Ken_5D wrote:
>
> I can't tell you for sure which shots are A900 now.. but Brian Smith shoots only Sony DSLRs now.. by choice.
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> http://briansmith.com/#/PORTFOLIOS/CELEBRITY/1
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> www.dyxium.com has a list of all the AF Sony / Minolta lenses..
> The system is building you will not find all the lenses you have on the older systems.. that is just a fact. Many here fill out with used lens and ALL of them are stablized on the Sony system making some older lenses very current.
>
> But the pros that are using Sony are doing so because it is the only system with AF Stablized Zeiss lenses. Zeiss specializes in being sharpest near wide open and the Sensor our performs many Medium format camera backs at low ISO where many of them ONLY shoot.
>
>
> Ken - A700 Owner..


Thank you, Ken!

Yes, I've been using the a900 exclusively since last December and couldn't be happier. The lenses were what initially attracted me to the camera. The major weakness of the DSLR brand I used previously was their lack of sharp wide angle lenses.

I was immediately impressed by both the build and optical quality of Sony's Zeiss lenses. They're tack sharp wide open and built like a Rolex. Having shot mostly medium format for the past two decades, Sony's Zeiss lenses have what can best be described as a medium format look - but without all of the problems and hassles associated with digital backs.

I love the a900 sensor. Once you get past 20 megapixels, it's not really a megapixel race anymore, rather it's about the quality of the pixels. I want a camera that shoots a razor sharp file right from the start. One of the other leading DSLR brands combats their chromatic aberration problems by using really heavy anti-aliasing filters which turn their RAW images to a sea of mush. A great way to view this is to turn off all sharpening in Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom and zoom in to 100%. The Sony a900 files are razor sharp even without any sharpening.

The problem with sharpening a mushy file is that as you sharpen the edge detail you're also accentuating pores and all the imperfections that you /don't/ want to enhance. Much better to start with a sharp file to begin with.

My favorite lenses are Sony Zeiss 24-70/2.8, 85/1.4 and 135/1.8. Their 16-35/2.8 is also razor sharp, I just tend to work more in the 24 and up range. I'm also quite impressed with the tack-sharp 70-400 G lens. It's roughly the same size as a 70-200/2.8 and a real life saver when I've needed that extra reach. Another personal fave is Sony's 100 macro.

Great glass makes all the difference!

You also brought up a great point about having image stabilization built into the body - not the lenses. I love this and I'm surprised that every camera maker hasn't gone this route. I pretty much leave SteadyShot on all the time. At slow shutter speeds I want image stabilization on wide and normal lenses - not just on telephotos.

The link you posted was to a project shot entirely with the a900 and 24-70/2.8 and 85/1.4 lenses: http://briansmith.com/#/PORTFOLIOS/CELEBRITY

Here are links to a few other photographers shooting with the Sony a900:

Matthew Jordan Smith http://mjs-exp.com
Andy Katz http://www.andykatzphotography.com
Cristina Mittermeier http://www.cristinamittermeier.com
David McLain http://www.davidmclain.com
Me Ra Koh http://www.merakoh.com