Beautiful pics. Size & Weight. Hi, Philip! You have to do everything yourself. Press the Menu button on the top left of the camera. Nice posting and the tip about watching for shimmering is an interesting one. Go to menu/ gear wheel/ 6 or 7 /Custom Key Settings/ AF/MF Button and select Focus Magnifier. Many thanks for your patience and understanding with me and others using your blog, regards, Andy, Yeah I need to apply for the Amazon.co.uk affiliate program but I havent yet . with my future site I want to share my findings about manual lenses on the a7, just for fun. In addition, I have two more lenses coming, one from another eBay seller and one from B&H. Evaluate for yourself how important the stabilizer is. (2) There are specialist adapters, such as the Kipon tilt-shift adapter that convert manual lenses into the equivalent of very expensive til lenses. I have tried some FD lenses and looked at their raw image and histogram: By the way, great photos and surprising performance from Minoltas lenses. Some new Sony FE .. Highly active question. I have had a look at the Sony lenses for this camera and they are very pricey, not just that but in all truth i have no idea what lens(es) i will need. My advice would be to stick to just a few lenses in the beginning but if you need some inspiration for other lenses check out our guides: For manual lenses I prefer full frame cameras like the Sony Alpha 7II over APS-C cameras like the Sony a6000. And last but not least it is dirt cheap at $20-30. It will look fine on the screen but the image is over or under exposed. I recently purchased Minolta 58 f1.2 and wanted to understand quantifiably on how would the images look different. Here in Germany the a7ii body can be had for about 1500 and at that price difference I would choose the a7ii. To get a feeling how a modern lens like the Sony FE 1.8/55 compares to a much older lens check out my shootout between the $20 Minolta MC 1.7/55 and the $1000 Zeiss 1.8/55. The Sony Alpha 7s is a specialist. at what aperture? If money is only a secondary concern to you and you simply want the best manual focus experience you can get dont hesitate to get the Voigtlander. Affordable manual lenses for the Sony Alpha 7,7r,7ii,7rii and 7s. Fast forward to the first days of digital and this technique became more challenging. You really nailed home the points on mirrorless + manual lenses. The principal is the same, but the difference is that you can only start tracking from the centre of the frame. I recently shot a wedding, and when I used this technique, I used a rented, manual focus Zeiss Loxia 35mm lens. The 7rII has slightly better performance at high ISO than the 7II. Dont use AWB (auto white balance) so that all the shirts will have the same color balance and all will need the same correction. Then you would have lost about two hours and $15 afterselling the lens and adapter you bought for less than $100. I have both the Sony 4/70-200 and the OM 135; at least with my copies the Sony zoom is best at around 135mm and at that focal length at least as sharp as the OM, with much greater contrast and much less axial CA (which is a real downside of the little OM). Thanks. Many modern lenses control the aperture through the camera. Anyway right now, Sony A7 is a very nice camera to use vintage lenses.The onley thing In dont like,is the shutter would,but its ok, om getting used to it. So you would have lost very little. Hi Phillip, . My next article will be a7 vs a7ii , Interesting to see the comparison with the Sigma 24mm Super Wide II. In your post, you give a few hints about focusing manually. In a different focal, what do you think about voigtlander 50 f2 APO ?It seems to have a special rendering like the voigtlander 21 1.4, and to be very easy to handle. Either Canon is an excellent buy secondhand here in the U.S. with lots to choose from, and one of those can always be sold on without much trouble or economic pain. Thanks. If you use the LCD sreen, it is impossible to see details during a sunny day. I focus on a documentary approach, and look for emotion and reactions amongst the people to capture. I think thats a very nice kit you have there and an excellent reason to buy a Sony a7ii. Then I briefly ran across one of your comments about legacy Minolta glass and ended up buying an old copy of the AF 135 f/2.8. Hi Steph, With the A6000 just trying to keep subject in frame was difficult Thanks. A huge advantage for the Sony. Description; . Are these lenses specifically for Sony a7 series or they work well on Olympus or Panasonic micro 4/3rd mirrorless cameras as well? Others may say, "no, no, that's not how to do it," when they really mean, that's not how THEY do it. Or would you recommend rather buying a number of cheaper adapters and shimmying them? I would like to extend my photography experience with a manual focus lens and I would like your advice. Habe gerade eine fr mich optimale Belegung der Tasten meiner a7r iii fr die Fotographie mit manuellen Linsen gefunden, vielleicht ist das fr den einen oder anderen ntzlich: C1 Zebra ein/aus (leicht erreichbar, toggelt die Funktion), C2 Selftimer vor Auto-Bracketing vom Stativ (weniger oft benutzt, daher auf eine Taste die schlechter erreichbar ist), C3 Gitterlinien (ich mache oft Architekturfotos), Steuerrad ISO (rasches overriding der von mir meist benutzten Auto-ISO Einstellung), Steuerrad oben wie Standard (Monitor- Einstellungen), Steuerrad links wie Standard (Bildfolgemodus), Steuerrad mitte Fokuslupe (optimal auf dieser Taste, da man danach ohnehin mit der Mitteltaste durch die Vergrsserungen muss), Steuerrad unten Steady shot ein / aus (Freihand / Stativ), Steuerrad rechts Steady shot Brennweite manuelle Wahl (optimal auf dieser Taste, da man danach mit dem Steuerrad rasch die gewnschte Brennweite whlen kann). 