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Archive 2017 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?

  
 
VilleK
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


Hi there!

I've been thinking of switching my Nikon gear for Sony because of the EVF and stabilization.

My current Nikon gear consists of the following lenses:

Nikon 20/1.8 G
Nikon 28/1.8 G
Sigma 35/1.4 ART
Sigma 50/1.4 ART
Nikon 85/1.8G
Nikon 70-200/2.8G VR2

And now I would like to get something similar for Sony (maybe 70-200 is not required).

The number one thing I want to have is reliability. I don't want to attend in any lottery regarding getting bad copies.

Any suggestions for the lenses? It seems that nobody has anything bad to say about Batis 85/1.8, so I'm probably getting that. But what other lenses you would suggest?

28/2 looks like an interesting lens but I haven't been able to find that much user experiences with it. One option could be just to buy Batis 25/2 and crop photos a bit.

I've read that the 35/1.4 GM is troubled with a quality control issues so that one is not for me. Also the 35/2.8 seems highly overpriced for 2.8 lens.

Some reviews are saying that 55/1.8 is a nice lens but others complain it to be overpriced and there seems to be some onion ring bokeh as well.

What are your opinions?

I do mainly portrait and wedding photography.

Thank you in advance!

Edited on Oct 17, 2017 at 05:36 AM · View previous versions



Oct 17, 2017 at 04:49 AM
darbo
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


Batis lenses are great. Can’t go wrong with any of them. Batis 25mm > FE 28mm.

The Sony FE 85mm 1.8 may be just as good as the Batis 85mm for a lower price...give it some serious consideration.

FE 55mm 1.8 is excellent as is the FE 50mm 1.4. I prefer the bokeh of the 55mm over the 50mm.

(Zeiss, not GM) FE 35mm 1.4 is worth the trouble. I got a bad one and had to return it...would love to try again at some point as I love its rendering (minus onion rings).

FE 35mm 2.8: I’m not a fan, except for it’s size/weight.

No really all-around great 35mm solution for the Sony platform. I’d prefer owning two 35mm lenses: 1. Zeiss Loxia 35mm (for small aperture shooting) and 2. FE 35mm 1.4 (for wide-aperture shooting). Currently I just have the Loxia (more suitable for my landscape/cityscape/architecture subjects).



Oct 17, 2017 at 05:08 AM
Frogfish
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


All your lenses are AF so first issue/question is are you happy also considering MF ? That will substantially increase your options and quality (Zeiss, Voigtlander) and cost (unless shooting with Sony's superb GM lenses where that also applies) ! For now I'll only mention AF.

I have the Batis 85/1.8 and it's a great lens, however I'd also consider the SOny because a) many people find there is little between them b) eye-AF : a real big bonus for you doing wedding shoots c) cost difference will allow you to stretch your budget.

There hasn't been the perfect 35 up to now but for your uses the 35/1.4 is a really important lens so I'd consider hunting down a good one (maybe used via FM and a reputable seller). Also benefits from eye-AF.

The 55/1.8 (which I also have) is a superb lens, the onion bokeh only noticeable if you hunt for it and 99.9% of your clients won't. Also benefits from eye-AF.

For WA only you know how wide you need/like to shoot and the best options are both Zeiss and both MF (but that's hardly an issue at these FLs) : the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 is simply an awesome lens in every regard - gorgeous sunstars too. The Zeiss 25/2 is very close behind, choose your preferred FL. I have the 21mm.

I also have the 28/2 and it's a very well regarded lens, not perfect but still excellent. It does have serious distortion for uncorrected files however Sony correct them in-camera (supposedly it is a 25mm lens that when corrected is 28mm) and I've always loved it's output.

Not sure how a wedding tog can do without a 70-200 The Sony version is another awesome lens (the best 70-200 out there perhaps) so if your budget stretches it's worth it. An option would be the superb Sigma 135/1.8 (which I believe also benefits from eye-AF).

Look into Godox for all your compatible lighting (860, AD200 etc.). Really great prices and superb equipment (there's a very good, helpful and active FB page).



Oct 17, 2017 at 05:53 AM
Wanny
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


My favorite lenses in order are...

