# Lens & accessory options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R



## Rienzphotoz (Feb 19, 2014)

Thought of starting this thread, so we can share info on any new lenses coming up for the Sony FE mount (a7 & a7R).
Here is the latest chart that was released yesterday (18 Feb 2014) or the day before yesterday (17 Feb 2014)


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 19, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*

The ZEISS ultra wide f/4 zoom coming in late 2014 sounds interesting ... not sure if I still want to go ahead with the Sony 10-18mm f/4 OSS lens (which can also be used as a 12-17mm full frame lens on the Sony a7 & a7R) ... but when it comes to lens release dates, the darned Sony has been missing their schedules by at least a few months. :-\


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 19, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*

According to sonyalpharumors, the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 E-Mount lens (compatible with Sony a7 & a7R) is now in stock at B&H ... but when I check with B&H, they say it is only for APS-C sensor cameras ... does anyone have some clear info on this?


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## sdsr (Feb 19, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*



Rienzphotoz said:


> According to sonyalpharumors, the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 E-Mount lens (compatible with Sony a7 & a7R) is now in stock at B&H ... but when I check with B&H, they say it is only for APS-C sensor cameras ... does anyone have some clear info on this?



Samyang's European site says it's for both:

http://samyang-europe.com/index.php/configuration/press-releases/78-samyang-ready-for-e-mount-full-frame

It will be nice to be able to use their manual lenses (evidently they're about to start introducing AF too) on mirrorless camera bodies, which allow for effective manual focus via in-viewfinder magnification and focus peaking. I bought a copy of this lens back when I owned a Pentax K-5 and despite (or perhaps because of) the focus chip, and because of the inaccurate infinity stop, I found it almost impossible to get anything in focus. I rather doubt I'll get this one again, though, as my Canon 85 1.8 works so well on the A7s.


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 19, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*



sdsr said:


> I rather doubt I'll get this one again, though, as *my Canon 85 1.8 works so well on the A7*s.


+1 ... true, the EF 85 f/1.8, does work very well on my a7 too.


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## Albi86 (Feb 20, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*

The ultrawide zoom seems a perfect partner for the a7r as a landscape/hiking combo.

Reviews on the 24-70 are not flowing as expected and the few I've seen seemed unimpressed by the quality/price ratio.

SAR suggests that the fast prime will be a 35mm, but I would say that a 85mm would better suit the current lineup.


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 20, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*



Albi86 said:


> The ultrawide zoom seems a perfect partner for the a7r as a landscape/hiking combo.


+1


Albi86 said:


> Reviews on the 24-70 are not flowing as expected and the few I've seen seemed unimpressed by the quality/price ratio.


I have the ZEISS FE 24-70 f/4 OSS lens and it's a nice lens and does a decent job ... but yes, the quality/price ratio do not match ... I think $800 is a fair price for that lens and anything above that is not really worth it (I paid $1047 and definitely feel, it's not worth that much ... but I do like its small form factor, it is just a tiny bit longer than the FE 28-70).


Albi86 said:


> SAR suggests that the fast prime will be a 35mm, but I would say that a 85mm would better suit the current lineup.


+1


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## sdsr (Feb 20, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*



Albi86 said:


> The ultrawide zoom seems a perfect partner for the a7r as a landscape/hiking combo.
> 
> Reviews on the 24-70 are not flowing as expected and the few I've seen seemed unimpressed by the quality/price ratio.
> 
> SAR suggests that the fast prime will be a 35mm, but I would say that a 85mm would better suit the current lineup.



Yes, it seems quite perverse for the next prime to be another 35mm, even if it's faster, especially since the current 35mm lens tends to get very favorable reviews. I've read good things about the inexpensive Sony ff 85mm 2.8, but it's no longer inexpensive if you buy the right adapter for it and I'm not sure how many other Sony/Minolta lenses I would want to acquire to use with the adapter. Nor, for that matter, do I know whether, aside from focusing faster, that Sony lens would have any advantage over my Canon 85 1.8, which works really well on the A7/A7R. Does anyone reading this have any first-hand experience with that Sony 85mm lens?


