trade in the 57 for an A6000

For discussion of the E and FE mount mirrorless system
classiccameras
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by classiccameras »

Like your reluctance to let go completely on Nikon, I still have my A37 and no way is that going especially as I have the Sony DT 18-135 and a couple of Auto focus Minolta lenses which perform brilliantly on that body. I'm just struggling to build a decent small kit round the A6000. I guess my best route is an adapter for A mount lenses. Interesting point from one review of the A6000 said Sony have yet to address the optical quality issues needed to do the 24mp justice. All other manufacturers have upped their game to one degree or another even on budget lenses to match the higher pixel counts, still waiting from Sony.
classiccameras
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by classiccameras »

Like your reluctance to let go completely on Nikon, I still have my A37 and no way is that going especially as I have the Sony DT 18-135 and a couple of Auto focus Minolta lenses which perform brilliantly on that body. I'm just struggling to build a decent small kit round the A6000. I guess my best route is an adapter for A mount lenses. Interesting point from one review of the A6000 said Sony have yet to address the optical quality issues needed to do the 24mp justice. All other manufacturers have upped their game to one degree or another even on budget lenses to match the higher pixel counts, still waiting from Sony.
peterottaway
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by peterottaway »

Of course we all self justify our own decisions - especially the expensive ones, but having used the Nikon D750 for a few weeks it does justify to me how good the A7r II has become. The D750 does deserve its reputation of being a quality general purpose camera at a decent price. But if say Sony or Sigma release a good Nikon F/G AF adapter which takes advantage of most of the features of the r II, then its on the market straight away.

The newish Nikon f 1.8 prime lenses are good quality for the price and until someone comes up with a set of native lenses for similar prices then I will keep them. Having some of them and the f 2.8 Contax is overkill but I like both, and after all, I have this addiction to glass. :roll:

I don't own any E mount APS lenses only the A mount 16-50 / 2.8, 16-80 and the18-135. The 16-50 / 2.8 is a definite keeper with an adapter and the 16-80 is a decent copy and I like the colours, and I'm certainly won't make a fortune selling the 18-135 so I might as well keep it. I can see nothing wrong with adapting the A mount lenses if of decent performance, the only bug bear is if some of the lenses are screw mount then you may have to eventually buy two adapters.
classiccameras
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by classiccameras »

I'm very reluctant to let go of my A37 and the 18-135, plus KM 17-35 F/2.8 and Minolta 24-85, they are just too good on the 37 body to let go. Like I said, its a struggle trying to equal that on the E mount, so I can only go with the adapter to extend my kit with fairly good lenses till Sony decide to get their finger out. Working in manual mode is no problem at least like the A37, there is a high light assist for manual focus on the A6000.
Its the holding on to old gear which can be the problem, When I started (35mm SLR), I had just 2 Canon bodies AV-1 and AE-1 programme, but in those days every one went for extra glass not continuous body up dates.

I guess I can rectify most of the poor performance of the E consumer mount zooms in PP plus the A6000 like other SLT cameras has built in correction. In a way I'm beginning to wish I had done more research into the E system before taking the plunge.
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by peterottaway »

The A6000 and A6300 aren't going to go away so there will be a couple of APS E mount choices for the foreseeable future. What happens to the A mount cameras is a cause for concern, especially for those with money invested in lenses and the fact that companies like Tamron are still introducing A mount lenses. Not E mount.

I'm not sure that the A68 (which appears to be a remodeled A77 II under the skin) would not be a better choice for a number of photographers. Mind you others may consider the internals of the A7 with IBIS would be a nice cheap A mount camera.

By not giving any indication as to the A mount Sony is not doing themselves or those like you any favours.
classiccameras
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by classiccameras »

I guess there is no such thing as a perfect camera system, but if size is not an issue, Canon and Nikon must be close.
I must admit some time ago I was tempted to throw the lot in and go Canon only with a small compact as back up, that idea I have to admit is still on the back burner. Like Nikon, the system is vast and the used market huge, its just the size and weight!

Yes, the E mount cameras are not going to go away, but Sony need to make the system more attractive with new affordable lenses of at least reasonable performance. I have a Sony LA-EA3 adapter ordered, so at least some of my A mount lenses can be used.
I will report back after trying the adapter soon.
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by classiccameras »

I can report back that the LA-EA3 adapter turned up yesterday, Its now on the A6000 body, and first tests with my A mount lenses was a success, well sort of, Auto focus on my DT SAM lenses is very slow and it moves in steps, the 2 Konica Minolta lenses being screw focus obviously won't work, but will if I spend over £240 on an LA-EA4 which is too much for me. However, alls not lost for my style of picture taking, as most are Still subjects, so I used manual focus with the cameras manual assist activated. I can honestly report that the pictures through my basic Sony 18-55 Alpha DT SAM lens attached to the A6000 are stunning. Even zoomed out to 55mm the pictures were very sharp and that was at 350 at F/8, so no shake problems at least at that focal length.

