Sony A7s - Starter Kit?

[aglara]

Hi everyone!

I'm going on holidays in about 2 weeks time and am looking to buy an A7s to accompany me on my travels.

These are the main reasons I've decided to go with the A7s:

• Size - I own a 5D Mark III, but it's too cumbersome to carry with me everywhere and is hardly discrete.
  
• sLog - I usually shoot RAW via Magic Lantern on my Mk3, so sLog will give me similar flexibility in post without the painful workflow.
  
• Ridiculous low-light capability
  

Now, I have a few questions...

1. Are there any accessories that I should definitely look into buying? Memory cards (obviously), loupes, ND filters etc...
   
2. What would be an ideal all-purpose travel lens?
   
3. I have a Zeiss 35mm which I've adapted for my Canon. If I change the mount to suit the Sony, what focal length will it effectively be?
   

Any help with the above would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

[Golem]

35mm remains 35mm [etc etc].

 

Accessories of the absolutely mandatory

nature ? A big bag ... which you will fill

with batteries ! While we love our Sonys

here, not a one amongst us will deny that

they are humongous battery munchers.

 

You should also pick up extra chargers. If

you try charging them one at a time you'll

be up all nite swapping batteries in and out

of a single charger :-(

 

Basically, it's ALL ABOUT the batteries ...

but to repeat, we've all found it to be very

much worth adjusting to that reality :-)

 

-------------------------------------------

2. What would be an ideal

all-purpose travel lens?

OK. Really ? You don't actually believe in

this mythological creature, do you ?

 

I favor an ancient 35/2.0 AI Nikkor on a

Metabones adapter, but if I had your old

Zeiss 35, I'd happily use that. So, since

you already own the essential, everything

else is just frills. My choices of frills [when

I bother to tote a bit more] are, by priority:

 

1. 20/4.0, nice compact "almost-ultra" WA.

 

2. 105/2.5, anything beyond the reach of

a 105 [and a 1.4X TC if I'm pushed] is, for

my purposes, not worth shooting.

 

-----------------------------------------

 

A 35mm FL expresses, or matches, my own

take on what falls within my personal sphere,

both at home and away. And the ancient AI

Nikkor produces stunning results, just as I'd

also expect of your Zeiss 35. I don't feel any

urge to be making pix of things that I'm not

experiencing in a fairy immediate manner,

so I have almost no use for looong lenses.

 

YMMV, but you use a 35mm in a day when

so many users never even realize it exists !

To me it says something about you. So give

consideration to the "35-plus-a-frill-or-two"

approach. It just might work for you as well.

It works for a whole lotta M-Leica users ...

 

Your frills will likely differ vs mine, but do we

both agree that a 70-200/2.8 is hardly a frill ?

You're on a holiday, not an assignment !

 

 

 

`

[steve of stonehenge]

I recently changed over from Canon 70D to Sony A7ii.  My plan was to use a Metabones IV with Canon L glass.  It worked for autofocus (although slowly) but many cool features of Sony A series cameras went unused.  I suggest you get the Sony FE 35 f2.8 for your trip.  Then you can use the AF-C (continuous) autofocus feature.  With non-Sony lenses you can only use AF-S (single shot).  The AF-C takes advantage of the phase detection and contrast detection capabilities of the Sony mirrorless sensor.  Check out this Gary Fong video:

 

http://www.garyfong.com/tutorials/configure-your-sony-mirrorless-camera-autofocus-object-tracking

 

Since I got Sony/Zeiss FE lenses, I have enjoyed the new Sony A7ii much more.  Yes you can get some great shots with non-Sony glass, but your results will be much better with Sony FE glass.

[aglara]

Thank you for all the advice and suggestions!

 

I probably should have mentioned that I will mostly be shooting video, not photos. So I won’t have any need for autofocus.

 

Regarding glass, I'll have a look in to each of the lenses suggested.

 

Is there a 50mm out there that might suit my purposes? Something with IS would be great.

[zdravkovski]

Thank you for all the advice and suggestions!

 

I probably should have mentioned that I will mostly be shooting video, not photos. So I won’t have any need for autofocus.

 

Regarding glass, I'll have a look in to each of the lenses suggested.

 

Is there a 50mm out there that might suit my purposes? Something with IS would be great.

 

I've got Zeiss Loxia 50mm, and it's nothing like I've ever used. Check into that, since you're in for video. (you can even declick the aperture)

I'd also second that above post about batteries and chargers, this thing cuts them like a hot knife through butter. ( but it's worth it!)

 

Don't ask for autofocus in a7s, it's not the greatest one. But hey!, it's meant to do video, not stills. (arguable, yes I know... )

 

Cheers

[RRRoger]

Nearly everyone I know has wasted money on a kit lens at least once.

I would use all my lens money for a 28-135 f/4.0 Cine.

The AutoFocus works good with this lens and all I have to do to dial in manually is pull the focus ring back.

My Sony 24-70 is now for sale.

 

I do not need anything else for the A7s except a 4k recorder (7Q+) and "lots of batteries".

I am using dummy batteries and a Sony L plate for the A7s

and PowerAdd 32,000 mAh for the recorder.