35-105 (first version), 70-210 f4 (beercan), APO 100-300, and 50mm f1.7 all in excellent plus condition that cost me a total of $1000 more or less. I would like to do this through one of your affiliate links. My general recipe for exposure with this system in the Steven Gross style party photography is to set the camera at approximately ISO 3200, the shutter at approximately 1/30th of a second, the lens at f/8, manually focus the lens to 1 m, set the viewfinder to ignore exposure and show me a bright image, and I get to work! Sony A7 III, A7R III Center Lock-on AF. (ok, its not a budget pack But still, its less than the equivalent bag of modern primes for this usage). The difference isnt huge but if you use your lenses a lot (like I do) you will appreciate the difference. Do you use focus magnification or focus peaking? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If you can buy a good legacy lens for $25, why would someone spend $999 on a modern manual one? On top it also has a removable dent with an arca profile alllowing you to mount heavier lenses on a tripod. I have since ordered an adaptor (K&F Concept Lens Mount Adapter for Minolta MD)and a Minolta 135mm F3.5 Lens (arrived today) I have been out over lunch for a quick play with it and I love it. Does the 42MP BSI sensor have the same advantages it has against the A7II also have against the stacked A9 sensor with i.e. 1. Dont forget that using an APSC sensor a 50mm lens will become a 75mm (requesting smaller drawings or a longer distance from the drawing). Thought about selling to get another filmed Nikon lens, but still have it for situations where I need auto focus. Phillip. Im looking for lenses with a short focus ring travel and short flange distance la Leicas and Voigtlanders. While this is a proper manual lens with a very pleasant focusing ring it communicates exif information to the camera and you dont need to think about an adapter. Just give manual lenses a try. And dont expect good astro performance from that lens at f/2.8, f/4 should work okays but for very good results you need to stop it down to f/5.6. I have been shooting with several Sony cameras,such as Sony A7,A7ii and A7rii. Will first improve my understanding of the A 6000 because I am not used with these endless menus and bits and pieces all around the camera and may wait for the A7ii to become a bit cheaper/my savings higher. I will post the amazon link for them if anyone else is interested. Best wishes from Texas. Transfer photos and videos to a Windows computer using PlayMemories Home. This will give you a better feel for the optimal focus position but it also slows operation down so you could use focus magnification right away. I guess except resolution, the cropped A7RII combination would have the same IQ as with the full frame, as it uses the sample sensor, even same pixel size, just with lesser pixels, correct? Is streetphotography a speciality? I wrote it as an article, and now I am looking for people who are knowledgable on the subject to lend some advice. I noticed that focus peaking only seems to work when I am in manual focus mode. I used mine a lot for two years and still use it occasionally. And in terms of taking pictures with low luminosity, is there a difference between the 2 cameras? 4.When shooting in aperture priority mode with manual lenses, is it possible to set aperture on the lens and have a fixed ISO and let the camera choose to shutter speed for the correct exposure? Nikkor Ais 28/28 Cost really isnt a factor, but size is very important to me. 62.5% of 150 is slightly less than 93.8mm. Using Sony . Thanks Kit and good luck with the a7rII . On a tripod, where you can use live view, the Nikon works fine. Tip 3: Top improve precision with focus peaking first try to get focus about right. But 700 euro worth? His method was to use a Leica M6 in his right hand, and in his left hand a Vivitar 283 flash with a wide angle diffuser connected to the camera via long cable. I considered getting the tough e mount but Im not sure if its just a waste money or if it will effect the vignette when using manual lenses. Wrde den Adapter austauschen, Good job! General information about PlayMemories Home. Take a look at this article for further information. Any recommendation for telephoto zoom lenses like 70-200mm or 55-210mm? I have the Sony A7ii, and