Less is More

IanC wrote: An interesting discussion and some points to ponder. Cost is a big issue for me presently and I'll be sticking with the A mount for a little while yet. ...

Yes, the cost is a big hurdle. This isn't like making the break with film with the a900. All my lenses and flashes carried over then. Even with the LA-EAx adapters, the A-mount lenses don't really carry over to the E-mount.

I have (had) quite a nice collection of A-mount lenses, with a good range of classics and G's. It's just I also make (some) money from photography and that was another push to the E-mount. Especially as Sony has pulled the A-mount out of the NZ market. I can't get any upgrades and future repairs are to my mind, less certain.

Edited by wetapunga - 21 August 2020 at 23:26

owenn01 wrote: I find this a very interesting discussion - certainly around the 'downsizing' aspects... I'm likely to continue 'as is' for the moment but these discussions do give an insight into what works for others and how that overlaps with my own demands for photography so it's all relevant and interesting. Best regards, Neil.

I can certainly say that there have been times when I've been traversing a rockface over a torrent of rushing water, deep in NZ forest, that I've regretted the weight and size of my A-mount setup

Obviously you don't have to downsize. A Sigma 20mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm ART lens-set is going to weigh a lot more and take up more space than more 4 Loxias. But having the option to take a lighter camera, a lighter tripod, and a set of lighter lenses in a smaller bag, is a good option to have. That's the direction I'm going.

Another thing that helps with the downsizing are the zooms. In the good old days, when AF were being developed and introduced to the market, many weren't so good. Their compromises and early design flaws meant that primes were for the most part, better. There were some really poor Minolta zooms in silver barrels...Now, a decent E-mount zoom means for a lot of purposes, you won't need more primes or other zooms to offset their flaws. They're just good over the whole focal range.

any actual need for 100mm?
FE 85mm 1.8 is light and sharp enough with the a7riii's 42mp that a slight crop is going to realise minimal IQ drop

wetapunga wrote: Jonas A-R wrote: I too replaced a geared head with a ball head a year ago (maybe longer, I can’t really remember when)... Interesting, yes, the E-mount seems to open up that option to downsize other parts of the kit. By my maths, my tripod was 2.3kg and my geared head 1.22. So about a third of the total weight was at one end. The ballhead is a more balanced 700g. That's half a kg I've stripped from what I carry. Completely agree on your point on the versatility of the E-mount system. My camera bags aren't swelling and bulging with lenses and other kit! I'm somewhat pleased Zeiss did releases their Loxia range. They're compact size and despite their all glass and metal construction, still supply a significant weight saving without compromising handling and image quality. Have you found other ways to downsize with the E-Mount?

I went with the f/4 zooms (12-24, 24-105, 70-200), but otherwise most of my lenses are of the big variety
And I just purchased a used vertical grip. Most of the time I don’t mind a bit of heft, I just like to also have the option for a compact system.

Miranda F wrote: ... Just fit the 85mm f1.8 and switch to crop mode. Instant 135mm, and the DOF is just the same as a 135mm f2.8. Don't tell me you really need all the pixels you lose...

If someone wants to buy a print that’s 72” across would you rather have a starting image that is 42MP or 20MP?

While I certainly don’t need 42MP for event photography, for landscapes I do begrudge every pixel I lose. Big wall prints are quite profitable. And correspondingly, the quality has to be high.

addy landzaat wrote: ... Well, if you get the A7r4 you get a 28mp APS-C crop and that will allow you to print that picture of 72" across at 240ppi. Not bad Did you consider the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS? Edit: never mind, missed the fact that you ordered the Voigtländer.

Ah, well the a7r3 was on sale earlier this year and the a7r4 wasn’t so the cost of those extra MPs became a very expensive option. And I needed some money left over for those lenses...

I did look at the 100mm F2.8 STF but it was a pretty substantial jump in price over the Voigtländer. About 60% more. And as I already had an STF lens (in the A-Mount) it didn’t add that much to my line up.

Having a native E-Mount Macro lens was also a draw.
The Voigtländer turned up today. It’s a bit heavier than I would have preferred, but it works well. It takes steps-down rings without vignetting so I can attach my Sony twin flash with its 55mm adapter easily.

As an addendum, the adapter ring is supposed to fit a 67mm thread, and you add narrower adapter to fit smaller lenses.

The main adapter won't fit all lenses with a 67mm thread. It doesn't fit either my Batis 85/1.8 or Sigma 100-400.

See video clip for demonstration

So you're pretty safe with lenses with filter threads less than 67mm, but you may need a UV filter or similar to extend thread out far enough for adapter