The lenses I want to adapt are Caonon FD, C/Y, Contax G, Contarex and Contax 645. I can adapt all to NEX, and already have the adapters. None are adaptable to Alpha, except C/Y with the hassle of Leitax. I'm not that interested in AF features, although I'll probobly get an Alpha Zeiss zoom for lazy shooting.
The form factor doesn't bother me. If I can shoot my Contax 645 on the streets, I sure can use this camera for street or anything else. Also, as I said, I want to evolve my photography so I want to combine still photography with video. I'm buying this camera, no doubt about it. In fact, given the choice of NEX-7 with FF and this, I'd still pick this one. It'll force me to think video first, adding a new dimension to my hobby.
I'll keep my 5N for those times I need to go smaller.
I just read through the VG-20 Handbook. The still function is pretty intuitive, though you have to use buttons to change the shooting mode (1 or 2 clicks away). The cool thing is that steady shot is actually supported for still function (definitely digital compensation). There is some other neat stuff as well, but I guess that is expected when you go bigger in form factor.
Two things I wonder about... It looks to have a standard flash shoe. I don't use flash often, but is it the same shoe as on A99? Second thing is shutter speed. It looks like fastest is 1/10000 which is an advantage over NEX-7 and A99.
@briantho - the new XLR mic module works on the VG30/900 so the shoe should be the same as the new one on the A99. Kudos to you for venturing into video. A video shoot is definitely different, I went the other way - started in video and now working on my photo skills to get better at both.
While we were there, a delegation from Carl Zeiss arrived to see whether its E-mount Cine lenses would work without vignetting on the VG900. Since its designs are essentially full frame lenses with a long throat to extend the lens away from the mount, it seemed likely that they'd work, so long as the throat wasn't too narrow (which it might have been, given the expectation that it would only be used with APS-C/Super 35mm sensors). Sure enough, the CP2 50mm T2.1 Macro could be racked through its focus range without any shading appearing in the preview image.
hiepphotog wrote:
Great news. Thanks for the link.
Just to be clear, they're really just saying that Zeiss' FF cine lenses work on the VG-900, and that they didn't make e-mount version's throat to small. I would expect any large SLR lenses to work via adapter, too. It isn't really giving us info on how M lenses would work.
Regarding E-mount Zeiss cine lenses on the VG900 - the camera automatically switches to crop mode with an E-mount or APS-c Alpha lens, I'd confirm whether or not the FOV was actually 50mm or 75mm before dropping that kind of cash and expecting a FF FOV.
joychris wrote:
Regarding E-mount Zeiss cine lenses on the VG900 - the camera automatically switches to crop mode with an E-mount or APS-c Alpha lens, I'd confirm whether or not the FOV was actually 50mm or 75mm before dropping that kind of cash and expecting a FF FOV.
I don't believe that the cine lenses have an electrical connection, so it shouldn't matter.
joychris wrote:
Regarding E-mount Zeiss cine lenses on the VG900 - the camera automatically switches to crop mode with an E-mount or APS-c Alpha lens, I'd confirm whether or not the FOV was actually 50mm or 75mm before dropping that kind of cash and expecting a FF FOV.
Unless Sonystyle.com got it wrong, you can turn APS-C mode from auto-switch to on or off.
What exactly do you want to find out? The A99 would have no problem handling a FF lens. The VG900, on the other hand, might be questionable because the corners of the sensor actually extended past the mount's throat. Then again, Sony wouldn't release it if it isn't going to work with a full frame lens.
hiepphotog wrote:
What exactly do you want to find out? The A99 would have no problem handling a FF lens. The VG900, on the other hand, might be questionable because the corners of the sensor actually extended past the mount's throat. Then again, Sony wouldn't release it if it isn't going to work with a full frame lens.
I guess some were worried that the cine lenses with e-mount, despite being FF, may not work on a FF sensor, due to baffling or a small throat or something.
joychris wrote:
But from the demos I've seen so far - it looks like the crop mode is user selectable with FF lenses and it defaults to crop mode with APS-c lenses.
Given my experience with the 7, my guess is the option is buried in the menus somewhere and no one's had time to find it yet.
douglasf13 wrote:
I guess some were worried that the cine lenses with e-mount, despite being FF, may not work on a FF sensor, due to baffling or a small throat or something.
Zeiss would have tested that out before they even release them; otherwise, that is a huge oversight. Quick search on google didn't yield any complain about these CP.2 on previous FF camera (dvxuser or reduser) except for the 18.
hiepphotog wrote:
Zeiss would have tested that out before they even release them; otherwise, that is a huge oversight. Quick search on google didn't yield any complain about these CP.2 on previous FF camera (dvxuser or reduser) except for the 18.
We're talking about the e-mount versions of the cine lenses, specifically, which have a long, narrow throat compared to the other versions.