am looking forward to experimenting with the legacy lenses. For much more information check out my Sony a7 vs a7ii post. (If you get charged at customs for extra, I found the supplier refunds the extras as soon as notified.) I will try with all my minolta lenses by focusing on a fabric (I take it you mean like a blanket or other cloth). Ive been looking into purchasing a 7II so I can use many of my old lenses because I really dont enjoy using lenses where the aperature is accessed only through the camera body like on my Oly MD5. Well they would have to cut back on some features for an a7III and I think the EVF is a likely feature to be cut. I like shooting product photography as well, Cakes, food and beer. Is it easy to focus ? This are a 28mm 2.8 Ais and 105mm 2.5 AiS. And Ill see if I miss a tele prime. When I shoot landscapes I am at f/8 or f/11 any way and there many old lenses are competitive with modern lenses. By the way, clicking on your picture of the glass of beer it changes in a delicious cup of cappuccino. I have about 20 EF mount lenses now; native, adapted and converted mounts. What lenses would you recomend me? I have shot a wedding with manual lenses and my friends were very happy with the results as well as kids. Any idea how effective the ibis would be while in magnified mode while hand held trying to focus. how do you attach die Hasselblad monster lenses to the Sony A7ii with its near grip? eBay Product ID (ePID) 16027883901. An additional advantage is that I focus wide open, thus placing my focus point halfway in my depth of field. Lenses are a much better investment. The technique worked brilliantly with the Sony and the Phottix, but in the end, I wasnt blown away by the lens. How hard is it to adjust correctly and manually the speed of the shot? especially I learned something new to have an alternative to focus peaking using a flaw of the EVF, have to try it out! I have read several reports about bad quality control from Metabones and never about issues with Novoflex adapters and I am very happy with my own Novoflex adapters so I am a bit biased towards the Novoflex adapters. The difference between the cropped a7rii and a6500 will be pretty small and I have no idea which would come out first. It's the method I use most often: https://youtu.be/npRJL. I recently got a Sony alpha a7 for a very good price and picked up a c/y adapter to use with my favorite lenses Im just grateful that anytime I think of a question I tend to find an answer on your site. Activating Back-Button Focus. I had one for 15Euro that was not black enought and the stray light reflection would be bad for the picture. On little tidbit that is completely irrelevant in practice, but can affect shots of test patterns, so be careful when analyzing these. Have you ever tried out the OM Zuiko 50mm f/1.4? Phillip, I think I will check it out in the future , Interesting Post, Philipp, Albinar ADG 28mm 1:2.8 Macro Focus, o52mm MENU 2 [Custom Key] Select . (beyond aperture (notan option for 500), I suppose the ISO could adapt itself). But Ive never seen any mention if there is any correction for the lens aperature. Last but not least : some wide angle lenses have a design which was OK for film, but not for digital : the incoming rays of light are striking the sensor at a too oblique angle thus resulting in a lot if smearing and vignetting. Hi Phillip, We have a review of the 100-300 coming and it is indeed spectacular. Voigtlander M mount 40/14 Adapting Lenses Still worth it in 2023? To me it just looks like manual focusing with any manual lens. Regards. My method goes back to the days before digital. 2.I have noticed in your post that you mainly use minolta and canon lenses. These cookies do not store any personal information. Zoom as well. It is still abit of work and you have to remember lens and aperture but it can be very handy. So now, oddly enough, when I use an adapted manual focus lens, I can no longer use the technique that I have been using for many years with great result. Sometimes they absolutely do though! But if that lens is what you like: sure, go for it! I use focus peaking if I shoot quickly moving subjects were the image wont be super sharp anyway but in general I think focus peaking is quite over hyped. Leica lenses and referred to further information within the linked article. You can assign the focus magnifier to any button, but I prefer setting mine to the "AF-On" button (that's on page 3 of the custom key settings). No idea, I very rarely use flash and when I do my old Metz usually works fine. Use DRO to see into the shadows. While the lens is removed from the camera, try turning the . Sorry, your first emssage didnt get through. That's where the focus modes come into play. I have a litte addition to that in case of using A7RII (dont know if other cams have this option). As Leicas are out of my price range, Ive been looking for Voigtlanders. The Sony a7iii is an autofocus beast, offering 425 contrast-based AF points along with 693 phase-detection AF points. I had before I sold Sony A7rii a very expensive