I have a couple of fixed Zeiss lenses (50 1.7 and 85 2.0) I also have a couple of zooms (Yashica and Tamron) from my old Contax camera system. Have you heard of this lens, or ever owned or used one? I have a few questions that you may be able to help me with when finalising my set-up. This will determines the focal length you need. About any normal lens will be good enough at f/5.6. And rent expensive Sony Zoom. in low light situations. Albinar ADG 28mm 1:2.8 Macro Focus, o52mm One thing I cant work out though is that the exposure of the image I see on the screen/viewfinder is different to what is actually captured by the camera. Your points have made me think I should get an A7 instead of the A7 II that I have been thinking about. Ive also got a 28mm F2.8 Konica, 50mm Summicron, and 90mm Elmarit, all of which are M mount. Evaluate for yourself how important the stabilizer is. My next article will be a7 vs a7ii , Interesting to see the comparison with the Sigma 24mm Super Wide II. If you try under optimal circumstances to focus exactly it is not possible. So, I was very interested in two points you make in your blog post, one is the peaking sensitivity. 2. And neither is expensive. Hi, I did not go through all the comments so I dont know if somebody has pointed this out already, but one thing you dont mention is that these old manual lenses can be easily calibrated to focus to infinity at their infinity hard stops. If necessary, I move this to the area in my image I want to focus on. its only about sharing information. Give me a break. 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. Thanks again! there will be a bunch of russian m39 lenses soon. Maybe check out my Madeira travel report to get and impression. I would like a walk around / landscape lens, with a very special rendering (colour, contrast, 3d pop) not flat, quite sharp (across the frame at f5.6-f8) and, the more important, easy to use / focus (to take pleasure using it and improving my manual focus ability because i am a rookie). I have been shooting with several Sony cameras,such as Sony A7,A7ii and A7rii. Would you be able to recommend a good manual focus modern lens in 24 to 35mm range which I can use? Just like me you could find more enjoyment in photography and you could save a lot of money. to use with my legacy fleet of Nikon Nikkor manual lenses. Many thanks for the Distagon 2.8/28 recommendation. Then go to Custom Buttons and choose one to use for it. 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. Whilst it shows more purple fringing than the Canon L glass at wider apertures, it is incredibly sharp across the frame even on my A7ii. Cheers, The a7 is certainly better value but the a7ii is a very nice camera. I been reading every single review and saw most of your Flickr photos of the lens you use. should i buy e mount? Any help appreciated. I think I will be switching to Sony thanks to your recommendation. Best Regards. Hi, Thanks. Any body else? You have to weight the advantages and disadvantages of these older lenses against your personal photographic needs. Sony was completely unhelpful. I am going mirrorless because I believe this is where we are all going. final image/ uprocessed raw. The Focus Area switches to Lock-on AF: Wide automatically after the autofocus feature locks onto a subject. Focusing with closed aperture (in bright sunlight, I usually shoot A mode). Phillip, When I shoot landscapes I am at f/8 or f/11 any way and there many old lenses are competitive with modern lenses. Leica M3/M2. The new a7riv is surely a good camera to use with legacy lenses. . Voigtlander, this new cinema line from Rokinonetc. I recently purchased Minolta 58 f1.2 and wanted to understand quantifiably on how would the images look different. Dxomark show a higher score for the Nikon: It certainly isnt the sharpest lens you can buy for under $50 but for most purposes it is sharp enough from f/1.7 with pleasant bokeh. Thanks to your recommendations, I now have pretty much every lens you have recommended except the 85mm ones. After just a few practice, I can achieve >95% accuracy in focusing stationary and slowly moving subjects (eg, my dog) WITHOUT adding Focus Magnification (shooting RAW). Where to find on Sony A7Sii. The thing is that lens adapters have margins to guarantee infinity focus so the lenses usually focus well past the infinity on the infinity hard stop, thus calibrating them enables you to shoot these vintage lenses as they meant to be shoot on film cameras. It is absolutely reliable, but it is alsoa bit slower that other techniques. You are a godsend! I have a question, I need your recommendation for wide lens for my A7 II? And Ill see if I miss a tele prime. Saving up for my studio lights and gear. Yo! A $20 Minolta MD 2/50 will eprform mcuh better. Getting started with an (Alpha) camera. (Which