Has anyone used a Sony 50mm macro or Canon 60mm macro on Sony FF for macro or blackwater shooting? I'm looking for a medium length macro for my Sony FF. Any feedback welcomed.

Canon 60mm macro is an EF-S (APS-C) lens; I don't know how large it's image circle actually is, but I doubt it will cover an FF sensor. I use it on a Sony A6300 with a Metabones IV and I find it much faster than Sony 90mm, but prone to indefinite hunting. However, recently I updated the Metabones adapter firmware from v65 to v71, and it seems to have drastically improved it's performance on land. I'm currently heading to a blackwater-focused liveaboard trip, so hopefully I'll be able to report on its underwater performance in a week or so. 

 

No experience with Sony 50mm, as I don't own one. I tried the 90mm on blackwater and found it impossibly slow, but I understand that it performs much better with  newer bodies such as A7RV and A1. I do use it on regular macro dives. 

I use the Canon 60mm with Metabones IV as one of my macro options for my A7R II. It covers the FF sensor at macro distances but vignettes at farther distances. I haven't done blackwater, but focus speed has been fine during daylight (I'm sure better than the Sony 50mm). Image quality is good in the center but degrades towards the edges (not uncommon with short macros behind flat ports). Overall image quality isn't as good as the Sony 90mmm and Sigma 105mm that I also use. The Nikon 60mm is another short macro option to consider, but I'm not sure which performs better with the adapters. Here is an uncropped example shot with the Canon 60mm (full resolution linked below):

 

 

https://www.isaacszabo.com/images/A7R03209.jpg

I put up the Sony 50mm macro only because I saw it listed on Nauticam's port chart for full frame. I'd never heard of anyone using it so I thought I'd ask. I have a Canon 5Dmk4 but I'm trying to move away from the DSLR.

Edited January 23, 20241 yr by Buddha

6 hours ago, Buddha said:

I put up the Sony 50mm macro only because I saw it listed on Nauticam's port chart for full frame. I'd never heard of anyone using it so I thought I'd ask. I have a Canon 5Dmk4 but I'm trying to move away from the DSLR.

 

I think Alex Mustard has been using it some so he may offer some insight. I haven't tried it but have heard it's very slow focusing. I'd say it's mostly just an option for static subjects. 

9 hours ago, Isaac Szabo said:

I use the Canon 60mm with Metabones IV as one of my macro options for my A7R II. It covers the FF sensor at macro distances but vignettes at farther distances.

Hi @Isaac Szabo   Thanks for sharing your experience and example with the EF-S 60.

 

I have the Sony 90 for my a1; other than the slow focus speed, I enjoy it.  I’ve been considering a shorter macro lens and have heard the same stories of even slower focus from the Sony 50 macro.  The Canon 60/Metabones sounds interesting, especially if the focus is as fast and accurate as it was on my old Canon APS-C rig.

 

Question - what port are you using for this combination? 

I'm probably going to try both the Sony 50mm and the Canon 60/Metabones since I have both a Sony and Canon see how it works. 

10 hours ago, ChipBPhoto said:

Hi @Isaac Szabo   Thanks for sharing your experience and example with the EF-S 60.

 

I have the Sony 90 for my a1; other than the slow focus speed, I enjoy it.  I’ve been considering a shorter macro lens and have heard the same stories of even slower focus from the Sony 50 macro.  The Canon 60/Metabones sounds interesting, especially if the focus is as fast and accurate as it was on my old Canon APS-C rig.

 

Question - what port are you using for this combination? 

 

No problem, Chip! 

 

The 90mm is reported to be very fast on the latest generation cameras like the A1, so I'm confused by you saying it's slow (though I haven't tried it myself on the A1). I would not expect the adapted 60mm to be as fast/accurate as the 90mm on the A1, nor would I expect it to match its performance on Canon DSLRs. But if you're looking for a short macro, it could be better than the native options.

 

I'm using a custom DIY port, so unfortunately I can't help you there. I'm not very familiar with the Nauticam port/extension options. 

20 hours ago, Barmaglot said:

Canon 60mm macro is an EF-S (APS-C) lens; I don't know how large it's image circle actually is, but I doubt it will cover an FF sensor.

I've tried this with my Sony A7RIV and it works great in DX but there is vignetting in FF mode.  First image is with my camera in FF mode, vignetting is most obvious in the bottom corners but is there in the top corners as well.  Second is in DX mode and shows no vignetting.

