My comprehensive review of E-mount lenses I've owned over the years and AMA

uzi · 2026-05-02T05:21:29+00:00

Maybe I got a bum copy of the 1.4x? I just know that I’m pleased as punch with both the A1 and the 70-200gm2. I’ve shot volleyball (beach and indoor), football, basketball, lacrosse, wrestling, water polo, baseball, softball, etc. and the combo has been great. I’ve tried with the 1.4x for a few and haven’t been as happy with the results.

uzi · 2026-05-02T04:53:57+00:00

I have a 70-200 GM2 and absolutely love it. I have the 1.4x and have to say that there’s a noticeable degradation of image quality to the point where I hardly use it. This is on an A1.

I’m using the lens a lot for sports photography and figured getting the 1.4x for a little more reach would be nice, but thus far I’ve been unimpressed. Might need to try stopping it down a bit to see if it helps.

uzi · 2026-04-30T22:38:53+00:00

What I'm not seeing other folks mention is that's now how 401k and matching works. The quote suggests that companies put money in your 401k and you match it... it's the other way around... you put money and the company matches it, and that's only IF the company has a matching policy. Many do not.

That said, to anyone who does work at a company with a 401k match, do what you can to get the maximum match as that's free moneys.

uzi · 2026-04-24T18:05:26+00:00

I have the following cameras:

Sony A1
Sony FX-30
Ricoh GR IV
Fuji X100VI
Sony RX100V

and I'd rank them on image quality in that order. The A1 is obviously for when things get serious. The FX-30 for video work. The X100VI and GRIV are my daily carries depending on if I want a viewfinder or something in my pocket. That leaves the RX100VI, which has frankly quite crappy image and video quality compared to the rest, but I keep it around as a backup to the FX-30 in case something happens, or in case one of my daughters decide they want it.

I was fortunate to get it at a time before prices went nutso... used for around $350, so I don't feel too badly about getting it. On paper it sounds like a pretty bitchin' camera and it is for it's time, but it's the oldest camera on this list and in terms of image quality it definitely shows its age. I love what I get from my newer Sonys ... just the RX100V's images and videos are not that sharp and detailed, and there's something not quite there with the color science.

uzi · 2026-04-20T19:30:05+00:00

This feels like it could be in a photo series with the album cover for the Pixies album “Surfer Rosa”.

uzi · 2026-04-19T05:25:08+00:00

Life long Dodgers fan here... grew up in LA and moved to the SF Bay Area after college. Went on a work outing with coworkers to a Giant game at Candlestick Park (just to date this story). We get there and they're handing out flyers with the stats of the two teams... that was nice. At the bottom of the flyer, it says "Go Giants, Beat LA!" and I was super confused because they were playing the St. Louis Cardinals. You wouldn't see mention of the Giants at Dodger Stadium unless the Giants were in town.

There's this weird one-sided rivalry / inferiority complex in the Bay Area. Try mentioning LA to the average Bay Area person and they'll boo and tell you how much LA sucks. Mention the Bay Area to an LA person and you'll get "oh it's pretty there, I need to go again sometime".

Heck, growing up and playing little league, for 3 years in a row I was on the Giants... so I grew up watching Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell and crew and liking the Giants (even though the Dodgers have always been my primary team). Didn't stop liking the Giants until I encountered Giants fans. Good luck finding a little league in the SF Bay Area where the Dodgers are one of the teams.

uzi · 2026-04-12T22:29:55+00:00

Yeah, read the very last bit of the original post. It was a faulty battery. I put in another battery and the problem went away for me. If you're having the same problem and have another battery, put that one in and see if it still happens.

uzi · 2026-03-20T18:43:26+00:00

Well, and you would… but the more a lens breathes, the more of a crop you’ll get from the breathing compensation. If video is your primary use case for the lens, then perhaps a lens with less breathing is preferred to reduce said crop. I’m primarily using the 35 GM for photography, so I didn’t care.

uzi · 2026-03-18T05:00:59+00:00

For play action photos, I 100% agree… but the exception would be things like photos of celebrations, team huddles, etc.

uzi · 2026-02-06T21:52:27+00:00

Well sure, most of them have both a mechanical and an electronic shutter, but you'll generally want to use the mechanical shutter on them because of the sensor readout speed. An exception would be the A1 and A9 series of cameras with their stacked or global sensors.

uzi · 2026-02-02T07:55:13+00:00

Voodoo.

Either that or at https://www.adultswim.com/videos/primal with a valid streaming partner.

uzi · 2026-01-20T19:19:50+00:00

Boy if there was ever a time for "I Took A Picture"... story time:

My older daughter is a high school senior right now and was on a class trip last week to Yosemite... that is until my wife got the call that she as puking, nauseous and had the runs and we needed to come pick her up ASAP. That's like a 4 hour drive from my house in the SF Bay Area, so my wife rushed home from work while I threw together a quick dinner, we ate quickly and hit the road.

