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

I hope you get it sorted one way or another Trevor.

It's another dull grey no sky and dead light day here and even though I have any number of pictures taken on days like this I'd still like to go out with my camera. Mrs WW isn't too well today and even if she was I'm tied to the house anyway and flower shots in the garden seem pointless as the light is so dead. I was thinking the other day that I/we are just treading water and passing time and I can't see any end to this but I remind myself what a wise friend told me, looking after someone is a privilege and an honour.

Soz to interrupt. Anyone got any pictures to post?
 
Back to the drawing board as they say.,

I've been contributing to this thread for a week now and have got to like it very much. As you no doubt know the only Sony units I have at the moment are my two RX cameras which I really do like very much with the output from these 1" Sensor cameras being truly remarkable.

I'd like to take my Sony experience to the next stage so during this past week I've been looking into equipping myself with a Sony CSC system and thought the A6600 would serve most of my needs but most of the reports on the lenses for this system give the impression that optically they leave a little to be desired, certainly compared to the excellent optics for my Fuji-X system. If someone can advise me that this is wrong I should be more than interested to know.

I thought that I'd stick with an APS-C system as equipment weight is a concern of mine for one reason and another. However I'm not prepared to accept a dip in optical quality so I'm seriously considering going for a Sony FF system, as just on this thread alone I've seen some outstandingly detailed images from the FF units. A 24 megapixel unit would be more than enough for me with lenses preferably zoom to take in around 15mm FL up to around 200mm FL in FF terms.

Bearing in mind that when using my Fuji-XH1 system I always use it with the battery pack so do you think that something like the Sony A7iii body would be of similar size, bulk, & weight to my Fuji body with battery pack. As of yet I've not even seen an A7iii for myself hence the question. I know the lenses are likely to be heavier but I I'm sure I can work around that one way or another.

If I do decide to go Sony FF can you point me in the right direction as to the best lenses with "Optical Quality" being of paramount importance over fast aperture and speed of focus etc. Sorry for all the questions but I'm totally 100% new to the Sony system so any help in this matter would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks.,

George.
 
G.K.Jnr. said:
Back to the drawing board as they say.,

I've been contributing to this thread for a week now and have got to like it very much. As you no doubt know the only Sony units I have at the moment are my two RX cameras which I really do like very much with the output from these 1" Sensor cameras being truly remarkable.

I'd like to take my Sony experience to the next stage so during this past week I've been looking into equipping myself with a Sony CSC system and thought the A6600 would serve most of my needs but most of the reports on the lenses for this system give the impression that optically they leave a little to be desired, certainly compared to the excellent optics for my Fuji-X system. If someone can advise me that this is wrong I should be more than interested to know.

I thought that I'd stick with an APS-C system as equipment weight is a concern of mine for one reason and another. However I'm not prepared to accept a dip in optical quality so I'm seriously considering going for a Sony FF system, as just on this thread alone I've seen some outstandingly detailed images from the FF units. A 24 megapixel unit would be more than enough for me with lenses preferably zoom to take in around 15mm FL up to around 200mm FL in FF terms.

Bearing in mind that when using my Fuji-XH1 system I always use it with the battery pack so do you think that something like the Sony A7iii body would be of similar size, bulk, & weight to my Fuji body with battery pack. As of yet I've not even seen an A7iii for myself hence the question. I know the lenses are likely to be heavier but I I'm sure I can work around that one way or another.

If I do decide to go Sony FF can you point me in the right direction as to the best lenses with "Optical Quality" being of paramount importance over fast aperture and speed of focus etc. Sorry for all the questions but I'm totally 100% new to the Sony system so any help in this matter would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks.,

George.
Click to expand...
George the A7III will actually be a bit smaller than the XH1 with weight being a fraction less. The only concern I have for the A7III and older bodies is that there's not a lot of room between the grip and lens. The A7RIV and A9-II are better, but even then with something like an 85mm f1.4 there's not much room. Definitely worth trying before you buy imo, although not everyone has shovels like me ;) Also, you may find the EVF isn't quite as good as the Fuji.

