Hi all! For those who remember me from my past failed attempts at a project, I'm still alive and kicking - also considering yet another attempt at getting the 365 done! haha
I recently got a new Sony A5000 camera (just yesterday, haven't tried it out yet)... and I have a question. I somehow didn't realize that the image stabilization for this camera is in the LENS rather than in the body itself, which has left me a bit confused.
Here's the situation.
I own a Sony A300 and have 3 lenses for it. The two kit lenses that came with it (18-70 / 55 - 200) as well as a 50mm prime lens. When I got the a5000 yesterday I thought hey! I can just buy the adapter to allow me to use those lenses on the new camera, since the adapter is cheaper than any of the lenses alone if I were to replace them.
Then I got home, had a closer look and realized that the A300 had the IS in the body, so it's not in the lenses. That means if I do that, I will have no IS at all... and I'm not sure how much it matters. Does it matter?
I always left it on when I used the a300 because I don't feel like a particularly steady person when taking photos, but I have no idea how much difference it actually makes.
So I'm trying to weigh the benefits vs costs in regards to just selling my a300 off complete with the 3 lenses and eventually getting e-mount lenses as I feel I need them later (at a higher cost) or just keeping those lenses and spending the 250 euro later to be able to use them with the a5000 but without the IS.
Does anyone have any advice or thoughts on the IS situation and just how effective it is? I saw some posts where @abirkill mentioned having the a5000. I know you are a camera guru, hehe... thoughts?
Thanks so much all! Hopefully this new, smaller, more portable camera will help me with my new 365 endeavors!
Hi Breigh - image stabilisation gives, typically, a 3 to 5 stop advantage depending on the system and the focal length in use. IS is quite important for a camera like the A5000 which doesn't have a viewfinder so that you will be holding it up in front of you, which is not the best way to achieve a steady grip. If you want an indication of how important IS might be to you, try a series of shots with your your A300 with IS on and then off, using the rear screen to view rather than the viewfinder. Good Luck!
First, I guess we should ask what is a "safe" shutter speed hand-held? A classic rule-of-thumb, over simplified of course but easy to remember, is 1/(full-frame-equivalent focal length in mm). So with a 200mm length on your APS-C (1.5 "crop") camera, it's 1/300 second. With the 50 mm prime it is 1/75. Some people can do way better with a proper grip and good technique, but as Richard points out, with your two hand/four finger grip using the LCD screen to shoot, you probably will do worse. As you see, it's often not an issue with standard-view lenses, but usually is essential with long telephotos.
Second, does modern IS technology work? Yes, it does, it's one of the miracles of modern digital camera technology. I have no experience with the Sony technology, but you should expect 2-3 stop margin of safety. 5 is expecting too much I feel, except with the best and most expensive. Good news is that technology in this area has improved rapidly and continues to do so. So your 1/300 second comes down to something like 1/50 second. Nothing beats a good, steady grip though, either way.
Third, in-camera or in-lens? Most manufacturers do/did it in the lens. Sony SLT/DSLRs do it in-camera, but with their new Mirrorless System E-mount cameras, your A5000 for instance, have reverted to in-lens. One can argue the merits. It seems to me that in-camera is a one-size-fits-all, not allowing the individual lens to be tailored to its own idiosyncrasies. Others would argue it saves money to do it once, allowing older and less expensive lenses to work effectively on new bodies.
Fourth, and separately from the IS issues, if you go the adaptor route you may experience slower (or entire loss of) Auto Focus, due to the different ways light has to be handled in the two technologies. For the same reason, you may very well experience a loss of 1, even 2, stops of exposure value. Again, I have no experience here, just reading what others have to say.
That's a lot of numbers hehe I think I need to do like @vignouse said and just test it with my a300 and see how severe the difference is. If I try to figure it out by calculating anything in my head I am doomed! I'm so terrible with that kind of thing.
I do think that there is something in the adapter that allows you to auto focus. I may be wrong but I recall the guy at the shop mentioning it when we were looking at it yesterday.
It's also possible that I will just be satisfied with the lens that is on it. My photography is quite simple. I'm not a photographer, I just like taking photos of stuff! I think when I start complicating my photography life with all sorts of extras, I get confused, frustrated and then I walk away. I know, it's terrible.
So I think my first steps are to test the lenses with / without the IS on the a300, see how that goes and just use the a5000 with the 16-50 kit lens for a bit and see if I feel I'm missing anything. Maybe I won't and then it'll be smooth sailing!
@breigh Sounds a good plan Breigh... and you can buy the 55-205mm e-mount lens for less than the cost of the A/E mount adapter... that adapter is big and cumbersome by the way and negates many of the reasons for buying the A5000 in the first place. If you go this route, you could always add the 35mm e-mount later.