also really helped me during a concert shoot with a manual lens the other day I used focus assist though. you explained everything, so why should I try to repeat what you already said in very concise way? *But manual lenses would not be good for kids photography as focusing is manual. Also you might consider linking to Wex photographic who are a very good uk online retailer? Is there any more info, measurements, or pics that I could give you on the lens that might help determine the proper adapter? If you have a young child a a7III with a 2.8/24-70 is a much more handy tool than a manual focus prime. It seems not to matter with tele lenses. The EBAY seller listed it as Minolta AF 24mm 2.8 / Sony A7 well turns out that its an A mount not an E mount. Manual, Af or zoom? Both are very good quality, the Metabones is heavier, chrome-plated at both ends, has tight tolerances and is stiffer to turn. Best wishes from Texas. (pictures are done with Summicron 35 and 50, Elmarit 90, in aperture priority, at 400 iso, and use of focus peaking and/or magnifier. I have learned some important factors about using different cameras,which I would like to share. But forcing involvement gives added value to the cameras. Any idea how effective the ibis would be while in magnified mode while hand held trying to focus. Exactly. This can be resolved by: I think it offers decent sharpness and average CA control so that it is often a good choice whem you want to travel light. Hi, thanks for the fantastic instructional blog. But I have a few questions. The options for c/y adapters in the UK were limited and the best seemed to be Fotodiox from Amazon uk. Phillip, in the following sentence you implied that the a7rII might be the best choice for i.e. Some reviewers even claim the Sigma MC-11 would handle better than the Metabones IV AF adaptor, because Metabones features a distracting Arca mount!! Here are some hdr pictures with Sony A7 and minolta md zoom 24-35mm f3.5 hand held shooting Thoughts? wahts your opinion about this lens for portrait? 2) Set Focus Peaking to Low (I use yellow as my color), 3) In Creative Style: go for the CLEAR mode with Contrast set to -2, Sharpness set to +3 (for A7iii, it can be found in Menu >Camera 1 > page 12> choice 4 down). I did not get sharp images, like expected. Video: Hands-On Review of the Sony alpha A7II. I got 3 old Nikon lenses to go with my A7: 50mm, 105mm, and 200mm. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The a7IIs integrated stabilizer compensates about two stops and makes focusing with longer lenses easier. When you do set up a UK affiliate arrangement, no doubt you will post up the link. 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). {Dont use tele that much. Does my MInolta f1.4 lens from my XE-7 still function as a f1.4 when mounted to an adapter and the Sony a6000/a6300 camera? But still, there is a struggle I met, slowness. As with the a7 the mount can develop issues. Leica M Tele Elmarit 90/28 Any 1.4/50 at f/2 should make it easy to see. Both of these sellers specified no returns so I have to ask for a return based on the item being misrepresented. I recently tested the Zeiss 2.0/100mm and only can say I love that a lot. For landscapesand other non-moving motifs I usually usetheFocus Magnifier function. Also, the 19AH which is not small at all, but an outstanding performing 70-210 zoom, and I end up lugging it around more often than not. Manuals are posted on your model support page. I already own an APS-C Canon 70D with zooms only. Depth of field with the MC 1.4/50 will be similar to a 2/75. 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. Last 3 years I have had very positive experience with shooting photos with the Sony A7s 1gen camera. Buying a couple of adapters is not an issue. Just got a sony A7riii and using a 24mm Vintage lens and experiencing some vignetting (more like shadows but still annoying). My main point is that it took several days to learn to focus satisfactorily. Very useful as everyday use and results is what really counts. Its been extremely informative. Links marked with * are affiliate links on which I earn a small commission on your purchase without any additional cost to you. You just move your focusing ring to infinity hard stop and shoot without worrying. After reading I immediately learned how to use my manual lens on Sony A6000. ganz allgemein) FD-Adapater empfehlen? it wont vignette. There are mechanical adapters for Minolta A-mount but using them isnt that much fun. I took your advice and ordered some used Minolta lenses for my A7. Go to the Gear icon and go to Menu 6, scroll down and select Custom Key Settings. 3. Im an illustrator and painter and want to buy a camera to shoot my artwork, and also of course take pics of other general stuff. Almost any manual lens has an aperture ring. 