In terms of lenses if you're going for Sony then the best will inevitably be the GM's, but for me it's always a question of usage and what's deemed acceptable. For example, I've recently bought the 16-35mm f4, and whilst the f2.8 GM is a better lens it's the best part of £1k more and I will always use a lens like this stopped down to f8-11 in which the difference in sharpness starts to become negligible.

You have 3 options regarding a 70-200mm type lens, the 70-200mm f2.8 GM, the 70-200mm f4, and the Tamron 70-180mm f2.8. There's pros and cons for each. The 70-200mm f2.8 GM is probably the best of the bunch, but also is a hefty beast at circa 1500g. The f4 is much more manageable being just over 800g and looks a cracking lens, but then the Tamron 70-180mm looks the best of both worlds in that it's f2.8 but only weighs just over 800g. The only downsides to the Tamron are no OSS, no tripod collar and no focus limiter. Optically it's great though.

Tamron are actually making some cracking lenses, albeit at slightly odd focal lengths. They have a 'holy trinity' for the Sony system, the 17-28mm f2.8, 28-75mm f2.8, and 70-180mm f2.8.

If you want a portrait lens then the 85mm f1.4 GM is hard to beat, but again it's pricey. Sigma have just launched a new 85mm f1.4 Art e-mount which looks a cracker, but the Sony 85mm f1.8 is an excellent performer, very sharp and very fast AF. Some question the bokeh but I've been more than happy with it, and have no complaints about the rendering.


Screenshot 2020-08-27 at 13.46.33.png
 
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G.K.Jnr. said:
Back to the drawing board as they say.,

I've been contributing to this thread for a week now and have got to like it very much. As you no doubt know the only Sony units I have at the moment are my two RX cameras which I really do like very much with the output from these 1" Sensor cameras being truly remarkable.

I'd like to take my Sony experience to the next stage so during this past week I've been looking into equipping myself with a Sony CSC system and thought the A6600 would serve most of my needs but most of the reports on the lenses for this system give the impression that optically they leave a little to be desired, certainly compared to the excellent optics for my Fuji-X system. If someone can advise me that this is wrong I should be more than interested to know.

I thought that I'd stick with an APS-C system as equipment weight is a concern of mine for one reason and another. However I'm not prepared to accept a dip in optical quality so I'm seriously considering going for a Sony FF system, as just on this thread alone I've seen some outstandingly detailed images from the FF units. A 24 megapixel unit would be more than enough for me with lenses preferably zoom to take in around 15mm FL up to around 200mm FL in FF terms.

Bearing in mind that when using my Fuji-XH1 system I always use it with the battery pack so do you think that something like the Sony A7iii body would be of similar size, bulk, & weight to my Fuji body with battery pack. As of yet I've not even seen an A7iii for myself hence the question. I know the lenses are likely to be heavier but I I'm sure I can work around that one way or another.

If I do decide to go Sony FF can you point me in the right direction as to the best lenses with "Optical Quality" being of paramount importance over fast aperture and speed of focus etc. Sorry for all the questions but I'm totally 100% new to the Sony system so any help in this matter would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks.,

George.
Click to expand...

The best three lenses available for Sony APSC are all made by Sigma. All 3 are excellent!

Sigma 16mm f1.4
Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Sigma 56mm f/1.4

If you are going full frame and not at all concerned about a.f speed and accuracy Samyang have some very good lenses in terms of optics.

If you want excellent optical performance and a.f performance all of the Sony lenses excluding the 50mm f/1.8, 50mm f/2.8 and the 28mm f/2 are excellent. Just avoid those ones.

The best 2 lenses for Sony full frame are the 24mm GM and the 135mm GM.
 
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I assume you've seen this site before?

Compact Camera Meter

Compare unlimited number of cameras with lenses, see how compact or bulky a camera is and sort by height, width, depth and weight.
camerasize.com

If you haven't note that you can select a lens to mount and see the camera from different viewpoints.

On the A6xxx line and its lenses... I've only ever used bodies and kit lenses belonging to other people but... I personally really wouldn't worry about ultimate sharpness or state of the art lenses and unless a lens is condemned as an absolute dog by every reviewer and user I suspect it'd be ok for me. But that's just me.

