NEX System Pictures Thread

Emacs · 06-29-2012, 06:20 AM

Nice shots, Christine

kenafein · 06-29-2012, 06:33 AM

Originally posted by Christine Tham

Okay, here's some photos taken yesterday, using the Sigma 30mm f2.8 lens exclusively.

I must admit, it's a nice lens

All the photos are high ISO, no flash, low light, so bear that in mind before judging sharpness

Wow Christine, these are great, and thank you for using the sigma. What exactly is going on here? It is an interesting photoshoot for sure.

kenafein · 06-29-2012, 06:49 AM

Originally posted by DanielT74

My LBA is well and truly over (so says she-who-must-be-obeyed)! Come October there's going to be a massive lens sale.

I think the law of diminishing returns applies very much to "insanely high quality lenses." For instance there will be many conditions where people will struggle to distinguish a $200 lens from a $2000 lens and given the right conditions each one will be capable of taking a winner shot. I remember doing a quick test between our humble F50/1.7 and the ultra-rare Summilux-R 50mm E60 on the K-5. People couldn't pick which was which. Sure in some conditions the Summilux will be a clear winner and in nice conditions it may render the picture with more richness that most folks will miss altogether.

Our Canon 55/1.2 Aspherical can give the Leica a run for its money in most conditions, I believe. Leica will win in bokeh, where bokeh is a bit challenging - it is very smooth. It also renders kind of more smooth and rich in general whereas the Canon is different. Depending on the style one or the other may be preferable. The c-mount Kern Macro-Switar 50/1.4 is very much like the Leica, I think, probably a bit less sharp but with gorgeous bokeh and lovely tones (very rich b&w images). But... Pentax own 50/1.2 is an excellent lens with really nice colours and lovely rendition wide open I found. As always light, subject matter, composition and technical skill come ahead of the fine details of the lens.

Last week I did a quick comparison of a legend telephoto lens - Leica APO-Telyt 280/4 and the humble Canon FD 300/2.8L. Big suprise - Canon did a little bit better. Granted the Leica was very dusty so I will redo the test, but having seen the results from the Canon, it is hard to believe that any lens can do significantly better. Just superb. So I am a big fan of the FD's now. Got the little 20/2.8 and so far there is every reason to believe that this is the ultrawide answer for the NEX series. No colour banding, not edge issues, just excellent quality corner to corner.

I wouldn't call the 300/2.8 L humble. You already sold me on the FD glass, it is excellent. So you are getting rid of the Contax 21? I am trying to voluntarily reduce my collection, but I am having difficulty selecting lenses to sell this time. I am convinced the Sigma 19, 30 and Sony 50 would make an excellent NEX kit, and selling the Canon 55 1.2 alone would pay for it, but it is the precious. The g lenses would also be hard to sell. I was looking at some photos last night from the 45, and they are so nice. I also don't want to decimate my Pentax kit. I have 3 more lenses slated for sale, but maybe I should take a few more months, like you, to make some hard decisions.

JHD · 06-29-2012, 10:07 AM

Originally posted by kenafein

Wow Christine, these are great, and thank you for using the sigma. What exactly is going on here? It is an interesting photoshoot for sure.

Absolutely!

Christine Tham · 06-29-2012, 12:25 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by kenafein

What exactly is going on here? It is an interesting photoshoot for sure.

From the Facebook invite:

Quote:

Jesse Willesee presents:
SEVEN HOTEL ROOMS
SEVEN ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS
SEVEN LIVE PHOTO SHOOTS
YOU TAKE THE PICTURES!

An exhibition like no other, Jesse Willesee’s SEVEN HUNDRED PHOTOS features seven artists, fashion designers and bands working together to transform the seven HOTEL ROOMS above Sydney’s iconic Darlo Bar into seven LIVE fashion photo shoots.

FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, grab your digital cameras, iPhones, Instagrams and Holgas, and walk from hotel room to hotel room, shooting the frenzy of live installations and models within, then grab some $2 drinks and watch some bands to cap the night off!

FEATURING INSTALLATIONS BY Phoenix Keating, Alex Goddard, Laurel and Hector, Jesse Willesee, Kalindy Millions of We Were Warriors, Daniel Havas, Jim Shirlaw and performances from bands Buzz Kull and New Brutalists.

It certainly was an interesting event. I was glad I took the Sigma 30mm - it turned out to be the perfect lens for the event.

One girl had a telephoto. All she was able to take were face shots. I felt sorry for her.

I saw one guy with a K-7.

