E-mount lens and comparative focussing speeds

[skybump]

hello Sony

I upgraded from the NEX5 to the NEX6 because the only thing I didn't love about the NEX5 was the slow focus and I wanted the phase detection AF. I'm really concerned because it hasn't improved things very much - I shoot a lot of portraits and the NEX6 doesn't seem to focus very much quicker with my upgraded SEL1855.

Please could you tell me which lens is the quickest to focus of the range? In particular, I wonder if the SELP1650 is actually quicker than the upgraded SEL1855? Perhaps the motor is quicker? Is it worth upgrading? Thank you

By the way, Thank you for providing upgrades for lenses and cameras - the continuing support that came with my NEX-5 is what gave me the confidence to upgrade to a NEX-6.

[Mick2011]

Hi skybump

Yes, the internal focussing of the 1650 will make it slightly quicker, though whether this is worth upgrading for is probably a very personal decision.

Have you tried using AMF with Focus Peaking? With a little practice it might work out faster for you, and possibly improve your 'hit' ratio. Just a thought.

The best way to answer the main question is to get hold of a 1650 and try it out. Take your camera to a high street store and do some A - B testing.

Hope you get somewhere with it.

Cheers

Mick

[skybump]

Hey thanks for replying.

Do you know the 1650 is quicker? I had a quick subjective test in a shop but of course it's pretty hard to tell: I was after someone from sony saying yes, the motor is significantly quicker. I know it's a limitation of the technology, and the only way to get really good AF is with a full mirrored af sensor or maybe a NEX+ LA-EA2 + lens, but I was really hoping the NEX6 was quicker on its own. It's my fault for buying blind.

Yep, I'm ok with the peaking, in fact I asked for it early on - https://www.sony.co.uk/discussions/message/636000

We use it with our TV cameras at work.

Thanks anyway

[Mick2011]

Well, internal focussing is the quickest because it doesn't require the lens to rotate, so there's significantly less servo power required. But I just realised the SEL1855 is an IF lens too...

It is going to be tough to appreciate a significant speed difference. Ideally you would devise a test in which you have two cameras you can A-B with on the same subject, but wIth portraiture I'm not sure you would notice any great difference at all between those two.

With longer lenses and more action-based subject matter it's more immediately obvious, which is why motorsport photographers swear by SSM-type lenses. SSM stuff is built for speed, but at present you need to go a-mount (plus adaptor) to use them :smileymischief:

Cheers

Mick

[skybump]

You're absolutely right, it was an unrealistic expectation wasn't it. I think the new lens won't be better, and it's certainly not as robust as the 1855.  I really should have bought a DSLR.

Thanks for replying, I appreciate your time.

[Mick2011]

No problem

I guess you found out the hard way that most focus speed improvements tend to come with faster-focussing lenses, rather than a faster AF systems. So a DSLR wouldn't radically improve focus performance over the NEX-6, but an SSM lens + AE2 on the NEX almost certainly would.

Cheers

Mick

[skybump]

the LA-EA2 makes the nex a dslr - it's the "reflex" bit that's missing.

Message was edited by: skybump

[skybump · Accepted solution]

I replaced my SEL18-55 with a SELP16-50, and found that the newer lens is indeed much quicker, though the lens itself is more fiddly to use and relies heavily on the camera for distortion correction.

To anyone else considering buying the NEX6 body and using older E-mount lenses - it really isn't worth it as you lose the 'advantage' of quicker focussing. I'd also say that the suggestion on Sony's product page that it's "as fast as a DSLR" is positively misleading, whichever lens you use.

It also hasn't been worth upgrading from a nex5 to a nex6, but that's just my opinion.

Thanks to mick for the replies.

Message was edited by: skybump

Message was edited by: skybump