Sony FE 35 1.4 (you can find good copies on the board up for sale every now and then)
Sony GM 16-35 2.8 (best ultra wide zoom I've ever used)
GM 85 1.4
GM 70-200 2.8
Sony FE 55 1.8



Oct 17, 2017 at 08:12 AM
frezeiss
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


Batis 25 f/2
Sony Zeiss 35 1.4 (my most used lens!, focus can be a bit tricky from 1.4-2.0 but still better accuracy than my time with dslr and fast lenses)
Sony Zeiss 50 1.4
A little "alt" Milvus 85 1.4: as I want a 85 that is sharp from wide open

Coming from Nikon myself, I came to appreciate the rendering and microcontrast of zeiss lenses.



Oct 17, 2017 at 08:33 AM
VilleK
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


Thanks for the replies, everyone!

darbo wrote:
Batis lenses are great. Can’t go wrong with any of them. Batis 25mm > FE 28mm.


Ok, nice to know!

The Sony FE 85mm 1.8 may be just as good as the Batis 85mm for a lower price...give it some serious consideration.

Yea I need to think about this. I just tested 135/2.8 Batis and I'm not sure if I liked the manual focus ring or not. AF switch in the lens would also be nice.

FE 55mm 1.8 is excellent as is the FE 50mm 1.4. I prefer the bokeh of the 55mm over the 50mm.

I am slighty worried about the onion rings in 55/1.8 seen here: [url]https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/comparative-review-sony-fe-50mm-f1-4-za-vs-55mm-f1-8-za/2[/url]

I'm now using Sigma 50/1.4 Art and that lens is optically perfect. It may not have character but I kinda like it.

(Zeiss, not GM) FE 35mm 1.4 is worth the trouble. I got a bad one and had to return it...would love to try again at some point as I love its rendering (minus onion rings).

Ah okay it was not GM lens. But I guess the bottom line is that you need to test this before buying.

FE 35mm 2.8: I’m not a fan, except for it’s size/weight.

No really all-around great 35mm solution for the Sony platform. I’d prefer owning two 35mm lenses: 1. Zeiss Loxia 35mm (for small aperture shooting) and 2. FE 35mm 1.4 (for wide-aperture shooting). Currently I just have the Loxia (more suitable for my landscape/cityscape/architecture subjects).


I can't have manual focus only, even though the Loxia lenses are beautifully constructed and really nice to manual focus.



Oct 17, 2017 at 01:14 PM
VilleK
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


Frogfish wrote:
All your lenses are AF so first issue/question is are you happy also considering MF ? That will substantially increase your options and quality (Zeiss, Voigtlander) and cost (unless shooting with Sony's superb GM lenses where that also applies) ! For now I'll only mention AF.


Yea, I think I'm considering only AF lenses for now.

I have the Batis 85/1.8 and it's a great lens, however I'd also consider the SOny because a) many people find there is little between them b) eye-AF : a real big bonus for you doing wedding shoots c) cost difference will allow you to stretch your budget.

So the eye-AF does not work with Batis lenses? Why is that? Isn't that just a feature of the software of the camera?

There hasn't been the perfect 35 up to now but for your uses the 35/1.4 is a really important lens so I'd consider hunting down a good one (maybe used via FM and a reputable seller). Also benefits from eye-AF.

I live in Finland, so I would like to buy somewhere a bit closer

The 55/1.8 (which I also have) is a superb lens, the onion bokeh only noticeable if you hunt for it and 99.9% of your clients won't. Also benefits from eye-AF.

Clients won't care, that's true.

For WA only you know how wide you need/like to shoot and the best options are both Zeiss and both MF (but that's hardly an issue at these FLs) : the Zeiss Loxia 21/2.8 is simply an awesome lens in every regard - gorgeous sunstars too. The Zeiss 25/2 is very close behind, choose your preferred FL. I have the 21mm.

I also have the 28/2 and it's a very well regarded lens, not perfect but still excellent. It does have serious distortion for uncorrected files however Sony correct them in-camera (supposedly it is a 25mm lens that when corrected is 28mm)
...Show more

I need to try out the 28/2 and 25/2. The cheaper option is always better if it works reliably. I don't care sharpness that much because I don't make that big prints. I'm more interested in reliability and bokeh characteristics (which doesn't matter that much in WA lenses).

Not sure how a wedding tog can do without a 70-200 The Sony version is another awesome lens (the best 70-200 out there perhaps) so if your budget stretches it's worth it. An option would be the superb Sigma 135/1.8 (which I believe also benefits from eye-AF).

