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

nandbytes said:
I noticed a issue on my viltrox 16mm f1.8, when I set the aperture ring to f16 the camera is reading it as f18. I need to ever so slightly move off f16 to make it pick up f16 again.
Looks like the aperture ring is a little off for some reason. but the odd thing is its only off at this particular setting. It fine at all other aperture settings :thinking:

I didn't find this issue till yesterday since I almost never shoot past f11 otherwise would have sent it back.
Still under warranty with LCE.... I guess its worth giving them a shout.

Edit:
Tried it with clickless aperture, so it does hit f16 ever so slightly before the f16 marking and ever so slightly after f16 marking it moves very quickly to f18 (for other f-stop points you need to move the ring over half way between the two f-stop points before it pickup the next setting)
hmmm.... very odd that its like this only around f16
Click to expand...

So I sent my lens to LCE for getting repaired for the above issue I posted. They have accepted that the lens is faulty.
Viltrox also confirmed with them that this is not a software issue they can remotely fix.
But LCE are having a very hard time finding someone to repair a Viltrox lens locally.

LCE have asked if I'd accept a refund on the lens if needs be.
I am currently in two minds.... I could accept the refund and look for an alternative fast UWA prime. Finding another viltrox is a pain.
This is a good copy, which I have taken on 3 holidays and really happy with this copy. I almost never shoot at f16 so its almost a non-issue.
At the same time if the lens develops further faults it becomes hard/impossible for me to get it fixed if LCE themselves are having a hard time!

Looking for some thoughts/advice here on what people feel about this?
 
nandbytes said:
So I sent my lens to LCE for getting repaired for the above issue I posted. They have accepted that the lens is faulty.
Viltrox also confirmed with them that this is not a software issue they can remotely fix.
But LCE are having a very hard time finding someone to repair a Viltrox lens locally.

LCE have asked if I'd accept a refund on the lens if needs be.
I am currently in two minds.... I could accept the refund and look for an alternative fast UWA prime. Finding another viltrox is a pain.
This is a good copy, which I have taken on 3 holidays and really happy with this copy. I almost never shoot at f16 so its almost a non-issue.
At the same time if the lens develops further faults it becomes hard/impossible for me to get it fixed if LCE themselves are having a hard time!

Looking for some thoughts/advice here on what people feel about this?
Click to expand...
I would say that it’s obviously bugging you otherwise you wouldn’t have sent it in to be fixed. There’s nothing to say that another copy won’t also be very good optically, and if not swap it again until you find one that is.
 
snerkler said:
I would say that it’s obviously bugging you otherwise you wouldn’t have sent it in to be fixed. There’s nothing to say that another copy won’t also be very good optically, and if not swap it again until you find one that is.
Click to expand...

yes good point, it was indeed bugging me.
I think its better to take the refund and move on. Finding another used copy isn't going to be easy though :(
 
nandbytes said:
yes good point, it was indeed bugging me.
I think its better to take the refund and move on. Finding another used copy isn't going to be easy though :(
Click to expand...
Ahh, didn’t realise it was used :( Well you never know (y)
 
woof woof said:
Nice. I have the 24mm f2.8 G and the 55mm.



As you know I had the Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 but now have the 35 and 50mm versions.

I don't think 40mm is a good fit for me now and it is of course even closer to the 35mm f2.8 I have so buying one maybe makes even less sense than buying the 50mm. The different build of the G lenses and their aperture rings compared the old 35mm f2.8 aren't big enough reasons for me in themselves. Another thing is that every time I use a 55mm lens I'm a bit irritated that it's 55 and not 50mm so the 50mm G could potentially replace the ocd triggering as it's ever so slightly tighter/longer than 50mm 55mm f1.8.

40mm is where I started (actually with 43mm) but these days after spending so much time with 35, 40, 50 and 55mm lenses of those I think 35 feels better for me as a usual first option with occasional uses for a 50/55mm rather than the piggy in the middle 40mm which may be ocd triggeringly close to 35mm and not able to replace a 50mm when 50mm is preferrable to 35 or 40mm. Of course I'd adjust in time though.

Decisions.

Mainly though this is just gas as I haven't bought anything for weeks :D
Click to expand...


Did you start with the FA 43mm ltd lens by any chance? That is my all time favourite lens, I still have my copy even though I don't have a Pentax any more, as I couldn't bring myself to sell it - I know, makes no sense...
 
MrMackyB said:
Did you start with the FA 43mm ltd lens by any chance? That is my all time favourite lens, I still have my copy even though I don't have a Pentax any more, as I couldn't bring myself to sell it - I know, makes no sense...
Click to expand...

I started with a Kodak Instamatic 36 which has a fixed 43mm f11 lens. I still have that camera and I'd never sell or dispose of it but I haven't used it for decades.

That camera got me into photography and I still have a soft spot for simple one focal length camera and lens combinations. In more modern times I've had a 45mm f2 and a Voigtlander 40mm f1.2, oh, and I also have a 20mm for Micro Four Thirds which equates to 40mm on FF.

There's nothing wrong with hanging on to nice lenses and indeed I'd recommend it :D and you could always use your lovely lens on a Sony or any other mirrorless camera via a cheap adapter although I do think that film era lenses work best on FF mirrorless cameras.
 
Last edited:
snerkler said:
Anyone going to try and capture the Northern Lights this weekend? It's quite cloudy here but I'll keep and eye on the weather.

www.independent.co.uk

A severe solar storm will bring the Northern Lights to the UK this weekend

‘Very rare’ event means auroras could be visible throughout the country, but may also lead to blackouts, Met Office warns
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
Click to expand...

nandbytes said:
Looking at the forecast tonight feels like I'm in the only cloudy region on the country :facepalm:
Click to expand...

