What to do with my NEX lenses?

The new full frames will be best in the future.  Its a little more expensive now, but it will be cheaper later.  Technology always goes in that cycle.

The old technology APS-C is fine, but full frame is better so it will take over.

I have 3 lenses for NEX-7.  I am disappointed that they will not work with the A7 camera body.  I really like the Zeiss 24mm.   I want to buy one of the new Zeiss E 16-70mm, or some kind of medium zoom.  But I don't want to invest more in NEX lenses.

I will keep my NEX-7 and lenses for a few years, but not thinking of buying new lenses.

toxotis700 wrote:

can we put the newer FF lenses on older nex cameras ?

will they have AF and Is too ?

You can put FF E-mount lenses on NEX cameras and APS-C lenses on FF cameras

The only problems are:

1. The APS-C lenses will basically only work in APS-C crop with is roughly equivalent to 10MP on the A7 and 14MP on the A7r (ie. original NEX-3/5 performance on expensive FF bodies)...  though some people are investigating whether larger crops might be possible for these lenses in post-processing or whether there are currently any 'secret FF' lenses in the current APS-C range (you need to search the forums for the latest on this)

2.  The FF lenses will be physically bigger and will be more expensive than equivalent APS-C ones so you are spending more money and carrying more weight about with you than necessary if you use them on APS-C (though maybe they are the better future investment)

John Knuhtsen wrote:

Rglmiro wrote:

I really like the Zeiss 24mm. I want to buy one of the new Zeiss E 16-70mm, or some kind of medium zoom. But I don't want to invest more in NEX lenses.

http://www._p_entaxforums.com/forums/76-non-pentax-cameras-canon-nikon-etc/239818-sony-24mp-36mp-a7-a7r-first-look-pre-order-today-3.html

says that the Zeiss 24 F/1.8 is a 1000$ lens because it was designed for full frame. Lucky ! wow.

So on A7/A7R you can omit cropping with this lens. The lens does not have OIS, since it is a wide lens.

(Remove 2 underscores from my link, it was banned)

Hi John

Are you sure about this?

I don't understand why Sony haven't announced it as it would make the launch much more appealing and I don't see how it would hurt them to announce that the Zeiss 24/1.8 would be recatagorised as an FE lens...

Regards!

Would that it be true but sorry, the SEL24F18Z port holes in FF on A7R.

That said, it is still over 15Mpixels in crop mode.

I am glad I sold my 32mm Touit and I have ordered the 55mm Sony Zeiss . It can do double duty as a portrait lens roughly 82mm on NEX 7 and near standard on the A7 series. For me the 32mm was too close to the 24mm to justify both especially with the excellent 16-70.

Until there are FE lenses across the board, many of us will use the better E series lenses especially on A7R in the interim.

But I personally look forward to an NEX7 successor for its merit with smaller zoom lenses such as the 16-70 and longer primes I hope to see in future.

can we put the newer FF lenses on older nex cameras ?

will they have AF and Is too ?

Any E-mount lens will go on any E-mount camera. So you can use FF lenses on APSc bodies and vice versa. If you use APSc lenses on FF, however, you will use crop mode where FF camera will function like an APSc camera. For example: you can use 35/1.8 OSS E lens on A7r. Since this is an APSc lens, if you have set APSc mode = auto or on in the menu, the camera lens combination will perform like a 16mp APSc camera. This, since the camera will crop out the central APSc sized area.

Rglmiro wrote:

The new full frames will be best in the future. Its a little more expensive now, but it will be cheaper later. Technology always goes in that cycle.

The old technology APS-C is fine, but full frame is better so it will take over.

There is a misunderstanding here.  Computer chips get cheaper because they can make the chips smaller and make more of them on a single semiconductor wafer.

This falls apart with image sensors since the sensor has to be a certain physical size.  As long as the sensor is CMOS and full frame it will cost about the same.  There is very little cost savings to be had.

For this reason full frame cameras will never become main stream. Well, they will always cost a lot more than APS-C.

I have 3 lenses for NEX-7. I am disappointed that they will not work with the A7 camera body. I really like the Zeiss 24mm. I want to buy one of the new Zeiss E 16-70mm, or some kind of medium zoom. But I don't want to invest more in NEX lenses.

I will keep my NEX-7 and lenses for a few years, but not thinking of buying new lenses.

All your NEX lenses will work fine on the A7.  It is just somewhat pointless as you are not using that $500 sensor you paid for.

Eric

I want to buy one of the new Zeiss E 16-70mm, or some kind of medium zoom. But I don't want to invest more in NEX lenses.

I will keep my NEX-7 and lenses for a few years, but not thinking of buying new lenses.

One option that you will have in a month and a half is picking up the SEL2470Z, which is the Zeiss zoom lens for the A7(r).  It will work on the NEX-7 for now and in the future, you can use it on the a7(r).  You lose a little on the wide end, but you're future-proofed so to speak.  I'm in a similar boat and I'm leaning towards the 24-70 being my next lens.

