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

[snerkler]

I think a few things to think about Toby are the general quality of the bokeh not just the bokeh ball swirliness, how often this matters to you and the number of shots spoilt for you by cats eye bokeh balls.

Absolutely, but swirl and cats eye shape jump out at you without pixel peeping. Onion ring, fringing etc you have to examine more closely so whilst not ideal they're not as high up on my list as swirl and shape.

 

[woof woof]

Absolutely, but swirl and cats eye shape jump out at you without pixel peeping. Onion ring, fringing etc you have to examine more closely so whilst not ideal they're not as high up on my list as swirl and shape.

Some people take a lot of pictures at the widest apertures and some people look specifically for bokeh balls. For these people bokeh quality and bokeh ball shape will be very important but for other people these are a tiny percentage of the pictures they take and as such may be less important. Things might get irritating from time to time but that irritation could be worth living with for other benefits including bulk, weight, AF performance, price and 99% of pictures looking just fine.

I suppose you will have to decide what's important and how important it is. You know that the down side of some kit is that it has great AF performance, nice enough or even very nice general bokeh but cats eye bokeh balls. To better this you may need to move to another lens which may have less good AF or be larger and more expensive.

 

[snerkler]

Some people take a lot of pictures at the widest apertures and some people look specifically for bokeh balls. For these people bokeh quality and bokeh ball shape will be very important but for other people these are a tiny percentage of the pictures they take and as such may be less important. Things might get irritating from time to time but that irritation could be worth living with for other benefits including bulk, weight, AF performance, price and 99% of pictures looking just fine.

I suppose you will have to decide what's important and how important it is. You know that the down side of some kit is that it has great AF performance, nice enough or even very nice general bokeh but cats eye bokeh balls. To better this you may need to move to another lens which may have less good AF or be larger and more expensive.

Yep, always a compromise I love the rendering of the Samyang but I've had a couple of scenarios now where AF has let me down, that being said most of the time it's been just fine. I don't really like the bokeh balls of the f1.4 GM, the f1.2 GM is better in this regard and even better still stopped down to f1.4, plus you have the AF and no CA's, BUT it's much heavier and very expensive.

Proper first world problems

 

[Mike.P]

New firmware for the A1 apparently.

No new features just big fixes.

 

[woof woof]

Toby. Here's a thought. Can you post a picture of yours which you think has been spoilt by cats eyes? And apart from that can you guesstimate what % of your pictures might be affected? I know that even one spoilt picture could be the driving force to change kit so none of this might matter We want what we want

 

[f/1.2]

Never heard that expression no

I don't ever recall the f1.2 being on my radar tbh, I've always considered it to be big and heavy. Despite having the A1 and a couple of really nice lenses I'm not as minted as you think, it's taken a long time to build up my collection and the A1 was a great surprise. I can't afford the hit of buying and selling lenses, unless I stumble across a great deal of course

You have mentioned it a fair few times including back when you got got the Samyang

You were told then buy cheap buy twice. Unless I am mixing you up with someone else.

Sometimes there is just an itch you have to scratch, back before photography was work I worked my way through every combination available hunting for cheaper alternatives to lenses I actually wanted but the cost put me off.

The 50GM is the best 50mm available for e-mount with its only real negatives being size and cost, its not ridiculous big to be fair about the same as an 85 f/1.4. Shooting at f/1.2 is also very addictive.

It also doesn't have nice flare although none of the G.M's do to be fair they are too well controlled.

Another negative is that you probably won't want to use your other lenses as much.

Treat yourself!

 

[trevorbray]

Yep, always a compromise I love the rendering of the Samyang but I've had a couple of scenarios now where AF has let me down, that being said most of the time it's been just fine. I don't really like the bokeh balls of the f1.4 GM, the f1.2 GM is better in this regard and even better still stopped down to f1.4, plus you have the AF and no CA's, BUT it's much heavier and very expensive.

Proper first world problems

C’mon Toby. Own up to yourself. You won’t be happy until you own the 50 GM f1.2. There’s no way you’ll be dissatisfied with it.