A lot of photographers were using flash:

I personally avoided flash, I think it destroys the mood of the rooms:

But some rooms were in near darkness:

Some interesting photographers for sure:

With so many photographers vying to take photos, it was hard to establish eye contact. I managed to develop a technique - rather than shooting and hoping for the best. I actuallly try to smile at the models. Once I establish eye contact, I start shooting, then I personally thanked them:

joelR · 06-30-2012, 06:49 AM

I liked this last set (the last one in particular) although the lighting does look difficult. What a cool event!

Christine Tham · 07-01-2012, 01:46 AM

From the Google+ Photowalk 1st anniversary in Sydney yesterday:

Someday this girl will be a great photographer - oh wait she already is!

By the way, editing photos on the new computer - nice! I have a very fast workflow - I only spend a few seconds on each image (because I sometimes thousands of shots a day, so I can't have a backlog), I need a computer that can keep up with me.

DanielT74 · 07-01-2012, 07:49 AM

Some impressive images, Christine!

For the lens geeks out there, if you are looking for a perfect 50mm, they will tell you that there isn't one. Well there is, it's called Leica Summilux 50mm ASPH, but a close runner-up is a much less known Swiss-made Cine lens, Kern Macro-Switar 50mm f1.4. It is smaller, can focus a lot closer and costs a lot less than the Summilux if you can find it, but image quality wise, it is very similar. Sharp (although not quite as sharp) with stunning bokeh and natural colours. Here's a few from today:

Here's one with the Summi by comparison. It is sharper, but sharper isn't always better, especially with portraits.

kenafein · 07-01-2012, 08:04 AM

Originally posted by DanielT74

Some impressive images, Christine!

For the lens geeks out there, if you are looking for a perfect 50mm, they will tell you that there isn't one. Well there is, it's called Leica Summilux 50mm ASPH, but a close runner-up is a much less known Swiss-made Cine lens, Kern Macro-Switar 50mm f1.4. It is smaller, can focus a lot closer and costs a lot less than the Summilux if you can find it, but image quality wise, it is very similar. Sharp (although not quite as sharp) with stunning bokeh and natural colours. Here's a few from today:

Here's one with the Summi by comparison. It is sharper, but sharper isn't always better, especially with portraits.

Interesting Daniel, those are nice, does it cover the apsc image circle?

DanielT74 · 07-01-2012, 08:10 AM

It does, although you may notice gentle vignetting (not black corners). It gets a little worse stopping down so that by f4 there is a little bit of corner loss. Would be perfect for the MFT but it doesn't bother me on the NEX. If I want to shoot stopped down more, I keep the corners in mind and crop later. Mind you after the Canon 55mm f1.2 Aspherical you might be disappointed sharpness wise. But it beats the Canon hands down in bokeh.

And it can even shoot impossible objects like these

:

kenafein · 07-01-2012, 08:36 AM

Originally posted by DanielT74

It does, although you may notice gentle vignetting (not black corners). It gets a little worse stopping down so that by f4 there is a little bit of corner loss. Would be perfect for the MFT but it doesn't bother me on the NEX. If I want to shoot stopped down more, I keep the corners in mind and crop later. Mind you after the Canon 55mm f1.2 Aspherical you might be disappointed sharpness wise. But it beats the Canon hands down in bokeh.

And it can even shoot impossible objects like these

:

Kern makes a lot of interesting lenses, but with cmounts, I know, the image circle is always a concern. Have you had any experience with the kern 36/1.4?

DanielT74 · 07-01-2012, 08:39 AM

I am quite sure that is an 8mm lens (H8) so the image circle will be way too small.

On the other hand the 75/1.9, especially the newer macro-switar, should cover the APS-C no probs.

ishino · 07-02-2012, 12:01 PM - **1 Like**

I recently picked up a NEX and so far, really liking the results from it.

kenafein · 07-02-2012, 07:29 PM

Nice, ishino, and welcome to our little club.

kenafein · 07-03-2012, 11:49 AM

So, I'm considering my options. I'm thinking I want to sell all or most of my Pentax gear and just stick with the NEX. It has become my go to camera. I have more fun with it and I think I get better results, overall. I have been kind of clinging to it for AF, sport photography, event-style photography, the WR and because I just upgraded to a K-5 not too long ago. I'd lose money on the camera and break pretty much even on the lenses. I have a lot of money tied up in it that could be better spent elsewhere. So, am I just in love with the NEX now, and will I regret selling my DSLR later? I know some of you have gone through a similar situation.

