Sony a7R IV

[pegelli]

If you want a long tele zoom like the 200-600 but want a little lighter take a look at the Tamron 150-500. It's both smaller and 340 gram lighter. IQ wise Tamron is doing very well with their new E-mount RXD series, excellent performance and IQ. The tests I've seen from the lens (I have no personal experience with it) look pretty good.

 

[Mexecutioner]

Rodrigo, so good to hear from you, I hope all is well! I think I am at a similar place as you, not ready to give up my Phase gear just yet. I will probably pick up a few lenses for the Sony and just enjoy both systems for now. I hope the drought I have been reading about out west has not affected your garden!

Hi Greg,

The garden has been doing well, thanks! We are diligent with the watering schedule and we have put shade cloth to protect it since there is a heat wave this week. Drip irrigation works wonders, but the drought problem is massive and has no end in sight.

Have fun with your new Sony kit, they are mighty little machines!

 

[Greg Haag]

Yes..... the 200-600 is a heavy monster. It's tough enough just walking out to a decent spot at the Dunes but if that was your only lens you could probably figure out a way to either keep it on the tripod or get a small backpack just for it and keep the camera on the tripod.

Consider ordering the 35mm from Cameraquest as they are the Voigtlander distributor and offer the same return as B&H and....... they will overnight it to you at no charge. I try to support them when I can.

It really doesn't matter which lens is ordered first as you will need/want both.

Victor B.

Thanks Victor, I will see if I can cancel the order on the 50mm and order from them!

 

[Greg Haag]

If you want a long tele zoom like the 200-600 but want a little lighter take a look at the Tamron 150-500. It's both smaller and 340 gram lighter. IQ wise Tamron is doing very well with their new E-mount RXD series, excellent performance and IQ. The tests I've seen from the lens (I have no personal experience with it) look pretty good.

Thank you Pieter, I will take a look at that!

 

[algrove]

Greg
What about the GM 100-400 and using the 1.4x when needed? Maybe it's lighter-I must check. Plus the 200-600 is not a GM lens. Also one must say to himself how often will I actually use that lens. I used my GF 250+1.4x a lot on those same DV Dunes and just cropped where wanted, but it was not often needed to use it or crop images. There I had the 50R with 23, 32-64, 100-200 and the 250 with 2 bodies. Not that heavy for me. I use a Mindshift 26L TT bag where I can just swivel it on my waist to get into it if changing bodies/lenses. Normally kept the 32-64 on one body and the 100-200 on the other.

You might want to consider a 2 body approach to minmize lens changes and it serves as a backup in the event something happens to one body. I had it happen once and vowed it would never happen again especially since I was traveling many miles from home without easy recourse.

If you keep this up you will get over 15 lbs in a hurry!

Just saw the 150-500 suggestion. That might be a very good option against a Sony G lens and would not leave you much of a gap between your 24-105 and the 150-500 FL whereas the GM 100-400 leave no gap, but has probably more weight. Decisions, decisions.

 

[Greg Haag]

Lou, the 100-400 is a great suggestion. There is a thread on here comparing the 100-400 w 1.4x vs the 200-600, the feedback on the 100-400 w 1.4x was very good.

 

[algrove]

Thanks Victor, I will see if I can cancel the order on the 50mm and order from them!

Come on Greg, just order the 35 and 50 from them and be done with it.

 

[Mexecutioner]

Come on Greg, just order the 35 and 50 from them and be done with it.

 

[vjbelle]

I think that the Sony 100-400 lens would be a great addition for landscape reach. A little long for my usual shooting but the Dunes, any Dunes, could use that reach. Not all that heavy for me and I'm a small person..... I've shrunk with age. If I can keep something on my back to less than 12 lbs than I'm OK if the distance isn't too far. Dune walking is about the maximum for me. I compare this to my Actus and my 138 float which comes in at around 7 lbs with a 4150 DB. I trecked around the Dunes with that setup and it worked out OK but I went out with only one lens, my Sony camera and tripod on my shoulder. Your setup would be less weight by at least a couple of lbs.

You can do it......

Edit: I can do it..... can't speak for you but I hope you can do it.

Victor B.

 

[Greg Haag]

Thanks for the encouragement Victor! My last trip to Death Valley, when I met you there, I made 3 trips out into the dunes and my backpack got progressively lighter each trip out. I think my dune backpack now would either be my Cambo/Phase already set up with lens of choice & Sony w longest lens I have or just the Sony with long lens. I never change lenses when I am out in the dunes. My first trip out my backpack was 28lbs including tripod & head and my last trip out was under 20.

 

[algrove]

Thanks for the encouragement Victor! My last trip to Death Valley, when I met you there, I made 3 trips out into the dunes and my backpack got progressively lighter each trip out. I think my dune backpack now would either be my Cambo/Phase already set up with lens of choice & Sony w longest lens I have or just the Sony with long lens. I never change lenses when I am out in the dunes. My first trip out my backpack was 28lbs including tripod & head and my last trip out was under 20.

Still to heavy for the enjoyment. For me I must pack 6-8 liters of water in addition to camera gear for a 4 hour dune hike.

I went nearly to the top of the Ibex and Eureka Dunes with 2 lenses mounted on 2 bodies and found myself actually having energy at the end. That was in February of 2019. On other days I would again head out to the same spots with only my Alpa/Phase kit with 3 lenses if the winds were not fierce.

 

[Greg Haag]

Lou, in looking thru my gear I would likely pack, I think my goal would be 16-18lbs. You can see from my list, I am at 11.65 lbs before I add any camera/lenses/filters/misc. The good news is this is significantly less than what it has been.