Sony a6000 for macro?

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Roka
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Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 10:57 pm

Sony a6000 for macro?

Post by Roka »

I’m currently using a Fujifilm X-T20 for my macro work. This had been my everyday camera but now I’m using a Sony RX10 IV for that. I’d like to sell the X-T20 and lenses but I need a body to do my macros. I’m thinking of the Sony a6000 as it’s not very expensive and I’d just be using it for macros. I’m using a Laowa 60mm “Ultra-Macro” in EF mount and I can get a Sony E adapter so I know it will physical work. I used to use an a6000 with a 1:1 Sony 30mm macro lens and got good results with that - any reason to think it wouldn’t work well with the 2:1 Laowa 60mm?

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enricosavazzi
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Re: Sony a6000 for macro?

Post by enricosavazzi »

Roka wrote:I’m currently using a Fujifilm X-T20 for my macro work. This had been my everyday camera but now I’m using a Sony RX10 IV for that. I’d like to sell the X-T20 and lenses but I need a body to do my macros. I’m thinking of the Sony a6000 as it’s not very expensive and I’d just be using it for macros. I’m using a Laowa 60mm “Ultra-Macro” in EF mount and I can get a Sony E adapter so I know it will physical work. I used to use an a6000 with a 1:1 Sony 30mm macro lens and got good results with that - any reason to think it wouldn’t work well with the 2:1 Laowa 60mm?
I don't have this camera model (my only Sony is an Alpha 7R II), so owners of the a6000 may be able to provide better information specific to this camera. I do have the Laowa 60 mm.

The a6000 does not have a fully electronic (=completely silent) shutter, as far as I know.

The Laowa 60 mm does not work well on full-frame (too much distortion and poor corner IQ), but is far better on APS-C (still some distortion, but can be corrected if necessary) and even better in this respect on Micro 4/3. If you are satisfied with the way this lens works on the Fujifilm X-T20, then there should be little or no difference on the a6000.

See e.g. https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-set-Sony ... anual-lens for the settings necessary to use a manual lens like the Laowa 60 mm on the a6000.
--ES

__K__
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Post by __K__ »

Hi,

Not to be negative, but as disappointed as I was getting mine I would like to warn you that the A6000 really is useless as far as the electronic shutter is concerned.

The reason is that when EFCS is used a horizontal line pattern occur in the images that is quite hard to remove in post production.
It doesn't always show in the full image but is always present to a very large extent.
It has to do with a rather common EFCS issue regarding the sensor read-out - and the A6000 is notorious for not handling this properly.

I use mine mainly for fisheye macro (cctv arial image photographed at 5x) - where image quality is nowhere near normal macro (for me this far)

Using the mechanical shutter is a different story - images then does not suffer from what I've mentioned above.

harisA
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Location: Greece

Post by harisA »

I own the camera, see my first impressions here:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... ht=#192043

With speeds lower than 1/200 you won't have problems with black patterns at the top of the frame. It seems that other sony mirrorless cameras have the same problem.
Although I was a bit disappointed at first I think I will recommended it now since there is a significant drop in price.

Roka
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Post by Roka »

harisA wrote:I own the camera, see my first impressions here:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... ht=#192043

With speeds lower than 1/200 you won't have problems with black patterns at the top of the frame. It seems that other sony mirrorless cameras have the same problem.
Although I was a bit disappointed at first I think I will recommended it now since there is a significant drop in price.
I seldom shoot faster than 1/200 (I just don’t have the lighting equipment) so that won’t be a limitation. Thanks for the input! I agree that it’s attractive at its current price. I can sell my X-T20, buy a new a6000 and have money left over for fun things like food and rent :D

harisA
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Location: Greece

Post by harisA »

Some more pros and cons after 16 months of use.

Great focus peaking function with manual lenses
Graet pixel density.
Inefficient sensor cleaning
Battery is drained even the camera is off
Useless with lenses with F1.4 and less due to banding issues.

JohnyM
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Post by JohnyM »

Im using few A6000 and A6300 mounted on microscopes and have zero issues with banding, black parts or whatsoever.
A6000 are running with EFSC and A6300 with fully electronic shutter.

