Anyone here shoot with a Sony APS-C Mirrorless Camera for Macro Stock?

[Guest Larbug]

12 hours ago, gvallee said:

Macro should never be autofocus.

Have to disagree. I use autofocus all the time very accurately with an Olympus mft camera and the Olympus 60mm macro. Lightning fast to autofocus and only slows slightly when I have a Raynox 250 or MSN 202 attached. Maybe it's the fact that it's mirrorless though as when using canon dslrs I usually had to focus manually.

[gvallee]

1 hour ago, Larbug said:

Have to disagree. I use autofocus all the time very accurately with an Olympus mft camera and the Olympus 60mm macro. Lightning fast to autofocus and only slows slightly when I have a Raynox 250 or MSN 202 attached. Maybe it's the fact that it's mirrorless though as when using canon dslrs I usually had to focus manually.

 

I love your macro work Larry. So tell me your secret. In a situation where the subject, let's take an insect, non-parallel to the film plane (is it still called that?), it will be unlikely that a focusing bracket be positioned on its eyes. How do you deal with this situation in auto-focus mode? Place one bracket on the eyes, focus, lock focus and recompose? It's not impossible with insects as they are a lot more cooperative than birds, but even so...

 

I use a Nikon crop sensor camera and a Nikkor 105mm macro lens with extension tubes.  In the past, I used my now defunct D2Xs and presently a D500. I find insects and arachnids fascinating to watch and photograph. Quite a challenge too which is part of the enjoyment!

 

Gen 

 

 

[Johnhoward28]

Let me ask you this.  I have a Sigma 50mm 2.8 Macro lens, but it fits on Pentax.  Can I use this with the A6000?  If so, how do you think it will do? 

 

I also have a Pentax A SMC 50mm F2 and a Vivitar 100mm 3.5 Macro.  Can these be used with the A6000, are they any good with it?

[John Mitchell]

3 hours ago, Johnhoward28 said:

Let me ask you this.  I have a Sigma 50mm 2.8 Macro lens, but it fits on Pentax.  Can I use this with the A6000?  If so, how do you think it will do? 

 

I also have a Pentax A SMC 50mm F2 and a Vivitar 100mm 3.5 Macro.  Can these be used with the A6000, are they any good with it?

 

I imagine that you can use all of those lenses with the appropriate adapters, but I don't know the specifics.

 

Adapters for old manual focus lenses are super cheap, ones for AF lenses can be expensive.

 

This old video on adapters would be applicable to the a6000.

[Bryan]

5 hours ago, Johnhoward28 said:

Let me ask you this.  I have a Sigma 50mm 2.8 Macro lens, but it fits on Pentax.  Can I use this with the A6000?  If so, how do you think it will do? 

 

I also have a Pentax A SMC 50mm F2 and a Vivitar 100mm 3.5 Macro.  Can these be used with the A6000, are they any good with it?

 

You need to be able to control the aperture as well as the focus. If your lenses have an aperture ring -  most modern glass does not - you can do it manually.

 

I make a lot of use of old Pentax fit lenses without any problems on my a6500. Pentax used a lever system to automatically stop down lenses after focusing, but if this is not engaged you can adjust the aperture manually. Low cost Pentax - Sony adapters allow the aperture lever to dangle in space, so no problem. My most recent Pentax fit lens, actually an autofocus Samsung 35mm f2, works fine on the Sony, but of course I have to do the focusing and stop down the aperture.

 

Generally speaking anything ancient and 35mm or over in focal length will eat the cheap Sony zooms for breakfast, but you do have to get your hands dirty in usage.

[spacecadet]

13 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

 

P.S. I have a set of cheap focusing rails. Pain to use.

That link was just for the photograph.

Perhaps your rails could use a tune-up or a bit of grease.

[Guest Larbug]

17 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

I love your macro work Larry. So tell me your secret. In a situation where the subject, let's take an insect, non-parallel to the film plane (is it still called that?), it will be unlikely that a focusing bracket be positioned on its eyes. How do you deal with this situation in auto-focus mode? Place one bracket on the eyes, focus, lock focus and recompose? It's not impossible with insects as they are a lot more cooperative than birds, but even so...

 

I use a Nikon crop sensor camera and a Nikkor 105mm macro lens with extension tubes.  In the past, I used my now defunct D2Xs and presently a D500. I find insects and arachnids fascinating to watch and photograph. Quite a challenge too which is part of the enjoyment!

 

Gen 

 

 

 

Hi Gen

By focusing bracket do you mean focus point? If so the Olympus Em5mkii has the option to use very small focus points so it's easy to focus on an insects eyes. I normaly won't shoot an insect with its eyes turned away from me unless I'm doing a dorsal shot.

[John Mitchell]

7 hours ago, spacecadet said:

That link was just for the photograph.

Perhaps your rails could use a tune-up or a bit of grease.

 

I think it's more my lack of patience with fiddly things. Don't think I'm cut out for macro photography.

 

 

[John Mitchell]

10 hours ago, Bryan said:

 

You need to be able to control the aperture as well as the focus. If your lenses have an aperture ring -  most modern glass does not - you can do it manually.

 

I make a lot of use of old Pentax fit lenses without any problems on my a6500. Pentax used a lever system to automatically stop down lenses after focusing, but if this is not engaged you can adjust the aperture manually. Low cost Pentax - Sony adapters allow the aperture lever to dangle in space, so no problem. My most recent Pentax fit lens, actually an autofocus Samsung 35mm f2, works fine on the Sony, but of course I have to do the focusing and stop down the aperture.

 

Generally speaking anything ancient and 35mm or over in focal length will eat the cheap Sony zooms for breakfast, but you do have to get your hands dirty in usage.

 

As mentioned in previous discussions, it's too bad the old 28mm lenses aren't sharper. It's a lot more useful focal length on crop-sensor cameras. I use the Sony 35mm SEL f/1.8 when I need sharpness across the frame. It's a really nice lens, and there seem to be plenty of used ones out there. I found a pristine copy for less than half the price of a new one. My eye doc tells me that I'll need cataract surgery soon, so manual focusing ain't as easy as it used to be.

[gvallee]

6 hours ago, Larbug said:

 

Hi Gen

By focusing bracket do you mean focus point? If so the Olympus Em5mkii has the option to use very small focus points so it's easy to focus on an insects eyes. I normaly won't shoot an insect with its eyes turned away from me unless I'm doing a dorsal shot.

 

Yes, that's what I meant. Your results certainly prove that it can be done with your camera.

 

GenBug