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

4wd said:
National Trust don't like any commercial photos at their properties but more because I just walked in (through open gates) at about 9pm.
Entry is usually about £10 but includes house.
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We used to go to a place near us quite often just to look at the gardens and they only charged to look inside the house then one day we went and two rather snotty Oxbridge types who didn't seem to like being asked who they were and when the policy changed demanded money as we walked up the drive so we went to the park instead and have never been back. IMO the NT don't do themselves any favours, charging to look at the gardens after decades of it being free and repeated use of snotty posh types from outside the area.
 
F/1.4 said:
The AF was what swayed me for it. Esp for gimbal shots etc. Interested to see how it performs myself! Anything pre A7III/A9 etc was ruled out as the AF is generally abit s***e on them lol
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The AF does sound good. I’ve got a A7R3 but would like something as a second camera for trying remote wide angle stuff but it seems the A6400 would be a good choice it’s it’s own right especially for what I mainly shoot.
 
Brilliant podcat by Adriane Ohanesian

She is a photo journalism who has shot stuff around africa in the last few years and guess what gear she has been using.

View: https://youtu.be/PcRLLZx-S84?t=2631


Watch from here.

Whoever still things Sony camera's are not robust enough for pro work dont have a clue

Worth listening to the whole podcast guys.
 
So 85GM or FE85/1.8??

I recently swapped the FE85 for 85GM but I am wondering if I should go back to the FE85.

85GM:
- Beautiful rendering and f1.4
- Weatherseal
- Like the aperture ring
- But big and heavy

FE85:
- Small and fast AF
- Rendering not as good

Can't make up my mind on which trade-offs works for me. I am less likely to always carry the 85GM whereas I always carries the FE85.
 
nandbytes said:
So 85GM or FE85/1.8??

I recently swapped the FE85 for 85GM but I am wondering if I should go back to the FE85.

85GM:
- Beautiful rendering and f1.4
- Weatherseal
- Like the aperture ring
- But big and heavy

FE85:
- Small and fast AF
- Rendering not as good

Can't make up my mind on which trade-offs works for me. I am less likely to always carry the 85GM whereas I always carries the FE85.
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Pretty much sum it well there, depends on what you shoot etc. Ultimately the best lens is the one you have on you
 
RPhotos said:
Pretty much sum it well there, depends on what you shoot etc. Ultimately the best lens is the one you have on you
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hmmm... that'd be FE85 but I kinda know the times I require the 85GM i.e. when I go out to shoot people!
 
I've never tried the f1.4.

The f1.8 does just about everything and it's relatively compact and light but there's a couple of things that bother me.

Firstly it's f1.8 not f1.4. This is maybe more of a psychological thing to overcome, maybe. I've got over it.

Secondly, the swirly bokeh. This IMO is a more serious issue than the f1.8/f1.4 aperture debate but it's highly subjective. Personally I do wish that bokeh wise it could be more like the old Sigma 85mm f1.4 I had. That lens wasn't as sharp as the f1.8 Sony at wide apertures but I never questioned the look it gave. The swirliness doesn't necessarily show up in every single f1.8 picture as how obvious it is depends on the subject and background.

Good luck choosing.
 
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nandbytes said:
So 85GM or FE85/1.8??

I recently swapped the FE85 for 85GM but I am wondering if I should go back to the FE85.

85GM:
- Beautiful rendering and f1.4
- Weatherseal
- Like the aperture ring
- But big and heavy

FE85:
- Small and fast AF
- Rendering not as good

Can't make up my mind on which trade-offs works for me. I am less likely to always carry the 85GM whereas I always carries the FE85.
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I went from the 1.8 to the 1.4.

Am I taking BETTER photos? Not really, its the same and nobody can tell the difference apart from me and people on forums.

However.....the difference, and the "better" bits are very subconscious, it just look better, plus i got it used and the difference was £550 so easier pill to swallow.
 
Raymond Lin said:
I went from the 1.8 to the 1.4.

Am I taking BETTER photos? Not really, its the same and nobody can tell the difference apart from me and people on forums.

However.....the difference, and the "better" bits are very subconscious, it just look better, plus i got it used and the difference was £550 so easier pill to swallow.
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I am under no Illusion that my photos are better. The money difference is a small issue (for me) at this point but not really any more since I already have the GM.

