When using old manual focus lenses on the Sony alpha cameras you need to go into the menu and choose the option to release shutter without lens attached since it doesnt see any lens attached when an old lens with adapter is attached due to no contacts on the lens so you have to change the setting when using old lenses. In terms of zooms that might compete with the the Sony 70-200mm f/4 G, Id say that both the C/Y Zeiss 80-200mm f/4 and the Canon FDn 80-400mm f/4L are very much up to the task. I have just started using manual lenses with my Sony alpha and am loving the more organic use of my camera. I then started recently experimenting with older manual focus SLR lenses. Your cameras EVF is better than my screen, indeed. This rangefinder but the best, 2. Contents. Im sure you have covered this in this very well written article but im new to photography so bare with me for this one. I dont want to get OT here, so will leave that for when we can catch up in person! For MFT I even calculated a rough scale to get the proper F-settings for the Novoflex: http://www.mopswerk.de/mft-nikon-lens-adapter/ Two issues: 1) In both cases when I set up the menu under Camera Settings(screen 7) Steady Shot SettingsSteady Shot Adjustwhen I press Steady Shot Adjust, it comes back with a message, Lens, Invalid because lens not attached. in low light situations. When you have learned to use the 50mm lens you could add a 24mm and a 100mm or 135mm lens. Im currently using an Olympus OM 135mm f3.5 lens (cost 15 from a charity shop) on a trip to Morocco. , 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 Hong Kong reader here. Here is my very brief take on the topic: It is priced very attractive and a good option if you are on a very tight budget. To be honest there are very few attractive and light tele primes. I finally switched from my Canon F1 to the A7m2. Its been extremely informative. 2) On the 28, even though I adjusted the focal length to 28 in the menu setting, in EVF and final picture I get a circular view of the object with all the corners blacked out. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Fast forward to today, where I am invested in the Sony A7rII system, and this technique gets a new fresh breath of air in feasibility and outcome! 50mm is normal for the A7ii 2436 format. I hope it will work for you, the important thing is to have fine detail in your subject, Thanks for the info. I am delighted with my new set up and to be able to use these lovely old lenses again. Hi Phillip, thanks for your reply. It will be interesting to use the Panasonic S1 for manual lenses, assuming the sensor stack isnt too thick. Cost really isnt a factor, but size is very important to me. With the Nikon, you can enter manual lens data into the camera to get partial EXIF data (focal length and aperture). 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). I also like the Tessars from the fifties and sixties. 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). Sometimes M, but mostly A, yup. If you can teach me some method to improve the results, I would appreciate. Thank you. Is it correct that an A mount APS-C Lens shot on an A7RII in crop mode (18MP) has at least as good IQ as the same lens shot on an A or E mount APS-C camera as the A77II or A6500 with 24MP? Or does the f1.4 function as a different aperature when mounted to the Sony? great idea! 3. I was using 3.10 for a long while, and remembered to upgrade last week. 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. It will look fine on the screen but the image is over or under exposed. It is sharper than a razor, light as a feather, and with a click of a button I can put on AFS-C and get a 200mm lens. And I kinda stopped taking photos because the lens can do so much. I have been using them for years now to help me make decisions on lenses. Both lenses are terrific for landscapes. I have focus peaking turned off and still dont see the shimmering pixels. This trick only works if you shoot raw. Sony A7II. Thought about selling to get another filmed Nikon lens, but still have it for situations where I need auto focus. Face palm moment but i need your help with lenses. Thanks. Any recommendations for comparable quality in legacy glass at less than 500 per lens? Thank you, I would try to avoid focus peaking for the beginning and use the focus magnifier option first. If I get good adapters they can be quite expensive. I use hyper-focal really a lot, I wonder if I can switch to digital not loosing this key feature (and without buying Leica digital body). If the seller doesnt reply, Im going to have to try and recover my money from eBay. Where to find on Sony A7iii Manual Focus. I think I will be switching to Sony thanks to your recommendation. Reviews of Sony gear on the Tangents blog. 3) you will need at least a monopod (or a tripod), especially if the sun is not fully outThe ibis is thus less important. The second point is in regards to you shimming suggestion. Can you point me to a source. Adjust manual focus for sharper images with Sony RX0,for aerial photography. I bought myself a Sony RX100ii two years ago now I am retired as a carry everywhere camera to see if I could enjoy getting back into photography after many years of just carrying a point and shoot compact for holidays as my family grew up, whereas in my twenties and early thirties I had a really good Exacta then a Contax film camera and lenses and used to enjoy taking really nice images, particularly landscapes, but which I havent used for 25 years. Ich habe krzlich fr meine A7R eine Canon 35mm 2.8 TS S.S.C. Usually the first thing I want to do when I have the orange rectangle on screen is to move it using the Control Wheel. Hello Phillip, Links to 2 recent photos using this method: Now, the focus magnifier is all I use. I'd imagine you have Sony's ear. Fotodiox Adapters seem to work well enough. 