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

snerkler said:
I must admit when you posted this a while back I initially thought E as in worse than A, but I guess it could mean excellent.
Click to expand...

The quote was ok and in line with what I expected and looking at their website E does seem to mean excellent and they rated this one E+.

The lens in question is a Minolta 24mm f2.8. It's one of the later 49mm versions which some people would discount for the more plastic build and stronger coatings but optically I thought it was the best film era 24mm I've owned. Earlier lenses have a more metal build and possibly less effective/strong coatings, you pay your money and make your choice, it's horses for courses. The focus ring was described as being very stiff and in need of repair by the Yorkshire company but the Scottish company didn't mention that. I thought that it was stiffer than some but I prefer a slightly stiffer action as there's less chance of accidental movement when taking a picture and the movement is universal in feel so I don't think it is actually a fault. Anyone thinking it is or just not liking the firmer action could pay for a clean and thinner lubricant but that would add to the cost unless you DIY.
 
Last edited:
Cars - it's nice when they're clean, but I really don't care. Living in the country, during the winter it only takes a day for the car to be plastered with mud.
 
GreenNinja67 said:
I'm surprised just how good my Olympus 50mm f1.8 and 28mm f2.8 vintage lenses work on the A73. They are exceptionally sharp for nearly 50 year old lenses.
Click to expand...

I've still got all my Zuikos. 24, 28 and 35mm f2.8, 50mm f1.8 and f1.4, 85mm f2 and 135mm f3.5.

I think these lenses are pretty much my ideal film era lenses but I have to be honest and say that compared to some other lenses optically they can be IMO rather ordinary (maybe some optical greatness was sacrificed to make some of the lenses smaller?) and with a IMO mechanically clunky aperture mechanism. The 50mm f1.4 in particular is IMO lovely for people pictures. People often enthuse about Takumars but IMO the Oly gives almost as nice a tone but with much better image quality at wide apertures. Of mine the 85mm f2 is probably the most valuable.
 
Last edited:
GreenNinja67 said:
If I take anything interesting with them I'll post here.

Well, just down there a bit ↓
Click to expand...

I'm starting to forget what film era lens I used for which picture now.

Of my Olympus Zuikos the 50mm f1.8 is probably my favourite and I do wish we had lenses of this size and optical quality available in Sony mount so that we don't need an adapter but IMO they're few and far between. The TTArtisan 50mm f2 is tiny but with some obvious issues and optically IMO the Zuiko is the better lens.
 
woof woof said:
I'd like a really good valet on all my cars. The local car wash place does an OK job for IMO a slightly inflated price so a while back I rang a bloke who seemed to get good reviews and he and his son came and did all my cars at my home but really it's only just a better job than the local car wash, nothing to WoW me. I'd really like a good buff and polish on all of them. I used to really go to town on my cars but I'm passed that now, too much other stuff to do.
Click to expand...

I polished and ceramic coated my own car. Took nearly 3 days all told. If I was to do it again I would just pay someone to do it. Huge amount of work.
 
f/2.8 said:
I polished and ceramic coated my own car. Took nearly 3 days all told. If I was to do it again I would just pay someone to do it. Huge amount of work.
Click to expand...
I’ve been thinking about having my bike ceramic coated but it’s £500 to have someone do it :oops: :$
 
f/2.8 said:
That’s expensive. I can get the car done for about £350.
Click to expand...
Maybe I need to have a ride over to Northern Ireland ;)
 
f/2.8 said:
I polished and ceramic coated my own car. Took nearly 3 days all told. If I was to do it again I would just pay someone to do it. Huge amount of work.
Click to expand...

This is the thing plus is it just my imagination or do we rarely get three consecutive days of good weather these days?

I hadn't heard of ceramic coating so I googled it and the first thing that came up was Autogym. I used to use their products decades ago and I still have a part used bottle of Super Resin Polish although I'm sure what I generally used was their Polymer Sealant. Whatever I used I used to get a better result than I got from the professional valeter who did my cars recently. I think I might have to try someone else.
 
GreenNinja67 said:
@woof woof, some shots from the Tamron mirror lens.
Click to expand...

I think they are very soft but I wonder if some of this is due to the posting process, do they look better on your screen?

If they are a true representation of what you see on your screen then I'm struggling to think of a use for which this level of image quality would be acceptable. There may be some uses for some people, it's just I'm struggling to think of them.
 
Oh, just on those returned lenses.

I've unpacked them and checked them to make sure they are the lenses I sent off and for any obvious damage and lo and behold... Two zooms are included, one I bought and did use a couple of times and one I got free and have never used. The free one, and I'll be as kind as I possibly can here... has some very obvious damage to the coating which I haven't noticed before today. Now, it could be that in the multiple times I've inspected this lens... when I got it, when I sent it to Yorkshire, when I got it back and then when I sent it up north... I've missed all this but it is very obvious and I spotted it immediately this time.
 
woof woof said:
This is the thing plus is it just my imagination or do we rarely get three consecutive days of good weather these days?

I hadn't heard of ceramic coating so I googled it and the first thing that came up was Autogym. I used to use their products decades ago and I still have a part used bottle of Super Resin Polish although I'm sure what I generally used was their Polymer Sealant. Whatever I used I used to get a better result than I got from the professional valeter who did my cars recently. I think I might have to try someone else.
Click to expand...
Yeah it has to be done indoors or it’s a waste of time.

Car has to be fully decontaminated, then machine polished and then coated. Autoglym don’t do a proper ceramic coating.
 
woof woof said:
I think they are very soft but I wonder if some of this is due to the posting process, do they look better on your screen?

If they are a true representation of what you see on your screen then I'm struggling to think of a use for which this level of image quality would be acceptable. There may be some uses for some people, it's just I'm struggling to think of them.
Click to expand...
No, on my screen they are soft as hell.

Going on eBay as it's in mint condition so I can't be accused of not as described.
 
Like the first shot more though the reflection on the lhs of the screen is a bit distracting. Thought a cpl would have sorted that ?
 
LeeRatters said:
Not without ruining the main part of the whole screen ;) Like I said, without a tripod [to blend images] I just had to pick the best setting for it.
Click to expand...
Should be pretty easy to remove in photoshop? It doesn’t bother me though, I think it looks more natural with some reflection (y)
 
LeeRatters said:
A few ore from that early Sunday of parking on the footpath..... ;)

Regret not taking the tripod really as although it would have taken longer, I had to do the best I could with the CPL in a single shot.


*** by Lee, on Flickr


*** by Lee, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Nice spot that,

The car top left in the first image distracts me.
 
f/2.8 said:
Nice spot that,

The car top left in the first image distracts me.
Click to expand...
I didn't see it when I was looking on the phone but now on the computer it is a little distracting. Easy to clone that out though (y)
 
An image recorded with great grandpappy R1, the beast which started the Sony high end line of still cameras...

Hillman Minx R1_05222.JPG
 
Another from the R1 - a quiet drink by the Grand Union Canal at Long Buckby...

Couple outside the New Inn Long Buckby Wharf R1_02834.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top