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

To me, two significant differences (to judge from reviews only as I only know the a7r) not mentioned are that the a7r uses a slower autofocus system (I use the faster - for me - manual method) than the others and also has a noisier shutter with reported shake issues from bounce in the lower shutter speed ranges. I suspect that there may be differences in the maximum frames per second, but I haven't checked and I'm more a "minutes per frame" than "frames per second" photographer.
 
pingu666 said:
only the 50mp mf sensor by sony would have a chance to be significantly better at that , maybe rii but as theres no reviews...
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Maybe and then I'd question if MF is practical as a camera to shoot out and about handheld with.

85mm f1.8 Batis review against Otis and comments v other higher end 85mm's...

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/otus-vs-batis-85mm-comparison-by-matt-granger/#disqus_thread

Looks to be a nice lens.

What happened about that rumour that 6 lenses were going to be announced last week? Doesn't seem to have happened...
 
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twist said:
This may surprise you but the a7S isn't as good you think at high ISO compared to the competition. Not until youd really start getting noise with any camera...
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Slightly horrified to find I agree with Twist here. I did enjoy the A7S but didn't find any real benefit in low-light high-ISO noise. At least, nothing that could;don't be dealt with by a bit of judicious noise reduction.
 
paulcamcas said:
Slightly horrified to find I agree with Twist here. I did enjoy the A7S but didn't find any real benefit in low-light high-ISO noise. At least, nothing that could;don't be dealt with by a bit of judicious noise reduction.
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Yup, like I said, the D750 holds up pretty much the same till around ISO 20k without any NR (the D750 is very good at hi ISO though an twice the pixels), the real benefit is only seen in video and thats above ISO 6400. If you need to go above those ISOs then its great but imo 51200 is definitely its limit even for web stuff even if it can go to 400k.
 
StephenM said:
To me, two significant differences (to judge from reviews only as I only know the a7r) not mentioned are that the a7r uses a slower autofocus system (I use the faster - for me - manual method) than the others and also has a noisier shutter with reported shake issues from bounce in the lower shutter speed ranges. I suspect that there may be differences in the maximum frames per second, but I haven't checked and I'm more a "minutes per frame" than "frames per second" photographer.
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I haven't been troubled by A7R shutter bounce but I think that is only a risk at longer focal lengths on a tripod - but I might be wrong. And, I'm not sure what the fuss is about shutter noise, I quite like it... but I may be turning into a fanboy having just put all my Nikon kit up for sale and using my A7R + 50 Loxia for just about everything except walk around where my GR is still ideal.
 
paulcamcas said:
Thanks for the link Alan. The Batis looks very good. I'm tempted but still hoping for a portrait-length Loxia. There was talk a while ago about a short tele Loxia in development but I haven't seen any mention for a while.
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the old tamron adaptall 90mm macro might fit the bill, but is fairly heavy, but feels wonderful to focus :)
 
StephenM said:
To me, two significant differences (to judge from reviews only as I only know the a7r) not mentioned are that the a7r uses a slower autofocus system (I use the faster - for me - manual method) than the others and also has a noisier shutter with reported shake issues from bounce in the lower shutter speed ranges. I suspect that there may be differences in the maximum frames per second, but I haven't checked and I'm more a "minutes per frame" than "frames per second" photographer.
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I had the decision of A7r or A7 mkii I went for the mkii for following reasons
The A7r I found less stock and generally the same price
The size of raw files my Mac is only i5 and I know from a Canon G12 I can print A3+ with fewer pixels
IBIS so on inside shots I can drop ISO
And last I like doing some panorama shots in manual I had doubts how well the buffer would handle multiple shots.

Just bought e reader book 600 plus pages shutter lag only issue if you are tracking moving item

Hoping mine will arrive Thursday with my first FE 16-35mm lens
 
woof woof said:
Maybe and then I'd question if MF is practical as a camera to shoot out and about handheld with.

85mm f1.8 Batis review against Otis and comments v other higher end 85mm's...

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/otus-vs-batis-85mm-comparison-by-matt-granger/#disqus_thread

Looks to be a nice lens.

What happened about that rumour that 6 lenses were going to be announced last week? Doesn't seem to have happened...
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I have been looking for the rumoured lens can't find anything

The 85mm looks really nice though I normally buy zoom the 70-200 f4 looks ok but going to hold on for a while see what else comes out
 
border_all said:
I have been looking for the rumoured lens can't find anything

The 85mm looks really nice though I normally buy zoom the 70-200 f4 looks ok but going to hold on for a while see what else comes out
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The Sony 85mm is at the moment just a rumour.

There's a rumour that Sony are going to announce 6 (?) new lenses and an 85 could be one of them but it's just a rumour at the mo. If there is going to be a Sony 85mm it'll need to be announced and then hit the shops and no doubt all this will take time, possibly months...