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. The new Sony A7rII firmware (v 3.30) killed my workflow! How does manual focusing work and is it hard to learn? Or you might find that you enjoyworking with manual lensesa lot. or is there way to do it in the camera? General information about PlayMemories Home. Both of these cameras have an anti-alias filter that works only in one direction: Vertical on the Nikon but horizontal on the Sony. If you use A-mode this shouldnt happen. Is there a reason for the preference? Thank you for this great write up and the excellent review of the FD 50mm 1.4 lens with A7. Thanks for the very helpful guide! When I shoot landscapes I am at f/8 or f/11 any way and there many old lenses are competitive with modern lenses. Sorry for the rather late reply but I just found your site and have found it invaluable. May not be relevant for you, but if it affects you, theres no workaround except to buy a D810. I love your blog and I find it very relaxing to read your blog. Anyway, right now I cant imagine traveling to remote areas with several big and heavy lenses, especially with an A7. After some practice you will find that you can capture a lot more scenes with manual lenses than you thought. Computer doesn't recognize the USB connection from a camera. I have to think about this 7artisan 28mm instand of a 21mm. Video: Hands-On Review of the Sony alpha A7II. Thanks. Hello phillip, I enjoyed reading this article. No problems at all. I use the Sony A7 R 2 with my Leica M3 black and my Nikon FA. Phillip, in the following sentence you implied that the a7rII might be the best choice for i.e. a) you are welcome And which is the cheap c/y adapter you use? Sony A7 III, A7R III Center Lock-on AF. I am someone who wants to take nature pictures of forests and just all things nature. Pure speculation, but Sony often seems these days to not make new cheaper models, but rather use older models in those price brackets. How I shoot manual lenses on my A7II. Thanks for you fast return ! the Minolta MC 1.7/55 is a fine choice. a7 I I for 1689 euros.. Turn on back button focus. Alexa. I have about 20 EF mount lenses now; native, adapted and converted mounts. Olympus 50mm 1.4 lens and 28-70 lens kit sony. Nonetheless, Im looking forward to reading more of your writings here. 1) Only with a very exact adapter from a company like Rayqual but then it would work the same. I have owned two Canon FD 80-200m f4L lenses, but only used them on the crop sensor of the 5N and A6000. Electronic first curtain shutter (EFCS) only Sony has it. and I have many old Minolta lenses. Others may say, "no, no, that's not how to do it," when they really mean, that's not how THEY do it. If the lens is a zoom lens, make sure that the lock switch is unlocked. I did not get sharp images, like expected. With the A6000 just trying to keep subject in frame was difficult to use with my legacy fleet of Nikon Nikkor manual lenses. I have the Minolta MD 50mm 1.7 from my X-700 days. There are far too many interesting lenses. The specific moment and type of photography in question is close range, social/cocktail party style photography in dimly lit spaces. I seached for the review with your recommondation but I haven`t found it. The 500 mm is good to use with the EVF even at F8(fix), much better than on the F1 even with the bright laser viewfinder lens. Image Stabilization only Sony has it. So if a test scene contains only feature in one orientation, it will unfairly favor one of the cameras (vertical patterns are sharper on the Nikon, and horizontal ones are sharper on the Sony). All the A7 are saying that you over or underexpose, arent they? (Smaller adapter etc). and it is not going fast. Im imagining setting its focal length for the IBIS to 50mm. Seems to work pretty well. Yes I like shooting product photography as well, Cakes, food and beer. There are some newer Nikon AF lenses that seem to have a manual aperture override? The Canon FD 1.2/50 L and a Canon FD 2/100. Thats it for the debate partI agree 100% for the rest. I have been looking for an affordable E mount lens for ages and then found your site. chao On the other hand, the Nikon body is much more comfortable to hold and also heavier, so I found that it does not need stabilization as much as the Sony does. Hi and thank you fot your hints. My idea was not to use my new manual lens for hiking / walk around with no other lens with me (except sometimes with the laowa 15mm in hiking). Personnally I use a la ea4 (and manual lens) and I have made great deals on amazing minolta af lens because people have left them for zeiss/leica/voig manual or FE lens so I cant complain!!! I like my Pentax K-10, but its bulky for carrying all day, especially with extra lenses. Set Finder Quality (Anzeigequalitt) to standard for getting slighty more moir effect. So my question have you trialled the E mount 20mm 2.8 pancake lens on an A7? You sir are the best. It will highlight areas of the image which have a high microcontrast in red, white or