Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Specifically for the discussion of the A-mount DSLR range
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HAustin
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Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by HAustin »

I have an a900 with many sony and Zeiss lenses for the full frame format. I need another body and was wondering if anyone has had experience with the LA-EA4 adapter on the a7II and the alhpa full frame lenses. My other choice is buying an a99 body. Any ideas/input would be appreciated.
peterottaway
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by peterottaway »

All the amount lenses that I use on my A7r / LA-EA 4 combo are the older screw drive lenses pretty much all of them Minolta not Sony.I can't remember the last time I used any of them in AF mode except on my A850 which I retained as a back up.

I don't have any real experience with the A99 but they all perform mechanically without problems on the A7r. Of course a number of them are not 36 MP plus optical performers but as has been pointed in different forums over the years a 15-16 MP lens is often better on a 24 - 36 MP camera than on a 16 MP camera. I say often because of problems people did encounter with the Nex 7 sensor.

As usual there " RUMOURS " about an A99 Mark 2 and what the A7r M2 or A9 will bring so who can tell what April / May will have on offer. But it does come down in my mind as to whether you prefer a DSLR shaped camera or the A 7 type. I haven't had the EA 4 do anything unexpected, so you can assume it will work with any Sony / Zeiss you may have.
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

Difficult - I think, given the difficulty I'm having working out a decent lens set for the A7II without using the LA-EA4, that I might well have chosen to go back to the A99 rather than go through this hassle. I do have the LA-EA4 and it works well, but somehow it all feels like a bit of a waste of effort ending up with a mirrorless body which is hardly ever being used with any mirrorless lenses. The overall precision of the A7II is not bad - the mount is firm - but even the LA-EA4 is not perfectly light-tight at mount surface level, while the A99 is built to a completely different standard. Your A-mount lenses will, I think, be better off on an A99.
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Bruce Oudekerk
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by Bruce Oudekerk »

For a while now, I have been looking for a significantly lighter mirrorless alternative to my present walk-around solution of an a850/Minolta 28-135. For a variety of reasons I'm not crazy about the file quality/ image malleability of m4/3 or even most APS-C. Admittedly that is a very personal take on the state of the art sensors. And even if that weren't so, the existing APS-C mirrorless cameras just don't fit me (even the admittedly very nice a6000). As an avid recreational shooter, I can afford to forego the necessity of just 'getting the job done' for a more temperamental, 'this tool feels right'. I won't buy a camera if using it doesn't make me smile. In all likelihood, a FF mirrorless camera with a feature set that does not have a 'deal breaker' will emerge soon. It might even exist in the a7II... I haven't handled it yet to see.

I have thought that I would likely use manual focus on very wide angle shots where most scenarios are not time constrained, an unspecified all purpose e-mount lens and perhaps use my existing, reasonably lightweight a-mount Sony 70-300G with LA-EA4 as my 'long' lens.

There IS a question emerging here:) So how well will the LA-EA4 focusing system work with this lens in relation to the a850/a900 in general and with the center focus point specifically?

If it makes any difference to the response, at this point in time I have no intention of getting rid of my a850 or any of my a-mount lenses.

Bruce
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

There's no f/2.8 centre point on the LA-EA4 but all the AF points on it will work as well, some report better, than the A900 or A850 and are a close match to the A99.

I certainly have no trouble with it.

David
Mark K
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by Mark K »

...Not a very good idea because of
slower AF comparing to A99 and poor ergonomics.

With the arrival of Canon 6D and Nikon D750, I strongly doubt the necessity for Sony to kill mirror. As A7II has become heavier and larger, is there any need for keeping two lines of mirrolress cameras, the Alpha and the FE?
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the_hefay
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by the_hefay »

Mark K wrote:I strongly doubt the necessity for Sony to kill mirror. As A7II has become heavier and larger, is there any need for keeping two lines of mirrolress cameras, the Alpha and the FE?
I'm confused by your statement. I believe all Sony cameras are "alpha" while all mirrorless alpha cameras are e-mount for which "FE" lenses are designed.
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artHarris
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by artHarris »

I have recently used a Minolta 100-300 APO lens with the LA-EA4 adapter with great success on both my A7R and my A6000. The detail resolution is quite exceptional.
As we were on a 'safari' and often photographing animals at distance, their use on the A6000 gave a 450mm lens without any obvious loss of quality and the auto focussing on this camera with the LA-EA4 is fast and accurate, except when twigs, etc, interpose between the camera and the subject - there manual focus for the final 'touch' is needed.

