Eric
Mama's lil stinker
Gotta keep it to one a year or have it impact my marriage lol.
Moving from Canon 6D MkII to the Sony a7R III
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Nycturne
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When I first jumped in with a heavily marked down A7R (it was around 600-700$ off), I grabbed some cheap(er) manual glass because of how good the focus peaking feature was so I could fill out my lens stable. I still have a number of nicer C/Y Zeiss primes for stuff like Astrophotography where I haven't yet replaced them with Sony lenses, and I have a Canon FD 300m F4 L. The price of some of them like the Canon has gone up since I bought them.
They aren't as good as a modern lens when it comes to coatings/etc, but I enjoy them.
But yeah, I try to keep new lenses down to about one a year as well.
They aren't as good as a modern lens when it comes to coatings/etc, but I enjoy them.
But yeah, I try to keep new lenses down to about one a year as well.
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During late 2019, all through 2020 and to a lesser extent in 2021 I did spend a fair amount on lenses as I was starting over from scratch. In 2022 (so far) I have not purchased any new lenses, as I have had a couple of other more compelling financial priorities. I do have my eyes on at least two more lenses eventually, but am not in any great rush. One will definitely fill a gap, the other not so much, and in the meantime I'll carry on with what I've already got.
Eric
Mama's lil stinker
I look at it as a matter of what I'll need, I really want the ability to take some night city shots handheld both because it's safer than setting up on a tripod where you have no situational awareness, particularly in places like San Francisco, the other is I really need something that will let in more light than my Canon 16-35 f4 can't offer, that and being a prime lens I'll have to rely on my feet and eye for composition as opposed to zooming around so it'll be good practice.
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In 2020 and 2021 my strategy was to pretty much do as what you have mentioned: consider what I'd need....and was aware of when I was in specific shooting situations whether or not using an "x" lens would have been a better choice than what I had in hand, and after two or three of these incidents would decide, "OK, I need to buy "x" lens...." In the beginning, of course, since I was starting fresh anyway, there were a lot of gaps but as time went on and I took care of some of them, it was a little more challenging so that I would think seriously about a given lens: did I really "need" it or was it more a case of "wanting" it? Early-on, I knew that a fast prime lens would be important in my shooting. In the beginning I had more primes than I did zooms, but there is something undeniably appealing about the versatility of zooms, too, especially in certain focal ranges. Now I've got a good mix of both which seem to really work out well for my shooting style and situations. That said, I still have the tendency to reach first for my beloved 90mm macro, which might as well be glued to the A7R IV I use it so frequently! The A1 seems to love the 100-400mm and the feeling is apparently mutual......
In your situation, yes, that new 35mm f/1.8 should work out very nicely for you in handheld shooting of city scenes in low light and at night -- a great (and, yes, safe) solution for that!
In your situation, yes, that new 35mm f/1.8 should work out very nicely for you in handheld shooting of city scenes in low light and at night -- a great (and, yes, safe) solution for that!
Eric
Mama's lil stinker
Yep, bumping this year old thread to say I'm getting the new Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens. I've been using the Canon f4 version with an adapter since buying the camera and since I use that lense most of the time now I figured it would be good to get one that's more updated and native.
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Nice that you bumped this thread, Eric, looking at some of the older comments.
I'm not yet sure where I'm headed on camera purchases. Other than if I purchase another one it will need to be small-ish, FF, and accommodate a 35mm f/1.4 (ideally,...I'm spoiled using a Canon 35/1.4 - a big/heavy lens in the past), or no greater than an f/2.0. A 35mm (referenced to FF) is all I need/want for what I like to shoot (urban and people). Sony mirrorless seems to be the right path for that. With smaller/faster lenses and bodies.
One thing that's caught my eye is LR recently adding a lens blur feature that essentially works automatically with subject auto-masking. I need to play with that a lot to see how good it looks. If that works really well, is flexible, and somehow feels like it legitimately came from a fast lens, then that's something to consider. Still a little skeptical.
Lately I've been very and pleasantly surprised by what Adobe has done in LR. Photoshop has added some interesting AI-based tricks as well - for another discussion.
I'm not yet sure where I'm headed on camera purchases. Other than if I purchase another one it will need to be small-ish, FF, and accommodate a 35mm f/1.4 (ideally,...I'm spoiled using a Canon 35/1.4 - a big/heavy lens in the past), or no greater than an f/2.0. A 35mm (referenced to FF) is all I need/want for what I like to shoot (urban and people). Sony mirrorless seems to be the right path for that. With smaller/faster lenses and bodies.
One thing that's caught my eye is LR recently adding a lens blur feature that essentially works automatically with subject auto-masking. I need to play with that a lot to see how good it looks. If that works really well, is flexible, and somehow feels like it legitimately came from a fast lens, then that's something to consider. Still a little skeptical.
Lately I've been very and pleasantly surprised by what Adobe has done in LR. Photoshop has added some interesting AI-based tricks as well - for another discussion.
