goodbye nikon

[jamiebonline]

Hi everyone,

So I am selling my Nikon gear and getting into Sony mirrorless. The reason is a mixture of price, size (I have back issues for one and the idea of having a good carry-around camera with me all the time seems ideal)... and also a general interest in the technology offered by Sony.

I have a Sony A6000 and a Sigma 19mm 2.8

I am selling a D7000, a Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS and the Nikon 85 1.8

I know that I could buy an adapter so that the Nikon lens would work on the Sony but I just feel more like changing the whole system.
My question: what should I buy from the sale of the two lenses and the D7000. I expect to get about 1,000 dollars for everything.

I am very tempted to buy a Sony A7 because I rarely come this close to a full frame camera financially. A couple of hundred more would get me it.

I have made some money from my pictures already. I suppose I am a hobbyist with some remuneration which I'd like to build on. Mainly shooting couples portraits and events. I realise a 19mm lens with two bodies is kind of silly but lenses are not expensive in comparison. I can buy a Sigma 60 2.8, for example, for only 200 next month. I am quite interested too in wide angle portraits. Kind of 'landscape portraits' so I see the 19mm as being quite useful for a wide dramatic look.

My other thought is to buy the Vario Tessar 16-70 F4 which is around 1,000 so all my money would go on that. It would be a pretty great lens for the A6000.

Your thoughts please.

J

 

[MichaelHenson]

Hmm...Well, I'll be watching the classifieds section for that 85mm/1.8.

 

[sm4him]

I'd go for another lens if it was me, but it really just all depends on what you shoot and what your needs are. I guess maybe step back and ask yourself what you LACK the ability to do with the A6000 and 19mm lens. That may help you decide what should be priority for the next purchase.

Then tell me what you're selling that Sigma 17-50 for…NO, wait, I need to NOT spend any more money.

 

[Derrel]

I just read a review from a **seriously** informed Sony blogger...no way would I drop a grand on a lens that has as many niggling issues as the 16-70 f/4...Sony Zeiss 16-70mm F 4 review

The flare, the odd bokeh, the weird pattern of distortion, and the overall "average" performance...on two, different samples? When a Sony nut gets a sample to review, and thinks it's so bad he sends it back after testing and asks for a second lens to review, and it too tests out as just "meh"? And it's a $998 lens?

The issue is, a 16-70 is your 24-105mm lens...your everything zoom...it's GOT to offer better bokeh, less distortion, or at least distortion that is predictable and does not have mustache characteristics, and the flare resistance needs to be better.

I'd say buy the A7 camera, and skip on this lens. The A7 looks like the one you want: Full-frame, 24MP, great Sony-made sensor, AND electronic first curtain shutter for low vibration, and of course, the "good" dual mode focusing on the A7. I would probably say, yes, sell the 85mm Nikon 1.8 autofocus lens,do not try to migrate that forward. I think the manual focusing action on the 1.8 G Nikkor is too hair-trigger over most of its range. I have one...I find it tricky to manual focus compared against some other lenses.

 

[pixmedic]

I just read a review from a **seriously** informed Sony blogger...no way would I drop a grand on a lens that has as many niggling issues as the 16-70 f/4...Sony Zeiss 16-70mm F 4 review

The flare, the odd bokeh, the weird pattern of distortion, and the overall "average" performance...on two, different samples? When a Sony nut gets a sample to review, and thinks it's so bad he sends it back after testing and asks for a second lens to review, and it too tests out as just "meh"? And it's a $998 lens?

The issue is, a 16-70 is your 24-105mm lens...your everything zoom...it's GOT to offer better bokeh, less distortion, or at least distortion that is predictable and does not have mustache characteristics, and the flare resistance needs to be better.

I'd say buy the A7 camera, and skip on this lens. The A7 looks like the one you want: Full-frame, 24MP, great Sony-made sensor, AND electronic first curtain shutter for low vibration, and of course, the "good" dual mode focusing on the A7. I would probably say, yes, sell the 85mm Nikon 1.8 autofocus lens,do not try to migrate that forward. I think the manual focusing action on the 1.8 G Nikkor is too hair-trigger over most of its range. I have one...I find it tricky to manual focus compared against some other lenses.

Hey.....
What's wrong with mustache chacteristics?

 

[jaomul]

I'm not sure about Sony lenses, but if you add an a7, full frame lenses may be quite big also, kind of crossing out the reason you've changed.

Do you need full frame?

