Forum Newbie Help please!

[DDinMpls]

Hi! I have an A7 Mark 2 and the 28-70 kit lens. I am looking for a 2.8 zoom without having to drop $2200 for a G master 24-70. I see that with the LA-EA 3 adapter I can use Sony SAM and SSM lenses and it seems to AF pretty fast. My question is do after market lenses like Tamron 28-75 auto focus? I know lens have to have own motor that isn't screw drive and I think Tamron does? Has anyone had experience with 3rd party 28-70/75 2.8 lenses on a7MK 2 using the LA-EA3? Any help would be appreciated!

[christer]

A relevant topic description would have been helpful.

[Guest Peter Kelly]

As any need is directly related to the use, would you let us know what you normally do and the demands you have?

If, for instance, your are an occasional amateur then I doubt there will be many times having such a lens would be of any benefit, but if you are (or going to be soon) a full time pro then that could be a different matter entirely.

 

So, the first thing you need to establish is how often you find yourself limited by the aperture of your lens. When you have a good handle on that, you need to think about those occasions and whether operational speed would also be an issue.

After all, if you're looking for better subject separation, but can take a little time and care, then there are numbers of options which may allow even more flexibility. If, however, you need to grab the shot quickly then perhaps the lenses you are considering, with adapter, may not be the best choice.

[Gilgenberg]

i would go for the LA-EA4 Adapter...AF is faster and more reliable than LA-EA3 and non A7RII Body´s

 

I have many Minolta AF and sony ssm lenses and AF is very fast open, with ssm lenses it locks instantly

[grumman020]

I have the setup you described: a7ii + ea4 + tamron 28-75 f2.8.

Yes, you will need the ea4 to focus. it does not work on the ea3. Focus is not fast and definitely not silent. But I have no issues with photo quality. It is decently sharp at the centre, even wide open. you will get the usual dose of chromatic aberration and distortion, but it's really not that bad.  

I have not compared it to the expensive zooms. But compared to the FE2470 f4, it's noticeably sharper wide open. I didn't do an extensive test though, just a quick and dirty 15mins test on my camera.

I have also tried shooting weddings with the set up without much trouble, even though focusing speed leaves much to be desired. 

At the price it is on the 2nd hand market, I have absolutely no complaints.

Another thing to note is the ergonomics. It is very imbalanced and front heavy. Together with the ea4 that has a bulging motor at the bottom, it can be awkward at times.

If you need some sample photos don't hesitate to ask

[Zé De Boni]

i would go for the LA-EA4 Adapter...AF is faster and more reliable than LA-EA3 and non A7RII Body´s

 

I have many Minolta AF and sony ssm lenses and AF is very fast open, with ssm lenses it locks instantly

 

 

I have the setup you described: a7ii + ea4 + tamron 28-75 f2.8.

Yes, you will need the ea4 to focus. it does not work on the ea3. Focus is not fast and definitely not silent. But I have no issues with photo quality. It is decently sharp at the centre, even wide open. you will get the usual dose of chromatic aberration and distortion, but it's really not that bad.  

I have not compared it to the expensive zooms. But compared to the FE2470 f4, it's noticeably sharper wide open. I didn't do an extensive test though, just a quick and dirty 15mins test on my camera.

 

 

The Sony A 28-75mm f2.8 (same design as Tamron's) with the LAEA3 works fine, fast and silent focusing. It is sharp at every focal lenght when stopped down. At 55mm f/8 (corrected in LR) I got similar results, as sharp as with the Zeiss 55/1.8. The main difference in Lightroom settings was sharpening: 60% for the zoom and nothing for the Zeiss. The Zeiss 55 is so sharp that you must not use software sharpening at all! I've bought the zoom at half its price (Demo), so with the adapter it was cheaper than the f/4 FE zoom. However I did not tested it wide open and have no way to compare it with other zooms. If you need a f/2.8 this is a nice option.

As I mostly shoot two or three stops down, I would rather get the Zeiss f/4 24-70mm, considering the price and weight. For me, the wider angle is very practical. And as I said many times in this forum, I recommend using the native lenses as much as possible.

Now, if I already had the kit zoom and limited budget, I would consider spending my money on other kind of lenses, as the 70-200 or some prime(s).