I can generally tell the difference going by the bokeh and also in certain cases the slightly shallower DoF. My wife on the other hand can't really tell the difference I think but she did notice that the bokeh was very nice with the GM.
 
nandbytes said:
I am under no Illusion that my photos are better. The money difference is a small issue (for me) at this point but not really any more since I already have the GM.

I can generally tell the difference going by the bokeh and also in certain cases the slightly shallower DoF. My wife on the other hand can't really tell the difference I think but she did notice that the bokeh was very nice with the GM.
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It merely comes down to

1 - I can live with the size, in fact, I like the size.
2 - I can tell the difference. I like to set the bar for quality higher than "they won't notice".
3 - I can afford it.

That's it really.
 
It's the size that really rules out the GM's for me. I go on about the costs but in reality I could afford them if I really wanted them. I just don't like bulky heavy gear and the attention it can bring.

A7 with the 85mm f1.8 and f1.4 and Canon 5D with the old Sigma f1.4.

5uYBNTk.jpg


Maybe I make too much of the weight and bulk thing.

Good luck choosing.
 
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I’ve often had the same question. I do love my 1.8 as it’s light and super quick. Sure I’d love the GM but ultimately it’s not worth the extra money for me.

Should I buy a GM I’d want to still keep the 1.8.
 
The main disadvantage with the 85mm f/1.8 is the awful purple fringing. The G.M handles this much better.

Yeah it can be removed in post most of the time but no one has mentioned how bad this lens is for it.

Add that to the busy (awful in my eyes) bokeh and it's a no from me.

Yeah it's quicker than the G.M for a.f and it is sharp but the G.M is a better lens. Like with most things you get what you pay for the G.M is a lot more expensive but I wouldn't be without mine.

The Batis doesn't get much of a mention these days but it's supposed to handle C.A quite well and is also relatively light weight.
 
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batis is larger and more expensive than the FE85 at which point I might as well keep my 85GM.
The CA wasn't a big issue for me and I didn't find it to be particularly bad.

There is no doubt GM is a better lens, but what I lose in quality might be worth the trade off in gain in portability (or not). Just wondering about that really.
 
nandbytes said:
batis is larger and more expensive than the FE85 at which point I might as well keep my 85GM.
The CA wasn't a big issue for me and I didn't find it to be particularly bad.

There is no doubt GM is a better lens, but what I lose in quality might be worth the trade off in gain in portability (or not). Just wondering about that really.
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Really?

I found it awful, absolutely the worst of any e-mount fit lens I have used.

Most of the Sony shooting wedding photographers I know agree with me too, which is why the majority that don't have the budget for the G.M or wanted a lighter lens have the Batis.
 
f/2.8 said:
Really?

I found it awful, absolutely the worst of any e-mount fit lens I have used.

Most of the Sony shooting wedding photographers I know agree with me too, which is why the majority that don't have the budget for the G.M or wanted a lighter lens have the Batis.
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Yes really. The key part of what you highlighted is *I didn't* find it to be particularly bad.
I have plenty of shots from that lens (in fact more so than my current GM since I had that lens for 2 year and GM is very recent). I haven't come across a single one that was ruined by this issue. So as far as I am concerned its a non-issue.

Edit:
And if DXO and online reviewers are to be believed batis has just as much CA as the FE85. so I don't think going down batis route really solves any CA problems.
 
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nandbytes said:
Yes really. The key part of what you highlighted is *I didn't* find it to be particularly bad.
I have plenty of shots from that lens (in fact more so than my current GM since I had that lens for 2 year and GM is very recent). I haven't come across a single one that was ruined by this issue. So as far as I am concerned its a non-issue.

Edit:
And if DXO and online reviewers are to be believed batis has just as much CA as the FE85. so I don't think going down batis route really solves any CA problems.
in fact I don't think batis is a better lens, I would go as far as saying one would only be buying it for the blue badge i.e. elitism or because they are using 1st gen body without IBIS.
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DXO reviews are so out of date now that they are no longer relevant.

I haven't used the Batis but is often discussed on the wedding photographer forums, facebook groups etc. and everyone seems to agree that is much better in terms of C.A than the 85mm f/1.8.

