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

Ordered a Bokina :D

Shouldn't have, but one was on eBay for < £200 and couldn't resist.
 
Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 Macro (aka "Bokina" as Tokina co-badged it and it produces the "best" bokeh ever apparently).

It can out-resolve the A7R2 it's so sharp...
 
Yeah - i'd passed on a few which were £300+, this was £175 and included the 1:1 adaptor and is apparently "mint".
Fingers crossed, looking forward to getting back into macro :)
 
Nice work. Haven't had the chance to take much recently, dark on the way to/from work then "life" on the weekends.

In other news, the Bokina is indeed mint :D
 
Took the A7R out for a quick spin this afternoon with the Nikon glass and must say very impressed with the manual focus aids this camera incorporates. Came away very satisfied, hugely impressive piece of kit and certainly on par, maybe slightly better IQ than my Nikon D800E. That said and done i was a little confused by the LV histogram. Shooting in RAW the display 'claimed' i had over exposed certain areas of the image by using zebras that were set at 100, however the levels hadnt even reached the right hand side of the histogram?????? there was still a clear gap, about a stop worth. After researching, there seems to be a claim made by some that the LV histogram when shooting RAW is a RAW histogram, but displays the JPEG image hence the zebras. Just wondered if anyone one was aware of this?
 
Sort of aware but TBH I thought it was a JPEG histogram no matter what you shot rather than a raw one.

I gave zebras a brief try but I found them too distracting and for me they obscure detail so I don't bother now. I use the in view histogram and I think it's a matter of getting used to how far you can push it and still pull it back post capture, trial and error and practice makes good :D I try to routinely ETTR if I remember to.
 
I read on a rumour site that it's believed that Canon will soon launch a FF mirrorless camera with an EVF.

If this is true I'm sure it'll sell very well indeed just as their arguably rather uncompetitive latest APS-C CSC is doing. The Canon name does seem to be attractive to some but not to me as frankly I don't care who makes the kit... but if Canon do bring an EVF equipped FF camera to market it may be interesting to see how many people who've slagged CSC's and EVF's off suddenly become converts :D

And competition is good :D

Here's the rumour...

http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/specs-rumored-mirrorless-canon-6dii-clone/#disqus_thread
 
Last edited:
woof woof said:
I read on a rumour site that it's believed that Canon will soon launch a FF mirrorless camera with an EVF.

If this is true I'm sure it'll sell very well indeed just as their arguably rather uncompetitive latest APS-C CSC is doing. The Canon name does seem to be attractive to some but not to me as frankly I don't care who makes the kit... but if Canon do bring an EVF equipped FF camera to market it may be interesting to see how many people who've slagged CSC's and EVF's off suddenly become converts :D

And competition is good :D

Here's the rumour...

http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/specs-rumored-mirrorless-canon-6dii-clone/#disqus_thread
Click to expand...

It's only a matter of time
 
addicknchips said:
It's only a matter of time
Click to expand...

Nikon will probably follow the same route once Canon releases their true mirrorless offering. The only issue I see is that both Canon and Nikon will probably stick to their current mounts so there will be probably no size advantage in both the bodies/lenses.
The you have to consider how far they are in terms of AF tracking abilities etc and that's always been a weak point in mirrorless.
Look at Fuji/Sony, they have only just gotten competitive AF tracking with the XT-2/A6500. So probably a good 4-5 years of fine tuning and development from the original first gen models?
 
I remember reading somewhere the zebra's were for video, rather than "blinkies" used for photos, and had a slightly lower tolerance. I'd noticed too that with zebra's on, it was claiming over-exposure when it plainly wasn't.
 
woof woof said:
Sort of aware but TBH I thought it was a JPEG histogram no matter what you shot rather than a raw one.

I gave zebras a brief try but I found them too distracting and for me they obscure detail so I don't bother now. I use the in view histogram and I think it's a matter of getting used to how far you can push it and still pull it back post capture, trial and error and practice makes good :D I try to routinely ETTR if I remember to.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I wouldn't use the Zebras in principle but the shot preview indicated blown areas which prompted me to use them!
I'll perform some proper testing tomorrow to establish the RAW's limits in comparison to the Histogram to see exactly what is going on.
 
Fuguru said:
Nikon will probably follow the same route once Canon releases their true mirrorless offering. The only issue I see is that both Canon and Nikon will probably stick to their current mounts so there will be probably no size advantage in both the bodies/lenses.
The you have to consider how far they are in terms of AF tracking abilities etc and that's always been a weak point in mirrorless.
Look at Fuji/Sony, they have only just gotten competitive AF tracking with the XT-2/A6500. So probably a good 4-5 years of fine tuning and development from the original first gen models?
Click to expand...

If the registration distance is the same there could still be advantages other than bulk...

- All those lovely Sigma (and Canon) lenses that need MA and still don't work 100% of the time could be cock on pretty much every time.
- It'll be easier to use some of the very expensive and very nice high end manual lenses.
- The exposure, focus etc aids should all be there.

Those things could make a DSLR sized mirrorless camera attractive to an existing Canon user with lenses on the shelf or even a new Canon user.

I don't know if Canon will take 4-5 years to get the focus up to the best CSC standards as other companies have already been through this and if Canon have any sense they'll have followed developments and will employ people who've worked to improve the focusing performance at other brands.

So, they could enter the market running with a competitive product on day one just not one as small as an A7.

I do think it's a shame in some respects that Canon is such an attractive brand to many. Sony, Fuji etc slave away and improve performance over the years and then Canon could just steam in with a relatively poor system that sells very well... as per their (arguably) rather ordinary APS-C system... ouch!
 