That's another thing I was wondering about, @vignouse . Part of the reason I haven't used my a300 in a dog's age is because I simply can't be bothered lugging it around. I wanted a camera like the a5000 for the exact reason that it still makes great photos but is really portable (oh and I LOVE the flip up lens, why couldn't I have had that during my 365 selfies project?!).
Maybe I just need to let it go and stop trying to figure it out too. Just sell my a300 including the lenses I had for it (to hopefully get more for it) and then later if I feel I need other lenses get the ones that are built for this camera. That's what my husband thinks, I am just thinking about cost at this point, I think.
@breigh As I've already said, the 55-205mm lens for your A5000 will cost you less than the adapter, and if you sell the A300 and its lenses, you will have more than enough money to buy an e-mount prime lens. BtW, I shoot both Nikon and Sony - I have the Nex 6 and the Nex 7 and a full range of prime and zoom lenses.
@vignouse From what I've seen the price of the lens is about 50 euro more (Here in NL) than the adapter but that is just from the 1-2 shops I've looked at, I haven't shopped around a lot. The adapter is about 250 and the lens is about 300ish. So the price of the adapter is definitely cheaper than replacing the zoom, 50mm etc but I am with you on the bulk, that's not what I'm after either.
@breigh Yes, most have an auto focus motor, but it's not a motor thing, it's the amount and quality of the light that reaches the sensor, diminished by passing through some adapters. Similarly for the loss in EV. Sorry about the numbers, they aren't very complicated though, and any photographer really should try to understand such things. :)
@vignouse WOW, that's an insane price difference from the shops here in the Netherlands. I wonder why... My in-laws live in the south of France. If I do sell off my other lenses I'll definitely order from amazon.fr and just pick it up at their place when we are there! Thanks for the tip!
Well it's a done deal! A friend is buying my a300 and everything with it, so I will just get the e-mount lenses when I feel I need them! Thanks so much for the advice and the tips on the prices in France!
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First, I guess we should ask what is a "safe" shutter speed hand-held? A classic rule-of-thumb, over simplified of course but easy to remember, is 1/(full-frame-equivalent focal length in mm). So with a 200mm length on your APS-C (1.5 "crop") camera, it's 1/300 second. With the 50 mm prime it is 1/75. Some people can do way better with a proper grip and good technique, but as Richard points out, with your two hand/four finger grip using the LCD screen to shoot, you probably will do worse. As you see, it's often not an issue with standard-view lenses, but usually is essential with long telephotos.
Second, does modern IS technology work? Yes, it does, it's one of the miracles of modern digital camera technology. I have no experience with the Sony technology, but you should expect 2-3 stop margin of safety. 5 is expecting too much I feel, except with the best and most expensive. Good news is that technology in this area has improved rapidly and continues to do so. So your 1/300 second comes down to something like 1/50 second. Nothing beats a good, steady grip though, either way.
Third, in-camera or in-lens? Most manufacturers do/did it in the lens. Sony SLT/DSLRs do it in-camera, but with their new Mirrorless System E-mount cameras, your A5000 for instance, have reverted to in-lens. One can argue the merits. It seems to me that in-camera is a one-size-fits-all, not allowing the individual lens to be tailored to its own idiosyncrasies. Others would argue it saves money to do it once, allowing older and less expensive lenses to work effectively on new bodies.
Fourth, and separately from the IS issues, if you go the adaptor route you may experience slower (or entire loss of) Auto Focus, due to the different ways light has to be handled in the two technologies. For the same reason, you may very well experience a loss of 1, even 2, stops of exposure value. Again, I have no experience here, just reading what others have to say.
I do think that there is something in the adapter that allows you to auto focus. I may be wrong but I recall the guy at the shop mentioning it when we were looking at it yesterday.
It's also possible that I will just be satisfied with the lens that is on it. My photography is quite simple. I'm not a photographer, I just like taking photos of stuff! I think when I start complicating my photography life with all sorts of extras, I get confused, frustrated and then I walk away. I know, it's terrible.
So I think my first steps are to test the lenses with / without the IS on the a300, see how that goes and just use the a5000 with the 16-50 kit lens for a bit and see if I feel I'm missing anything. Maybe I won't and then it'll be smooth sailing!
Maybe I just need to let it go and stop trying to figure it out too. Just sell my a300 including the lenses I had for it (to hopefully get more for it) and then later if I feel I need other lenses get the ones that are built for this camera. That's what my husband thinks, I am just thinking about cost at this point, I think.