 

[snerkler]

Toby. Here's a thought. Can you post a picture of yours which you think has been spoilt by cats eyes? And apart from that can you guesstimate what % of your pictures might be affected? I know that even one spoilt picture could be the driving force to change kit so none of this might matter We want what we want

Well that's it, none that I'm aware of because my primes don't have cat eye bokeh (runs off to check )

I don't think I'll be swapping in all honesty, the f1.4 GM doesn't render nice enough, the f1.2 is too heavy and expensive, and the Zeiss f1.4 has QC issues and also apparently can be hit and miss with AF, plus it's heavy. I just need to stop being a muppet and not worry if I don't get 100% hit rate

 

[snerkler]

You have mentioned it a fair few times including back when you got got the Samyang

You were told then buy cheap buy twice. Unless I am mixing you up with someone else.

Sometimes there is just an itch you have to scratch, back before photography was work I worked my way through every combination available hunting for cheaper alternatives to lenses I actually wanted but the cost put me off.

The 50GM is the best 50mm available for e-mount with its only real negatives being size and cost, its not ridiculous big to be fair about the same as an 85 f/1.4. Shooting at f/1.2 is also very addictive.

Treat yourself!

I've mentioned it many times, but it's never been a serious consideration due to the reasons mentioned.

I'd love to treat myself (maybe to to the f1.2), but after the A1 I'm not sure my wife would be too impressed with a further £2k spend

 

[trevorbray]

Well that's it, none that I'm aware of because my primes don't have cat eye bokeh (runs off to check )

I don't think I'll be swapping in all honesty, the f1.4 GM doesn't render nice enough, the f1.2 is too heavy and expensive, and the Zeiss f1.4 has QC issues and also apparently can be hit and miss with AF, plus it's heavy. I just need to stop being a muppet and not worry if I don't get 100% hit rate

Yeah. But the Lab coat says otherwise.

 

[f/1.2]

I've mentioned it many times, but it's never been a serious consideration due to the reasons mentioned.

I'd love to treat myself (maybe to to the f1.2), but after the A1 I'm not sure my wife would be too impressed with a further £2k spend

Sure if you don't spend it she will prob just want a new sofa or something, my missus is endlessly hunting for new sofas. I have to spend every penny I get immediately or she will be online on the hunt for something new to sat our arses on.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

I've mentioned it many times, but it's never been a serious consideration due to the reasons mentioned.

I'd love to treat myself (maybe to to the f1.2), but after the A1 I'm not sure my wife would be too impressed with a further £2k spend

which is the money you got from selling the A9ii......................................

Every day you spend wondering, you are not shooting with the lens, you're as bad as @woof woof - always thinking a new camera is to be bought and falling back to the original A7, what is it with Sony owners

 

[woof woof]

Well that's it, none that I'm aware of because my primes don't have cat eye bokeh (runs off to check )

I don't think I'll be swapping in all honesty, the f1.4 GM doesn't render nice enough, the f1.2 is too heavy and expensive, and the Zeiss f1.4 has QC issues and also apparently can be hit and miss with AF, plus it's heavy. I just need to stop being a muppet and not worry if I don't get 100% hit rate

As I've said before it's the bulk and weight that put me off with the cost being only really a secondary thing. I can see the attraction even though f1.x shots area tiny % of what I take but I just can't see myself waving a big fat GM lens about in public even if the bulk and weight aren't annoying enough on their own.

Good luck choosing.

 

[Faldrax]

which is the money you got from selling the A9ii......................................

Every day you spend wondering, you are not shooting with the lens, you're as bad as @woof woof - always thinking a new camera is to be bought and falling back to the original A7, what is it with Sony owners

He's not really as bad as Alan, after all how many 50's has Alan got

 

[woof woof]

which is the money you got from selling the A9ii......................................

Every day you spend wondering, you are not shooting with the lens, you're as bad as @woof woof - always thinking a new camera is to be bought and falling back to the original A7, what is it with Sony owners

This is because I try and keep myself grounded in reality rather than living a dream or giving in to gas for its own sake.

Will an A7IV improve my photography? Not a chance. The only thing it could do is get me an electronic shutter which could be useful in places where even an A7 is noisy.

Will perhaps the best 50mm f1.2 on the market get me shots I wouldn't otherwise get? Not a chance.

 

[f/1.2]

Will an A7IV improve my photography?

Yes thon A7 has bogging colours and very pedestrian a.f would make a huge difference.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

This is because I try and keep myself grounded in reality rather than living a dream or giving in to gas for its own sake.

Will an A7IV improve my photography? Not a chance. The only thing it could do is get me an electronic shutter which could be useful in places where even an A7 is noisy.