I have read people enthusing about the Sigma APS-C lens options for these cameras so maybe they could be worth a look. See f2.8's post as I type!

I have MFT cameras and lenses but to be honest much of the time I'm happy enough with the bulk and weight of my FF A7 and a 24/28/35/50mm lens and body wise the A7 is only an evf hump and a grip bigger than my MFT RF style bodies although lenses can make a difference. The later mk2/3 bodies are slightly bigger too.
 
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snerkler said:
George the A7III will actually be a bit smaller than the XH1 with weight being a fraction less. The only concern I have for the A7III and older bodies is that there's not a lot of room between the grip and lens. The A7RIV and A9-II are better, but even then with something like an 85mm f1.4 there's not much room. Definitely worth trying before you buy imo, although not everyone has shovels like me ;) Also, you may find the EVF isn't quite as good as the Fuji.

In terms of lenses if you're going for Sony then the best will inevitably be the GM's, but for me it's always a question of usage and what's deemed acceptable. For example, I've recently bought the 16-35mm f4, and whilst the f2.8 GM is a better lens it's the best part of £1k more and I will always use a lens like this stopped down to f8-11 in which the difference in sharpness starts to become negligible.

You have 3 options regarding a 70-200mm type lens, the 70-200mm f2.8 GM, the 70-200mm f4, and the Tamron 70-180mm f2.8. There's pros and cons for each. The 70-200mm f2.8 GM is probably the best of the bunch, but also is a hefty beast at circa 1500g. The f4 is much more manageable being just over 800g and looks a cracking lens, but then the Tamron 70-180mm looks the best of both worlds in that it's f2.8 but only weighs just over 800g. The only downsides to the Tamron are no OSS, no tripod collar and no focus limiter. Optically it's great though.

Tamron are actually making some cracking lenses, albeit at slightly odd focal lengths. They have a 'holy trinity' for the Sony system, the 17-28mm f2.8, 28-75mm f2.8, and 70-180mm f2.8.

If you want a portrait lens then the 85mm f1.4 GM is hard to beat, but again it's pricey. Sigma have just launched a new 85mm f1.4 Art e-mount which looks a cracker, but the Sony 85mm f1.8 is an excellent performer, very sharp and very fast AF. Some question the bokeh but I've been more than happy with it, and have no complaints about the rendering.


View attachment 290934
Click to expand...

Very many thanks for all of that Toby, and for taking the time & effort to put it all together for me. Very, Very, helpful.(y)

George.
 
f/2.8 said:
The best three lenses available for Sony APSC are all made by Sigma. All 3 are excellent!

Sigma 16mm f1.4
Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Sigma 56mm f/1.4

If you are going full frame and not at all concerned about a.f speed and accuracy Samyang have some very good lenses in terms of optics.

If you want excellent optical performance and a.f performance all of the Sony lenses excluding the 50mm f/1.8, 50mm f/2.8 and the 28mm f/2 are excellent. Just avoid those ones.

The best 2 lenses for Sony full frame are the 24mm GM and the 135mm GM.
Click to expand...


Very many thanks for that Tommy, that's very helpful but those would be in addition at a later date. Initially I'm after zoom lenses.

George.
 
G.K.Jnr. said:
Very many thanks for that Tommy, that's very helpful but those would be in addition at a later date. Initially I'm after zoom lenses.

George.
Click to expand...

Personally I like the Tamrons as I don't use zoom lenses a lot and these are nice and light. I have the 17-28 f/2.8 and its a much better performer than the Sony 16-35 f/4. I also have the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 which is also very good and and absolute steal for the price they are sold at. Can't say I have even ever thought about upgrading to the G.M versions. I haven't got the Tamron 70-180mm but it gets steller reviews.
 
f/2.8 said:
Personally I like the Tamrons as I don't use zoom lenses a lot and these are nice and light. I have the 17-28 f/2.8 and its a much better performer than the Sony 16-35 f/4. I also have the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 which is also very good and and absolute steal for the price they are sold at. Can't say I have even ever thought about upgrading to the G.M versions. I haven't got the Tamron 70-180mm but it gets steller reviews.
Click to expand...

