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Archive 2014 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses

  
 
Patrick Cox
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Hello,
I recently purchased a Sony A7 and I really like the camera. Since the current native lens selection is limited, I am trying to consider a lens selection strategy. Certainly in the near term, I believe I will need to choose an adapter and non-native lenses. Most importantly I will need a macro lens and a wide angle in 16-20 range. I would prefer to stick with one adapter and I am OK with manual focus for these two lenses. So, any suggestions from anyone using these type of lenses on the A7?

Thanks!



Mar 30, 2014 at 08:05 AM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Hey, Patrick. Congrats on the a7. Great camera.

My recommendation would be to find a wide you're happy with and can afford and then let that dictate the mount of your macro lens. You can find good, affordable macros in any mount but the wide angle will be a bit trickier.

Personally, I would go with the Canon FD 20/2.8. It's a strong performer and can still be found sub-$300 (Adorama had three copies right around $200 when I looked earlier in the week). Depending on the kind of macro work you want to do, you can find bellows and head combos in the mount, use Canon's excellent 50/3.5 or 100/4 (both of which require "life-size adapters" for 1:1 work, but they're easy to come by) or select one of the many excellent third-party macros made in the mount. I've used the Vivitar 55/2.8 and 100/2.8, which are great budget lenses and both are native 1:1. The Tokina 90/2.5 has a good reputation (which keeps the price closer to $300). People have nicknamed it "the Bokina".

Hope that helps.



Mar 30, 2014 at 12:54 PM
Samuli Vahonen
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Patrick Cox wrote:
I would prefer to stick with one adapter and I am OK with manual focus for these two lenses.

No comments to wide, but for makro: depending what you shoot manual focus should be always ok for makro, but personally I can't stand manual aperture unless I'm on tripod. I shoot handheld makros either with Zeiss ZE or Canon EF lenses (with Metabones III the electronic aperture works).


My choice for tripod based shooting is Contax Yashica (C/Y) mount Carl Zeiss S-Planar T* 2.8/60. I like the slightly wider/less flat with little perspective left. However I rarely want to shoot 1:1, and if I would like then I would prefer longer focal length makro lens - the working distance is really short at 1:1. Also I would not recommend it, if you plan to shoot landscapes or other "normal" photos with it (it's optimized to makro=performance not so great at infinity and focus throw is ridiculous at normal shooting distance, like "1 degree from 3 meters to infinity"-kind of).

Haven't yet shoot much with it (with Sonys), but seems to work very well with A7r and A7, based on first tests I did yesterday.

Samuli



Mar 30, 2014 at 01:34 PM
carstenw
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


I would (and have) go for the ZF.2 50MP and ZF.2 21/2.8. The 50MP is not a lens I really enjoyed that much on my D800, but on the A7 it somehow comes into its own.


Mar 30, 2014 at 01:43 PM
redisburning
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


what's your budget?

Leica R 19-II and 100/2.8 APO Macro Elmarit could be a good combo
or
Olympus 18/3.5 and 90/2 macro
or
Zeiss 15/2.8 and 100MP

if you don't want to spend that much maybe 21/3.5 OM and 90/2.5 Viv Series 1



Mar 30, 2014 at 01:47 PM
carstenw
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Or the Zeiss 18 and 50/100.


Mar 30, 2014 at 01:49 PM
mogul
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


I would buy la4 adapter from Sony and use A mount with fast PDAF focusing. Sony has 3 macros available 30,50, 100. Wide angle 24 f2 ZA is awfully good. Of course there are many Minoltas and 3rd party lenses which will autofocus just fine.


Mar 30, 2014 at 02:16 PM
alwang
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


I really love the Leica 60 Macro-Elmarit, though it won't go to 1:1 without an extension tube.

I'd seriously reconsider your requirement about sticking with one adapter. My experience with adapted lenses on e-mount is that even if you have two lenses with the same mount, you're better off spending a little extra and buying an adapter for each lens. The adapter-camera interface is just a lot more robust than the lens-adapter interface.



Mar 30, 2014 at 05:47 PM
Patrick Cox
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


alwang wrote:
I really love the Leica 60 Macro-Elmarit, though it won't go to 1:1 without an extension tube.

I'd seriously reconsider your requirement about sticking with one adapter. My experience with adapted lenses on e-mount is that even if you have two lenses with the same mount, you're better off spending a little extra and buying an adapter for each lens. The adapter-camera interface is just a lot more robust than the lens-adapter interface.


Hi,
Thanks for your comments. So are you saying that changing lenses will wear the adapter out faster than changing on/off of the camera?

Thanks.



Mar 30, 2014 at 06:47 PM
Patrick Cox
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Thanks for all of the comments so far. I will research everyone's suggestions. I didn't find the exact Leica lenses that were recommended (I probably need to look used), but the new ones look to be pretty expensive and probably more than I will want to spend. (Several thousand $.) On my Macro needs, 1:2 will be fine. I don't need life size and don't plan to shoot bugs...etc.

Thanks again.



Mar 30, 2014 at 06:50 PM
Dudewithoutape
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


What is your budget?


Mar 30, 2014 at 07:16 PM
Patrick Cox
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Dudewithoutape wrote:
What is your budget?


Let's say $1000 for the two lenses. But if spending a bit more will yield significant improvement in quality, I would do it.

Thanks.



Mar 30, 2014 at 07:51 PM
redisburning
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


ddd

Edited on May 01, 2014 at 07:11 PM · View previous versions



Mar 30, 2014 at 09:05 PM
alwang
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Patrick Cox wrote:
Hi,
Thanks for your comments. So are you saying that changing lenses will wear the adapter out faster than changing on/off of the camera?

