FS7: Anybody Ever Switched Back to Canon Glass From Sony?

Joshua Milligan

Joshua Milligan

Well-known member
Have any of you ever switched from Sony E-mount glass back to Canon EF glass due to Sony's focus-by-wire design? I used to shoot with all Canon glass adapted to my FS7, but have been selling my GM glass to move back to adapting Canon glass because Sony's focus-by-wire lenses are really killing me. I just feel so disconnected with my lenses. The 100-400 GM is absolutely horrible for focusing and while the 70-200 GM is better, it's still not like using Canon's EF glass. The 16-35 GM and 24-70 GM aren't all that great to me either. Also, the longer GM lenses (70-200 and 100-400) automatically detect when they are on a tripod and shut the IS off automatically. That's really frustrating because there are times when IS on a tripod is really helpful, especially with longer focal lengths. My Canon lenses didn't do that. Maybe they do on Canon bodies, I don't know. But adapted at least the IS stayed on the whole time if I wanted it to.

I hate switching back because it's costly and with the new AF technology that's coming out in cameras like the FX9, I'd love to be able to use those features on my lenses. But, autofocus isn't a replacement for good manual focus. It's just a tool to use for certain shots, and with Sony glass you have that tool in spades with their newer cameras, but at the expense of good manual focus.

I cannot help but feel that is why when you look at IndieWire every year for documentaries that are featured in Sundance and what they were shot on, you will see both Sony and Canon cameras being used, along with Arris, REDs and a few others, but never once have I ever seen Sony glass mentioned. Canon glass, PL glass and others, yes, but never Sony glass. To me, that's telling.

It seems like switching glass is the only way to make this work, but I'd love to know what many of you have done.
 
I'm looking to switch at least one of my Canon lenses (24-105) for the Sony 18-105 strictly for the weight loss when shooting handheld on my FS5. I'm a manual focus guy so we'll see how this works out ;)
 
The few times I’ve rented Canon glass I’ve found the focus throw to be so short it’s just as useless as fly by wire. So I use Sony glass and AF. Or Samyang “cine” lenses that have decent focus throw.
 
JPNola said:
You can bring yourself to sell lenses you own??

I'm still working on being able to do that. They all my babies. :smile: 26 lenses as of last count.
Click to expand...

I'm struggling with it haha, but I'm trying to. Already sold two lenses. I hate selling lenses as I feel like I'm just pouring cash down the drain.
 
It’s more than a valid thought, one I’ve considered despite not owning nor wanting to own a single Canon body.

My lens ecosystem is a bit of a mess... still a few m4/3 lenses for my soon-to-be retired GH4; Metabones Nikon adapters came next, because it took so long for a decent m4/3-EF adapter to arrive. A good half dozen Sigma zooms, all Nik mount, some S35 and a couple full-frame. Then I went FS5 and rented FS7 frequently, so started getting a couple E lenses and E-Nik adapters. The braindead mechanical dependability of the Nikons is nice, but you never really know what your aperture is, and never get the benefits of IS or AF to any degree.

Basically it’s a crossroads, get EF lenses and work kinda OK with most everybody’s cameras, or just go full-on E and get full function with only one camera ecosystem.

I think I just decided E... kind of... buying a A7R4 and GM 24-70 as a good base workhorse lens. I’ll test AF etc with a few MC-11-adapted Sigma EF primes... maybe also with their zooms. If that fails, Sigma has at least one solid native E-mount zoom on the way, more than a few excellent primes, and will likely have more. They all have good solid focus feel.

My eventual goal is to declutter the working kit with adapters and varying sensor sizes and all that faff... three base zooms, a few primes, and one FF Cine zoom.
 
Yeah man, you've got a lot going on there! Haha. I wanted to de-clutter my lens selection which is why I went all native. I had three Zeiss primes, four GM zooms and the 18-110 Cine Servo Zoom lens. I had exactly what I needed to cover all the types of projects I do, but no IS on a tripod kills me during live recordings when I need a little extra help with having smooth shots, the lack of a mechanical focus has really effected me when filming and the 18-110's servo might as well not even exist because of how slow and laggy it is. Sony kills me because they make the best cameras for what I do and I will continue to use them, but they don't offer native lenses that are halfway decent for video.
 
Clearly the body you have/aim for C500 or FX9 should drive the AF glass you own.

FS7? - basically use manual glass.

I only use AF for 'walk towards' and a few other specific shots.

My nikkors fit everything.
 
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