Sony FE 90mm F/2.8 macro shot with A7II in a Nauticam housing Images

[Marshmellow]

Phil,

Thanks for the reply. How well does autofocus work with the SMC-1 on FF? Does it lock on focus reasonable fast and not hunt back and forth? Let us know what your experiences are when you get your A6300 rig together, especially since it's strong points are it's focusing system.

Maybe I got a bad kit or the lens just doesn't respond well with auxiliary lens when using contrast focusing on the NEX7. Focuses reasonably fast though without the diopter, so it's a bit of a mystery. My lens is insured, so I'll probably send it in and have it checked out to rule it out.

Cheers

 

[JimBabcock]

Hey, Phil. Just today picked up the Nauticam housing and port for my new SONY A6300 and my SONY FE 90mm macro and have some configuration questions; the lense has a mechanical AF/MF slide; it appears that if it's in AF, the camera's AF/MF switch can overrule this, but if it he lense is switched to MF, the camera can't overrule this and it stays in MF. I am used to using back button focusing with the AF/MF switch reprogrammed to AF on so it would seem logical to leave the lense's switch to AF. I also bought the MF gear but have not yet installed it as I'm hoping AF will be sufficient. I'm hoping to mainly shoot video. So,what's your advice?

Also, of the three focus ranges, which do you prefer?

Thanks in advance.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hi Jim, You are correct that with the focus ring set to the AF (forward) possession you can override AF and use manual focus but not the other way around. It is easy to bump the focus ring when installing the camera into the housing and end up in manual focus so be aware of that. I use back focus in just the way you have described and also have the focus gear if I want to be sure that I am extended all the way to life size. I am not a video shooter but would recommend manual focus over AF in cases where you are very close and have limited DOF.

Regarding the focus range setting, I have used both .5 meters to 1:1 and infinity to 1:1. I use the lens for macro not as a telephoto lens so I stick to the .5 to 1:1 range, I have missed shots where I felt I could have backed up further but for the most part I have found the lens hunts less in the short range.

The big issue with this lens with both the A6300 and the A7 series cameras is battery life. I tend to change batteries between dives or at least once every two dives.

 

[tino]

Hey Phil,

Yes the biggest issue with the A7 Series cameras is battery life. In the last months i have make my own solution with my "Surface Interval Cable". Now i can charge my battery between two dives with an USB-Powerpack without opening the housing and don't lose the vacuum inside the housing. I have only to open a small cap.

My "Surface Interval Cable" works also with the RX100IV in Nauticam-Housing and i think it will also works with A6000 / A6300 in Nauticam Housings. I need only a free M14 or M16 accessory hole.

Tino

 

[Marshmellow]

Hey Jim,

Let me know how the S90M works with your 6300, especially with a diopter attached. I've had trouble locking on to focus with the S90M and my NEX 7 when using a diopter (surface testing only). I've tried the FIT +5, Aquatica +10, even the SMC-1, all without much success. I would imagine the S90M will respond better to the more advanced hybrid focusing of the 6300. In order to rule out any issues with the lens, it's currently at Sony Repair for a check-out and tune up. My current macro set-up is a Canon 60M in a special Nauticam port that has both MF and AF, the latter being quite slow with the Metabones adapter and manual focus is rather difficult in current when I want to stabilize with a reef rod....wish I were an octopus at times I like the NEX7 and it's housing ergonomics, but would love to have an SM set-up that worked fairly fast and reliably in AF. I'd switch over to the 6300 if the S90M gave reliable AF results with +10 and +15 diopters. Keep us APS-C users abreast of your results.

Have fun and good luck with your new S90 macro set-up.

Cheers,

Marshall

Hey, Phil. Just today picked up the Nauticam housing and port for my new SONY A6300 and my SONY FE 90mm macro and have some configuration questions; the lense has a mechanical AF/MF slide; it appears that if it's in AF, the camera's AF/MF switch can overrule this, but if it he lense is switched to MF, the camera can't overrule this and it stays in MF. I am used to using back button focusing with the AF/MF switch reprogrammed to AF on so it would seem logical to leave the lense's switch to AF. I also bought the MF gear but have not yet installed it as I'm hoping AF will be sufficient. I'm hoping to mainly shoot video. So,what's your advice?

Also, of the three focus ranges, which do you prefer?

Thanks in advance.