If it's patchy cloud, just shoot a timelapse ;)
 
None of you are quite as far south as me though - no chance of northern lights happening over central France. At least today was sunny and 23 degrees, though it's already getting cold.
 
No luck here either, I thought I could see a green tinge to the sky, called the wife and she said I must be imagining it haha.
 
It was spectacular around the area where we live in Oxfordshire, showing up well in phone pics. I don't know if it showed here in the Morvan, but we have a long drive today and I wasn't going to stay up until 2am local time to find out.
 
Looking on facebook we had some stunning northern lights here around midnight, sadly I was sound asleep as I have work today :headbang: Absolutely gutted, it's on my bucket list to see them :(

Screenshot of someone's post on our estate taken with the iphone
Screenshot 2024-05-11 at 07.51.42.jpg
 
snerkler said:
Looking on facebook we had some stunning northern lights here around midnight, sadly I was sound asleep as I have work today :headbang: Absolutely gutted, it's on my bucket list to see them :(

Screenshot of someone's post on our estate taken with the iphone
View attachment 422618
Click to expand...

The display last night was simply amazing and in some ways better than what I saw in Norway/Finland.

Might still be pretty good tonight. Worth staying up and finding clear skies if you can.
 
nandbytes said:
The display last night was simply amazing and in some ways better than what I saw in Norway/Finland.

Might still be pretty good tonight. Worth staying up and finding clear skies if you can.
Click to expand...
I'll definitely be out tonight, I'm just praying they show up and hopefully as good as last night.

I don't really have a decent lens for it though, I don't know whether to use the 16-35mm f4, or 35mm f1.4 set at f2 or f2.8?
 
I hope some of you guys caught that last night!

A M A Z I N G .....

Gutted we didn't go somewhere "better" now, but the forecast was for 80+% cloud cover so we stayed local. A mate went to Kimmeridge Bay to shoot Milky Way and he had aurora facing south east! One message in our group chat I've woke up to says he'd couldn't shoot the Milky Way because the aurora was too strong......
 
snerkler said:
I'll definitely be out tonight, I'm just praying they show up and hopefully as good as last night.

I don't really have a decent lens for it though, I don't know whether to use the 16-35mm f4, or 35mm f1.4 set at f2 or f2.8?
Click to expand...
The forecast isn't as strong as tonight but still pretty good especially if you are further up north than me.
My had an amazing show in York too last night.

I'd say go with the Sony 35GM. It was really unfortunate my Viltrox was returned too :(
but luckily my Samyang 24mm f1.8 hasn't sold yet so I used that.
 
LeeRatters said:
I hope some of you guys caught that last night!

A M A Z I N G .....

Gutted we didn't go somewhere "better" now, but the forecast was for 80+% cloud cover so we stayed local. A mate went to Kimmeridge Bay to shoot Milky Way and he had aurora facing south east! One message in our group chat I've woke up to says he'd couldn't shoot the Milky Way because the aurora was too strong......
Click to expand...

I gave up on the milkyway. It was possible in Finland though but it wasn't quite the milkway season yet, could only see the tail
The skies there are super dark in comparison to here.

53696588671_2fec15d9c3_b.jpg
 
I think I'm going to try and see if the Northern Lights appear again tonight. If I was landscape in as well as sky am I best doing a composite so that I can get the foreground sharp using f8-11, and then a separate shot for the sky and doing a composite in PS? If I use my 35mm f1.4 am I best shooting at f1.4, or should I stop down to something like f2.8?
 
snerkler said:
I think I'm going to try and see if the Northern Lights appear again tonight. If I was landscape in as well as sky am I best doing a composite so that I can get the foreground sharp using f8-11, and then a separate shot for the sky and doing a composite in PS? If I use my 35mm f1.4 am I best shooting at f1.4, or should I stop down to something like f2.8?
Click to expand...
I normally shoot wide open.
Depending on how quickly the aurora is moving you might want to limit you exposure to 2-5s.
Normally from what I had seen in UK aurora mostly appeared as a band of colour so you could go for longer exposures. But yesterdays there was some amount of details in the aurora and it was moving too. And if you go for very long exposure it will turn to mush.
In such cases definitely go wide open for getting more light so you can go for shorter exposures.

Looks it'll be out tonight too. the activity so far is quite high.
 
nandbytes said:
I normally shoot wide open.
Depending on how quickly the aurora is moving you might not limit you exposure to 2-5s.
Normally from what I had seen in UK aurora mostly appeared as a band of colour so you could go for longer exposures. But yesterdays there was some amount of details in the aurora and it was moving too. And if you go for very long exposure it will turn to mush.
In such cases definitely go wide open for getting more light so you can go for shorter exposures.

Looks it'll be out tonight too. the activity so far is quite high.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much. I am concerned the 35mm isn't going to be wide enough so I'll likely take both lenses out and if there's enough time/activity try it with both. My other concern with shooting wide open at f1.4 is that the foreground won't be sharp, but as I say I might do a separate shot for that :thinking:

Looking online, surprise view is my nearest dark sky so I'll likely head up there.
 
snerkler said:
Thanks very much. I am concerned the 35mm isn't going to be wide enough so I'll likely take both lenses out and if there's enough time/activity try it with both. My other concern with shooting wide open at f1.4 is that the foreground won't be sharp, but as I say I might do a separate shot for that :thinking:

Looking online, surprise view is my nearest dark sky so I'll likely head up there.
Click to expand...

depends on your subject and how far away it.
shot at f1.4 with 35GM
51351151639_70f9666f76_b.jpg


Stonehenge is in focus. May be the grass isn't? who cares
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top