Zuiko-logist
Well-known
Keith, congratulations on the purchase, would be grateful if it suits you if you kept the thread alive by posting some output from the OMs and the Sony.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
peterm1
Mentor
I grant that Sony bodies (in fact the vast majority of mirrorless cameras) will perform relatively poorly or in some cases very poorly with certain ultra-wide angle lenses that were originally designed for film due to the angle of incidence of the rays at the edge of the lens being too acute for the sensor to register them properly. But I must admit I personally never shoot very wide angle vintage lenses so never much gave it a thought. Moreover, I also never gave it a thought as I regard this more as a weakness of many ultra wide lenses with older designs rather than with Sony sensors per se.
peterm1
Mentor
When I bought my Sony A7s (ver1) I also picked up a Sony battery grip to use with it. And I have picked up several batteries to go with it and rotate them regularly (just to be sure they stay as fresh as possible). Admittedly even when I am out on a day's photography expedition I shoot pretty sparingly - I am not a spray and pray kind of guy. So partly due to this no doubt, I have never had a problem with batteries running out of charge especially with there being 2 in the grip. Apart from providing the extra power many would find reassuring to have while out and about, I can testify that I feel the extra bulk (and shape) of the grip provides a really nice feel in the hand and balances nicely, especially when using bigger lenses (which I often do.) The grip also helps when shooting in portrait format although I have found with mine that it took a bit of getting used to as the button placement (e.g. for focus check) is in a slightly different alignment vis a vis the shutter button than is the case with the main buttons on the camera. This still sometimes leaves me fumbling to find the button without having to take my eye from the finder.Updating the situation: I have bought a low shutter count as new Aii that I spotted on Oz eBay for a very good price ... best I had seen by a fair margin. I also discovered that I can get a battery grip new from an Australian supplier for what seems crazy cheap to me and that will address the battery life issue and improve the handling of the camera I would imagine. I thought about getting an Aiii but I think the Aii is going to do what I need and if I don't like it, it wasn't a huge investment.
This is the first photographic item I have bought in about seven or eight years ... I'm looking forward to getting familiar with the little Sony and finding its strengths and weaknesses.
Darinwc
Established
FWIW the OM Zuiko 21mm f3.5 performs very well on the Sony A7r III sensor. At f3.5, it has some vignette in the far corners and is not as sharp but it is very respectable. it improves at 5.6 and again at f8 which I think is bleeding sharp. I dont think the sensor has any issues with the angle of view. Wider i dont know.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I think the grip will give me really good stability when focusing with manual lenses and the widest OM lens I have is the 24mm f2.8 which realistically as wide as I need to go.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
That's it yes A7 ll ... with just under 8000 shutter count. I've never actually laid eyes on one ... they appear to be very small for a full frame camera! I'm a bit wary of eBay generally but the seller had a 100% feedback rating and all his gear looks immaculate. It was also the cheapest one I found strangely.
Attachments
sevres_babylone
Mentor
Congratulations. I bought an A7SII 6 years ago (can't belieee it was that long ago) both for its low light performance (I shoot a lot of music in dim bars) and to use with my m-mount lenses. I've really liked the Sony. Don't let the menu-system get you downUpdating the situation: I have bought a low shutter count as new Aii that I spotted on Oz eBay for a very good price ... best I had seen by a fair margin. I also discovered that I can get a battery grip new from an Australian supplier for what seems crazy cheap to me and that will address the battery life issue and improve the handling of the camera I would imagine. I thought about getting an Aiii but I think the Aii is going to do what I need and if I don't like it, it wasn't a huge investment.
This is the first photographic item I have bought in about seven or eight years ... I'm looking forward to getting familiar with the little Sony and finding its strengths and weaknesses.
You can make pretty much what you need in the "Fn" button. I think you're going to really enjoy your purchase.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Congratulations. I bought an A7SII 6 years ago (can't belieee it was that long ago) both for its low light performance (I shoot a lot of music in dim bars) and to use with my m-mount lenses. I've really liked the Sony. Don't let the menu-system get you down
I'm not easily intimidated by menus ... I own a D4 Nikon and I remember when I first got it thinking: "you have to be kidding!" but soon realised that with time and patience you eventually understand them. I'm quite looking forward to it ... it should be here mid week at about the same time as the grip and OM adapter.
