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Bullish on Sony

I was curious how many member here are "all-in" on the Sony platform, meaning you shoot NEX and A-Mount APS-C or FF (and with the new RX100, maybe plan on using their compact as well).

I've not been one for brand loyalty over the years, although I have shot Canon exclusively in the DSLR department. Like many here, I have been through the merry-go-round of m4/3 cameras, Fuji X100s, Ricoh, NEX, etc. But I have always been a fan of older Contax 35mm and 645 cameras and felt like Sony with Zeiss was closest to that look.

So I recently decided to ditch the Canon gear and buy a used A900, convert my old C/Y Zeiss lenses (28mm and 50mm) to A-Mount and trade the Canon L glass for Zeiss Alpha (24mm and 135mm) and a Samyang to cover the 35mm spot. Throw in the LEA2 adapter for the NEX-7 and I am enjoying an impressive number of focal lengths with fast PDAF. And with the A99 around the corner, those adapted C/Y lenses will soon gain peaking focus capability on FF!

Add to the mix the original NEX 3 with the Sigma 30mm as a go everywhere compact and I'm feeling like this is a nice place to be. No other manufacturer is offering the full range (I guess you could argue for Leica with the X2, M and S2 but that is insane money) of platforms that Sony is at the moment and it is nice to feel consolidated yet still enjoy the flexibility to shoot so many types of lens/sensor combos.

So is anyone else going whole hog with Sony or planing to do so soon?
 

alphaman

New member
I've been shooting Sony A and E for some time. I started with the Minolta 7D and went forwards having originally been a Nikon/Hasselblad/Wista shooter.

Sometimes I wistfully look at Nikon gear and wonder ... D800?, Hmmm ... but so far I've stuck with Sony exclusively.

Lets hope the A99 is as good as has been hinted. For those who don't like the EVF, I've got used to it with my NEX7 and quite like the on screen histogram and the spirit level.
 

gurtch

Well-known member
I use NEX7 and a900 with a stable of Zeiss and Minolta glass. Great system, the A900 is very intuitive, and i love it. The NEX is a nightmare for me, a left eyed shooter, and the confusing and time consuming menues. Also, i dislike the EVF, but i am 75, and set in my ways. I just jumped ship with a D800, 14-24 Nikkor, 18mm Zeiss, 50mm AF Nikkor, 90mm f3.5 Voigtlander MF Apo Lanther SLII, and 70-300 Tamron VC. I got tired of waiting for Sony to come out with an OVF 36mp camera.
Best regards
Dave in NJ
MODERN PICTORIALS
 
Lets hope the A99 is as good as has been hinted. For those who don't like the EVF, I've got used to it with my NEX7 and quite like the on screen histogram and the spirit level.
Yes! I'm a fan of both the A900 OVF and the NEX EVF so plan on keeping the A900 as a second body and using the A99 for shooting concerts where I need to make fast exposure adjustments and will benefit from seeing said adjustments in realtime.

Chad
 

fotografz

Well-known member
I was a big Contax fan also, 645 and many 35mm cameras over the years ... even the AX for auto-focus with the Zeiss 85/1.2 Anniversary. Also used the N cameras including the N Digital.

I blew through numerous Canon and Nikon system swaps in search of a replacement when Kyocera opted out of the camera business ... even adapting my Zeiss CY and N lenses to Canon mount ... to no avail because of too many compromises. IMO, the sudden demise of the Contax line was the biggest tragedy in photographic tool history, and could only be surpassed if Leica had stopped making the M camera.

Then came the 24 meg FF A900 with Zeiss A mount AF optics. Not only did it physically resemble the N camera, so did the feel of the images. Still the best out of camera color, look and feel of any 35mm DSLR camera to date, including the latest greatest IMO. That every lens you put on it is stabilized is still a huge advantage.

I have a suspicion that 20 to 24 meg is the sweet spot for 35mm DSLRs, so I'm not all that geeked about an overly electronic, super high meg A99 anymore. We'll see, but I am very cautious about it.

-Marc
 
I have a suspicion that 20 to 24 meg is the sweet spot for 35mm DSLRs, so I'm not all that geeked about an overly electronic, super high meg A99 anymore. We'll see, but I am very cautious about it.

-Marc
Marc,

All the rumors I'm seeing put the A99 at 24mp which is fine with me. The only thing they need to do over the A900 is improve high ISO and maybe throw in a little extra color depth and DR.

