A900 & 21/2 Zuiko

[ricardovaste]

<p>It is a remarkable lens, how on earth they ever made something so wide, fast and sharp into a small package I'll never know. Anyone used one of these?<br>

<img src="http://rharris.smugmug.com/Snaps/Snaps/i-TpwVxrq/0/L/SAM0646-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>The bulky A900 don't do the compact lens justice. The lens will more practical and looks better on a nex;) </p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>With an adapter the size of the lens? ;)</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>Ooh, yeah...funny me. Been only looking at C mount and leica M > Nex adapters. What does it go for now? $800, 900? 21mm f2 on a FF isn't too practical (especially for the price) unless you are Eugene Richards:) </p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>21mm on FF isn't practical, seriously? 21mm on APS-C is a insult to humanity if you ask me :). They're still around $1000 average. I'd stick to c/m mount adapters for your nex, otherwise you're just sticking large lenses with large adapters onto a small body.</p>

[elijah_free]

<p>Richard, what kind of adapter did you use on the 21mm to get it on the A900? thanks!</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>@Elijah: Not a conventional adapter, a custom made mount was machined so that the actual lens is M42 mount, and then I just used a good quality M42~a-mount adapter.</p>

<p>Took some snaps yesterday evening, I find it's colours interesting having shot Minolta most my life:<br>

<img src="http://rharris.smugmug.com/Snaps/Snaps/i-QmrpbDs/0/L/DSC00071000-L.jpg" alt="" width="789" height="600" /></p>

<p><img src="http://rharris.smugmug.com/Snaps/Snaps/i-Mc67Bh6/0/L/DSC00111000-L.jpg" alt="" width="789" height="600" /></p>

[alan_krantz]

<p>Olympus made wonderful lenses and has great quality control. Pity they went with the 4:3 standard. Hopefully they will prosper.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>@Alan: So true, I've only tried a handful but the f2 range in particular seem to be exceptional. Thankfully, the EOS mount allows these lenses to live on quite easily.</p>

[starvy]

<p>Wonderful images Richard. Beware, Zuiko lenses are addictive!</p>

[m_m3]

<p>I used the 21/3.5 which is more compact. Wish I still had it for my NEX. I'd love to see the colors from the a900 and a contax 21/2.8.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>@Starvy: Thank you, I'm worried myself too!<br>

@MM: Your wish is my command ;-)! Follow this link and browse down the page, 21/2.8 Contax & a900: http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/contax-35-14-on-a900_topic70008.html</p>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>Lovely lens and photos Rich, the closest I've come so far in using anything similar is a Canon FD 20 f2.8 (much bigger) and a Kiron 24 f2 in FD mount (equally compact as the Zuiko 21 f2 but significantly less wide, plus mine hasn't had mount surgery to focus properly to infinity on alpha bodies). Presumably your Zuiko works very well for hyperfocal shots?</p>

<p>And BTW does this mean you've recently added an a900 to your stable? If so then congrats to both of you - the camera is at least as fortunate as its new onwer & could not have hoped to come into more talented hands!</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>Thanks Paul, you're very kind! The body is kind of a recent addition, but I've had the lens for months now just never really used it.... the body is mainly for weddings next week, so not sure if I'll keep it after that, it was just more cost effective to buy a used one and sell after than rent (as is often the case). One nice perk: The outer AF sensors actually work really well, reminds me of my Dynax 7 35mm, where I just don't bother with the A700 outer sensors these days. But I'm not sure I might keep it and sell the oldest A700 as it's not particularly reliable these days, will just have to see how much cash is about in a couple of weeks really.</p>

<p>BTW, I saw you're selling both your A290 and A500, are you making way for an A77? ;-)</p>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>Sounds like a dual opportunity in that case Rich, you'll have it for the weddings and at the same time you can try it out at length without worrying about rental fees! Presumably you have the firmware upgrade in it? That's interesting news about the outer sensors, I'm still very undecided whether maybe I should eventually get an a900 to get the most framing & cropping freedom out of my 600 f4, rather than the endlessly deferred a77 and whatever may turn out to be its wonderful (or not) AF and high-speed performance.</p>

<p>Yep, when I got both the a500 and a290 as standins for my unwell a700 unfortunately my wife succeeded in making me promise to sell them off again if/when "Mr Bond" finally came back from warranty clinic... that's dobly unfortunate because I've gotten rather used to the luxury of having a body ready for action on every lens I'm bringing with me :)</p>

[john_mcmillin]

<p>Paul, did you find the a500 is any kind of replacement for the a700? I don't. Everything about it seems wrong, from the on-off switch to the single dial, up in front, where it's least convenient and requires you to move your finger from the shutter button for adjustments. In the inferior viewfinder, a red light blinks to illuminate the chosen focus point, casting a diffuse glow over the whole VF: I've never seen that flaw in any camera. The AF couldn't handle YMCA-league volleyball when I tried it. The control interface is a poor substitute for Quick Navi, the rear LCD is coarse, and menu adjustments are sparse. It all adds up to a camera that's unpleasant to use, IMHO.</p>

<p>I'd be happy to sell the a500 and be done with it. What complicates matters is that it obviously has a very nice sensor, with perhaps a stop improvement in noise and DR over the a700. It seems like a camera where the controls don't matter, just aim and fire and the sensor does the rest. Overall, I'd rather have a used a700 instead. </p>

<p> </p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>Hi Paul, yep, a dual opportunity, although my bank balance doesn't seem to agree :$! Thankfully, there isn't anything to 'get used to' with it, it simply does what it does, and is almost identical to the A700. Yeah, it has the latest firmware, so I can't compare it to the 'original', but the AF definately seems very usable (out AF sensors). Tough choice on the A77 vs A900. The A77 will be a lot newer, so the AF will be better, it'll have a higher burst rate, live view and perhaps some other things you might find useful for wildlife. It'll have a greater DR than the A900, and tonality would be much improved over the A700, so in honesty you might not see much of a difference in output (I can only speculate of course).. but it's still a different format, so the larger sensor will always have some advantages.<br /><br />Sorry to hear you've been held at gun point to sell your extra bodies ;-). I've only recently had more than one body and it definately gives you more freedom. I think two bodies is enough for me though, so I'll likely sell one at the beginning of next week.</p>