Astrophotography test with Sony A7iii and Konica Hexanon 24mm f2.8
5 second exposure at 32000 ISO, f2.8, focus set just shy of infinity.
Had a chance to do a few tests with the new camera (Sony A7iii) and a new 24mm Konica Hexanon f2.8 prime lens, but not as much time as I really needed. While there's a lot to be happy about with this picture, I see a lot of problems with it as well. First and foremost, I thought I was in RAW mode, but was unfortunately shooting JPEG and not even at the best setting. Second, I think this lens will focus past infinity on the current adapter, giving the stars those little distortions (either that or I'm seeing edge/corner distortion). What I'm the most bummed about is the color noise in this shot, but I'm pretty sure that's due to the JPEG compression. Anyhow, more tests need to be done, and more pics will be forthcoming.
Some notes on the Konica Hexanon 24mm f2.8 - it doesn't have the best corner or edge sharpness, particularly wide-open, but the center is quite sharp. It's pretty fast for an older 24mm. I'm not sure that it's much superior to my Sony 24-240 at the widest, but I will say that it is significantly wider. I don't have a lot of basis for comparison, but I think it is likely that the Konica is wider than a true 24. One thing is clear, very little to zero CA in the Konica Hexanon.
Can't wait to get some more shots in RAW, the color noise in this one was a bit disappointing.
Great work dude, the Sony A7iii is a great bit of kit. I never knew it could perform so well for Astrophotography. I usually just mount it to my Gimbal and use it for videography.