Maybe it's a lighting issue, as what we have to deal with is probably a lot different than you would have for non wedding related stuff. I had the 85mm f/1.8 for only a short time (a couple of months) and had issues with purple fringing every time I used it for work. That seems to be the experience that most wedding photographers have with it.

When I spoke to the guy in WEX when I was changing to the G.M he said that they often get people complaining about it.
 
simonbarker said:
If it's not making a difference to your photos or how you use the gear then in your shoes I'd sell the GM and put my time and money towards something that does.
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Good point but I can still notice the difference in rendering as I said. GM is better but to people in general they probably don't notice.
I guess it's bit of a "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

It does make some difference to how I use my gear. I always carried the FE85, now I only carry the 85GM if I feel I'll absolutely use it. So FE85 went on holidays with me 85GM stayed at home.

May be I should just go with FE85 lol
 
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with all the talk of 85mm's has anyone had much real hands on time with the samyang 85mm 1.4 af?
 
RPhotos said:
with all the talk of 85mm's has anyone had much real hands on time with the samyang 85mm 1.4 af?
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Someone had one a few pages back. From memory they ditched it because the a.f wasn't very reliable.
 
RPhotos said:
with all the talk of 85mm's has anyone had much real hands on time with the samyang 85mm 1.4 af?
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i had it and wasn't keen. struggled to nail eye focus wide open with a well lit static subject. the bokeh was not to my taste either.
 
I was using the Canon EF Sigma 85mm 1.4 all of last year for weddings, AF was absolutely spot on with the MC-11 and I loved the output. Bit of a tank, though but hard to find better for what I think was about £550 used.
 
ukaskew said:
I was using the Canon EF Sigma 85mm 1.4 all of last year for weddings, AF was absolutely spot on with the MC-11 and I loved the output. Bit of a tank, though but hard to find better for what I think was about £550 used.
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i love that lens (the first 85mm i ever owned). used the nikon mount one a lot back when i had a d610. ive really not heard of anyone using the canon one adapted on sony. how well is the eye af working?
 
addicknchips said:
i love that lens (the first 85mm i ever owned). used the nikon mount one a lot back when i had a d610. ive really not heard of anyone using the canon one adapted on sony. how well is the eye af working?
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Honestly didn't notice compared to the Zeiss 55 apart from it being a bit noisy. Similar to the 35 Art which I've also used extensively for weddings via the MC-11. Certainly both quick enough for anything I've needed and a bargain in Canon EF mount.
 
nandbytes said:
Good point but I can still notice the difference in rendering as I said. GM is better but to people in general they probably don't notice.
I guess it's bit of a "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

It does make some difference to how I use my gear. I always carried the FE85, now I only carry the 85GM if I feel I'll absolutely use it. So FE85 went on holidays with me 85GM stayed at home.

May be I should just go with FE85 lol
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Take it from someone who went FE85 > 85GM > FE85 > 85GM. Save yourself the trouble and stick with the GM. Yes it's bigger and heavier but if you're anything like me, you'll miss it and inevitably end up buying one again.
 
The rumor thinks that both Canon and Nikon may soon launch cheapo FF cameras...

https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/not...on-launch-a-900-full-frame-mirrorless-camera/

I wouldn't be interested in a camera without a VF as I don't really like back screen shooting. Would anyone be interested in a cheapie FF camera with no VF?

Also, we've maybe been a pit picture light for a couple of pages... I haven't been able to get out with a camera for a while but I bet someone reading this has and has something interesting to post...
 
woof woof said:
The rumor thinks that both Canon and Nikon may soon launch cheapo FF cameras...

https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/not...on-launch-a-900-full-frame-mirrorless-camera/

I wouldn't be interested in a camera without a VF as I don't really like back screen shooting. Would anyone be interested in a cheapie FF camera with no VF?

Also, we've maybe been a pit picture light for a couple of pages... I haven't been able to get out with a camera for a while but I bet someone reading this has and has something interesting to post...
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I wouldn't say that I have anything interesting to post, but in the interest of adding colour, here you go. From a recent trip to YWP. Ended up spending all afternoon at the Lion enclosures.

YWP-Jun19,20190609 -12935.jpg by Chris Heathcote, on Flickr

YWP-Jun19,20190609 -13004.jpg by Chris Heathcote, on Flickr

YWP-Jun19,20190609 -12948.jpg by Chris Heathcote, on Flickr
 
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