Will perhaps the best 50mm f1.2 on the market get me shots I wouldn't otherwise get? Not a chance.

I think the A74 has a few more upgrades than just electronic shutter, AF speed, tracking and ISO performance might also be of benefit

 

[woof woof]

He's not really as bad as Alan, after all how many 50's has Alan got

I know you are joking but you have to understand my circumstances.

I look after my 94 yo mother and she has a lot of issues and I get zero help from my family. When I asked for help they all got abusive and ran for the hills. I have no contact with any of them now. None. This means that both me and my Mrs are tied to the house a lot. We get maybe a couple of hours out once in a blue moon. I need a hobby and as photography was a big thing for me years ago keeping it photography based keeps me connected. I can hardly ever go out taking pictures but I can sit on the pc researching and looking and buying cheap old kit and comparing it to other cheap old kit. It gives me an interest. There's only so many episodes of Loose Women I can watch and even a limit to how many books I can read.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I think the A74 has a few more upgrades than just electronic shutter, AF speed, tracking and ISO performance might also be of benefit

But looking at what WW posts, his missus are almost always stationary, and his photos are always outside in daylight....i don't think he will benefits it at all.

Which is something a lot of people don't really think about when they "upgrade"...yes the camera are better, i mean no ****, it's like 10 years newer, 4 generations later, but apart from colour science and more MP (then reduce to web size), is it really going to turn you into David Baily?

 

[f/1.2]

But looking at what WW posts, his missus are almost always stationary, and his photos are always outside in daylight....i don't think he will benefits it at all.

Which is something a lot of people don't really think about when they "upgrade"...yes the camera are better, i mean no ****, it's like 10 years newer, 4 generations later, but apart from colour science and more MP (then reduce to web size), is it really going to turn you into David Baily?

David Bailey was a bit crap who would want to be him?

Colours would be a reason to upgrade from an A7 alone, they are really are awful on the O.G camera and mainly the reason why everyone talks about Sony colours.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

But looking at what WW posts, his missus are almost always stationary, and his photos are always outside in daylight....i don't think he will benefits it at all.

Maybe the camera is limiting photographic intent.

 

[Raymond Lin]

David Bailey was a bit crap who would want to be him?

Colours would be a reason to upgrade from an A7 alone, they are really are awful on the O.G camera and mainly the reason why everyone talks about Sony colours.

Glad you agree with everything i've said. lol. You literally add nothing on all the points I've pointed out.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Side point, WW loves his vintage lenses....before you know it, he will search for vintage Sony body for their strange colours, clearly the latest colours isn't what he wants.

 

[woof woof]

Yes thon A7 has bogging colours and very pedestrian a.f would make a huge difference.

I think the A74 has a few more upgrades than just electronic shutter, AF speed, tracking and ISO performance might also be of benefit

And none of those things are particularly essential to me.

AF hardly matters at all and half the time I'm using MF.
I've used tracking about twice in my life.
Higher ISO performance is almost irrelevant apart from holidays and I haven't had one of those for years.

But looking at what WW posts, his missus are almost always stationary, and his photos are always outside in daylight....i don't think he will benefits it at all.

Which is something a lot of people don't really think about when they "upgrade"...yes the camera are better, i mean no ****, it's like 10 years newer, 4 generations later, but apart from colour science and more MP (then reduce to web size), is it really going to turn you into David Baily?

Yup.

As above I try to keep grounded in reality, Would I like to travel the world and take pictures that couldn't be taken without cutting edge technology? Well, that's not my life. I take picture in the house and garden, on walks to the shops and on the occasional day out and I dream about going on holiday. I'm not interested in birds in flight or motor racing or a dozen other tech taxing things. If people want to dream and buy kit for shots they'll take when the first get the kit and then once in a blue moon after that, that's fine and I'm happy for them but honestly at this point in my life I get more enjoyment from buying a Minolta Rokkor or Pergear 35mm f1.4 than I'd get from a GM

 

[woof woof]

Maybe the camera is limiting photographic intent.

No. It's my circumstances that limit my photography,

Honestly, I'd love to travel the world and take interesting pictures of interesting people and places but the fact is that my getting out generally and my photography is limited to the garden, walking to the shops or a couple of hours at most out which means I can sometimes get to the local hill or Redcar/Saltburn or if mam is having a very good day we can go to Staithes or Whitby for maybe an hour.