I am blown away by both the ZA lenses and the adapted C/Y lenses on the A900. I also had a Contax AX with a 85mm 1.4 and nothing until this Sony/Zeiss combo approached that.

I'll probably keep the ZA lenses on the A900 most the time and shoot the A99 with the adapted C/Y lenses and peaking. Very exciting stuff if you are a Contax/Zeiss fan.
 

Jim DE

New member
I also started with this system with a KM 7d due to inbody stabilization. I also owned a ContaxG2 system at the same time. Well if you ever want a camera company to go out of business let me but into it :( poif both gone in a matter of a year or two after I got into them.

I held back from buying a Sony till the NEX5. This format seemed like the perfect match for what I needed (a universal digital back I could use with my Alpha glass and my ContaxG2 glass. Worked great except for flash and wildlife so then came the a33.

Now I use a NEX7, a a77, the a33 and the NEX5. Each has their strong and weak points and I use them like golf clubs on a course. I grab the one who's strong point best meets my current needs. The a77 for long lens wildlife and macro, a33 with stroboframe and TTL for flash work, the NEX7 for landscapes with legacy glass and the NEX5 for backup.

Never owned one camera that could do everything great so this is what I have settled in with. Sure the d800e or d4 look great to me but I am retired and the wall street crash of 2008 took out 48% of my retirement savings in a matter of weeks and I am still minus to my pre 2008 numbers. The rate of inflation and rising cost of everything pretty much has pinned me into staying put with the camera systems I have. It's a hobby for me and I have to remember that when the needs and wants pop in my head.

So, with the above I guess you could say I am all in with Sony. The reality of the situation is I would be all in no matter which manufacturers system I currently had and quite honestly I don't believe my images would be better or worse no matter which system I was using. I do alright with what I have and I get enough images that make me happy and that is all that matters.
 

mazor

New member
I used to shoot Sony digital back in year 2000 when they brought out the DSC-P1 with all its 3MP. I then migrated to a bigger body DSC-F707 which had the carl zeiss 5x optical zoom f2.0-2.8 5MP, where the lens seemed to dominate the body. Looking back at images from this camera is still amazingly crisp, combined with the Sony signature saturation style colours, the images can be still used today.

Unfortunately Sony did not have an interchangeable lens DLR system, so I had to jump ship to Canon, from which I accumulated some L lens, and once you are setup on a system, it can be costly to venture to switch even after Sony acquired Minolta, and started the Alpha line.

Finally with the introduction on the Emount NEX, I got a nex 5, and then later a nex 5n. Now I actually prefer shooting on my 5n, and the Canon body get retired to the shelf for most parts.

Am I "all in" Sony, maybe not, but I think I am pretty close. This post has been posted using a Sony VAIO heeh.

Jim DE, as I both the nex 5 and nex 5n, I think you should upgrade to a 5n. I can seriously say the Nex 5n although very similar in formfactor to the 5, it is a completely different camera. the IQ of the 16MP Nex 5n sensor outclasses the 14MP Nex 5 sensor. It seems like every pixel is accountable on the 5n, whereas on the 5, sometimes, it just seems a little soft. Having ISO100 as a base ISO is also very helpful especially when shooting fast lens in bright light, where you want to keep a large aperture for shallow depth. The Nex 5 base ISO is 200. The ability to have electronic first curtain shutter means the shutter sounds different and responds ridiculously fast, so fast it rivals even top DSLRs. Lastly the 5n has the ability to have the addon EVF, which as we all know is amazing. The position of it is perfect, and gives one a perceived feeling of using a miniature SLR albeit the use of an EVF.

Go 5n Jim DE, it will blow your mind away ;)
 

Jim DE

New member
Mazor, it was a choice between the 5n and the 7 for me and being as I was already familiar with the 24mp apc with my a77 and I wanted the added resolution at base ISO for scenics I went with the 7 even though the flash and EVF are of little use to me as I generally shoot ground level supported using a ir remote. In all honesty if I had to do it all over again and know what I know now about the 7 and how it works with legacy glass I doubt I would make the decision to get the 7.

With the 5 I could use the my contaxG 28 at 5.6 and smaller apertures without smearing or color issues with the 7 the 28 is IMO unusable no matter what aperture due to severe color cast issues. So the 28 and 35 are back with my 21 in the Contax G2 bag now. I carry the 16 with both aux lenses (I must have an exceptional 16 because only at f16 do I have an issue with this lens), the sigma 30, the kit zoom, the contaxG 45 and 90. So far this is working for me. But as I said I should of waited for a 7n or whatever the next NEX version will be if it does what the 5n did to improve over the 5.

