p.1 #1 · What camera to buy for trying out sigma lenses?
Specifically I’m thinking about a camera similar to the gen 1 Nikon Z6 - professional build, bargain price in used market, workhorse for still photography.
The lens that I wanted to try out from the sigma is the 28-45 f1.8.
I am in the Nikon system and love the Nikon colors, but I have read that wider angle lenses with mirrorless formula do not adapt well to Nikon ( even though I have seen Matt Granger used this combo on z8).
What Sony or other brands, LUMIX? Panasonic? Sigma?, and what specifically models could you recommend?
p.1 #2 · What camera to buy for trying out sigma lenses?
Sigma glass is great.
What is your budget?
What is your current body?
I hear Sony lenses adapt well to Nikon Mirrorless.
I would go Nikon or Sony.
Sony its much easier to find use native (Emount glass) for me on FB and FM compared to any other brand due to adoption. (I love Nikon, but this is why I went to Sony from Nikon and the Z8 was taking forever to be released).
Can't really go wrong with any of the newer mirrorless cameras though.
Z6II gives you a 2nd car slot.
However if your not a pro and only shoot still subjects like landscape, not a video shooter, 2nd card slot or better AF might not even matter for your use case.
I hear Sony lenses adapt well to Nikon Mirrorless.
I would go Nikon or Sony.
Sony its much easier to find use native (Emount glass) for me on FB and FM compared to any other brand due to adoption. (I love Nikon, but this is why I went to Sony from Nikon and the Z8 was taking forever to be released).
Can't really go wrong with any of the newer mirrorless cameras though.
Z6II gives you a 2nd car slot.
However if your not a pro and only shoot still subjects like landscape, not a video shooter, 2nd card slot or better AF might not even matter for your use case.
Think the first thing you need to decide for Sony is how many MP do you want, 24, 42 or 61?
You mentioned the Z6 V1, which was 24MP. The Sony A7III is a excellent camera from 2018 and has 24MP. I started with this one in 2018, later sold it for a A7RIII in 2019, and then rebought a new one in 2022 as backup body which I still have. Has a very good AF system with Eye detect. Very popular, it is still sold New to this day.
A7RIII is 42 MP (R stands for Resolution) and uses the same AF as the A7III, but the AF points were limited to about 62% of the screen. Very popular body, but for me this camera did not work out. My main use was portraits and the eye detect AF in the vertical orientation could never get a subject's eyes in focus (because of the lack of AF points). Sold it 6 months after purchase. This may not be a problem for landscapes though.
A7RIV, which replaced my A7RIII in early 2020, is a 61MP body and has a later version of the AF than the version III models. Has more AF points coverage than the A7RIII and I have had No issues, absolutely love this body!
Prices here on the FM B&S board for used bodies range $850-1000 for A7III, $900-1,100 for A7RIII and around $1,600 for A7RIV. Both my A7RIII and A7RIV were bought used here, it's a great place to shop.
p.1 #7 · What camera to buy for trying out sigma lenses?
I'm not clear on what you actually want to do? I'd suggest you "test" the lens on the specific camera body you want to use it on.
If you want to use it on your current Nikon body or bodies, you'd need, I guess, an adapter (Megadap?) and the lens in Sony mount, or L if there's an L adapter. If you're willing to add a Sony body, then test that combo, that body and the lens.
Otherwise you're trying to test a lens with a different mount (if nothing else there could be a different angular relationship of light out of the lens, into the sensor and also whatever sensor differences between the Nikon sensors and the sensors the lens was designed to work with. There's still some "risk" that even if working on the "test" set, it might not do as well on the "Nikon" set up.
p.1 #8 · What camera to buy for trying out sigma lenses?
You mention Panasonic, Sony, and Nikon.
Sony limits third party lenses, including Sigma, to 15fps af-c and no TC's. But Sony E lenses can be adapted to Nikon Z, with no FPS limitations. L mount (Panasonic) is unrestricted, but there is no adaptability.
While I don't know anyone adapting the 28-45mm f1.8 to Nikon Z, I would recommend trying to adapt the 28-45mm to Z mount first, using the Megadap ETZ21 Pro+. This adapter version came out last year and seems to fix the issues with most wide angle lenses. I have been happy using it to adapt my Sigma 14mm f1.4 and Sigma 20mm f1.4 to my Nikon Z8, and don't notice a difference vs my a7rIV. If, for some reason, you try the adapter, like the lens, and think you are having IQ issues in the corners, then try picking up a Sony camera to use the lens on.
Which Nikon Z cameras are you currently using, and what type of subjects do you plan to use the 28-45mm on?
Think the first thing you need to decide for Sony is how many MP do you want, 24, 42 or 61?
You mentioned the Z6 V1, which was 24MP. The Sony A7III is a excellent camera from 2018 and has 24MP. I started with this one in 2018, later sold it for a A7RIII in 2019, and then rebought a new one in 2022 as backup body which I still have. Has a very good AF system with Eye detect. Very popular, it is still sold New to this day.
A7RIII is 42 MP (R stands for Resolution) and uses the same AF as the A7III, but the AF points were limited to about 62% of the screen. Very popular body, but for me this camera did not work out. My main use was portraits and the eye detect AF in the vertical orientation could never get a subject's eyes in focus (because of the lack of AF points). Sold it 6 months after purchase. This may not be a problem for landscapes though.
A7RIV, which replaced my A7RIII in early 2020, is a 61MP body and has a later version of the AF than the version III models. Has more AF points coverage than the A7RIII and I have had No issues, absolutely love this body!
Prices here on the FM B&S board for used bodies range $850-1000 for A7III, $900-1,100 for A7RIII and around $1,600 for A7RIV. Both my A7RIII and A7RIV were bought used here, it's a great place to shop. ...Show more →
p.1 #10 · What camera to buy for trying out sigma lenses?
I was considering adapting, but from what I read on photogrpahylife, adapting short focal length lenses often result in soft corners, so I’m very hesitant to do that.
That said, I do have the adapter so maybe I will get the lens first and test it out…
p.1 #11 · What camera to buy for trying out sigma lenses?
fnzmf25 wrote:
I was considering adapting, but from what I read on photogrpahylife, adapting short focal length lenses often result in soft corners, so I’m very hesitant to do that.
That said, I do have the adapter so maybe I will get the lens first and test it out…
That photography life article came out about a year before the ETZ21 Pro+, which greatly helps with the issues with wide angle lenses.
When adapting lenses, the faster and wider a lens is, the more you are likely to have issues towards the corners at infinity. These issues can be due to adapter tolerances and sensor stack differences. Prior to the ETZ21 Pro+, the adapter was a bit to thin, which caused issues with some wide angle lenses. The ETZ21 Pro+ removed the tolerance issue from the equation. For example, on the original ETZ21 Pro, my Voigtlander 21mm would not hit infinity focus, but on the ETZ21 Pro+ it does.
