APS-C sensor Archives - PARKS AND GARDENS

TODAY I USED A SONY FE 16-35MM F2.8 GM II LENS

I visited the Botanic Gardens today because I wanted to test my new Sony 16-35mm lens but unfortunately I am still waiting for the Sony A1 II camera body to arrive so I used an FX30. I paid for the A1 in full well before Christmas 2024 and this weekend I was told that it may not arrive until June or July,

I have photographed this sculpture many times as it is one of my favourites.

It’s worth noting that I have encountered another copy of this sculpture in City West. Unfortunately, the last time I tried to photograph the one in City West, I was informed by security, who shadowed me for about fifteen minutes, that I was on private property and that photography was prohibited. I was asked to leave immediately, and my policy is not to argue.

Born in 1948, Bob Quinn enjoyed a long career in the Irish advertising business as a commercial artist, designer, and the head of a successful design and production company. He now works full time as a sculptor in Blackrock, Co Dublin, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.

The Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II has been described as a truly magnificent piece of glass! It is considered to be a top-tier wide-angle zoom known for its incredible sharpness, beautiful bokeh (for wide-angle!), and robust build quality. It’s a lens that many full-frame Sony shooters dream of.

Now, let’s talk about pairing it with a Sony FX30, which, as you may already know, has an APS-C (crop) sensor. While one can certainly use the 16-35mm GM II on an FX30, you’re not experiencing its full potential, particularly when it comes to achieving that wide-angle perspective and some of the other characteristics it’s designed for.

Loss of the Ultra-Wide Angle of View:

The most significant impact is the crop factor. The FX30 has a crop factor of approximately 1.5x. This means that the 16-35mm lens will behave like a 24-52.5mm lens in terms of its angle of view.

You’re losing that valuable ultra-wide perspective that the 16mm end offers on a full-frame camera. That expansive view, perfect for landscapes, architecture, and creating a sense of immersion, is significantly narrowed.

While 24mm is still a useful wide-angle, it’s not the same as the dramatic perspective you’d get at 16mm on a full-frame body.

Different Depth of Field Characteristics:

While the f/2.8 aperture remains the same, the effective depth of field will be slightly deeper on the FX30 compared to a full-frame camera at the same aperture and equivalent focal length. This means it might be a little harder to achieve that very shallow depth of field and strong subject isolation that the f/2.8 aperture is capable of on a full-frame sensor, especially at the wider end.

Utilizing Only the Central Portion of the Lens:

The 16-35mm GM II is designed to project an image circle large enough to cover a full-frame sensor. When used on the smaller APS-C sensor of the FX30, only the central portion of that image circle is being utilised. While the centre of a lens is often its sharpest part, you’re not taking advantage of the lens’s overall design and how it performs across the entire frame.

Cost Efficiency:

The FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II is a premium lens with a price tag to match. For stills photography specifically on an APS-C system, there are excellent and often more cost-effective wide-angle lenses designed specifically for that sensor size. These lenses would offer a similar (or wider) field of view without the added cost and size associated with a full-frame lens.

Why Professional Reviewers Might Not Recommend it for FX30 Stills:

Field of View Limitations: For many stills photographers, especially those specialising in landscapes or architecture, the ultra-wide perspective is crucial. The cropped field of view on the FX30 negates this key advantage of the 16-35mm.

Ergonomics and Balance: While the 16-35mm GM II isn’t excessively large, it’s designed for full-frame bodies. On the more compact FX30, it might feel slightly front-heavy and less balanced than a lens designed for APS-C.

Overkill for the Sensor Size: The advanced optical design and build quality of the GM II series are often aimed at extracting the maximum performance from a high-resolution full-frame sensor. While the FX30 has a capable sensor, it might not fully resolve the subtle nuances that the GM II is capable of delivering across a full frame.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom! There are reasons why you might be using this lens on your FX30:

Future Full-Frame Upgrade: If you plan to move to a full-frame Sony camera in the future, investing in high-quality full-frame lenses like the 16-35mm GM II now makes perfect sense. It’s a future-proof investment.

Video Work: The 16-35mm GM II is an exceptional lens for video, offering a versatile wide-to-standard zoom range and a constant f/2.8 aperture, which is invaluable for maintaining consistent exposure during filming. The stabilisation and autofocus performance are also top-notch for video. Since the FX30 is primarily a cinema camera, this lens is a fantastic match for its video capabilities.

Specific Shooting Style: Perhaps your stills work on the FX30 benefits from the 24-52.5mm equivalent range. For certain types of portraiture, street photography, or event coverage, this range can be very useful.

SONY NEX7 CAMERA AND 18-105MM LENS

Cared for by the Office of Public Works, the park is an important public resource in the area, and provides an oasis of green calm in the middle of a bustling city. Its four centuries of history are eventful and complex, involving such important figures as Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, and Countess Constance Markievicz. The park itself hosts a large number of important sculptural monuments to Irish history. Many species of birds and plants also call the park their home. Public facilities at St Stephen’s Green Park include a playground and a garden for the visually impaired.

A few days ago I discovered that I had a Sony E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS lens which I do not remember buying and what is even more confusing is that I do not purchase anything other than full-frame lenses. Sony describes the lens as follows: This G Lens for E-mount cameras delivers stunning still or movie imagery with the flexibility of 6x power zoom. Maximum aperture is a constant F4 from 18mm wide angle to 105mm medium telephoto, with excellent resolution and contrast throughout. A lever and ring on the lens barrel allow zoom speed to be freely adjusted as required while maintaining a sure, stable grip.

When I used the 18-105mm lens with my FX-30 camera [APS-C sensor] I was very disappointed with the results as many of the images had focus issues or suffered from motion blur. I could not decide if the lens was the problem or if there was something wrong with the camera body so I used a Sigma 14mm lens yesterday and the results were more than acceptable. However, before concluding that the lens was substandard I decided to try it with my very old NEX-7 body [purchased Christmas 2011].

The Sony α NEX-7 is a digital camera announced 24 August 2011 by Sony. It is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and as such inherits a smaller body form factor than a traditional digital single-lens reflex camera, while still retaining the sensor size and features of an APS-C-sized model. It is targeted at experienced users, enthusiasts and professionals. It is replaced by the ILCE-6000 (α6000). At the time of its release, the Sony Alpha NEX-7 had the best image quality among any mirrorless interchangeable-lens compact camera which had been tested by DxO Labs and also the best APS-C Sensor camera from Sony. Sony α65, Sony α77 and NEX-7 have similar sensors and received DxOMark Overall Scores of 74, 78, and 81, respectively. The image quality of NEX-7 can be comparable with Nikon D7000 (score 80) and Pentax K-5 (score 82).

I failed to reach a conclusion but I do like using the NEX-7 even though I need to bring at least four spare batteries with me.