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Archive 2014 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?

  
 
bvphotos
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


I've long looked at buying Sony mirrorless cameras, but I've always stopped short because of the limited AF lens selection, and the good ones are very expensive. But now I'm considering a Sony (or any other brand) body to pair up with my growing collection of cheap MF lenses.

If you shoot exclusively or at least extensively with MF lenses, which body would you recommend? The cheaper the better. And what characteristics do you look for in the body? Accurate focus peaking would be one, I'd imagine. What else?



Sep 27, 2014 at 09:29 AM
sebboh
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


bvphotos wrote:
I've long looked at buying Sony mirrorless cameras, but I've always stopped short because of the limited AF lens selection, and the good ones are very expensive. But now I'm considering a Sony (or any other brand) body to pair up with my growing collection of cheap MF lenses.

If you shoot exclusively or at least extensively with MF lenses, which body would you recommend? The cheaper the better. And what characteristics do you look for in the body? Accurate focus peaking would be one, I'd imagine. What else?


yes, i shoot exclusively manual focus lenses on the a7. before that i shot exclusively manual focus lenses on NEX and a55 cameras and before that i shot mostly MF lenses on dslrs.

for manual focus the first thing i always look for is the best viewfinder for focusing. the a7s, a7, a7r are all pretty much the same in this regard. i got the a7 because it was cheap and has less shutter lag than the a7r and have been very happy with it (except for the shutter feel).

i actually don't use focus peaking or magnification to focus most of the time (unless its unmoving landscape, then i use the focus magnifier). since the jpg settings effect the way the image is viewed through the viewfinder i boost the jpeg sharpening to the max and look for a moire shimmer to tell me when things are in focus. works great at everything except near infinity.




Sep 27, 2014 at 11:32 AM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


^^^Ditto, for the most part (I don't have a problem with the shutter-release feel, but I hate the placement on the a7).

I shoot in M and really only use four functions on the camera, shutter speed, ISO, WB and magnify, so as long as the camera makes it convenient to reach these settings without pulling the camera away from my eye, I'm happy. The NEX7 and a7 have been the best cameras I've used in this regard.



Sep 27, 2014 at 11:49 AM
JonPB
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


If I had the kind of budget that I did when I was new to photography, I'd get the NEX-3 and a Mitakon focal reducer, paired with 35/2.8, 50/2, and 100/2.8 (or f/4 macro) lenses from an orphaned lens mount like Canon FD, Minolta MD, or Olympus OM, for under $400 all told. I think the Mitakon is worth considering because it might be cheaper than buying, say, a 24mm lens for normal wide angle work, but if you don't have an eye for wide shots then save the ~$100 and go for an ordinary adapter. That kit would be slow to operate but would be capable of recording most kinds of scenes for ~20" enlargements or HDTV display. I shot a NEX-3 alongside a film camera and it served nicely for digital images--though it truly is a slow camera to use with manual lenses due to the all menu diving that's required. But, when cheaper is better, that's a solid route to take.

I currently shoot a NEX-7 with a Speed Booster. This costs about as much as an A7 today, so I don't know which one I'd prefer if I had to do it over again, but the NEX has a rangefinder-style EVF which is quite nice to use with my dominant left eye. Again, I like shooting wide lenses; if short-tele is more your thing, then adapted lenses on a NEX-7 makes for a substantial upgrade from the NEX-3. If you shoot with high ISO frequently, the NEX-6 is probably a better choice, but I don't usually go above 1600 and I prefer the 7's handling.

I've never shot a Fuji X, but the X-E1 is priced rather nicely for a camera with an EVF and the native lens selection there is very appealing for those times when you just want something compact and automatic.

As far as features go, I've found that focus peaking is a brilliant idea that never really paid off. In low contrast scenes, focus peaking doesn't show up at all; in high contrast scenes, it shows up everywhere. I leave it set to low so that it never gets in the way, and sometimes it is useful, but it is more distracting to look for the focus peaking and not see it than to just use the viewfinder like a ground glass screen. Which, by the way, works about as well as a manual focus camera. You lose some details in the highlights and shadows, but you gain a useful DOF preview and working-aperture function. I'm a big convert to EVFs.

The only mandatory feature to me is to have a large viewfinder--and the bigger the better. Larger, higher definition viewfinders give your eyes more information to work with when they're trying to identify the focal plane. The OM-D E-M5 is too small for my tastes while the NEX-7 is acceptable.

I think the only hard and fast rule is that, if saving bucks is important, you should buy used. New cameras are increasingly treated as luxury items, so they're very nice when brand new but there's also a substantial amount of depreciation. Save your money for good lenses, instead.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Jon



Sep 27, 2014 at 01:26 PM
LightShow
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


I started shooting manual again on my 1DIII, bought a NEX-7, it was a revelation when using manual glass, I eventually sold ALL my AF gear, I then jumped at the A7r, and I'm having a blast, it's a bit more picky about lenses than the A7 & A7s, but when you find lenses that have synergy, WoW!

