The Terra Galleria Blog – QT Luong

I have too much gear in my closet that others could put to good use: Sony, Canon, etc… email me for photos, more details, or to make an offer.

Sony Alpha

Sony/Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS. $445. Designed by Zeiss, this was the best of the first-generation Sony zooms. An excellent lens, its optical performance is almost on par with the much more expensive Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM that I am now using. It is smaller and lighter, making it great for travel and hiking. Scratches on front element, a few scratches/wear marks on the barrel (its curled metal finish was easier to scratch than current plastic housings). Like for most of my lenses, this particular lens has been handpicked out of 3 samples after rigorous automated optical testing similar to that reported here.

Sony/Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4. SOLD. Also designed by Zeiss, it was inferior to the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 as per my own review, but it is smaller and lighter for travel and hiking. Although I had the 24-105, when I climbed the Grand Teton, I packed the 24-70. Optics fine, a few scratches on the barrel (its metal finish was easier to scratch than current plastic housings). Handpicked out of 3 samples.

Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS. $650. The first Sony mirrorless lens to reach 300mm. A good performer, although at the long end not on the same level as the more expensive Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM that I am now using. A lighter and fairly compact lens (for a telephoto), it is great for travel and hiking. Optics and cosmetics fine. Handpicked out of 3 samples.

Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di USD Lens for Sony A + Sony LA-EA3 adapter. $695. Until the much more expensive Sony 200-600m was released, this was the best choice for a super-tele zoom for Sony, as explained by Brian Smith. Although it is not a native FE lens but rather a Sony A lens, it is still a native Sony lens so it works better than other third-party lenses, provided you use the included adapter. Optically, in the 200-400 range, it is comparable to the much more expensive original Canon 100-400, which was my workhorse tele lens for a long time, but (obviously) it can go to 600mm without a teleconverter, making it a very versatile lens for wildlife – I used in Katmai for the bears. Handpicked out of 3 samples. The Sony LA-EA3 adapter let you mount a Sony A lens on Sony FE body with fast and accurate PDAF AF-C and AF-S with Wide, Center and Flexible Spot Focus Areas

Canon EF

Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art, Canon EF mount. SOLD. Excellent condition. This is the widest f/1.4 lens available, and as such a great choice for astro-landscape photography. It is sharper (and wider) than both the Canon and Bower 24mm f/1.4. Handpicked out of 3 samples.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II . SOLD. Excellent condition. A solid performer and versatile lens, usable for astro-landscape photography in a pinch. Handpicked out of 3 samples.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 IS L. $345. This was my bread-and-butter lens when I used the Canon EF system – I’ve since switched to Sony and use an equivalent lens. This particular lens has been handpicked out of 4 samples after rigorous automated optical testing. It is in perfect mechanical condition, but the front element has a few pin-size scratches. They do not affect the image in any way, and I never felt it necessary to replace the lens, especially since it takes quite a while to do the testing and locate a good sample.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS. SOLD. The first lens to introduce image stabilization – we’ve come a long way. With its good optical quality, reach, and light weight, it was my preferred telephoto choice for hiking. The 100-400 is more than twice its weight, while the 70-200/4 has a reduced reach. It is in perfect mechanical condition, but the front element has a hair-size scratch, again something that was not an issue. Handpicked out of 3 samples.

Canon EF teleconverter 1.4x. $125. Good condition. Works with L tele lenses and TSE lenses.

Ikelite Underwater housing kit for Canon 5D mk2 $1,500. Includes everything you need to shoot with a wide-angle lens: housing, Modular 8″ Dome Assembly and Extended Port Body, Strobe DS160, Charger, SA-100 Ball Socket Arm & Digital TTL Sync Cord, and Pelican Case suitable to shipping as check-in luggage. Ikelite is the least expensive reputable brand of housings, and they provide great service. Their housings are as reliable as any other major brand. The reason they are relatively inexpensive is that they are made of polycarbonate. Aluminum housings are smaller and the controls (knobs, shafts, etc) seem to work more precisely, but the price difference is substantial and probably not worth it unless you dive frequently. I’ve used this housing to make all the underwater photographs in Treasured Lands, and I am selling it only because it’s been a few years since I used my Canon gear.

