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Re: Bringing a big camera?
John Sims #40424 09/30/14 07:12 AM
Joined: Jan 2010
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Originally Posted By: John Sims
Originally Posted By: Fishmonger

And that is why he is Director of National Geographic Travel and not National Geographic Magazine grin



I think the Director of National Geographic Magazine uses an iPhone smile

Yes, yes, yes, I concede your point.

Just for grins I looked at an alternative configuration (only camera and lenses), and making the following substitutions will save you 1131.1 g, or 2.5 pounds.

Sona a6000 with battery and memory stick 344
Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS Lens 308
E 20mm F2.8 E-mount Prime Lens 69
E 16mm F2.8 E-mount Prime Lens 67



note that these lenses actually will be longer than my full frame glass by a factor of 1.5x due to the Nex-6 crop sensor. The zoom is similar to my 24-85mm, but also weighs almost the same as well, while the 20mm becomes a 30mm, which is a focal length I rarely use. The 16mm becomes a pretty decent 24mm but still isn't as wide as the 20mm and definitely won't do what my 16mm does - the Nikon 16mm f/3.5 is a full frame 180 degree fisheye. There is a crop sensor specific 8mm from Rokinon that could fill in for that role, but it's almost the same weight as my fisheye, and nowhere near as sharp (no star shots wide open...). I do not own any of the lenses you list either, so there's a significant cost issue, especially given I have no use for these dedicated crop lenses outside of hiking.

I bought the Nex-6 for its ability to utilize glass I already own, using the Lensturbo/Speedbooster adapters that also retain the original focal lengths. I bought it mostly for its better video recording (1080p60). Serving as a lightweight alternative was only a marginal reason should I ever not want leave behind the full DSLR, but I would also need to buy one of the lenses you list to get the real benefit of the smaller setup. Maybe the next winter trip, when the pack is already pushing 50 pounds without camera gear.

With a budget big enough, all the things my camera can do should be possible with a lighter setup, but I don't think I want to spend much on such savings. I don't care too much about pack weight. Maybe a few years from now I'll be able to drop 50% of the camera gear weight without any loss in capabilities I care about and for a price that's right.

Re: Bringing a big camera?
Fishmonger #40429 09/30/14 01:21 PM
Joined: Aug 2012
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Originally Posted By: Fishmonger


I bought the Nex-6 for its ability to utilize glass I already own, using the Lensturbo/Speedbooster adapters that also retain the original focal lengths.



Are you able to autofocus with these adapters? If not, how is manually focus using the screen on the NEX?

I would like an adapter that will allow me to use our Nikon 18-135mm lens on my NEX, but still have the ability to use autofocus.

BTW, if I had Fishmonger's camera skills, I would carry a 'big' camera too!

Re: Bringing a big camera?
63ChevyII.com #40435 09/30/14 05:10 PM
Joined: Jan 2010
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Originally Posted By: 63ChevyII.com
Originally Posted By: Fishmonger


I bought the Nex-6 for its ability to utilize glass I already own, using the Lensturbo/Speedbooster adapters that also retain the original focal lengths.



Are you able to autofocus with these adapters? If not, how is manually focus using the screen on the NEX?

I would like an adapter that will allow me to use our Nikon 18-135mm lens on my NEX, but still have the ability to use autofocus.

BTW, if I had Fishmonger's camera skills, I would carry a 'big' camera too!


For Nikon glass, it is all manual focus with the Nex (and my DSLR for the most part - most of my lenses are manual). The Nex has some pretty great focus peeking (edges of areas in focus highlight in a bright color in realtime as you focus). It is is much better than on the Nikon full frame body and works like a charm. The more difficult part is that you also have to do fully manual exposure with the Nex. First focus with the lens wide open, then stop down (twist a ring on the agapter), then meter, set exposure and shoot. The live histogram in the viewfinder makes that actually pretty easy, too.

Wide angle lenses don't need much focusing anyway, but at 135mm you need to be quite accurate. I grew up with manual focus and still use it 90% of the time, from shooting landscapes with a fisheye or race cars with a 600mm - it actually works better sometimes to be in full control of those things and not trust Sony or Nikon to know best. And shooting manually allows me to use lenses from 25 to even 50+ years ago, as they haven't changed and still work just fine on today's big Nikons and the Sony Nex. The glass hasn't changed very much since then, nano coated or not. Most of my images from the Sierra are taken with lenses from the 1970s that are a pleasure to manually focus, fine machines from a era when things were built to last, and quality was important. I would hate to have to manually focus your 18-135mm - that plastic focus ring is really only a backup solution smile

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