That's very helpful Tommy, I hadn't even considered "Tamron Lenses" (as they don't make them for my Fuji gear). I'll check them all out. Thank You.(y)

George.
 
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Fuji Dave said:
@G.K.Jnr. I think my little A7 III is one cracking camera and not heavy at all. On great lenses I`d say maybe the GM ones as just treated my self now to the Sony FE 135mm f1.8 G Master.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for that Dave, that's very useful.(y)

George.
 
Just on 1" compacts.

I took my Panasonic TZ100 to a party at the weekend, I think I took 38 pictures at ISO's up to 3,200 mostly with flash and every one is in focus and usable. They don't stand up to pixel peeping like FF but they're all usable and in fact look good as whole pictures and a record and memory of the occasion. I think that's great for a small format system.
 
@snerkler @Fuji Dave and any other owners of A7riv

Could you possibly tell me if you’re able to select a focus point and focus using a camera app. Sadly it can’t be done with my A7riii.
Any app will do.
Apparently Sony have crippled this feature themselves.
 
trevorbray said:
@snerkler @Fuji Dave and any other owners of A7riv

Could you possibly tell me if you’re able to select a focus point and focus using a camera app. Sadly it can’t be done with my A7riii.
Any app will do.
Apparently Sony have crippled this feature themselves.
Click to expand...


I have not tried any apps for mine, but I have it set to focus if I tap the screen.
 
Fuji Dave said:
I have not tried any apps for mine, but I have it set to focus if I tap the screen.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave. If you get chance could you possibly download Camrote and try it for me.
Appreciate it.
 
G.K.Jnr. said:
Back to the drawing board as they say.,

I've been contributing to this thread for a week now and have got to like it very much. As you no doubt know the only Sony units I have at the moment are my two RX cameras which I really do like very much with the output from these 1" Sensor cameras being truly remarkable.

I'd like to take my Sony experience to the next stage so during this past week I've been looking into equipping myself with a Sony CSC system and thought the A6600 would serve most of my needs but most of the reports on the lenses for this system give the impression that optically they leave a little to be desired, certainly compared to the excellent optics for my Fuji-X system. If someone can advise me that this is wrong I should be more than interested to know.

I thought that I'd stick with an APS-C system as equipment weight is a concern of mine for one reason and another. However I'm not prepared to accept a dip in optical quality so I'm seriously considering going for a Sony FF system, as just on this thread alone I've seen some outstandingly detailed images from the FF units. A 24 megapixel unit would be more than enough for me with lenses preferably zoom to take in around 15mm FL up to around 200mm FL in FF terms.

Bearing in mind that when using my Fuji-XH1 system I always use it with the battery pack so do you think that something like the Sony A7iii body would be of similar size, bulk, & weight to my Fuji body with battery pack. As of yet I've not even seen an A7iii for myself hence the question. I know the lenses are likely to be heavier but I I'm sure I can work around that one way or another.

If I do decide to go Sony FF can you point me in the right direction as to the best lenses with "Optical Quality" being of paramount importance over fast aperture and speed of focus etc. Sorry for all the questions but I'm totally 100% new to the Sony system so any help in this matter would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks.,

George.
Click to expand...
George the A7 iii is smaller than the XH-1 and there's no need for a grip with extra batteries, i'm astounded at the battery life coming from Fuji. I just did 2 weeks on holiday and never charged mine once !!!

The 24-105 is a cracking all round lens and really sharp.

I also got the 55 1.8 Zeiss which is tiny and super sharp.

I've just bought the 85 Zeiss Batis from the classifieds, not arriving until tomorrow but i've watched so many reviews it seems a cracker.

Considering adding a 70-200 F4 then i'll be pretty much done, although I want a Sigma 135mm i'm not sure I "need" it lol

I really don't think size and weight is an issue coming from an XH-1, as you know with a grip and extra batteries that's quite a beast to lug around. I ditched my XH-1 grip after a couple of weeks it was just too bulky to wander around the streets with.
 
