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

beercan said:
Hi all
I've just picked up an A6000 and 16-50 and I'm really pleased with initial results.
I've noticed a few posts about the benefit of using cheap older lenses from minolta etc.
Does anyone have a link to a simple review or info site about this including adapters etc? It seems like a bit of a minefield!
Thanks,
Steve
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If you're talking AF adapters you have your answer from the knowledgeable and helpful Nandbytes.

If you're talking film era manual focus lenses just buy cheap adapters off evil bay or you could buy a branded one at many times the price. I have some Novoflex adapters which cost in the region of £90-110 but to be honest if you get a good cheap adapter for £10-15 they're every bit as good.

Other than that the newer Minolta MD lenses generally give you a more modern look whereas the earlier MC lenses can give you a more characterful look. Both have their place :D
 
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Photo bomber!

qKWWvJF.jpg
 
nandbytes said:
E-MOUNT stuff does it's value quite well except for the bodies (but I think bodies from any brand drops in value over time).

Well for the amount it'll cost you to buy LA-EA4 you can probably upgrade the to A7II for about the same amount or a little more. Then get the mc-11 for £150-ish and you can just continue using your canon glass. Seems cheaper or about the same as LA-EA4+a-mount glass.
That way you give your canon glass a new life and you have a better slightly better body.

On the other hand you could move back to canon but you'll have a worst sensor.
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Now I've had a scratch round the only ef Canon glass I have left is the 85mm F1.8, so that is not actually a big deal

Guess I'd get 300-350 for my a7 body, less £220 I'd pay for the LA-EA4, are a7ii bodies available around £600? If not a new LA-EA4 and S/H SAL70300 should do what I want for around my budget.
 
puggie said:
Now I've had a scratch round the only ef Canon glass I have left is the 85mm F1.8, so that is not actually a big deal

Guess I'd get 300-350 for my a7 body, less £220 I'd pay for the LA-EA4, are a7ii bodies available around £600? If not a new LA-EA4 and S/H SAL70300 should do what I want for around my budget.
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With the current cashback you can get a new A7II for £700, so you can definitely find a used one around £550 (give or take £50)

But AF wise, A7+EA4 is better than A7II with EA3 or mc-11.
But with A7II you get stabilization which you don't with A7 as body lacks IBIS and a-mount lenses lack OS. I personally didn't care for this but I know a lot of people do.

You just need to pick and choose your compromise at this point. Tamron 70-300mm (latest version) is just as good as Sony SAL70300. Only thing is it lacks of AF limiter which could make it a little slower to lock-on AF.
Cobra said:
There is £300 cash back on the A7II until Sept. 1st.
This seems like a good deal to me ( £699 after cash back)
https://www.jessops.com/p/sony/alpha-a7-mkii-compact-system-camera-body-95132
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Beat me to it :D
 
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nandbytes said:
Join us :D
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Toying with the idea, but the thing that's holding me back is I am "Heavily invested" in Canon.
I shoot zoo / animal stuff mostly, and a 100-400L II lens ( or even the 70-200 L 2.8 II ( with adapter) screwed on the front
will I feel, make it feel rather unbalanced.
The 7D II with a grip is quite well balanced, with both these. :thinking:
 
Cobra said:
:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

But I thought the "Dark side" was Nikon?

:D
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Sony is the new dark side. :D

As for lenses, you could use your L zooms on the A7ii adapted but AF will be slow. The A7 & ii struggle with AFC with native lenses and via adapted its even worse.

The MC11 has been updated a few times since and performance will be a little better than below... in good light with the lens nearer wide open in AFS it will be usable with fairly static subjects.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cKmA5rJe_M
 
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twist said:
Sony is the new dark side. :D

As for lenses, you could use your L zooms on the A7ii adapted but AF will be slow. The A7 & ii struggle with AFC with native lenses and via adapted its even worse.

The MC11 has been updated a few times since and performance will be a little better than below... in good light with the lens nearer wide open in AFS it will be usable with fairly static subjects.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cKmA5rJe_M
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Thanks (y)
I see see what you mean about "slow" I'm not sure it would actually serve my purpose after all :(
 
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Cobra said:
Thanks (y)
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No problem, you have an action cam/zoom setup, the A7ii will be slow (native lenses) and very slow/frustrating (adapted) in comparison. IMO a better addition for walkabout rather than replacement, you'll have to spend a lot more to get AF on par with what you currently have.
 
twist said:
IMO a better addition for walkabout rather than replacement.
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Thanks again, that's pretty much the conclusion I came to.
At present I use a canon SX 520 HS for that,
Maybe its worth the up grade for that though :thinking:
 
Cobra said:
Thanks again, that's pretty much the conclusion I came to.
At present I use a canon SX 520 HS for that,
Maybe its worth the up grade for that though :thinking:
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Perhaps, depends on how much you want to spend on lenses and what focal lengths you need/want as it could become really expensive buying into the system. What focal lengths will you want for the camera?
 
twist said:
What focal lengths will you want for the camera?
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Well as the 520 is equivalent to about 1000 ( digital) mm :D

I hadn't really looked in to actual costs, until now, I've just been reading through the thread, and was very impressed with the results (y)
However I've just been looking and the Sony Macro 100mm 2.8 is 1/3 more expensive than the canon I already own.
And the Sony 24-105 @around £1100 is a tad more, than the canon version ( again that I already own).

I'm thinking that It wasn't wasn't such a good idea after all now.
A very expensive way to try out mirrorless!
Its a back burner project for now, I think ...

Thanks for all the help (y)
 
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Cobra said:
Well as the 520 is equivalent to about 1000 ( digital) mm :D

I hadn't really looked in to actual costs, until now, I've just been reading through the thread, and was very impressed with the results (y)
However I've just been looking and the Sony Macro 100mm 2.8 is 1/3 more expensive than the canon I already own.
And the Sony 24-105 @around £1100 is a tad more, than the canon version ( again that I already own).

