Thanks a lot Sony >:(

[Jack]

But for the record, some of us larger folks with big hands H A T E the new A7ii grip design. The "old" A7r is WAYYYY more comfortable to me, and the new one is so stupid small, I will pass on any new body that has it, even if it does have 50.2 megapixels!

Sorry, just need to vent that Sony is clearly NOT an ergo OR optical centric company...

 

[Guy Mancuso]

What's funny with smaller hands I like the new grip so much better. The new vertical grip is also very nice, better for big hands. Something one must try out first.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

But they do have Zeiss in there corner for optics. The A series glass is very good but they need to update to SSM motors on the 85 and 135 for instance. Question really is do they feel the A series is viable to continue or not. The A series has been ignored for awhile now. But no more ignored than Canon sitting on there hands for quite sometime.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Read this on SAR this morning and the new Zeiss 35 sounds very promising


3) Focus on 35mm Zeiss: The in-body stabilization (IBIS) technology developed by Sony is used not only for IBIS, but also for autofocus motors in the DXC-RX10 and the new FE mount 35mm F1.4 ZA lens being introduced. Direct Drive SSM is based off of technology used for in-body image stabilization. A piezoelectric element that translates an applied electrical field into mechanical movement is used for precise linear positioning of the focus group.

 

[fotografz]

Yes, yes, I think we all agree that the A series makes a nice digital back for a lot of favorite glass.

It is the native AF FE mount glass that fits the cameras that's lacking. 4 cameras and 2 primes is meager at best (plus, a slow 35 and 55/1.8 are too close in FL to be of real value). Expensive slow zooms defended by high ISO arguments forgets the value of subject separation and use of higher shutter speeds using cleaner base ISO. All the zooms are slow. Ergonomics (both physical and especially operational) of the Sony tiny-tot cameras is unnecessarily awkward and bewilderingly complex.

My bigger concern is the lack of a FF frame replacement for the A99 ... a much better featured camera than any A series, but now aging. That is a LOT of A mount ZA glass that will be orphaned should Sony not continue the SLT FF camera. The massively inelegant LEAE-4 adapter is NOT the answer ... nor is handling the camera by the lens which may kind of work for the 135/1.8, but not so good with other ZAs. Next we'll need strap lugs on the lenses : -)

ZAs will become paper-weights if there is no native FF camera, especially as Sony eventually trots out the FE line and twenty more FE mount cameras. The SLT is beginning to smell like the Contax N system all over again. Great Zeiss optics with no camera. At least the Leica R lenses were mechanical and could be adapted.

It's about optics ... the long term investment in them ... not re-buying everything over, and over, and over ... (unless of course you are Guy).

- Marc

 

[MikeEvangelist]

ZAs will become paper-weights if there is no native FF camera

If you are burdened by any of those paper-weights, I'll take them off your hands.

 

[Jack]

My preferences are in order:

Great file, great glass available, camera that disappears in my hand and requires no thinking to operate. After that it's all frills.

Right now, that order is filled perfectly by my Nikon -- and I respect it's filled for others via other brands.

I believe the issue most are complaining about here is Sony's lack of good, fast, AF lenses for the full-frame E mount. Why keep bringing out better and better bodies that deliver great files, without any native glass to support contemporary operations (gee, you mean like fast AF?) on them? It seriously befuddles my mind...

 

[Vivek]

My preferences are in order:

Great file, great glass available, camera that disappears in my hand and requires no thinking to operate. After that it's all frills.

I have that in my A7s.

(FWIW, could never get this sort of satisfaction from the Nikon DSLRs. SO, glad that I ditched Nikon)

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Marc you have gone negative dude what's up. LOL

Seriously though buying in you have to decide what is going to work and what is not. For me the speed demon is the A7II and I seem to get along fine with the slower F4 zoom doing events and the AF speed adapter or not is working. But yes I agree more lenses both in A and E need to be made. But also lets face it most of us bought these like the A7r to adapt lenses to it. The ultimate PR wedding kit is really the A77II even with the crop factor it hits every note for speed and AF abilities but I agree they need a FF to back it up.

