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Fun With Sony Cameras

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docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
re: Fun With Sony _____

OK

So I sent my M8 and my D3 to forum members and while I was out shopping this weekend I fell into an a850.

Files are stunning...

BUT a couple of questions.

What were they thinking with the flash system?

Where are all of the great lenses that I intimated were available from reading these threads? No wide primes from CZ; nothing in the intermediate 200 400 F4 range from CZ; no easy route to adapt ZF lenses.

While the chip and screen are wonderful there is a lack of major support peripherals.

I miss my mainstream cameras...I shot some pictures at the baptism of a friend's child with my wife's Canon Rebel XSi. TTL flash with 24 - 105 just so that I did not blow the shots.

Here are a couple of captures with the Macro 50 F2.8 handheld:

#1
 
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docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
re: Fun With Sony _____

As I look at these files I know the potential is there but I would like a complete system.

Thoughts?

Bob

#3
 
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APY_JR

New member
re: Fun With Sony _____

As I look at these files I know the potential is there but I would like a complete system.

Thoughts?

Bob

#3
Hi Bob,

Well... you're not going to get it:)

Use 3rd party flashes or studio light systems (I've never used the Nikon flash systems other than for mild shooting jobs anyway.. not enough power nor can I shoot fast enough) Look at something like a Quantum system if you're serious.

You can also get a hotshoe adapter from Sony that let's you mount your SB800 in auto mode (not TTL) and it works just fine.

You're going to have to purchase the sony 70-400mm G zoom to get in that range (or the 70-200)

Both great zooms but no... not primes.

The 24-70 CZ has served me well as has the 135mm f1.8. Nothing wrong with the 85mm & 100mm Zeiss glass either.
Personally... I like the auto focus Zeiss glass that is available with the Sony instead of the manual focus alternative ZF lenses.

I have five CZ ZF lenses (25mm to 100mm Makro) and have found suitable adapters from E-Bay that work just fine.
But... again... it's not auto focus.

The sensor quality is marvelous but you will have to find work-arounds to make your "complete" system. Otherwise... just go drop 8 grand on a D3X:)

Personally... I would not do it (buy the D3X) ... hence the Sony system:)

Albert
 
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docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
re: Fun With Sony _____

Hi Bob,

Well... you're not going to get it:)


Albert
I know that you are correct. I have the flash adapter and can use my Nikon SB800 Canon 430 or my Metz 54 Z3 as on camera flash or my Profoto D1 Airs when needed but at this level it still seems like a work around solution.
I shudder at the thought of adding yet another flash that is proprietary.

I know that there are some wonderful zoom Sony lenses but does anyone imagine for a moment that they are superior to well designed primes...has anyone wondered why Zeiss has not dropped their prime glass into a Sony AF mounting? They could do it for Contax, who at Sony is so wedded to the old Minolta glass that they are unable to supply us with a 21, 28, 35 or 50/100 macro? Adapters that need a generic unscripted glass to reach infinity focus defeat the whole concept of Zeiss glass.

Again, the files are so good that I feel we could do so much more with a bit more investment by Sony in the systems future.

But you are correct...the D3x is way too dear for my tastes...and after divesting myself of the other cameras I have the funds. I am just weary of dropping major funds on cameras that devalue faster than the US economy has over the past 18 months.

So I will look at the 70 - 400 and the 24-70 and the 16 - whatever but I will know that a simple 21, 35, 50, 135, 400 prime would suite my needs just fine. It is a little incongruous when my MF system weighs less than my 35 DSLR.

Michael Reichmann recently advocated the adoption of DNG as an output for their cameras. As C1 does not recognize a850 files at the present I would love to see that instituted.

So while enticed by the camera I have not committed to it yet...time will tell if the compromises will outweigh the deficits.

Sorry for the rant....your insights and thoughts are appreciated.


Bob
 

fotografz

Well-known member
re: Fun With Sony _____

As I look at these files I know the potential is there but I would like a complete system.

Thoughts?

Bob

#3
Bob, there should be no reason you had to use a Canon to shoot a Baptism if you had a Sony. Why was that?

The flash is very good, and one of the easiest to control out there. The top model is very innovative for on-camera flash as it rotates to allow use of diffusers in the upright position in portrait orientation.

The system is relatively young and I'm sure will grow. However, it will be some time before T/S lenses come ... if ever. The Sony 70-200/2.8 is an APO lens and holds it's own with any of the Zeiss ZA lenses.

However, I will NOT be without a "system" camera and also use a D3X (which is a terrific camera) ... so, between the two kits anything is possible. It's just a matter of application, priorities, and of course investment to achieve both.

