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

My older laptop had individual covers underneath which was handy for upgrading ram, hard drive etc. The newer one needs the whole thing pulled apart first, which is a lot of screws! lol But I guess for all the times I would upgrade it...
 
We have only ever had a single computer that wasn't given a disc space upgrade. My experience with the MacBook I had was that it was quite badly underspec'd at the time, and that was enough to prevent me buying a Mac that couldn't be upgraded, although I accept they are much better now.

We all have different preferences - to me osx feels claustrophobic, and windows more comfortable, but recognise some feel the opposite.
 
ancient_mariner said:
We have only ever had a single computer that wasn't given a disc space upgrade. My experience with the MacBook I had was that it was quite badly underspec'd at the time, and that was enough to prevent me buying a Mac that couldn't be upgraded, although I accept they are much better now.

We all have different preferences - to me osx feels claustrophobic, and windows more comfortable, but recognise some feel the opposite.
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Not being able upgrade harddrive on the new macs is really annoying. One of the main reasons I'm considering the virus windows.

At the same time I have an external nvme harddrive which is super fast via. TB3. So I'm wondering if that's such a big issue....
But I don't want to pay £400 for a simple harddrive upgrade
 
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nandbytes said:
Not being able upgrade harddrive on the new macs is really annoying. One of the main reasons I'm considering the virus windows.

At the same time I have an external nvme harddrive which is super fast via. TB3. So I'm wondering if that's such a big issue....
But I don't want to pay £400 for a simple harddrive upgrade
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The first thing I did with this Lenovo laptop was to put a 2TB drive in, and as prices drop further I may well change that to 4TB, though since this isn't my main editing computer there's probably no point.
 
I came across this earlier, just one of those things that seem to randomly crop up.

Town & Country Tarras Bag

www.ogdensshootingsupplies.co.uk

That Tarras bag looks very much like my Billingham Hadley Pro Small but without the handle on the top. Made in UK too :D but at a suspiciously cheap price.
 
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LeeRatters said:
Thank you Toby.

It's all pretty straight forward.... Lightroom only ;)
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I’m sure it is when you know how ;) :p

Some of it is the way you use the light too, I still don’t understand that aspect well enough.
 
ancient_mariner said:
The first thing I did with this Lenovo laptop was to put a 2TB drive in, and as prices drop further I may well change that to 4TB, though since this isn't my main editing computer there's probably no point.
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I bought a lightweight laptop recently and was initially going to just leave it at 256GB however when travelling I realised I needed more storage to back up the cameras so just popped a 2TB drive in which is really handy. I had looked at others with soldered storage but it just seemed too limiting.
 
snerkler said:
I’m sure it is when you know how ;) :p

Some of it is the way you use the light too, I still don’t understand that aspect well enough.
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All Lightroom editing.

Just under 'cloudy' WB
Highlights -40
Shadows +40
Vibrance +12
Very, very slight S tone curve.
Slight minus Hue from Yellow to Blue
Slight minus saturation from Yellow to Magenta
Colour grading of +6 shadows and +3 highlights saturation so nothing there really!
Usual sharpening
Standard lens correction
No transform
No effects
No calibration.
Plus several masks.
 
nandbytes said:
I use the free version of davinci and it's really good. Does almost everything I need at the moment so i don't really feel the need to buy anything per say. But also it's not the most user friendly in comparison to final cut pro.
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Just use it and if you need get the pro. It gives you mainly things like sharpening, NR, deflicker, some special effects, etc. If you are careful with your camera you can avoid needing a lot of it.
It is not meant to be super user friendly but rather very powerful, a bit like Photoshop just different in its own way.

nandbytes said:
Premier Pro - I already begrudgingly pay the subscription for LR/PS. I am not signing up to yet another subs.
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Premiere sub is a whole new level. Over 50pm I believe. Just no to that unless you make serious income from video work

nandbytes said:
I really like osx though. It doesn't force you to connect to the internet, you can have a completely local account. Its based on Unix, so has all the Linux tools I like. Most of the photography applications work on it. Unfortunately they don't work so well on Linux :(
And windows feels a virus itself and stalks you.
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The problem is osx is slowly becoming like windows, or worse ios, while windows is very slowly becoming more linux like. We can only hope for more things to migrate over to Linux and be done with the two super-corporations. Davinci is already there btw.

nandbytes said:
Overpriced - definitely
I don't care about repairability these days.

