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What 3rd Party Lenses Are People Using On Sony Full Frame?

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Clix Pix said:
It doesn't make sense to me ...
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I believe this is s true statement, it doesn't make sense to you.

Sony has shared technical details of their AF system for E-mount. By many accounts, Sigma makes a better 85/1.4 than does Sony.

It makes perfectly good sense to me to explore third party lenses. That is also a true statement.
 
Sigma 17mm F4 DG DN

Not really 3rd party but other party: Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF with Monster LA-FE1 adapter
 
rpjallan said:
Thanks everyone for your replies, suggestions & links. At the moment I'm probably looking at getting three zooms - a standard, a wide & a tele zoom. Primes will have to wait unfortunately, until I recover from the initial financial shock of this purchase!

I've pretty much decided on the Sony 24-70 F2.8 GM II for my standard zoom. For a wider zoom I'm thinking the Sigma 16-28 F2.8 is looking pretty good. I doubt I'll ever need anything wider than 16mm. As far as tele goes I've got no idea. I'd like to get out to 400mm at least but unsure whether it's better to go for a superzoom (for want of a better term) or a shorter zoom & tele converter. The shorter zoom & tele converter has the advantage of being a bit more compact too I guess.
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Do you need f/2.8 on your 24-70mm zoom? I bought the 20-70mm f/4 and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It's one stop slower, but the extra 4mm on the shorter end, and it makes a big difference.

The only two third party lenses I own are Voigtlander APO Lanthar lenses: a 50mm f/2 and a 35mm f/2. Excellent lenses, but manual focus - if you are happy to use a manual focus lens, these are very good choices.
 
tamron 20-40 and 35-150 are unique and amazing lenses

the 28-200 is pretty good too.
 
Thanks again, everyone, for all your tips & suggestions. You have certainly given me lots to think about.
 
All the current generation Tamron VXD and Sigma DG DN Art and Sport lenses are as good or better than any comparable first party lenses. There is nothing limiting about any of them. Do not compare today's Tamron or Sigma with the cheap lenses they offered 20 years ago.

The Zeiss Batis lenses are excellent optically if you can deal with the horrible ergonomics. Although they are far less relevant today than they were when originally released given the inclusion of IBIS in all the Sony bodies now along with the plethora of other choices.

Voigtlander fills some specific niches if you're OK with manual focus. The 15mm f/4.5 is a gem.

Samyang and Viltrox are the low end options now which I would not pair with a high end camera. Some of their glass is good. But their support and QC consistency is sadly lacking.
 
I use eight Samyang/Rokinon primes - from 18mm to 135mm - on my three a7RIIIs for event work. Very pleased with all of them.

--
"Don't be mean. We don't have to be mean. Because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai
http://jacquescornell.photography
http://happening.photos
 
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rpjallan said:
Like I said recently on the Sony Alpha Full Frame E-Mount Forum, I am thinking of buying an A7RV in the next couple of months and I am looking at lenses to get with it. Just wondering what 3rd party lenses people are using, mainly for photography (I don't do a lot of video)?
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Tamron and Sigma. I use the amazing Tamron 35-150 f2/2.8 for my serious work and a 28-200 for running around and travel. What a great light high performing lens. Last but not least for the ultra wide stuff the remarkable Sigma 14-24 f2.8 DG DN Art, one of the finest wide angle lenses money can buy. Sharp all over and no significant distortion.
 
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rpjallan said:
Like I said recently on the Sony Alpha Full Frame E-Mount Forum, I am thinking of buying an A7RV in the next couple of months and I am looking at lenses to get with it. Just wondering what 3rd party lenses people are using, mainly for photography (I don't do a lot of video)?
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See my gear list. They are all good.
 
Thanks again everyone for your replies & suggestions. As I said in an earlier post, I've pretty much decided on the Sony 24-70 F2.8 GM II for my standard zoom and the Sigma 16-28 F2.8 for my wider zoom.

Just need to decide on a tele zoom. Preferably, to start with, something that will fit in my camera bag. I've been looking at the Sony 100-400 but it's bloody expensive!
 
