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

nandbytes said:
I saw it over the weekend and mostly begrudgingly agree with them :-/
One point I don't agree on is the dynamic range.
but otherwise Z7ii does have some really nice features or landscape photographer than A7RIV doesn't.
Same goes for R5 actually.
Sony needs to start working on their usability features.....
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Yup.

Although I'll probably rarely if ever use the bells and whistles as it's very mostly aperture or manual and press the button for me I can see how people will increasingly expect these things to be in cameras and will be baffled when they aren't. A good application of touch screen tech springs to mind. Newer generations will expect these things to be available and working well straight out of the box especially as companies are now targeting the tiktok, youtube and other platform generations.

You could understand features being missing or present but clunky if camera gear was made by some old school photography enthusiast outfit but Sony and Canikon are massive companies which should easily capable of integrating the features and abilities many users want.
 
I'm about to pull the trigger on a Sigma 45mm f2.8 as I love the 35mm f2 and don't like using my Zony 50mm 1.4 for around town. It's far too heavy and conspicuous. Before I do, does anyone have any horror stories? I've heard the AF can be iffy.
 
Cupotea said:
I'm about to pull the trigger on a Sigma 45mm f2.8 as I love the 35mm f2 and don't like using my Zony 50mm 1.4 for around town. It's far too heavy and conspicuous. Before I do, does anyone have any horror stories? I've heard the AF can be iffy.
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you should buy my samyang 45mm f1.8 in sales instead ;)
but regardless of where you buy things from unless you are after the weathersealing and build of the sigma you should also consider the samyang :)
 
nandbytes said:
you should buy my samyang 45mm f1.8 in sales instead ;)
but regardless of where you buy things from unless you are after the weathersealing and build of the sigma you should also consider the samyang :)
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The Sigma 35 is just a joy to use with its lovely aperture ring and even the feel of the MF is a step up on most. I'd happily sacrifice a stop and a bit for those in something closer to 50mm....unless there are any particular pitfalls. I can see me getting the 24 and 65 at some point but a small walk around 50ish is higher up the priority list though I've heard it's dissimilar in some ways to the newer ones.
 
Cupotea said:
The Sigma 35 is just a joy to use with its lovely aperture ring and even the feel of the MF is a step up on most. I'd happily sacrifice a stop and a bit for those in something closer to 50mm....unless there are any particular pitfalls. I can see me getting the 24 and 65 at some point but a small walk around 50ish is higher up the priority list though I've heard it's dissimilar in some ways to the newer ones.
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how about the sony 50mm f2.5 G?
 
Cupotea said:
I'm about to pull the trigger on a Sigma 45mm f2.8 as I love the 35mm f2 and don't like using my Zony 50mm 1.4 for around town. It's far too heavy and conspicuous. Before I do, does anyone have any horror stories? I've heard the AF can be iffy.
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I love mine. Build quality is excellent, and it has (almost) as good a feel as Voigtlanders. No problems with AF, and of course the analogue aperture ring is great. Good as the Samyangs are optically, their build is very plastic.
 
Stephen L said:
I love mine. Build quality is excellent, and it has (almost) as good a feel as Voigtlanders. No problems with AF, and of course the analogue aperture ring is great. Good as the Samyangs are optically, their build is very plastic.
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you have to pay to get better built lenses ;)
I think overall optics wise there isn't really a bad lens these days. you are really paying for the rest of it.
 
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nandbytes said:
how about the sony 50mm f2.5 G?
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It's a lot more than a pre-owned 'as new' Sigma.

Stephen L said:
I love mine. Build quality is excellent, and it has (almost) as good a feel as Voigtlanders. No problems with AF, and of course the analogue aperture ring is great. Good as the Samyangs are optically, their build is very plastic.
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Cheers Stephen, that'll do for me! How do you find it wide open?
 
Cupotea said:
It's a lot more than a pre-owned 'as new' Sigma.


Cheers Stephen, that'll do for me! How do you find it wide open?
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but its a true 50mm rather than close to 50mm ;)
I find 45mm a bit close to 35mm, one of the reasons I'm selling mine.
 
nandbytes said:
but its a true 50mm rather than close to 50mm ;)
I find 45mm a bit close to 35mm, one of the reasons I'm selling mine.
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Well now you're just making me think too much!

One of the other reasons for the Sigma is that it's only £380. Literally half what I'd have to fork out for the Sony which is in turn not that much less than what I'd get if I decided to sell my 1.4 ZA. As I can see myself getting the 65 at some point, 45 is probably fine compared to a 50.
 
Cupotea said:
It's a lot more than a pre-owned 'as new' Sigma.


Cheers Stephen, that'll do for me! How do you find it wide open?
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To be honest I’ve not yet used it wide-open. Not my normal style of shooting.
 
nandbytes said:
but its a true 50mm rather than close to 50mm ;)
I find 45mm a bit close to 35mm, one of the reasons I'm selling mine.
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And thats why I sold my 35mm :D
 
Cupotea said:
Well now you're just making me think too much!

