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New lens lineup for the A7rII

rhern213

New member
Well the reason I'm iffy on the 16-35 is that I never shoot under 20mm, I just don't like that FOV, and when you get close to 35 the lens starts to loose IQ. So my reasoning was that if I'm always going to be in the 20's anyway why not spend the same amount of money on a lens that's faster and has better IQ while sacrificing the range. That's why I think I would rather have the 25 over the 16-35.

However after that then I said well the 28 is just as good as the 25 in IQ, the 3mm difference is nothing to me, I can do without a 35, and I can save $1k! lol. But then I would need to get the 16-35 because 28 is not wide enough.

My 55 and up lenses are completely covered, I know exactly what I need and like there.


Agree with Viramati. For me, as much as I'd love the 25 Batis, when I want wide, 25mm won't do it. I carry the 16-35 and the FE55, but I have ordered the Batis 85 and will probably take that instead of the FE55 for a two lens bag.
 

UHDR

New member
Guy, thanks for you input! Being a stickler for high quality files, I should probably get the Batis 25mm for sure. I am wondering how much difference there is in the Sony 70-200 f4 and my Canon 70-200 f4. Any experience there?
Thanks,
J. Paul
hope you guys dont mind me jumping in. i tried the sony 70-200 f4 (not extensively), and at the time thinking i will switch from my canon 70-200mm F4 (non-IS), but at the end i kept the canon because:

1, I didnt need fast AF. and to be honest, on A7r, the 70-200 F4 really isnt that fast anyway (no phase detection).
2, while 100% crop shows more details with the sony, i found the canon has more pop/"appears" to be sharper at overall level (not at pixel peeping level).

so at the end i kept the canon.

a minor point, i like the zoom ring with canon a bit more than the sony. it feels...less premium...which means i have to care less about equipment and focus more on the actual picture.... but that's just me...:ROTFL:
 

JMaher

New member
Any one have any experience with the FE 70-200 on the A7RII versus the A7R? I once rented that lens to try it on my A7r but I thought it hunted too much when the light was low. Has this improved?

Jim
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Any one have any experience with the FE 70-200 on the A7RII versus the A7R? I once rented that lens to try it on my A7r but I thought it hunted too much when the light was low. Has this improved?

Jim

I rented one for my New York shoot doing runway and it hunted badly . I actually thought the lens was in need of repair. I wound up shooting in AFS mode for thousands of shots. I would like to know this answer as well
 

gDallasK

New member
What didn't work with regard to the Canon 135 f2 L? Was the the AF or optical issues? I have had good results with that lens on my A7R and had planned to keep it.
It just hunted and never obtained focus lock. Others have had the same experience.

I hope you have better luck with yours.
 
After a week I'm reasonably certain the A7RII is replacing my Monochrom for landscape work. And my usual lens set required only one substitution:

WATE 16-18-21
Distagon 25 (to replace 2.8 Elmarit 24)
MATE 28-35-50

I'd thought of collecting Leica R lenses when I first tried Sony A7, but opted instead for Zeiss Contax (C/Y) lenses. Initially I did so because they were cheap, and according to old reviews matched R image quality pretty much toe-to-toe. The C/Y 25, in particular, bested the 24 R lens, which was simply a Minolta. And now I love the middle-aged Zeiss rendering. I've picked up 28 2.8, 50 1.4, and 35-70 f3.4 Vario-Sonnar (the latter isn't the kit lens; it competed with the 35-70 f4 R and was at the time thought to be the winner). But I don't haul these Zeiss lenses around for landscape photography, because the 3-lens set (above) is so easy to carry.

Kirk
 
I think I'm done!

After several years trying to build the 'holy grail' of kits...buying, using and ultimately selling a M8, M9, M240, D800e, two A7Rs, an A7S, and too many lenses to admit, I think my kit is actually done. The A7Rii finally brought it all together.

A7ii
A7Rii
VC 12mm
FE 16-35mm
Batis 25mm
Loxia 50mm
FE 70-200mm
FE 90mm Macro
Tamron 150-600mm (on LA-EA3)

 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I'm getting close just a matter of getting funds where I need them. I'm two lenses short of bliss. Okay maybe 3. I'm a gear whore
 

CharlesK

New member
It will of course depend on your intent and style...

WATE ++++/4
Batist 25 ++++
FE 35/1.4 ++++
FE 55/1.8 ++++
Loxia 50 ++++
ZA 135 f/1.8 ++++
Superb lens. Only received it yesterday, but truly a surprise package. It will still be a few months wait in Australia for the Batis 85!!
With the A7rII you can hand hold the ZA 135 down to 1/10s combined with f/1.8 is amazing. To fully use this lens with the A7r would be
very difficult as the min shutter speed would need be 1/180s

Loxia 35 +++
FE 35/2.8 +++

If the above lenses are too clinical :)

Mandler Rendering

50 Nocti f1.0 ++++
75 Lux ++++
50 Cron IV ++++
 
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Luvwine

New member
This is my current lineup:

Leica WATE (16-21). Slow at F4, expensive, but excellent quality, especially stopped down, in a very compact package. Hard to beat at any price for combination of small size and quality

Leica R 28 2.8, v. 2: possibly best 28 ever made, manual focus only and adapter makes it a bit large, but if you like tho focal length, a very fine choice due to excellent quality. I don't use mine enough due to focal length being too close to 35 (with tiny FE) and bag size/weight.

FE 35 2.8. Not much to say except it is almost always in my bag or pocket due to small size, light weight, autofocus, and very good quality.

