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Sony A77

kit laughlin

Subscriber Member
I have read this whole thread; from what I can seem the NEX 7 and the A77 are the same camera, sensor- and EVF-wise, and a different form factor—is this about right? do they take the same mount lenses? If so, Sony might have just made my take-everywhere camera (NEX 7 and a single lens). Interesting times indeed.
 

nugat

New member
The mount is different but there is an adapter. However it's so big (400$ too) it negates the whole sense of the smaller nex7 body.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
I have read this whole thread; from what I can seem the NEX 7 and the A77 are the same camera, sensor- and EVF-wise, and a different form factor—is this about right? do they take the same mount lenses? If so, Sony might have just made my take-everywhere camera (NEX 7 and a single lens). Interesting times indeed.
Only major difference is the mount (but as mentioned it can be adapted) and secondly the A77 has in body anti-shake while the Nex 7 has not.
 

kit laughlin

Subscriber Member
[headslap]Of course[/headslap] (re. the mount)

the A77 has in body anti-shake while the Nex 7 has not.
Another good point.

OTOH, a NEX 7 with two lenses (the 24 and the 50) might just do; really, might just do.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
[headslap]Of course[/headslap] (re. the mount)



Another good point.

OTOH, a NEX 7 with two lenses (the 24 and the 50) might just do; really, might just do.
Exactly my thought as well, and the direction I'm going in with the OM-2; 35 and 85mm but I'll carry a 21mm as well. Unfortunately there's no good ultra wide available for the Sony. The 16mm is crap and the 24 plus 50 plus body are already close to $3,000 :eek:
 

jonoslack

Active member
The mount is different but there is an adapter. However it's so big (400$ too) it negates the whole sense of the smaller nex7 body.
Let's get it right - there are two adaptors - there is a new one with a mirror and phase detect af - rather like a modern day visoflex - this is what you're talking about. This allows AF with old screwdriver driven lenses.

However there is an existing adaptor which is not huge and not expensive, which allows you to use (and autofocus with SSM and SAM lenses).

all the best
 

jonoslack

Active member
There is the not so small issue of cost there... ;)
Yes, well, I do understand that. To be honest, I think that landscape with most of these little cameras is an issue - the lenses usually just don't make it to the edges . . . . the 12mm on m4/3 is a nice lens, and that is sharp to the corners, but these are few and far between.

I think Jorgen has it with Sony, that there really isn't a good wide prime for APS/c.
 

nugat

New member
Can alphamount ssm lenses autofocus on nex e-mount in contrast mode with the smaller adapter? Or is it manual focus only without the frankenadapter? I am not clear on that.

From dpreview:
"Further lens options - LA-EA2 Alpha mount autofocus adapter
"To further expand the range of lenses that NEX owners can use with full functionality, Sony has also announced the LA-EA2 adapter that promises fast autofocus with all existing Alpha mount lenses. This uses the company's SLT technology, with a fixed 'translucent' mirror and built-in phase detection AF sensor, plus an AF motor for 'screw-drive' lenses. Somewhat reminiscent of Leica's old 'Visoflex' system for its M-mount film rangefinders, the rather bulky housing also has its own tripod socket for use with larger lenses. The LA-EA2 includes the same 15-point AF sensor as the SLT A65 and original A55.

The Sony LA-EA2 NEX-to-SLT adapter promises fully-functioning fast phase-detection autofocus with all Alpha-mount AF lenses - something no other mirrorless system can quite match

While this certainly expands on the range of lenses accessible to NEX owners, we're not entirely convinced of its real-world practicality (especially as, at $399, it's not cheap). We have a sneaking suspicion that it only exists to show that the NEX can be used with more than the handful of native E-mount lenses, rather than being a big seller. It seems likely that most people who own a range of Alpha lenses will already have SLRs to use them on, increasingly supplemented by 'real' SLTs. And perhaps the biggest attraction of mirrorless camera over SLRs is compactness, which rather goes away when using AF lenses with such a large adapter. But for those who bought a NEX and then discovered that they really wanted an SLT after all, it could well come in handy, and we can see potential for videography."
 
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Lonnie Utah

New member
I think Jorgen has it with Sony, that there really isn't a good wide prime for APS/c.
Which is exactly why I think I'm going to pass on the A77. Basically the only options are the sony/minolta 11-18, the siggy 10-20 (4.5-5.6 or the 3.5), or the Tamron 11-18 in the zoom world. There are also several sigma prime options (4.5, 8, 10mm) and the Samyang 8 & 14mm. All of these are OK, and I'm sure that they would work, but none of them are stellar, esp when compared to my CZ16-35.

Looking at my basic lens lineup (CZ16-35,CZ24-70,Siggy 70-200 f/2.8) the ranges get a little funky on APS-C. I'm not sure that the 16-250 I have that lives full time on my A200 would be a great choice on the 77. I'm sure it would be OK, but it's not a knock your sock off type of lens.

So, I guess I have to wait. I am going to go to my local shop and handle the A77. If it blow me away, I might bite. But that still means spending another $600-700 on glass (for a mediocre UWA), and I'm sure at that point I'm close to the price point of the new FF. I might as well wait....
 

