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

Been a while since last posting, what timing with the Milky Way shot above. Finally got mine done after finding great conditions, just took going to the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan and an angry wild dog kicking off at me whilst setting up. Worth the wait.

DB105714.jpg
 
Hi all first post here have a question that I've not been able to answer elsewhere so wondering if anyone here can help...

I've got a Sony a7, and a while ago the shutter release button started to only work if (1) the af/ mf/ ael lever is set to af/ mf, and (2) the button at the centre of this lever is pressed down. Ie in auto mode, if the lever is set to ael, the shutter release button won't function.

I've tried to resolve this by wading though the menus, but haven't had any luck. I can use the above steps as a workaround but it's a bit annoying.

Any help much appreciated- thanks in advance!
 
elwigleeno said:
Hi all first post here have a question that I've not been able to answer elsewhere so wondering if anyone here can help...

I've got a Sony a7, and a while ago the shutter release button started to only work if (1) the af/ mf/ ael lever is set to af/ mf, and (2) the button at the centre of this lever is pressed down. Ie in auto mode, if the lever is set to ael, the shutter release button won't function.

I've tried to resolve this by wading though the menus, but haven't had any luck. I can use the above steps as a workaround but it's a bit annoying.

Any help much appreciated- thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
It's a bit of a guess, but my suspicion is that you have the camera set up for back-button focussing - IE The Auto Focus is triggered by holding in the button in the af/mf/ael (rather than the traditional half-press of the shutter), and also have it set to only take a shot if it has focus lock.

A Factory reset in the menus would clear these settings for you - but would also clear any other settings you have.

Hopefully someone with an A7 (Please verify it is an A7, rather than one of the many variants of A7 that Sony have released, EG the A7iv that I have) will be able to help with guiding you through the menus to check those specific settings and how to change them.
 
Hi all

I have not posted here for a while (outside of the sales section), due to being incredibly-busy at work. However, as retirement beckons, I intend to spend more time on my passions which include photography. Due to having a dodgy knee I have decided to lightweight my gear and have recently-purchased an A7R5 plus Sigma 100-400 for portability. I got this gear yesterday and have just been out to photograph some birds. I have a big learning curve ahead of me to get the best out of the Sony camera but I have been delighted with what this combination can do, so far. Below are a couple of quick photos of a long-tailed tit and blackcap. Not the best images, but I was pleased with the sharpness, AF speed etc of this body/lens combination.

LTT2 Crop.jpgBC1 Crop.jpg

Anyway, as a Sony user now, I hope to learn from, and contribute more to, this thread in the coming weeks.

Gary
 
I've had the Sigma 100-400mm since it was released and it's easily my favourite lens for my Sony camera for its range and portability, it's at the limit of what I can easily carry around with me. I was thinking at the weekend I'd like a little longer but I bought a 150-600mm lens for a previous system and I've almost never used it as it's just too big and heavy to carry around with me unlike the 100-400mm
 
JohnMcL7 said:
I've had the Sigma 100-400mm since it was released and it's easily my favourite lens for my Sony camera for its range and portability, it's at the limit of what I can easily carry around with me. I was thinking at the weekend I'd like a little longer but I bought a 150-600mm lens for a previous system and I've almost never used it as it's just too big and heavy to carry around with me unlike the 100-400mm
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Hi John, I am recently coming from the Canon R5 with 100-500 and 500f4ii lenses for wildlife and the Sony/Sigma combination is just so light that it is a pleasure to use. I have the Sony 200-600 on the way for occasional hide use. I did a bit of testing on the Sigma 100-400 and found my copy to be sharp at 400mm f6.3 but very sharp at 400mm f8. Seems comparable at this aperture to the Canon 100-500. Not as good in terms of microcontrast as the 500f4ii, IMVHO.
 
JohnMcL7 said:
I've had the Sigma 100-400mm since it was released and it's easily my favourite lens for my Sony camera for its range and portability, it's at the limit of what I can easily carry around with me. I was thinking at the weekend I'd like a little longer but I bought a 150-600mm lens for a previous system and I've almost never used it as it's just too big and heavy to carry around with me unlike the 100-400mm
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I’ve sometimes considered swapping my 100-400mm GM for the Sigma for the weight saving, 200g doesn’t sound a lot but I notice how light the 70-200mm is in comparison and the Sigma is only just a bit heavier than that. It’s just a shame it doesn’t take TC’s.
 