I think I've decided that I'm pretty happy with the lenses I have so I think I'll hold off on an 85mm for now. I seem to like the native 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8 and I have the kit lens should I want to use it so that's 28-70mm covered with wide aperture lenses for 35 and 55mm. I have manual 24mm and 28mm f2.8's, a 35mm f1.8, several 50mm f1.4's, a f1.8 and a f1.2, several 85mm's and 135mm's so if I want a wide or an 85 or 135mm I have them available and as I only use these now and again MF shouldn't be a problem.

I think I might have finished buying stuff for a bit :D
 
paulcamcas said:
Good suggestion, many thanks. I'll find one to try.
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if your feeling fly you could try and get a tilt or shift adapter to some random mount, probably canon be best, then a canon/adaptall adapter

but i love the feel of the rubber on the grip, it also extends as you focus closer, the focus ring moves forward, and the front of the lens moves forward too, a and you can feel that, helps with "am i turning this the right way" thing xD
 
pingu666 said:
if your feeling fly you could try and get a tilt or shift adapter to some random mount, probably canon be best, then a canon/adaptall adapter

but i love the feel of the rubber on the grip, it also extends as you focus closer, the focus ring moves forward, and the front of the lens moves forward too, a and you can feel that, helps with "am i turning this the right way" thing xD
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For me it would be direct to an Adaptall > NEX adapter. It does look bigger than I like though. And I'm definitely not fly enough for a tilt shift adapter :)
 
woof woof said:
The Sony 85mm is at the moment just a rumour.

There's a rumour that Sony are going to announce 6 (?) new lenses and an 85 could be one of them but it's just a rumour at the mo. If there is going to be a Sony 85mm it'll need to be announced and then hit the shops and no doubt all this will take time, possibly months...

I think I've decided that I'm pretty happy with the lenses I have so I think I'll hold off on an 85mm for now. I seem to like the native 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8 and I have the kit lens should I want to use it so that's 28-70mm covered with wide aperture lenses for 35 and 55mm. I have manual 24mm and 28mm f2.8's, a 35mm f1.8, several 50mm f1.4's, a f1.8 and a f1.2, several 85mm's and 135mm's so if I want a wide or an 85 or 135mm I have them available and as I only use these now and again MF shouldn't be a problem.

I think I might have finished buying stuff for a bit :D
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on sar i suggested they could recyle the sal85f28, that would make some sense...
 
Just made the mistake of looking at the Flickr Batis images. This lens is beginning to look irresistible.

Here's a link to one recent rather impressive example by Kiril Karaatanasov : 19733534511_d538307594_o.jpg

Warning: It's big!
 
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paulcamcas said:
Just made the mistake of looking at the Flickr Batis images. This lens is beginning to look irresistible.

Here's a link to one recent rather impressive example by Kiril Karaatanasov : 19733534511_d538307594_o.jpg
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I take it it's the 85mm you're looking at?

The 90mm macro gets a glowing review at Luminous Landscape...

https://luminous-landscape.com/sony-fe-90mm-f2-8-macro-g-oss-hands-on-review/

It's interesting that it's said to be a big lens but looking at the spec it's only 5". Is that a big lens? I've noticed that the kit lens and the 55mm often look big relative to the body in pictures and the 90mm does look big in pictures but I suspect that just like the other lenses it may look smaller in reality.
 
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Yes, I like the look of both of the Batis lenses but it's the 85 I need more. I've been reading up on the 90 macro and, handy as a macro would be for detail shots, the Batis 85 is the one for me.
 
manualfocus-g said:
That old Tamron used to give me a purple blob in the centre of images when stopped down. That was on a DSLR though (boo hiss!).
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it can do when shooting into the sun, its actually the sensor reflecting light back, which bounces off some part of the lens and returns to sensor as a purple blob

film was less reflective, so wasnt a issue back in the day
 
Am I right in thinking, I can get an adapter to fit a Sigma lens to an A7ii?

What are the negatives? Do you lose AF ability?
 
do you mean SA mount, or with a sigma lens for sony a mount?

if the latter then i think they are fine for the most part
 
woof woof said:
I take it it's the 85mm you're looking at?

The 90mm macro gets a glowing review at Luminous Landscape...

https://luminous-landscape.com/sony-fe-90mm-f2-8-macro-g-oss-hands-on-review/

It's interesting that it's said to be a big lens but looking at the spec it's only 5". Is that a big lens? I've noticed that the kit lens and the 55mm often look big relative to the body in pictures and the 90mm does look big in pictures but I suspect that just like the other lenses it may look smaller in reality.
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Is Batis not Sony then ie like the Zeiss lens it's the one with the LCD distance scale I had been looking at
 
paulcamcas said:
Yes, I like the look of both of the Batis lenses but it's the 85 I need more. I've been reading up on the 90 macro and, handy as a macro would be for detail shots, the Batis 85 is the one for me.
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I have Minolta Rokkor and Olympus Zuiko 85mm f2 and FD f1.8. The Minolta is the best as it's a touch sharper and suffers less fringing and blooming. Wide open it can't compare to a modern lens but in the centre stopped down it's a good performer although I doubt it could compete with a modern lens towards the edges even stopped down.

I don't file my pictures by camera or lens but I do remember that the following were shot with the Rokkor 85mm, whole image followed by 100% crop except the one of my GF as I'm banned from posting 100% crops of her :D All via the evil Photobucket.











 
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border_all said:
Is Batis not Sony then ie like the Zeiss lens it's the one with the LCD distance scale I had been looking at
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The one with the LCD scale thingy is the Zeiss Batis and is Zeiss doing it on their own whereas the other Zeiss badged stuff like my 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8 is Zeiss in collaboration with Sony and exactly who makes what or if they're just badge jobs I don't know... Rumour is that Sony may announce more lenses and an 85mm may be amongst them and if so it'll possibly be a Sony and badged as Sony or maybe a Zeiss Sony, but who knows... these are rumours.

Personally I think that a Sony 85mm, badged as a Sony (like their 28mm) will almost certainly be more than good enough for me.
 
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woof woof said:
The one with the LCD scale thingy is the Zeiss Batis and is Zeiss doing it on their own whereas the other Zeiss badged stuff like my 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8 is Zeiss in collaboration with Sony and exactly who makes what or if they're just badge jobs I don't know... Rumour is that Sony may announce more lenses and an 85mm may be amongst them and if so it'll possibly be a Sony and badged as Sony or maybe a Zeiss Sony, but who knows... these are rumours.

Personally I think that a Sony 85mm, badged as a Sony (like their 28mm) will almost certainly be more than good enough for me.
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Thank you, find the differing model names very confusing lol

The 16-35 labeled Z is the Sony Zeiss collaboration this is the one I have ordered

But Zeiss also make in house lens in some cases ( maybe that does not have the FE fittment ) and folk use an adapter . The lens you enjoy maybe http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Minolta-M...878?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33a553e136 and you use an adapter with manual focus.

Very confusing Canon L lens was easier to understand unless you bought FD or M 42 adapters

Enjoyed your Saltburn Pier shots very clear maybe taken from Marine Parade if so great detail more so as I think you hand hold thank you for sharing
 
Keeping a close eye on the A7rii. .. I'm currently on holiday with the D750 and frankly finding the weight a pain (particularly as we've had a couple of flight connections) partly my fault for opting to bring zooms rather than primes but haven't really enjoyed shooting so far (except my one day dedicated to it in Venice). I don't think I'm fully ready to give the D750 up as it's a great camera but I do think further lens pruning could fund either an A7rii or just the A7ii and a couple of lenses to go with the D750.

One thing I have definitely found is that I don't use the AF of the D750 anywhere near it's full abilities so I'm more than sure that an A7ii/A7rii AF would be fine!

I think I need to stop reading this thread and looking in at the Zeiss Batis/Loxia lenses before my credit card melts.....
 
chrism_scotland said:
Keeping a close eye on the A7rii. .. I'm currently on holiday with the D750 and frankly finding the weight a pain (particularly as we've had a couple of flight connections) partly my fault for opting to bring zooms rather than primes but haven't really enjoyed shooting so far (except my one day dedicated to it in Venice). I don't think I'm fully ready to give the D750 up as it's a great camera but I do think further lens pruning could fund either an A7rii or just the A7ii and a couple of lenses to go with the D750.

One thing I have definitely found is that I don't use the AF of the D750 anywhere near it's full abilities so I'm more than sure that an A7ii/A7rii AF would be fine!

I think I need to stop reading this thread and looking in at the Zeiss Batis/Loxia lenses before my credit card melts.....
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FYI The A7rii and zooms will be just as heavy. Its the FF lenses that make the bulk, body difference is like 200g and the D750 battery capacity makes up for that. Both packages can be small and light with the correct lenses. One of the main reasons I dont use fast zooms on a FF.
 
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Ive found the A7 overall much less weighty and bulky than a DSLR, When on holiday i found it great heading out with just the A7 slung over my shoulder with the 24-70 fitted 90% of the time. As for battery life i cant even recall the last time i ran the A7 battery out within a day.
 
twist said:
FYI The A7rii and zooms will be just as heavy. Its the FF lenses that make the bulk, body difference is like 200g and the D750 battery capacity makes up for that. Both packages can be small and light with the correct lenses. One of the main reasons I dont use fast zooms on a FF.
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Oh I know that, but currently if I did have a zoom on an A7x it would either be an f4 or the "kit lens" both of which are a lot smaller and lighter than either my Tamron 24-70 f2.8 or the f4 equivalent Nikon 24-120 f4. The camera itself isn't as heavy and while I grant you that batteries add up I'd only need a couple at a time.