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 20, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*



sdsr said:


> I've read good things about the inexpensive Sony ff 85mm 2.8, but it's no longer inexpensive if you buy the right adapter for it and I'm not sure how many other Sony/Minolta lenses I would want to acquire to use with the adapter. Nor, for that matter, do I know whether, aside from focusing faster, that Sony lens would have any advantage over my Canon 85 1.8, which works really well on the A7/A7R. Does anyone reading this have any first-hand experience with that Sony 85mm lens?


I don't have any experiece with the Sony 85mm f/2.8 lens but a few days ago I came across this blogpost
http://soundimageplus.blogspot.com/2014/01/sony-a7r-mount-85mm-f28-55mm-f18-some.html
It does not get into the details but it shows an image of 85mm f/2.8 lens mounted on a a7R with the Sony LA-EA4 Adapter.
In the past I have always preferred zooms to primes, so I haven't bought any prime lenses for my a7 ... but I've started using and liking my EF primes on the a7 ... but I'm planning on sticking only to Canon EF primes, so they can be used on both systems ... the first one I plan on getting is the either 24mm f/2.8 IS & or the 35mm f/2 IS ... but I also want the Tamron 150-600 VC and the Sony 10-18+a6000 (until the ZEISS FE ultra wide is released) ... so, I'll mostly likely give up on the primes :-\


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 20, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*

Ever since I got the Sony a7, I've been visiting the www.sonyalpharumors.com site almost everyday, but since last night the site seems to return the following error message:
_Oops! Google Chrome could not connect to www.sonyalpharumors.com
Try reloading: www.­sonyalpharumors.­com_

Did anyone who has visited that site, today, face similar problems today?


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## sdsr (Feb 20, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*



 Rienzphotoz said:


> Ever since I got the Sony a7, I've been visiting the www.sonyalpharumors.com site almost everyday, but since last night the site seems to return the following error message:
> _Oops! Google Chrome could not connect to www.sonyalpharumors.com
> Try reloading: www.­sonyalpharumors.­com_
> 
> Did anyone who has visited that site, today, face similar problems today?



We seem to be reading the same blogs, presumably for the same reasons! I was unable to get onto the site yesterday via Firefox but had no problem with Chrome, and when I closed Firefox and reopened it the site worked just fine again. I just tried it in Chrome and it worked for me again. Try closing your browser and opening it again, or try a different browser and see what happens.

(As for soundimageplus, much as I enjoy following his experiences with various cameras, and for all that his comments usually make a lot of sense, I don't find his photos very helpful because I find the way he processes them to be, to put it politely, not to my taste.)


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 21, 2014)

*Re: Lens options for Sony FE mount cameras a7 & a7R*



sdsr said:


> Rienzphotoz said:
> 
> 
> > Ever since I got the Sony a7, I've been visiting the www.sonyalpharumors.com site almost everyday, but since last night the site seems to return the following error message:
> ...


Thanks, I did try accessing their site with Chrome, Safari, IE & Firefox ... all of them were returning similar error messages ... but it seems to be working now.


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 21, 2014)

Sony released this interesting bluetooth mic ... the pic below shows it mounted on the Sony a6000 but it also works with the a7/a7R
According to http://store.sony.com/microphone-transmitter--zid27-ECMW1M/cat-27-catid-All-Camcorders-Accessories;pgid=YaVekzJizz1SRpzpWbJT83BP00000kmVtP9f?_t=pfm%3Dsearch%26SearchTerm%3DECM-W1M 
... this is what it can do:
_"Special moments right at the source with this Bluetooth® wireless microphone. Not only can you record crisp, clear sound up to 300 feet away, but you can also enjoy two way communications between you and your subject. This unique feature enables you to give your subject direction while capturing only their voice, or you can chose to capture both their voice and yours while filming"._


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## drjlo (Feb 27, 2014)

Researching into AF adapters for A7R, here are the apparent choices:

The ones without AF are pretty cheap, but there are quite a few that preserve AF, IS. From researching these in an effort to find a reliable one, the user experience seems to be that AF is similarly slow via all of them, and each has different electronics/software leading to one working better with some lenses while another adapter may work better with other lenses (Canon or third party).