Lonnie Utah

New member
Can alphamount ssm lenses autofocus on nex e-mount in contrast mode with the smaller adapter?
Yes. With the LA-EA1, SSM (and some of sigmas HSM's) A-mount lenses will AF on the NEX in contrast detect mode. However, you need to update the firmware of both the NEX and the LA-EA1 to make it do so. Originally it was un-possible. There are quite a few reviews reports from the early days that are still on the web saying it can't be done, which confuses people.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Which is exactly why I think I'm going to pass on the A77. Basically the only options are the sony/minolta 11-18, the siggy 10-20 (4.5-5.6 or the 3.5), or the Tamron 11-18 in the zoom world. There are also several sigma prime options (4.5, 8, 10mm) and the Samyang 8 & 14mm. All of these are OK, and I'm sure that they would work, but none of them are stellar, esp when compared to my CZ16-35.

Looking at my basic lens lineup (CZ16-35,CZ24-70,Siggy 70-200 f/2.8) the ranges get a little funky on APS-C. I'm not sure that the 16-250 I have that lives full time on my A200 would be a great choice on the 77. I'm sure it would be OK, but it's not a knock your sock off type of lens.

So, I guess I have to wait. I am going to go to my local shop and handle the A77. If it blow me away, I might bite. But that still means spending another $600-700 on glass (for a mediocre UWA), and I'm sure at that point I'm close to the price point of the new FF. I might as well wait....
I'm always rather impressed by the Sigma UW lenses - the 10-20 f3.5 I had on the Pentax was compact, well made and sharp - cheap too. But basically I do agree - I have similar lenses to go with my A900, and although the telephotos remain exciting, the midrange lenses do become decidedly blah.
 

Lonnie Utah

New member
I'm always rather impressed by the Sigma UW lenses - the 10-20 f3.5 I had on the Pentax was compact, well made and sharp - cheap too. But basically I do agree - I have similar lenses to go with my A900, and although the telephotos remain exciting, the midrange lenses do become decidedly blah.
Yeah, I've been keeping my eyes open for a good deal on a sigma in anticipation of having to get something. I think I'd go with the 4.5-5.6 tho, because of the 77mm filter size. The 3.5 is 82mm and I'm not sure how well it would play with the lee filter holder.

For me, the extended tele range would be the only reason to jump to the A77. But since those ranges make up less than 10% of my shooting, it doesn't make sense to buy something just for a 1.5x boost. If that's the only goal, a much better plan (economically) would be to get the 1.4x or 2x tele-converter and turn my 70-200 f/2.8 into a 140-400 f/5.6.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
Can alphamount ssm lenses autofocus on nex e-mount in contrast mode with the smaller adapter? Or is it manual focus only without the frankenadapter? I am not clear on that.
Yes, ssm lenses AF with the LA-EA1 but slow. Best term I heard it describe is "pedestrian". Screw drive lenses are MF only with that smaller/mirrorless adapter.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I'm always rather impressed by the Sigma UW lenses - the 10-20 f3.5 I had on the Pentax was compact, well made and sharp - cheap too. But basically I do agree - I have similar lenses to go with my A900, and although the telephotos remain exciting, the midrange lenses do become decidedly blah.
The best, smallest and lightest WA lens for the NEX 7 is probably an Olympus E-PL3 with the 12mm. It's tiny, has an articulated LCD, weighs only around 450g with batteries (150g less than the Sigma 10-20 with adapter but without a camera) and serves as a backup camera should you drop the NEX into the river.

The lack of high quality lenses is typical for problems with many Sony products: They are very well executed from so many points of view, and extremely attractive and well designed, although most of them have their little "Sony quirks". But they often fail to see the product in a broader context. Walkman is the typical Sony success; you load a cassette that is a world wide standard, you plug it into your ear, and it works. The Elcaset was the opposite. The product was fantastic, but they forgot to consider the fact that almost everybody on earth who could afford to buy one, already had a music system that worked well enough... and it was at least twice as expensive as the competition... and Sony was the only manufacturer supporting it.

The Alpha mount was a lucky strike, since the product line-up was already more or less there together with a customer base. NEX is a great idea, and partly well executed, but it fails in two major areas: It has a menu system that nobody asked for and that alienate many photographers, and it's seriously lacking on the lens side. Why couldn't they, instead of the Frankenadapter which must have cost some serious work to develop, have gone to Zeiss and asked them to make a WA lens too. I seem to remember that Zeiss has a few WA tricks up their sleeve.

To stay with the cassette terminology: The Frankenadapter reminds me of the old Nakamichi 1000 cassette deck; fantastic quality, but you didn't want to carry one unless you really, really had to. Not that it was meant to be portable to start with, but the Frankenadapter doesn't seem to be very portable either.

One could of course live with the 7 and just the 24 and 50mm lenses. I only had two lenses for my OM-1 the first number of years as well. But with the OM, I knew that it was possible to buy some high quality glass if I wanted. Lots of it. Even the 4/3 system included some rather hot glass from the outset, even if there was just one 5MP body to choose from. The lack of good, compact primes for the NEX, and given Sony's history of giving up if the hill becomes too steep, would make me reluctant to invest in this undoubtedly very fine camera if I had the monies to pay 3,000 shiny silver dollars for that and the two good lenses. Which is a pity, because it seems to be a very nice piece of equipment, more or less tailor made for the kind of photography that I do.
 

douglasf13

New member
The bad performance of the Sony 16mm is often overstated. Sure, there is a drop off in sharpness at the very, very corner of the frame, but put on the .75x converter and slightly crop to about a 20mm equivalent, and it is just fine. That would be especially easy with 24 megapixels. Considering the size, focal length, aperture, and minimal distortion and flare, I think the Sony 16 is actually pretty remarkable for what it is, and Olympus had to make their 12/2 twice as long to get better performance out of the same equivalent focal length and DOF. Of course, all of the review sites with test targets only a few feet away may not agree.
 
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