The Amazing Sony A1/A7/A9/APS-C & Anything else welcome Mega Thread!

woof woof said:
My point was that any ability that a Canon has over a Sony or indeed any ability a Sony has over a Canon or anything else is perhaps arguably become increasingly niche or at least that's how it tends to look to me.

At the moment the lack of lenses with other systems arguably makes the Sony universe the most attractive.

I suppose if my A7 died the A7III would be the obvious way to go if buying new.
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given you are mostly a prime shooter and happy with A7 in general and not looking to break the bank, I'd probably recommend A7RII. Means you can use your current spare batteries, cheaper, more cropping room, wee bit lighter and smaller and still a improvement in IQ department.
 
I'd probably go for the A7III.

I would say the A7c but the lack of a second top dial and the shutter limitations (EFCS and 1/4k mechanical) would irritate me every time I picked it up.
 
woof woof said:
I'd probably go for the A7III.

I would say the A7c but the lack of a second top dial and the shutter limitations (EFCS and 1/4k mechanical) would irritate me every time I picked it up.
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given you use lenses with aperture ring how much of an annoyance is the lack of second dial?

the EFCS and 1/4000 mechanical is annoying.
 
I placed an order for the A7 IV. My 5D2 died recently so I have no camera. I hike and so wanted something smaller and lighter. For me Canon just doesn’t work because the RF lens lineup is too limited. There are no small F4 lenses for example.

My plan is A7 IV and 24-70 F4. A7 III doesn’t work for me because the bad ergonomics. A7R4 was my other option, but I like the idea of playing with a little video on the A7.
 
Matt. said:
I placed an order for the A7 IV. My 5D2 died recently so I have no camera. I hike and so wanted something smaller and lighter. For me Canon just doesn’t work because the RF lens lineup is too limited. There are no small F4 lenses for example.

My plan is A7 IV and 24-70 F4. A7 III doesn’t work for me because the bad ergonomics. A7R4 was my other option, but I like the idea of playing with a little video on the A7.
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If you weren't shooting action I'd have been tempted with a Z6 ii
 
Matt. said:
I placed an order for the A7 IV. My 5D2 died recently so I have no camera. I hike and so wanted something smaller and lighter. For me Canon just doesn’t work because the RF lens lineup is too limited. There are no small F4 lenses for example.

My plan is A7 IV and 24-70 F4. A7 III doesn’t work for me because the bad ergonomics. A7R4 was my other option, but I like the idea of playing with a little video on the A7.
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The 24-105 is the better single lens solution with excellent image quality.
You can adapt Canon lenses of course but there can be slight focus compromises especially for video.
 
Matt. said:
I placed an order for the A7 IV. My 5D2 died recently so I have no camera. I hike and so wanted something smaller and lighter. For me Canon just doesn’t work because the RF lens lineup is too limited. There are no small F4 lenses for example.

My plan is A7 IV and 24-70 F4. A7 III doesn’t work for me because the bad ergonomics. A7R4 was my other option, but I like the idea of playing with a little video on the A7.
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For hiking tamron 28-200mm is really awesome.
pair it with 17-28mm f2.8 and you have amazing coverage in a very small package (with good sharpness too).
 
nandbytes said:
given you use lenses with aperture ring how much of an annoyance is the lack of second dial?

the EFCS and 1/4000 mechanical is annoying.
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It'll be very annoying as only one of my Sony lenses has an aperture ring.

I know some don't mind not having two near top of camera controls for aperture and shutter and don't mind rotating their thumb and the back wheel I just don't like it and unless there is literally no other option I just wont be doing it. Fortunately there are other options :D
 
ancient_mariner said:
I suspect the issue is that the dial is on the back, where it's awkward, rather than on the front where it's intuitive. Just another typical poor design choice.
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As the A6xxx series have been like this for years you'd think Sony could think this arrangement is perfectly ok, until you log onto any photography forum and everyone shouts "NO!" :D

I have tried using my A7 like this and I hated it.
 