Impulses said:
My kit is currently composed of way more 3rd party stuff than 1st party stuff and I'm pretty happy with all of it on my A7R IV. 1st party:

20/1.8 G, 24/2.8 G, 35/1.4 GM

3rd party:

Tamron 17-28 f2.8 & 50-400

Samyang 45/75/135 f1.8

Laowa 11/4.5 & 100/2.8 APO 2:1

TTArtisan 50/2

I like what Sigma does a ton, just haven't been sold on their options for E mount but still rather tempted by the 65/2 and/or 90/2.8 DN.
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How are you liking that 50-400?
 
How does the Sony 100-400 perform with the 1.4x teleconverter?
 
rpjallan said:
How does the Sony 100-400 perform with the 1.4x teleconverter?
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For me, never gotten it to perform very well - maybe in spurts - but I have a new A7RV (as opposed to the A7RIII I previously had); so lets see if it does better
 
travelinbri_74 said:
Impulses said:
My kit is currently composed of way more 3rd party stuff than 1st party stuff and I'm pretty happy with all of it on my A7R IV. 1st party:

20/1.8 G, 24/2.8 G, 35/1.4 GM

3rd party:

Tamron 17-28 f2.8 & 50-400

Samyang 45/75/135 f1.8

Laowa 11/4.5 & 100/2.8 APO 2:1

TTArtisan 50/2

I like what Sigma does a ton, just haven't been sold on their options for E mount but still rather tempted by the 65/2 and/or 90/2.8 DN.
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How are you liking that 50-400?
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All my other commonly used lenses are first party. I do have an adapted older 90mm Tamron macro with a Canon mount, but I don't use that much.
 
rpjallan said:
Like I said recently on the Sony Alpha Full Frame E-Mount Forum, I am thinking of buying an A7RV in the next couple of months and I am looking at lenses to get with it. Just wondering what 3rd party lenses people are using, mainly for photography (I don't do a lot of video)?
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I mainly use Voigtlander and Zeiss Loxia lenses ( totally 7 at the moment) on my Sony platform,

I also have a few Sigma use the Sigma 20 F1.4 DN DG specifically for Milky Way, and the new 14 1.4 DGDN just shipped out and will arrive next Tuesday, I expect that to be my default Milky Way Landscape lens also. the 3rd Sigma I use is the 150-600, but it's being replaced by the new Nikon 180-600 ( should be here in a month) since I do not like to use any big lens on Sony platform so I am switching that application back to my Nikon Z8 and Z9.

I also have a Tamron 28-200, bought it as a One-Fits-All travel lens but I am really not a huge fan of that so basically it's mostly sitting in the closet. had the Tamrom 35-150 ( for portrait) for about few months and sold it and now back to GM primes for that application.
 
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Thanks again for sharing your experience...
 
Mdayonline said:
All my other commonly used lenses are first party. I do have an adapted older 90mm Tamron macro with a Canon mount, but I don't use that much.
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Great lens, crap cap.

Is your lens cap's lining also peeling off?

I had to remove all of it because it wouldn't stay in place, and I used a felt furniture pad (cut into two strips and shaved off) to replace the lining, but it's shedding like crazy and I think there must be a better way.
 
rpjallan said:
Like I said recently on the Sony Alpha Full Frame E-Mount Forum, I am thinking of buying an A7RV in the next couple of months and I am looking at lenses to get with it. Just wondering what 3rd party lenses people are using, mainly for photography (I don't do a lot of video)?
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I'll start off by saying Sony's recent lens releases are really great. I love my native e-mount glass. But I still use a ton of third party lenses. The Laowa 90mm and 100mm 2x macros are totally superior to the very good Sony 90mm f2.8 Macro. The only downside is the lack of AF based focus stacking.

The Sigma DG DN primes are truly fantastic. Great AF, great IQ. I recently wrote about my experience with the 24mm 1.4 DG DN here: https://www.ryanmatthewsreviews.com/sigma-24mm-f1-4-dg-dn-art/

So far no real competition IMHO, for some great Sony lenses, like the 20mm f1.8 G (I'm a broken record on how great this lens is), 35mm GM (Sigma 35 DG DN is just not as good at this FL), the 50mm f1.2 GM.

Adapted vintage Canon FD, vintage Russian like Helios and Jupiter, still waiting to jump on a set of vintage Leica. Depending on the lens, you get incredible rendering or at least, an interesting mood (I do shoot a lot of narrative video, where these lenses really shine).
 
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