What lenses are fully functional at DVinfo.net

Chris Harding · December 28th, 2012, 07:49 PM

Hi Guys

It's pretty obvious that with an adapter, other lenses will not communicate with the EA-50.. that I understand so everything is totally manual and I'm assuming that the camera would have to be too??

Does the entire Sony SEL range of lenses provide full function from body to lens? In otherwords could one be in full auto and twist off the stock 18-200 and pop on say an SEL50F18 and the camera will still control both aperture, OSS and focus???

I see that the Metabones adapter has contact pins in it to provide communication with other lenses ...what works and what doesn't work?? It would be nice to at least retain aperture control ..OSS is not really a biggie and focus on say a prime is simple to control at a wedding reception.

Chris

Dmitri Zigany · December 29th, 2012, 01:33 PM

Yes, all Sony E-mount lenses are fully supported. I believe the Sony A-mount lenses are also fully supported using the LA-EA2 adapter.

I have the Sony SEL50mm F1.8 and it's possible to use in 'full auto' with the camera controlling everything.

Chris Harding · December 29th, 2012, 07:59 PM

Thanks Dmitri

I think the Sony 50 might be useful..otherwise one can simply use an adapter and any vintage lens and go full manual. With weddings focus and aperture is not really an issue as in a dim Church the light will stay pretty much the same and the couple getting married seldom move out of focus!

Chris

Les Wilson · December 29th, 2012, 09:03 PM

Do your research and read the fine print. Sometimes the LA-EA2 adapter restricts you to an f-stop no wider than 3.5.

Chris Harding · December 29th, 2012, 09:56 PM

Thanks for the heads up Les!

I currently don't have a DSLR pile of lenses in the closet so I won't need to go the Alpha route anyway.

Wonder why it does that?? Are you saying that the adapter only allows you to go no more than F3.5 so it would be totally useless if you were in a dim and dark venue and trying to get extra light into the lens.

In that case it would be pointless using any Alpha lens faster than F3.5 and in fact since the stock lens is F3.5 ..might as well stick to that!

Chris

Dmitri Zigany · December 30th, 2012, 02:35 AM

It's a bit ambiguous, I think it says that it's restricted to f3.5 when using auto focus with LAEA2 and A-mounts. But I've never read if that is true when in manual mode as well...
That has been my main objection to go the LAEA2/A-Mount route too. On the other hand the phase detection AF is supposed to work really well.

My plan is to get some of the Samyang manual lenses with e-mount.
Some say it's better to get them with another mount for future proofing, but they are fairly cheap and Sony seems to be pushing the e-mount quite aggressively so I'm taking my chances. And it's nice to not have to bother with adapters. My upgrade plan is to eventually move to a FS100/700 (or whatever successors they get) so I'm all-in on the e-mount ;)

Les Wilson · December 30th, 2012, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

...Are you saying that the adapter only allows you to go no more than F3.5 so it would be totally useless if you were in a dim and dark venue and trying to get extra light into the lens....

It may be restricted to that aperture with respect to using AE or AF. To be honest, I abandoned my consideration of them when I read of these E-mount/A-mount restrictions. I rather spend my mental energy on creative matters.

Robert Moran · December 30th, 2012, 04:59 PM

Old Nikkors, Zeiss and Angineux lenses work without issue with this system as per the VG 20, both of which I own. When primes are combined with the digital zoom, all kind of possibilities arise as the digital zoom extends the use of primes in ways unimagined prior to the introduction of the 50 and VG 30 systems. In the last job I did, a 40+ year old 50mm 1.4 was uses extensively on night shots with amazing success.

Neil Chamberlain · January 27th, 2013, 10:35 AM

I use the LA EA2 adapters a lot with Sony and old Minolta glass on the EA50. And a few A-mount Sigmas as well.

Some of the old Minolta lenses perform absolutely fantastically. AF with the LA EA2 is very swift and accurate - when a green square lights up in the viewfinder I know it's in focus so I'm beginning to trust it implicitly.

The wonderful Minolta 28-135mm f4-4.5 produces some superb results. On the smaller sensor the 42mm equivalent might be too narrow for some and the long MFD but for interview work it's great.

The f3.5 auto can be a bit restricting but there's always manual override whilst maintaining AF. That said, I used to go made for f1.4 and lower defocussed backgrounds but youcan have too much of a good thing. Wafer thin DOF is hard to manage in a time-pressured shoot. So often, f3.5 is fine with enough blurry backgrounds for most tastes.

Other Minolta surprises are the 80-200mm f2.8 - wonderful results and the Konica Minolta 17-35mm f2.8-4 zoom. With the sensor crop the barrel distortion at the wide end is manageable - and distortion free 20-30mm. And then need I say anything about the 24-70mm f2.8 Sony Zeiss???