4wd said:
The 24-105 is the better single lens solution with excellent image quality.
You can adapt Canon lenses of course but there can be slight focus compromises especially for video.
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The 24-70 F4 is a weight/size compromise for hiking. It's also why I wouldn't adapt my Canon lenses.
 
woof woof said:
As the A6xxx series have been like this for years you'd think Sony could think this arrangement is perfectly ok, until you log onto any photography forum and everyone shouts "NO!" :D

I have tried using my A7 like this and I hated it.
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I must be the exception - I use my old A900's ('traditional' front / rear dials) and A6000 and don't have an issue with the layout on either (I prefer the A900 layout, but it's a preference, rather than a dislike of the A6000 controlls)
 
woof woof said:
It'll be very annoying as only one of my Sony lenses has an aperture ring.

I know some don't mind not having two near top of camera controls for aperture and shutter and don't mind rotating their thumb and the back wheel I just don't like it and unless there is literally no other option I just wont be doing it. Fortunately there are other options :D
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Said this before but it's easy to use MyDial to get round that, use the one rear dial to do both jobs.
 
I don't see the problem with the back dial on the 6xxx. I find it very intuitive. When the camera is to my eye, or even not to my eye, my thumb is right there ready to rotate or click that dial to quickly change aperture, or shutter, exposure compensation, ISO, zoom in on images I'm reviewing, etc. Maybe I'm just easily pleased. :D
 
Merlin5 said:
I don't see the problem with the back dial on the 6xxx. I find it very intuitive. When the camera is to my eye, or even not to my eye, my thumb is right there ready to rotate or click that dial to quickly change aperture, or shutter, exposure compensation, ISO, zoom in on images I'm reviewing, etc. Maybe I'm just easily pleased. :D
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I've never used a 6000 series, but on the A7III the wheel is small, slippery and tucked away, requiring visual location to find and use, for me at least.
 
ancient_mariner said:
I've never used a 6000 series, but on the A7III the wheel is small, slippery and tucked away, requiring visual location to find and use, for me at least.
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I've just had a quick look around the buttons and dials of the A7III courtesy of Jared Polin. I can definitely see how nice it would be to have those extra top front and back horizontal dials, like one for shutter speed and one for aperture. If I'd had those before, yes, I would miss them. I have small hands and fingers so I guess I find it very easy to use the back dial, and I find it easy to slide my thumb up and down that approximate inch between my BBF button and the dial below it without looking at it. It's just what you get used to though I suppose.
 
pmac said:
When I say crippled it I meant against there own camera’s, I’m sure they could have improved the FPS and black out maybe not the 20 FPS of the R6 due to the mp but it not improving on the a7iii after so long is abit shocking.
similarly I’m sure 4k60 would have been a non issue, they seem to have done just enough to make it slightly better than the a7iii but not excel in its group like the a7iii did.

them not improving it hugely won’t bring them new users or those that maybe canon/nikon and still looking to move from dslr like the a7iii did, why move brands when the canon is the same price and as good if not better in some respects.

Im sure most in here moved from nikon/canon due to the better specs and cheaper price than alternatives, which as I said above isn’t the case now.
Keeping a good lead in specs entices new users, being average doesn’t.
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I don't think Sony will entice Canon users now regardless, the only reason so many jumped ship before was that Sony were the only FF mirrorless. Now Canon have FF mirrorless Canon users wouldn't jump ship even if Sony's. were 10x better ;) The fac that Canon have arguably surpassed Sony mean that if anything it's more likely going to be the other way around now.
decigallen said:
I don’t think anyone is saying it’s a bad camera. It’s just not anything revolutionary, yet the price has gone up significantly.

It’s “improved” in areas where I didn’t need improvement and not improved in areas I wanted. Can’t please everyone, of course, but the a7iii got so much spot on.

I have to buy 4 bodies so it’s a significant outlay and I want to get it right. Think I’ll stick with a7iii for the next year.
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What was the A73 price at launch?
 