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Ge
G.K.Jnr. said:
Back to the drawing board as they say.,

I've been contributing to this thread for a week now and have got to like it very much. As you no doubt know the only Sony units I have at the moment are my two RX cameras which I really do like very much with the output from these 1" Sensor cameras being truly remarkable.

I'd like to take my Sony experience to the next stage so during this past week I've been looking into equipping myself with a Sony CSC system and thought the A6600 would serve most of my needs but most of the reports on the lenses for this system give the impression that optically they leave a little to be desired, certainly compared to the excellent optics for my Fuji-X system. If someone can advise me that this is wrong I should be more than interested to know.

I thought that I'd stick with an APS-C system as equipment weight is a concern of mine for one reason and another. However I'm not prepared to accept a dip in optical quality so I'm seriously considering going for a Sony FF system, as just on this thread alone I've seen some outstandingly detailed images from the FF units. A 24 megapixel unit would be more than enough for me with lenses preferably zoom to take in around 15mm FL up to around 200mm FL in FF terms.

Bearing in mind that when using my Fuji-XH1 system I always use it with the battery pack so do you think that something like the Sony A7iii body would be of similar size, bulk, & weight to my Fuji body with battery pack. As of yet I've not even seen an A7iii for myself hence the question. I know the lenses are likely to be heavier but I I'm sure I can work around that one way or another.

If I do decide to go Sony FF can you point me in the right direction as to the best lenses with "Optical Quality" being of paramount importance over fast aperture and speed of focus etc. Sorry for all the questions but I'm totally 100% new to the Sony system so any help in this matter would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks.,

George.
Click to expand...
George, I'm currently using a Sony A6000 as a secondary light camera, along with the Sony 10-18 f4 and 18-135 f3.5-5.6. If the raw files are processed correctly, the image quality is very good indeed. I also have a Sigma 30mm f2.8, but the jury is out on that one as it seems to need extra sharpening, which is something I'm not accustomed to having to do. But it was only cheap!
 
imattersuk said:
George the A7 iii is smaller than the XH-1 and there's no need for a grip with extra batteries, i'm astounded at the battery life coming from Fuji. I just did 2 weeks on holiday and never charged mine once !!!

The 24-105 is a cracking all round lens and really sharp.

I also got the 55 1.8 Zeiss which is tiny and super sharp.

I've just bought the 85 Zeiss Batis from the classifieds, not arriving until tomorrow but i've watched so many reviews it seems a cracker.

Considering adding a 70-200 F4 then i'll be pretty much done, although i want a Sigma 135mm i'm not sure I "need" it lol

I really don't think size and weight is an issue coming from an XH-1, as you know with a grip and extra batteries that's quite a beast to lug around. I ditched my XH-1 grip after a couple of weeks it was just too bulky to wander around the streets with.
Click to expand...


Many thanks for that Pete, I still love my Fuji-X gear and have no intentions of outing it. As mentioned earlier that I know you know for most of last year I was unable to carry anything heavy unless I had an assistant with me, so I bought an RX100M6 & RX10M4 which have given me extremely satisfactory results hence starting to post in the Sony thread. But as I suspected the Sony bug has started to bite so I want to up my game and take my Sony experience further but it must be able to match or surpass the results I get from my Fuji units. I don't need a huge system as I'm no longer "Personally" shooting F1 & other motor sport but as a company we are still fully operative, just in a different way. All my studio work is now done on the Fuji medium format gear so the Sony equipment will be purely for my personal use.

George.
 
Stephen L said:
Ge

George, I'm currently using a Sony A6000 as a secondary light camera, along with the Sony 10-18 f4 and 18-135 f3.5-5.6. If the raw files are processed correctly, the image quality is very good indeed. I also have a Sigma 30mm f2.8, but the jury is out on that one as it seems to need extra sharpening, which is something I'm not accustomed to having to do. But it was only cheap!
Click to expand...