06-29-2012, 06:49 AM	#558
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	Originally posted by DanielT74 My LBA is well and truly over (so says she-who-must-be-obeyed)! Come October there's going to be a massive lens sale. I think the law of diminishing returns applies very much to "insanely high quality lenses." For instance there will be many conditions where people will struggle to distinguish a $200 lens from a $2000 lens and given the right conditions each one will be capable of taking a winner shot. I remember doing a quick test between our humble F50/1.7 and the ultra-rare Summilux-R 50mm E60 on the K-5. People couldn't pick which was which. Sure in some conditions the Summilux will be a clear winner and in nice conditions it may render the picture with more richness that most folks will miss altogether. Our Canon 55/1.2 Aspherical can give the Leica a run for its money in most conditions, I believe. Leica will win in bokeh, where bokeh is a bit challenging - it is very smooth. It also renders kind of more smooth and rich in general whereas the Canon is different. Depending on the style one or the other may be preferable. The c-mount Kern Macro-Switar 50/1.4 is very much like the Leica, I think, probably a bit less sharp but with gorgeous bokeh and lovely tones (very rich b&w images). But... Pentax own 50/1.2 is an excellent lens with really nice colours and lovely rendition wide open I found. As always light, subject matter, composition and technical skill come ahead of the fine details of the lens. Last week I did a quick comparison of a legend telephoto lens - Leica APO-Telyt 280/4 and the humble Canon FD 300/2.8L. Big suprise - Canon did a little bit better. Granted the Leica was very dusty so I will redo the test, but having seen the results from the Canon, it is hard to believe that any lens can do significantly better. Just superb. So I am a big fan of the FD's now. Got the little 20/2.8 and so far there is every reason to believe that this is the ultrawide answer for the NEX series. No colour banding, not edge issues, just excellent quality corner to corner. I wouldn't call the 300/2.8 L humble. You already sold me on the FD glass, it is excellent. So you are getting rid of the Contax 21? I am trying to voluntarily reduce my collection, but I am having difficulty selecting lenses to sell this time. I am convinced the Sigma 19, 30 and Sony 50 would make an excellent NEX kit, and selling the Canon 55 1.2 alone would pay for it, but it is the precious. The g lenses would also be hard to sell. I was looking at some photos last night from the 45, and they are so nice. I also don't want to decimate my Pentax kit. I have 3 more lenses slated for sale, but maybe I should take a few more months, like you, to make some hard decisions. Last edited by kenafein; 06-29-2012 at 06:58 AM.

07-01-2012, 08:10 AM	#565
DanielT74 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 1,377	It does, although you may notice gentle vignetting (not black corners). It gets a little worse stopping down so that by f4 there is a little bit of corner loss. Would be perfect for the MFT but it doesn't bother me on the NEX. If I want to shoot stopped down more, I keep the corners in mind and crop later. Mind you after the Canon 55mm f1.2 Aspherical you might be disappointed sharpness wise. But it beats the Canon hands down in bokeh. And it can even shoot impossible objects like these : Last edited by DanielT74; 07-01-2012 at 08:28 AM.

07-02-2012, 12:01 PM - 1 Like	#568
ishino Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Oklahoma, USA Posts: 47	First outing with the NEX I recently picked up a NEX and so far, really liking the results from it. Last edited by ishino; 07-05-2012 at 01:01 PM.

06-29-2012, 06:20 AM	#556
Emacs Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Moscow Posts: 1,223	Nice shots, Christine

06-29-2012, 06:33 AM	#557
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	Originally posted by Christine Tham Okay, here's some photos taken yesterday, using the Sigma 30mm f2.8 lens exclusively. I must admit, it's a nice lens All the photos are high ISO, no flash, low light, so bear that in mind before judging sharpness Wow Christine, these are great, and thank you for using the sigma. What exactly is going on here? It is an interesting photoshoot for sure.

06-29-2012, 10:07 AM	#559
JHD Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,406	Originally posted by kenafein Wow Christine, these are great, and thank you for using the sigma. What exactly is going on here? It is an interesting photoshoot for sure. Absolutely!