Regs, Neil

December 28th, 2012, 07:49 PM	#1
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	What lenses are fully functional Hi Guys It's pretty obvious that with an adapter, other lenses will not communicate with the EA-50.. that I understand so everything is totally manual and I'm assuming that the camera would have to be too?? Does the entire Sony SEL range of lenses provide full function from body to lens? In otherwords could one be in full auto and twist off the stock 18-200 and pop on say an SEL50F18 and the camera will still control both aperture, OSS and focus??? I see that the Metabones adapter has contact pins in it to provide communication with other lenses ...what works and what doesn't work?? It would be nice to at least retain aperture control ..OSS is not really a biggie and focus on say a prime is simple to control at a wedding reception. Chris

December 29th, 2012, 01:33 PM	#2
Dmitri Zigany Major Player Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 286	Re: What lenses are fully functional Yes, all Sony E-mount lenses are fully supported. I believe the Sony A-mount lenses are also fully supported using the LA-EA2 adapter. I have the Sony SEL50mm F1.8 and it's possible to use in 'full auto' with the camera controlling everything.

December 29th, 2012, 07:59 PM	#3
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: What lenses are fully functional Thanks Dmitri I think the Sony 50 might be useful..otherwise one can simply use an adapter and any vintage lens and go full manual. With weddings focus and aperture is not really an issue as in a dim Church the light will stay pretty much the same and the couple getting married seldom move out of focus! Chris

December 29th, 2012, 09:03 PM	#4
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: What lenses are fully functional Do your research and read the fine print. Sometimes the LA-EA2 adapter restricts you to an f-stop no wider than 3.5.

December 29th, 2012, 09:56 PM	#5
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: What lenses are fully functional Thanks for the heads up Les! I currently don't have a DSLR pile of lenses in the closet so I won't need to go the Alpha route anyway. Wonder why it does that?? Are you saying that the adapter only allows you to go no more than F3.5 so it would be totally useless if you were in a dim and dark venue and trying to get extra light into the lens. In that case it would be pointless using any Alpha lens faster than F3.5 and in fact since the stock lens is F3.5 ..might as well stick to that! Chris

December 30th, 2012, 02:35 AM	#6
Dmitri Zigany Major Player Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 286	Re: What lenses are fully functional It's a bit ambiguous, I think it says that it's restricted to f3.5 when using auto focus with LAEA2 and A-mounts. But I've never read if that is true when in manual mode as well... That has been my main objection to go the LAEA2/A-Mount route too. On the other hand the phase detection AF is supposed to work really well. My plan is to get some of the Samyang manual lenses with e-mount. Some say it's better to get them with another mount for future proofing, but they are fairly cheap and Sony seems to be pushing the e-mount quite aggressively so I'm taking my chances. And it's nice to not have to bother with adapters. My upgrade plan is to eventually move to a FS100/700 (or whatever successors they get) so I'm all-in on the e-mount ;)

December 30th, 2012, 04:59 PM	#8
Robert Moran Regular Crew Join Date: May 2011 Location: Redding, CT Posts: 71	Re: What lenses are fully functional Old Nikkors, Zeiss and Angineux lenses work without issue with this system as per the VG 20, both of which I own. When primes are combined with the digital zoom, all kind of possibilities arise as the digital zoom extends the use of primes in ways unimagined prior to the introduction of the 50 and VG 30 systems. In the last job I did, a 40+ year old 50mm 1.4 was uses extensively on night shots with amazing success.

January 27th, 2013, 10:35 AM	#9
Neil Chamberlain New Boot Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Oxford United Kingdom Posts: 21	Re: What lenses are fully functional I use the LA EA2 adapters a lot with Sony and old Minolta glass on the EA50. And a few A-mount Sigmas as well. Some of the old Minolta lenses perform absolutely fantastically. AF with the LA EA2 is very swift and accurate - when a green square lights up in the viewfinder I know it's in focus so I'm beginning to trust it implicitly. The wonderful Minolta 28-135mm f4-4.5 produces some superb results. On the smaller sensor the 42mm equivalent might be too narrow for some and the long MFD but for interview work it's great. The f3.5 auto can be a bit restricting but there's always manual override whilst maintaining AF. That said, I used to go made for f1.4 and lower defocussed backgrounds but youcan have too much of a good thing. Wafer thin DOF is hard to manage in a time-pressured shoot. So often, f3.5 is fine with enough blurry backgrounds for most tastes. Other Minolta surprises are the 80-200mm f2.8 - wonderful results and the Konica Minolta 17-35mm f2.8-4 zoom. With the sensor crop the barrel distortion at the wide end is manageable - and distortion free 20-30mm. And then need I say anything about the 24-70mm f2.8 Sony Zeiss??? Regs, Neil