I've noticed that I can move faster if I have smaller lenses hanging on me. I usually shoot using two bodies with 35/85 if the guests are shy but if not, 28/50 is the way to go I kinda like the feeling you get when looking WA shots that are taken really close. It's almost like you are there in the middle of the event instead of observing from a distance

Look into Godox for all your compatible lighting (860, AD200 etc.). Really great prices and superb equipment (there's a very good, helpful and active FB page).

I already have a set of Profoto lights so I only need to buy a new transmitter



Oct 17, 2017 at 01:23 PM
VilleK
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


Wanny wrote:
My favorite lenses in order are...

Sony FE 35 1.4 (you can find good copies on the board up for sale every now and then)
Sony GM 16-35 2.8 (best ultra wide zoom I've ever used)
GM 85 1.4
GM 70-200 2.8
Sony FE 55 1.8


Thanks for the reply!




Oct 17, 2017 at 01:24 PM
VilleK
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


frezeiss wrote:
Batis 25 f/2
Sony Zeiss 35 1.4 (my most used lens!, focus can be a bit tricky from 1.4-2.0 but still better accuracy than my time with dslr and fast lenses)
Sony Zeiss 50 1.4
A little "alt" Milvus 85 1.4: as I want a 85 that is sharp from wide open

Coming from Nikon myself, I came to appreciate the rendering and microcontrast of zeiss lenses.


If the 35 mm is easier to focus with some A7 camera it's going to be a nice upgrade for me Thanks for the reply!



Oct 17, 2017 at 01:41 PM
pasblues
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


I don't recommend switching for what you do.

VilleK wrote:
Hi there!

I've been thinking of switching my Nikon gear for Sony because of the EVF and stabilization.

My current Nikon gear consists of the following lenses:

Nikon 20/1.8 G
Nikon 28/1.8 G
Sigma 35/1.4 ART
Sigma 50/1.4 ART
Nikon 85/1.8G
Nikon 70-200/2.8G VR2

And now I would like to get something similar for Sony (maybe 70-200 is not required).

The number one thing I want to have is reliability. I don't want to attend in any lottery regarding getting bad copies.

Any suggestions for the lenses? It seems that nobody has anything bad to say about Batis 85/1.8, so I'm probably getting that. But what other lenses you would suggest?

28/2
...Show more



Oct 17, 2017 at 02:59 PM
VilleK
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


pasblues wrote:
I don't recommend switching for what you do.


Thank you for the reply!

Can you be a bit more specific? Why do you think it is a bad idea?



Oct 17, 2017 at 03:53 PM
philip_pj
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


I'm not sure I can disagree with pasblues in this instance. For now, anyway as Sigma's first entry into FE is being talked of as a 35/1.4 suitable for the cameras (i.e. smaller/lighter) and they will doubtless do a 50mm soon after in 2018. 135mm we have a great Batis 135/2.8 but soon there will be more.

The G lenses are very small and light, a crafty move started by Nikon some years back, and in fact I'd wager you can do lighter with the 50/1.4 (280g) and 85/1.4 (595g) on a light DSLR than the Sony GMs. You gotta look at strong and weak Sony points here: 21mm, 25mm, 50-55mm, 65mm CV fills in, 85mm and wide zooms are Sony system strengths. Is it enough? Many here are alt manual lens mix and match, or Canon lens people.

For an all AF person doing weddings, Sony want you to look at the two GM lenses at 50mm and 85mm, so maybe do that, check images and usage threads. It'll be more of the same as Sigma ART (heavy, fast, large), different look..but may negate why you want to move. Good luck with it.

PS You can see how the 35/1.4 issues hurts the system; you just gotta have a top tier fast 35-50-85 for guys like you, IMO.



Oct 17, 2017 at 04:21 PM
pasblues
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


My experience so far with the Sony A7RII is that the big files are nice but it's a very slow system to use compared to the Nikon. What are your reasons for wanting to switch?

I recommend renting before you buy or buying only the minimum and then reselling if you don't like the Sony. It's a totally different system than Nikon and a steep learning curve.

When I switched from Nikon, I did so over a period of several weeks/months. I carried both Fuji and Nikon, keeping my 70-200mm f2.8 VR as I tried out a couple of Fuji X camera bodies. The X-T10 was a bust for me. But the X-T2 was immediately familiar. It felt like a small DSLR with all the familiar controls out front. I liked being able to change the ISO on a dial on top; move from Auto; AP and SP with a dial on top of the camera. Very Nikon-like. But smaller, lighter, quieter. With the battery grip, my eyes widened when I saw that the grip just ADDED two batteries, making for THREE available batteries on the setup. Two card slots.

