Your opinion... lens kit for Sony A6000

I purchased a used Sony A6000 and am now looking for lenses. I already have a very nice Micro Nikkor 55mm/2.8 for macro and am considering purchase of a Kipon tilt adapter to aid in macro imaging. I've ordered a K&F Nikon to NEX adapter but may sell it if I buy the Kipon.

 

I can't spend a ton of money on lenses and digital isn't going to be my primary setup. All I want for the digital kit is 'good' quality at 'affordable' prices. I'm not concerned about low light performance. I don't need auto focus and aperture priority auto exposure is fine. The following list is my proposed lens kit.

 

Sigma 10-20mm/4.0

Nikkor 18-55/3.5 VR II

Nikkor 55-200/4.0 VR I (one)

Nikkor Micro 55/2.8

 

Caveats/suggestions?

From what I know, the Nikkor 18-55 isn't any better than the Sony equivalent. The Sony will allow you to use Optical Steady Shot. Some say the Nikkor 60/2.8 Micro is better than the 55mm, but I have no idea.

Thank you, Karim. I'll research it further.

I've ordered a K&F Nikon to NEX adapter

Wait for it to arrive, put your macro on it and dabble!

I lack hands on Sony experience. I did buy early Fujis and adapters for my heritage glass. The big issue I am having: besides the rather wide open bokeh shots, for which a MILC with focus peaking and zoomed in EVF is really nice to have, there are a lot of shots that I'd like to take with a stopped down lens. Aperture rings on what I have don't run as smooth as the ones on well maintained older aperture preselect SLR lenses (on which you have one ring to set f8 and another to open the aperture for focusing and close it for the exposure).

I intended to shoot my DR cron in a studio with at least three 250W bulbs of modelling light at f16 or maybe f8. The plan did not work out. My EVF refresh rates dropped, the thing turned dim due to the set sync speed and operating the hard clicking aperture ring on the light MILC interfered with my hand held framing. - YMMV.

 

Walking in your shoes I'd pair proprietary mount glass and bodies, to have budged zooms.

All I want for the digital kit is 'good' quality at 'affordable' prices. I'm not concerned about low light performance. I don't need auto focus and aperture priority auto exposure is fine.

"No need for low light performance" makes me suggest a used darn beater SLR in the 10MP range, for the happy snapping with consumer zooms. Images will hopefully look not too bad on a 4K screen, if taken close to base ISO. - Especially with a long lens some kind of OIS seems desirable for hand holding. More recent cameras cramping significantly more MP on their sensors are unlikely to provide a huge IQ improvement behind kit zoom class glass at base ISO.

I wouldn't desire getting an APS telephoto zoom for adapting purposes. It is unlikely to beat a heritage prime in any discipline besides being a zoom. Providing AF and OIS sells such lenses to me.

At the wide end APS lenses, even manual ones, are surely worth looking at. But I'd happily waste $60 to have a native kit zoom instead of an adapted one, to make my camera a big P&S.

Thanks all.

 

I should have stated that I'm not new to either analog or digital photography. I'm fairly knowledgeable in both. However, it's been many years since I've practiced them. Analog hasn't changed very much in 40+ years but digital has been evolving fairly quickly since the very early 1990's with 2MP Kodak/Nikon cameras and PhotoShop 2.0 :)

 

All I really need to know is what are the 'best bang for the buck' lenses that are either propriety to or can be adapted to the Sony A6000. I've researched a bit and I don't think the Sony 16-50mm kit lens quite meets my minimum quality criteria. I 'think' the Nikkor 18-55mm does, if what I'm reading is reasonably accurate. The same seems to be true for the Nikkor 55-200mm. The 55mm Micro Nikkor I know is a stellar performer. The Sigma 10-20mm is probably sufficient for my needs and fills the very wide requirement though it doesn't seem to quite match the three Nikkors, 'if' what I'm reading is correct. The Sigma is more of a quality compromise because better ultrawide optics cost too much.

 

I should also note that I've shot large format cameras for 40+ years so am very familiar with Scheimpflug movements. I won't need shift or rise/fall for this camera but the tilt will often be helpful for macro work.

Edited September 3, 2018 by snicker_doodle

How about Sigma's 18mm/2.8 bread & butter prime for e-mount?

AFAIK its hard to find well working smart Nikkor on Sony adapters and the K&F is just a mechanical link, a tube with 2 mounts.

After seemingly endless research, I've opted for the following group of lenses. I'm hoping they'll provide reasonably good performance. I'm spending more than I expected/wanted but that's nothing new. My head hurts and my wallet feels violated.

