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Archive 2016 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II

  
 
Sr.Cordeiro
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


Hello,

I'm planning to buy a Sony A7II soon, mostly to use with adapted primes. I'm currently trying to decide if I get the body alone or with the standard FE 28-70mm zoom.

In my case, the zoom will be used just as a utilitarian tool, not used many times, only for occasional jobs where versatility is required.

So I'm questioning if I should get instead a MF zoom and save some money. I would like something in the same or close focal lenght.
I really don't like big and heavy lenses that look ridiculous and unpractical in a A7, so a slower f/3.5 or f/4 would do.

The Minolta 35-70mm seems a good option than many users are enjoying on the A7, albeit a bit more limited regarding FL ("only" 35mm at the wide end). For reference, I consider the size of this lens it with the adapter the maximum I would consider acceptable.

I also not discarding adapted lenses with AF (via smart adapters) if functional and not overly expensive.

So, with all this in mind, do you have any more suggestions?



Jan 13, 2016 at 09:29 AM
austinschutz
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


I don't think you will find an adapted AF lens that - adapter included - costs less than the kit lens. So I think your choice is really MF vs kit if price is your main priority.


Jan 13, 2016 at 09:54 AM
Sr.Cordeiro
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


austinschutz wrote:
I don't think you will find an adapted AF lens that - adapter included - costs less than the kit lens. So I think your choice is really MF vs kit if price is your main priority.


Yeah, I suspected so, but asked anyway because the Sony A7 + adapters world is somewhat new to me.



Jan 13, 2016 at 02:05 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


It's tough to beat the size and performance of the Minolta MD for the going rate. You can get better performance out of the Leica R 35-70/4 or the Contax 35-70/3.5, but you pay for it both in cash and in size.

Personally, for my uses (which aren't terribly different from your proposed usage) I find the Canon FD 28-85/4 to be just right. The built in flare stopper does its job very well and the constant .5M MFD is useful. I love the focal length range, which is most useful on the long end. While it's not the perfect 28, it's very usable close to mid-distances, and gets acceptable at landscape distances around f/8. Otherwise, it's a consistent performer at any other focal length. It's also fairly small and light, and the short FD adapter helps keep it that way. The big downsides to the lens are... 1) It's not very well built, so finding a good copy can be a challenge. I got lucky the first time out, but other people have complained about problems with the zoom mechanism and misaligned elements. 2) The front of the lens, including the filter ring, rotate during focusing. This doesn't bother me, but if I wanted to use a circ pol on it, it would be a minor annoyance. 3) Canon FD lenses can be challenging in general colorwise on the Sonys, particularly outside of their L-line, and that's especially true for the zooms. If you plan to use preset profiles in your post, then be prepared to do some fine tuning, particularly on colder colors in high contrast shots.



Jan 13, 2016 at 06:40 PM
Sr.Cordeiro
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


freaklikeme - Thanks for the suggestion. That FD is interesting, I'll look at it.
I usually don't ask for this, but could you post a photo of the lens mounted on a A7? Only because I can't find that combination online.



Jan 13, 2016 at 07:44 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


Not a problem. I'm not sure how much time I'll have tonight, but if I can't fit it in, I should have some free time tomorrow.


Jan 13, 2016 at 07:56 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


Okay, four days later...

a7rII_Rode75_Canon28_85_mounted by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr



a7rII_Rode75_Canon28_85_mounted_2 by Bradley Clemens, on Flickr



Jan 17, 2016 at 08:54 PM
Big Cheese
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


I like the Minolta 35-70 F3.5 macro. Its a nice sharp lens that plays well enough with the Sony for an old manual lens. Its a good size for the A7/A7 II.

I tried the FD 35-105 f3.5 but didn't like it. My copy was soft at the edges on one side, but fairly sharp otherwise through most of the frame. Its about the size of a soup can though, so it feels big and heavy on the A7.

Most of the other old lenses I use on the A7 are nFD lenses. Pick the right ones and you could have a good set up, as Canon made some very nice lenses. The FD mount itself is a pain though. I can see why it died out. Issues include forgetting to close the aperture down using the adapter control ring, or trying to mount the lens when the ring is in the wrong position.