One of the other reasons for the Sigma is that it's only £380. Literally half what I'd have to fork out for the Sony which is in turn not that much less than what I'd get if I decided to sell my 1.4 ZA. As I can see myself getting the 65 at some point, 45 is probably fine compared to a 50.
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Not sure what body you have but even 50mm is too close. On a high Res body I rather just crop from a fast 35mm lens than own a slow 45-50mm lens.
Even on 24mp if you crop to 45mm from your 35mm f2 you will have 16mp of resolution with DoF equivalent to f2.4
I really see no good reason to own the 35mm f2 and 45mm f2.8.
Unless you are really want something smaller than the already small 35mm f2.
 
I'm not a prime lens person and for the moment am quite happy using my 16-35mm L f/4 /24-105mm L f/4/70-200mm L II f/2.8 plus larger lenses that are Canon mount but I would like one decent fast prime for astro/street/landscape on the A9

Any suggestions on focal length/speed/make?
 
Mike.P said:
I'm not a prime lens person and for the moment am quite happy using my 16-35mm L f/4 /24-105mm L f/4/70-200mm L II f/2.8 plus larger lenses that are Canon mount but I would like one decent fast prime for astro/street/landscape on the A9

Any suggestions on focal length/speed/make?
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Samayang 24mm f1.8 or 35mm f1.8 for budget
Sony 20mm f1.8, 24/1.4GM or 35/1.4GM for premium with perfect AF

The are also many f2.8 primes in these focal lengths.... honestly too many to list all of them.

if you narrow down on the focal length and speed we can make more suggestions.
 
Cupotea said:
I'm about to pull the trigger on a Sigma 45mm f2.8 as I love the 35mm f2 and don't like using my Zony 50mm 1.4 for around town. It's far too heavy and conspicuous. Before I do, does anyone have any horror stories? I've heard the AF can be iffy.
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Be aware that the lovely bokeh may come at a price as there can be issues with continuous focus, if you use that, if not then maybe no issue. There's a lot about it on other sites including Fred Miranda. It's due to the aberrations/properties of the lens which make the rendering nice as they also make continuous AF difficult.
 
Mike.P said:
I'm not a prime lens person and for the moment am quite happy using my 16-35mm L f/4 /24-105mm L f/4/70-200mm L II f/2.8 plus larger lenses that are Canon mount but I would like one decent fast prime for astro/street/landscape on the A9

Any suggestions on focal length/speed/make?
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For astro people tend to pick wider focal lengths but wider may not suit street or landscape.

Maybe think about the focal length you like and tend to use and go for that?
 
Did they answer? I tried the same and they didn't give me good news

nandbytes said:
I have emailed them asking if I can get in for a reduced fee. £100 is for commercial photographers which I am not. I offered to pay something extra still for the privelege just not commercial photographer rates since I won't be making any money. I hope they reply favourably but I am not hugely optimistic.

I really dislike trespassing :(
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woof woof said:
Be aware that the lovely bokeh may come at a price as there can be issues with continuous focus, if you use that, if not then maybe no issue. There's a lot about it on other sites including Fred Miranda. It's due to the aberrations/properties of the lens which make the rendering nice as they also make continuous AF difficult.
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Interesting. Must say I’ve not experienced that issue, but it might be the way I usually use CAF - on static subjects for focus and recompose.
 
woof woof said:
For astro people tend to pick wider focal lengths but wider may not suit street or landscape.

Maybe think about the focal length you like and tend to use and go for that?
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As my main use is wildlife I tend to use 400mm plus 99% of the time but want to expand my shooting a little. I know very little about what's best for astro/street etc and was hoping for one lens that would do it all, just something fast and small I could put in the bag with the camera and use in low light when I go to the steam fair or in the forest at night to do a bit of star shooting.
 
Stephen L said:
Interesting. Must say I’ve not experienced that issue, but it might be the way I usually use CAF - on static subjects for focus and recompose.
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Apparently they've tamed the later (different focal length) lenses down so it's not a problem.
 
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Mike.P said:
As my main use is wildlife I tend to use 400mm plus 99% of the time but want to expand my shooting a little. I know very little about what's best for astro/street etc and was hoping for one lens that would do it all, just something fast and small I could put in the bag with the camera and use in low light when I go to the steam fair or in the forest at night to do a bit of star shooting.
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Fast and small don't often go together.

I have the Sony 35mm f2.8 which is tiny, the 28mm f2.8 which is a bit bigger and the 35 and 55mm f1.8's which are bigger again. Maybe you could check the camera / lens size comparator thingy to see what you're happy with?

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
 
woof woof said:
For astro people tend to pick wider focal lengths but wider may not suit street or landscape.

Maybe think about the focal length you like and tend to use and go for that?
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It does depend on the kind of astrophotography they are doing. A shorter focal length lens is always going to be good for landscape astrophotography, we've seen some stunning examples recently from @LeeRatters and @nandbytes , but for deep sky astro when imaging such as stars, clusters, nebulae, dust and galaxies then focal lengths from 135mm onwards are commonly used. Some people capture deep space objects with shorter lenses but as ever fast lenses always win.
 
nandbytes said:
Not sure what body you have but even 50mm is too close. On a high Res body I rather just crop from a fast 35mm lens than own a slow 45-50mm lens.
Even on 24mp if you crop to 45mm from your 35mm f2 you will have 16mp of resolution with DoF equivalent to f2.4
I really see no good reason to own the 35mm f2 and 45mm f2.8.
Unless you are really want something smaller than the already small 35mm f2.
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I use an A7Riv so you're absolutely correct. Hmmm perhaps the 65 is calling me instead.
 