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snerkler said:
I’ve sometimes considered swapping my 100-400mm GM for the Sigma for the weight saving, 200g doesn’t sound a lot but I notice how light the 70-200mm is in comparison and the Sigma is only just a bit heavier than that. It’s just a shame it doesn’t take TC’s.
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I suspect that the Sony 100-400 GM has great advantages such as being sharper across the frame and better build quality etc.....

As for weight, the Sony 100-400 GM is broadly the same weight as my Canon 100-500 and those extra 200+ grammes do add-up. I was hand-holding the Sigma 100-400 static for about 10 minutes, earlier today. I could not do that with the Canon lens and might well have missed some shots whilst resting.

There are x1.4 and x2 TCs for the little Sigma lens for L mount. As you say, it is a pity that they are not available, to the best of my knowledge, for E mount.
 
It's it me or does the leaked image of the A7cii look like it has a front control wheel now? Hard to make out.
 
robj20 said:
It's it me or does the leaked image of the A7cii look like it has a front control wheel now? Hard to make out.
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It's said it's having a front control dial for a while now, that image seems to confirm it (y)
 
gary43 said:
There are x1.4 and x2 TCs for the little Sigma lens for L mount. As you say, it is a pity that they are not available, to the best of my knowledge, for E mount.
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nandbytes informed me it's a restriction by Sony that third party can't use TC's. Seems odd to me, open your mount up but then prohibit TC's :thinking:
 
I'm suffering with a shoulder injury at the moment - Rotator Cuff
I've missed out on this years Puffins and Gannets because of it.
I found it too painful lugging my 200-600 around.
However, I have been able to hand hold my a1 + Sigma 100-400.
Such a great lens.
My 200-600 will probably be packed away until next year now.
I've been contemplating getting the Sony 100-400 + 1.4 extender to replace the 200-600
We'll see what next year says ;)
 
mstphoto said:
I'm suffering with a shoulder injury at the moment - Rotator Cuff
...
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Hope you get it sorted soon - I've recently recovered from a similar issue, physio tried but wasn't responding after several weeks, so had an MRI and the consultant spotted some calcification in one of the tendons - had a steroid injection in the shoulder under ultrasound, when they also used the syringe to extract some of the calcium - pretty sore the day after, but since then it's been great.
Glad I had private medical insurance to cover it - I suspect it could have been a long wait for treatment under the NHS.
 
Faldrax said:
Hope you get it sorted soon - I've recently recovered from a similar issue, physio tried but wasn't responding after several weeks, so had an MRI and the consultant spotted some calcification in one of the tendons - had a steroid injection in the shoulder under ultrasound, when they also used the syringe to extract some of the calcium - pretty sore the day after, but since then it's been great.
Glad I had private medical insurance to cover it - I suspect it could have been a long wait for treatment under the NHS.
Click to expand...
I'm at the physio stage at the moment.
Seems to be working.
Still a bit painful but not near as bad as it was.
Scared to lift anything heavy but can still lift a pint :beer:
:D :D

Now I just need to get my lower back sorted.
Old age has caught up with my body but luckily not my mind
 
mstphoto said:
I'm at the physio stage at the moment.
Seems to be working.
Still a bit painful but not near as bad as it was.
Scared to lift anything heavy but can still lift a pint :beer:
:D :D

Now I just need to get my lower back sorted.
Old age has caught up with my body but luckily not my mind
Click to expand...
Usually physio is able to sort it, I was just unlucky that for some reason my body formed some calcium deposits in the tendon - apparently this is something that happens in a few cases, and they haven't figured out why yet, just how to sort it.
I know what you mean about age catching up - I certainly don't have the ability to just do whatever I want any more - when doing jobs round the house / garden I find its good to pause and reflect on my progress now and then... :LOL:
 
Faldrax said:
Usually physio is able to sort it, I was just unlucky that for some reason my body formed some calcium deposits in the tendon - apparently this is something that happens in a few cases, and they haven't figured out why yet, just how to sort it.
I know what you mean about age catching up - I certainly don't have the ability to just do whatever I want any more - when doing jobs round the house / garden I find its good to pause and reflect on my progress now and then... :LOL:
Click to expand...

