Sony Nex-7 - LEA2 - Sony 55-200 f4-5.6
Taken at 200 and f5.6, so that means full zoom wide open. Normally you have to stop down 2 stops approximately to get the sharpness out of a lens but I thought I’d try this and see what the sharpness is like. Not bad at all and I can't complain about the bokeh either. This is one image that I didn't have to eliminate CA so the lens is capable (in conjunction with the Nex-7) of not producing CA.
I didn't see any difference in sharpness between 55 and 200 so at least the lens is consistent in that respect.
Let's talk about size. It's not small and you definitely can't put this into your pocket, and it doesn't matter how big your trouser pockets are. You either carry this in your hand or get a shoulder bag like the Think Tank Retrospective 5. I have one of these and use it a lot. I can easily put 2 cameras in there with prime lenses attached or the Sony Nex-7 with the LEA2 adapter and DT 55-200 lens attached fits in there too with plenty of space left over.
Holding the camera is ok because I tend to support the lens withe base of the LEA2 adapter. One more thing I like about the adapter apart from allowing me to mount a plethora of lenses. Being a long zoom sort of guy I've also noticed that they've also introduced a DT 55-300 f4.5-5.6 lens which even incorporated some ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements. That is used to eliminate CA so it should prove to be better than the DT 55-200 f4-5.6 lens. Notice though that is slightly slower at the shorter focal length being f4.5 as to f4 for the 55-200 lens.
Having looked again at the specs for the 2 lenses I see that both lenses have ED glass incorporated in them and both are SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor). Well you could have fooled me, or maybe the focusing speed and CA problems have something to do with the Nex-7 body. I know that I have immense problems using rangefinder lenses on the Nex-7 and I've practically given up on using them on that body. The Nex-5N doesn't have this problem and that is what I use those bodies for now.
If anybody has any experience with the 55-300 lens, I'd appreciate some feedback on it.
1462
NEX-7
Focal Length: 200 mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/320 sec
ISO: 320
Sony Nex-7 - LEA2 Adapter - Sony DT 55-200 f4-5.6
There is a term that many older people use "You get what you pay for", and in this case it's true especially when using this lens with the Nex-7. There is a lot of purple fringing or axial chromatic aberration. This happens when the colours don't meet up in the same plane. This isn't something that happens with cheap lenses, the more known brands have this too. Nowadays this isn't something to worry about because it is easily removed in LR, you just have to be on the lookout for it in your images. However I had to remove the CA from a lot of the images on this outing because the weather wasn't all that good, the sky being rather grey so that a lot of edges had a light background. This is when CA might be visible especially when photographing leaves etc against a lighter sky.
It's not the sharpest lens I have but they do sharpen up nicely in post processing and even with these low res images you can see what I mean. There isn't a lot of sharpening done but you have apply some to all images. Focusing on the Nex-7 was quite quick, but then the Nex-7 isn't the fastest focusing camera on the planet. You can't compare it to the Olympus OM-D of Panasonic G5 for instance but it's fast enough for me with my subjects. It isn't the quietest lens when focusing either, not having a micro motor inside but you don't notice the noise after a while. You just get used to it like everything else. Well I did anyway. There is not a lot of hunting going on and it locked focus at the first attempt with 99% of my shots.
I tend to see my world through a zoom lens, which is why I have a lot of problems using wide angle lenses so most of the images I took were at the longer end of the zoom. I did however try to get some at the shorter end because I wanted to test all focal lengths of the lens. I do like prime lenses, they do in my mind, have better image quality (especially when it comes to low priced zoom lenses) but I just hate changing lenses. If I'm going out with primes I have at least 2 cameras with me, one with a relatively short focal length and one with a 100 or 135 lens attached.
1127
NEX-7
Focal Length: 105 mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/320 sec
ISO: 100
Sony Nex-7 - LEA2 Adapter - Sony DT 55-200 f4-5.6
This was a master stroke by Sony. Whoever came up with this idea of bringing out an adapter for their A lenses deserves a medal. They work quite well and with Phase Detect Focusing incorporated. I didn't want to spend too much money on purchasing the more expensive lenses but I did want to try this configuration with the LEA2 adapter. In the end I decided to buy a zoom and two prime lenses, namely the DT 55-200 f4-5.6 , the 85 f2.8 and the DT 35 f1.8 lenses. I haven't had much opportunity to try out the 2 prime lenses but I had a spin with the zoom mounted on the Nex-7 the other week. I took the combination around Frankfurt with me and just photographed what took my fancy. The idea was to test it with as many different subjects as possible. 1319
NEX-7
Focal Length: 120 mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 1/200 sec
ISO: 100
Sony Nex-5N - Nikon 100 f2.8 Manual Focus Lens
This is going to be the last image from this combination for the present but I wanted to show the image rendition from this lens when focusing at the near infinity setting. Personally I like it and this lens is going to be one of my favourites in the future, I'm certain of it. I have a couple of 135mm lenses and at these settings the lenses tend to lose contrast when focusing at near infinity. Of course it has to do with how far away the subject is, the further away the subject is, the more contrast is lost. As I looked at the two horses they were very interested in what we were doing. Both have their ears up and just staring at us as we were passing by. Maybe it was because this was the first day we saw a bit of sun for months. It was a lovely day, and I think the horses appreciated it too.
1035
NEX-5N
Focal Length: unknown
Aperture: f/1.0
Exposure Time: 1/500 sec
ISO: 100
Sony Nex-5N - Nikon 100 f2.8 Manual Focus Lens
Another shot of the fly. He posed for me for some time on this wooden railing. Some might think that the image is just a crop from the previous post but, in fact,it is a different exposure altogether. I really attempted to get this fly from as many angles as possible. It's what some people call working the subject. It really is amazing what moving half a step to either side can do to the composition. Even a few centimetres makes a bit difference. I must admit it's what I do too little of, I should practice what I preach, it seems I get too excited when I'm out there and I tend to rush around. The trick is to slow down and think about what you're doing. That's why I like to use manual lenses, it just slows you down automatically and gets you thinking about things.
Notice that this was taken in the square format (1:1 ratio on most cameras). When I started out many years ago it was the only format available, unless you went for medium and large format cameras. That just wasn't going to happen. I had too little time and resources for that type of photography. The 3:2 ratio was the 35mm format and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to "see" in this format until the 4/3 sensor from Olympus came out. At first I didn't even bother to even think about the system, the price was simply too high, especially with SHG lenses Olympus were bringing out for the system. They were expensive and still are today. Then Panasonic brought out the GF1, which to me, was the perfect format body. But now I had to see in a totally different format and at first I just couldn't get around this change and I didn't use the camera as much as I thought I would. My Canon system seemed to be in my hands whenever I went out. Slowly though, I did use the camera more and somehow got used to the format and much preferred it to the 3:2 35mm format.
I bet your thinking "Where is all this going?". Well, for some time now I shoot a lot in the square format; it seems to suit my eye and my may I do things better. It seems much easier to compose the shot and I can see things in this format that I didn't see in any other format available. I also like to switch to the 16:9 format for a lot of shots but I now always seem to come back to the square format. What I'm trying to say here is that you get used to everything, and sometimes you get stuck in a certain way. This applies everything you do in life and a change is as good as a rest. Try different formats when out on a shoot, or just take one single prime lens with you and try that out for a few days. You never know, you might hit on a certain format or focal length that changes your photography totally.
For me, right now, it's the square format image.
1214
NEX-5N
Focal Length: unknown
Aperture: f/1.0
Exposure Time: 1/200 sec
ISO: 100
Sony Nex-5N - Nikon 100 f2.8 Manual Focus Lens
This is what you can expect from the Nikon 100 f2.8 lens when mounted on a APS-C sensor. I don't think it would be this good on a m4/3 camera because of the sensor characteristics. I would love to try it out on a full frame sensor but I'm about to go out and buy a Nikon FF camera just to satisfy my curiosity.
On a Sony Nex body this lens is equivalent to 150mm lens (x1.5 crop factor) and comes close to my preferred focal length. Some of these longer focal length lenses produce some lovely background blur. The image above shows what this lens is capable of. Simply superb and the peaking function helped me get the fly in focus. This was shot wide open at f2.8.
On a m4/3rd camera it would be the equivalent of a 200mm lens and I find it pretty difficult to hand hold at those focal lengths. On an Olympus body it would be easier because of IBIS (In Body Image Stabilisation) than on a Panasonic body. I haven't used any legacy lenses on Panasonic bodies and I have no intention of doing so. The only reason I use them on Sony bodies, because they have the same problem as Panasonic, namely they use ILIS (In Lens Image Stabilisation) rather than IBIS. That is one great advantage of IBIS, it works with every lens you mount on the body. Don't discount this function as it really does help. Just try it out and see how low a shutter speed you can hand hold at longer focal lengths. I know for a fact that the older I get the more dependant I become on these functions.
979
NEX-5N
Focal Length: unknown
Aperture: f/1.0
Exposure Time: 1/200 sec
ISO: 100
Sony Nex-5N - Nikon 50 f1.8 Manual Focus Lens
As I mentioned in my last post about zipping by photo opportunities when riding my bike I had to go back for this one because I saw it too late. I haven't quite captured what I was after and that was the 3D effect the shadow was giving the scene. Now why I didn't capture that is not that easy to answer but one thing I' sure of, it does have something to do with the system I'm using. I have seen some images from Leica cameras when paired with a magical Leica lens and I could swear that I was looking at a 3D image. Not possible of course but that is the effect the eye transmits to the brain. Well, it does with me anyway your mileage may vary.
I think that the Leica brand has really become a luxury and a niche brand today simply because of the costs involved in acquiring a system. I don't know many who are satisfied with just a 50 or 35 lens. Different lenses have a different purpose and not everyone shoots the same things all the time so more than one lens is desirable for the system. Since photography is not my profession I won't even think about buying into Leica, that would be a waste of money for me personally. I'm just not that good a photographer that I could justify it. This is a fun hobby and I have to keep the costs reasonably down, and after all, life takes priority. There are more important things in life than hobbies.
Of course, I wouldn't have to buy Leica lenses, there are a number of other manufacturers that supply lenses for the Leica mount, such as Voigtländer, and they have some really gems in their lineup. One of these is the old 75 f2.5 Heliar which has been superceded by the 75 f1.8 Heliar. The 75 f2.5 is smaller and lighter than the new version and, more importantly for me, can but purchased for half the price on ebay or at a local dealer. Ok, it's f2.5 and the new model f1.8, but for my purposes and with the high ISO performance of today's cameras I'll stick with 75 f2.5.
That is by no means the only gem they have and I'll be talking about a couple more in the upcoming posts. However, there may be a few other random posts and images before I get to that.
1086
NEX-5N
Focal Length: unknown
Aperture: f/1.0
Exposure Time: 1/320 sec
ISO: 200
Sony Nex-5N - Nikon 50 f1.8 Manual Focus Lens
Again taken with the Sony Nex-5N and the Nikon 50 f1.8 manual focus lens attached. As you can see, the lens is extremely sharp (and it's got nothing to do with my sharpening methods). I thought since I'm out on my bike quite a bit lately I'd take a shot and post it. It's been my taxi for quite a few outings lately. The advantage of a bike for me of course are that I get a lot of exercise and I get from place to place quicker that slogging it on foot. On the negative side, I may just pass a perfect photo opportunity because I'm concentrating too much on cycling. I wish there was a middle of the road solution but I can't think of one. It's either speed along on the bike, or it's a slow slog on foot.
At present I have 2 Nikon lenses in my possession, the 50 f1.8 and the 100 f2.8 manual focus lenses. To be perfectly honest I'm quite impressed with the image quality, colour and micro contrast that I am achieving. It's nothing to do with the camera I'm using, the results are the same independent of which camera I use be it an Olympus, Nex or even a Fuji. I've seen a post over at soundimageplus regarding the 28 f1.8G, the 50 f1.8G and the 85 f1.8G lenses and have been considering them for my arsenal. Too expensive for my taste at present. I had to set priorities and they do not come in at the top of the list.
I've just spent some money for the Fujifilm Fujinon 55-200 f3.5-4.8 zoom and that is enough for the present. I really wanted a zoom of this calibre for the Fuji X system as it was really lacking. The zoom looks very nice indeed and the images match those of the 18-55 f2.8-4 kit lens. Both those lenses make for a very nice system. I haven't gone for the primes on this system as my m4/3 systems have enough of those and covers everything I need. I'm really impressed with the image quality from the X-Trans sensor though and I will keep the X-E1 and the X100S for some time to come. 1159
NEX-5N
Focal Length: unknown
Aperture: f/1.0
Exposure Time: 1/100 sec
ISO: 100
Sony Nex-5N - Nikon 50 f1.8 Manual Focus Lens
The image above was taken with the Sony Nex-5N with an old Nikon 50 f1.8 manual focus lens attached. If the lens alone was attached the system would have been well balanced but with the adapter attached too, it is a little front heavy. Having said that, and if you haven't handled a Nex-5N before, well, let's just say it's not really a big camera. people with largish hands must have problems with this camera and I can understand it if they purchased something bigger. A Panasonic G5 or G6 comes to mind (or even the GH3 which is even larger) with a "real" grip.