Last edited:
Re the sony 50 1.8, slow af but at about 5.6 one owner of the 55 and 50 said not much in it,did the firmware update improve the af?
Also what are either the nikon and canon 50 1.4's like on the A7 ,just manual focus i guess,how does the iq look compared to the Sony 50 or even the 55.
1 criticism of the 55 is the bokeh and also a bit cold looking results though blindingly sharp?
 
Last edited:
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
Re the sony 50 1.8, slow af but at about 5.6 one owner of the 55 and 50 said not much in it,did the firmware update improve the af?
Also what are either the nikon and canon 50 1.4's like on the A7 ,just manual focus i guess,how does the iq look compared to the Sony 50 or even the 55.
1 criticism of the 55 is the bokeh and also a bit cold looking results though blindingly sharp?
Click to expand...

Spend the extra and get the 55
 
Photograph from the inside of Birmingham Library. Shot with Sony A7R2 fitted with a Samyang 12mm FE fisheye lens.
Very little adjustment to the image other than a tweak of the levels sliders & running the final image through a de-fishing algorithm.
James
Library by james boardman-woodend, on Flickr
 
Stunning! Love the perspective - that lady looks like she's hanging onto those escalators for dear life!!
 
That vignetting is obtrusive to an otherwise fine shot. It was a sir lens not a rangefinder right?
 
From the rumour site and DXO...

"DXO tests the new 70-200mm f2.8 FE GM and it is "the sharpest and best low light zoom lens we've tested."

Read all about it.

Rumour site...

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/dxo-...gm-lens-best-performance-class/#disqus_thread

DXO...

https://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Sony-FE-70-200mm-f-2.8-GM-OSS-lens-review

They say...

"The Sony G Master FE 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom achieves an outstanding overall score of 39 points on the a7R II, thanks to its excellent 2.9 TStop light transmission that facilitates good low-light performance. It is the top-performing zoom lens we’ve tested on the a7R II, as well as the fourth-sharpest FE-mount lens overall among both zoom and prime lenses.

Sharpness is phenomenal, scoring 38 P-Mpix and realizing almost all of the a7R II’s 42Mp sensor resolution. At f/2.8 (a crucial aperture on a lens of this type), resolution is uniform, with high levels of acutance between 70% and 80% recorded from 100 to 200mm. At 70mm f/2.8, edges are slightly softer than the center, but are still very respectable. The lens achieves peak sharpness of over 80% acutance in the field using apertures between f/4 and f/8 at focal lengths of 100–200mm."

That's nice :D
 
Last edited:
Guys QQ when using a manual lens via an adaptor so let's say an old Minolta lens, is there anyway to get a focus square in the middle or some guide as to the centre point, I did test the other day and the only thing I could get on the EVF was a large square anyway to do it, or is peaking my only friend

Thanks
 
I'm not exactly sure I know what you mean but I'll start at the beginning...

With a manual lens when you look through the VF there's no focus square until you call it up. I have mine assigned to the centre button and once pressed the focus square appears in the centre of the frame. A second press gives the magnified view and a third press magnifies again. At any point you can move the focus point by pressing left, right, up or down on the centre wheel. Pressing the trash bin sends the focus square back to the centre of the frame.

OK?
 
woof woof said:
From the rumour site and DXO...

"DXO tests the new 70-200mm f2.8 FE GM and it is "the sharpest and best low light zoom lens we've tested."

Read all about it.

Rumour site...

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/dxo-...gm-lens-best-performance-class/#disqus_thread

DXO...

https://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Sony-FE-70-200mm-f-2.8-GM-OSS-lens-review

They say...

"The Sony G Master FE 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom achieves an outstanding overall score of 39 points on the a7R II, thanks to its excellent 2.9 TStop light transmission that facilitates good low-light performance. It is the top-performing zoom lens we’ve tested on the a7R II, as well as the fourth-sharpest FE-mount lens overall among both zoom and prime lenses.

Sharpness is phenomenal, scoring 38 P-Mpix and realizing almost all of the a7R II’s 42Mp sensor resolution. At f/2.8 (a crucial aperture on a lens of this type), resolution is uniform, with high levels of acutance between 70% and 80% recorded from 100 to 200mm. At 70mm f/2.8, edges are slightly softer than the center, but are still very respectable. The lens achieves peak sharpness of over 80% acutance in the field using apertures between f/4 and f/8 at focal lengths of 100–200mm."

That's nice :D
Click to expand...

Great result however it seems that Sony hasn't resolved their QC problems as my example was no sharper than my 70-200mm f4.
Having done a bit of digging it appears DXO have 10 lenses to get their results from so perhaps they pick the best of the bunch?
Just sold my final Sony FE lens so that's me bowing out :( but who knows..... I might be back :D lol :o
 
Fuguru said:
Great result however it seems that Sony hasn't resolved their QC problems as my example was no sharper than my 70-200mm f4.
Having done a bit of digging it appears DXO have 10 lenses to get their results from so perhaps they pick the best of the bunch?
Just sold my final Sony FE lens so that's me bowing out :( but who knows..... I might be back :D lol :eek:
Click to expand...

I think it's close to the point of how sharp is sharp. My experience with the 70-200f4 on the a7rii was very positive in terms of image sharpness. I Could crop the hell out of it and still have a fine looking photo in terms of sharpness and detail on screen. I never thought that I was missing out on sharpness from that lens. Just the 2.8 of the gm would be nice.

Perhaps image sharpness between the two would become more obvious when printing large? I don't know.
 
steveclem said:
Neill shot of winter grass above.
Click to expand...

OK, might help in future if you address your comment to the individual. :)
In respect of the image, no vignetting added, but applied bit of D&B. Lens was a Nikon fit Zeiss 21mm Distagon with a Novoflex adapter attached to the Sony A7R.
Thank you for your comment!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top