Metabones Mk III adapter seems to be the most popular with most user reviews but also the most expensive at $400. It does not work with all lenses at all, however:
"Only Canon-branded lenses introduced in or after 2006 are officially supported. Autofocus may be disabled for older Canon lenses and most third-party lenses, including most Sigma, Tamron and Tokina lenses and all Contax N lenses modified by Conurus."

http://www.metabones.com/products/details/MB-EF-E-BM3
A Youtube video showing the AF speed with Metabones adapter.
SONY A7R + Canon EF 20mm f2.8 AUTO FOCUS SPEED

My next choice would be RJ Electronics one which is cheaper with good user reviews available. Some claim it gives sharper results than Metabones III (how?) and works with older Canon lenses unlike Metabones. RJ admits it does not work well with Sigma lenses. I read one user who said that Canon 100L Macro did NOT AF when focus limiter was set to 0.3-0.5m (Macro range) but AF was fine at other settings including "Full."

http://www.rjcamera.com/ocart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=81

This Viltrox zinc-alloy one seems okay as well. I have a Viltrox Canon EF to M adapter which works OK though a bit loose on camera end. One can find a couple of user reviews on line, so at least you know it "works."

I found a video on Youtube that shows AF speed with Viltrox adapter and Canon 17-40L.
Sony a7 auto focus with the Canon 17-40L lens

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Auto-focus-AF-Adapter-Canon-EF-EF-S-Lens-to-Sony-NEX-Camera-NEX-3-NEX-5-NEX-7-/181327865685?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item2a37fba755

This Chinese one is claimed to be made from brass with AF intact. Unfortunately, no user reviews can be found.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EF-Mount-Lens-Mount-Auto-Focus-Adapter-for-Sony-NEX-7-a7-a7R-5N-5R-3N-/271342856622?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item3f2d4b69ae

This "King" adapter looks interesting as well but again no reviews can be found.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201023366624?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


TechArt version II adapter. 

It's thought TechArt and RJ adapters may be from same oem, sharing the black finish on the camera side and also sharing the inability to recognize focus-limiter on Canon lenses. It's selling a little cheaper than RJ.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Techart-VER-2-Auto-Focus-smart-adapter-for-Canon-EOS-EF-to-Sony-NEX-7-6-5-a7-a7r-/251460489246?pt=US_Lens_Adapters_Mounts_Tubes&hash=item3a8c36901e


Deo-Tech Falcon adapter

This one also looks to be the same adapter as RJ and TechArt
http://www.deo-tech.com/

Upon further research, some users including Fred Miranda are reporting that RJ/TechArt/Deo-Tech adapters are softer with more CA in the edges compared to Metabones III.


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 27, 2014)

drjlo said:


> Researching into AF adapters for A7R, here are the apparent choices:
> 
> The ones without AF are pretty cheap, but there are quite a few that preserve AF, IS. From researching these in an effort to find a reliable one, the user experience seems to be that AF is similarly slow via all of them, and each has different electronics/software leading to one working better with some lenses while another adapter may work better with other lenses (Canon or third party).
> 
> ...


Great work putting it all together drjlo ... thanks for sharing ... personally I prefer the Metabones, because all my lenses auto focus with it (except 50 f/1.4), also the tripod mount can be easily removed, so the adapter becomes smaller and a tiny bit lighter.


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## sdsr (Feb 28, 2014)

Rienzphotoz said:


> Great work putting it all together drjlo ... thanks for sharing ... personally I prefer the Metabones, because all my lenses auto focus with it (except 50 f/1.4), also the tripod mount can be easily removed, so the adapter becomes smaller and a tiny bit lighter.



Thanks from me, too. So far my only AF problem with the Metabones is that my 70-200 f4 IS had a hard time focusing at 200mm. (Maybe it didn't help that it was below freezing when I tried it; if it ever warms up significantly here I'll try it again!) No problems with 24-105L, 100L, 85 1.8, 40mm pancake, or 28 IS. The only Canon mount Sigma lens I own is the 50-500 OS, but I can't imagine ever wanting to attach that monstrosity to my A7r!


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## drjlo (Feb 28, 2014)

sdsr said:


> Rienzphotoz said:
> 
> 
> > Great work putting it all together drjlo ... thanks for sharing ... personally I prefer the Metabones, because all my lenses auto focus with it (except 50 f/1.4), also the tripod mount can be easily removed, so the adapter becomes smaller and a tiny bit lighter.
> ...



