Keukenhof Tulips by H. Stanbury and NEX-7

Here are H. Stanbury photos from Keukenhof also known as the Garden of Europe during the spring tulip bulb display. He used his Sony NEX-7 with the 18-55mm OSS lens and a Vivitar 24mm f/2.8 in Minolta mount for the photos.

Keukenhof by H. Stanbury

You can see the complete Keukenhof gallery at flickr.

Thanks flickrdelusions!

Sony NEX-7 with M-Rokkor 28mm

All shots are from the Sony NEX-7 with a M-Rokkor 28mm f/2.8 and a close-focusing Leica M mount adapter. Happy holidays everyone and thanks for following the blog.

Sony NEX-7 135mm Lens Battle Part 2

The 135mm Lens Battle Combatants Part 1 for Larger Pictures

Here is the second part of our NEX-7 135mm Lens Battle. Part 1 discussed 135mm lens handling on the NEX-7. We tested three prime lenses (Canon 135/3.5 LTM, Konica 135/3.5, Minolta 135/3.5 MD) and two zoom lenses (Canon 70-200/2.8L, Olympus 75-150/4). The zoom lenses were set at 135mm approximately. The lenses tested are around $100 or less with the exception of the Canon zoom.

The shots were taken at wide open aperture (f/2.8, f/3.5, or f/4) and the at f/8. We have labeled each sample a color and a number. The NEX-7 or lens was on a tripod, ISO100, and JPG Fine output. The samples below are arranged as follows:

• One is shot wide open. It shows the full scene with standard editing.
• One Crop is shot wide open with no editing. It is a 100% crop.
• Two is shot at f/8. It shows the full scene with standard editing.
• Two Crop is shot at f/8 with no editing. It is a 100% crop.
• Three is shot at f/8. It shows the full scene with standard editing.

Here are the samples. Please comment on which samples you like best.

Blue Sample

Red Sample

Green Sample

Orange Sample

Yellow Sample

This post will be edited with the answer key.

Here is the answer key for the sets above: blue, green, orange, red, and yellow. These 100% crops of the RAW file developed by Adode Camera Raw with Daylight white balance. Thanks for participating.

Sony NEX-7 135mm Lens Battle Part 1

Composite of Four 135mm Lenses at f/8 with the NEX-7

Here is a first part of our 135mm focal length test used on the Sony NEX-7. This gives us an equivalent FOV of 202mm. We don't really shoot much at this focal length but we wanted to see how the NEX-7 and the various 135mm lenses worked with each other. These lenses are around the $100 mark with the exception of the Canon zoom. The lenses tested are:

• Canon 135mm f/3.5 LTM
• Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L EF
• Konica Hexanon 135mm f/3.5 AR
• Minolta 135mm f/3.5 MD
• Olympus 75-150mm f/4 Auto Zoom

First let's rate the handling. The Minolta and the Konica are the lightest of the group. This makes them the easiest to handle. The Olympus zoom is next and is most versatile being a zoom lens but it is longer than the Konica and Minolta. The Canon LTM is heavier than the first three but is the most compact in size. The aperture ring is at the end of the barrel and when adjusted, it also adjusts the focus. The Canon EOS zoom is the biggest and heaviest of the group. We do not have the Conurus EF NEX Smart adapter so we cannot change the aperture.

The NEX-7 was set on Aperture Priority, ISO100, and 2 sec self-timer. The camera or lens was set on the tripod. Here are the pictures of the 135mm lenses with the NEX-7.

Sony NEX-7 with 135mm Lenses taken with NEX-5 with 18-55mm Lens

Canon 135mm f/3.5 on NEX-7 via LTM to M Adapter > M to NEX Adapter

Canon 70-200 f/2.8L on NEX-7 via Canon EOS to NEX Adapter

Konica 135mm f/3.5 on NEX-7 via Konica AR to NEX Adapter

Minolta 135mm/f3.5 on NEX-7 via Minolta SR to NEX Adapter

Olympus 75-150/4 Zoom on NEX-7 via Olympus to EOS adapter > EOS to NEX Adapter

We'll post the images on Part 2 of the NEX 135mm Lens Battle.

The images from the 5 lenses above are posted in Part 2.

NEX with Minolta 45mm at Devils Hockey Game

Game Winning Shootout Goal - ISO200 1/320 f/4.0

We were lucky enough to get nice seats to the New Jersey Devils vs Anaheim Ducks. We brought the NEX-5 with a Minolta MD/SR to NEX/E-mount lens adapter the Minolta 45mm f/2 MD Rokkor-X. The combination easily fits into a jacket pocket.

The 45mm f/2 on the NEX gives an equivalent FOV of 67.5mm, which allowed us to shoot the width of the ice from our seats. Here are a few shots from the night. Most of these are cropped which shows the lens' and NEX sensor capability.

Minolta 45mm f/2 MD with Sony NEX

Drop The Gloves - ISO200 1/60 f/5.6

Face Off Win - ISO200 1/250 f/5.6

Brodeur Kick Save - ISO200 1/250 f/4.0
Premature Celebration, Goal Recalled - ISO200 1/125 f/4.0
Overtime Shootout - ISO200 1/200 f/4.0

Sony NEX-5 with Minolta SR/MD mount adapter and Gordy leather strap

NEX-7 with 500mm F4 G SSM Lens

Here is Sony's newest super telephoto lens for the Alpha mount on the NEX-7. The 500mm f/4 G SSM Lens is attached via the LA-EA2 lens adapter for the E-mount. The equivalent field of view on the combination above is 750mm.

Key Features of the Sony 500mm Lens

• Longest-ever focal length G Lens from Sony
• Bright F4.0 aperture for superior light gathering
• Nano AR Coating on optical surfaces for flawless still images and HD video
• Compatible with SteadyShot INSIDE featured in all α cameras
• New SSM drive circuit for quick, accurate autofocus
• Rugged dust- and moisture-resistant design: ideal partner for SLT-A77
• Enhanced handling and operability

Here are the specs of the SAL500F40G lens.

Key Specifications	500mm F4 G SSM
Min. aperture	F32
No. of aperture blades	9 (Circular aperture)
Max. magnification ratio	0.135
Min. focus	4.0 m
Filter diameter	42 mm (Exclusive)
Dimensions (Diam. X L)	140 x 367.5 mm
Weight (approx.)	3460 g
Teleconverter compatibility	Yes (1.4x: AF and MF Mode, 2x: MF mode)
Dust and moisture resistance	Yes