My speedy system is the Fuji X-T2. A full pro kit with 2 bodies; grips; four essential lenses was just shy of $8K new - used acquisition would have probably saved me about 25%. The lenses translated easily: 35mm is my 50; 56mm is my 85; 50-140 is my 70-200; 10-24 is my 16-35. These are approximates but you get what I'm saying. These lenses are a basic kit for covering shooting ranges that are important at weddings. I doubt I have to explain it to you since you know the scenarios already. It's easy to figure out what you are going to do and be prepared with an appropriate lens on each body as the day unfolds.

Reason for switching from Nikon:

1.) Weight
2.) Speed (fps)
3.) Quiet
4.) Controls are more like a DSLR

Advantages over Sony:

1.) Two card slots
2.) Longer battery life
3.) Speed
4.) Better high ISO performance
5.) Smaller lenses

Sony advantage over Fuji:

1.) Bigger file size
2.) Bigger sensor
3.) Availability of exceptional (VERY EXPENSIVE) lenses

My main goal is on-the-fly captures of lots of action and low-light scenarios and not having to ice my wrists at the end of an event. Fuji meets that criteria.

The one Sony is to fill the large print portrait gap. No way would it keep up with the way I shoot in fast-paced situations like weddings.

I shot a portrait session with the Sony yesterday and felt like I was moving in molasses. I put the camera in silent mode just to shut the noise off. I was so relieved to finally put it down after an hour and pick up the Fuji and move quickly through several scenarios.

I'm just trying to tell you what it's like being an event shooter going to a Sony system. If I was a landscape shooter or someone who counted eyelashes at 10X magnification, because my images get enlarged into 30X40 or larger prints on a regular basis, I can see the Sony satisfying that need.

But, IMHO, for me and what I do, I made up my mind a long time ago that time is very fleeting and you can't get it back when fast-paced events are unfolding - therefore content trumps resolution except when you are in a controlled portrait situation or landscape shooting where the subject isn't moving very fast.

MOMENTS captured between people in fast-paced situations matter very much even if they have less than 42.5MP resolution. So, that's the thought process coming from someone who shoots what you shoot.

Tiptoe in and see what your own experiences are. You can get on the internet and forums and get the itch to "do something better" by changing systems, but that's very costly and there needs to be sound reasons for changing. For me, my wrists were shot from decades of hours-long shooting assignments with heavy equipment. I was pretty much forced into making a lighter change. Got tired of icing my wrists after I got home.

Ultimately, listen to yourself and your own experiences. That will tell you what to do.





Edited on Oct 17, 2017 at 05:02 PM · View previous versions



Oct 17, 2017 at 04:33 PM
davewolfs
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


I wouldn’t switch. If my cameras generated revenue for me I’d stick with Nikon. I find the handling and controls superb for longer periods.



Oct 17, 2017 at 04:45 PM
Steve Spencer
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


If you want an easy switch, then I think you can begin by buying the MC-11 and swapping your Nikon Sigma Art lenses for Canon ones. You will get the EVF and stabilization you want with lenses with which you are familiar. Then swap your Nikon 28 f/1.8 and 85 f/1.8 or the Sony 28 f/2 and 85 f/1.8. Now you have switched four of your major lenses with little extra cost and lenses that perform very similarly, and you get the EVF, IBIS, and a smaller camera with a great sensor especially for high ISO. That leaves just the 20 f/1.8 and the 70-200 f/2.8 IS zoom to replace. If you can have a bit of patience, there is a rumour that Sony will come out with a 20mm lens supposedly this week. It would probably take awhile to get it in your hands, but that would be an obvious option to replace your Nikon 20mm if it indeed happens. If it doesn't then perhaps you could go with a pair of Zeiss Batis lenses the 18 f/2.8 and 25 f/2 to replace the Nikon 20 and 28.
Finally, I don't think there is a lens for Sony that is as good as the latest Nikon 70-200 F/2.8, but there are a number of options is you want to get such a zoom. The Sony GM is in theory an excellent lens, but it suffers in practice from what appears to be a lens that is very hard to build and it has a lot of copy variation. Still I think it is a solid option. You could also adapt the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II which many people are fairly happy with adapted to the Sony A7r II and it could use the MC-11 adapter that use could use with a Canon mount Sigma 35 and 50 Art.