Oh, but do try the Sigma on Metabones and let us know if it autofocuses AT ALL, however slow.
It seems awful difficult to find an adapter that will work decent with Sigma lenses, which is a shame since I can see the Sigma ART lenses may on people's minds for A7R.


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 28, 2014)

drjlo said:


> sdsr said:
> 
> 
> > Rienzphotoz said:
> ...


Even if it does not auto focus, the good thing about the A7/R is that we can use focus peaking, which is much faster than auto focus with the adapter ... and focus peaking on the a7/R is very easy too ... if you haven't tried it already, try it and you'll like it.


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## drjlo (Mar 4, 2014)

Finally here. A7R with FE55mm f/1.8. Reading the manual now, but how do you move the focus point around?




EOSE1378 by drjlo1, on Flickr


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 4, 2014)

drjlo said:


> Finally here. A7R with FE55mm f/1.8. Reading the manual now, but how do you move the focus point around?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Congratulations, may it serve you well. To change the focus point:
Hit "Fn" button, choose "Focus Area" and select "Flexible Spot M" ... then you can use the Control Wheel on the back of the camera to select the focus point.


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## JohnDizzo15 (Mar 4, 2014)

Deo-Tech Falcon adapter is the one I'm curious about. They claim to have 20% faster AF than the competition. They also come with a Bluetooth link so that you can update firmware later. Around 240 bucks I think. Not much info on the net though.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 4, 2014)

JohnDizzo15 said:


> Deo-Tech Falcon adapter is the one I'm curious about. They claim to have 20% faster AF than the competition. They also come with a Bluetooth link so that you can update firmware later. Around 240 bucks I think. Not much info on the net though.


Interesting ... thanks for sharing.
I just went through their website http://www.deo-tech.com/ ... but cannot find where they claim "20% faster AF than the competition". However, they do claim that their version III adapter is "20% faster than the former model by using Sony A7 / A7R" i.e. DEO Canon EF to Sony E “NEX” Adapter Mark III is 20% faster than their previous version. But a bit further down, in the product features they claim "Faster AF in Sony a7/a7R camera (20% faster in APS-C mode)".
So, its a bit confusing ... is it 20% faster then the previous version in full frame mode or is it 20% faster only in APS-C mode ... not so sure from their website.


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## JohnDizzo15 (Mar 4, 2014)

Rienzphotoz said:


> JohnDizzo15 said:
> 
> 
> > Deo-Tech Falcon adapter is the one I'm curious about. They claim to have 20% faster AF than the competition. They also come with a Bluetooth link so that you can update firmware later. Around 240 bucks I think. Not much info on the net though.
> ...



Just noticed that as well. I hadn't been on their site again since I first found out about it a few weeks ago. At that time, there was just a list of bullet points where the 20% bump in AF speed was mentioned. It also didn't mention anything about the speed being specifically for APS-C which is interesting now that it does. If only some brave soul would go and purchase/test one for the rest of us...... ;D


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## sdsr (Mar 4, 2014)

Rienzphotoz said:


> drjlo said:
> 
> 
> > Finally here. A7R with FE55mm f/1.8. Reading the manual now, but how do you move the focus point around?
> ...



In addition to that (I prefer Flexible Spot S, but there's also a large one too), it helps a lot if you assign focus point selection to an external button on the camera, which reduces the number of steps (unless I'm missing something, the smallest number of steps you can take is hit one button then use the four-way control wheel or two of the wheels near the top (one for vertical, the other horizontal, movement); too bad they didn't copy Olympus OM-Ds, where you can set up the rear control wheel so that there's no need to press some other button before using the directional buttons). I find it most convenient to assign that function to one of the four buttons on the rear control wheel, since that's what I typically use to move the focus point, but there are plenty of other options.


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## drjlo (Mar 4, 2014)

sdsr said:


> Rienzphotoz said:
> 
> 
> > drjlo said:
> ...



I'm finding I like flex spot S. Also the C1 button is assigned by default to be AF point movement activator, after which you have to use the two round dials front and back on top for horizontal/vertical movement. It's kind of a pain and slow, and the dials are too stiff. I miss my 5D III AF setup but it will have to do. Oh, and that shutter release button should have been physically more forward. 