06-29-2012, 12:25 PM - 1 Like	#560
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269	Originally posted by kenafein What exactly is going on here? It is an interesting photoshoot for sure. From the Facebook invite: Quote: Jesse Willesee presents: SEVEN HOTEL ROOMS SEVEN ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS SEVEN LIVE PHOTO SHOOTS YOU TAKE THE PICTURES! An exhibition like no other, Jesse Willesee’s SEVEN HUNDRED PHOTOS features seven artists, fashion designers and bands working together to transform the seven HOTEL ROOMS above Sydney’s iconic Darlo Bar into seven LIVE fashion photo shoots. FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, grab your digital cameras, iPhones, Instagrams and Holgas, and walk from hotel room to hotel room, shooting the frenzy of live installations and models within, then grab some $2 drinks and watch some bands to cap the night off! FEATURING INSTALLATIONS BY Phoenix Keating, Alex Goddard, Laurel and Hector, Jesse Willesee, Kalindy Millions of We Were Warriors, Daniel Havas, Jim Shirlaw and performances from bands Buzz Kull and New Brutalists. It certainly was an interesting event. I was glad I took the Sigma 30mm - it turned out to be the perfect lens for the event. One girl had a telephoto. All she was able to take were face shots. I felt sorry for her. I saw one guy with a K-7. A lot of photographers were using flash: I personally avoided flash, I think it destroys the mood of the rooms: But some rooms were in near darkness: Some interesting photographers for sure: With so many photographers vying to take photos, it was hard to establish eye contact. I managed to develop a technique - rather than shooting and hoping for the best. I actuallly try to smile at the models. Once I establish eye contact, I start shooting, then I personally thanked them:

06-30-2012, 06:49 AM	#561
joelR Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: US Posts: 211	I liked this last set (the last one in particular) although the lighting does look difficult. What a cool event!

07-01-2012, 01:46 AM	#562
Christine Tham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,269	From the Google+ Photowalk 1st anniversary in Sydney yesterday: Someday this girl will be a great photographer - oh wait she already is! By the way, editing photos on the new computer - nice! I have a very fast workflow - I only spend a few seconds on each image (because I sometimes thousands of shots a day, so I can't have a backlog), I need a computer that can keep up with me.

07-01-2012, 07:49 AM	#563
DanielT74 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 1,377	Some impressive images, Christine! For the lens geeks out there, if you are looking for a perfect 50mm, they will tell you that there isn't one. Well there is, it's called Leica Summilux 50mm ASPH, but a close runner-up is a much less known Swiss-made Cine lens, Kern Macro-Switar 50mm f1.4. It is smaller, can focus a lot closer and costs a lot less than the Summilux if you can find it, but image quality wise, it is very similar. Sharp (although not quite as sharp) with stunning bokeh and natural colours. Here's a few from today: Here's one with the Summi by comparison. It is sharper, but sharper isn't always better, especially with portraits.

07-01-2012, 08:04 AM	#564
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	Originally posted by DanielT74 Some impressive images, Christine! For the lens geeks out there, if you are looking for a perfect 50mm, they will tell you that there isn't one. Well there is, it's called Leica Summilux 50mm ASPH, but a close runner-up is a much less known Swiss-made Cine lens, Kern Macro-Switar 50mm f1.4. It is smaller, can focus a lot closer and costs a lot less than the Summilux if you can find it, but image quality wise, it is very similar. Sharp (although not quite as sharp) with stunning bokeh and natural colours. Here's a few from today: Here's one with the Summi by comparison. It is sharper, but sharper isn't always better, especially with portraits. Interesting Daniel, those are nice, does it cover the apsc image circle?

07-01-2012, 08:36 AM	#566
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	Originally posted by DanielT74 It does, although you may notice gentle vignetting (not black corners). It gets a little worse stopping down so that by f4 there is a little bit of corner loss. Would be perfect for the MFT but it doesn't bother me on the NEX. If I want to shoot stopped down more, I keep the corners in mind and crop later. Mind you after the Canon 55mm f1.2 Aspherical you might be disappointed sharpness wise. But it beats the Canon hands down in bokeh. And it can even shoot impossible objects like these : Kern makes a lot of interesting lenses, but with cmounts, I know, the image circle is always a concern. Have you had any experience with the kern 36/1.4?

07-01-2012, 08:39 AM	#567
DanielT74 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 1,377	I am quite sure that is an 8mm lens (H8) so the image circle will be way too small. On the other hand the 75/1.9, especially the newer macro-switar, should cover the APS-C no probs.

07-02-2012, 07:29 PM	#569
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	Nice, ishino, and welcome to our little club.

07-03-2012, 11:49 AM	#570
kenafein Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Southern California Photos: Albums Posts: 4,082	So, I'm considering my options. I'm thinking I want to sell all or most of my Pentax gear and just stick with the NEX. It has become my go to camera. I have more fun with it and I think I get better results, overall. I have been kind of clinging to it for AF, sport photography, event-style photography, the WR and because I just upgraded to a K-5 not too long ago. I'd lose money on the camera and break pretty much even on the lenses. I have a lot of money tied up in it that could be better spent elsewhere. So, am I just in love with the NEX now, and will I regret selling my DSLR later? I know some of you have gone through a similar situation.