You say "And even if that weren't so, the existing APS-C mirror less cameras just don't fit me (even the admittedly very nice a6000)". Why is this so? I find the A6000 extremely versatile, perhaps more so than the A7R.
Kit: all Sony now:
RX-100/3, A6000, A7R. Lenses:FE16-35, FE24-70, SonyF10-18,SonyF18-200, FE35/f2.8, F16/2.8, Minolta APO 100-300, Nikon 135 macro, Nikon 50/1.4, various extras.
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Bruce Oudekerk
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by Bruce Oudekerk »

artHarris wrote: You say "And even if that weren't so, the existing APS-C mirror less cameras just don't fit me (even the admittedly very nice a6000)". Why is this so? I find the A6000 extremely versatile, perhaps more so than the A7R.
Fair question with no real answer. The a6000 is versatile and while the a7R is nice the focusing issues are a deal breaker for an all purpose camera.

I don't buy a lot of equipment and when I do, I want it to be right for me. I've only had 3 cameras in the last 12 years and I'm ready for something new and smaller. My experience with the a6000 just didn't gel and its as simple as that. As a tool it just didn't ever feel right and I didn't want to fight it. I know I could have gotten the job done with it and eventually would have been comfortable with it. Last summer I borrowed a friend's a6000 and had the luxury of spending almost two weeks with it and I just couldn't love it. He even recently offered to sell it to me with 4 lenses for $500 which is beyond generous but I passed and he sold it to another friend who really wanted it. Admittedly what i like is somewhat capricious. I like my cousin's D810 and some friend's Oly OM-D E-M1 cameras and another's Pentax K5IIs is nice. I still love the 5.5 YO a850 and my recently defunct KM 7D. I'm fairly ambivalent regarding all my other friend's cameras and that includes a lot of really nice 'stuff'.

One of the things that overtly disturbed me about the a6000 was that when I was testing some of my a-mount and old Canon FD lenses on it with all manual adaptors, the system flex on a tripod with the a6000/70-300G actually scared me into stopping the testing. I have a pretty solid tripod and a big Sirui ball head and I don't get anywhere near that kind of movement with my a850 and that lens. That wasn't a deal breaker but it certainly gave me pause, especially with borrowed equipment.

I strongly suspect that a FF e-mount camera will be in my future and that will include the LA-EA4 for versatility. The a850 is a better camera than I am a photographer so it doesn't limit my photography in any substantive way, so I'm in no hurry.

Bruce
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artHarris
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Re: Using The LA-EA4 for alpha mounts

Unread post by artHarris »

You sound a difficult customer, but I agree that getting the right 'feel' is important - you are fortunate in having so many frienfds who let you play with their equipment before committing.
I probably wouldn't have bought the A7R with such help but now have grown to love it, in spite of its focusing issues, which I don't find too much of a problem for what I take. And, incidentally, with the LA-EA4 and the 100-300 APO (and presumably other A-mount lenses), these are non-existent.
My reasons for change (from Nikon A300s) were to reduce the weight of the kit I felt the need to carry about, compatibly with the image quality I felt I need. With the A7R and the A6000 I feel comfortable and content - the differences are apparent on every comparison.
Kit: all Sony now:
RX-100/3, A6000, A7R. Lenses:FE16-35, FE24-70, SonyF10-18,SonyF18-200, FE35/f2.8, F16/2.8, Minolta APO 100-300, Nikon 135 macro, Nikon 50/1.4, various extras.
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