Zeiss 55 mm is built way better than I expected from internet pictures, where it kind of looks like my Canon EOS M lenses but way heavier and sturdier. AF speed seems perfectly fine and accurate too for my purposes, even in dark interiors. Would hate to slow it down with adapter+Canon lens setup and may spend that $400 for Metabones towards a used Sony/Zeiss 35 mm f/2.8. 

Looking at that Deo-Tech adapter, it looks the same to me as TechArt and RJ visually. I strongly suspect same oem, and researching them further, Fred Miranda is saying those have more softness and CA in corners compared to Metabones, which suffer from internal reflections themselves :-\


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## Dylan777 (Mar 4, 2014)

drjlo said:


> sdsr said:
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> 
> > Rienzphotoz said:
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You sound like a dude name Dylan777 on CR ;D

If Sony/Zeiss releases FE 16-35 f4 OS(same body size as E-mount 10-18 f4 OS) & IQ same or better than Canon 16-35 f2.8 II, I'm *ALL IN* 

My wish is a small FE UWA prime f4 lens. If possible, keep it same side as FE 35mm or tiny bit bigger is fine. Focal lenght can be anywhere from 16 to 20mm. 

Look forward to see your photos here: http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=19484.0


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 5, 2014)

Dylan777 said:


> drjlo said:
> 
> 
> > sdsr said:
> ...


+1 ... but I prefer 16 to 24mm reach, so I'll have a 16-70mm reach between 2 lenses.


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## J.R. (Mar 5, 2014)

I'm thinking of getting the A7R and am going through a ton of information right now. Found this interesting article at diglloyd, it is worth a read: 

http://diglloyd.com/blog/2013-index-12.html#20131201_2-SonyA7R-Zeiss-Leica-lens-options-support


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 5, 2014)

J.R. said:


> http://diglloyd.com/blog/2013-index-12.html#20131201_2-SonyA7R-Zeiss-Leica-lens-options-support


Thanks for sharing that link ... very interesting article there about:

*Samyang Builds in the Lens Adapter for Sony A7R / A7 E-Mount*

Samyang has been rolling out lenses for still and video use, aggressively adding support for various lens mounts—hard to beat that kind of enthusiasm. See the review of the Samyang 14mm f/2.8 in DAP.

For the Sony A7R / A7 (Sony E mount), Samyang has essentially added a built-in extension tube to the rear of each DSLR lens. It’s like adding a lens adapter, but without the adapter and additional flange between lens and adapter. A cool idea for which Samyang deserves credit. It doesn’t optimize the lens for A7R/A7 mirrorless use, but DSLR designs should generally perform well due to a long backfocal distanc


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## Dylan777 (Mar 5, 2014)

Rienzphotoz said:


> J.R. said:
> 
> 
> > http://diglloyd.com/blog/2013-index-12.html#20131201_2-SonyA7R-Zeiss-Leica-lens-options-support
> ...



Rienz, do you know Samyang will have AF or manual?


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## Dylan777 (Mar 5, 2014)

J.R. said:


> I'm thinking of getting the A7R and am going through a ton of information right now. Found this interesting article at diglloyd, it is worth a read:
> 
> http://diglloyd.com/blog/2013-index-12.html#20131201_2-SonyA7R-Zeiss-Leica-lens-options-support



JR, why A7R?


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## J.R. (Mar 5, 2014)

Dylan777 said:


> J.R. said:
> 
> 
> > I'm thinking of getting the A7R and am going through a ton of information right now. Found this interesting article at diglloyd, it is worth a read:
> ...



AR7 = High MP + DR. I'm contemplating the A7R only for landscaping with the TS-E lenses. 

I am perfectly happy with my Canon system for everything else I shoot.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 5, 2014)

Dylan777 said:


> Rienzphotoz said:
> 
> 
> > J.R. said:
> ...


I think these are the same manual lenses already available for other mounts but with a built in adapter to work on Sony E mount.


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## JohnDizzo15 (Mar 5, 2014)

Just out of curiosity, has anyone in here adapted EF lenses to the A7? Seems like most of the stuff I find is for people adapting them to the 7r.

