So, it's not really much about what I need, but what I irrationally want. I need to get a grip on reality!
Behind Bars - NEX-6 & Leica-R 90mm f2 Summicron @ f2. Click for larger.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
The Evil of Irrational Desires
After posting "The Upgrade Dilemma", I have realized how silly and irrational I have been regarding the A7/A7r. No doubt they are great cameras, but as obakesan pointed out, what "more" is there that I want from my existing equipment. Rationally, not much. The 5D Mark II is still a great camera, and I still have a whole set of Canon L lenses that covers the focal length from 16mm to 200mm, plus the 1.4x and 2.0x telecoverters (which I almost never use). That ought to satisfy my need when I salivate over the A7/A7r's full frame feature. The only thing missing is small size, and of course the short flange distance of the mount.
So, it's not really much about what I need, but what I irrationally want. I need to get a grip on reality!
So, it's not really much about what I need, but what I irrationally want. I need to get a grip on reality!
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Hi
ReplyDelete>I need to get a grip on reality!
or you need to get wealthy suddenly and then just get any toy you want!
until I get to that point rationalizing what I need to fit within my purse is what I have to do ;-)
they tell me its good for the soul too...
No doubt it's good for the soul, as long as you can curb the temptation!
DeleteIt goes without saying that you have a passion for lenses....In order to enjoy those lenses - obscure and less obscure, in all kinds of mounts but mostly made for 35mm film - you need a camera body. A fullframe body with 35mm sensor and 18mm flangedistance should be THE body for your lenses. That it also boost 36mpx (A7r) means that the sensor will never be the limiting factor when you asess the IQ of any lens (exept WA rangefinder lenses).
ReplyDeleteI don't think your desire is irrational, given your lens passion. A whole different question is then if your lens passion is irrational....
You are just trying to undo what I have spent so much effort on being more rational :)
DeleteIt's hard to resists the A7/A7r, though in a few years, this will look silly, when the A9, A10, or whatever with features that we must have! But you are right, the A7/A7r will give new life to those lenses we can not use on full frame DSLRs.
Go for it!
ReplyDeleteI am reading your blog for some time and always finding your blog enjoyable to read- mainly about lenses, but also Canada or usual everyday stuff .
I upgraded from Nex-6 to A& and never been so happy! It is like a new breath to my ~100 legacy lenses. They seem more fun, sharper, with more detail, and now the M-mount can be used without restriction- as well as PEN-F and Konica lenses. Yes , I had lens turbo, but this is a new life to many of my lenses.
I am pretty sure sooner or later you WILL upgrade and you will not regret it.
Rado
Ha! Another person to tempt me :) Deep inside, I know I will buy the A7 or the A7r, sooner, or later.
DeleteRadissimo, I'd love to see some examples of the legacy lenses you have photographed with the A7 ... do you have a blog with some images? Your profile seems to not link to any.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see how they look on the A7 vs a 5D or something cos I'm really keen on buying the A7 too
Well, some lenses, like the MDs, FDs, and KR mounts, just won't work on the 5D, so you really can't compare. That's one of the allures of the A7/A7r, especially for those of us who have many lenses in different mounts.
DeleteYou will be sorely disappointed when using legacy lenses on A7R. A7 maybe ok. The Sony sensor on A7R is so good, legacy lenses won't shine there. If you are a pixel peeper then it will lead you to a different GAS path...
ReplyDeleteI kinda know. Some lenses are so good on the 5D classic, but not so good on the 5D II or the 7D.
DeleteHi, this is turning into quite the conversation :-) Great stuff :-)
ReplyDelete>Well, some lenses, like the MDs, FDs, and KR mounts, just won't work on the 5D, so you really can't compare. That's one of the allures of the A7/A7r, especially for those of us who have many lenses in different mounts.
well part of the reason I have so many legacy lenses was because I bought my G1 back in 2009 and found that they provided me a path to exploring creative ideas with lenses which no camera before had given me (eiter my digitals weren't interchangable lens or they were EOS). I bought my FD lenses because they were well priced because they were then orphans. My experience since then has been that OM and M42 mounts provide me the same focal lengths and at slightly superior clarity (should that be what you are seeking). The Pentax 110 and C-Mount were just gravy on the cake at peanuts. So for me the move to an A7 would be about obtaining full frame (and what that brings to the table) not higher pixel density.