I used to work in a computer repair shop and there used to be a number of them when I was a kid. They've all gone out of business for a reason.

Things don't break very often these days. Macs especially so.
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Errr... no. NVME is apparently a known failure. Instead of a simple cheap replacement it bricks the whole device.
Fancy an upgrade? More RAM. Err you should have paid that £1200 more to begin with for 1TB /32GB, or is it more? 8GB / 256GB is phone spec, no PC spec and I really have a big problem with that as likewise paying a grand for upgrades to mainstream baseline spec.

While hopefully you will be fine with it, only consumer action can tell apple, in this case, that nobody is OK with this.
 
ancient_mariner said:
If £140 for a bag is cheap then I think you have too much money. ;)
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A Billingham Hadley Small Pro is maybe £40 or £50 more expensive but it does come with an insert and a zipped compartment at the back whereas I doubt the Ogden's does. Other than those things that Ogden looks just like a Billingham.
 
LeeRatters said:
All Lightroom editing.

Just under 'cloudy' WB
Highlights -40
Shadows +40
Vibrance +12
Very, very slight S tone curve.
Slight minus Hue from Yellow to Blue
Slight minus saturation from Yellow to Magenta
Colour grading of +6 shadows and +3 highlights saturation so nothing there really!
Usual sharpening
Standard lens correction
No transform
No effects
No calibration.
Plus several masks.
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That's very kind, thanks very much (y)
 
Power zooms might suit the video crowd.

I've only ever tried one and it was impossible to get the precise framing I wanted, but that was years ago and I do hope they are more controllable these days.

PS.
I bet that Canon zoom costs a pretty penny :D
 
woof woof said:
Power zooms might suit the video crowd.
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... Only if remote control is required in the process of production. We are talking multi-crew studios, not solo shooters and they are more likely to buy more premium cine primes or cine zooms at like £30k+ a pop.

It can be useful on a drone (too heavy, not going to happen) or maybe a car mounted remote control gimbal. I.e. very limited application for the presumably massive increase in cost.

Of course it could also mean the mechanical zoom ring is no more same way as the focus ring and that would be very sad.

woof woof said:
I bet that Canon zoom costs a pretty penny :D
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You bet.

It sounds a bit like the level of complexity of 28-70mm f/2, which is around £3K-ish. And it will pair nicely together the with uber expensive 100-300 f/2.8 if you can even buy this thing at all. Presumably sports shooters will be the target audience, whereas weddings crowd is probably still getting 28-70 to pair with 70-200, or as for ultimate poor man's option that 24-70mm semi-fake f/2.8 thing to spare one of the kidneys. Maybe a single lens do it all compromise. It is doable.

Now of course Tamron makes a rather special 35-150mm which is also f/2-2.8 and under £2k. So one would at least hope this thing would at least exceed the sharpness of the Tamron for the price asked and their own rather mediocre 24-70mm offerings with 4+ stop vignetting. Having said that an expected price point rules it out completely for me. So really nothing is going to change.
 
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snerkler said:
Looks like Canon are releasing a 24-105mm f2.8, looks a bit of a big beast. Not a lens I’d be interested in unless it was particularly lightweight which I doubt, plus it’s a power zoom :runaway:

Competition news: First leaked image of a world’s first: Canon 24-105mm f/2.8 powerzoom! – sonyalpharumors

www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com
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I would have it regardless of weight if it was seriously sharp with no field curvature, well built for under £1.5k. Clearly all of that will not be satisfied, at least for a very long time.
 
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woof woof said:
I thought the point was to get a smoother zoom than you'd get by zooming manually.
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That is probably a valid point but zooming is not often used as an expression tool. There are examples in Hollywood etc, but they are more of an exception than the norm.

