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Old school lenses get a new lease on life!

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Mark Turney

Mark Turney

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This is a fantastic camera. There are numerous reviews out there which you can easily find - see here @ DPReview, DxO, and Luminous Landscape to name a few. But what I want to convey is that for the first time since film, I am excited again about photography.

Being able to use my old Minolta glass with the Fotasy NAMDT Pro Minolta MD MC Lens to Sony NEX E-Mount adapter and Sony A7 is wonderful and makes for unique images. My latest wedding shoot has an 'analog' look, even though I am well aware of the full-frame 24MP digital technology actually capturing the light. I couldn't be happier as a working pro and lover of light writing!
 
I'm excited about that prospect as I get more familiar with my a6000. Have any examples?
 
Mark: I have bought the cheap ($12) Fotga adapter for OM lenses -- of which I have a box full -- and like you I am having the time of my life.

For anyone troubled about the loss of auto focus -- don't be! Focus peaking makes manual focus easy, fast and accurate, and you see the peaking effect in both the EVF and LCD.

Set the aperture, set Mode to A and have fun. And in the process be reminded of just how well made those old lenses are.
 
Just a quick note on cheap adapters...

I bought a cheap MD to Nex adapter to use my Minolta lenses on my A7 and all my lenses work fine apart from the 24mm which vignettes which isn't too much of a surprise as it's a Nex APS-C adapter. 28mm and longer works fine though.

I've since bought Minolta and Olympus Zuiko Novoflex adapters and all lenses work fine including 24mm.

Using these manual lenses is easy on my A7 and I find the magnified view and peaking wonderful.
 
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woof woof said:
Just a quick note on cheap adapters...

I bought a cheap MD to Nex adapter to use my Minolta lenses on my A7 and all my lenses work fine apart from the 24mm which vignettes which isn't too much of a surprise as it's a Nex APS-C adapter. 28mm and longer works fine though.

I've since bought Minolta and Olympus Zuiko Novoflex adapters and all lenses work fine including 24mm.

Using these manual lenses is easy on my A7 and I find the magnified view and peaking wonderful.
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I agree that the magnified view and focus peaking are fantastic for making good use of legacy glass. I am still in the early phases of learning proficiency with this setup, even though I have been shooting going all the way back to the film days. This mix of old and new has it's own unique advantages and challenges.

But what I am sure of is that the end result will be images with a unique "flavor" that cannot be obtained by just the new or just the old.
 
Yep. Newer, dedicated optics have their appeal sometimes but I really like my old manual primes. The A7 unlocks their potential in ways I could have never imagined, just a few years ago. With focus magnification, the A7 works better than the original film bodies these lenses were made for. :-D
 
It's the best FF digital back in existence. I'm out form under the boot of a single manufacturer's lens system. Like switching from sandy whitey tighties to silk boxers. Pure freedom of movement with no chafing.
 
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Tuloom said:
It's the best FF digital back in existence. I'm out form under the boot of a single manufacturer's lens system. Like switching from sandy whitey tighties to silk boxers. Pure freedom of movement with no chafing.
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Best reply yet!! LOL :-D
 
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