Merlin5 said:
I've just had a quick look around the buttons and dials of the A7III courtesy of Jared Polin. I can definitely see how nice it would be to have those extra top front and back horizontal dials, like one for shutter speed and one for aperture. If I'd had those before, yes, I would miss them. I have small hands and fingers so I guess I find it very easy to use the back dial, and I find it easy to slide my thumb up and down that approximate inch between my BBF button and the dial below it without looking at it. It's just what you get used to though I suppose.
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I suppose I have smallish hands and I am very dextrous, I must be as I spent all those years fixing stuff but ergonomics and preferences matter plus there's the non handling issues with some of these cameras such as limited mechanical shutter speeds, fixed EFCS and so on. All in all if Sony were to persist with this and move this design onto A7 bodies I'd just buy something else when the need arises or just stick with MFT which manage to handle well and in one way or another solve all the issues I'd have with either an A6xxx or A7c body.

As always I accept this is a personal preference and good luck to those who put up with, don't notice or even like these foibles but being the sort of person I am I just know an A6xxx or A7c would annoy me every time I picked it up and I'd drop kick it over a hedge sooner or later so I might as well stick to the handling and ergonomics I can live with or even like. And that's we all should do.
 
JohnMcL7 said:
It was $2000 so the mkIV is a fairly hefty $500 premium, in the UK it has a £2000 RRP (with tax unlike the US price) but I've not seen the UK price for the mkIV.
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£2399 for the A7IV. Not sure if that’s in line with the general camera market inflation or not?
 
snerkler said:
£2399 for the A7IV. Not sure if that’s in line with the general camera market inflation or not?
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Its slightly higher than the general camera market inflation I think but its not surprising it costs the same as its nearest competitor.
 
I have two cars and they're almost certainly not worth £2k together.

That may not matter but a car is BIG and a camera is quite small.
 
Merlin5 said:
Here's a couple of photos I took on Wednesday evening just off Oxford Street. :)

Night Walkers

You really are taking some cracking images - thanks for sharing...
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Thank you Martin, much appreciated. (y)
 
Matt. said:
I placed an order for the A7 IV. My 5D2 died recently so I have no camera. I hike and so wanted something smaller and lighter. For me Canon just doesn’t work because the RF lens lineup is too limited. There are no small F4 lenses for example.

My plan is A7 IV and 24-70 F4. A7 III doesn’t work for me because the bad ergonomics. A7R4 was my other option, but I like the idea of playing with a little video on the A7.
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I've never owned the Sony 24-70 f4, but I think it's supposed to be one of the poorest zooms in Sony's lineup. Shame you are restricted on weight, as 4wd said the Sony 24-105 is probably my favourite lens and the one lens that surprised me more than any other, it's great.
 
ShrubMonkey said:
I've never owned the Sony 24-70 f4, but I think it's supposed to be one of the poorest zooms in Sony's lineup. Shame you are restricted on weight, as 4wd said the Sony 24-105 is probably my favourite lens and the one lens that surprised me more than any other, it's great.
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I do remember the guys over at Luminous Landscape enthusing over this lens though and salivating over some really big prints they made from it.
 
ShrubMonkey said:
I've never owned the Sony 24-70 f4, but I think it's supposed to be one of the poorest zooms in Sony's lineup. Shame you are restricted on weight, as 4wd said the Sony 24-105 is probably my favourite lens and the one lens that surprised me more than any other, it's great.
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I have the 24-70mm f4 and the 24-105mm f4, the 24-70mm is nowhere near as bad as some people make out. At f4 it’s as sharp as the 24-105mm, however stopped down the 24-105mm does significantly improve in the corners whereas the 24-70mm doesn’t as much, but it’s far from horrendous. I do wonder if some people are over critical due to it carrying the Zeiss tag.
 