My other half is due for the injection, in the shoulder, for the same calcium deposit thing causing sharp pains, the week after next.
 
LeeRatters said:
My other half is due for the injection, in the shoulder, for the same calcium deposit thing causing sharp pains, the week after next.
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Hope it goes well - for me, it was the thought of it, rather than the actual procedure, that was the worst part (I'm not a big fan on injections...).
On the day it was fairly painless - they use plenty of local anaesthetic (the steroids and saline they use to flush the calcium are both are in an anaesthetic solution) - I did have one moment when the needle went to a bit that had not been flooded with anaesthetic, which was a brief pinprick of pain, then the anaesthetic that was in whatever he was doing at the time flooded in, and the pain vanished almost immediately.

The shoulder was fairly sore the next day - but took a couple of paracetamol (they advise not to use ibuprofen) and it was fine the next day.
Not had an issue with it since.
 
Faldrax said:
Hope it goes well - for me, it was the thought of it, rather than the actual procedure, that was the worst part (I'm not a big fan on injections...).
On the day it was fairly painless - they use plenty of local anaesthetic (the steroids and saline they use to flush the calcium are both are in an anaesthetic solution) - I did have one moment when the needle went to a bit that had not been flooded with anaesthetic, which was a brief pinprick of pain, then the anaesthetic that was in whatever he was doing at the time flooded in, and the pain vanished almost immediately.

The shoulder was fairly sore the next day - but took a couple of paracetamol (they advise not to use ibuprofen) and it was fine the next day.
Not had an issue with it since.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Sounds like your procedure was a success so fingers crossed!
 
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Sat on my 60-600mm for a few months as I couldn't decide whether it was a keeper or not, just so large/excessive for me, who happily shot events on the Tamron 28-200mm last year.

Took it out again on Saturday at Thruxton BSB and I'm beginning to love it...

600mm, 1/15
Thruxton BSB by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

295mm, 1/15
Thruxton BSB by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

600mm, 1/1000
Thruxton BSB by Chris Harrison, on Flickr
 
Faldrax said:
It's a bit of a guess, but my suspicion is that you have the camera set up for back-button focussing - IE The Auto Focus is triggered by holding in the button in the af/mf/ael (rather than the traditional half-press of the shutter), and also have it set to only take a shot if it has focus lock.

A Factory reset in the menus would clear these settings for you - but would also clear any other settings you have.

Hopefully someone with an A7 (Please verify it is an A7, rather than one of the many variants of A7 that Sony have released, EG the A7iv that I have) will be able to help with guiding you through the menus to check those specific settings and how to change them.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for this - was on holiday hence very late reply.

To confirm, it's the original A7. I did the factory reset (both the "Camera Settings Reset" and the "Initialize") and neither seemed to resolve the issue. I'm thinking that maybe there's something wrong with the detection on the shutter button - does anyone have any experience/ knowledge of this being a fault?

In any case, think I can live with the back button focussing for the meantime, and/ or use it to justify the inevitable upgrade...

Thanks for the help!
 
ukaskew said:
Sat on my 60-600mm for a few months as I couldn't decide whether it was a keeper or not, just so large/excessive for me, who happily shot events on the Tamron 28-200mm last year.

Took it out again on Saturday at Thruxton BSB and I'm beginning to love it...

600mm, 1/15
Thruxton BSB by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

295mm, 1/15
Thruxton BSB by Chris Harrison, on Flickr

600mm, 1/1000
Thruxton BSB by Chris Harrison, on Flickr
Click to expand...

I am completely in awe of anyone who can pan that slow with such a large lens, I struggle at 1/100-1/125 - must practice more.

Great stuff!
 
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Mr Perceptive said:
I am completely in awe of anyone who can pan that slow with such a large lens, I struggle at 1/100-1/125 - must practice more.

Great stuff!
Click to expand...
Agreed, 1/15 at 600mm is impressive. @ukaskew were they handheld?
 
Mr Perceptive said:
I struggle to get 1/60 at 200mm.......................
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1/15 is difficult at any focal length, although I do get several keepers at 1/15 and 1/20 at 200mm. I'm not sure I've ever tried this slow with a longer focal length :thinking:
 
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