 

[fjrabon]

I'm of two minds here, on the one hand, I feel you don't remotely have enough lenses as is, to spend all your money on another body. On the other, if you plan on doing this at least semi-professionally, you absolutely need a backup body. But I'd still probably pick up an all-arounder lens first, as 19mm on a full frame is REALLY FREAKING WIDE. Portraits on it would look cartoonish, even though it's a great lens. But I wouldn't blow the entire 1000 on whatever lens I bought as an all arounder, I'd save the rest and hit that Sony A7 in a few months when you have more cash and a couple more lenses. Then I'd go all in mirrorless pro, with the A7 as your primary body and the A6000 as your backup.

 

[jamiebonline]

I'm of two minds here, on the one hand, I feel you don't remotely have enough lenses as is, to spend all your money on another body. , if you plan on doing this at least semi-professionally, you absolutely need a backup body. But I'd still probably pick up an all-arounder lens first, as 19mm on a full frame is REALLY FREAKING WIDE. Portraits on it would look cartoonish, even though it's a great lens. But I wouldn't blow the entire 1000 on whatever lens I bought as an all arounder, I'd save the rest and hit that Sony A7 in a few months when you have more cash and a couple more lenses. Then I'd go all in mirrorless pro, with the A7 as your primary body and the A6000 as your backup.

Yeah I see your point. It does look initially a bit absurd to have two bodies and a 19mm. For sure the 19 on the full frame will be exceptionally wide. More than I have ever had on apsc. I am thinking that if I don't get the A7 while I have near to the money, I will just end up buying more lenses and losing the chance... For a while anyway. On the other hand, if I buy the A7, I can get even the Sigma 60 2.8 which is less than 200 in a month from now. And the idea of the A6000 being the back up is exactly my thinking too. Or the Sony 50 1.8 which could be used for portraits. It's limited. I need a fast zoom but two primes. One on each, might tide me over (?) Then some serious saving again

 

[gsgary]

I'm of two minds here, on the one hand, I feel you don't remotely have enough lenses as is, to spend all your money on another body. , if you plan on doing this at least semi-professionally, you absolutely need a backup body. But I'd still probably pick up an all-arounder lens first, as 19mm on a full frame is REALLY FREAKING WIDE. Portraits on it would look cartoonish, even though it's a great lens. But I wouldn't blow the entire 1000 on whatever lens I bought as an all arounder, I'd save the rest and hit that Sony A7 in a few months when you have more cash and a couple more lenses. Then I'd go all in mirrorless pro, with the A7 as your primary body and the A6000 as your backup.

Yeah I see your point. It does look initially a bit absurd to have two bodies and a 19mm. For sure the 19 on the full frame will be exceptionally wide. More than I have ever had on apsc. I am thinking that if I don't get the A7 while I have near to the money, I will just end up buying more lenses and losing the chance... For a while anyway. On the other hand, if I buy the A7, I can get even the Sigma 60 2.8 which is less than 200 in a month from now. And the idea of the A6000 being the back up is exactly my thinking too. Or the Sony 50 1.8 which could be used for portraits. It's limited. I need a fast zoom but two primes. One on each, might tide me over (?) Then some serious saving again

I use Leica mount Voigtlander lenses on my A7 very small and very sharp only manual focus but I'm used to that with my Leicas, mount adapter i use is the Voigtlander close focus adater

 

[Solarflare]

You need lenses, too, not just a camera.

Sony A7* supports manual focus pretty well, so adapted lenses are certainly a possibility.

Just beware with adapted mirrorless lenses: the steep angles of the light from lenses with focal lengths of 28mm and below may cause problems.

Adapted SLR lenses though are fine, as are of course any lenses specifically built for Sony FE, which already took the steep angles into consideration.

 

[Derrel]

Well, I think I get where you are coming from...if you don't buy the camera, that money will go where money always goes...which is "away"....so, get the A7, and then get the Siggy 60 as soon as you can.

 

[goodguy]

Moving to the a6000 ?
Great little camera but if I would move to Sony I would need 2 things
1.FF sensor
2.Good lens selection

A7 is a great camera but in my recent New York trip I met an A7 user who liked his camera but was complaining about its AF system, this was the 3rd time I got this feedback from an A7 user so if I would move to Sony I would wait for a better AF system on their A7 line and then consider moving.
Lens selection is still disappointing so would have to wait for Sony to come out with fast zoom lenses

If I would move to mirrorless APS-C then I would get the Fuji X-T1, nice lens selection and I love its design (even though I was less then impressed with its viewfinder when I tested it at the camera store).