Sony alpha emount lens choice

Drollic · 11 Sep 2017 at 15:09

As an owner of the a6000, is it me, or is there zero choice for an emount lens of something like a 16-35 f2.8 or lower or 18-55 f2.8 or lower? There seems to be a complete lack of good general all purpose lenses? I'm thinking of swapping out the whole system just so I don't have to bother with two different primes for travel?

Marzipanogram · 11 Sep 2017 at 23:36

I'm not really familiar with the A6000, I've got a A7R2.
Could you use Sony FE lens on it to broaden your scope?

I've gone the other way and switched from the Sony 24-70 GM to 2 primes

D.P. · 12 Sep 2017 at 00:46

The FE 16-35 is very big and very expensive. Sony seems to care even less about APS-C users than Canon or Nikon.

Columbo · 12 Sep 2017 at 09:00

I'd advise grabbing a Sony LA-EA2 adaptor, you'll then have the A-Mount and Minolta lenses opened up to you with full AF and metering.
Adds a bit of bulk yes but the e-mount lenses aren't exactly small anyway the A Mount lenses are far less expensive and pretty much no different optically.

Drollic · 12 Sep 2017 at 11:11

Columbo said:
I'd advise grabbing a Sony LA-EA2 adaptor, you'll then have the A-Mount and Minolta lenses opened up to you with full AF and metering.
Adds a bit of bulk yes but the e-mount lenses aren't exactly small anyway the A Mount lenses are far less expensive and pretty much no different optically.

What lens would you recommend based on my original post with the adapter? Would you say going to fuji with a trade in against something like an xt20 with the 18-55 2.8 would be worthwhile instead?

Columbo · 12 Sep 2017 at 11:27

Well Fuji is the only mirrorless APS-c system I would consider, I personally use the Panasonic m4/3 system which does actually offer a real size and weight decrease over the mirror options.

In terms of lenses for A Mount there are many that would be good, the best being the Sony 16-50mm f2.8 SSM, there is also the CZ 16-80mm which again is very good. For a UWA lens I'd look at the Sigma 10-20 f3.5 or Sigma 8-16mm both of which I owned and loved.

Drollic · 12 Sep 2017 at 13:25

Columbo said:
Well Fuji is the only mirrorless APS-c system I would consider, I personally use the Panasonic m4/3 system which does actually offer a real size and weight decrease over the mirror options.

In terms of lenses for A Mount there are many that would be good, the best being the Sony 16-50mm f2.8 SSM, there is also the CZ 16-80mm which again is very good. For a UWA lens I'd look at the Sigma 10-20 f3.5 or Sigma 8-16mm both of which I owned and loved.

The cost of the Sony 16-50 plus the adapter plus the size and weight penalty makes me think the Fuji would be a better option. For primes the Sony system seems good, but given the models now released, the support for a general all purpose lens seems terrible.

Columbo · 12 Sep 2017 at 14:40

Indeed I don't disagree that Fuji would be a better option if you feel limited by the E Mount system/
Additionally don't discount the the m4/3 options from Panasonic / Olympus, there are some superb lenses for very little money and the size and weight benefit vs image quality is like no other options.

D.P. · 12 Sep 2017 at 15:40

Agreed with Columbo. If size and/or weight is important, then m43 cameras win out by a country mile. Not only are there actually small and light cameras and lenses, there is a complete lens line up top to bottom, prime and zoom, telephoto to ultra wides, pro performance and plastic fantastic. You also have manufactures (Olympus and Panasonic) making lenses for the same system, so often times you have a choice between manufacturers. And the m43 mount is an open standard so althugh 3rd parties haven't put a ton of effort in the AF, metering and all electronic stuff works perfectly.

The sensors are very good (Sony), so the cameras tend to perform as well as Canon APS-C cameras.

Spleen Sauce · 13 Sep 2017 at 10:11

Native crop e-mount lenses are few and far between, one of the reasons I sold my A6000. Even if you did go FE mount for whatever reason the quality can drop compared to mounting it on the FF bodies.

Another vote here for M43 - I have a Panasonic G80 and love it.

darreny · 13 Sep 2017 at 21:46

I think you have the option of an adapter and the sigma 18-35 1.8 but am not well up on sony

EsaT · 14 Sep 2017 at 13:22

Drollic said:
For primes the Sony system seems good, but given the models now released, the support for a general all purpose lens seems terrible.

Even for primes Sony isn't putting effort to APS-C.
They are now treating APS-C pretty much as stepping stone for getting people pushed to 35mm.
Heck, while they kept improving sensors and making new bodies there was clear sense of lack of direction even when system was called as NEX.

Besides being way more complete as system M43's future and development isn't at whim of quarterly decision of some fashion following managers.
Sure main business of Olympus might be elsewhere, but cameras are also long time tradition for them.
And neither trying to make other format camera would make sense for Panasonic.

Drollic · 14 Sep 2017 at 16:55

Tried one or two m43 cameras today and I actually prefer the size of apsc on the whole. I also hate using higher iso in low light and a smaller sensor wouldn't help. Tried an x-t20 and liked it although for the money, it makes what I paid for my a6000 in Hong Kong near launch seem a joke. The evf was a noticeable step up and preferred the look and feel as well as the menu system, joypad on it as well would have been perfect. The preset jpeg options for quick snaps seem genuinely useful as well. £1099 with the 18-55 2.8. I'm back in Hong Kong shortly so may trade in there.