Thanks.


Yes, I do believe they would wear out more quickly compared to the other end of the adapter. The camera end of the adapter is just solid machined metal, while the lens end usually involves some sort of small locking pin, along with some thin metal pieces to maintain tension. I have definitely seen some rotational play between the lens and adapter develop after frequent use: it's usually something that can be adjusted back to normal, but I'd want to minimize it.

The Leica 60 I mentioned is a Leica R lens that's no longer made, and sells usually around $400-500.



Mar 30, 2014 at 09:07 PM
Steve Spencer
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


redisburning wrote:
you're looking for Leica R slr lenses, not the current production M mount rangefinder lenses.

1000 dollars does get you a 60/2.8 macro elmarit and a not so wide Leica R lens, or a 50/2 zuiko macro and an 18/3.5.


I think if the budget is only $1,000 It certainly would rule out Leica R as even the older 19mm f/2.8 typically sells for about $900.

Unfortunately unless you are very patient and find very good deals it also rules out Olympus OM. I think the 18 f/3.5 sells for about $750 and the 50 f/2 macro for about $400. So they would work with a stretch of the budget, but not otherwise.

My suggestion would be Canon FD. See the thread that Fred started on the 20 f/2.8. It looks like it is quite workable and goes for around $300. You could also get an FD 200 f/4 macro, that is supposed to be quite nice for about $500.

If you could stretch the budget, however, the Olys might be better. It might also be worth consider the Contax/Yashica mount Zeiss. The 18 f/4 has it weaknesses, but the 100 f/2.8 macro is very nice and they would be just over $1,000 as well.

Another strategy might be to get a ZF 18mm f/3.5 and an inexpensive Nikon Micro which would use the same adapter. There are some real bargains in the Nikon Micros. If you need to hold the line on the budget a Nikon 55 f/3.5 AiS and the ZF 18 will keep you under $1,000 but you should be able to get the Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro for about $250 and you might like the longer focal length. Most macro lenses are very good and these two may not stand out as macro lenses, but they are very good and will keep you in budget.



Mar 30, 2014 at 10:51 PM
sceptic
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


I would consider the Vivitar Series 1 90/2.5 macro, which came in all sorts of mounts. Find a wide angle of your liking and then a Vivitar with the same mount. The Viv certainly holds its own against any (reasonably priced) macro of the same era and should easily fit your budget. Granted, I´ve only used on an APS-C sensor (Fuji X-E1), but it will probably deliver outstanding results on FF as well. It only does 1:2 natively, but can be found with its dedicated 3-element 1:1 adapter (not just a hollow tube).

The lens itself (with the adapter mounted):

Vivitar Series 1 90/2.5 SR mount by scepticswe, on Flickr

And a shot at f/4:

Purple on green by scepticswe, on Flickr



Mar 31, 2014 at 03:13 AM
Patrick Cox
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Steve Spencer wrote:
I think if the budget is only $1,000 It certainly would rule out Leica R as even the older 19mm f/2.8 typically sells for about $900.

Unfortunately unless you are very patient and find very good deals it also rules out Olympus OM. I think the 18 f/3.5 sells for about $750 and the 50 f/2 macro for about $400. So they would work with a stretch of the budget, but not otherwise.

My suggestion would be Canon FD. See the thread that Fred started on the 20 f/2.8. It looks like it is quite workable and goes for around
...Show more

Hi Steve,
So if my budget was $1500 with emphasis being on the wide angle, would you recommend the Olympus 18 or something else? I am not really familiar with these older lenses so I don't know what ZF means either. And I could not find the Zeiss lens you were mentioning.

Is this the Olympus? So would this lens perform better than the Canon FD 20? The corners didn't look that great on those lenses. Thanks for your help.

http://www.keh.com/camera/Olympus--Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses/1/sku-OM06010600475N?r=FE



Mar 31, 2014 at 07:16 AM
Steve Spencer
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses




Patrick Cox wrote:
Hi Steve,
So if my budget was $1500 with emphasis being on the wide angle, would you recommend the Olympus 18 or something else? I am not really familiar with these older lenses so I don't know what ZF means either. And I could not find the Zeiss lens you were mentioning.

Is this the Olympus? So would this lens perform better than the Canon FD 20? The corners didn't look that great on those lenses. Thanks for your help.

http://www.keh.com/camera/Olympus--Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses/1/sku-OM06010600475N?r=FE

Hi Patrick,

The ZF us the modern Zeiss in Nikon mount. At KEH you would find them under Nikon Manual Focus other manufacturer primes. There are quite a few if them around. My opinion is that they are a quite nice lens and although some prefer the Olympus OM 18 for it's across the frame sharpness I personally like the micro contrast of the Zeiss. Jim Colwell has a comparison of the lenses you might find in the archive. I think either is nicer than the FD 20.



Mar 31, 2014 at 07:53 AM
carstenw
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


I would try to find a Zeiss 21/2.8, either ZF (for the aperture ring) or Contax, and then get a decent macro lens like the Tamron 90 or similar. IMO throwing money at a wide angle lens makes much more difference than throwing it at a macro lens. The Zeiss is a lens for life, really there is no point in selling a lens like that (unless Zeiss releases an FE mount wide as good, at Photokina this year).


Mar 31, 2014 at 08:34 AM
Patrick Cox
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Sony A7 Macro and Wide Angle Lenses


Thanks for the suggestions. This is very helpful. I am going to look more closely at the Zeiss ZF. I do recall reading about the Zeiss 21 ZE when I shot Canon so I assume the only difference is mount. Need to read a bit more. Now, if I go with F mount, which adapter should I get? Thanks!


Mar 31, 2014 at 08:46 AM
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