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I literally just received that lens a week ago! Haven’t even had a chance to shoot with it yet. I have a quincienera coming up in a couple weeks and intend to use it there.
Eric
Mama's lil stinker
The version 1 then? I opted not to spend the extra cash for the new II model, just not worth an extra several hundred for basically the same image quality IMO.
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Version II. Mostly for the reduced size. All of the reviews I’ve read say that image quality is essentially identical. I haven’t bought a lens in a long time and I don’t have a standard zoom, so I figured I’d splurge.
Eric
Mama's lil stinker
Sounds like a great lens, you'll enjoy the lighter weight I'm sure on your model. I know I chose the first version of the 70-200 2.8 GM, which is also heavier than the II, but I don't mind so much because I don't carry it around while walking all the time, though I'm sure my heavy ass bag would appreciate the lighter load.
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I have the GM II version, as when several years ago I was first making choices of Sony lenses, although the 24-70mm is one of my favorite zoom lens ranges, reviews seemed rather mixed on both the first generation of the 24-70mm GM and the 70-200mm GM. Since there were rumors about new versions coming along, I decided to wait, and my patience was eventually rewarded. I very much like the 24-70mm GM II -- it's a comfortable size and of course very versatile. I like that it is close-focusing, too, so I sometimes use it in lieu of a macro lens when I want to get up close and personal with a subject.
The 24-70mm GM II is indeed somewhat smaller and lighter than the first generation one. The lighter weight is definitely more apparent in the 70-200mm GM II as compared to its predecessor, and I have really appreciated this weight reduction in both lenses. To me it's worth the extra money!
Eric
Mama's lil stinker
The weight seems to be the biggest factor for most people, even though it comes with more bells and whistles. For the most part I'm not packing it around too much on my neck so I don't worry so much about it, I went with the 70-200 GM first gen for the same reasons as well. What I like about the releases of second generation lenses is the price drop on the firsts.
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Of course the weight wasn't the only factor for me, I was primarily interested in the quality of images which would be coming from each of the two lenses and the reviews I saw seemed to indicate that there was some improvement over the first generation versions. Anyway, both are great lenses!
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My post on this thread from 2 years ago:
Seems "next year" has turned into two years. I haven't purchased a new camera or lens since around 2010, and am now noodling a new photography project and considering a few Sony options for bodies and lenses.
The possibilities I'm considering include a Sony a7R V, a7CR, and an a7C II. Lens would be either a Sony 35mm f/1.4 or a 35mm f/1.8. That's a wide range of capabilities, size/weight, and cost.
Since there seems to be a lot of Sony owners here, was wondering if people might share their experiences with their Sony gear - both what you like and (especially) what you don't like.
Thanks!
Seems "next year" has turned into two years. I haven't purchased a new camera or lens since around 2010, and am now noodling a new photography project and considering a few Sony options for bodies and lenses.
The possibilities I'm considering include a Sony a7R V, a7CR, and an a7C II. Lens would be either a Sony 35mm f/1.4 or a 35mm f/1.8. That's a wide range of capabilities, size/weight, and cost.
Since there seems to be a lot of Sony owners here, was wondering if people might share their experiences with their Sony gear - both what you like and (especially) what you don't like.
Thanks!
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Main downsides are the firmware never gets real updates (and gets very few minor updates), and the handling is probably not as good as a Nikon or Canon.
I’ve loved my Sony’s (I’ve been through 4 full-frame bodies). They always have good sensors and technology. The lens selection is pretty good now.
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What brand did you previously use?
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Various Canon DSLRs up to a 6D and always with a 35mm f/1.4 lens (damn heavy and bulky, but worth it for what I shoot), a Fuji XT-1, and a Sony RX100 for casual shooting. And for the last 8 years or so exclusively with various iPhones.
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Does that imply the firmware starts off in pretty good shape with updates not really needed that much?
Overall, I'd love to reduce camera/lens bulk and weight, thus my interest in the a7CR and a7C II. And also would enjoy an improvement in performance and shoot-ability. That also drives me to wondering if I could be happy with a 35mm f/1.8. vs a 35mm f/1.4 that I'm used to (and makes me smile seeing the results).
The a7R V, while appearing to overall be damn impressive, is probably an outlier for me - though in the past I've unnecessarily succumbed to wanting "the best" in certain things. If the a7R V body were noticeably smaller/lighter than my Canon 6D that could push me over the edge.
Eric
Mama's lil stinker
I haven't ever had to upgrade my Ar7III so I can't speak to that but I wouldn't consider that a deal breaker, if it's a bit more of a hassle when I do it's a worthy trade off.
I couldn't be happier with the camera personally, as mentioned it has a great selection of lenses. In fact I'm about to sell my 35mm 1.8 prime, it's a fantastic lens but I'm finding I really never use it for what I like to shoot, I'm sort of married to the 24-70 and 70-200 ranges most of the time and now have them both in 2.8. So if you get the camera and are interested let me know.