camera system with some Loxia,Batis,Voigtlander and Sony FE lenses,but I sold the camera when I tried the fujifilm x-t2 because I could retain more highlight and shadows when shooting landscape in jpg. VILTROX 85mm f/1.8 F1.8 Mark II Full-Frame E-Mount Camera Lens Support AF Auto Focus for Sony A7II A7III A7RIII A7SIII A7II A7RIV A9 A6600 . Pick a subject with fine structures with some contrast like print or a carpet. Took a shot of a mile-long beach (at 200mm) and was able to get a perfectly clear shot of the words on a sign at a distance of well over 1000 meters, handheld. David BM, After reading your reviews, i think about the voigtlander 21 1.4 nokton, loxia 21 or 35mm but perhaps i forgot other alternatives lens. My Metz flash works ok. Hi Phillip (and sorry for my bad english), Well here it gets more complicated but if we only look at sharpness the 24MP a77ii/a6500 image will always be as good or better than the a7rii 18MP image since it has a higher resolution. I bought a a7ii back in March and I am stuck with the kit lens. Anyway, the IBIS and better peaking will be nice. I found that convenient and with the appearance of EF to FE adapters something to continue. Few reports so far but the new EVF should make using manual lenses even more enjoyable. I love the blog, if I had the money I would go and buy an A7 II tomorrow . So for which mount and which lenses do you need an adapter? You calibrate it wide open for best accuracy and then you can rest asured it will be tack sharp stopped down when shooting i.e. You can use a Gretag Macbeth color checker card, or a white balance card in order to get the right colors : just rake a picture of the card at the beginning and then correct the results in postprocessing. You can see some photos taken with it on the forum. I adore it and put up with its flaws because of its very small size for a 300mm. The following two tabs change content below. I already own an APS-C Canon 70D with zooms only. Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews and content. I was kind of hoping that it would not be that obvious of a difference. Thank you so much for all the info and great review . Ive recently bough a new C/Y-Nex K&F Concept adapter for my Contax Zeiss lenses, which I am very happy about. Repair information and service assistance, Keep track of all your products in one location, A place where you can find solutions and ask questions, Please accept Youtube cookies to watch this video. Already have several E>A manual adapters and plenty of vintage glass to work with before I get an LA-EA4 for the AF lenses. I am very happy with the Novoflex adapter so if you are looking for the best solution and dont hesitat to pay good money for it I would go for it. b) a 180mm lens is a 180mm lens, no matter the format it was created for so 180mm is the correct setting. Im sure you have covered this in this very well written article but im new to photography so bare with me for this one. With the NEX-6 and Novoflex adapter, I have had a lot of trouble of getting a sharp focus (nowhere near the Sonys autofocus). @David B-M: I have been a commercial photographer on and off since I was about 19 two Nikon F Photomic head bodies and lenses (and the massive Pentax 67 camera; another story)and much like 4/3rds today, had the extraordinary OM1 with a few lenses for personal work (all the while being a television and film director). Hi Phillip, thanks for your reply. This trick only works if you shoot raw. My 5DIII rear screen is 1044 dots (348 pixels). The FE is nicer for family pictures because it is faster and has better bokeh. The future voigtlander 35mm 1.2 e-mount will be clearly a good one hoping the purple fringing will be better corrected! And Ive checked into adapters and the FotodioX Adapter for Minolta MD/MC/SR Rokkor Mount Lens to Sony NEX Mount Camera, seems to be able to handle these lenses well I think. Thanks. I think this article has become and is becoming even more relevant over time as the FF mirrorless bodies are becoming cheaper. An adapter wont reduce sharpness or T stop, at worst there will be some play but that only happens with bad adapters. Buy another A6000 and then add say a Sony zoom 10-18 mm or a short focal length prime Thanks for the great review and beautifull sample photos. 1) I have recently reviewed the Zeiss Distagon 2.8/28 and for landscape use I would prefer it over the FE 2/28 which I also own. Erfahrung mit dieser Linse bzw. When shooting fast lenses wide open, I almost never managed to hit correct focus with the Nikon. Vintage SLR retrofocus wide angles usually perform better on FF sensors than vintage rangefinder wide angle lenses. Based around an updated 24.2-megapixel back-illuminated full-frame sensor, the A7 III punches well above its weight with a rich feature including a 693 phase-detect autofocus system, 10 frames per second, internal 4k video, and silent operation. Adapter is no budget item, though. Thanks for the article! As ive stated above, i think its probably the most relevant piece of information for anyone trying to get serious with photography but is limited by a tight budget. How would the images look different aperture through the camera LCD sreen, it is cheap. The forum is impossible to see details during a sunny day not black enought and the tip about for! Few reports so far but the difference but Ive never seen any mention if there is any for... 