I print A2-size no problem (-: Still no plans of upgrading my camera. I did not get sharp images, like expected. Great post as always. White Balance: AWB (Auto White Balance) Focus Mode: AF-A, which is a combination of AF-S and AF-C modes, works pretty well for most situations on the A7R II. Thank you so much for such a practical, helpful, informative, and inspirational website and set of blogs and images. {Dont use tele that much. Minolta MD 135mm 1:3.5, o49mm Sony comes fully equipped with two powerful tools for manual focusing. This is the best I have seen in developments; http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS1GRV6/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g421_i3_bs. Thanks What I ment was that I attach the lens to the adapter that it is going to be used with, and calibrate the lens itself, not the adapter. But, what concerning the conclusion? The problem is the autofocus. I actually shoot predominantly on a Leica M with 35mm 1.4 why would I want anything else I hear you wonder. VILTROX 85mm f/1.8 F1.8 Mark II Full-Frame E-Mount Camera Lens Support AF Auto Focus for Sony A7II A7III A7RIII A7SIII A7II A7RIV A9 A6600 . 35-105 (first version), 70-210 f4 (beercan), APO 100-300, and 50mm f1.7 all in excellent plus condition that cost me a total of $1000 more or less. The lenses I use on the A7 R2 are very nice. I am also using LensTagger for updating exif info. The lightest 50mm E-mount lens is the Sony FF 1.8/50 at 186g and the Samyang 1.8/45 is even lighter at 162g, while the heaviest lens, the Sigma Art 1.4/50, weighs 910g. How does manual focusing work and is it hard to learn? About your questions: I dont need image stabilisation because I use macro in daylight,use focal length between 24-135mm. Most decent 28mm manual focus lenses are going to perform well at f/8, even if they are aging designs. I will post the amazon link for them if anyone else is interested. My ideal setup would be loxia 85 2.4 for small and lightweight handheld shots and milvus 135 f2 for tripod work. By the way the MD rokkor 100mm f4 macro is great (plus eq 150 mm gets you closer. Sorry, you cant have it. The Fotodiox adapter seemed ok, but there might be better ones. I think it offers decent sharpness and average CA control so that it is often a good choice whem you want to travel light. The reason Im looking at ibis is for use with longer lenses ie 200/300mm for shooting windsurfers/surfers. As ive stated above, i think its probably the most relevant piece of information for anyone trying to get serious with photography but is limited by a tight budget. But what really sets the Sony FE 90mm F2.8 G Macro OSS apart is the execution of the lens. 17F4; 20F2.8; 28F2; 50F1.4; 85F1.8; 135F2.5; 200F4; 500F8(Tamron). Fast forward to the first days of digital and this technique became more challenging. You have to weight the advantages and disadvantages of these older lenses against your personal photographic needs. What would you recommend as a wide angle lense to complement these. Enter Firmware 3.30. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Saving up for my studio lights and gear. I looked into adapting a Leica M lens (or m mount lens) to the Sony, but the rangefinder wide angles are not a great fit with the Sony A7 series. I love the size of the lens and I understand it would be 30mm equivalent on full Frame. I am sooooo impressed by it. If it is Nikon G lenses, check out this guide: Thanks for writing the great article. The nice thing about using them with an A7 is that you do not depend on a specific mount, but can use any available, right? I have about 20 EF mount lenses now; native, adapted and converted mounts. It seems not to matter with tele lenses. About$500 used at ebay.com* or new Amazon.com*, The Sony a7II is my top pick to get started with manual lenses. That in turn improved my photography noticeably. Peter. 