I feel my photography has improved faster since I stopped relying on AF and zoom lenses to get the shot, they made me a lazy photographer.

It's nice to see Canon & Nikon finally talking about large sensor mirrorless cameras.



Sep 28, 2014 at 01:49 AM
banpreso
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


i shoot exclusively with manual focus. i was using 5D2 with the S focus screen, and on Sony A7 i am as happy as a dove shooting away with my manual focus collection, which now include minolta lenses which i couldn't use on canon.

i went with the A7 because i think the resolution is more than enough for my needs and it's the cheapest. i also had concerns with the A7r as people have said the shutter is loud and i do shoot street photography and hope my camera to be more silent. i use the zoom in magnification to check focus as i find peeking to be unreliable.

i remember borrowing a NEX from a friend before. on that camera i could use the touch screen to zoom in and magnify any spot on the image to focus which was really great; i kind of miss that on the A7 but it's not too bad.



Sep 28, 2014 at 02:24 AM
carstenw
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


I agree with your logic, but the A7 is only half as loud as the the A7r, but still too loud for street, IMO. The single click is plenty loud...


Sep 28, 2014 at 05:18 AM
mikedefieslife
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


Bunch of manual lenses here. Never even considered manual lenses on my previous Pentax setup, but they're just easy to work with on the A7.

Saying that, I do have Sigma 30mm DN that I've used once or twice. Not really enough to justify it. I think it'll be up sale and replaced with a another manual lens.



Sep 28, 2014 at 03:34 PM
aeonsim
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


I'm shooting around 80% MF with the Sony A7 it works exceedingly well. Previously I was shooting around 60% MF with the Sony Nex-5, which only had live veiw and a no view finder.

Depending on exactly what your budget is and how important a viewfinder is there are several options for the Sony system.

The budget non-viewfinder option would be a Sony Nex-3n or A5000 with adapted lenses if you prefer the wider field of view for your lenses and additional light I'd also pick up a focal reducer/speedbooster adapter.

Mid range option would be the Sony A6000 (24MP) which has more manual controls and a fast viewfinder, again a focal length reducer or speedbooster can give you the wider field of view and abit more light if your using older FF lenses on the APS-C body.

High end would be the A7/A7r/A7s plus adapters or native lenses (Zeiss Loxia etc) you can effectively choose what suits you best, A7 24MP, AF speed and price, A7R 36MP max resolution or A7s 12MP insanely good for low light.



Sep 28, 2014 at 04:26 PM
retrofocus
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


NEX is sufficient if the crop sensor isn't an issue. For full frame, go with the Sony A7 series. I am making excellent experience with the A7R plus many older MF lenses. Sounds like you are having old SLR lenses - they will all work well on the Sony A7. You can get adapters fairly cheap online for less than $20 - I wouldn't vest more in one of them for MF lenses. I am using Canon FD, Pentax M42 lens thread-based, Minolta MD lenses which all derive from film SLR cameras. You might not have them, but also rangefinder lenses from Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander are an option (just be cautious below 50 mm focal length range because some rangefinder lenses might work while others don't work well on the A7 sensors).
If you don't need the high MP resolution of the A7R sensor, consider the A7 - it came down in price big time, and it is also a very good mirrorless camera.



Sep 28, 2014 at 04:34 PM
bvphotos
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


Well, looks like the A7 is the winner when it comes to using MF lenses. I find my XE-1 frustrating: it takes great pics, has a great selection of lenses to choose from, but has a mediocre EVF & doesn't help with MF. However, given that I'm already heavily invested in the Canon DSLR system and having dipped more than a toe into the world of Fujifilm, it seems difficult for me to justify buying an A7 just for the few times I anticipate using my old MF lenses. I might be tempted by a used NEX-7 or A6000, but I have to work up my arguments towards that.


Sep 28, 2014 at 07:25 PM
40Driggs
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


I use my a7 100% manual. I have found the experience very positive. I will be picking up a dslr for wildlife, but the a7 is sufficient with manual glass for other photography (for me)


Sep 28, 2014 at 07:35 PM
arduluth
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


I shoot primarily with MF lenses on my NEX-5R. I started off using focus peaking, but don't use it anymore. For a long time, I was using focus magnification effectively with the rear LCD. Since recently getting the external EVF, I've been transitioning to sebboh's 'moire shimmer' technique. It's worked quite well, though I still use focus magnification in some situations.

The main exception is the 16mm pancake (SEL16F28), which has no real competitor in a crop body as a general package, especially for cost and size. I plan on upgrading to FF at some point for the sake of eliminating crop factor, but if I wasn't I'd probably get the MF Samyang 12/2. I generally manually focus the 16mm as well. I do have a SEL35F18, but plan to sell it.

I do a mix of kids/family, landscape/nature, and star photos. Even when it comes to chasing around my young kids (6 and 2), I don't have any issues with MF making me miss shots. Indeed, my keeper rate is higher - AF usually focuses somewhere not quite where I wanted, on both DSLRs and the NEX.



