I received the Viltrox 2x E-mount last night from B&H. After a quick test with the A7RV I can report the auto-focus and tracking is working normally on the Sigma 500mm F5.6 Sport 024 and the Sigma 105mm Macro. ...SteadyShot focal length needs to be set manually, and exposure compensation +2 stops. Frame rate seems the same but I can't be sure. The EXIF shows the original focal length. The handheld optical quality seems similar to that of the Sony TC2.0, although I did not do a scientific test. Looking forward to the TC1.4. I will use this with the 105mm Macro as a relatively light hiking setup.
Bradford wrote:
I received the Viltrox 2x E-mount last night from B&H. After a quick test with the A7RV I can report the auto-focus and tracking is working normally on the Sigma 500mm F5.6 Sport 024 and the Sigma 105mm Macro. ...SteadyShot focal length needs to be set manually, and exposure compensation +2 stops. Frame rate seems the same but I can't be sure. The EXIF shows the original focal length. The handheld optical quality seems similar to that of the Sony TC2.0, although I did not do a scientific test. Looking forward to the TC1.4. I will use this with the 105mm Macro as a relatively light hiking setup....Show more →
Awesome! I ordered the Viltrox 2x recently from Amazon with the hope that it would work on my Sigma 500 5.6. I'm still about 2 weeks out from getting it...could you post a couple of examples while I anxiously await its arrival?
Handheld, chickadee at MFD, squirrel at 40ft, tower at 1/2 mile, clear day with light haze, SOOC jpgs and resized for upload, A7R5 with Sigma 500mm O24
with TC
ILCE-7RM5500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports 024 lens500mmf/5.61/5000s3200 ISO0.0 EV
without TC
ILCE-7RM5500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports 024 lens500mmf/6.31/5000s1250 ISO0.0 EV
with TC
ILCE-7RM5500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports 024 lens500mmf/6.31/2000s640 ISO0.0 EV
without TC
ILCE-7RM5500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports 024 lens500mmf/5.61/2000s160 ISO0.0 EV
with TC
ILCE-7RM5500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports 024 lens500mmf/5.61/2000s3200 ISO+2.0 EV
with TC
ILCE-7RM5500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports 024 lens500mmf/5.61/2000s3200 ISO+2.0 EV
Yes, definitely...by Chicago standards it is a clear sunny day but haze over the pond in front of the tower is present. Also possible mist on the UV filter from going outside in the cold and not waiting to acclimate....not to mention motion blur from shivering!
I shot same subject with Sony 300mm f2.8 with and without the Viltrox 2X at f5.6 and cannot discern the differences in IQ if any
I also checked that all communications between the body and the lens are intact: speed/aperture/ISO/EV compensation/metering/tracking on/off/eye detection on/off/ AF sensitivity / FPS
deevee wrote:
I shot same subject with Sony 300mm f2.8 with and without the Viltrox 2X at f5.6 and cannot discern the differences in IQ if any
I also checked that all communications between the body and the lens are intact: speed/aperture/ISO/EV compensation/metering/tracking on/off/eye detection on/off/ AF sensitivity / FPS
Please could you share 2 RAWs of the same subject, one with the TC 2x and one without ?
That's so cool that we can finally use Sigma lenses, with a TC and with AF on Sony. I wonder if Viltrox can figure out a way to correct the focal length and aperture for Sigma lenses. A camera having the wrong focal length and even aperture could definitely hurt AF performance 🤞I can deal with the 15 FPS limit if there was a working TC for the Sigma 300-600mm.
DWOfPaul wrote:
That's so cool that we can finally use Sigma lenses, with a TC and with AF on Sony. I wonder if Viltrox can figure out a way to correct the focal length and aperture for Sigma lenses. A camera having the wrong focal length and even aperture could definitely hurt AF performance 🤞I can deal with the 15 FPS limit if there was a working TC for the Sigma 300-600mm.
Highly doubt it since Sigma licensed officially with Sony while Viltrox is not. Viltrox's TC itself heavily against Sony's 3rd party policy and not sure whether they legal actions against them or not cause it's a serious problem.
GraysonLake1987 wrote:
Highly doubt it since Sigma licensed officially with Sony while Viltrox is not. Viltrox's TC itself heavily against Sony's 3rd party policy and not sure whether they legal actions against them or not cause it's a serious problem.
People are reporting that the Sigma 60-600mm, 500mm f5.6, and 300-600mm f4 have working AF on Sony cameras using the Viltrox TC 2x. But the aperture and focal length are not being reported properly. Which could be why AF is working but not with ideal performance. So my thinking is Viltrox could probably incept the lens manufacture inside the TC and then correct the aperture and focal length reported to the camera.
I am testing the Viltrox 2x on the Sigma 300-600 f4 mounted to an A1ii body.
So far so good. I have only received the tc today so it's early days. I'm using a gimbal for testing and playing with still subjects. I have been using manual with auto ISO and exposures are basically equivalent with no intervention. With manual ISO you need to add two stops.
Focusing is great. Super snappy and subject detect still works well. It's not quite at the same speed as the native lens but very close.
There is definitely more detail with the 2x than there is cropping from 600mm. See an example below with the lens at 600mm on the left at 400% and with the tc on the right at 200%. EXIF is not recorded correctly (which is why I guess it works) so look at the higher ISO for the TC shot. I am also testing what the difference is between 600mm and no TC and zoomed to 300mm with the TC. Here the native lens does pull ahead at the same magnification detail wise. In the below example focus point is slightly different so please take that into account. The shot with the TC also has a bit more DoF.
At distance and in lower light the additional environmental conditions seem to negate any advantages of the TC. So far it looks like at short/mid distances (say up to 20 meters) and smaller subjects. So useful but not game changing.
Images have been downsized due to website file size limitations. Unfortunately, that's hiding the differences I can see.
I'd kill for a 1.4.
Gordon
Native left at 400%. With TC right at 200%.
300mm w’ TC left. 600mm no TC right. Same magnification. Same lens