Rglmiro wrote:

The new full frames will be best in the future. Its a little more expensive now, but it will be cheaper later. Technology always goes in that cycle.

The old technology APS-C is fine, but full frame is better so it will take over.

I have 3 lenses for NEX-7. I am disappointed that they will not work with the A7 camera body. I really like the Zeiss 24mm. I want to buy one of the new Zeiss E 16-70mm, or some kind of medium zoom. But I don't want to invest more in NEX lenses.

I will keep my NEX-7 and lenses for a few years, but not thinking of buying new lenses.

Despite the many rants to the contrary, Sony is not - cannot - walk away from the APS-C format as you suggest, jusst because it launched a FF camera!

Nikon didn't walk away from the APS-C when it launched a FF, and neither did Canon. Despite any dcreases in FF prices in the coming 5 years, even if current prices dropped by half, they will capture less than 20% of the DSLR and mirrorless market. FF will for at least a decade be the smallest market segment, and advances in the APS-C sensor and cameras will continue...especially at Sony.

Sony won't announce where it is going with the APS-C line, any more than Nikon announced its Df, until the cameras are ready to sell. 10 years ago, my D70 had a 6mp sensor, and I look at those images today, and most are hard to differentiate from those made with my D7000 or my NEX-6 in the 11x14s and 16x24 prints on my walls. I can easily see inexpensive 36mp APS-C sensors within a year, likely in the same body as the A7 today.

Unless someone simply cannot live without the bragging rights with a FF, they'd be better of simply cooling their jets for a few months and waiting for the next generation of APS-C cameras from Sony. Going out an buying FF lenses before the next generation of APS-C E-mount cameras is launched makes no sense at all - NONE - unless you are prepared to commit to FF forever.

There are plenty of inferior photographers here on the forum who've already bought A7(r) cameras and are disappointed because a FF couldn't make significantly better photos than their NEX camera of Martha and the kids, their pet dog, or the petunias in their yard.

We all know that the market for internal combustion cars died with the introduction of the first hybrids, and everyone who owned a propeller-driven Cessna rushed out to buy a private jet as soon as they were announced. Sailing craft died as soon as the first motorboats were launched,

Like you say, "Technology always goes in that cycle."

And we all know that a FF makes your dead APS-C images come alive, don't we...

No, I refer to the link given, where it is mentioned:

"Sony elected to include the 24mm F/1.8 in its marketing for the A7. The reason the 24mm F/1.8 is a $1,000 lens is because its designed to cover the FF image circle. It's pricing and build quality is on par with the rest of the FE lenses."

But some replies contra in the thread and says it does not cover FF. Anyway he response back and says it would be logical if it can, from the time launched and the price.

The specified FF lens is 24 mm F/2.0.

(a very small difference).

The 24/1.8 is labeled Sonnar E 24/1.8 ZA. The E designation implies APSc (Sony has now added FE designation for full frame).

The A-mount versiob is a Distagon and full frame lens (in case of A-mount, DT is Sony's designation for APSc lens and any lens not marked DT is full frame.

Exactly. APSc is an an important format for all three brands with APSc and FF formats: Canon, Nikon and Sony. It makes no sense to assume that if a FF body or two is launched, APSc bodies will no longer be offered. Adding choices and expanding market/audience is the idea, no limiting them.

I think you need to dump those nasty APS-C lenses - I'll take them off your hands...just send them to me, and I'll pay the shipping to dispose of them for you.  

Since I'm very happy with APS-C, I have no intention of leaving the format anytime soon.  Full frame has some nice tempting aspects, but so does APS-C.  Stating that 'full frame is better' is like stating that a sports car is better than an SUV, or a compact hatchback is better than a convertible coupe.  'Better' depends on what you want, what you need, and what makes you comfortable...not a bunch of technical stats.  Certainly I know a Ferrari La Ferrari has better technical stats than my 4-door sedan, in acceleration, handling, and braking for sure.  But I have more room inside for 4 people, get better gas mileage, and a bigger trunk.  So for MY needs, is the Ferrari better because the performance stats are better?  No...because what I need is room for 4, decent mileage, and a decent trunk, with some good performance stats thrown in...and that's what I have.

APS-C format happens to suit my needs nicely - I can get wide angle lenses to make up for the crop factor, and I can get a good telephoto reach less expensively, and the size and price fit nicely for me.  Full frame would give me very little real-world advantage, while raising the size, weight, and cost...I could work with it, but I don't NEED it.

Decide for yourself what you need, and then you'll know what's actually better for you.  If that ends up being full frame, then start investing in full frame lenses now, and if you go with the full frame body, try out your APS-C lenses on it to see if they give you a good enough performance working in crop mode - if so, keep them, if not, sell them.