Also, kind of off topic but figured I would pose the question since there are plenty of Sony adopters in here. The rumors re the successor to the A99 seems very intriguing between the potential IBIS, same big mp sensor, and Z shift. The IBIS and Z Shift seems like they would be completely game changing. The full sized body also wouldn't be a deterrent for me since I wouldn't be looking for a small package as I am more focused on absolute best feature set and IQ regardless of dimensions. Are any of you going to consider the updated body (considering price range, etc)?


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## J.R. (Mar 5, 2014)

JohnDizzo15 said:


> Just out of curiosity, has anyone in here adapted EF when lenses to the A7? Seems like most of the stuff I find is for people adapting them to the 7r.



Hi John, 

Somehow the A7 doesn't make sense to me. A7R gives me high MP + DR which I will use till canon comes up with its own high MP/DR camera. 

I'm not sure I'm looking for a light weight camera system. I'm healthy enough to get around with my Canon system right now... Maybe when I am 70 i'll need it.


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## Cali_PH (Mar 5, 2014)

For those of you considering these cameras, Focus Camera and B&H are running promotions to get $300 credit for used cameras traded in when you buy the A7 or A7r. 

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/extended-trade-in-any-used-camera-and-get-300-for-the-a7-a7r/

Rented the A7r during a trip through Utah & Arizona; think I may jump on this myself if they'll take one of the p&s I no longer use. Will try to post some shots in the A7/A7r thread later when I get home.


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## JohnDizzo15 (Mar 5, 2014)

J.R. said:


> JohnDizzo15 said:
> 
> 
> > Just out of curiosity, has anyone in here adapted EF when lenses to the A7? Seems like most of the stuff I find is for people adapting them to the 7r.
> ...



My curiosity lies in whether the AF would be any faster if the EF lenses were coupled with the PDAF of the a7 since the 7r is without it. I am personally probably in the same boat as you with wanting maximum res, DR and sharpness if I were to add one of these to the bag.

I was looking for a lightweight system when I picked up the xe2 but decided that I am good with just the x100s most of the time when I need a light pick and up and go cam. I've decided that my wants now are for a system that just gives me maximum IQ at the lower ranges for when I'm shooting things that give me the time to do so regardless of size (but still keeping price in mind ;D).


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## drjlo (Mar 5, 2014)

Cali_PH said:


> For those of you considering these cameras, Focus Camera and B&H are running promotions to get $300 credit for used cameras traded in when you buy the A7 or A7r.
> 
> http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/extended-trade-in-any-used-camera-and-get-300-for-the-a7-a7r/
> 
> Rented the A7r during a trip through Utah & Arizona; think I may jump on this myself if they'll take one of the p&s I no longer use. Will try to post some shots in the A7/A7r thread later when I get home.



I bought from Focus Camera because that $300 for any camera trade-in, even a non-working point-and-shoot, is stackable on top of the $650 ($200 without flash) Sony instant rebate, leading to $950 total off the package (body+lens+sony flash). Granted, that Sony flash is the HVL60M, which has known overheating issues similar to Nikon SB900, but it is still a top-of-the-line Sony flash and should work fine for casual use without continuous flashes. If needing continuous flashing, SPTS will repair it for $100. http://www.sp-ts.com/

One last thing, Focus Camera website does NOT list a package with body+flash+FE55mm, only one with FE35mm. So if you want the 55 mm in package, call focus camera and point them to their eBay listing package and order that one. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291079850904?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


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## RGF (Mar 6, 2014)

If I bite on the Sony A7R, I would want to get a Nikor 14-24, since the Canon 16-35 is not exactly the sharpest lens on the block.

Does anyone experience with this combo? Or any reviews on to adapt the 14-24 to the Sony?


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 7, 2014)

JohnDizzo15 said:


> Just out of curiosity, has anyone in here adapted EF lenses to the A7? Seems like most of the stuff I find is for people adapting them to the 7r.
> 
> Also, kind of off topic but figured I would pose the question since there are plenty of Sony adopters in here. The rumors re the successor to the A99 seems very intriguing between the potential IBIS, same big mp sensor, and Z shift. The IBIS and Z Shift seems like they would be completely game changing. The full sized body also wouldn't be a deterrent for me since I wouldn't be looking for a small package as I am more focused on absolute best feature set and IQ regardless of dimensions. Are any of you going to consider the updated body (considering price range, etc)?