 

[JimBabcock]

Hey Jim,

Let me know how the S90M works with your 6300, especially with a diopter attached. I've had trouble locking on to focus with the S90M and my NEX 7 when using a diopter (surface testing only). I've tried the FIT +5, Aquatica +10, even the SMC-1, all without much success. I would imagine the S90M will respond better to the more advanced hybrid focusing of the 6300. In order to rule out any issues with the lens, it's currently at Sony Repair for a check-out and tune up. My current macro set-up is a Canon 60M in a special Nauticam port that has both MF and AF, the latter being quite slow with the Metabones adapter and manual focus is rather difficult in current when I want to stabilize with a reef rod....wish I were an octopus at times I like the NEX7 and it's housing ergonomics, but would love to have an SM set-up that worked fairly fast and reliably in AF. I'd switch over to the 6300 if the S90M gave reliable AF results with +10 and +15 diopters. Keep us APS-C users abreast of your results.

Have fun and good luck with your new S90 macro set-up.

Cheers,

Marshall

 

[JimBabcock]

Annoyingly, the SONY A6300 and the 90mm macro didn't get a fair test. I was diving off Key Largo and had only one good day, the first, in which the water was clear and calm. i used it to test the new Olympus TG Tracker. The rest of the time, the seas were were rough, the bottom was surge-y, and the vis poor. The one day I shot with them, I shot video and nothing useful ended up in focus. On the plus side, I really liked the TG Tracker. Next trip is in October to Bonaire where it is always gorgeous so I'll update then.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

I have an article coming in the Sept/Oct issue of UWPMAG.com using the Sony A6300 with the 90 macro and Zeiss 12mm in the new Ikelite housing. Again the biggest issue for me is the battery life with the 90 mm pushing all of that excellent glass.
Several battery packs which plug into the mini-USB are now being tested and I think a solution for this problem will be coming before the end of the year. The 90mm macro is capable of stellar images paired with the A6300.

 

[tino]

"Several battery packs which plug into the mini-USB are now being tested and I think a solution for this problem will be coming before the end of the year."

Hey Phil,

Can you say something more about these battery packs? Are they in the housing? In the Nauticam housing for the A7 Series isn't a lot of space especially when you use the LED-Trigger for the flash.

Thanks,

Tino

 

[Marshmellow]

Annoyingly, the SONY A6300 and the 90mm macro didn't get a fair test. I was diving off Key Largo and had only one good day, the first, in which the water was clear and calm. i used it to test the new Olympus TG Tracker. The rest of the time, the seas were were rough, the bottom was surge-y, and the vis poor. The one day I shot with them, I shot video and nothing useful ended up in focus. On the plus side, I really liked the TG Tracker. Next trip is in October to Bonaire where it is always gorgeous so I'll update then.

I got my Sony 90M back from the shop today. Sony tweaked and cleaned it, said it was spot-on to factory specs. Excited, I dragged my NA-NEX 7 system out and ran some tests on the lens using my 3 diopters listed in above posts. Only the FIT +5 gave any acceptable autofocus lock, the Aquatica and SMC-1 +10's hunted endlessly. Disappointed, I compared the results to my Canon 60M using a Metabones adapter (Firmware 31). I was quite surprised just how much faster the Canon was in general focusing, especially since it doesn't have a limiter switch, at least twice as fast if not more. It's focusing system locked on accurately 100% of the time with on all 3 diopters. This is what I would expect from a Sony native e-mount lens, not a Canon with Metabones.

I'm now convinced that the S90M is not well suited for NEX7 systems, at least if you want to use autofocus. I tested on two separate NEX7 bodies and have had the lens checked out, so I doubt it's the equipment. Of course, it has the reach of a 135mm macro lens on APS-C compared to my C60M's 90mm, so it has some advantage in there. This, after all, is primarily why I purchased the lens, that and for faster AF. The lens may be acceptable for those NEX7 users who don't use close-up lens, or are more comfortable with manual focus, like many SM shooters are. As mentioned, it performed fairly well by itself, albeit slowly, in autofocus without diopters. It appears that the higher magnification you go with the diopters, the less AF will function, if at all.

I'll be putting the S90M lens and SMC-1 up for sale shortly. The SMC is fantastic, but so much heavier and larger than my Aquatica +10 with hardly any noticeable increase in sharpness.

Hopefully A6300 and A7 users will have better results with it's hybrid focus, perhaps what the S90M was designed for?

Happy diving

Marshall