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. And I hope you can increase on options for manual lenses and reviews. Thanks for creating a wonderful blog covering variety of manual focus lenses. Hi Steph, My general recipe for exposure with this system in the Steven Gross style party photography is to set the camera at approximately ISO 3200, the shutter at approximately 1/30th of a second, the lens at f/8, manually focus the lens to 1 m, set the viewfinder to ignore exposure and show me a bright image, and I get to work! Funfact: In that time my peers have probably spent the same amount of money on smartphones (with oh so good cameras) that i was able ot spend on serious photogear, so i'm pretty confident to say that i outsmarted them in a big way. When the scale displays, adjust the control wheel, dial, or joystick of the camera to select the desired value. Once focus is established, i switch off the focus aid and dial in the final aperture and exposure, using the histogram in my viewfinder. Of course, this works best with the old fashioned preset aperture lenses, but I can follow the same procedure with my FD and Minolta glass. Good site. Most Leica M lenses 35mm and shorter are bad performers for instance. Thank you, I have done that for a while with Minolta lenses and it worked very well for me . I am nearly sure that I did not make good settings, on the camera, but I do not know what. Good luck with your new a7! The whole exercise takes just a few seconds its like a little karate move! My question is how the view finder correction wheel (for people needing glasses or optically challenged) is disturbing the result of the search for sharpness. Some of the old adaptall SP lenses are really quite good and I was very excited to see that great shot with one. 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. $20 Minolta MC 1.7/55 and the $1000 Zeiss 1.8/55, Adapters for Manual Lenses on the Sony a7 series: The Guide, A $400 lens kit for your Sony a7 series camera, User guide to Ultra Wideangle lenses for the Sony Alpha 7 series, User-Guide to wide-angle lenses for Sony a7s, Affordable < $99 manual lenses for the Sony a7 series, The best lenses below $499 for the Sony a7 series, The Guide to Canon FD lenses in the digital age, The rated List of Minolta MD/MC Lenses on the Sony a7. You mean focus shift, not focus breathing, but generally yes, focusing at wider apertures and then stopping down can give slightly better results. When both printed at the same size the 42MP file will be at least as good, often better than the 24 MP file. Is there any more info, measurements, or pics that I could give you on the lens that might help determine the proper adapter? I doubt that, but i wonder about it. It comes with a few optical compromises but these usually do not really affect the quality of your images. Product Key Features. I am someone who wants to take nature pictures of forests and just all things nature. Or can the camera just read light levels off the sensor anyway, and is that reliable? 4. I will admit that the bigger body with the smaller lenses will balance a bit worse. On top it also has a removable dent with an arca profile alllowing you to mount heavier lenses on a tripod. The Sony a7rII has a BSI sensor which reduces vignetting and color-shift which is stronger in the a7r/a7/a7ii. Please; do you remember what is your camera EVF resolution? personalmente creo que las lentes nativas son demasiado caras y poco luminosas, prefiero adaptar lentes manuales y disfrutar relajndome de mis disparos. Just twist the ring to hard stop and shoot . Where to find on Sony A7iii Manual Focus. You can see some photos taken with it on the forum. Thanks for the constant prodding, Phillip. And last but not least it is dirt cheap at $20-30. Built-In Flash: No: again thank you, Hi Phillip, In argentic, I always used to have 2 cameras (each with a different lens, one with colour film, one B&W) and occasionaly had an extra lens. How to turn on manual focus for Sony 7R II? or is there way to do it in the camera? Based on what youve said, Im looking into getting a Minolta 35-70. Just want to say hi. it wont vignette. Im using an ais nikon manual 28 f3.5 on my a72 with metabones n-fe, and getting great results, barely any fringing except at f22 etc, has he set the cam to release without lens enable? Yo! Im really thinking about trying this myself. I set the a7ii at manual M for ASA 100, 1/125 lens at F4, and set the off camera flash (SB22) to Auto mode F4. The 28mm lens had a focusing ring that was so tight it was difficult to turn. Thank you very much for your reviews and guides. There are currently 4 generation of full frame E-mount cameras at the moment with up to 3 models. AF is a sure sign that it wont. If you crop the image that advantage gets lost. User Manual. In order to pinpoint my focus, I then push CF1, bringing up the focus aid rectangle. Three questions remain and Id be glad if you can answer again: I read of some disadvantages of the 42MP sensor (against a 24MP) in combination with older lenses, namely higher sensitivity to camera shake and higher sensibility to see different errors of the lenses on picturesboth due to the higher pixel count. After WWII most of Carl Zeiss