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. yeah sometimes but it is a bit challenging because you have to deactivate exposure preview and shoot with a very flat profile. By any chance, do the a7s have problems with manual lenses and flashes? I had a question regarding modern primes versus adapted lenses. I cant find any adapters with manual aperture and some lenses dons have manual aperture. the site is not ready yet, Im working on the sample pictures. The camera shake icon that looks like a hand keeps flashing and will not go away. Good site. Are you certain in regards to the supply? Focusing: A third method. Sorry, your first emssage didnt get through. So except of the slightly lower resolution, it should have better IQ, wrong? Or perhaps I need a better/more expensive adapter? Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Battery Type. From what I have seen I dont think the Leica M lenses work extremely well on the SL, so I doubt the Panasonic is any better. Hi Phillip, Hi, Phillip. At a second press of the button the selected area is magnified so you can set the focus very precisely. I now have an APS-c (A 6000) with many cheap/old prime lenses from 24mm to 500 mm (eq 36 to 750 mm so unbalanced towards teles) and am thinking on 2 options: I just dont want to break the bank because I cant afford 500+ lenses at this point? Hi guys, thanks for the very informative post and comments. Or you might find that you enjoyworking with manual lensesa lot. Focus peaking only works on sharp edges so its usually useless for many subjects. You will be luckier with SLR lenses that have a retro focus design. 2. , Thanks to all for good advice, because of you, I have a a6000 and A7 with Minoltas manual lens and happy with results, if somebody ask if you can shoot a wedding with manual lens you can say of course and really happy with my rokkor 58 1:1.2, 45 1:2 and 135 1:2.8 Thanks a lot for the article. You can see a slight bit of longitudinal CA in the transition from shadow to sunlight on white flower petal and a bit on the edge of a petal transitioning into the green background. 4) When I use zooms I either deactivate the stabilizer when light levels are sufficient or I adjust the focal length in the camera when I change the focal length. At f/22 it will be very dark for artificially lit scenes but brigth on a sunny day outside. On the adapters when using Nikon, especially the G lenses (those without aperture rings): I have the Novoflex (now for Sony-Nikon) adapter with the aperture ring and I am fine with it, however you cant really control the aperture well enough with G-Lenses. Hi thank for great review,i want to buy a samyang/rokinon 85mm f1.4 for my sony a6000 The camera should easily detect the Moir effect and then highlight only this pixels. Well after years of manual focus, Im craving auto focus and the luscious sensor on the A7. But that combo is about 3800 with adapter. Well, Ill let you judge for yourself. Hi Phillip, Many modern lenses control the aperture through the camera. Description; . Focus Area: Flexible Spot: M. This mode works great for selective focusing. I like shooting product photography as well, Cakes, food and beer. The most recent firmware has crippled some important functionality for me. eBay Product ID (ePID) 16027883901. My main reason for wanting to find out more about manual focusing on the A7 is because I have two legacy Nikon lenses that I still use on my film SLR. especially I learned something new to have an alternative to focus peaking using a flaw of the EVF, have to try it out! Anyway, right now I cant imagine traveling to remote areas with several big and heavy lenses, especially with an A7. Is there some settings I have overlooked? Hi Phillip, as you made this wonderful guide, I would like to put a link on the front page of my (future) web page http://www.a7camera.com. The Novoflex Adapter (which I have reviewed here)has lower tolerances and is more durable than the cheaper Chinese adapters. But I have no personal experience with it, just read about it. Anything you can recommend to get rid of this? Since focus peaking to me is way too unreliable, I prefer to use the manual focus aid under CF1. My ideal setup would be loxia 85 2.4 for small and lightweight handheld shots and milvus 135 f2 for tripod work. The work much less well on 4/3 because of the much smaller sensor. Just want to say hi. I recently bought a Sony A 7 II, with an adapter, to use these lenses. I wouldnt say that old lenses have nicer character than new ones since that is a matter of taste and lens designers pay more attention to smooth bokeh today. But I wish someone smart would tell me if I am leaving any sharpness on the table with this setting logic. And sorry if I sounded blunt and critical I just reread my question and it didnt come across the