If you don't want to go wit the Sigma 35 and 50 Art. The Sony/Zeiss 35 and 50 f/1.4 lenses are very nice, especially the 50. As nice as the Sigma Art is, in my view the Sony/Zeiss is ever nicer. The 35 again seems a bit hard to build in practice, however, and again has a lot of copy variation making it somewhat hard to find a good centred copy.

So, you could go completely with native Sony E mount lenses that are similar to your current setup and get the FE 20 f/1.8 (presuming it comes out soon as rumoured), the FE 28 f/2, the Sony/Zeiss 35 f/1.4, the Sony/Zeiss 50 f/1.4, the FE 85 f/1.8, and the Sony GM 70-200 f/2.8 OS.

Or you could go with mostly adapted lenses and get the Zeiss Batis 18 f/2.8, the Zeiss Batis 25 f/2, the Sigma 35 f/1.4, the Sigma 50 f/1.4, the Sigma 85 f/1.4, and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II.

Or any mix of these lenses would serve you well too. Personally, I think a lot of the Batis lenses so I would recommend something like the Batis 18 f/2.8, the Batis 25 f/2, the Sigma Art 35 f/1.4, the Sigma Art 50 f/1.4, the Batis 85 f/1.8, and the Batis 135 f/2.8 APO (as a replacement for the 70-200 f/2.8) and you would have an excellent kit with relatively small lenses for most of your shooting.



Oct 17, 2017 at 04:48 PM
Chris_88
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


I do think there were several pros shooting weddings or people with the a7rii (even though they have switched to the a9 by now). My recommendation would be to rent or try out the Sony kit (even if it's just a camera and a lens or two), if possible. For weddings, I'd probably go with the a9, assuming you can afford it. Silent shutter comes in handy for shooting in chapels, etc.

I haven't checked the numbers, I doubt that there is a significant difference between the high ISO performance of most Nikon FF cameras and the a7rii, once you compare them on the same MP basis. The D5 is probably the only exception here. The a9's high ISO is slightly worse than that of the a7rii. I also doubt that the a9's AF is slower/worse than that of most Nikon cams, except arguably the D5/D500.

If you're going to make the switch, I'd pick the Sony 85 1.8 over the Batis. The latter may be slightly better corrected, but that's about it. The 35 1.4 has lovely rendering and gets very sharp stopped down just a bit. A cheaper alternative would be the 28 2 (as opposed to the 35 2.8).

The 55 1.8 is an exceptional lens, considering its compact size. Some people still complain about the price, but that lens plays in a different league than all those cheap nifty fifties. Apart from CA wide open, it's also quite close to what is arguably Sony's best lens for the system to date, the 50 1.4.

The remaining weaknesses/holes in Sony's line-up are 1) long lenses, really once you get past 100mm, you have little choice, even though the upcoming 135 and 400mm primes will help there. As it stands, the only light-weight option above 100mm is the expensive, but exceptional Batis 135 2.8. Sony's 100 STF is lovely, but I'm not sure you'd want to use that for weddings. 2) There are still few lenses sitting between the budget series (28 2, 50 1.8, 50 Macro, 85 1.8) and the expensive top shelf glass (GM series and the f1.4 primes).

I have no idea whether the switch would be worth for you. Switching systems always is a challenge and costs quite a bit of money after all. I do think the e-mount system has matured quite a bit in just four years and as Fred, Guy, Gabriel or Joshua have shown, you can use e-mount for people's photography just fine. Whether it fits your specific criteria is of course a different matter.



Oct 17, 2017 at 05:13 PM
bjornthun
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


I think Sigma offers a mount conversion service for the Art lenses, to swap the Nikon F mount to the Canon EOS mount. Whether this is worthwhile I don't know.




Oct 17, 2017 at 06:44 PM
Lucinda
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


the GM 85 mm f/1.4 is just a incredible must own SPECIAL lens that renders in such a beautiful way, this WEAPON is a must!


Oct 17, 2017 at 06:49 PM
Fred Miranda
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


Lucinda wrote:
the GM 85 mm f/1.4 is just a incredible must own SPECIAL lens that renders in such a beautiful way, this WEAPON is a must!


Which other lenses are your current favorites Lucinda?



Oct 17, 2017 at 10:03 PM
Lucinda
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Thinking of switching Nikon to Sony. What lenses?


Fred Miranda wrote:
Which other lenses are your current favorites Lucinda?



To me, the GM 85 outshines them all.

I do like the 50mm f/1.4 and Batis 25mm f/2, You guys have me thinking of the 60mm f/2 macro.




Oct 17, 2017 at 10:42 PM
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