Yes, I have used all of my EF lenses, (as well as Sigma 15-500 OS, Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 VC and Rokinon 24 f/3.5 T/S lenses) with the metabones adapter on my Sony a7.
It auto focuses on all of those lenses (except for 50 f/1.4 ... and Rokinon is manual anyway) ... all of my lenses autofocused as quick/slow as the EOS-M ... on one of the Sony a7 threads I shared my experience using those lenses as well as Kenko extension tubes (coupled with metabones) ... the good thing about the metabones+Sony a7 combo is that it is very quick to focus, if you use the focus peaking feature.

No matter how low the price is for the updated a99, I would not touch it with a ten foot pole ... I do not like Sony SLT cameras and I really like my Canon system for everything ... but I will buy the Sony a6000, when it is available at B&H, for its compact size ... till then I really like my Sony a7.


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## drjlo (Mar 7, 2014)

I think I am returning my A7R. I suppose mostly I had to see for myself that the sensor DR advantage really did not make much subjective IQ difference to me (from my 5D III) for the types of photos I tend to take. 

I tend to shoot a lot of events, portraits, some landscape, a lot of night/evening walkaround, and I simply did not see enough difference to keep the A7R. The fact Sony has hopeless support for TTL wireless triggers and the speedlite HVL60M overheats also severely hampers my event shooting. The FE55mm is very sharp, but there is no way Sony can come up with a native FE lens collection that comes anywhere close to my current L glass party, especially the T-SE 24mm, 85L, 70-200 f/2.8 II, 24-70 f/2.8 II, etc. 

If Sony can come up with a working top-level speedlite (hopefully RT), support wireless TTL triggers, improve AF speed and introduce touchscreen (touch to focus), and improve the EVF (still nowhere as good as OVF IMO), then A7R Mk II may be in consideration.


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## sdsr (Mar 8, 2014)

JohnDizzo15 said:


> Just out of curiosity, has anyone in here adapted EF lenses to the A7? Seems like most of the stuff I find is for people adapting them to the 7r.
> 
> Also, kind of off topic but figured I would pose the question since there are plenty of Sony adopters in here. The rumors re the successor to the A99 seems very intriguing between the potential IBIS, same big mp sensor, and Z shift. The IBIS and Z Shift seems like they would be completely game changing. The full sized body also wouldn't be a deterrent for me since I wouldn't be looking for a small package as I am more focused on absolute best feature set and IQ regardless of dimensions. Are any of you going to consider the updated body (considering price range, etc)?



I've used the 24-105L, 50mm and 85 1.8 on both bodies and - without doing anything resembling scientific testing - am inclined to conclude that they work equally well, the only difference being what you would expect from the resolution difference. Some have reported worse AF performance on the A7r than the A7 (which might seem intuitive given the different focusing systems of the two bodies), but I didn't notice any difference whether in bright light or dim.

The successor of the A99 does sound appealing, especially because of the IBIS and the wider range of native lenses, but while I once thought body size didn't matter much, I've been spoiled (or corrupted, or whatever it is) by the small size of the A7s and the 35mm/55mm primes, which would presumably need an adapter to use on an A99 (and I would want to as they're probably superior to any A-mount native AF lenses. But won't the successor still not be mirrorless but, instead SLT? That's less appealing as the mechanism diverts light from the sensor and results in worse low light performance than you usually get from FF sensors - or at least that's been the case so far with SLT Alphas. So I'm not so sure. Besides, while I'm so fond of some of my Canon lenses (esp. the 70-300L, which doesn't seem to have a real counterpart in any other system), I'm disinclined to forego a FF Canon body. If only Canon could conjure up an EF mount mirrorless FF body with IBIS....


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 8, 2014)

drjlo said:


> I think I am returning my A7R. I suppose mostly I had to see for myself that the sensor DR advantage really did not make much subjective IQ difference to me (from my 5D III) for the types of photos I tend to take.
> 
> I tend to shoot a lot of events, portraits, some landscape, a lot of night/evening walkaround, and I simply did not see enough difference to keep the A7R. The fact Sony has hopeless support for TTL wireless triggers and the speedlite HVL60M overheats also severely hampers my event shooting. The FE55mm is very sharp, but there is no way Sony can come up with a native FE lens collection that comes anywhere close to my current L glass party, especially the T-SE 24mm, 85L, 70-200 f/2.8 II, 24-70 f/2.8 II, etc.
> 
> If Sony can come up with a working top-level speedlite (hopefully RT), support wireless TTL triggers, improve AF speed and introduce touchscreen (touch to focus), and improve the EVF (still nowhere as good as OVF IMO), then A7R Mk II may be in consideration.