Many thanks for that Stephen, I'm still undecided as to which way to go with regards to Sony. I still need to do some more research but all I know at the moment is Mr Sony is calling me very loudly.:):)

George.
 
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trevorbray said:
@snerkler @Fuji Dave and any other owners of A7riv

Could you possibly tell me if you’re able to select a focus point and focus using a camera app. Sadly it can’t be done with my A7riii.
Any app will do.
Apparently Sony have crippled this feature themselves.
Click to expand...

Haven’t t had an A7RIV in a good while but when I did no you could not focus when using an app. You can’t with any of the newer cameras not even the A9II.
 
trevorbray said:
@snerkler @Fuji Dave and any other owners of A7riv

Could you possibly tell me if you’re able to select a focus point and focus using a camera app. Sadly it can’t be done with my A7riii.
Any app will do.
Apparently Sony have crippled this feature themselves.
Click to expand...


Trevor, I've probably completely got the wrong end of the stick but I have Sony's own "Imaging Edge" installed on my iPhone and I should imagine its available for other cell phones. You can certainly control things like aperture/shutter ISO etc with it. Might be worth giving it a go.
As I said I've probably got the wrong end of the stick and my apologies if I have.

George.
 
trevorbray said:
@snerkler @Fuji Dave and any other owners of A7riv

Could you possibly tell me if you’re able to select a focus point and focus using a camera app. Sadly it can’t be done with my A7riii.
Any app will do.
Apparently Sony have crippled this feature themselves.
Click to expand...
I’ve never tried but if I get chance in the next few days I’ll give it a whirl (y)
 
G.K.Jnr. said:
Trevor, I've probably completely got the wrong end of the stick but I have Sony's own "Imaging Edge" installed on my iPhone and I should imagine its available for other cell phones. You can certainly control things like aperture/shutter ISO etc with it. Might be worth giving it a go.
As I said I've probably got the wrong end of the stick and my apologies if I have.

George.
Click to expand...

Thanks George. I’ve tried it. Still can’t move the focus point or focus the camera using my phone touch screen. Seems it’s all down to the software in camera. The blame lies with Sony. Happy to upgrade from my A7riii to A7riv to get this feature. Looking unlikely though.
 
So I finally took the zony 16-35 out for its first outing. It was an absolute car crash. I was completely lost, it really isn't a natural field of view for me, the widest I have ever gone is 45mm and it shows, I had no idea how to frame stuff and it is all so damn far away. This will be my challenge for the next few months and it will be a tough one
 
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G.K.Jnr. said:
I’m not outing my Fuji-X gear, Sony is all in addition.
Click to expand...
Good to hear George, Sony is like a super model, ruthless and gets the job done but cold and sterile, Fujifilm is like a beautiful woman with a warm personality that you would take home and introduce to your mother :D
 
Trevor have you tried Camoodoo? It cant adjust focus point, however it does seem to focus when you slide the shutter button
 
dcash29 said:
Trevor have you tried Camoodoo? It cant adjust focus point, however it does seem to focus when you slide the shutter button
Click to expand...

I’ll give it a go. Thanks
 
MrMackyB said:
So I finally took the zony 16-35 out for its first outing. It was an absolute car crash. I was completely lost, it really isn't a natural field of view for me, the widest I have ever gone is 45mm and it shows, I had no idea how to frame stuff and it is all so damn far away. This will be my challenge for the next few months and it will be a tough one
Click to expand...
UWA takes some getting used and certainly requires a different approach to composition, but stick with it and you'll get there in no time.
 
MrMackyB said:
So I finally took the zony 16-35 out for its first outing. It was an absolute car crash. I was completely lost, it really isn't a natural field of view for me, the widest I have ever gone is 45mm and it shows, I had no idea how to frame stuff and it is all so damn far away. This will be my challenge for the next few months and it will be a tough one
Click to expand...

An ultra-wide is good for changing perspective, rather than fitting more in. stop down a bit, go in wide & close, using the zoom to control the size of stuff in the background.
 
Just seen the 70-200mm f4 is reduced down to £999 at the moment, any idea if this is a permanent thing or offer? Quite tempted.
 
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