Focus peaking with the Sony NEX-7

In a review of a camera that Andrea at 43rumors linked to, the reviewer was critical of focus peaking, with the statement:- "I like the idea of being able to quickly "approximate" your focus through the focus peaking. This is better implemented for other areas of photography, say, street photography using manual focus lenses ......... I did not say that Focus Peaking was a useless feature, I was just merely saying, it could have been better."

I'm prepared to give the benefit of the doubt here and assume that this person hasn't used the Sony NEX focus peaking feature, though why you would choose to write about it under those circumstances mystifies me.

Getting the best out of focus peaking is a two step process. When used normally it does just give an approximation of what areas are in focus for any given aperture. But when this is combined with the ability to magnify the image in the viewfinder or the screen, this gives an incredibly accurate and precise method of focusing. I've personally found it the most accurate, quickest and useful means of focusing a lens manually that I've ever used. Better than m4/3 and better than the Leica rangefinder system, and indeed better than my own eyes.

Sony NEX-7 a-mount 30mm f/2.8 macro lens LA-EA2 mirrored adapter

The writer talks about this in the context of taking macro shots. I used the above combination to shoot these. Manually focused and hand held.

The focus peaking feature nailed the precise focus I wanted every time. By the way these are not the best of a bunch. I only took one shot of each. From my experience its macro work where this feature really comes into its own.

So - "it could have been better" Better in what way?? I get 100% accuracy in manual focusing with the peaking feature on both my NEX-7 and NEX-5n. 

I was moved to write this because I don't want a false impression to be generated. If there were problems with this, I would say so. For me it works in whatever situation I use it in and I repeat it is 100% successful, which is why I've always been so enthusiastic about it.

Finally I wish people would be a little more circumspect with the things that they write and consider whether they have the experience and evidence to support what they say.

Sony NEX-7 with 30mm f/3.5 macro lens

All pictures - Sony NEX-7 30mm f/3.5 macro lens

I must admit I was a little disappointed with the 30mm f/3.5 NEX e-mount macro lens on my NEX-7. Not that its a bad lens, it isn't, not that its poor at macro, in fact its very good, but that it wasn't better as an all round standard lens. This is purely on my experience with using macro lenses in the past. They are often very fine lenses. I can think of the Olympus 50mm f.2 macro, Panasonic / Leica 45mm f/2.8 macro and the Canon 50mm f/2.5 macro,in particular, which were all top class lenses when used for other work, other than macro.

Don't get me wrong the Sony 30mm is a good lens, however I was a little disappointed that the edge sharpness wide open and the bokeh weren't better. Its a slow lens at f/3.5 and my suspicion is thats to keep it relatively small. Its strange how lenses that worked very well on the NEX-5d, like this one, don't seem as good on the NEX-7. The reverse seems to be true also.

However, here's a few macro shots, and as you can see its very good at that.

Incidentally, there was strong wind blowing, but I had no problem getting the AF to lock on and get the shot, so plus points for that.

As I said my sight disappointment is with using the lens as a general purpose "standard" lens. From my experiences with the 5n, I was expecting some biting sharpness, but that didn't happen. Sharp, certainly, but I think I was assuming that the files would be impressively crisp, when they were merely good. Again on the plus side, there's not a lot of CA and fringing and as I indicated the lens is very quick in operation and handles extremely well.

If you do a lot of macro and use the NEX system then you won't be disappointed with it, and I can see no advantages in using the a-mount 30mm f/2.8, via an adapter, since with the light loss you won't gain anything and the e-mount lens will be a lot faster to use. Incidentally the 30mm a-mount is a great lens optically but has very flimsy build quality. However it is very cheap. So good value, but I personally wouldn't use it in anything approaching extreme conditions. The e-mount lens is very nicely engineered and a better looking and feeling lens overall.

Sony NEX-7 - A few tests and samples

Here are a few full-size jpgs. from the NEX-7.

Click on image > flickr > Actions > View all sizes > Original

ISO 100

ISO 800

ISO 6400

Some comparisons with the a77 - using the same lens - 30mm f/2.8 Macro.

ISO 100

ISO 800

ISO 6400

Interestingly it seems the NEX-7 files are slightly less noisy and slightly less sharp. Indicating possibly a slightly stronger Anti-Aliasing / Low Pass filter?