 

Edited January 23, 20241 yr by Gudge

That's actually very minor vignetting for an APS-C lens. On a blackwater dive it should be completely unnoticeable with no need to shoot in crop mode. 

Hey @Gudge - thanks for sharing the image examples!  Aside from the minor vignetting, it actually looks pretty good.  Agreed that on a black water dive would be a moot issue.  
 

If you wouldn’t mind, could you please measure the length of the Metabones/60 assembly and let us know?  Only the section that would extend out from the body.  That may give a rough idea of the port length needed.

 

@Isaac Szabo - the Sony 90 is definitely faster on the a1 and a7rV than previous models.  Huge improvement!  With that said, it still hunts more than one would see from other lenses.  Nothing we can really do about it, but the terrific image quality makes it worth while. 
 

8 minutes ago, ChipBPhoto said:

If you wouldn’t mind, could you please measure the length of the Metabones/60 assembly and let us know?  Only the section that would extend out from the body.

95mm from the flange connection on the camera body to the end of the lens.

2 minutes ago, Gudge said:

95mm from the flange connection on the camera body to the end of the lens.

Thanks! 

1 hour ago, Gudge said:

I've tried this with my Sony A7RIV and it works great in DX but there is vignetting in FF mode.  First image is with my camera in FF mode, vignetting is most obvious in the bottom corners but is there in the top corners as well.  Second is in DX mode and shows no vignetting.

 

 

The vignetting is absent at very close distances and increases as the distance increases. With my A7R II and metabones IV, I consider the vignetting mild enough that it can be ignored from about 12in/30cm and closer from the sensor plane (in air, underwater might be slightly different). Here are examples taken at 10in/25cm, 12in/30cm and 16in/40cm.

 

 

 

 

 

So for small macro subjects at close distances the vignetting is not an issue, but for large macro subjects from farther away it could be for some people. In that case perhaps the Nikon 60mm could be a better solution. 

for us in black water... wont the 50mm be bad as its gonna take a longer time to focus?  

 

i am also thinking of added a 2nd macro lens.. for black water and for subject that is fist big

Issac thanks for that. I think I'm going to go for it. As for black water I'd probably just use focus peaking if the lens is that slow. I'd rather take a lot of shots then get frustrated waiting for it to focus. Just a thought.

Ok so I just came back from a blackwater trip where I was using the 90mm macro on Sony A7C... it was an uphill battle for sure.

 

I came back and have been asking around on what the best options would be for BW on Sony FF... the 50mm macro unanimously got a "it's horrible / it's even slower than 90" from everyone I've spoken to. My buddy was shooting Sony A6600 w canon 60+metabones and I tried the combo on land (but did not get to borrow it on a BW dive as we both did every dive) - it did not feel notably faster than the 90 to me and is still prone to hunting. It also vignettes a bit around the corners but I suppose for BW that doesn't really matter. Someone else told me they shoot A1 with the Nikon 60+monster adapter and it focuses well and is easier to use than the 90, but as it's on A1 I'm not sure how an older body will handle it. Both Canon 60 and Nikon 60 + adapter options work with the same port as the 90mm (for Nauticam).

 

And then lastly my Nauticam dealer who shoots A7IV told me the 90 is much faster with EMWL and he uses it with 100 degree objective for BW, as does 2 of his other customers one of whom shoots A7R5 and the other A1. He said out of all the combos that gets him the best results for BW, but I've haven't really seen that combo advised elsewhere. 

For the reference, I was shooting the Metabones+Canon 60mm combo on an a6300, not an a6600 😉

 

The adapter firmware update did improve things somewhat over the older version, but it's still pretty frustrating; I missed a lot of shots. Pretty set on upgrading to an a6700, just waiting on SeaFrogs housing availability. 

You can adapt a whole range of lenses with metabones

However I am not sure how the adapter reacts when shooting in CAF which is what I do with macro unless I am on total manual focus

The Sony 50mm is extremely slow to focus even with my A1 but slower than the 90mm if it is slow or faster than a Canon EF-60 APSC I am not sure

The vignetting is due to focus breathing of the lens which is obviously becoming narrower as the focus point gets closer

 

I think until they come up with a better lens in the mid range I'm just going to have to keep my Canon 5D4 and use the Sony for everything else.