 

Nikkor 10-20mm AF-P DX VR

Nikkor 18-55mm G ED IF DX AF-S VR II

Nikkor 55-200mm G ED IF DX AF-S VR I

Nikkor 55mm/2.8 Micro AIS

Awe crap. It appears I can't focus the Nikkor 10-20mm on a mechanical adapter. Is that correct?

There are some Chinese primes that are apparently very good, considering their price.

Thank you, Karim. I have always preferred primes for the better image quality but this camera is mostly for convenience so I decided on zoom lenses. I'll research primes though.

I opted to for a Sigma 8-16mm HSM in lieu of the Nikkor 10-20mm. Now my finances are really hurting.

I messed up. I didn't realize the Nikkor lenses require power for VR to function. I'll be reevaluating this entire kit.

AFAIK you can’t get an adapter that allows VR. Really, for these kit lenses, you should get the Sony lenses. Keh.com has the kit lenses cheap, and the Sigma f/2.8 primes which are decent.

The JinTu and Viltrox adapters on eBay for US$139 delivered are reported to support VR/IS. Are they worth messing with? I won't spend $350-400 on an adapter.

After more research, I'm finding several cheap smart adapters which work reasonably well with most fairly new lenses. Who here has tried the cheap smart adapters in the $130-180 price range on Sony mirrorless bodies?

Pointless buying Nikon VR lenses to use on the a6000, because VR won't work.

 

You're lacking a standard focal length prime. I can recommend the 35mm f/1.8 AF-S Nikkor. It can be picked up used very cheaply.

 

Sigma's AF 70-300 Apo offers excellent image quality and close focusing for very little money, but only the Apo version with a red ring around the barrel. The non-apo version is pretty dire. Both versions have low build quality, but if you're gentle with them they're OK.

 

Decent wide-angles are going to be more expensive. I tried an old Super Takumar 28mm on my a6000, and it was pretty awful. Maybe a manual focus Tokina 17mm f/3.5 if you can find one? Anything wider is going to either cost quite a bit or be complete crap!

There are relatively inexpensive adapters which the manufacturers claim to offer total functionality between Nikon G lenses and Sony bodies. I read a few reviews on various offerings and they do seem to work, for the most part, and with most lenses. Their worst shortcomings seem to be slow focus (sometimes) and incompatibility with some lenses. They seem to work well enough with the two Nikon VR lenses I have. I ordered one from an eBay seller and will return it if it doesn't operate as advertised. I paid $148 delivered which is far more reasonable than $350-400.

You seem to be trying to solve a problem that there is no reason for you to have . . . If you're buying Nikon glass, why aren't you looking into replacing the Sony with a cheap, used, Nikon body?

 

None of my business . . . but . . .

You're probably right. I just like this Sony mirrorless body. Also, I hate to start again from scratch. If I buy a Nikon DSLR it'll be a full-frame model, so these DX lenses will have to go.

Okay, I'm researching Nikon DX bodies.

There are Nikon DX bodies suitable for my needs but I really want a mirrorless camera. I'm hoping the Viltrox smart adapter works well. It should be here in a week.

 

I've been away from digital imaging for so long that everything has radically changed!!

 

After some informal testing of the two Nikkor 'kit' lenses I've discovered they're not quite as good as I expected. They're certainly not the quality many tout them to be. Overall, they're only 'reasonably' sharp with the apertures closed about two or three stops. The Micro Nikkor is sharp, as expected with some degradation at the corners at infinity. I've yet to test the Sigma 8-16 because the adapter isn't here yet (it's Sony A-mount).

Edited September 13, 2018 by snicker_doodle

Awe crap... the Sigma has no aperture ring.

Well... I just spent another $130 on a Sony LA-EA1 adapter. This is getting too darned expensive.

The Sony crop lenses for the 6000 are really quite good , they are a reasonable price compared to the Sony full frames. You could look at the Sigma 2.8 range as already mentioned, they offer great value, the 19, 30 and 60 macro. If you could pick up a full frame Sony lens it would give you the option of later moving to the A7 system , but I know they are expensive , best value here could be the Samyang range of manual lenses. When first getting in to Sony cameras I regarded them as boxes on which to hang some nice glass plus adaptors, now I find using adaptors a bit of a chore when there are many good E mount lenses around. All the best with whatever you choose, Charles.

Thank you. This is getting too darned expensive. So much has changed in the last two decades that, at this point, I feel like a shaved tail Louie!!