I give Sony about March 1st to spill there beans. These trade show announcements do absolutely nothing for them so I am ignoring this CP+ show as these shows are really not needed now with the advent of the internet. They get far more mileage announcing after the fact as the press corp just eats up all the data they can and reviews since it is not diluted by other announcements . Sony just needs to show there hand. Call

 

[dandrewk]

I think I've posted it before. Sony can't win. They make a lightweight lens with a slow maximum aperture, users complain that they need a faster lens. They make the same focal length faster, and the complaints are "too heavy".

Mirrorless or no, that's reality for all lenses.

Besides... and correct me if I'm wrong... Sony has never advertised lightness/compactness as a feature of their mirrorless cameras. It's really more of a by-product.

 

[Jack]

So which "fast" lenses -- meaning f1.4 primes and f2.8 zooms -- are available from Sony in EF mount?

 

[pegelli]

Jack, with or without adapter?

I think I know the answer :ROTFL:

 

[MGrayson]

What? You're not counting the Holga? Harsh...

 

[Jack]

No adapters, because then it wouldn't be an "FE" mount lens, would it?

The Holga is like an f12 lens. And I do like it. At least it's about the right size for the A7r body

 

[dandrewk]

So which "fast" lenses -- meaning f1.4 primes and f2.8 zooms -- are available from Sony in EF mount?

I believe you own an FE mount, ultra fast prime lens. Zeiss Loxia has a couple in the pipeline.

Sony itself has a 35 f1.4 about to be released in FE mount, and already there are many claiming it "too big", which is my point. They can't win.

Sony will probably never make an f2.8 zoom lens. Besides the size, they apparently don't sell very well, most likely because of the high price. Regardless, if I'm thinking I need a wide aperture for low light or tight focus, I'm usually not thinking "zoom lens".

 

[Jack]

I said *SONY* EF mount lenses, meaning fast lenses made by Sony specifically for their EF mount cameras -- but you knew that

 

[dandrewk]

Ok then, the Sony FE 35mm f1.4. One fast prime, although I would consider the FE55 1.8 fast.

This is a mass market manufacturer, so I don't expect them to focus 100% on a small core of professional users with particular needs.. It may be they will depend on third parties to service that niche, and users can always use adapters.

 

[Malina DZ]

ZAs will become paper-weights if there is no native FF camera

Marc, Sony is doing "everything" to avoid this situation. Recently announced 35/1.4 ZA (for a FF camera) makes your statement invalid.
I'm sure a850/900/99 will be around for a while for those who wish to stay adapterless.
I may jump into FE world as soon as there is some special native glass available for it, such as fast (<= F/2.0) auto focus STF or tilt-shift, that is not found in other systems.

 

[iiiNelson]

Marc, Sony is doing "everything" to avoid this situation. Recently announced 35/1.4 ZA (for a FF camera) makes your statement invalid.
I'm sure a850/900/99 will be around for a while for those who wish to stay adapterless.

Yes or one could look to the FE cameras as a more flexible body for an "A-Mount solution" the way Leica did with the M240 as a "R-mount solution."

I digress though. In reality I think Sony will continue to support the A mount with a pro style FF body and a capable APS-C body. I really see that as the long term future of all DSLR's for the next 3-5 years.

I think we (well many of us) are the minority. Many pros I talk to care more about zooms than primes for pro work most of them are firmly in the Canon/Nikon camps and I don't see them leaving. What Sony is doing is smart in that they are filling gaps with zooms although I personally only am interested in two of them for my uses. Primes are great. I love them and prefer them in many cases - I'm a hobbyist though.

 

[iiiNelson]

I think I've posted it before. Sony can't win. They make a lightweight lens with a slow maximum aperture, users complain that they need a faster lens. They make the same focal length faster, and the complaints are "too heavy".

Mirrorless or no, that's reality for all lenses.

Besides... and correct me if I'm wrong... Sony has never advertised lightness/compactness as a feature of their mirrorless cameras. It's really more of a by-product.

Agree. Sony is damned if they do or don't and I'm not in the habit of defending corporations mostly.