Jan 17, 2016 at 11:58 PM
Paul Mo
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


TBH I'd just buy a mint used FE 28-70mm.


Jan 18, 2016 at 12:02 AM
Sr.Cordeiro
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


freaklikeme wrote:
Okay, four days later...


Thanks for sharing
I wasn't expecting the FD to be that big, it looks like a tele-zoom!

I'm searching for some more options on allphotolenses.com, in a lot of cases there is information about weight and size. Not much info about performance though.



Jan 18, 2016 at 03:04 PM
Sr.Cordeiro
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


Paul Mo wrote:
TBH I'd just buy a mint used FE 28-70mm.


Actually that remains my ideal option, ok performance with AF and full stabilization. But used ebay prices seem a bit high for what it is and for the use I will give it. Anyway I made a ebay alert for that lens, just in case.



Jan 18, 2016 at 03:10 PM
austinschutz
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


What is your budget? A used LA-ea4 with a minolta 35-70mm f/4 comes in a bit below the price point of the 28-70, but that adapter looks a bit unwieldy. Check the buy+sell here, things are usually cheaper than ebay but it now prices.


Jan 20, 2016 at 11:10 AM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


Sr.Cordeiro wrote:
Thanks for sharing
I wasn't expecting the FD to be that big, it looks like a tele-zoom!

I'm searching for some more options on allphotolenses.com, in a lot of cases there is information about weight and size. Not much info about performance though.


Yeah, the only thing I can say in defense of the size is that it doesn't feel that big in use. It's a lightweight and the zoom is internal. Certainly takes up space in the bag, though.

The Sony kit lens isn't a bad deal. The build quality feels good and you can do a lot worse for the money so far as optical performance goes (on a good copy). The FBW implementation isn't smooth, but for occasional use or fine tuning, it's probably not going to kill the joy for you.



Jan 20, 2016 at 01:44 PM
Sr.Cordeiro
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


austinschutz - Thanks for the suggestion, but I think that adapter is just too bulky. Regarding budget, ideally I wouldn't like to spend more than 100 eur.

Freaklikeme - Yes, I might not seeing things in perspective regarding dimensions because I still don't have the camera (it should arrive in the next couple of days, I'm very excited). When I start using it with my primes I should get a better notion of what sizes are reasonable/confortable.

I still didnt get the time to fully investigate other alternatives, but the quick search I made returned some third-party brands within the 28~80mm range such as tamron, vivitar, tokina, sigma just to name some. They seem avaliable in various mounts for cheap prices, wich makes me wonder about their quality (I might be wrong, but I have the notion that the majority of this brands weren't very good until recent times).



Jan 20, 2016 at 07:24 PM
hauxon
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


I'd save up for the Contax Zeiss 35-70/3.4. I had it briefly few years back and it's one of the best zoom lenses I've had. It's also very compact although an adapter will add to the length on a mirrorless.


Jan 20, 2016 at 08:02 PM
trogdon
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


I'd recommend just saving for the 28-70mm FE lens, for the $200ish it typically goes for its quite a decent lens, and certainly better than other other lenses in a similar range.

If you do want to save money though, there are a few options. I have a Canon FD 35-70mm f4, it's not the smallest lens but it's light and I liked it more than the MD 35-70mm f3.5. The canon was sharper wide open for me, and native focus distance (non macro) is 0.5m throughout the range against the 1m of the Minolta. Canon also has a compact 28-55mm f3.5-4.5 though I don't know much about the quality

And if it's for occasional jobs only, you could always get the 18-55mm Kit Sony lens and shoot at 10mp!



Jan 20, 2016 at 09:06 PM
Sr.Cordeiro
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · opinions: standard zoom for A7II


hauxon - As famous and amazing this lens might be, for the money it usually costs I would rather get the native FE 28-70mm.

trogdon - Thanks fot the suggestions, I will give them a look.



Jan 21, 2016 at 11:09 AM





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