Hide sight is always 20/20 but I am done buying cameras for quite awhile now and will just use and enjoy what I have.
 

Ocean

Senior Subscriber Member
I went for the NEX-5N because I wanted to be able to use Contax G lenses on digital body. Just recently, I got the combo of NEX-7 with Zeiss 24/1,8 and Sony 50/1,8 lenses. While I have not be using the NEX-7 for an extended period of time, I prefer the flexibility of the NEX-5N more. The Contax G28, Zeiss 25ZM, and 35ZM are not really usable on the NEX-7! The 24MP sensor of the NEX-7 has a lot of noise at high ISO. Even at ISO 400, the noises are visible. For NEX-5N, the noises seemed well controlled even at ISO 1600.
 
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sagar

Member
After trying ALL mirror-less cameras, I have put all my $ eggs in Sony's basket and have settled on NEX-7. I am finding it much better (for my use) than OM-D. Thanks to Sony, I am glad to find a compact cam with APS-C sensor
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Well. I was going through lot of photographic adventures or shall I call it evolution. I was a pretty strict fanboy of OVF, but since I got the OMD (which happened because in Austria they still cannot deliver a D800E) I became a big fan of EVF - at least at the level as Olympus understands to implement this!

Having said that I know how the EVF in the A77 works and this is already pretty good for me although I do not find it on par with the EVF in the OMD. I guess that the EVF of a A99 would definitely top that (think between 3-5MP and much larger magnification - or what Nikon call High Eyepoint) as well as the one in the OMD - no doubt about that. So I am pretty confident that EVF has matured and even with all the discussions about the delay through electronics and disconnection of the photographer I find the disconnection by the mirror flap even much more disturbing. Anyway there are different opinions and I must admit nothing can top the OVF of a Leica S2 or a Leica R9 or even Leica SL2 and also of course for example a Hasselblad H4D. But having said that the introduction of EVF in combination with advanced PDAF or CDAF is just a big step forward for general purpose and even high end cameras. And most pros will be served well with that.

Coming to the point, I am eagerly awaiting the introduction of the Sony FF EVF camera - I do not care if 24 or 36MP any longer - as that would allow me to get back into this system and start using their Zeiss lens lineup, which BTW will be upgraded in certain models. And I do hope for future new lenses from Zeiss to become available over the next years.

So very much waiting for what Sony will show in the FF DSLR area :D
 

Jim DE

New member
Ocean, I agree about the noise issue with the 7 as I am anal about noise just like I was about grain in film. I see it starting at 400 on the monitor and then it gets worse from there BUT I don't see it in 13"x19" prints even at 1600 iso out of a 3880 Epson. Same is true for my a77's prints at 1600 as well. Just something I have to try and ignore when viewing on the screen because in the real world of prints it is not visable at least to me and my prints. This is a hard pill for me to swallow but a reality. Trust me my A77 almost went back the first week till I printed a shot.
 

Rand47

Active member
Interesting. I'm somewhat in an opposite state. I am heavily invested in Sony (a900, a55, all of the ZA lenses, several G SSM lenses), and am tetering on dumping all of it due to the EVF future of FF.

I just cannot warm up to the EVF, and I "want to." The a55 EVF is less than mediocre, and my experience in testing the a77 leaves me unimpressed. If the a99 EVF isn't a quantum leap forward in "reality" - I'm sadly going to take a bath and go Nikon D800e and equivalent glass.

I absolutely love my a900, but with repair parts in doubt I cannot even count on keeping this fine camera up & running over the long haul.
 

Ocean

Senior Subscriber Member
Jim, thanks for your confirmation regarding the noise issue on NEX-7 sensor. I have not printed any images using NEX-5N and NEX-7. I will print some in the next few weeks.

Overall, I am very happy with Sony A900 and NEX systems. I am hoping Sony will add few prime lenses in the near future. The rumored Zeiss ZA 50/1.2 should be nice addition.
 
Overall, I am very happy with Sony A900 and NEX systems. I am hoping Sony will add few prime lenses in the near future. The rumored Zeiss ZA 50/1.2 should be nice addition.
Yes, a 50mm Zeiss would be welcomed by many - especially @ f/1.2!