Case Remote with cable for 5D mk2/mk3 $80. Provides remote control via smartphone (YouTube review). Unlike with other remotes, you can crucially see the image live on your phone’s screen. That capability is built-in with the Sony cameras.

Nikon/Canon

Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 Damaged. SOLD. When mounted on a Nikon body, aperture and AF appear to work OK. This lens was dropped, and as a result, the optics went out of alignment, resulting in images that are partly unsharp. Here are two full-resolution examples shot wide-open: example 1, example 2. Unfortunately, when I checked those images on the LCD, at normal magnification, they looked just fine. It wasn’t until I went home that I noticed the sharpness defect. The location was the Whitmore Overlook in Grand Canyon, and it takes so much effort to get there that I don’t see myself returning soon. So the lesson is to check images at 100% before you leave! The Nikon was a great lens, especially for night photography. Sold as is.

Novoflex Nikon G to Canon EF adapter. $65. Good condition. This is a “16:9 edition” adapter (description here) named after the technical lens site 16-9 . Back then, Canon made the only good full frame cameras, but all their wide-angle lenses were mediocre. 16-9 found the Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 to be the best wide-angle zoom made at that time – it is still one of the best. They developed the adapter specifically to use that lens on a Canon EF body. Being a “G” lens that controls electronically the aperture, the 14-24 f/2.8 doesn’t have an aperture ring, so this required a special adapter with the capability to stop down the lens via a specially designed lever.

Bower 24mm f/1.4, Nikon Mount. $175. Good condition. Manual focus, manual aperture. A good night sky photography lens. I once owned the Canon 24 f/1.4 L II, which was considerably more expensive, but sold it because the Bower (also marketed as Rokinon or Samyang) turned to have much less coma. Coma is the bane of star field photography because it is almost impossible to correct in processing. Unlike for the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, I could have gotten the Bower in Canon mount, but I chose the Nikon version since with an adapter, there is no loss in functionality. Nikon lenses can be mounted on Canon EF bodies because they have a larger mount, but not vice-versa.

Vello Nikon to Canon EF adapter. SOLD. Good condition. Allows mounting of a manual focus, manual aperture Nikon lens (such as the above Bower) to Canon EF. The adapter is so small and thin that you just forget that it’s there.

Other

Gitzo 1325 mk2 tripod. $250. Series 3 carbon-fiber, with 3 legs section and a large apex. Folded Length 26.4 in, Height Range 4.33 – 58.27 in, weight 4.5 lbs. Rock solid. Good condition, but note that the tube locks (which were not anti-twist, so require you to operate them in the right order), have become a bit sticky, something that may possibly be fixed by a thorough cleaning.

Arca-Swiss Monoball B1 Ballhead. $195. Many scratches, but solid operation. For many years, the Arca-Swiss Monoball B1 Ball Head has been the standard by which all other ball heads are judged. I find that lighter ball heads are sufficient for my needs, but if you are looking for a heavy-duty one, that one is silky smooth and super solid.

Dynamic Perception Stage Zero Dolly Complete Kit. $500. Just a few years into the time-lapse trend (that I joined for a while), standards raised dramatically with camera motion. What made it possible was the Stage Zero, the first commercially available dolly with integrated time-lapse controller. Dollies have since become more slick and refined, but the Stage Zero remains a workhorse which is almost impossible to break even shipped as checked-in luggage (in a ski bag, included). The original kit has a single 6 foot rail, but I include a second identical rail and hardware to join them for a total of 12 feet travel. Mine came with a connector cable for Canon, but with the appropriate cable, the controller works with other systems as well. Using this has given me a new appreciation for those with the dedication to lug this thing over long distances. It works fine close to the car, though, and if you’d like a proven dolly to try to take your time-lapses to the next level, that’s a fun piece of gear!