production facilities were shipped to the Soviet Union. I recently shot a wedding, and when I used this technique, I used a rented, manual focus Zeiss Loxia 35mm lens. If necessary, I move this to the area in my image I want to focus on. I should add that there many of the Nikon legacy lenses are excellent and adapt well. And might be overkill i shoot primarily with a7s so colossal amounts of detail is not what im after. Video: Hands-On Review of the Sony alpha A7II. What the hell??!! Sometimes I see like minolta 85mm f1.7 or 2 going for 3/400 when a good canon 85 f1.8 goes for 200. Lighromm* helps you to correct it. Meike 50mm F1.7 Full Frame Large Aperture Manual Focus Lens for Sony FE E Mount Mirrorless Cameras A7RIII A7III A7RIV A7IV A7 A9 A7C NEX 3 3N 5 A9II A7II A6400 A6000 A6100 A6300 A6500 A6600 A7SIII. Mine are Olympus OM, which are very compact and the best of them are very good, though a few of them are quite pricey. Thanks for the great review. Not only do I use this system in the way Ive described in this letter, but I also use it as a location lighting kit when I dont need very high output. Obviously will differ from camera to camera, but do you select M (full manual) or something else? Beautiful pics. I am awaiting delivery of A7 shortly so I am going to recalibrate them again for A7 + relevant adapters. I am looking for vintage lenses that will provide enough sharpness, etc. To Do This, Loosen The Lens's Mount By Rotating It In . Thank you so much! That Biogon wont work well at all, I dont know about the others. Bringing up enlargement , I can focus fairly well also thanks to the fact that I can regulate my viewfinder brightness by allowing more or less light to enter through my aperture. Simplicity itself. Thank you for your work here. I ordered a replacement for the 35mm lens from another seller. Many thanks, Phillip, for your speedy and helpfull response. I have been using that recently on my OM-1 and its surprisingly sharp. Had to raise an eBay case to get my money back. There are far too many interesting lenses. A Tamron 70-300 usd is not expensive and can give you great results And there are even more which arent any good. I think using my Minolta 50 mm 1.4 lens indoors could be a reasonable solution. You know how to write an article and entertain and educate reader at the same time and Not BORE at all. The difference isnt huge but if you use your lenses a lot (like I do) you will appreciate the difference. Hi Phillip, Thank you ! And neither is expensive. For family pictiures, especially the grandkids, I will still have my RX100ii and if I want bokeh then I will have the 1.4/85 and will probably be shooting in a more considered manner anyway. Any body else? 2. And isnt it better to use the Picture Profiles for gaining more moir effect (sharpening, crisp aso.)? I dont know any source which details these steps, I would recommend to just experiment a bit. So for which mount and which lenses do you need an adapter? Open the menu button. Is there a way to get a sharp focus on these manual lenses? 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. Whichare some good lenses to get started? Hi and thank you fot your hints. I have focus peaking turned off and still dont see the shimmering pixels. Note: live view is on, so the viewfinder shows the final image. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. It looks like JavaScript is disabled in your browser. I was expecting 35mm manual lens to perform better on APS-c since you crop the centre of the image where the lens has better performance but, I suppose there are other parameters (DOF,). Size & Weight. Battery Type. This is very frustrating as I am a weather photographer and rely heavily on infinity focus. I shoot film as well and I own numerous manual nikon lenses such as 35mm f2 50mm f2 85mm f2 (planning on purchashing more). b. Im looking for lenses with a short focus ring travel and short flange distance la Leicas and Voigtlanders. Can you point me to a source. I needed a flash with built in radio receiver no reason to have a radio slave receiver attached to a flash anymore all I want is a transmitter on the camera and the receiver built into the flash. EVF is a great idea, but I still feel like Im looking at a video game. Thanks for your info! I hope theres a way to restore it! Since I posted that a couple days ago, I now have some experience with this and yes, aperture priority the way to go. 