Sony Lounge Thread MKIII (All Sony cameras welcome)

Talley wrote in post #18623848
Just got my 85 1.8 yesterday. I’m floored how well it performs.

Giving up the 2/3 stop is the only battle but the lens passes my IQ demands

I know not the most popular lens, but you should try out either the FE 35 f2.8 or SY 35 f2.8. I know the FE keeps up with the 35, possibly a hair better. Just really nice having a pancake like lens on the body. The f2.8 can be a burden, but you just sort of learn to love it. I love mine to death, however I did have a lukewarm reaction when I initially acquired the lens. It's a lens I learned to love, and do love it dearly. Do I wish it was F2 or faster? sure, but not at the cost of any size increase, that may be a tall order.

cc1995 wrote in post #18623828
I have the Sony FE 90 Macro as well that I use mainly for food shots for a restaurant. I really would like to start using it more for bugs, flowers etc. but can never seem to get as close to the subjects as everyone on here does. Did you use extension tubes for any of these shots? or focus stacking? Every time I try to shoot an insect it moves or flies away...lol What the hell is everyone's secret of how you manage to get theses wonderful shots so close?

Patience... It's a lot of trial and error and you have to stick with it. Something to remember when shooting bugs, especially dragonflies, is that they tend to go back to the same place if they fly away. Watch where they fly from, set yourself up at that location and take a photo of them when they return to the same place.

I don't currently have any extension tubes and my shots are all with the native lens and cropping. I also haven't been focus stacking. I want to start doing this, but shoot mostly handheld for macro so I haven't spent much time learning it. I usually shoot around f/8-f/11 unless I really want to isolate something and then pay a lot of attention to the area I want to be in focus. Being able to "zoom in" using the viewfinder is one of my favorite aspects of an electronic viewfinder.

I start out further out and keep going closer and closer until the subject flies away. That way I at least have shots and can crop for my images if I can't get as close. I use the same strategy with wildlife photography as well.

digital_AM wrote in post #18623882
A shot of the new Frost Tower going up. I caught this reflection shot from the San Pedro Creek Culture Park with the Zeiss 35mm f2 ZE.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/24ih​Lnf Frost Tower Going Up by Alfredo Mora, on Flickr

Nice. I like the flowers on the left. Too bad you weren't able to take a step or two to the right for the shot so the tree wouldn't be so jammed up with the tower and in order to show more of what's behind it.

navydoc wrote in post #18623898
Nice. I like the flowers on the left. Too bad you weren't able to take a step or two to the right for the shot so the tree wouldn't be so jammed up with the tower and in order to show more of what's behind it.

Thanks Gene. Actually what’s behind the tree is the old Frost Building which will be replaced by the new tower.

Charlie wrote in post #18623895
I know not the most popular lens, but you should try out either the FE 35 f2.8 or SY 35 f2.8. I know the FE keeps up with the 35, possibly a hair better. Just really nice having a pancake like lens on the body. The f2.8 can be a burden, but you just sort of learn to love it. I love mine to death, however I did have a lukewarm reaction when I initially acquired the lens. It's a lens I learned to love, and do love it dearly. Do I wish it was F2 or faster? sure, but not at the cost of any size increase, that may be a tall order.

I have the SY35 also. And the 50 1.8 but fixing to ditch it and get the 55 1.8

Or shoot them at 800mm

Charlie wrote in post #18623351
I'm a believer that GAS can come to an end..... I want to believe

not that I dont enjoy gear, I do very much, but when I'm very satisfied with gear, then GAS starts to die down.

if I second guess my gear, then GAS can creep up. The selection process was long and laborious, but I think I found a winning combo for myself.