One thing I also think is important (for travel) is that when the camera is packed away (body only / lenses, etc) a CSC is more compact to squeeze into a smaller bag than the D750 kit, I've had an A7 before and while at the time I didn;t think it was quite there as a package for me the IQ was excellent and now that I'm only using the 24mp D750 theres really no difference there even if I opt for the A7ii

I'm in the lucky position that with a new job I can afford to have both if I want to, I'll be very interested to see what I end up using the most!
 
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robj20 said:
Ive found the A7 overall much less weighty and bulky than a DSLR, When on holiday i found it great heading out with just the A7 slung over my shoulder with the 24-70 fitted 90% of the time. As for battery life i cant even recall the last time i ran the A7 battery out within a day.
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The A7 is smaller and weighs less than the cameras he mentioned. The A7ii weighs 600g vs 840g of the D750, the D750 battery lasts 3 1/2 times as long. 80g per battery = 240g to meet D750 capacity. 600g plus 240g = D750 weight tada! But thats if you look at it that way, my arms can manage another 240g though.

The point is that if you add the same spec lens to the D750 you have the same overall package weight considering battery capacity OR you have to man up and carry 240g more. Battery use is subjective and a smaller camera is not always more comfortable in the hand.

The main thing is it works for you though and youve stuck with it, so it can work very well for people.
 
chrism_scotland said:
Oh I know that, but currently if I did have a zoom on an A7x it would either be an f4 or the "kit lens" both of which are a lot smaller and lighter than either my Tamron 24-70 f2.8 or the f4 equivalent Nikon 24-120 f4. The camera itself isn't as heavy and while I grant you that batteries add up I'd only need a couple at a time.

One thing I also think is important (for travel) is that when the camera is packed away (body only / lenses, etc) a CSC is more compact to squeeze into a smaller bag than the D750 kit, I've had an A7 before and while at the time I didn;t think it was quite there as a package for me the IQ was excellent and now that I'm only using the 24mp D750 theres really no difference there even if I opt for the A7ii
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I see what you mean, but they are not comparable lenses so they will be bigger. Ive posted the weights above so you can see what youre saving/not saving. The older A7 had a bigger saving in terms of size and weight, the newer cameras not so much.

Look at the difference, its the flange distance that makes it slightly shorter, the lenses are always pretty much the same when the spec is the same, Id bet that unless you somehow manage to find the exact bag size for this combination that whatever bag you buy would take either of these.

http://camerasize.com/compact/#380.367,579.393,ha,t
 
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twist said:
The A7 is smaller and weighs less than the cameras he mentioned. The A7ii weighs 600g vs 840g of the D750, the D750 battery lasts 3 1/2 times as long. 80g per battery = 240g to meet D750 capacity. 600g plus 240g = D750 weight tada! But thats if you look at it that way, my arms can manage another 240g though.

The point is that if you add the same spec lens to the D750 you have the same overall package weight considering battery capacity OR you have to man up and carry 240g more. Battery use is subjective and a smaller camera is not always more comfortable in the hand.

The main thing is it works for you though and youve stuck with it, so it can work very well for people.
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if i was a nikon user i would use a d810 instead of teh d750. much better specs and IQ
 
jonneymendoza said:
if i was a nikon user i would use a d810 instead of teh d750. much better specs and IQ
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What does that have anything to do with whats being discussed? And you are wrong, theyre just different cameras, I see more pros switching to a pair of D750s than D810s, most people dont need the pixels and would rather have the better AF and better low light performance.
 
Even if an A7 series plus lens and multiple batteries weighed slightly more than a DSLR I'd still take the A7 every time for the bulk and weight saving when it's possible and the features a CSC offers, in view histogram, level, peaking, magnified view, constant preview WYSIWYG etc.
 
twist said:
The A7 is smaller and weighs less than the cameras he mentioned. The A7ii weighs 600g vs 840g of the D750, the D750 battery lasts 3 1/2 times as long. 80g per battery = 240g to meet D750 capacity. 600g plus 240g = D750 weight tada! But thats if you look at it that way, my arms can manage another 240g though.

The point is that if you add the same spec lens to the D750 you have the same overall package weight considering battery capacity OR you have to man up and carry 240g more. Battery use is subjective and a smaller camera is not always more comfortable in the hand.

The main thing is it works for you though and youve stuck with it, so it can work very well for people.
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If i had the same spec D750 i would still have a bigger heavier system. I have never once thought the A7 was uncomfortable to use, most of the time the battery still has >30% left so i only carry one spare as a precaution as i would no matter what camera i use. I tend to carry the 35mm and the 24-70 with me and thats it.
The A7 has the ability to be tiny when i need it, A7+35mm and nothing else, the D750 doesnt come close.
 
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