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Are There Any Standout Lenses in A-Mount?

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dlkeller said:
Go to dyxum.com, which lists all A mount lenses and give a number of user reviews and ratings as well as information about them. Then go to KEH.com, adorama.com or B&H.com and check the prices of both new and used lenses. Look up the dyxum ratings of lenses you feel you can afford and also base your purchases on your personal shooting needs.
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Really appreciate the great advice, Dave. Thanks!
 
DaPonti said:
I agree. You'd be doing yourself a favor choosing a recent SLT (a37, 57, 58, 65 depending on your budget and preferences). What do you like so much about the CCD?
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Aren't there any CCD fans in here? ;-)

There are some in the Nikon DX forum who are derided for believeing that a CCD could have any advantage over CMOS. It's a controversial subject the way some people handle it, but I just say that I like the way they render with a good lens.

As far as I can see the Sony is the only one to break the 10MP barrier. I'm game to try one!

To make it more exciting I will be using it in a regular (weekly) photoshoot under low light which needs f2.0 and ISO1600 to give good results. It works with my Nikon D200 and Pentax K200D and so I expect good things from Sony!
 
Stflbn said:
You're contradicting yourself. You want standout lenses, but you're looking at a body a couple generations back with lesser quality sensor's, focus tracking, etc.
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Regardless the rest of the technology into a camera, there is a substantial difference between the color rendition of a CCD vs a CMOS (that is only a different kind of CCD...). I see no contradiction, just a preference.

However, the new Exmos processor on the latest Alpha A and E mount is doing a wonderful job on image quality and color rendition and you can see easily the difference.

I'm not a big fan of CCD DSRL, I found the A700/A900/A850 sensor tech to be wonderful incredible good (but not at really high ISO), the A99, also good, have a film-ish approach. The A7R image quality is outstanding, and worth the upgrade
 
nandbytes said:
Its the photographers on this forums and sony/minolta photographers are just soo skilled that they can take really good pictures even with a line up of bad a-mount lenses.

Now the question you need to ask yourself is do you have standout skills?
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I'm getting better. ;-)

My advantage (I "compete" against other photogs) is that I am the only one using big fat-aperture primes. f2.0 works wonders against kit lenses, even on Nikon D7100s and the like. ;-)

It's the lens that makes a standout!
 
If you want to shoot 24-70 with a little budget, A used Sigma 24-70 HSM would just fit the bill, however it is a 2.8 maximum aperture lens.

The cheapest "stand out" prime for alpha mount again is a Sigma, the 50mm 1.4, it is just amazing and I love it, again you might get a good deal on it used. you might also like to consider the Tamron 60 F2.0 macro which is the only APSC only lens out of the three mentioned here.

Check dyxum lens reviews to get a better idea about the Sony lenses.
 
No love for the old Minolta 50mm f1.4? Was a bit dull below f2.8, though not too pricey. I think Sony relaunched it with more modern coatings.
 
pako said:
Trevor G said:
Cthulhu667 said:
I second the reccomendation on the 35mm and 50mm f/1.8s.

The sony 16-50 f/2.8 is fantastic. i rented one for a few days last month and was very, very pleased. Fast, quiet, and better for a crop sensor IMHO than a 28-70.
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Thanks, but I really need a 28-70 or 24-70 where I shoot.
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There is the SAM 28-75 f2.8 that is really good, quality wise. The cheaper (but not less impressive) version of this lens is the Konika Minolta 28-75 f2.8, that is as good as the Sony version and you can even focus closer (this lens is really good at close focus)

if you need a wider solution, the Sony Zeiss 24-70 f2.8 is the solution.

If you need 24mm and wide aperture is not that necessary because, lets say, you work with flashes or you are able to manage the amount of light, the Minolta or Sony 24-105 will be OK on your brand new A350 (more than 14 MP will be a real challenge for this lens)

The Sony 50mm f1.8 some people recommended is APS only, but really good quality wise and not expensive at all.
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Trevor G said:
DaPonti said:
I agree. You'd be doing yourself a favor choosing a recent SLT (a37, 57, 58, 65 depending on your budget and preferences). What do you like so much about the CCD?
Click to expand...
Aren't there any CCD fans in here? ;-)

There are some in the Nikon DX forum who are derided for believeing that a CCD could have any advantage over CMOS. It's a controversial subject the way some people handle it, but I just say that I like the way they render with a good lens.

As far as I can see the Sony is the only one to break the 10MP barrier. I'm game to try one!

To make it more exciting I will be using it in a regular (weekly) photoshoot under low light which needs f2.0 and ISO1600 to give good results. It works with my Nikon D200 and Pentax K200D and so I expect good things from Sony!

--
Cheers ;-)
Trevor G
Silkypix tutorials at: http://photo.computerwyse.com
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If I may ask, what subjects are you shooting? AF speed is important too! I shoot a lot of concerts locally, and as much as I love them, some of my old minoltas don't focus as well with the screw-drive set up on my a57 (admittedly also a body issue,but an SAM or SSM lens is IMHO going to focus quicker, especially on an older body).
 
Cthulhu667 said:
pako said:
Trevor G said:
Cthulhu667 said:
I second the reccomendation on the 35mm and 50mm f/1.8s.