We went to Staithes in February. We went to Saltburn on 3rd April it's 10th May now. Oh, I went on holiday in August 2019. What will a new camera or GM lens change in my life? Nada.

And just to be clear, I wouldn't change my life, I have to do this but I also want to.

Toby. I hope all this reality helps you decide but in spite of our personal realities if you want something and if you can afford it... I say go for it

 

[LeeRatters]

I still use my A7.

I'm with you Alan

The Riii certainly does have nice improvements though (for me)

 

[woof woof]

I still use my A7.

I'm with you Alan

The Riii certainly does have nice improvements though (for me)

If only I could stop looking at and buying cars Lee. But at least I limit myself to used ones.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

We have a broad church here, from the very decisive (impulsive) @trevorbray to those who muse and justify reasons for not changing. it makes for an interesting thread. and @woof woof I do get where you are coming from, life has a habit of getting in the way and we all need to make the best of what we have. Old lenses do have a charm and rendering that a lot of modern glass lacks, perhaps call it character, I too have tried all sorts over the years, but for me I've come to the conclusion that I prefer modern glass, and my nice set of FD lenses has been 'stolen' by my son for shooting films - indeed a film he shot using an A74 and a CanonFD50mm F1.4 got shortlisted in the Canon Stories in Mortion - Scripted Short category

 

[Faldrax]

I know you are joking but you have to understand my circumstances.

I look after my 94 yo mother and she has a lot of issues and I get zero help from my family. When I asked for help they all got abusive and ran for the hills. I have no contact with any of them now. None. This means that both me and my Mrs are tied to the house a lot. We get maybe a couple of hours out once in a blue moon. I need a hobby and as photography was a big thing for me years ago keeping it photography based keeps me connected. I can hardly ever go out taking pictures but I can sit on the pc researching and looking and buying cheap old kit and comparing it to other cheap old kit. It gives me an interest. There's only so many episodes of Loose Women I can watch and even a limit to how many books I can read.

Apologies, it was not meant as a dig at you - I'm well aware that the vintage lenses you have are on a completely different level of cost to the 50 GM that Toby is considering, and it's great that you've found something you can enjoy - It's the hobbies and interests we have that help keep us going in the face of the madness daily life throws at us sometimes.

 

[woof woof]

We have a broad church here, from the very decisive (impulsive) @trevorbray to those who muse and justify reasons for not changing. it makes for an interesting thread. and @woof woof I do get where you are coming from, life has a habit of getting in the way and we all need to make the best of what we have. Old lenses do have a charm and rendering that a lot of modern glass lacks, perhaps call it character, I too have tried all sorts over the years, but for me I've come to the conclusion that I prefer modern glass, and my nice set of FD lenses has been 'stolen' by my son for shooting films - indeed a film he shot using an A74 and a CanonFD50mm F1.4 got shortlisted in the Canon Stories in Mortion - Scripted Short category

I'm not kidding myself that the likes of a FD 50mm f1.4 or any of the competition can compete with a modern lens at f1.4 in any way as the old kit will be softer and its bokeh will be harsh at wide apertures with more complex scenes. I haven't found a single old lens that could compete with even my DSLR f1.4's for sharpness (which may not matter) and more visually obviously, for bokeh at the widest apertures with complex scenes.

As you may know I have FD, Rokkor, Zuiko, Nikon others from 24 to 135mm with lots of duplication not only between brand but also within brands. I have thought about selling them but frankly I don't need the money or the hassle so I keep them and use them now and again.

 

[woof woof]

Apologies, it was not meant as a dig at you - I'm well aware that the vintage lenses you have are on a completely different level of cost to the 50 GM that Toby is considering, and it's great that you've found something you can enjoy - It's the hobbies and interests we have that help keep us going in the face of the madness daily life throws at us sometimes.

I know. No apology is necessary

My general point is that we all suffer gas and that's fine but some people clearly struggle to both afford and/or justify the cost of kit and this is the important bit... which might not improve or alter their photography one jot after the initial testing and finding out what you can do at f1.2 stage.