Up North today. Rattray Head was stunning with waves crashing in mostly over my wellies. Very lucky not to lose some kit and must be more careful. No light for the seven hours I was there except a brief 30 minute on off spell which made the day. Even managed to FTP an image to my phone
 

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snerkler said:
I have the 24-70mm f4 and the 24-105mm f4, the 24-70mm is nowhere near as bad as some people make out. At f4 it’s as sharp as the 24-105mm, however stopped down the 24-105mm does significantly improve in the corners whereas the 24-70mm doesn’t as much, but it’s far from horrendous. I do wonder if some people are over critical due to it carrying the Zeiss tag.
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I suspect that as with some other earlier sony/zeiss lenses, quality control was overlooked. Someone kindly sent me some images taken with their copy of the 24-70, and they were of the standard one might expect from a cheap kit lens. I bought the 24-105 on this basis, and it's generally performed well.
 
While Sony have failed to blow me away, Tamron absolutely have. Their 70-180 is absolutely brilliant. The first zoom I’ve bought in nearly a decade. Sharp, basically as light as a 1.4 prime and produces lovely colour and contrast.

it’s really making me consider getting the 35-150.
 
ancient_mariner said:
I suspect that as with some other earlier sony/zeiss lenses, quality control was overlooked. Someone kindly sent me some images taken with their copy of the 24-70, and they were of the standard one might expect from a cheap kit lens. I bought the 24-105 on this basis, and it's generally performed well.
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Possibly so, and I have heard that later 24-70mm f4's are better. My copy is a far cry from a cheap kit lens, although that being said the 28-70mm sony punches well above what its price tag suggests.
 
Merlin5 said:
I don't see the problem with the back dial on the 6xxx. I find it very intuitive. When the camera is to my eye, or even not to my eye, my thumb is right there ready to rotate or click that dial to quickly change aperture, or shutter, exposure compensation, ISO, zoom in on images I'm reviewing, etc. Maybe I'm just easily pleased. :D
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Totally agree!!
I find it easier and nicer to use than the two wheels on my a7R4a
 
decigallen said:
While Sony have failed to blow me away, Tamron absolutely have. Their 70-180 is absolutely brilliant. The first zoom I’ve bought in nearly a decade. Sharp, basically as light as a 1.4 prime and produces lovely colour and contrast.

it’s really making me consider getting the 35-150.
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Sony are Tamron's biggest share holder. Tamron are basically Sony's budget brand now days.

Don't get the Sony hate they have launched a huge amount of new gear this year which is pretty impressive considering the pandemic and supply chain issues. I am not one really for being a fanboy but Sony have absolutely smashed it over the last year.

The 50GM for example is an absolute wonder.

I am not sure what people where expecting from the A7IV in truth it is probably above expectations and has pretty much most of the stuff that the majority of people had been asking for.

Most people wanted more res, the new card slots, a better evf, the new touchscreen menu, better video capability, the newer ergonomics, they did all of that and you also get the updated a.f capability as well. It is the entry level basic model in the range it wouldn't make any sense for it to be massively better spec than other models in the range. You could arguably say that the A7IV is the best value for money hybrid option now available and a good option for bloggers too, and that is what this model is all about, being good at most things without excelling in any particular area. If you want the high res you get the A7RIV, if you want the speed you get the A9II, if you want both you get the A1 and if you want video you get the A7SIII.

While the A7IV doesn't appeal to me personally it does seem that Sony listened to what the majority of people were asking for and delivered it, there is always room for improvement of course.

If they were able to bring all of these things to the A9III when it comes while maintaining the speed and advantages of a stacked sensor I will be replacing all 6 of our bodies.
 
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Maybe I'm just getting old. After getting used to two dials at the top of the camera and using them for decades and then trying the back wheel arrangement and simply hating it as I find moving my thumb down and making a circular movement much less preferable to using a towards the top dial I have no intention of changing because Sony or anyone else thinks I should and as above, I think we should all buy what suits us otherwise kit will just pile up dented and unwanted over that hedge :D
 
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