The sony 16-50 f/2.8 is fantastic. i rented one for a few days last month and was very, very pleased. Fast, quiet, and better for a crop sensor IMHO than a 28-70.
Click to expand...
Thanks, but I really need a 28-70 or 24-70 where I shoot.
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There is the SAM 28-75 f2.8 that is really good, quality wise. The cheaper (but not less impressive) version of this lens is the Konika Minolta 28-75 f2.8, that is as good as the Sony version and you can even focus closer (this lens is really good at close focus)

if you need a wider solution, the Sony Zeiss 24-70 f2.8 is the solution.

If you need 24mm and wide aperture is not that necessary because, lets say, you work with flashes or you are able to manage the amount of light, the Minolta or Sony 24-105 will be OK on your brand new A350 (more than 14 MP will be a real challenge for this lens)

The Sony 50mm f1.8 some people recommended is APS only, but really good quality wise and not expensive at all.
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Trevor G said:
DaPonti said:
I agree. You'd be doing yourself a favor choosing a recent SLT (a37, 57, 58, 65 depending on your budget and preferences). What do you like so much about the CCD?
Click to expand...
Aren't there any CCD fans in here? ;-)

There are some in the Nikon DX forum who are derided for believeing that a CCD could have any advantage over CMOS. It's a controversial subject the way some people handle it, but I just say that I like the way they render with a good lens.

As far as I can see the Sony is the only one to break the 10MP barrier. I'm game to try one!

To make it more exciting I will be using it in a regular (weekly) photoshoot under low light which needs f2.0 and ISO1600 to give good results. It works with my Nikon D200 and Pentax K200D and so I expect good things from Sony!
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I thought the advantage of CCDs was that they produced cleaner results than CMOS but wasn't sure it's still the case after a few more years of development on the CMOS side. If it's a more personal preference, fair enough. Anyway the risk is low indeed, if you don't like the a350 you can probably resell it at no loss.

If carrying two cameras is acceptable to you, you could start with just one of the primes given here (e.g. 35/1.8) and carry one of your current cameras with another prime, at a different focal length.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/romainpontida/
 
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Hi Trevor. I understand what you are wanting to do. The A350 had one of the most beautiful ccd sensors I have seen. If you would like a recommendation, I would search for the Minolta or Tamrom 28-75 to showcase it. The best lens I would recommend for this camera combo would be the Zeiss 16-80 if you weren't shooting low light. I don't think you would make it to 3200 ISO, but it would be worth the try to see how far you could go with that camera. I do know that in daytime shooting, it was hard to beat the color rendition of that ccd sensor in the A350! Good Luck!
 
I liked the color rendition of my KM5D a lot, but the low MP made cropping very much an issue. I still do use it for my bicycling camera and it does a nice job for me.



1c9126088fd74e259833f0c0b6f3b3b7.jpg



--
Dave
 
There are many bodies better than the A350 that can be had for less than $250. Look at KEH.com
--
Sarge
A99| A77| A700 | QX10
Bower 8mm & 14mm
Sony 28-75|70-200 G|70-300 G|70-400 G
Minolta 35-70|50mm|200 G|1.4 & 2X TC
Tamron 90|1.4 TC

Albums at www.sony-snapper.com
 
pako said:
The Sony 50mm f1.8 some people recommended is APS only, but really good quality wise and not expensive at all.
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What about this lens?

Would it AF with an a350?

Minolta AF 50mm f/1.7 AF Lens with skylight filter and pouch

Compatible with Alpha Sony series as manual focus. Auto focus on older Minolta cameras
 
Trevor G said:
pako said:
The Sony 50mm f1.8 some people recommended is APS only, but really good quality wise and not expensive at all.
Click to expand...
What about this lens?

Would it AF with an a350?

Minolta AF 50mm f/1.7 AF Lens with skylight filter and pouch

Compatible with Alpha Sony series as manual focus. Auto focus on older Minolta cameras
Click to expand...
 
Trevor G said:
pako said:
The Sony 50mm f1.8 some people recommended is APS only, but really good quality wise and not expensive at all.
Click to expand...
What about this lens?

Would it AF with an a350?

Minolta AF 50mm f/1.7 AF Lens with skylight filter and pouch

Compatible with Alpha Sony series as manual focus. Auto focus on older Minolta cameras
Click to expand...
It will AF on your A350. It goes for about 100$. The only problem I found on that lens (that I don't have anymore) is that it is soft wide open. The new designs and coatings are better for digital. It is a good lens, but 20 years old, so you might have a lot of sampling (one lens can be excellent, other probably comes from a smoker's house and the coating suffers from that, changing color or loosing sharpness...)
 
AfzalKhanVisuals said:
I have Minolta 50mm 1.7 AF lens its cheap and one the best glass in that price, a real gem, must be in your camera bag. grab it if you get it around $100 cost.

Regards
Afzal Khan
Kathmandu, Nepal
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Agreed. I got mine for around $70 usd from B&H. A little soft wide open, but stepped down to between f/4 and f/8, its very good. And it's built like a tank, which is my only complaint against the sony 50mm f/1.8. The sony's plastic construction is decent but not as good as the minolta.
 
Cthulhu667 said:
If I may ask, what subjects are you shooting? AF speed is important too! I shoot a lot of concerts locally, and as much as I love them, some of my old minoltas don't focus as well with the screw-drive set up on my a57 (admittedly also a body issue,but an SAM or SSM lens is IMHO going to focus quicker, especially on an older body).
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People on stage, musicians, singers, preachers - I'm a church photographer.

f2.0 and ISO1600 are my friends. ;-)

I usually add 1EV in post processing to get the light right - I always shoot RAW.
 
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