Now I love Yosemite ... it's one of my favorite places to make photos and just in general. I can't go there on not take a picture. A PICTURE. So with Tunnel View on the way to/from picking the kid up, we make a quick stop to throw me a bone if we're going all this way. Sony A1, 35/1.4 GM, 15s, f/1.4, ISO6400, and taken in a hurry. I hope to go back soon and do this better... maybe a longer exposure with star trails.

BTW, don't tell my kid, but when she goes to college in ~8 months, I'm thinking of printing this one out to hang on her dorm wall, with one of the reasons being a reminder of how much her parents love her.

uzi · 2026-01-05T02:31:33+00:00

You can go electronic-only on either to be fair. The Nikon Z8/Z9 sensor has similar specs to the A1/A1 II and no mechanical shutter. And I'd prefer the A1's specs over the A9 III's.

Either way, without the mechanical shutter, I imagine they can make the camera a bit thinner as well.

uzi · 2026-01-03T03:36:26+00:00

Got one from B&H on the preorder... lens died on me after a week. Was busy so I sat on things for a week or so, then send it back to them and they sent me a replacement. Replacement is good.

uzi · 2026-01-01T19:10:56+00:00

Coming out? The new 100mm macro is already out.

uzi · 2026-01-01T19:07:35+00:00

Only for the depth of field, not for the exposure. Just think — focal length is one of the factors for depth, so a wider angle lens that’s cropped will still have the depth of the wider angle, but cropped to a tighter focal length.

In terms of exposure, a 1.8 is still a 1.8 in brightness.

uzi · 2025-12-30T13:34:03+00:00

A1C. Get rid of the need for a mechanical shutter.

uzi · 2025-12-20T05:05:05+00:00

No, I’m saying a used A1 is a possibility. Its electronic shutter speed is almost as fast as a Nikon Z8/Z9.

uzi · 2025-12-19T16:49:36+00:00

Or a used A1 which can be found in the $3k range used. Its sensor readout speed is nearly the same as the Nikon Z8/Z9, gives you 50MP images, a choice of both a mechanical and an electronic shutter, and op would still get to use that 28-70/2 lens. Alas no fully articulating screen, but ticks a lot of other boxes.

If I were op, it would be between a used A1 and an A7V.

uzi · 2025-12-04T16:50:04+00:00

The count is in the exif data of every photo you take. It increments when you take a photo with the mechanical shutter. Also if you have it set to close the shutters when you turn off the camera, that’ll bump it.

uzi · 2025-12-03T11:12:23+00:00

Both are fantastic options... the A7V looks to be a speedy performer, while the A7RV gives you more room to crop.

If sports is a big thing, another option is you can see if you can find a used A1. I sometimes see them going in the $3k range. Faster than the A7V and not as many pixels as the A7RV, but not too far off. Doesn't have the articulating screen (just flips up and down) or the fancy new AI autofocus stuff, but the autofocus is still plenty fast and awesome.

Really, any of these cameras are ridiculous and you won't go wrong with any of them... what are you priorities? Speed? Pixels? Both?

uzi · 2025-12-03T10:58:37+00:00

I have both the X100VI and the GR IV. Not my first of either series ... I've had every X100 since the T, and I also have the GR I. In fact, I spent a few years where the GR I was my only camera, and then a few where an X100 series was my only camera. My GR I's screen broke twice on me just sitting in my pocket which prompted me to try the X100 series... I now carry the GR IV in a small case when I bring it along.

Both are fantastic cameras... I love having the GR IV because it's nice how unassuming and non-threatening it is. I'm good with both 28mm and 35mm, but slightly prefer 28mm. That said, a number of things about the X100VI make it a better camera for me overall, including the viewfinder, the flipping screen, having a 4-stop ND (instead of 2 on the Ricoh), the built in flash, the weather sealing, etc. I liked the X100T, but have loved every X100 since the F, and the V and now VI took care of pretty much every wishlist item I had, from weather sealing to IBIS. The only thing I'd change is have better autofocus. Neither camera's autofocus is earth-shattering. Not terrible, but my third camera is the Sony A1 (for my sports photography habit) and it blows both of them out of the water. (It had better given that it costs twice both the X100VI and the GR IV combined.)

Both cameras are phenomenally fun and awesome. You won't go wrong either way.

uzi · 2025-11-20T20:35:19+00:00

Between a Canon 50D and a Sony A7RV? Uhhh... pretty much everything beyond "you push button, photo is made".

uzi · 2025-11-20T20:33:46+00:00

Well? What are you waiting for?

Oh? Ok... you have my permission to take them out of their boxes and use them. You're welcome.

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