-Marc
 
re: Fun With Sony _____

What were they thinking with the flash system?
They were thinking, "Why in all this time has nobody improved on the ISO shoe? Surely people must be tired of their flashes loosening and falling off." And on the sixth day(somewhere in the mid-80's) Minolta created the iISO shoe and saw that it was good. :p

Seriously, once you get used to it it's fantastic. One hand to install or remove, and it never comes loose. I find going back to ISO shoes annoying, though I still do live with it when I dust off the old gear and run film through for old time's sake. And do take a look at the F58 and F20; the former is a very nice, very capable piece, which can be wirelessly controlled by the latter. The F20 is a nice fill-flash with bounce, a bit stronger than most built-ins, that fits in a shirt pocket easily.

They could do it for Contax, who at Sony is so wedded to the old Minolta glass that they are unable to supply us with a 21, 28, 35 or 50/100 macro?
The Minolta/Sony 20 2.8 isn't a bad piece of glass at all -- I posted some car pics earlier in the thread that were shot with this lens. If you really, really need 21mm just crop it ~5%. ;)

The Minolta 100 2.8 Macro and derivatives are very sharp lenses, some CA near 1:1 but less so on a good copy.

No, these are not CZ lenses but they are nothing to be ashamed of. Take a look at the lens database over on dyxum.com if you want to see what options there are. There are user reviews on Dxum and usually each lens page has links to a few reviews on other sites. They also have lens threads where people post images from a particular lens so you can see many examples from different people without having to weed through to find images from a lens you are interested in. They also have a for sale section over there. If what you want out of a 35 is incredible bokeh, get the 35 1.4; there is one up for sale at Dyxum. If you want incredible sharpness, get a 35 f2. Not so easy to find but worth the hunt from all accounts.

If you really, really must have Zeiss primes you're a bit hosed at the moment. If it's the results that you're after, there is some Minolta glass out there that won't disappoint -- just shop carefully.
 

docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
re: Fun With Sony _____

Bob, there should be no reason you had to use a Canon to shoot a Baptism if you had a Sony. Why was that?


-Marc
Truthfully I debated using the Sony but my dealer only had one a850 no flashes and I was left with a 50 F2.8 Macro (very nice lens) and one of three off brand flashes. Jumping from portraits to group shots with varying distances I felt better using TTL and a 24-105 (OK lens) in order to minimize multiple changes on the flash to compensate for distances if I got too far back for a group and needed to boost flash level or too close for a portrait.
Hard to capture a decisive moment when your flow is less than smooth.

The majority of the family do not attend any service regularly and looked like deer in the headlights from the start. They loosened up a lot at the luncheon with food and drink. Thought I saw a smile or two at that point.

And yes I would love to have the larger files.

The a850 feels like a wonderful camera and may be a great system but my impression is that there a few gaps in lens selection to have it as a single DSLR system at this time.

Thanks for the wisdom.

Bob
 

fotografz

Well-known member
re: Fun With Sony _____

Truthfully I debated using the Sony but my dealer only had one a850 no flashes and I was left with a 50 F2.8 Macro (very nice lens) and one of three off brand flashes. Jumping from portraits to group shots with varying distances I felt better using TTL and a 24-105 (OK lens) in order to minimize multiple changes on the flash to compensate for distances if I got too far back for a group and needed to boost flash level or too close for a portrait.
Hard to capture a decisive moment when your flow is less than smooth.

The majority of the family do not attend any service regularly and looked like deer in the headlights from the start. They loosened up a lot at the luncheon with food and drink. Thought I saw a smile or two at that point.

And yes I would love to have the larger files.

The a850 feels like a wonderful camera and may be a great system but my impression is that there a few gaps in lens selection to have it as a single DSLR system at this time.

Thanks for the wisdom.

Bob
Got it, I understand.

Really, I gotta say that if you basically need a nice range of lenses, but do not need speciality lenses or a lot of collateral add-ons, then the Sony is a very nice kit for most applications.

The ZA 16-35/2.8 is a superb wide angle zoom as is the 24-70/2.8 (both of which are better optics than the Canon equivalents IMHO and direct experience). Then, as I mentioned, the Sony 70-200/2.8 APO is just as good, and does pretty well with the 1.4X. The Sony 50/1.4 is pretty close to the Canon 50/1.4 and new AFS Nikon 50/1.4D ... maybe the edge given to the Sony in both cases.

What I miss in the Sony system most of all is a Zeiss 35/1.4 prime to mate with the 85/1.4 ... with which I could shoot most any event like a wedding. And an AF ZA 21/2.8 like the legendary Contax mount 21 would be a dream come true.