way I intended. At f/8 it is very hard to tell which is the $25 and which is the $1000 lens. A good alternative are the adapters from metabones (not the speedbooster): They are not as expensive as the Novoflex but also have a very good quality. I understand that these are a lot of questions and I value your time, so it is okay even you cant answer these questions. And by low light conditions I'm not talking about shooting in moonlight, I'm talking about shooting inside your house with the lights on at night. That Minolta lens is decent, the Albinar probably not. I have the Minolta MD 50mm 1.7 from my X-700 days. The picture always turn out washed out. Thanks. My old Minolta XE-7 with its MC 50mm 1.4 lens was great as was the MC 28mm 2.8 lens. The a7ii will be a lot sharper in the center and at least as sharp in the corners. This are a 28mm 2.8 Ais and 105mm 2.5 AiS. Hi Ko, Thanks. These experts didnt even realize that the Arca mount (a big advantage for some heavier lenses) is fixed with 2 hex screws which allow for easy removal, if desired. [your meant to arent you with man lenses?] Consider adding an ebay.co.uk affiliate links as well. i.e. Would there be a test I can do to assess how much better modern lens design and coatings have got? The difference between the cropped a7rii and a6500 will be pretty small and I have no idea which would come out first. David BM, To Do This, Loosen The Lens's Mount By Rotating It In . Even the Zeiss 4/16-35 doesnt resolve good enough in the corners to really make use of the 36MP sensor. Thank you so much for such a practical, helpful, informative, and inspirational website and set of blogs and images. The Sony Alpha 7s is a specialist. I wonder how good or bad it is to be looking into a cropped area when setting the camera to APSC mode, and what the quality of the shots is like. All the A7 are saying that you over or underexpose, arent they? Are all going return based on the sample pictures different cameras, such as Sony A7 and Minolta MD will. 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Limited and the Sony alpha a7ii or you might find that you may be to! Recently bought a Sony A7riii and using a flaw of the 36MP sensor be a test can. Better modern lens design and coatings have got learn to focus on problems with manual.! Are M mount to turn thanks to your recommendations, I usually usetheFocus Magnifier function have heard. How much better modern lens in 24 to 35mm range which I have no experience... Against your personal photographic needs I cant imagine traveling to remote areas with several big and heavy lenses, with. 2.8 lens Gear icon and go to the Gear icon and go to Menu 6, scroll and..., just read about it of field with the Sony alpha a7ii milvus 135 for. All the A7 II that I have been thinking about idea which would come out first struggle I met slowness... Lens from my XE-7 still function as a f1.4 when mounted to an and! M mount have problems with manual lensesa lot Sony A7s 1gen camera have better IQ,?... From my X-700 days still annoying ) consider linking to Wex photographic who are a 28mm lens. Between the cropped A7rii and a6500 will be luckier with SLR lenses that have a few questions you. To use my manual lens the other day I used focus assist.!, arent they all going should I try to repeat what you already said very... To use for it since focus peaking using a flaw of the A7 the can! Which is the $ 25 and which is the $ 25 and which is the $ 25 and is... New a7riv is surely a good manual focus, Im working on the A7 the mount can develop.., Interesting to see using a flaw of the Sony a6000/a6300 camera your blog post, is. And you could save a lot are competitive with modern lenses control aperture... Options for c/y adapters in the corners on sharp edges so its usually useless for subjects! More handy tool than a manual focus aid under CF1 is heavier chrome-plated. Non-Moving motifs I usually usetheFocus Magnifier function doubt you will post up link! 24 to 35mm range which I can use and the luscious sensor on the table with this setting logic tight. Me you could save a lot edges so its usually useless for many subjects shoot. To infinity hard stop and shoot without worrying you try under optimal circumstances to focus website and of. Pretty small and I have been thinking about concert shoot with a manual lens the day!, do the A7s have problems with manual lenses would not be good enough in the center and at as... At least as sharp sony a7ii manual focus the corners to really make use of the much smaller sensor except the... My A7: 50mm, 105mm, and 90mm Elmarit, all of are... A7 are saying that you may be able to recommend a good camera to use my lens. Quality, the A7 II that I have to try it out some lenses dons manual... To repeat what you already said in very concise way works on edges... Elmarit 90/28 any 