Sep 28, 2014 at 09:48 PM
ZoneV
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


I use for more than 99% of my images manual lenses - only very seldom I have to use a AF lens (for example on the camera I have prepared for my wife).

I work since years the old EOS 5D with EE-S screen, and I am very happy with that camera - except now I think about one of the Sony Alpha 7 cameras, because of the short flange back distance. The Alpha 7 would allow to use some few lenses, that are at the moment not usable, or only without infinity and longer distances.
The EOS 5D works well with fast lenses, I photograph even my young kids with f/1.2 lenses - not every image is sharp, but I love it.

For me a ~24x36mm sensor is crucial, I like optical viewfinders. When I played with a newer Fuji X? in the dark, I was dissapointed with the electronic viewfinder / livefiew.
I would like to get more information about microlens design on the new cameras liek the Sony Alpha 7, probably they donīt work as well with fast lenses as the EOS 5D -> microlens shading. And I love fast lenses :-)



Sep 30, 2014 at 01:16 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


bvphotos wrote:
And what characteristics do you look for in the body? Accurate focus peaking would be one, I'd imagine. What else?


A rangefinder

For my personal camera, I only have one lens, a 35mm. It's manual focus. Oh, well I bought a 50mm too, but haven't used it yet, but it's also manual focus.

If I wanted AF I wouldn't buy a manual lens though. I wouldn't lust after a manual experience if it doesn't suit your actual shooting needs or style - there is no right or wrong way... just a photograph.



Sep 30, 2014 at 03:19 AM
pandorf
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


Those of us that shoot with a rangefinder camera have been using MF lenses for quite a while and seem to do just fine without EVFs and focus peaking.

What's nice about an established system is you have most all of the lens focal lengths available with no worries about trying to adapt lenses with different lens mounts to the body.

Edited on Sep 30, 2014 at 09:16 AM · View previous versions



Sep 30, 2014 at 04:01 AM
serhan_
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


Nex-6 has a better evf then A6000, but I guess the evf refresh rate covers the less resolution with A6000. You can get a used nex 6 under $400 which is a very good deal for that camera and sell the 16-50 lens eg to reduce the cost even more:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/801114940-USE/sony_nex6l_b_alpha_nex_6_mirrorless_digital.html

bvphotos wrote:

Well, looks like the A7 is the winner when it comes to using MF lenses. I find my XE-1 frustrating: it takes great pics, has a great selection of lenses to choose from, but has a mediocre EVF & doesn't help with MF. However, given that I'm already heavily invested in the Canon DSLR system and having dipped more than a toe into the world of Fujifilm, it seems difficult for me to justify buying an A7 just for the few times I anticipate using my old MF lenses. I might be tempted by a used NEX-7 or A6000,
...Show more




Sep 30, 2014 at 06:08 AM
alwang
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


JonPB wrote:
If I had the kind of budget that I did when I was new to photography, I'd get the NEX-3 and a Mitakon focal reducer, paired with 35/2.8, 50/2, and 100/2.8 (or f/4 macro) lenses from an orphaned lens mount like Canon FD, Minolta MD, or Olympus OM, for under $400 all told. I think the Mitakon is worth considering because it might be cheaper than buying, say, a 24mm lens for normal wide angle work, but if you don't have an eye for wide shots then save the ~$100 and go for an ordinary adapter. That kit would be
...Show more

I like your thinking, but I find the NEX-3's low-res LCD difficult to manually focus. I'd look for a used NEX-5N, which was the last model with the capacitive touch screen: a really great setup for focus magnification.



Sep 30, 2014 at 08:14 AM
Vern Dewit
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


The A7s isn't cheap but if you factor in how 'cheap' my Olympus OM lenses are compared to some of the others, it's not that bad. I've done 3 trips with only MF lenses (Olympus OM) over the past few weeks and have found that focus peaking combined with the live 'zoom' feature (assigned custom button C1) ensures almost 100% focus accuracy. Even the 18mm doesn't vignette that badly on A7s. I go out with the 18, 24 and 135, I'll be posting pics once I have time to develop them...


Sep 30, 2014 at 08:27 AM
uhoh7
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Anybody shooting exclusively with MF lenses?


carstenw wrote:
I agree with your logic, but the A7 is only half as loud as the the A7r, but still too loud for street, IMO. The single click is plenty loud...


To me it's fine for the street, but way too loud for a wedding.

But you may have very quiet streets

For normal shooting up to 90mm and about f/4 the Leica RFs really smoke, and once you are used to the system nothing is faster today as MF platform, and of course the lens set is fantastic.

Framing with the Leica is acquired skill. Shoot it enough, you will get good.

You give up CF and f/2 + gets dicey. I miss plenty of those shots on my A7 too, though.

When I first got my M9, I used it inspite of the RF, because of lenses and image quality. Now, 30k clicks later, I find the Sony EVF MF system (which is the best) literally painful to use.


Edited on Sep 30, 2014 at 10:48 AM · View previous versions



Sep 30, 2014 at 10:32 AM
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