>Some lenses are so good on the 5D classic, but not so good on the 5D II
I'd be curious to know that if you scaled the 5Dii images back to the 5D dimensions if you can tell them apart (same lens different camera). I'm expecting to see no differences.
The last thing that I'd say is that what attracted me to the G series in the first place was the full time live view. I have struggled with obtaining the best results in shallow DoF shots on 35mm and then DSLR for the same reason - calibration between viewfinder and focal plane. The full time live view obviates that issue and when I see its focused in the finder it will be on the image too. That issue alone allowed me for more keepers than with my 20D and probably with a 5D. Sometimes critically accurate focus makes more difference than Sensor MegaPixels
And that's why I'm interested in the A7 - a full frame camera rolled into the same dimensions of body as my GH1 but with an even better finder :-)
> So for me the move to an A7 would be about obtaining full frame (and what that brings to the table) not higher pixel density.
DeleteI do not need more pixels either. For me, 8 to 12MP is enough. I don't remember the last time I ever printed anything larger 8x10.
>I'd be curious to know that if you scaled the 5Dii images back to the 5D dimensions if you can tell them apart (same lens different camera). I'm expecting to see no differences.
Likely not. But if you look at the pictures at 100%, the 5D clearly shows more acutance and sharpness with better definition. In other words, the images look more "solid" on the 5D. Perhaps it would be good to get the A7, but buy a 5D for the Canon glass. But as you said, the price of the 5D has been pretty stable.
After all these, I still want an A7, but when, is the question.
Personally I would think waiting is a good option unless you really need to have it. You already have a Canon full frame if you need the 'Full Frame" look.
ReplyDeleteThey probably won't release a new E-mount full frame anytime soon but I'm sure there will be more E-mount releases early in the New Year that might be worth waiting for before making a decision.
90% of the stuff I have I do not need, and that's the problem!
DeleteIm with ttmotor - for you and what you do, this is a dream come true. Might be worth cutting back on some unused Canon gear, liquidate the NEX6, and you should just about be there. My quick look at Merkle's the other day left me very impressed. A lot of people take a 'tut tut' approach to GAS syndrome, but hey, if that floats your boat, who is anyone to criticize.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the A7 is perfect fit for me, but, do I really need it, especially right now?
DeleteThere's only one answer to that - ABSOLUTELY YOU DO!
DeleteYu-Lin, been a while since I've dropped in on your musing. :) I can justify the A7 or A7R for you. Why make your lens collection suffer by being limited to an APS-C or a M43 sensor. Even if the lens in question can work on the EF mount of the 5DMk2 you'd never get the critical focus with the optical viewfinder. Focus Peaking is da-bomb for all the MF lenses as no DSLR maker is gonna put a split prism or micro-prism viewfinder in their kit. Even then you won't have the ability to zoom to dial in the focus as it is optical not electronic. :) So, I love the A7/R and would be loving one if I had the mulla. I am talking to Sony Singapore with hopes of them sponsoring me a set with the SEL55f18 plus the 28-70 or the 10-18. If they only came back and said the SEL55f18 I'd be happy as well. I can do my UWA stuff with the Canon lens as landscapes doesn't need AF. For long I'd probably shoot with my 5DMk3 anyway and as the longest lens I have now is the 135f2 I'm not sure I really need to shoot long anymore. I'd probably get a prime 200 or 300 when I see one cheap enough. I said bye bye to my 70-200 f2.8 IS Mk1 recently but didn't use the funds for an A7. I suggest you dump the Nex6 and keeps a precious few primes for Canon that AF and then you'll get by with everything else with the MF lens collection you have.
ReplyDeleteHi Chester,
DeleteThank you for your input on the A7/A7r. I think they are currently the best options for me, personally. You are quite right about the phase detect auto focus. It could never rival the accuracy of the contrast detect AF. However, an AF EOS-E mount adapter is not cheap, and the non-electronic adapter does not allow you to change aperture on EOS lenses. What I probably do is to keep the 5D II even after getting the a7 or A7r, and see how the AF lenses workout on the A7/A7r. For sure I will keep the 1D III, just for the occasions of shooting events that involves fast moving actions.
Good luck with getting Sony to sponsor you. It would be very nice if it goes through.