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Freakscene
Obscure member
The main reason I really love Leica’s digital cameras is the simplicity of the controls and menus. Sony menus get me so frustrated I feel half insane (of course I actually am completely insane, but that’s a different issue 🤪).I'm not easily intimidated by menus ... I own a D4 Nikon and I remember when I first got it thinking: "you have to be kidding!" but soon realised that with time and patience you eventually understand them. I'm quite looking forward to it ... it should be here mid week at about the same time as the grip and OM adapter.
I am slightly frightened about what will happen when my Pentax K-3 mark iii Monochrome arrives.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
The Sigma Merrills have extremely uncomplicated menus in my opinion. The SD1M I have is a little more complex being a DSLR but still very basic ... the D4 just seems to go on and on with its menuse and sub menus ... it's just crazy! Lots of WTF moments!
Freakscene
Obscure member
Yes, but the Merrills are just so s l o w to use. The Sonys are very responsive, especially the autofocus and shutter button feel. I will be very interested to see what you get with the A7 ii.The Sigma Merrills have extremely uncomplicated menus in my opinion. The SD1M I have is a little more complex being a DSLR but still very basic ... the D4 just seems to go on and on with its menuse and sub menus ... it's just crazy! Lots of WTF moments!
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
You are so disparraging towards my poor Merrils Marty ... they can't help it, they try their best!
Freakscene
Obscure member
I really (really?!) wanted to like them, and the images are so beautiful. But the machines are just too unresponsive for me.You are so disparraging towards my poor Merrils Marty ... they can't help it, they try their best!
Yokosuka_Mike
Abstract Clarity
I like my Sony cameras a lot. However…
The Sony menu is complicated. And, to make things worse, the Sony owners manual was written for a person that already knew everything and didn’t really need a manual to begin with. Just trying to figure out how to select monochrome instead of color was frustrating.
In my experience I found that youtube is my best friend. If you know what you want the camera to do but don’t have a clue how to do it… search youtube first, then, if necessary read the manual to confirm what youtube told you to do.
Anyway, that’s how I survive.
All the best,
Mike
The Sony menu is complicated. And, to make things worse, the Sony owners manual was written for a person that already knew everything and didn’t really need a manual to begin with. Just trying to figure out how to select monochrome instead of color was frustrating.
In my experience I found that youtube is my best friend. If you know what you want the camera to do but don’t have a clue how to do it… search youtube first, then, if necessary read the manual to confirm what youtube told you to do.
Anyway, that’s how I survive.
All the best,
Mike
Freakscene
Obscure member
Agree with all that completely, unless you have a ten year old around. If you have a ten year old, get them to figure it out. That way you’ll find out with minimal or no hassle, and the ten year old will learn to navigate menus in a way that will make it second nature to her or him, and if we are all really lucky they will grow up to do device UI work and we’ll all have better menus.
shawn
Mentor
That works because it is an SLR lens. It is shorter flange focal length rangefinder lenses that are more likely to have problems. For example, a Voigtlander 21mm f4 had very smeared sides on a Sony A7RII that were smeared less on a M240 with its thinner sensor stack. The smearing isn't limited to just ultra wide angles though it is certainly more likely with them.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I use mine in a completely different way to what I did when I first got them. Both cameras (DP2M and DP3M) have shoe mounted view finders on them and I have put a fair amount of time into acurately visulaising/guessing where that focusing frame is in the finder and have even learnt to compensate for parallax variation reasonablty well when close to subjects and always use the AF/AEL button. Those DPMs actually focus quite quickly for contrast detection and the metering is excellent. The write time is appalling of course as is the battery life but their picture taking ability improves consderably if you go about it the right away. They also suit my style of course! lol
shawn
Mentor
Nikon menus are laid out with some organization. The A7II's menu has very very little organization. Things just got stuck willy nilly, here there and everywhere. Once you get the camera setup though you don't really have to go into the menus all that much as you can configure most of what you need to buttons. With adapted lenses you will want to map the lens focal length to a button for OIS to work so you don't have to menu dive. The main thing missing on the A7II (for me) was the ability to switch from LCD to EVF with a button. The A7RII could do that but the A7II is missing that function and it was menu only unless you used the eye sensor.I'm not easily intimidated by menus ... I own a D4 Nikon and I remember when I first got it thinking: "you have to be kidding!" but soon realised that with time and patience you eventually understand them. I'm quite looking forward to it ... it should be here mid week at about the same time as the grip and OM adapter.
I think in the A7III series (and later) Sony tried to make the menus more organized but I haven't used any of them.