Personally, I am looking forward to a replacement for the aging 35mm 1.4G lens. It simply does not compare with the Canon 35L so I resorted to the Samyang 35mm 1.4 - from the reviews and image samples I've seen the resolution and rendering look almost identical to the Canon but you lose AF. It would be nice to have an AF Zeiss at this spot in the lineup...
 
Interesting. I'm somewhat in an opposite state. I am heavily invested in Sony (a900, a55, all of the ZA lenses, several G SSM lenses), and am tetering on dumping all of it due to the EVF future of FF.

I just cannot warm up to the EVF, and I "want to." The a55 EVF is less than mediocre, and my experience in testing the a77 leaves me unimpressed. If the a99 EVF isn't a quantum leap forward in "reality" - I'm sadly going to take a bath and go Nikon D800e and equivalent glass.

I absolutely love my a900, but with repair parts in doubt I cannot even count on keeping this fine camera up & running over the long haul.
Sorry to hear that.

For me, the A99 will also be critical but for high ISO performance. I bought into the A900 as an editorial, studio and portrait tool while betting that the A99 would be better at low light for my concert work.

Personally, i like the idea of a second body being different as the A99 will likely be. An EVF and better high ISO performance will suit stage shooting just fine but it may not be something that a landscape photographer would see as much benefit from. Then again, if I was a landscape photographer I would have an A900 with an A850 as a backup and shoot blissfully for many years.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Good point made about a second FF Sony beyond the A900 that does something different than the A900. The critical aspect for an A99 will be just how good the EVF is because it has to be a quantum leap from where the A77 is IMO. More importantly, the high ISO performance has to also significantly improve over the A900 or what is the point? Perhaps the spec's on the new FF Nikon D600 sensor will give us a hint if the A99 is indeed 24 meg.

Where are you folks getting the Zeiss ZA 35/1.4 and 50/1.2 rumors? That would be my prayers answered ... finally.

I will not bale on my Sony system ... I'm not a fan of the Nikon look compared to ZA AF lenses on the A900 ... and if the A99 disappoints, I'll buy up a low use A900/850 and stash it. I'm not using the Sony's nearly as much these days so they should last longer (the S2 has taken over much of the 35mm DSLR duties), but there are times it is still the best tool. Plus, it is the back-up to the S2 in case of an emergency.

If they DO offer a Zeiss 50/1.2 and the A99 DOES improve the higher ISO performance, I can stop thinking about a Canon 1DX and 50/1.2L as a supplement to the Sony system.

Patience grasshopper, patience ;)

-Marc
 

MikalWGrass

New member
Grasshopper chiming in:

I picked up a few cheap but fast Minolta lenses and am pretty happy with them - for the time being. I would relish a 50/1.2 or even an AF 35 though I don't use that focal length too much. However, for those who do, it would be a great addition to the system.

It seems that my wife volunteered me to be one of the two team photographers of my wife's triathlon team for this weekend and all other team events. The other photographer was volunteered by his wife as well. So.......instead of using my M6 with a 50/1.4 as a second body after this weekend, (everyone wants to see the pictures of themselves later in the day of the event, not a week later when the film is scanned - kids today have no patience!!!!!!) I am now looking for a used 900/850 so I don't have to change lenses at the beach (I sold the 24-80/2.8 because it was too slow and I haven't looked back). If there are any sellers out there.......

Finally, the high iso of the a900 blows. As much as I hate flash it is giving me an opportunity to learn flash so I don't miss "critical" pictures. Maybe a 5n.

Sony, can you please put a move on?
 

alphaman

New member
Interesting. I'm somewhat in an opposite state. I am heavily invested in Sony (a900, a55, all of the ZA lenses, several G SSM lenses), and am tetering on dumping all of it due to the EVF future of FF.

I just cannot warm up to the EVF, and I "want to." The a55 EVF is less than mediocre, and my experience in testing the a77 leaves me unimpressed. If the a99 EVF isn't a quantum leap forward in "reality" - I'm sadly going to take a bath and go Nikon D800e and equivalent glass.

I absolutely love my a900, but with repair parts in doubt I cannot even count on keeping this fine camera up & running over the long haul.

This is a position that many of us face.

The EVF took a lot to get used to with my NEX7, but I am now quite at home with it and I can see advantages as well as disadvantages with it.

A good optical viewfinder such as the A900 one is hard to beat and is in many ways preferable. It is certainly more comfortable to use to start with and probably also for long term usage.

I am waiting to see what the A99 is like and perhaps then I too will jump to Nikon but if I do it will be with much regret as I am very happy with my Sony/Zeiss gear.
 
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