Adapting Vintage Glass to Sony In Its New Outfit: Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 Specifically.

Adapting Vintage Glass to Sony: Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 Specifically.

Subtitle: So Close, Sony… So Close. You Need To Copy Off Of Fujifilm’s MF Aid Homework.

The Outfit.

Wrote about the SmallRig wood grip and eyecup in a recent post.

Accessory Corner Twofer: SmallRig A7C II Wood Grip and Eyecup.

I like it a lot.

Not only does it dress the camera up a bit,…

…it also improves the handling and user experience. All at a very reasonable price.

The fruit of the gear above was a four blog post bender.

Scenes Seen, A Cool Vehicle, & Nice Folks: Sony A7C II + Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air.

Scenes Seen: Sony A7C II + Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air.

Scenes Seen: Sony A7C II + Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air.

Scenes Seen/Rehearsal Night: Sony A7C II + Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air.

The kit reinvigorated my appreciation for a camera I already liked a lot. Turned it from a camera that I appreciated for its functionality, versatility, and performance into something I “enjoyed” holding, seeing, and using. That last part is not a Sony strong suit. Wonderful implements to use when you need an image. But not devices you typically “want” to use when the goal is user experience. That is ok. There are other brands for that. Leica.

The Leica Q 4 years on: An amazing camera still.

Vintage Digital: A Year of Leica M Type 240 Ownership Update.

Fujifilm.

FUJIFILM X100VI: Unobtanium Obtained. Part 1 – The Arrival.

So… The GFX 50R Intro: Or How A Leica Camera Release Freed Me Up To Get A Fujifilm Camera.

But with this new kit I wondered… Can Sony do the experience thing now?

Yes and no.

Where AF glass is concerned?

For me? Yep. Especially when teamed with the wonderful Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air.

Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air (Very Longwinded) Preview: So All New Lenses Are Good Now Then?

Where MF is concerned?

To answer this question I paired this rig with the wonderful Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.2.

Lens Arrival: Minolta MC Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 – Digital Edit.

The result.

Image wise? Yes.

The images.

Ok. That is with Manual focus set for hyperfocal use. What of manual focus?

Back to my fiddling about.

And back to hyperfocal.

Feel wise? Yes.

So. Feel is a go. Solid image quality. Not a surprise. The lens is awesome. But…

The manual focus experience? No.

Why?

I am glad I imagined that you asked.

Sony’s focus aid is a typical focus peaking affair. The issue is that to focus accurately you have to punch in. If you do not focus wil be iffy. I made a shortcut, but it adds steps and falls well short compared to Fujifilm’s implementation.

So good that it functionally replaced a rangefinder darling.

Turns Out The Digital Rangefinder For Me Is Not A Rangefinder: Fujifilm GFX 50R Update.

So as I stated at the open.

So Close, Sony… So Close. You Need To Copy Off Of Fujifilm’s MF Aid Homework.

Could one make due with the Sony solution? Yes.

In isolation that is exactly what I would have done.

But having experienced better, I am irretrievably spoiled.

Personal preference.

Nonsense ultimately.

But here we are.

Still looks the business though.

Happy capturing.

-ELW