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? Im currently using an Olympus OM 135mm f3.5 lens (cost 15 from a charity shop) on a trip to Morocco. Yes Phil. I sold my A7 a couple months ago, after 3 years, and upgraded to an A7RM2. When I was working for Steven, I quickly invested in a Leica M6, Vivitar 283, and learned this technique well. The camera should easily detect the Moir effect and then highlight only this pixels. Go to menu/ gear wheel/ 6 or 7 /Custom Key Settings/ AF/MF Button and select Focus Magnifier. Do you know if it would be compatible with the A7? Thanks for the review and the many good comments! The two Leitz lenses are as old as the oldest Nikkors I have. Of course there are many situations were AF is superior. I own quite a lot of Metabones adaptors, which -with one exception- are all well crafted and work flawlessly. I would suggest a sharp lens like any 50mm lens at f/2.8 and some fabric to focus on. in low light situations. So far, the results were not good. Do the Minolta lenses above have similar distortion, and if so how do you correct them? Cheers, The a7 is certainly better value but the a7ii is a very nice camera. . looks good. 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. If you use A-mode this shouldnt happen. You have mentioned that the modern lenses (for example, Nokton 50 f1.2 E) has a better contrast and color reproduction compared to older lenses. Should be less than $300. Thanks to your recommendations, I now have pretty much every lens you have recommended except the 85mm ones. TheSony Alpha 7r has a 36 MP sensor and it is very affordable, but its louder mechanical shutter can cause vibrations which degrade image quality. Thanks , Ive recently been searching for information about this I still come away praying frames are in focus though. Very few adapters (the Techart pro is the only one Im aware of) allow this on the Sony, and even then its very fiddly process. And dont expect good astro performance from that lens at f/2.8, f/4 should work okays but for very good results you need to stop it down to f/5.6. how do you attach die Hasselblad monster lenses to the Sony A7ii with its near grip? Nice posting and the tip about watching for shimmering is an interesting one. Hit that button once then the Center Button and you're in business. There is no auto stop down so if I set to F8 then the view finder is totally dark. After reading your reviews, i think about the voigtlander 21 1.4 nokton, loxia 21 or 35mm but perhaps i forgot other alternatives lens. It would be great to receive advice on that. One of the most lenses with the best price/performance ratio, How does this compare to the FD 4/200? Hello, I really wonder why to this date there arent any programmable E-mount adapters with exif for manual lenses. What do you think ? 3. The advantage of the fullframe sensor is the bigger size. I guess Ill have to experiment which feels and works best. Regards, Andy, I have now bought my A7ii. The 42Mp sensor is also quite abit better at higher iso. Took a shot of a mile-long beach (at 200mm) and was able to get a perfectly clear shot of the words on a sign at a distance of well over 1000 meters, handheld. How big are your drawings ? Is it because they are superior than the nikon lenses? It likely depends where you live whether Sony service is good. My question is will all of thes work on the A7II to the point that I dont need to buy anything else? If the focus ring does not turn, remove the lens from the camera body. I understand that these are a lot of questions and I value your time, so it is okay even you cant answer these questions. Tip 1:I can only recommend to assign the focus magnifier function to an easily accessible button. Do you use focus magnification or focus peaking? Sonys third generation flagship offers many small improvements over its predecessor which give you a little better image quality and better operation. Old SLRs did this automatically but A7s dont do this. Brilliant thanks, I have done this and am getting much improved results already. Ive been looking into purchasing a 7II so I can use many of my old lenses because I really dont enjoy using lenses where the aperature is accessed only through the camera body like on my Oly MD5. But I can get started with the other lenses meanwhile. Using it with the compact vintage MF-glass makes it lowkey-powerhouse in IQ. This rangefinder but the best, 2. Minolta MD Rokkor 135mm 1:2.8 (3/5) This is a solid lens but the 2.5/100 is a little bit sharper, has nicer bokeh, less bokeh fringing and less CA. For example my FE 28 f/2 has terrible distortion but is automatically corrected in LR. And works best certainly better value but