Fortunately, (or unfortunately depending on your POV), Nikon has made huge strides with their latest lens offerings ... the new 14-24, and 24-70 are exceptional optics and deliver the goods right there with many prime lenses. However, Nikon stumbles when it comes to primes just about across the board :banghead:

My Ideal kit bag would have 3 different DSLR cameras with lenses cherry picked from the best each has to offer ... :D

A Nikon D3X with the 14-24 and 24-70.

A Canon 5DMKII with 24/1.4MKII, 35/1.4, 50/1.2 ... (and if a long lens it would be a Canon)

A Sony A900 with the 85/1.4 and 135/1.8.

That's my dream team.


I only need the Canon stuff to pull it off ... but when it comes to really fast primes I always use a M9 anyway ... which Canon cannot compete with ;) Besides the M kit actually fits in the bag ...:ROTFL:
 

fotografz

Well-known member
re: Fun With Sony _____

They were thinking, "Why in all this time has nobody improved on the ISO shoe? Surely people must be tired of their flashes loosening and falling off." And on the sixth day(somewhere in the mid-80's) Minolta created the iISO shoe and saw that it was good. :p

Seriously, once you get used to it it's fantastic. One hand to install or remove, and it never comes loose. I find going back to ISO shoes annoying, though I still do live with it when I dust off the old gear and run film through for old time's sake. And do take a look at the F58 and F20; the former is a very nice, very capable piece, which can be wirelessly controlled by the latter. The F20 is a nice fill-flash with bounce, a bit stronger than most built-ins, that fits in a shirt pocket easily
Well, the hot shoe is okay if you are using the Sony flash ... not so hot if you use a radio transmitter like a Pocket Wizard, Sky Port, Microsync, etc. ... then you need a separate converter ... which is small enough to constantly get lost, or forgotten (just another thing to remember to bring with) ... then you are dead in the water if working on location. :banghead:

FYI, neither Canon nor Nikon flashed come loose any more ... both now have positive locks and metal shoes and can be swiftly removed.

The Sony system has many strengths, the flash mount isn't one of them.

-Marc
 
re: Fun With Sony _____

Well, the hot shoe is okay if you are using the Sony flash ... not so hot if you use a radio transmitter like a Pocket Wizard, Sky Port, Microsync, etc. ... then you need a separate converter ... which is small enough to constantly get lost, or forgotten (just another thing to remember to bring with) ... then you are dead in the water if working on location. :banghead:

FYI, neither Canon nor Nikon flashed come loose any more ... both now have positive locks and metal shoes and can be swiftly removed.

The Sony system has many strengths, the flash mount isn't one of them.

-Marc
I understand those issues. AFAIK when it was introduced the problem with ISO shoes falling off had not been solved by anyone. If enough people make enough noise, Pocket Wizards etc. may be offered in iISO. You might ask the vendors about that, the more they hear the better. Meanwhile, you could purchase adapters for those devices and just leave them attached, no more forgetting or losing. Yes it's a few bucks but it beats setting up for a shoot and finding that you have no way to connect your flash. :D Having lived with iISO for well over 20 years, and given that all of the flashes that I use regularly have iISO shoes, I wouldn't give up the quick one-handed mount/dismount for anything. Whether it's a strength or weakness is entirely subjective IMHO.
 
A

apras

Guest
re: Fun With Sony _____

Family Holiday, with the a900 + 50mm 1.7. great cheap lens.





 
A

apras

Guest
re: Fun With Sony _____

with the 35mm G







with the Leica 90mm summicron

 
G

georges2020

Guest
re: Fun With Sony _____

Erguna at night. Erguna is located in Inner Mongolia, China, near the border with russia:
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
re: Fun With Sony _____

The Canadian Shield, yesterday, 70-400 G at 300 mm. (I also took this with the P45+ and a version can be seen in the MF thread.)
 
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RDG

New member
re: Fun With Sony _____

I'd posted these earlier on the Minolta 200mm HS G apo thread, thought they show a different kind of fun with Sony. All with the 200mm, its first field trip.

Bulls were determined to push my vehicle off the road, fun while it lasted!

Not able to quite figure out how to post jpegs here, at least in the sizes all of the excellent images everyone have posted.

RDG

View attachment 23336

View attachment 23337

View attachment 23338
 
re: Fun With Sony _____

The Canadian Shield, yesterday, 70-400 G at 300 mm. (I also took this with the P45+ and a version can be seen in the MF thread.)
There is something about the Sony that I really don't like and this picture shows it well. Perhaps I spent too much time with the DMR (16-bit, no AA), but the pictures from the Sony just look soft and flat to me. The P45+ picture highlights just how much is missing. It's not the glass because I'm using the same lenses as. So far, no amount of post processing has been able to bring out what I think should be in the files.

Well seen regardless. I'm not picking on your image in any way, just voicing a frustration with the camera. Some how I expected a lot more from 25 mp.
 
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