Seeking mirrorless advice

[John 2]

I've always liked a similar definition, this time of a salesman. A good salesman is someone who sells a one cow farmer a milking machine - and takes the cow in part exchange.

[rpcrowe]

Richard - I can highly recommend the Sony FE 2/28 lens. It is small, light weight and sharp as all get out too. I use it on my Nex-7 and A7ii. It is my only native lens so far.

I just updated my MC-11 adapter to the newest firmware. Apparently the connector is a Sigma special, although it looks like a standard USB to Micro USB cord. Anyway to be safe, I ordered a OEM Sigma cord from Amazon which has just arrived.

It is a great improvement. While I could always use face detect AF in AFS (single shot mode) with my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens and MC-11 on my A6500, the combination refused to focus at all in AVC (continuous mode). Now, although I still don't seem to have face detect in Continuous mode it focuses O.K.

The most surprising thing is that I have an old Canon mount Sigma 28mm f/1.8 which is actually a pretty sharp lens. However, this lens could not autofocus with any Canon DSLR later than the 10D. Sigma could/would not update the lens so I was left with a paper weight which I couldn't use nor sell.

Well, with the new firmware upgrade on the MC-11 adapter, this lens focuses just fine on the A6500. So I now have a nice f/1.8 28mm lens converted from what was a paperweight...

I now a couple of several native Sony lenses... The 50mm f/1.8 OSS (crop sensor) lens is really great and the 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is surprisingly good for a kit lens.

The native lenses work far better on the A6500 than do the modified Canon glass or even the modified Canon mount Sigma lens...

NOTE: I have not tried the Canon mount Sigma glass specified by Sigma for use with the MC-11. These are most often selected Sigma ART or Contemporary lenses which are reputed (by Sigma) to have AF capability akin to native Sony glass.
https://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/mc-11-compatible?p=2

[rpcrowe]

Trev stated, "The thing is that I must agree many people buy or upgrade their camera under the GAS principle that something new is bound to make them a better photographer."

I don't expect new gear to make me a better photographer. I will usually purchase new gear for one of two reasons. Sometimes these two reasons overlap and then I feel that I hit the jackpot.

My reasons for buying a new piece of gear:

1. It can do something that I cannot do with the gear I already have. As an example, the 100-400mm f/4L IS ii lens gives me a far greater reach than the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens which was my previously longest lens.

2. I will have more fun shooting it. This is true with my A6500 which is far lighter in weight and easier for an old man to carry.

[rpcrowe]

I just located a very good book on the A6500...

https://smile.amazon.com/Friedman-Ar...keywords=A6500

This book is by far the best book on the A6500 that I have found. At the below $15.00 USD Kindle price, it won't break the bank either!

It gets right into using the camera and doesn't include such unnecessary dribble as how to attach the camera strap

I think that the title should have been "Everything You Want To Know About The A6500"

[Shadowman]

I just located a very good book on the A6500...

https://smile.amazon.com/Friedman-Ar...keywords=A6500

This book is by far the best book on the A6500 that I have found. At the below $15.00 USD Kindle price, it won't break the bank either!

It gets right into using the camera and doesn't include such unnecessary dribble as how to attach the camera strap

I think that the title should have been "Everything You Want To Know About The A6500"

Unfortunately the camera guides come out at such a slow pace that everyone (or at some) move onto the next camera offering before they've exhausted all the possibilities of their current gear. I'm still waiting for a good guide for the D750 and try not to get to weighed down by the new camera offerings.

[rpcrowe]

I have just been testing my Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 + SIGMA MC-11 adapter on my A6500.

Image quality is of course great. Every bit as good as that lens on a Canon DSLR camera. Some testers state that the quality on a Sony mirrorless is a bit better but, I would not go as far as to say that.

Since I updated my MC-11 firmware (no docking station needed) using the Sigma USB to Micro USB cord (which is said to be proprietary but, looks to me like any USB to micro USB cord), the AF capability of the 85mm f/1.8 lens has improved drastically. Before I updated the firmware, I needed to use the lens + adapter in manual focus mode. Now AF works quite nicely. Although I do not have Eye-AF with this combination, the face detect works great and the eyes of my manikin seem to be in focus wherever her face is located in the frame. I have purposely situated her face in the corners of the frame and the eyes are in focus even when the face is in those locations.

I am excited to be testing the combination this weekend at the Escondido Renaissance Faire. I am going to bring the A6500 plus the Canon 85mm and the Sony 50mm f/1.8 OSS lens to test these combinations doing some informal portraiture. The two-lens kit weighs a bit over 1,200 grams (That's about 42 ounces for us metrically challenged Yanks)...

However, grams or ounces, that is a pretty darn lightweight kit!

[Mike46]

I bought a Fujifilm X-T3 a couple of months ago having been a Nikon full frame user previously. Being a bit older now, I was looking for some lighter gear so went for the cropped sensor. I have the 16mm F1.4, 55-200 and the so called kit lens 18-55.
I find the latter very good and should not really be called a kit lens as it is far superior to the normal meaning of the term. The 16mm is very versatile and gives great IQ. The camera itself harks back to the days of film , with most important exposure dials on top, so you don't have to go ploughing through menus. All in all , I am glad I plumped for this camera, it might not be for everybody but I love it.

[davidedric]

Hello Mike, and welcome.

I think a lot of the current crop of "kit" lenses are pretty good. I doubt there's ever been a better time to be a photographer.

Pleased you enjoying your new Fuji, and hope that you'll post some shots for us to see.

Regards, Dave

[LePetomane]

I'm excited to see some photos from the Fujifilm XT-3 as well.