Photo sharing: Sony Alpha

[havoc315]

This is actually something I didn't even touch on in my first post (gotta hold back some material for Volume 2! ), but that's only because this has been a non-issue in my (highly unscientific) experiments thus far. I haven't seen any differences with the lossy compression (certainly not on par with something like using sRAW on Nikon, for example), so I'm not bothered with it.

I do plan on further testing, as the few examples I've seen show the "best" examples of the data loss happening in high contrast night photos. Maybe I'll take the camera down and spend some time photographing street lights around our neighborhood tonight and see if I can notice any differences in direct comparisons.

On a semi-related note, I wish manufacturers would allow for lower MP, lossless raw files. 42 MP is nice to have for landscapes, but I certainly don't need that for a photo of a cupcake I'm shooting for the blog...

On the D750, you get your lossless 24mp...

I shot the compressed raw files on Sony for years.... I would say it was very very very rare that you were really losing any image quality. But when pushing images really hard in post, in high contrast, you may see some differences.

So Tom, any of the GM lenses on your horizon?

 

[WDWFigment]

Tom,

Do you have the Rokinon 12mm 2.8 fisheye for the Sony? I've gotten great results with the 8mm APS-C version on my NEX-7.
I'll be looking forward to your take on the Voigtlanders.

No. I bought the Opteka 6.5mm (which I'm pretty sure is just the Rokinon 8mm that is now 'magically' 6mm) because I hadn't yet sold my Rokinon 12mm and the Opteka was only $150, so I figured 'what the heck.'

Turns out that the Opteka 6.5 they sent is actually for Canon, but with an adapter provided. Once I get the Commlite adapter, I'll flip my Opteka fish, also sell my Rokinon 12mm, and buy the Opteka 6.5 for Nikon (so I can use it on both systems...if I still have the Nikon at that point). Phew.

I've been pleased with the Opteka's performance on full frame. The hood is removable, which adds to its utility on FF. This shot was taken with the Opteka: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBoRuIiiwFa/?taken-by=tom_bricker

 

[WDWFigment]

So Tom, any of the GM lenses on your horizon?

No. I'll maybe take a look at the 85 1.4 and 70-200 if/when I sell all of my Nikon gear, but I can't justify that kind of money right now. Unless the 24-70 has some amazing bokeh, I'm probably not interested in that. That's typically a pretty boring lens creatively for me, so I couldn't ever justify that much money on it.

 

[havoc315]

No. I'll maybe take a look at the 85 1.4 and 70-200 if/when I sell all of my Nikon gear, but I can't justify that kind of money right now. Unless the 24-70 has some amazing bokeh, I'm probably not interested in that. That's typically a pretty boring lens creatively for me, so I couldn't ever justify that much money on it.

If the commlite adapter is any good, you can always use your current 24-70. Even with the adapter, I don't think it would be any bigger than the Sony version.

Seems the main loss of using the adapter will be loss of tracking and loss of eye-AF. But those won't affect your landscape shooting.

 

[fractal]

more snow this week and single digit temps for the weekend. yippee. When the camera replaces the sled and skis as snow toys, you know middle age has struck.

 

[dmaxphil]

more snow this week and single digit temps for the weekend. yippee. When the camera replaces the sled and skis as snow toys, you know middle age has struck.

Love this shot. Nice work!

 

[fractal]

 

[fractal]

 

[fractal]

 

[fractal]

Spring is coming...

DSC06219 by Chris Dikos, on Flickr

 

[fractal]

New Sigma 30mm 1.4 coming for E-mount

This is part of the DN series for E-mount (APS-C).

I'm not crazy about the focal length, but f/1.4 has me very interested.

(SR5) First image of the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 native(!!!) E-mount APS-C lens! | sonyalpharumors

 

[HPS3]

Too bad it's not a 35 f1.4 FF lens for e mount. I was hoping to see some Sigma FF lenses for the A7 series.

 

[fractal]

 

[zackiedawg]

A few more from last month's Disney trip, with the A6000 doing some long exposures on tripod:

 

[HPS3]

Nice set Justin!

 

[fractal]

Last weekend we traveled to West Lafayette Indiana to view the BIG 10 Men's Swimming Championship at Purdue University (my son swims for Penn State). Of course I brought along my trusty NEX-7, and a few lenses. The fans of each team were separated into different sections whose assignment changed with each session. Although none of the upper level sections were ideal to shoot a swim meet ( I was jealous of the photographers with the deck passes ), at least I was getting different vantage points.

Here's a collection of the shots I took...

Purdue's pool was beautiful. One of the best I've been. This is cropped fisheye (Rokinon 8mm 2.8). I believe I shot this at f/8.

Another shot of the pool, this time using the Sony Zeiss 24mm 1.8.

and one more fish-eye.

I then pulled out my Minolta Maxxum 200mm 2.8. I didn't love the LA-EA4 AF adaptor for this, mostly due to the loss of some light and so-so AF, so now I just shoot it manual focus.

a few "team" shots...

I used my Olympus 100mm 2.8 for this one...

but then quickly switched back to the 200mm Minolta.

For an indoor pool, the lighting was good. I was able to shoot ISO 800 at f/3.2 and 1/500 sec. Distance was the obvious problem as all the "action" swim shots are cropped.

 

[havoc315]

@fractal great shots. It's a real shame they don't re-release that 200mm lens with SSM. Maybe they will eventually release an LAEA5 adapter to support screw drive lenses with a7ii/a7rii/a6300.

When the Nikon adapter is actually released, I'm looking forward to trying the Nikon 300/4 on the a6300.

 

[fractal]

@fractal great shots. It's a real shame they don't re-release that 200mm lens with SSM. Maybe they will eventually release an LAEA5 adapter to support screw drive lenses with a7ii/a7rii/a6300.

When the Nikon adapter is actually released, I'm looking forward to trying the Nikon 300/4 on the a6300.

Thanks @havoc315 , an Lae-a5 like that would be great!

 

[fractal]

Lacrosse season has begun. NEX-7 + Minolta Maxxum 200mm 2.8.

 

[Hockeyman]

A few pics from around town the last couple weeks

Gringotts Fisheye by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

Flying High by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

Want To Go For A Swim by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr