"Best' long lenses for Sony E mount
Discussion
I've always preferred taking close up / snippets of landscapes - details and abstractions - and for many years had nothing wider than 35mm, even 50mm for a long time. I've sold a lot of my previous equipment and now have a 16-35mm, 50mm, 90mm and 70-200mm lenses. Yesterday, shooting in a quarry, and a couple of test days at Donington, made me realise that I'm lacking the reach I'd need. Some things I could see were impossible to get close enough to so I ended up cropping massively to get the image I wanted, so what recommendations would people make for lenses of 300mm or greater - probably prime and possibly second hand.
I'd like a lens as sharp as possible even wide open or close t, preferably with a fairly large aperture (but that isn't a clincher) and as it will be used on a 7R make isn't a big issue as I can get adaptors for many... over to you!
I'd like a lens as sharp as possible even wide open or close t, preferably with a fairly large aperture (but that isn't a clincher) and as it will be used on a 7R make isn't a big issue as I can get adaptors for many... over to you!
Thanks for the reply. Auto focus wasn't a big part of the choice for me, though helpful. An hour ago, after reading umpteen - sometimes contradictory - reviews, and nearly spending way too much on a sh Leica R Apo Telyt 280mm with a 1.4x convertor, I came to my senses and paid less than half to grab a Canon 300mm f4 L series telephoto that is claimed to be little used and in excellent condition on EBay. Very much looking forward to trying it out.
P.S. I already have a Metabones Canon to E mount adaptor so autofocus might be worth trying.
P.S. I already have a Metabones Canon to E mount adaptor so autofocus might be worth trying.
I used it for the 1st time this weekend at the Duxford Airshow. Unfortunately with the only (cheap, don't even know/see the brand) adaptor I had - Sod's Law, the new one was behind the gate when I got home!
The adaptor is loose and rattly, it gives a weird black vignette band at the top of (landscape) frames and there was no way to change aperture, so it was fully open throughout...
But, I found it far easier to manually focus on the moving planes than the Sony 70-200mm, go figure - the zoom/camera's AF I found pretty lousy throughout. Drove me mad and led to lots of blurred shots by moving in and out of focus unless I managed to get it in then quickly press the lock button (I configured the centre button for this but the camera is really too small for my spade like hands so I found that a bit hit and miss too) and often picked out peoples' heads or buildings on low shots (lots of v. low passes), or even clouds. I tried centre, area, spot etc. etc. and never felt like it worked too reliably whatever I tried, which puzzles me given all the positive comments about its improved AF in the reviews.
How can the user be blamed for messing up what is automatic?!
The adaptor is loose and rattly, it gives a weird black vignette band at the top of (landscape) frames and there was no way to change aperture, so it was fully open throughout...
But, I found it far easier to manually focus on the moving planes than the Sony 70-200mm, go figure - the zoom/camera's AF I found pretty lousy throughout. Drove me mad and led to lots of blurred shots by moving in and out of focus unless I managed to get it in then quickly press the lock button (I configured the centre button for this but the camera is really too small for my spade like hands so I found that a bit hit and miss too) and often picked out peoples' heads or buildings on low shots (lots of v. low passes), or even clouds. I tried centre, area, spot etc. etc. and never felt like it worked too reliably whatever I tried, which puzzles me given all the positive comments about its improved AF in the reviews.
How can the user be blamed for messing up what is automatic?!
It's the OSS G 70-200mm f4. The A6000 I had before the A7 was spookily fast and accurate, awesome. This isn't, despite everything I've read to the contrary. Not so much the speed though, more it's inability to keep on the object wanted (like a plane approaching from top left to mid right, and not all really fast moving) without hunting and picking up other things, worst and most bizzarly cloud outlines behind the planes! I had Canons that were far better even years ago.
Didn't seem to matter which mode I used, but I think zone was possibly the best, catching the object towards the edges of the central areas of the frame and then hoping it would track, or by then pressing the lock button in (when fumble fingers could find it of course). I've seen videos that make it look far better including use of the variable spot setting, but I couldn't make it work well?
Didn't seem to matter which mode I used, but I think zone was possibly the best, catching the object towards the edges of the central areas of the frame and then hoping it would track, or by then pressing the lock button in (when fumble fingers could find it of course). I've seen videos that make it look far better including use of the variable spot setting, but I couldn't make it work well?
sgrimshaw said:
LastLight said:
Apart from my struggles with AF - and not just with this lens, maybe it's just me! ...........
Maybe there's a problem with the A7R ...I've been using a Sigma 175-500mm lens for a good few years for motorsport - you can see some of my efforts here:
http://s221.photobucket.com/?postlogin=true
However, I don't think the E-mount goes that far - 210mm is the longest I've come across.
http://s221.photobucket.com/?postlogin=true
However, I don't think the E-mount goes that far - 210mm is the longest I've come across.
Edited by Monty Python on Tuesday 22 September 15:31
sgrimshaw said:
LastLight said:
Apart from my struggles with AF - and not just with this lens, maybe it's just me! ...........
Maybe there's a problem with the A7R ...Useless! As bad as the original Metabones I already had (and found on Monday) as in won't focus, shuffles backwards and forwards and steadfastly refuses to lock on whatever AF setting is used or whether in single or continuous shooting. So, I contacted the supplier of camera and lenses and the diagnosis is a camera body fault, requiring it to go back to Sony for checks/repair or replacement.
My 3rd faulty Sony out of 5 bought - not a good track record.
As I can't handle the gap - God knows how long, and according to the dealer Sony would charge £50 to return it if they can't find a fault, wtf? - and have 3 native Canon lenses I'm going to buy a 5DSR and sell some of the Sony Zeiss lenses to help fund it. Being cheeky, if you are after a good deal on the 70-200mm let me know, it would save me the further misery of EBay time wasters (2 this week with buys cancelled for date excuses).
sgrimshaw said:
LastLight said:
Apart from my struggles with AF - and not just with this lens, maybe it's just me! ...........
Maybe there's a problem with the A7R ...Useless! As bad as the original Metabones I already had (and found on Monday) as in won't focus, shuffles backwards and forwards and steadfastly refuses to lock on whatever AF setting is used or whether in single or continuous shooting. So, I contacted the supplier of camera and lenses and the diagnosis is a camera body fault, requiring it to go back to Sony for checks/repair or replacement.
My 3rd faulty Sony out of 5 bought - not a good track record.
As I can't handle the gap - God knows how long, and according to the dealer Sony would charge £50 to return it if they can't find a fault, wtf? - and have 3 native Canon lenses I'm going to buy a 5DSR and sell some of the Sony Zeiss lenses to help fund it. Being cheeky, if you are after a good deal on the 70-200mm let me know, it would save me the further misery of EBay time wasters (2 this week with buys cancelled for daft excuses).
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