

Lightroom is slower working on the 1:1, think it may mean I need to upgrade my i7 quad core Mac Mini Server to it's max of 16GB from 8GB.
 
christurbo said:
Interesting you asked this as this was one of the noticeable differences I found last night. I shot some low light images and it hunted a lot more than the D750 which was more or less instant. It maybe the AF settings, etc of which I have not spent much time playing with. Lens shot wide open. I haven't tried bright light conditions yet.

I need to learn how to effectively manage the functions of the A7Rii because flexible spot was a pain to use and took ages. I am sure I will get there.

However overall I am very impressed with IQ and the sheer amount of detail I can get from these converted DNG files. The f1.8 is very sharp - really impressed with this lens. I cant believe how tiny the system is compared to my D750 this is a massive plus for me because it means I will use it a lot more to capture images I never would have with the D750.

Lightroom is slower working on the 1:1, think it may mean I need to upgrade my i7 quad core Mac Mini Server to it's max of 16GB from 8GB.
Click to expand...

Nothing new, mirrorless cameras slow down a lot in low light, in good light it will be fine.

You were using the fast zooms on the Nikon werent you? Did you try a 50 1.8g equivalent lens to compare size weight?
 
twist said:
Nothing new, mirrorless cameras slow down a lot in low light, in good light it will be fine.

You were using the fast zooms on the Nikon werent you? Did you try a 50 1.8g equivalent lens to compare size weight?
Click to expand...

Yes 24-70 2.8 Nikkor. I tried the 50mm 1.8 and it was a lot smaller as you originally advised.. and I suppose I would have used it more. However even though on paper the A7Rii is not that much different from a D750 in your hands it is. One thing I can say is that if you want very little compromise and you are used to DSLR then the D750 is the camera to go for in my opinion (at the present moment with no field test of the A7Rii)... it was simply very pleasing to use and the output was as expected with no real improvements needed.

I need to spend some time to learn the new system then I can report back...
 
christurbo said:
Yes 24-70 2.8 Nikkor. I tried the 50mm 1.8 and it was a lot smaller as you originally advised.. and I suppose I would have used it more. However even though on paper the A7Rii is not that much different from a D750 in your hands it is. One thing I can say is that if you want very little compromise and you are used to DSLR then the D750 is the camera to go for in my opinion (at the present moment with no field test of the A7Rii)... it was simply very pleasing to use and the output was as expected with no real improvements needed.

I need to spend some time to learn the new system then I can report back...
Click to expand...

Ive had 3 D750s, currently using one, best camera Ive used (a lot). Its an interesting one when it comes to size because even though a mirrorless can be that fraction lighter/smaller (not taking lenses into account) often ergonomics mean you dont want to carry one or the other all day, the weight is distributed on different parts of the hand, I find the d750 excellent in this regard because of the depth of the grip and the way it holds your thumb on the rear... even with my heavy ART primes.

Will be interested in your findings. Enjoy the camera, always fun to try a new one.
 
twist said:
Ive had 3 D750s, currently using one, best camera Ive used (a lot). Its an interesting one when it comes to size because even though a mirrorless can be that fraction lighter/smaller (not taking lenses into account) often ergonomics mean you dont want to carry one or the other all day, the weight is distributed on different parts of the hand, I find the d750 excellent in this regard because of the depth of the grip and the way it holds your thumb on the rear... even with my heavy ART primes.

Will be interested in your findings. Enjoy the camera, always fun to try a new one.
Click to expand...

How many cameras do you currently own?
 
christurbo said:
Interesting you asked this as this was one of the noticeable differences I found last night. I shot some low light images and it hunted a lot more than the D750 which was more or less instant. It maybe the AF settings, etc of which I have not spent much time playing with. Lens shot wide open. I haven't tried bright light conditions yet.

I need to learn how to effectively manage the functions of the A7Rii because flexible spot was a pain to use and took ages. I am sure I will get there.

However overall I am very impressed with IQ and the sheer amount of detail I can get from these converted DNG files. The f1.8 is very sharp - really impressed with this lens. I cant believe how tiny the system is compared to my D750 this is a massive plus for me because it means I will use it a lot more to capture images I never would have with the D750.

Lightroom is slower working on the 1:1, think it may mean I need to upgrade my i7 quad core Mac Mini Server to it's max of 16GB from 8GB.
Click to expand...