Luckily after years of earning good money and being a workaholic I can now afford any "thing" I want but I do try and remind myself that if I bought the whole GM range, lovely though they are, after playing with them for a week I'd still end up using the same lenses I use now because they're small and light and that means more to me than lovely bokeh and round specular highlights into the corners in pictures I'd take once a year. Each to their own I do think that we should be honest with ourselves about what we want and why and if we still want something after some honest thought, then go for it

 

[snerkler]

Sure if you don't spend it she will prob just want a new sofa or something, my missus is endlessly hunting for new sofas. I have to spend every penny I get immediately or she will be online on the hunt for something new to sat our arses on.

To be fair I'm the spender in the relationship

which is the money you got from selling the A9ii......................................

Every day you spend wondering, you are not shooting with the lens, you're as bad as @woof woof - always thinking a new camera is to be bought and falling back to the original A7, what is it with Sony owners

I used the A9ii money to pay off some of the A1, was struggling to justify it otherwise The wondering comes because there's not the perfect scenario, if there's something that ticks all the boxes within my means then I can be pretty decisive :-

 

[Raymond Lin]

Maybe the camera is limiting photographic intent.

Or rather, his photographic intent doesn't expand beyond his current camera spec.

 

[woof woof]

Or rather, his photographic intent doesn't expand beyond his current camera spec.

Beyond wanting an electronic shutter for silent shooting and more recently wanting a shutter speed faster than 1/8,000 the A7 does everything I want

 

[LeeRatters]

If only I could stop looking at and buying cars Lee. But at least I limit myself to used ones.

Yeah. I'm not so much into swapping cars all the time at all. As long as it gets me nicely from A to B

A mate of mine has a PCP Jag F Pace - costs him £700 a month just to have it sat on the driveway ready to go. Plus fuel, at about 15-18 mpg. And Jag servicing. £1250 for a set of tyres the other month..... Good job he only really drives it on the commute to work most days

That would break my heart to spend that much a month on transport!

 

[woof woof]

Yeah. I'm not so much into swapping cars all the time at all. As long as it gets me nicely from A to B

A mate of mine has a PCP Jag F Pace - costs him £700 a month just to have it sat on the driveway ready to go. Plus fuel, at about 15-18 mpg. And Jag servicing. £1250 for a set of tyres the other month..... Good job he only really drives it on the commute to work most days

That would break my heart to spend that much a month on transport!

I have all the cars I need now but if and when Mrs WW passes her test she might want a small auto. I'm sort of disappointed as although I wanted a 4x4 and got the Evoque part of the reason I got it was that she left her Nissan Xtrail in Thailand and I thought she'd be happy to drive the Evoque but so far she's not keen. I don't know why as the Xtrail must be about he same size or maybe even bigger. I don't care about the costs as you can't take it with you and apart from making sure Mrs WW and my mam are ok I have no one else I want to leave money too, apart from some local charities.

 

[LeeRatters]

I have all the cars I need now but if and when Mrs WW passes her test she might want a small auto. I'm sort of disappointed as although I wanted a 4x4 and got the Evoque part of the reason I got it was that she left her Nissan Xtrail in Thailand and I thought she'd be happy to drive the Evoque but so far she's not keen. I don't know why as the Xtrail must be about he same size or maybe even bigger. I don't care about the costs as you can't take it with you and apart from making sure Mrs WW and my mam are ok I have no one else I want to leave money too, apart from some local charities.

I guess costs and money in general just means different things to different people.

I just like to justify things that's all.

 

[snerkler]

I guess costs and money in general just means different things to different people.

I just like to justify things that's all.

Yep, that's like me. I don't mind spending money (if I have it) but I have to justify it

 

[woof woof]

I went out to cut the lawns and by the time I'm moved the cars it was pouring down. 10 minutes later it was sunny but with black clouds approaching. So that's that probably until Saturday when the forecast says it might not rain.

A7 and Pergear 35mm f1.4.

100% from that. Hope the sharpness survives posting

 

[snerkler]

Just back from Harrison's, had a look at the 16-35mm PZ and 20-70mm f4 (couldn't try them as they were new and they didn't have any demos) but I was a bit underwhelmed. They both felt a bit cheap compared to what I thought they would, and I'm clearly not a lover of the G lens design/barrel as I thought the 20-70mm felt a bit chunky and kind of reminded me of the 24-105mm which I wasn't too fond of. I even asked to try a 24-70mm f4 zeiss alongside it and that's a much nicer lens (imo) in terms of build and feel, I was actually surprised how much smaller it felt too.

They didn't have a 50mm f1.2 to try