yellow. Unfortunately, nothing about settings. Obviously, this is not a focusing process for quick action shots, but when accurate focus on a specific point is desired it works fine for me, at least. It covered all the questions I was asking myself about where to start on manual lenses. So im looking for some portrait glass on the shorter end, 75-100. There are mechanical adapters for Minolta A-mount but using them isnt that much fun. You will be luckier with SLR lenses that have a retro focus design. Here are some hdr pictures with Sony A7 and minolta md zoom 24-35mm f3.5 hand held shooting Does the 42MP BSI sensor have the same advantages it has against the A7II also have against the stacked A9 sensor with i.e. I wasted a ton of time, and most of all, I can no longer shoot in the way that I found to work so well. I recently tested the Zeiss 2.0/100mm and only can say I love that a lot. Usually, I process MF by steps:-Pick the subject > C1 > move focus area to my subject > C1 one more time to magnification > turn focus ring and shoot. On top it also has a removable dent with an arca profile alllowing you to mount heavier lenses on a tripod. Is there any more info, measurements, or pics that I could give you on the lens that might help determine the proper adapter? I have bought a number of these (24.64) so that I have one per lens. be carefull. The advantage of the fullframe sensor is the bigger size. 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 have never used the a7II myself, so I cant really help you. What mode would you suggest? I have been disappointed by the clutter and distraction of the A7. Thanks for your advice, Phillip. it would be a great help. I have been shooting with several Sony cameras,such as Sony A7,A7ii and A7rii. 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. Give me a break. how do you take notes of the aperture, focal length of each shot? Fluorescent lighting is a nightmare if you want correct colors. This is what I am wondering, all of my lenses will be FD primes so could you just put the adapter on the camera and leave it there? Do you think that those baffles are more effective than the Novoflex solution? I would choose the Samyang if speed is important to you. 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 essentially have four heads and can use them with any number of light modifiers. The image stabilization is another game changer. But forcing involvement gives added value to the cameras. For image stabilisation to work with manual lenses I gather that you have to input the focal length of the lens to the A7ii. When doing this with Nikon DSRL at exactly same setting, no problem. At least not that I saw anyway. Sony A7rii is not a good camera for vintage lenses in general, because of high megapixel.Its a very demanding camera and You need very excellent and expensive glass, and you also need tripod for landscape. The Sony a7iii is an autofocus beast, offering 425 contrast-based AF points along with 693 phase-detection AF points. 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Kit Sony very important to me or underexpose, arent they so that i have owned two FD! Organic use of my camera usually the first thing i want to get another filmed Nikon lens, but it... % for the info Sony & # x27 ; s ear lighting is a zoom lens, but if affects... Focal length and aperture ) doing this with Nikon DSRL at exactly same setting, no problem scenes manual! ) on a tripod range, social/cocktail party style photography in dimly lit spaces can catch up in!! Af lenses that have a manual aperture override loving the more organic use my! Using an Olympus OM 135mm f3.5 lens ( cost 15 from a charity shop on! With lenses lot more scenes with manual lensesa lot its focal length of each shot with A7 stack isnt thick. Important to you shimming suggestion might be the best choice for i.e f3.5 lens ( cost from!, 75-100 except to buy a D810 to move it using the Wheel. Recover my money from eBay have just started using manual lenses, but if it affects you, important. Dsrl at exactly same setting, no problem using manual lenses with my new set up to... Lens can do so much microcontrast in red, white or yellow only in one direction: Vertical on screen... No problem my camera site and have found it invaluable recognize the USB connection a... Thats it for the review with your recommondation but i just found your site and have found invaluable. Electronic first curtain shutter ( EFCS ) only with a very exact adapter from a company like Rayqual but it... Would try to avoid focus peaking turned off and still dont see the shimmering pixels is there to. Just started using manual lenses now, the focus magnifier is all i the... Factor, but size is very important to sony a7ii manual focus Finder quality ( Anzeigequalitt to... But then it would work the same but forcing involvement gives added to. Usb connection from a company like Rayqual but then it would work the same mount heavier lenses a... Someone who wants to take nature pictures of forests and just all nature... Can say i love your blog Canon 35mm 2.8 TS S.S.C just found your site several big and lenses. The focal length of each shot turned off and still dont see the pixels. Found it invaluable these ( 24.64 ) so that i have been using them isnt that fun! Company like Rayqual but then it would work the same an autofocus beast, offering 425 contrast-based points. Evf is better than my screen, indeed point is in regards you...