Being small has it's advantages however, in being more portable. If I'm going out these days with my Sony kit I only need a smallish shoulder bag and that carries 2 x Nex-5N and one Nex-7 cameras. I don't like changing lenses and I use the Nex series primarily as my prime lens kit. Two reasons for this, as I'm sure you can guess, firstly the Nex lenses aren't really all that good and secondly I use the peaking function (or is it spelled peeking?) all the time. I think it's a great feature and all future cameras will come out with something very similar incorporated into them. It's an invaluable feature, especially when using very wide or telephoto lenses. The reason I say that is because when using prime lenses on my Olympus E-PL1 I don't have any problems when a 50ish lens is attached (100 = 35mm) but When I mount a 135mm lens (270mm = 35mm) that I do tend to struggle somewhat. Furthermore, since using the Sony Nex cameras with the peaking function I have notice that I have more difficulty using the Olympus models. Maybe I'm becoming lazy or my eyes aren't what they used to be (probably both).
As to the image above, I'd seen quite a few of these recently and I like the artsy effect they archived with just moving the camera during the exposure. Well I tried quite a few things on the outing with this combination, just to get the effect I was looking for. I was hand-holding the camera, it was stopped down quite a bit and the ISO was set to it's lowest value.
I didn't quite achieve what I wanted but I did learns quite a few things.
One: A tripod is invaluable when taking these type of photographs. You just have to touch the front of the lens and this effect can be achieved.
Two: It's better to do these when the sun isn't shining or during the middle of the day. The shutter speed will invariably be too high.
Three: It's better to get the camera parallel to the trees or forest or whatever you're shooting. The image then "looks" and "feels" right.
My settings for this image was as follows:
ISO set to it's lowest value.
Lens stopped down to it's smallest aperture (high number).
Even at these settings the shutter speed was 0.6sec. Not really what I wanted but it did the job. A pol filter would have helped here as it can slow the shutter speed down by up to 2 stops. That would have made for a 2 second exposure. That would have been much better.
I'm still pleased with the image though and I'm sure I'll be trying these type of images again soon.
1132
NEX-5N
Focal Length: unknown
Aperture: f/1.0
Exposure Time: 6/10 sec
ISO: 100
Nikon 1 V1 - 1 Nikkor 10-30 f3.5-5.6 VR
I stated yesterday that it was going to be the last post about the V1 and the 10-30 f3.5-5.6 VR lens. Well, I decided to make one last post. I will be stating my likes and dislikes about the system and lenses available as of this post. Don't forget, I take some time in posting these things so there could well be developments in this area even before this post comes out.
Likes:
It's small, light and the battery lasts forever. It's the same one used in their DSLR range of cameras so they can't be that bad.
It's quick to focus and metering is excellent. This is my first Nikon camera believe it or not and I'm just wondering what the metering is like in their DSLR range. I know that I wasn't all that happy with the Canon metering and I've tested systems that are much better than Canon. Maybe I should have switched years ago, but you know how it is.
The lenses seem to be getting better. The 18.5 f1.8 lens is great but I won't be buying the 32 f1.2 unless they reduce the price considerably (although it comes close to my favourite focal length).
The raw files are good and since I'm a raw shooter, the jpg engine interests me very little.
Dislikes:
At present, this is a bright light camera although high ISO is ok.
The mode selector wheel at the top right of the camera (rear) gets in my way. I keep turning it unintentionally all the time. It does frustrate me but I think I'll get used to it (or I'll super glue it or something :-) ).
Because I got into this system pretty late Nikon decided to bring another flash on the market, namely the SB-N7, which is supposed to be better and works well with the V2 I believe. The problem with that flash is that it takes its own battery and that is just something more to carry around. I've been scouring the market for the original flash for the V1, the SB-N5 and I've managed to get on but at a horrendous price. It cost me nearly as much as the V1 with the kit lens. I had to try one because it's really small, tilts and swivels and the best thing of all, it takes it's power from the camera battery.
I'll let you know how that when I've had time to use it.
The 30-110 f3.8-5.6 VR lens is a little gem and much better than the 10-30 f3.4-5.6 lens in my opinion. The 18.5 f1.8 is also a gem and suits me a lot better than the 10 f2.8 although that gives reasonable results too. So far the lenses for this system are reasonably priced apart from the 32 f1.2 that has just come onto the market. I'm betting that that lens will also come down in price pretty soon, so I'll just wait for that to happen and purchase one then. 1111
NIKON 1 V1
Focal Length: 30 mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Time: 1/250 sec
ISO: 100
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