I certainly wouldn't, I just walk in if a have to (normally I would have a prime between 35 and 85mm), or change lens with everything that entails.

I think it is more about zooming in places and conditions where you can't [easily] get your hand to it
 
nandbytes said:
Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM2 is supposedly the best one of the lot (of course Sigma not yet tested)
but you don't like Sony bodies do you :p
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It may be, who knows. But I have an issue dropping £2k+ on a lens. I really do. If sigma is a match or improvement as they have done it with the primes then game on.


And yes Sony bodies are tragic in ergonomic department. Every other new camera is apart from z9, the overly plastic z8 and maybe r3 that excites me as much as a lens cap
 
snerkler said:
I don't think you'd be satisified, you clearly want the best and that is the Sony GM2 ;)
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In fact, is it better than Nikon z one? Just wondering really.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
That is probably a valid point but zooming is not often used as an expression tool. There are examples in Hollywood etc, but they are more of an exception than the norm.

I certainly wouldn't, I just walk in if a have to (normally I would have a prime between 35 and 85mm), or change lens with everything that entails.

I think it is more about zooming in places and conditions where you can't [easily] get your hand to it
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Regardless of what you or I or someone else would do some shooting video do seem to really value the smoother zoom that power zoom offers.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
It may be, who knows. But I have an issue dropping £2k+ on a lens. I really do. If sigma is a match or improvement as they have done it with the primes then game on.
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Sony GM primes in general are better than sigma ART DN ones.

But it's really splitting hairs to be honest. I'd be just as happy with sigma primes optically, not so much their size in most cases
LongLensPhotography said:
And yes Sony bodies are tragic in ergonomic department.
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I feel the same way about the unnecessarily bloated large bodies.
I feel Sony bodies are the adequate size for the capabilities they provide.

Also size and ergonomics aren't always related. It's possible to have a small ergonomic body but a large unergonomic body.

LongLensPhotography said:
Every other new camera is apart from z9, the overly plastic z8 and maybe r3 that excites me as much as a lens cap
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Plastic can be just as durable or even more durable than metal. Metal and heavy objects doesn't automatically equal better quality or more ergonomic.

Sometimes I don't really understand people's fascination with big heavy metal objects
 
LongLensPhotography said:
It may be, who knows. But I have an issue dropping £2k+ on a lens. I really do. If sigma is a match or improvement as they have done it with the primes then game on.


And yes Sony bodies are tragic in ergonomic department. Every other new camera is apart from z9, the overly plastic z8 and maybe r3 that excites me as much as a lens cap
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I'd rather have the choice of a built in grip with Sony but their ergonomics are not tragic imo. Saying that I don't wear gloves so the gap between grip and lens doesn't bother me. I can pretty much change every setting with a couple of button clicks and no need to move my eye from the EVF. The cameras fit pretty well in my hand(at least the newer full frame cameras) and feel pretty comfortable to use. The Z9 is a bigger lump and I think I like holding it better. Time will tell if I can set it up to change setting as quickly as the Sony cameras. It loses out in a few set up areas but wins in some others. I actually think the R3 is the sweet spot for camera bodies in terms of ergonomics but the lenses are expensive and large and also the camera is only 24mp
 
woof woof said:
Regardless of what you or I or someone else would do some shooting video do seem to really value the smoother zoom that power zoom offers.
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So if we say this possibly adds value for video shooters, which I would still contest, however, for a hands-on stills users this must be a very negative thing:
  • increased expense
  • potentially compromised durability and a point of expensive failure
  • delay, lack of precision and tactile feedback
  • draw on camera battery
I view it same as auto tailgate in modern cars. Super annoying and unnecessary. When I am forced into one of these things I will research on day 1 how to disable and go back to the proverbial stone age where I can close it in a fraction of a second instead of 10s.

Also if zoom lens is truly video centric it should also have zero focus breathing and be parfocal.

nandbytes said:
Sony GM primes in general are better than sigma ART DN ones.