When you mention flexible spot taking a while to get there. Have you customised the d-pad so you can use it to move the focus point? The default set up is odd in that regard.
 
addicknchips said:
How many cameras do you currently own?
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At the moment two, I usually have a main camera and a grab n go camera, get the best of both worlds then. My first D750 had flare in extreme cases, got a new one, second sold because I got caught up in the hype before doing my homework (stupid I know), third, current.
 
addicknchips said:
When you mention flexible spot taking a while to get there. Have you customised the d-pad so you can use it to move the focus point? The default set up is odd in that regard.
Click to expand...
No I have done no customisations or read anything yet. Ive literally turned it on, set some basic adjustments and fired 60 shots in low light to quickly test. I look forward to optimising the user functionality.

Has anyone used Capture 1? I am a long time Lightroom user however it seems to be getting slower (not just ont he A7Rii monster files!). Is C1 'lighter'....? I will download the free version to trial this weekend.
 
domart said:
the canon 35 L focusses so well on the a7II that I might sell my zeiss 35
seriously impressed, also had great success with the 16-35 2.8, ended up selling my zeiss 16-35 because I valued the extra stop and the body has IS so a 2.8 zoom with IS

canon 24-70 II works really well
40mm stm worked ok, considerably cheaper and comparably size and IQ to the zeiss 35 which IMO is way over-priced
50 stm worked ok but the zeiss 55 is a better lens overall and focusses a lot better
50 1,4 canon manual focus only
35 art works really well but is a little big, the zeiss and the canon are the same size, the sigma is larger than both

70-200 IS II works well up to about 135mm then falls apart, also the balance is terrible
85 1.2 mk1 manual focus only
sigma 150mm macro, manual focus only

sigma 85 1.4 arrives tomorrow so will test that

trying to think of any other lenses i've tested on it, my flatmate has an a7rII so I have compared them side by side
Click to expand...

Which adapter are you using?
 
christurbo said:
Lightroom is slower working on the 1:1, think it may mean I need to upgrade my i7 quad core Mac Mini Server to it's max of 16GB from 8GB.
Click to expand...

Definitely upgrade ram and add an ssd if you haven't already, keep the catalogue and previews on the ssd and keep the raw files on an external disk and just use smart previews (with the external disk disconnected) and it will be really fast as instead of working with 43mp files you're working with much smaller files

tapetheescape said:
Sorry, should have read the rest of the thread :)
Click to expand...

Ha yeah just a cheap adapter
It doesn't work well at all on my a7s, but works fine on a7, a7ii and a7rii (on the a7s it frequently crashes the camera)
 
The sigma 85 works really well on the camera, but is a little front heavy, so much so that it put me off using the art primes
If only there were some f2 or even 2.8 modern prime lenses
 
domart said:
Definitely upgrade ram and add an ssd if you haven't already, keep the catalogue and previews on the ssd and keep the raw files on an external disk and just use smart previews (with the external disk disconnected) and it will be really fast as instead of working with 43mp files you're working with much smaller files



Ha yeah just a cheap adapter
It doesn't work well at all on my a7s, but works fine on a7, a7ii and a7rii (on the a7s it frequently crashes the camera)
Click to expand...
Get metabones adapter. I got mine for my a7r2 after owning a cheap one before and it improved focusing a bit
 
Started using Capture One last night. Much quicker on my Mac than Lightroom especially when in 1:1 It's a learning curve though.
 
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Sold my Canon 7D I, Canon gear and Fuji X-series gear to go to a7II - loving it so far.
Way sharper than a 2nd hand 7D and secondhand lenses ;-).

david357 said:
Another flash to consider is the Nissin Di700 Air, ttl with a trigger to use off-camera, and a bit less than £200.
HTH.
Click to expand...

...or even the Nissin i40? Size suits the a7. Assuming it's got enough for your needs?
 
Danones said:
I have just been in London camera exchange store and I had my hands on the a7rii for the first time

Dammm...that Evf is enormous. And the camera is light. Still the price isn't affordable for me right now. Specially the glass afterwards
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Hmm not a good idea. Gives you GAS - hard to get rid of however a few deep breaths and you'll feel better soon Diogo
:naughty:
 
I have the Nissin i40, can recommend it highly for size vs performance vs price :)
 
I had my first play with the A7RII in low light yesterday, need to spend some time going through the images. The detail on street photography is amazing.

Sneaky shot of the wife getting ready to go out.

Sarah Preparing by Chris McDonald, on Flickr
 
Still think it's a bit mean of Zeiss...

I guess adding a lens pouch (I knew in advance it wasn't supplied) might have 'ruined' Zeiss's presentation of the Batis 85 unboxing but Form doesn't win over Function IMO. :bat:
 
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