Cupotea said:
I use an A7Riv so you're absolutely correct. Hmmm perhaps the 65 is calling me instead.
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I had the A7RIV and I only own the 35GM. I rather own 35GM and crop than own 35mm f2 and 45/50/55mm f1.8.
considered the 65mm f2 myself but its a bit heavy for my liking :(
 
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footman said:
It does depend on the kind of astrophotography they are doing. A shorter focal length lens is always going to be good for landscape astrophotography, we've seen some stunning examples recently from @LeeRatters and @nandbytes , but for deep sky astro when imaging such as stars, clusters, nebulae, dust and galaxies then focal lengths from 135mm onwards are commonly used. Some people capture deep space objects with shorter lenses but as ever fast lenses always win.
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tbh even for wide field I have kinda fallen out of love with UWA lenses. I prefer the shots with my 35mm lens.
I am probably in the minority since most people seem to prefer the really long tail of the milkyway.... I prefer a detailed milkyway core-ish area with a half decent foreground with some details in it. Keeps the composition simpler and cleaner IMO.
 
footman said:
It does depend on the kind of astrophotography they are doing. A shorter focal length lens is always going to be good for landscape astrophotography, we've seen some stunning examples recently from @LeeRatters and @nandbytes , but for deep sky astro when imaging such as stars, clusters, nebulae, dust and galaxies then focal lengths from 135mm onwards are commonly used. Some people capture deep space objects with shorter lenses but as ever fast lenses always win.
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Indeed - and thanks :) - I usually shoot at 20mm & 35mm for landscape astro. The Samyang 135mm is pretty popular for astro too which is why I kept my good EF>E adapter when I sold the S24/1.4 just incase I get tempted at some point ;)
 
The Samyang 135mm is a fantastically sharp lens and I was doing well with it just learning the post processing for deep sky astro particularly with the 1.4 tc. Now that I've gone down the rabbit hole of auto-guiding and plate solving I'm having problems mounting a guide scope and a ZWO cmos guide camera on the Samyang and I'm seriously thinking of getting a "proper" telescope like the WO Redcat and saying goodbye to the Samyang.
I didn't think anything could be as expensive as wildlife photography until I discovered astrophotography!
 
footman said:
The Samyang 135mm is a fantastically sharp lens and I was doing well with it just learning the post processing for deep sky astro particularly with the 1.4 tc. Now that I've gone down the rabbit hole of auto-guiding and plate solving I'm having problems mounting a guide scope and a ZWO cmos guide camera on the Samyang and I'm seriously thinking of getting a "proper" telescope like the WO Redcat and saying goodbye to the Samyang.
I didn't think anything could be as expensive as wildlife photography until I discovered astrophotography!
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Talking about money and astro, recently a colleague of mine brought these two videos to my attention
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRoFUj0cNt8

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rCyC3_YIME
 
LeeRatters said:
Indeed - and thanks :) - I usually shoot at 20mm & 35mm for landscape astro. The Samyang 135mm is pretty popular for astro too which is why I kept my good EF>E adapter when I sold the S24/1.4 just incase I get tempted at some point ;)
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A guy we were with on the beach last week had a WO Z61 and he had Jupiter and its moons on the LCD (y)
 
My spanking new high spec (for me) laptop arrived. It went thought its start up and then started a windows update so I just left it to it. Some time later I noticed the screen was blank and I thought it'd gone to sleep but pressing a key didn't bring it back to life and the power button didn't work either. I think maybe it could be an ac adapter issue and maybe the pc just died once the battery went flat... either that or it just died for another reason. Whatever. It's going back and I'll await a replacement.

Two things I noticed and I wonder if these are the norm now...

Firstly there are no lights on the pc at all. My current one has a row of five just below the mouse thingy.

Secondly there's no opening for the battery, which is annoying.

Are no lights and an internal battery the norm these days?
 
The last laptop I bought was a Lenovo about 18 months ago. There is one small light in the power button to indicate it's on, battery access by removing the bottom of the case.
 
GyRob said:
although i don't do Astro this guy is really interesting to watch full marks to him for his way of doing things .
Rob.
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indeed plus he is in this country, so all his results can be replicated by us here too.
half the time I find someone in the US doing things and I find out its much harder to replicate in the UK and I give up.
 
Just watching the Olympics women's gymnastics. We got bronze. 3 press photographers. One at the end on the right has a Sony strap on. Does it say A1?

20210727-142927.jpg
 
Merlin5 said:
Just watching the Olympics women's gymnastics. We got bronze. 3 press photographers. One at the end on the right has a Sony strap on. Does it say A1?

20210727-142927.jpg
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Looks that way to me.
 
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