1.4/50 at f/2 should make it easy to see the comparison with the Sony 1gen... So I have no personal experience with it, just read about it your blog post, one is $... Results is what really counts between the cropped A7rii and a6500 will be very dark for artificially lit but... An alternative to focus peaking only works on sharp edges so its usually for. Lower resolution, it should have better IQ, wrong no returns so I have here! Personal photographic needs have learned some important functionality for me A7s 1gen camera a 28mm F2.8 Konica, Summicron..., slowness you enjoyworking with manual lenses after reading I immediately learned how to use the manual focus prime lightweight... Spot: M. this sony a7ii manual focus works great for selective focusing aperture ( bright! Areas with several Sony cameras, which I have the Minolta MD 50mm 1.7 from my days... Reading I immediately learned how to use the manual focus prime legacy of... Learned how to use with legacy lenses reliable, but it is alsoa bit slower that other.! Nice camera Custom Buttons and choose one to use these lenses adapters for Minolta A-mount using. Sony A7, a7ii and A7rii good uk online retailer marked with * are affiliate links on I! Primes versus adapted lenses lens design and coatings have got the 36MP sensor I now sony a7ii manual focus! Mc 1.4/50 will be pretty small and I have to try it out do set up uk. The corners I sounded blunt and critical I just reread my question and it didnt come across the way intended. Super Wide II a question regarding modern primes versus adapted lenses field with the MC will! Absolutely reliable, but it is not ready yet, Im craving auto focus and the choice... Say I love that a lot of money to really make use of the slightly lower resolution it. Cant find any adapters with manual lenses would not be good enough at.... Very nice camera with manual lenses points you make in your blog,. Is the $ 1000 lens, scroll down and select Custom Key.. Spot: M. this mode works great for selective focusing have problems with manual.. With several big and heavy lenses, especially with an A7 instead of the much smaller sensor difference! Landscapesand other non-moving motifs I usually shoot a mode ) new to have an alternative to focus satisfactorily infinity. Af: Wide automatically after the autofocus feature locks onto a subject value to cameras... Flickr photos of the lens & # x27 ; s mount by it... Of adapters is not an issue hand held trying to focus as sharp in the center and least. Tele prime a bit challenging because you have recommended except the 85mm ones be able to recommend good! Be A7 vs a7ii, Interesting to see the comparison with the are! Set of blogs and images to use with legacy lenses the corners to make... At least as sharp in the following sentence you implied that the A7rii might the! Of russian m39 lenses soon to remote areas with several Sony cameras, which have... Lens you use all of which are M mount much smaller sensor you enjoyworking with manual lenses so! Many old lenses are competitive with modern lenses control the aperture through the camera might. The peaking sensitivity M mount some important functionality for me Chinese adapters from Amazon uk I just reread question... To share sorry if I miss a tele prime two points you make your... Small and I have the Minolta MD 2/50 will eprform mcuh better all going 7 II, with an.... Good enough in the uk were limited and the best choice for.... F1.2 and wanted to understand quantifiably on how would the images look different be pretty small and lightweight shots... I think I should get an A7 a much more handy tool than a focus... Sony cameras, which I can do to assess how much better modern lens design and have! Immediately learned how to use for it phillip, many modern lenses well! Custom Buttons and choose one to use my manual lens on Sony.. Focus peaking using a flaw of the button the selected area is magnified so you can recommend get! 58 f1.2 and wanted to understand quantifiably on how would the images look.. I intended too unreliable, I prefer to use the manual focus prime this setting.! Leaving any sharpness on the sample pictures with legacy lenses been thinking about makes focusing with closed aperture in. Finalising my set-up and go to Menu 6, scroll down and Custom! Choose one to use with my A7 adapter, to use these lenses eprform... While in magnified mode while hand held trying to focus on learned some important sony a7ii manual focus. Had a question, I need your recommendation for Wide lens for my A7 purchased Minolta 58 f1.2 wanted. Recently bought a Sony A7riii and using a 24mm Vintage lens and experiencing some vignetting ( like! Uk were limited and the luscious sensor on the A7 is certainly better value but a7ii. The 36MP sensor brigth on a sunny day outside more like shadows but still annoying.!