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Few reports so far but the image is over or under exposed perform... Them if anyone else is interested 1044 dots ( 348 pixels ) so far the! That lens is removed from the centre of the glass of beer it changes in a delicious cup cappuccino! The subject to lend some advice of 150 is slightly less than $ 100 have there and an excellent to... I would like your advice stop, at worst there will be a7 vs a7ii post you! Looking forward to the days before digital lenses a lot for two years and still use occasionally... Subject with fine structures with some contrast sony a7ii manual focus print or a carpet and reactions the. 999 on a tripod vintage rangefinder wide angle lenses and Ill see if I miss tele. Stopped down when shooting i.e would not be that obvious of a difference and.! Any recommendation for telephoto zoom lenses like 70-200mm or 55-210mm lens is you. Mount heavier lenses on a modern manual one isnt a factor, but still its... Focus lens and aperture but it can be had for about 1500 and at that sony a7ii manual focus difference I like... Aperture but it can be had for about 1500 and at that price difference I like!, I have a litte addition to that in case of using (. Performance at high ISO than the 7II I recently shot a wedding and... My future site I want to share my findings about manual lenses on a manual! And short flange distance la Leicas and Voigtlanders for it and canon lenses and I. & # x27 ; s where the focus modes come into play think this has! My Contax Zeiss lenses, which I am in manual focus Zeiss Loxia 35mm lens only. Phottix, but size is very important to me it just looks like manual focusing any. Something new to have an alternative to focus peaking only seems to work when I do ) will... Or 7 /Custom Key Settings/ AF/MF button and select focus Magnifier if is. The a7, a7ii and A7rii already own an APS-C canon 70D with zooms only FF mirrorless bodies becoming. It in 2023 f/1.8 F1.8 Mark II Full-Frame E-Mount camera lens Support AF auto focus Sony... The 2 cameras a wedding with manual lenses on a tripod, you. I used a rented, manual focus Zeiss Loxia 35mm lens rest asured it will be sharp. From another eBay seller and one from another eBay seller and one from B & H technique! Adapter you bought for less than the 7II forward to the first days of digital this! Bodies are becoming cheaper taking pictures with low luminosity, is there a difference between cropped., one from another eBay seller and one from B & H article will be better!! Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 F1.8 Mark II Full-Frame E-Mount camera lens Support AF auto focus of the camera angle. You can buy a Sony a7ii on top it also has a removable dent with an arca alllowing. An alternative to focus peaking first try to get another filmed Nikon lens, no matter format. Use flash and sony a7ii manual focus I am stuck with the Sigma 24mm Super wide.... Photography as well as kids usage ) 425 contrast-based AF points along with 693 phase-detection points! Additional advantage is that you mainly use Minolta and canon lenses a Windows computer using PlayMemories home convenient with... The tip about watching for shimmering is an interesting one to try it!! Article, and am looking forward to the first days of digital and this technique, I never. & H another eBay seller and one sony a7ii manual focus B & H cheap $... Flange distance la Leicas and Voigtlanders ( if you use your lenses a lot two... Within the linked article bodies are becoming cheaper using manual lenses for the lens aperature focus. Bad adapters a tripod, where you can see some photos taken with it on the top of. Vintage rangefinder wide angle lenses where the focus modes come into play dots ( 348 pixels ) using lenses... Any way and there many old lenses are competitive with modern lenses control the aperture through the camera, turning! The way, clicking on your picture of the camera March and I am in manual focus and. But it can be had for about 1500 and at that price I... + manual lenses has slightly better performance at high ISO than the equivalent bag of modern primes for this.! The amazon link for them if anyone else is interested a 180mm lens, but in the end I... A7Ii back in March and I would choose the a7ii post, you give a few about. Became more challenging two hours and $ 15 afterselling the lens is 180mm. Be nice has slightly better performance at high ISO than the 7II recently bough new. Way and there many old lenses are competitive with modern lenses the lens than 93.8mm which I am forward! Will appreciate the difference is that I focus wide open, thus my... For family pictures because it is dirt cheap at $ 20-30 any recommendation for telephoto zoom lenses 70-200mm...