So if you don't mind manual focus, I can recommend this adapter for E mount cameras inc NEX/A5000/6000/6300 users. If you want auto focus get the LA-EA4, but its not cheap.

Peter
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by Vidgamer »

classiccameras wrote:Like your reluctance to let go completely on Nikon, I still have my A37 and no way is that going especially as I have the Sony DT 18-135 and a couple of Auto focus Minolta lenses which perform brilliantly on that body. I'm just struggling to build a decent small kit round the A6000. I guess my best route is an adapter for A mount lenses. Interesting point from one review of the A6000 said Sony have yet to address the optical quality issues needed to do the 24mp justice. All other manufacturers have upped their game to one degree or another even on budget lenses to match the higher pixel counts, still waiting from Sony.
If you feel another brand does better, why Sony?
I know some complain about Sony lenses, but I've come to terms with how much sharpness I really need. My problem a decade ago was not so much pixels, but dynamic range and higher quality for the pixels I had. I'm not going back to the dslr if I can help it.
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by Vidgamer »

Mind you, for tele lengths, either a dslr or adapted lens may be better. For now?
classiccameras
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by classiccameras »

Its expensive to jump ship to another brand and some times it can be out of the frying pan into the fire so to speak. Careful research and money is needed before the great step is made. I would go Olympus as the cameras are superb, there is a great range of lenses from both Oly and Panny and the Oly bodies have IBIS but I'm not a big fan of M 4thirds. APS-C in a small body attracted my attention, which is why I moved to E mount. Like you I much prefer colour depth, DR and a good handling of meter readings. Pixels never really worried me, and some of the best pics I ever took were Jpegs out of a A 10MP Olympus E510 and kit lens. The high pixel count on cameras now has left many lenses struggling to cope or do the sensor justice, the latest E mount is no exception.
I will bide my time and see what turns up either new or used. Trouble is with a tele, there is no OSS on A mount zooms and tele lenses.
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by Vidgamer »

It's much better for the sensor to outresolve the lens than the other way around.

I agree about the tele lenses and OSS. A dslr might be preferable here. But in some cases it doesn't matter; at airshows, I often use manual focus and pan with the action. But for birding or wildlife, it's a problem.
classiccameras
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by classiccameras »

Good point about the sensor and lens, I'm perfectly happy using manual focus as that was what I learnt the hobby on years ago with 35mm manual focus SLR's. There were no decent zooms then so we either stuck a 135 or a 250 tele on the front and panned flying shots at infinity. I did every air show I could get to from the early 60's till terrorism shut most of the shows down. I liked the RAF and USAF bases at home days and there was a lot of them way back in the 60/70/80's, my calendar was full for most of the summer season, great days and thousands of colour slides.

I have been using my Sony DT 18-55 SAM A mount via the adapter on the A6000 body and all focal lengths stay the same and the IQ is superb, that early Mk 1 kit lens was a star, but I had to use manual focus with focus peaking. Even at 55mm, the pictures were sharp so I guess keeping the shutter speeds above 250 paid off, however, longer focal lengths I suspect OSS will be essential.
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bfitzgerald
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Re: trade in the 57 for an A6000

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

classiccameras wrote: Sat Feb 20, 2016 5:55 pm I'm still considering getting the LA-EA3 adapter so I can use some A mount lenses but I don't want to defeat the object of going small only to bolt a howitzer on the front.
I think Sonny dropped a big one not having IBIS in the NEX/Alpha E mount cameras, what a stupid oversight.
So far no independent lens manufacturer makes a good zoom (several focal lengths) for the E mount. The best we have at affordable prices are the 3 Sigma primes, all of which out perform Sony equivalents and are cheaper. Olympus and Panasonic M4/3 have got Sony over a barrel with a super lens range from both companies. May be worth waiting a while to see if the A6300 price drops, the 18-105 is a very useful zoom range on an E body.
Having tried the A6300, and as we can see the A6400 and 6100 still not having steadyshot.
It is a serious put off being honest about it. I am fairly steady, even so the hit rate I get is way lower for low light than I get off the A mount bodies
Sony do have it on the full frame ones (I think we can forget about the first A7 I know a few who use it as a cheap adapter body)
End result is I'm rapidly losing interest in non sensor IS systems.
That is one reason why I didn't switch again to another DSLR makers (ie Canikon). I'm not crazy or brave enough to try Pentax again and at this stage who is bar a few who are invested in the system (the K-r disaster was telling they just plain lied about it! still waiting for that firmware update lol)
Price up the A6600 and I say forget about it just get a full frame body!

I know this is an older post, and to some in body IS isn't a big deal. Yes I can work without it, but hey it's a huge huge help having it
Going forward, no IBIS not really that interested. If Canon had it in the RP and a better sensor I'd have been all over that and then some. The Z5 I've not used, evidently the AF sucks in low light - if so that's a hard pass for me.

It's quite scary we go from 2005 having IS in a DSLR, to 2021 and we still have most crop bodies without it (bar Olympus/Pannie). It's become another upsell feature on camera models!
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