Search the Community

Hi, I've decided to ditch my Canon gear & make the switch to Sony A7R II. I'm the 28-50-90 kinda guy. Since I travel a lot I need the gear to be small, light weight & sturdy. The results of the Sony 28mm f2 on flickr don't impress me much. I've decided on the following two lenses as my starting kit with the A7R II & novoflex adapter. 1.) Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 asph 2.) Leica Summarit-M 90mm f/2.4 Considering the crop factor mode, I'll also be able to use the two lenses at approx. 42mm & 135mm respectively which gives me enough range (although with lesser megapixels which is a compromise I'm ok with). I intend to add a dedicated 50mm lens at a later time when budget allows. I'd like to know if anyone is using either of these lenses on their Sony? How do they perform? Should I rather look at the Leica Summicron-m 28mm since I've heard (but not seen much results) the Elmarit 28mm doesn't gel too well with the Sony? The extra stop of light isn't as big of a factor for me as the image quality. Also I'm investing in Leica lenses coz I like the look of the Leica glass and might someday purchase a Leica body which is clearly out of my budget in the near future. I'd consider loxia trilogy if a 28 & 90 existed but the closes they have is Batis 25mm & 85mm which both look bulky. Any advice or wisdom you have to offer is highly appreciated. Cheers.

NOTE: The above image was taken with the A7r, the Novoflex BALPRO T/S and the Schneider 100/5,6 APO Macro Digitar. I'm new here, so this is my first post. I'm a professional, shooting still life audio gear. As such, the image above is illustrative of the sort I take day in, day out. As such, AF, operational speed, body robustness, and a few other things that matter to most users, don't matter much at all to me. What does matter is LCD quality, Wifi image preview, linear lens resolution, lots of megapixels, and quick/repeatable magnification operation. The A7r nails most points. While I wrote part one and then part two for Fujirumors, the camera I used most for shoots was the Sony A7r. It provides great resolution and good functionality for a still-life studio. The shot above was taken with the A7r on the BALPRO with the Schneider lens. For macro, other than somewhat poor labelling, the BALPRO is stable and has excellent tilt fulcrums for enlargement and compact large format lenses and light medium format backs, or when used with a Sony or Fujifilm back. It vibrates quite a bit thanks to the A7r's shutter shock, but if you are using flash, it is rarely an issue. Slow shutter speeds can induce softness. I use it with three lenses: 1. Schneider 100/5.6 Apo macro Digitar (copal 0) 2. Fujifilm 90/5,6 EX Enlargement lens 3. Fujifilm 135/5,6 EBC in copal 0 As you may or may not know, I am an audiophile photographer that covers earphones and headphones and speakers and DACs and geeky audiophile events for major manufacturers. My clients are magazines, boutique shops, and both small and large makers of hi and low-end gear. I've yet to complete the 'fun' part of the review, showing the sort of image possible whilst hiking or on the street, the reviews quoted above do what I hope is a decent job of showing how the A7r and BALPRO handle. I have since purchased a Rollei X-ACT 2, which uses similar camera and lens adapters and from time to time use a medium format digital back with that combination of lens and bellows, or with a Fujifilm GX680. If you have any questions, please ask. Note: wide-angle large format lenses need medium format backs, or, if you are handy, a sub-20mm flange back adapter. My Rodenstock 47mm/4,5 lens will NOT achieve infinity focus with any mirrorless camera on any adapter I have used.