I'm thinking that It wasn't wasn't such a good idea after all now.
A very expensive way to try out mirrorless!
Its a back burner project for now, I think ...

Thanks for all the help (y)
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You can pick up the Sony 90mm macro for around 600 used or Sigma 70mm macro for 400 new (Id personally just adapt and use MF for macro), the Tamron 28-75 2.8 is excellent and around 700 new. Samyang has prime options which are cheap and tiny (around £200 each), Sony has the 28 f2 (under 300) / 50 1.8 (150) and 85 1.8 (400 used) which are all good options.
 
A few mentions of cashback on this page. For what it's worth I've had two top notch experiences with Sony cashback recently. Waited the 30 days, uploaded my Amazon invoice and picture of the serial number, money was in my account within 3 or 4 days.

Quite a few companies max out the 28 day payment thing so I was impressed to have £500 through so quickly.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Just paid for a used LA-EA4 from LCE for £150. :)
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In good condition? Most I see around that money have damaged mirror edges.

The A7ii looks very tempting, but I think the LA-EA4 will probably suit me better, I think even with the A7ii the LA-EA4 would be the way to go, the Canon convertor looks clunky.
 
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puggie said:
In good condition? Most I see around that money have damaged mirror edges.

The A7ii looks very tempting, but I think the LA-EA4 will probably suit me better, I think even with the A7ii the LA-EA4 would be the way to go, the Canon convertor looks clunky.
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LCE Plymouth - the advert *said* good condition, so we'll have to wait & see.
 
Hypothetical question time (as GAS is creeping up on me) I currently shoot Fuji and own an X-H1 and X-T2 with the following lenses:
23mm F1.4
16mm F1.4
56mm F1.2
IF and I say IF I was to replace both bodies for an A7iii how much would it cost me to replicate the same lens line up I currently own? Thinking of moving over, and I will hire a body for a week based on your venerable knowledge (That is, if the lenses won't cripple me financially)
Thanks,
Nick
 
NickTB said:
Hypothetical question time (as GAS is creeping up on me) I currently shoot Fuji and own an X-H1 and X-T2 with the following lenses:
23mm F1.4
16mm F1.4
56mm F1.2
IF and I say IF I was to replace both bodies for an A7iii how much would it cost me to replicate the same lens line up I currently own? Thinking of moving over, and I will hire a body for a week based on your venerable knowledge (That is, if the lenses won't cripple me financially)
Thanks,
Nick
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24 1.4 - over 1k used
35 1.4 - about 900-1k used
85 1.8 - 400 used

Could save by going sigma for the 24/35. Could also look at 24/35 2.8 from samyang and 50 1.8 Sony and save even more.
 
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NickTB said:
Hypothetical question time (as GAS is creeping up on me) I currently shoot Fuji and own an X-H1 and X-T2 with the following lenses:
23mm F1.4
16mm F1.4
56mm F1.2
IF and I say IF I was to replace both bodies for an A7iii how much would it cost me to replicate the same lens line up I currently own? Thinking of moving over, and I will hire a body for a week based on your venerable knowledge (That is, if the lenses won't cripple me financially)
Thanks,
Nick
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You will need

24/1.4
35/1.4
85/1.4 (sorry no 1.2)

Depends...if you go Samyang it will be about £2k for all 3 lenses? If they do a 24/1.4.

If you go Sigma then it will be about 2500 ish.

If you go Sony GM with Zeiss you are looking at about £4500.
 
Raymond Lin said:
You will need

24/1.4
35/1.4
85/1.4 (sorry no 1.2)

Depends...if you go Samyang it will be about £2k for all 3 lenses? If they do a 24/1.4.

If you go Sigma then it will be about 2500 ish.

If you go Sony GM with Zeiss you are looking at about £4500.
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Not really for equivalencies in dof
 
Raymond Lin said:
You will need

24/1.4
35/1.4
85/1.4 (sorry no 1.2)

Depends...if you go Samyang it will be about £2k for all 3 lenses? If they do a 24/1.4.

If you go Sigma then it will be about 2500 ish.

If you go Sony GM with Zeiss you are looking at about £4500.
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Guess that answers my question then!! Thanks all. Just not convinced an additional £2k just to replace my focal lengths will justify the iq increase
 
NickTB said:
Guess that answers my question then!! Thanks all. Just not convinced an additional £2k just to replace my focal lengths will justify the iq increase
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It's a tough one as you have some of the best lenses Fuji produce, all 3 are very highly rated.
 
Cagey75 said:
It's a tough one as you have some of the best lenses Fuji produce, all 3 are very highly rated.
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My thoughts exactly. The glass is stellar. And reasonably priced too. I just fancy a crack at full frame and the Sony has always appealed to me
 
NickTB said:
Guess that answers my question then!! Thanks all. Just not convinced an additional £2k just to replace my focal lengths will justify the iq increase
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You’d be looking at about 1400 with 2x arts and 1x 85 1.8. Your Fuji’s must be worth about that?
 
NickTB said:
My thoughts exactly. The glass is stellar. And reasonably priced too. I just fancy a crack at full frame and the Sony has always appealed to me
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I know the feeling, almost went for the A7III before I decided to bail on the idea as the lenses I'd want are just beyond my budget right now. So I settled on the XH1, not sad about that as I'm really enjoying it. Though my Xh1 + 16-55 2.8 and the fringer adapter I have would get me an A7III and a couple cheap primes so it's always a possibility

Your lenses must be worth close to £1800? I see them go t for up to 600 a piece used £1600 at the least I imagine if they are in decent nick
 
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