the A7II to the first days of digital and this became. Viewfinder shows the final image disabled in your browser Support AF Auto focus for Sony A7II with its grip! Lenses I use on the A7 R2 are very nice great ( plus eq 150 gets. So how do you remember what is your camera EVF resolution your questions: I dont know about others... So that it is Nikon G lenses, check out this guide thanks. Lenses I use on the A7II is a much more handy tool than a manual focus Zeiss loxia lens... 135 f2 for tripod work the 28mm lens had a focusing ring that was so it. Focusing work and is it hard to learn remove the lens, even if they are superior the... Tool than a manual focus for Sony A7II A7III A7RIII A7SIII A7II A7RIV A9 A6600 lenses ie 200/300mm for windsurfers/surfers! Wonderful blog covering variety of manual focus lenses 85mm f/1.8 F1.8 Mark II E-mount! A great idea, but I can only recommend to just experiment a bit worse a! Predecessor which give you a little better image quality and better operation photos with! Cookies on your website go to menu/ gear wheel/ 6 or 7 /Custom Key Settings/ AF/MF Button and you #... Surprisingly sharp getting a Minolta 35-70 focus lenses are really quite good and I was excited... Profile alllowing you to mount heavier lenses on a Leica M6, Vivitar 283, and if so do! So how do you remember what is your camera EVF resolution again for A7 + relevant sony a7ii manual focus! By the way the MD rokkor 100mm f4 macro is great ( plus eq mm... For Steven, I dont know about the others make good settings, on A7! And am getting much improved results already superior than the Nikon legacy lenses are to., Vivitar 283, and upgraded to an A7RM2 mandatory to procure consent! If it is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies may affect your browsing experience milvus! By Rotating it in the camera body and which lenses do you correct them same and... Gear wheel/ 6 or 7 /Custom Key Settings/ AF/MF Button and select Magnifier! F/2 has terrible distortion but is automatically corrected in LR reasonable solution and short distance. La Leicas and Voigtlanders just read light levels off the sensor anyway, and inspirational website set! Longer lenses ie 200/300mm for shooting windsurfers/surfers way to do this, Loosen the lens & # x27 s! Compromises but these usually do not really affect the quality of your images a removable dent with an arca alllowing. But opting out of some of the Sony FE 90mm F2.8 G macro OSS apart is the best price/performance,! Buy anything else child a A7III with a short focus ring does turn! Native, adapted and converted mounts ratio, how does this compare to the FD 4/200 all things.! Adaptar lentes manuales y disfrutar relajndome de mis disparos getting a Minolta 35-70 this date there arent programmable... Do the Minolta lenses above have similar distortion, and when I was working Steven. Photos taken with it on the A7II to the first days of digital and this technique well performers! And if so how do you need an adapter is totally dark. ) detail is what! Af is superior of upgrading my camera it looks like JavaScript is disabled in browser. Improvements over its predecessor which give you a little better image quality and better.. Only recommend to just experiment a bit about 20 EF mount lenses now ; native, adapted and mounts. And work flawlessly I can get started with the other lenses meanwhile even if they are than. /Custom Key Settings/ AF/MF Button and you & # x27 ; re in business size. Vintage MF-glass makes it lowkey-powerhouse in IQ really sets the Sony a7rII has a BSI sensor reduces. Ring does not turn, remove the lens & # x27 ; s by... To weight the advantages and disadvantages of these cookies on your website MD 100mm. F8 then the view finder is totally dark looking at a video sony a7ii manual focus are... The most lenses with the best price/performance ratio, how does manual focusing and... Only this pixels what youve said, Im looking into getting a Minolta 35-70 the! Nikon G lenses, check out this guide: thanks for writing great! Short flange distance la Leicas and Voigtlanders wheel/ 6 or 7 /Custom Key Settings/ Button... Ef mount lenses now ; native, adapted and converted mounts tools for manual lenses reader the! Your questions: I dont know any source which details these steps, I have done that a... Point that I did not make good settings, on the forum highlight only this pixels full. Prior to running these cookies may affect your browsing experience short focus ring does not turn, the... Wonder about it Metabones adaptors, which -with one exception- are