CV 35 1.2 v. 2: fairly small, quite heavy for size. Great bokeh and very fast lens. Really good wide open at short range for portraits and such. Less good at infinity than the FE due to poor contrast until stopped down to 5.6 after which it is good and by F8 really good across the frame. Very versatile lens with only weakness being infinity at large apertures. MF only. It usually finds its way to my bag for low light, casual portraiture, etc.

FE 55 1.8: probably the no brainier choice of all the FE line. Reasonably priced, very good across the frame. Very sharp. AF is good. Other 50mm have more character perhaps, but is the obvious first choice for a 50mm prime for Sony FE.

Leica M 75 1.4: just bought it! So far it seems great. I anticipate a lot of character and a perfect low loght complement to the CV 35 1.2 with lots of character.

Leica M 90mm/2 AA. Amazing lens. MTF almost perfect from wide open. Pretty compact if dense. Great portrait lens and for landscape. Really no weaknesses that I can find. Lot's of competition at this focal length, but one of the best. Drawbacks are price and MF only. Not sure I need the Batis 85 except for autofocus.

Sony 70-200/4. Very good quality. Very useful for travel as covers a lot of focal length in a reasonably light package albeit not small. Pretty good for outdoor portraiture too. Lenses like this show that the size advantage of the mirrorless system does not translate to telephoto lenses. Only finds its way into my bag when I need a long lens.

My bag usually has WATE, 35 2.8, and 55 in it for hiking, landscapes, and such or, if I don't need UWA, sub the Leica 90/2. Will otherwise mix and match depending on what my needs are.

Hope some of this helps.
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

Still waiting on that A7rII! :-(

Regarding the lens line up, I plan to use my existing lenses for the Sony Alpha 99SLT. My initial plan is to add a couple of lenses in ranges where my 24-70/2.8 ZA is weak, short end and long end.

So the new lenses are Canon 24/3.5 TSE (where I am very much interested in the shift and tilt) and the new Sony 90/2.8 macro. Where I go from here I need to find out.

I have not bought the 24-70/4, as test reports are saying it is mediocre and downwards, although I understand it may be a bit better than that. I understand that 24-70 lenses are difficult designs. Canon's 24-70/2.8 LII is probably the best of the bunch. So I bought the 28-70/3.5-5.6 lens which seems to be a decent design but still mediocre. I wanted a lens with decent AF.

Present plan may be to go with the two Loxias or something like that.

Present line up:

Sigma 10/2.8 Fisheye with adapter (this is APS-C and used sometimes as a speciality lens)
Sigma 12-24 with adapter
Sony 24-70/2.8ZA with adapter
Sony 70-400/4-5.6G with adapter
Sony 70-300/4.5G with adapter (for lightweight packing)
Canon 24/3.5 TSE LII
Sony 28-70/3.5-5.6 (for lightweight packing)
Sony 90/2.8G Macro

But right now I wait for the camera. After that I need to find out about the lenses I have and consider next options.

Meanwhile, I need to get rid of some old equipment.

Best regards
Erik
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I think I finally found bliss after screwing around with this since I bought in.

VC15 version III. Love this little thing

Batis 25 turns out maybe one of the best you can bolt on. My tests reviled uncanny performance

Sony/Zeiss 35 1.4 is just a fabolous look lens

Batis 85 is amazing centrally and just a great performer

Minolta 200 I just sold mine to Cindy several weeks ago but it was a mistake and I knew it. Just amazing old lens that not much can touch in that range. So I bought one back

I need a mid zoom and I'm just not happy with my options and more importantly this one is a money issue since it will get little use. I just don't want to invest much in it.

I'm actually done for a bit and just settle in . I'm tired of buying and selling
 

jlm

Workshop Member
picked up the 90mm macro; noticed it has a steady shot on/off button on the lens. i would assume you leave this off and use the steady shot in the body, if at all?

or off on the body, on on the lens?
 

scho

Well-known member
picked up the 90mm macro; noticed it has a steady shot on/off button on the lens. i would assume you leave this off and use the steady shot in the body, if at all?

or off on the body, on on the lens?
I also have a 90 FE on the way and have the same question. I seem to recall that the Olympus IBIS operates in concert with lens stabilization (if present) with different axes being controlled by the IBIS and lens OSS. Don't know if same applies to Sony system or not.
 

rhern213

New member
Somebody did this test on here just a little bit ago, don't remember what thread the post was in.

In conclusion they said you can keep the stabilization on from both the lens and the body with no issues, tripod or not.

picked up the 90mm macro; noticed it has a steady shot on/off button on the lens. i would assume you leave this off and use the steady shot in the body, if at all?

or off on the body, on on the lens?
 
picked up the 90mm macro; noticed it has a steady shot on/off button on the lens. i would assume you leave this off and use the steady shot in the body, if at all?

or off on the body, on on the lens?
Both systems work together, and turning OFF the switch on the lens turns both systems off.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
K
Both systems work together, and turning OFF the switch on the lens turns both systems off.
Thanks, exactly. IIRC, I think for that lens OSS (Sony's name for IBIS) is greyed out in the menu.

For OSS lenses pitch and yaw stabilization seems to be provided by the lens whereas roll, X and Y stabilization is provided by the camera. The system needs to know the focal length. For X and Y stabilization it also needs to know distance to subject.

X and Y stabilization contributions are most important for close focus and go to zero for infinity.

So, when the lens doesn't communicate electronically focus distance information to the camera body, IBIS does pitch, yaw, and roll stabilization.

Of course, for native but non-OSS lenses the camera's IBIS does all 5 axis corrections, i.e. 5 inputs for 3 outputs. The sensor doesn't tilt. It can move in X and Y and rotate within the X-Y plane.
 
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