GAS is about finding happiness right? Eventually, you find what works for you and how you shoot. I've been through deep explorations to find my set of lenses. In fact, I have a balance in my PP account right now, I really can satisfy GAS if I had any itching, but I'de be contrived to find it at this point. I need all of my commonly used lenses to be sensible in size and reasonably fast, and I feel I'm there. I can take a trip tomorrow to anywhere in the world and feel that I can cover it well with my gear, it's a good feeling. I wouldnt feel bogged down or worried that I'm restricted. It's times when I shoot something, and a missing factor that gets my GAS going.

I can go hiking with my brother, and have specific gear for that scenario. Go to the beach with the kids and have another set. Travel to europe, and have a different set. Capture my kids at their dance and have another set. It's a good feeling. At this point, I'm a bit more focused that my current set can do a dual purpose of video and photos.

Not very exciting that GAS dies, but in the end, happiness with gear is why GAS exists right?

Charlie, there is plenty to agree with in your post from my perspective. I'm now at a point where I have no craving for anything out there from a lens perspective, it's an odd feeling actually.

I've built a great manual focus kit built around a really nice set of Leica and Zeiss and VC M mount primes and also a fantastic set of native auto focus zooms and primes, really great place to be. My only regret is selling my Leica Tri-Elmar 16-18-21, it was such a compact lens, I miss it every time I go out with my prime kit.

KayakPhotos wrote in post #18623896
Patience... It's a lot of trial and error and you have to stick with it. Something to remember when shooting bugs, especially dragonflies, is that they tend to go back to the same place if they fly away. Watch where they fly from, set yourself up at that location and take a photo of them when they return to the same place.

I don't currently have any extension tubes and my shots are all with the native lens and cropping. I also haven't been focus stacking. I want to start doing this, but shoot mostly handheld for macro so I haven't spent much time learning it. I usually shoot around f/8-f/11 unless I really want to isolate something and then pay a lot of attention to the area I want to be in focus. Being able to "zoom in" using the viewfinder is one of my favorite aspects of an electronic viewfinder.

I start out further out and keep going closer and closer until the subject flies away. That way I at least have shots and can crop for my images if I can't get as close. I use the same strategy with wildlife photography as well.

Patience really is the key, I find bugs really difficult to photograph I prefer slow subject like flowers It's pretty amazing that you can actually shoot dragonflies on the wing, Ronny Olson from FM has some amazing dragon fly shots with the contax 100-300, I think you probably used the method you suggested, check where they perch ( ambush site ) and get them on the return flight back to the spot.

I think I’ll be happy just owning one of each lol

xpfloyd wrote in post #18623881
What I mean is the fact it has more glass and a faster maximum aperture doesn’t equate to “virtually identical” in my book regardless of who said it

Internal design NOT quantity of glass. As I said regurgitating info from the Sony representative.

AlanU wrote in post #18623958
Internal design NOT quantity of glass. As I said regurgitating info from the Sony representative.

I’m not trying to argue alan and I’ll drop it. If there’s more elements then it’s a different optical design.

KayakPhotos wrote in post #18623896
Patience... It's a lot of trial and error and you have to stick with it. Something to remember when shooting bugs, especially dragonflies, is that they tend to go back to the same place if they fly away. Watch where they fly from, set yourself up at that location and take a photo of them when they return to the same place.

I don't currently have any extension tubes and my shots are all with the native lens and cropping. I also haven't been focus stacking. I want to start doing this, but shoot mostly handheld for macro so I haven't spent much time learning it. I usually shoot around f/8-f/11 unless I really want to isolate something and then pay a lot of attention to the area I want to be in focus. Being able to "zoom in" using the viewfinder is one of my favorite aspects of an electronic viewfinder.

I start out further out and keep going closer and closer until the subject flies away. That way I at least have shots and can crop for my images if I can't get as close. I use the same strategy with wildlife photography as well.

Thanks for the advice. I'll have to give these techniques a try.

I recently changed the head on my Norelco shaver and thought I'd take a photograph of it.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Hphb​7n

i forgot i already have an extension tubes. i thought it's for APS-C only.

here's from the the 85GM and 2 extension tubes

"bokenguard"