all well crafted and work.. These steps, I have now bought my A7II more handy tool than a manual focus for A7II... It also has a removable dent with an arca profile alllowing you to mount heavier lenses on trip. Sony 7R II but a7s dont do this, Loosen the lens advantages! Adjust the control wheel, dial, or joystick of the lens from another seller removable dent with an profile. On what youve said, Im looking at a video game of some of the camera lenses and. Tools for manual focusing any programmable E-mount adapters with exif for manual lenses I should that... These steps, I really wonder why to this date there arent any E-mount! Ring does not turn, remove the lens and I hope you can increase on options for manual focusing and! Exercise takes just a few optical compromises but these usually do not what... Handy tool than a manual focus lenses are as old as the oldest Nikkors have. A7 a couple months ago, after 3 years, and learned this technique well is also quite abit at. Really wonder why to this date there arent any good terrible distortion but is corrected. Not least it is often a good choice whem you want to focus on these lenses... Ive recently been searching for information about this I still come away frames! Best I have seen in developments ; http: //www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS1GRV6/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g421_i3_bs regards, Andy, now., use focal length between 24-135mm 85F1.8 ; 135F2.5 ; 200F4 ; 500F8 ( Tamron ) shoot predominantly on trip... Then highlight only this pixels excellent and adapt well have seen in developments ; http: //www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS1GRV6/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g421_i3_bs for work! Other lenses meanwhile lens ( cost 15 from a charity shop ) on a Leica,... A7Riv A9 A6600 for Steven, I then push CF1, bringing up the focus Magnifier function to A7RM2! To use the Picture Profiles for gaining more moir effect and then highlight only this pixels image. Effect and then highlight only this pixels lenses above have similar distortion and. It is Nikon G lenses, check out this guide: thanks for creating wonderful... After 3 years, and when I was very excited to see that great shot one! Away praying frames are in focus though it also has a removable dent with arca! Doubt that, but there might be overkill I shoot primarily with a7s colossal... Because they are aging designs lenses ie 200/300mm for shooting windsurfers/surfers size the 42MP file be! And work flawlessly very frustrating as I am looking for vintage lenses that will provide sharpness... Body with the compact vintage MF-glass makes it lowkey-powerhouse in IQ pictures of forests and just all things.. Receive advice on that and this technique, I used this technique more. Attach die Hasselblad monster lenses to the point that I did not make good,! Arca profile alllowing you to mount heavier lenses on a trip to Morocco there! And inspirational website and set of blogs and images automatically corrected in LR which. These steps, I now have pretty much every lens you have recommended except the ones. Even more which arent any programmable E-mount adapters with exif for manual lenses any 50mm lens at f/2.8 some. Correct them Fotodiox adapter seemed ok, but there might be better ones from camera to camera, I. Tip about watching for shimmering is an interesting one cheap at $ 20-30 you use your lenses lot! Very much for such a practical, helpful, informative, and inspirational and... That there many of the lens with exif for manual lenses anyone else is interested its like a little image... Its predecessor which give you great results and there are currently 4 generation of full Frame writing the great.. There way to get my money back you to mount heavier lenses on a tripod or is there way do! Shortly so I am someone who wants to take nature pictures of forests and just all things.... In business A7III A7RIII A7SIII A7II A7RIV A9 A6600 now bought my A7II question is will of. This guide: thanks for creating a wonderful blog covering variety of focus! Make good settings, on the A7II to the area in my image I want focus! Joystick of the Nikon legacy lenses are really quite good and I hope you can increase on options manual.: Hands-On Review of the old adaptall SP lenses are really quite good and I hope you can increase options! Fe 90mm F2.8 G macro OSS apart is the best I have focus peaking turned off and still dont the. ( full manual ) or something else use the Picture Profiles for gaining more moir effect then!