__K__
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Post by __K__ »

I guess I got the lemon then.. Maybe I'll try to get another since I do really like the format of it

harisA
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Location: Greece

Post by harisA »

__K__ wrote:I guess I got the lemon then.. Maybe I'll try to get another since I do really like the format of it
No you didn't get a lemon.Every single sony a6000 has the problem described thoroughly in my thread:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... ht=#192043

This happens with efcs activated and with high speeds over 1/1000.In order to notice the problem you have to image something with white background. With normal shutter there is no problem.

JohnyM
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Post by JohnyM »

@harisA: i dont consider your issue as an issue, because AFAIK every SINGLE efsc camera have this "problem" as it's technological limitation (read-out cant keep up with mechanical shutter). And your camera producer is clearly stating that (at least Sony):

http://www.sony-asia.com/electronics/su ... s/00018997

Some additional read:
https://improvephotography.com/33218/ef ... ould-know/

So summary: Use EFSC with slow shutters where vibrations can impact your image, and at fast shutter speeds just use mechanical shutter.

I've not tested it, so im not saying it's working but Sony A9 is promoted as having fully electronic shutter that's "perfect" and should not have this problem or movement distortion. Also im not interested in cameras with sensor smaller than APS-C so they might be some milestones there too.

JohnyM
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Post by JohnyM »

The reason is that when EFCS is used a horizontal line pattern occur in the images that is quite hard to remove in post production.
It doesn't always show in the full image but is always present to a very large extent.
By "pattern" you mean that nd-grad like blackening in top of the frame?

1/4000 - that's full power of 100W mirrored lamphouse. I've kept rest of my frames withing similar exposure with ND filters.
Image
1/2000 - that's as far as i would get with full power of light and no ND filters. It could be salvaged in post-processing if it's really necessary.
Image
1/1000
Image
1/500
Image
1/250
Image

It's typical with EVERY efsc camera, same thing is visible on canon cameras we have. I cannot see any other line patterns in my images.
For me it becomes sligtly visible at 1/1000 and unacceptable at 1/2000 on sony A6000. But honestly it NEVER been a problem for anyone in whole facility as even with brightfield and 100W halogen illuminator it's very unlikely to go over 1/1000 and most users are using DIC or epifluorescence.
For fast "action" i've build a system with a6300 and flashlight with EFS-C off.
Again on macroscope, nobody ever noticed the issue but we have A7RII with fully electronic shutter there.

Could you please provide images with "line pattern", im staring at my raw files and cant find anything like that, but i've heard of similar issue, so im curious now:
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/73708 ... or-fiction


Edit: I've left polarizer in the light path, so i could actually get proper exposure @1/4000:

Image

@1/2000
Image

JohnyM
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Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:02 am

Post by JohnyM »

Interesingly (at least for me), i've also tested a6300 now, and while efsc is acting like expected (still read-out speed must be faster as i can see slight improvement here), fully electronic shutter is free of that nuisance:
EFSC 1/4000
Image
EFSC 1/2000
Image
EFSC 1/1000
Image
ES 1/4000
Image
ES 1/2000
Image
ES 1/1000
Image

But then again, fast moving protozoa would probably cause movement distortion. So it's knowledge how to choose proper methiod and knowing limitations of technology.

harisA
Posts: 513
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:31 am
Location: Greece

Post by harisA »

JohnyM I didn't know that this behavior was inherent to efcs.Before Sony A6000 the only camera brand that had efcs on some of its models was Canon, which was praised among this forum's users.A behavior similar to your photos (and also mine ) was never described by a Canon user in this forum.
This is rather weird.
Also it seems that there is a confusion with the terms ''efcs'',''electronic shutter'',''fully electronic shutter'', ''silent shutter''.

If you know the differences between the above terms please enlighten me.

JohnyM
Posts: 463
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:02 am

Post by JohnyM »

Canons have it too (at least models we had/have). It's just that we (at least me and my coworkers) rarely go to that shutter speeds with macro or micro work.

EFSC is hybrid mechanical / electronic.
Electronic is completly silent and completly vibration free.
"Silent shutter" i've seen used to describe both of those mentioned.

pierre
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Sony a6000 for macro

Post by pierre »

Dear,

Fuji X-T20 as a completly silent / electronic shutter.
You should test it.
Regards

Pierre

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