The issues you've raised are some of the reasons why I did not go for a7R, instead I went for the a7 ... I would have got the a7R if there was some good UWA lens with great quality that can beat the EF 16-35 f/2.8 L II ... the ZEISS 24-70 f/4 OSS that I have does not even take full advantage of the 24MP sensor of my a7, so I don't see it taking advantage of the 36MP sensor of the a7R ... also I don't see Sony coming up with any zoom lenses that can take advantage of the 36MP sensor ... but when I bought the a7 I was fully aware that, for now, it would only be a novelty camera (which I can carry around everyday for general walk-around photography) and not something that I could use for any situation ... but the a7 is one camera that is now, always in my office bag along with a Sony HVL-F43M flash (which seems to be a better "fit" on this camera) ... originally I wanted to go for the HVL-60M but gave up the idea after trying it on the a7, it just looked ridiculously huge on this small camera.


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## drjlo (Mar 8, 2014)

Rienzphotoz said:


> Sony HVL-F43M flash (which seems to be a better "fit" on this camera) ... originally I wanted to go for the HVL-60M but gave up the idea after trying it on the a7, it just looked ridiculously huge on this small camera.



Even F43M would be awkward on camera, and I hate that flash-on-camera look. Even with my 5D III, if at all possible, I shoot 580EX II off-camera on gorilla pod/portable stand via either Yongnuo 622 or Canon 90EX (smaller venue) in TTL mode. Looking to do the same with Sony A7R, I was shocked find NO TTL wireless triggers available. I then looked at the smallest Sony flash HVL20M as TTL-trigger, but many other people must be thinking the same because they go for full-price on fleabay. I don't like to miss shots by trying manual wireless triggers, but I tried my Yongnuo RF603 manual trigger on the Sony A7R, but Sony's new "standard" hotshoe really isn't standard and RF603 wouldn't fire. 

The strobist limitations along with the effort it takes to move around the flex focus point really didn't let me enjoy the shooting experience, e.g. having to push a button in awkward location to activate the AF point, then using the two stiff dials, one in front of camera and one behind (!), to move point vertically and horizontally really takes away from the joy of shooting and simply too slow to move the AF point. A7R really needs a 4-way joystick like 5D III does. 

And it seems like some new "problem" is reported weekly for A7R, e.g. shutter vibration, "light leak," lossy RAW, not really weather-sealed, etc. The lossy sony RAW thing especially bugged me in the back of mind, especially since this kind of thing really shouldn't happen if you are aiming for the semi/professional photography market. It's also something Sony can fix *IF* they wanted to, but they don't seem willing to do so, just like they are not willing to admit to the FVL60M flash overheating problem after 20 shots. 

Oh, well, it saves me $3K, which I will save up for the next Canon purchase. All right, Canon, you still got me, with your "poor DR" and all :


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 9, 2014)

drjlo said:


> And it seems like some new "problem" is reported weekly for A7R, e.g. shutter vibration, "light leak," lossy RAW, not really weather-sealed, etc. The lossy sony RAW thing especially bugged me in the back of mind, especially since this kind of thing really shouldn't happen if you are aiming for the semi/professional photography market. It's also something Sony can fix *IF* they wanted to, but they don't seem willing to do so, just like they are not willing to admit to the FVL60M flash overheating problem after 20 shots.


According to sonyalpharumors, a firmware update is due for release for the a7/a7R on the 19 March 2014, and they claim that the firmware update will bring "image quality improvement" ... *maybe* they will fix the RAW issue ... below is the content of that post:

_Sony Japan officially announced a new A7 and A7r firmware release for March 19! And these are the improvements (translated from Japanese):

- support for the focus hold button of the new SEL 70-200G lens
- Start up time reduction
- Image quality improvement
- Adds Live view grading and smooth reflection application. Improves “Time Laps” APP.

I am now wondering what they mean with “Improved Image quality”!_


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