Finally here are three raw .dng files available for download. As ever these are copyright, for personal evaluation and must not be shared, or re-posted without permission or used in any other way whatsoever.

There's nothing here that surprises me - having used the a77 I knew what to expect, and I'll be working out my own processing parameters when I get some "real world" files to work with.

As I think can be clearly seen, this isn't a great sensor for high ISO work, but then I'm sure nobody is surprised by that.

Multi-image stitched panoramas with a Sony a77

All images - Sony a77, 30mm f/2.8 Macro, Multi images stitched together using photomerge in Photoshop. All original files, when edited are in excess of 100MB. Who needs a Nikon D800!?

Samsung NX200 review - Part 13 - Comparison between a77, NEX-5n and NX200

Some interesting results here.

I firstly compared the Sony a77, Sony NEX-5n and the Samsung NX200 using the same lens. My Sony a-mount 30mm f/2.8 macro lens, which via adapters I can use on all three cameras. I used an aperture of f/8, and three different ISO settings 100, 800 and 3200. All were processed identically in Capture One from raw. In the first version of each test the files are kept at their relative sizes, in the second version I downsized both the a77 and NX200 files to the same size as the NEX-5n files.

As usual for a large high-res version, click on the image > flickr > Actions > View all sizes > Original.

ISO 100

ISO 800

ISO 3200

Since the tests were carried out using the translucent mirror technology in the a77 and the 5n adapter, the Samsung has faster shutter speeds for all images. 

The second test was carried out using the kit lenses for each system. I used ISO 100. f/8 and a 35mm focal length.

Again the first is with the files at their relative sizes and the second with the a77 and NX200 files being downsized to the same size as the NEX-5n.

I will let you you decide for yourselves what the results indicate, but one thing struck me straightaway. That is just how much impact the Samsung kit lens is having on the impressive files I'm seeing from the NX200. I noticed yesterday when I was looking at the results from the Sony lenses I was using that they didn't have the same crispness that I was getting off the Samsung 18-55mm kit lens. That seems to be case here also.

In terms of any kind of conclusions, it does seem that the NEX-5n sensor lives up to its reputation as being very impressive indeed. It was interesting that the NX200 files seem to be better at higher ISO's than the a77 files. Indeed the a77 files seem to be pretty much the worst overall. What this means for the NEX-7 which uses the same unit is open to question. Obviously no SLT means that all shutter speeds will be "shifted down" about 1/2 stop, which will improve the low light performance and it remains to be seen as to whether the 24MP sensor will be exactly the same as the one in the a77, or whether it has been "tweaked" in the cameras software. 

To be honest at low ISO's all of these results from the three cameras are spectacularly good, and all are capable of huge reproductions. However since this is a Samsung NX200 review, it does show once again just how good this sensor is. It also indicates that Samsung know how how to design and build a kit lens as well.

Mike Kobal on the Sony A77 and A65

http://www.mikekobal.com/blog/?p=2561

We seem to share the same opinions of the A77, plus taste in lenses.

Sony A77 files - jpg and raw

The jpgs. from the Sony A77 have rightly been described as being somewhat "ordinary" and certainly the raw files offer the opportunity to get a lot more from an image. Below is a workflow comparison between raw and jpg. 

Firstly the out of camera jpg. and a 100% blowup.

For the raw file, these are the settings I'm currently using to process A77 files in Adobe Camera Raw / Photoshop.

For this picture I slightly increased the contrast in curves.

This picture needed a slight adjustment for the sky which was a little too cyan for my tastes.

Looking at a 100% blowup again, the file is "punchier" and is sharper with more definition. 

It must be remembered however that I'm creating a file here for the picture library sites that I supply. The image is processed in this way for print reproduction.

Shottery with Sony a77

Sony A77 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens

One of the most famous houses in the UK, Ann Hathaways cottage, the home of the wife of William Shakespeare, is situated in a small village just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. I have lots of pictures of it, but none in Autumn, so I went to photograph it, and its surroundings, yesterday with the Sony A77.

Sony A77 85mm f/2.8 SAM lens

Sony A77 85mm f/2.8 SAM lens

Sony A77 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens

Sony A77 85mm f/2.8 SAM lens

Sony A77 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens

Sony A77 85mm f/2.8 SAM lens

Sony A77 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens