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NEX - AF for Alpha Lenses

tom in mpls

Active member
Lots of possibilities! Perhaps the Sigma 30/1.4? I want a fast zoom or prime in the 24-35mm range with autofocus. The Contax G 35 is lovely, but I still hope for autofocus.
 

roweraay

New member
If this rumor is right, great news.....is just around the corner

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-firmware-upgrade-for-nex-will-deliver-af-for-sam-ssm-lenses/

The lens that becomes most appealing would be the new 85 since MF gets harder (with magnification) as focal length gets longer.
It is a "SR5" rumor, which means they have more than one reliable source who has confirmed it. Great for the NEX shooters, especially folks who have Alpha lenses (like myself !). I just wish I still had my NEX5 around, and had not sold it. :eek:
 

peterv

New member
Lots of possibilities! Perhaps the Sigma 30/1.4? I want a fast zoom or prime in the 24-35mm range with autofocus. The Contax G 35 is lovely, but I still hope for autofocus.
Tom, I too have been dreaming about using Sigma HSM on the NEX (in my case my lovely copy of the 50mm 1.4) but I think I'll wait and not be the guinea pig this time around. Wouldn't want to fry my NEX and/or lens... My guess is the electronics will work fine and communication between the Sigma and NEX will be there, but I'll let someone over at DPR experiment first :angel:
 

douglasf13

New member
The annoying thing to me is that using Alpha lenses on NEX always focuses wide open, so you don't get full-time DOF preview like with NEX lenses or other adapted manual lenses.
 

roweraay

New member
Why did you do that? :bugeyes:
I've been reading your enthusiastic posts here and long before that over at dyxum. Thought you were an avid NEX user.
Yes, I am and was. :) Just that the announcement of the A55 was a trigger that I could not resist. I am now waiting for the A55, even though I wish I could have waited a week before selling off my NEX5 gear.
 

Terry

New member
Yes, I am and was. :) Just that the announcement of the A55 was a trigger that I could not resist. I am now waiting for the A55, even though I wish I could have waited a week before selling off my NEX5 gear.
Tha A55 really compelling. I wish they made an A55 type amount camera. Yes, skipping the mirror but a NEX EVF, GPS etc version.
 

peterv

New member
John, lots of info, reviews, samples, etc. here:

http://www.dyxum.com/lenses/index.asp

You can look up both the 28 and the 30 you were asking about and lots of other A-mount lenses too. Keep in mind though that the screw drive lenses will most likely not AF on the NEX with the LA-EA1 adapter.

Hope this helps.
 
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Terry

New member
Many choices will include the older Minoltas. Lieca lenses have me rather spoiled; I want f/2.0 or faster.
Not clear how many of those old Minolta lenses will be able to AF for the NEX.

I'm one who doesn't mind zoom lenses so I could see using the E mount 18-200 suplemented by a couple of alpha primes.
 

roweraay

New member
How is the Sony 28/2.8 Alpha lens? How about the 30/2.8 macro?
The 28/2.8 is a lousy performer overall and since it does not have a built-in motor, it will not AF with the upcoming change. The 30/2.8 Macro (with a built in SAM motor), which is an APS-C lens, is supposed to be tack sharp and will AF with the firmware upgrade.
 

roweraay

New member
Please note that there is a Sigma 18-250 HSM lens with built-in in-lens IS, for the A-mount. That could be another option to consider.
 

roweraay

New member
Tha A55 really compelling. I wish they made an A55 type amount camera. Yes, skipping the mirror but a NEX EVF, GPS etc version.
EVF, GPS, built-in body-based IS, Fully articulated/swiveling LCD for the overhead shooting that you used the NEX5 during your Ireland trip for, and ability to natively use the A-mount lenses (which I have a collection of), ability to shoot HD-video with fast tracking Phase-Detect AF (a unique situation in the world of dSLR video) including with really old screw-drive lenses etc., make it a compelling choice.

The NEX bit the dust shortly thereafter and the A900 gets the job done in the meantime. :)
 

roweraay

New member
I do not know much about how that works, but of course I would not be surprised to find that they do not AF. Too bad.
I think we need to separate out the lenses with built-in AF motor (with the SSM or SAM designation against them) and the ones without a built-in AF-motor (which rely on the body-based motor).

The SSM/SAM lenses are expected to AF with the firmware upgrade, while the others will most probably not.

PS: The SAM/SSM lenses include ones like the 35mm f/1.8, the 30mm f/2.8 Macro, the 85mm f/2.8, the Zeiss 16-35 f/2.8, the Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8, Zeiss 24mm f/2 Distagon, 70-300 f/4.5-5.6G, the 70-400 f/4-5.6G, the 70-200mm f/2.8G etc., in addition to aftermarket lenses like the Sigma lenses etc that come with built-in motor (with the HSM designation)
 
T

tigertimb

Guest
Great news to hear that the AF is coming as they originally promised that they were hoping to do. Explains why there wasn't a statement saying that they couldn't do it as they were obviously still working on it.
This is certainly making the new 85mm f2.8 more attractive and I was already considering it for my A900 from a portability pov.

Here's hoping that they might make a couple of tweaks when using manual focus lenses too:
- I'd like the option to move the 'focus assist' onto the top button instead of the bottom
- and I'd love it if the NEX remembered where I left the focus point; moving off-centre makes it hard to maintain composition, so I'd like to be able to quickly check composition and then quickly recheck focus. (and I might prefer it's default position on 1/3rds anyway)
 

barjohn

New member
This may be a dumb question but here goes. With the Sony Alpha series DSLRs is the focus motor in the lens or in the camera body? Do only newer lenses have a focus motor in the lens? If so, are they the only ones that AF may work with the NEX adapter? I have been looking at the Minolta and Alpha lenses but the terminology is new to me and I am not sure which may work and which series will be manual only on the NEX. I am presuming there is no focus motor in the adapter, I guess that could be wrong.
 
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