But it's really splitting hairs to be honest. I'd be just as happy with sigma primes optically, not so much their size in most cases
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Sigma may have peaked with their 135mm, 105mm and 40mm DG designs.

It will be mostly on a case by case basis. For anything wider than 28mm I suspect the contemporary DN f/2 primes may be a lot sharper, at least going off TDP. I like f/1.4 glass but sharper f/2 at f/2 and onwards definitely wins it for me. You will be happy with their size too. They are one of the primary reason why I'm looking at E mount

In my case I view 35mm f/1.2 as pretty unique offering, which I may really want at some point. My Tamron is also excellent, but "only" f/1.4 :LOL:

In case of 50 and 85mm DN vs DG this really needs to be looked at really deeply, and also whether it is a waste of time upgrading in light of f/1.2 optics from either of the big three.

In case of zooms I can really see there being a massive headroom for improvement going from DSLR to newest mirrorless designs.

nandbytes said:
Also size and ergonomics aren't always related. It's possible to have a small ergonomic body but a large unergonomic body.
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You hit the head on the nail. Sony managed to make the worst of both worlds in one package. The sculpting of the back is ridiculous and the height is a huge [well tiny] problem. They could only make it worse by adding sharp edges.

Having said that, purely on tripod it may be good enough compromise for the wholly inadequate AF (for 50MP sensor), screen and DR of 5Ds, with the added benefit of no AA, extra 10MP and that high res composite mode. It is a compromise, an extension, maybe temporary one, and as such I don't plan to be irrevocably locked into the system.

nandbytes said:
Plastic can be just as durable or even more durable than metal. Metal and heavy objects doesn't automatically equal better quality or more ergonomic.
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I think marketing language aside you simply can't polish you know what. It may be good enough... maybe for a good while at least. It will creak in hand, vibrate on tripod more (R6 surely does that a lot), age quicker and eventually something will break.
This engineering plastic just gave me a massive headache with vax portable vacuum. Sure I could try to buy a replacement part, but a that's just poor. So I am basically gluing it all up with super glue + NaHCO3 + coal. I see this in older laptops too.. It just doesn't stand the test of time past the initial honeymoon period. Bare minimum it scratches easily, attracts bacteria in the crevasses [so no plastic tupperware allowed near me!!!!] and of course it pollutes the environment. Eventually most of it will end up in the sea unless something changes in the big way.

nandbytes said:
Sometimes I don't really understand people's fascination with big heavy metal objects
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Brass and stainless steal are pretty heavy. But I don't think we are talking about these at all, maybe except the core helicoid of a lens, etc.

Engineering grade aluminium is hardly noticeably heavier than plastic, of which you may simply need a much more. https://www.metals4u.co.uk/blog/a-guide-to-aluminium-grades-and-their-uses
For the prices they should really give us type 7000.
Premium laptops typically use one of the grades and I haven't heard anyone complain they would prefer plastic. quite the opposite.

But that is not all. titanium is premium, super strong and very lightweight. I have titanium watch and that is super light. I love it. Iphones now come with titanium shell and bezel. I think that is great. Probably the only good thing about them actually. So yes, you can have lightweight and metal as proved in the aeronautics industry. Planes are not plastic.

So why the hell can't camera manufacturers give us alu 7000 let alone titanium in at least the super premium £4-6k cameras like R5, Z8 and A7R series instead of cheap polluting plastic more suited for entry level offerings. At the same time I am sick of that rubber handgrip when they could easily give us premium leather. That is really p***-taking. They want max profit today and min durability. They don't want anything to last past 2-3 year term. And that is super sick.
 
snerkler said:
Looks like Canon are releasing a 24-105mm f2.8, looks a bit of a big beast. Not a lens I’d be interested in unless it was particularly lightweight which I doubt, plus it’s a power zoom :runaway:

Competition news: First leaked image of a world’s first: Canon 24-105mm f/2.8 powerzoom! – sonyalpharumors

www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com
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You know what the longer I look at the lens image the more it looks fake. On multiple counts.

It is not long left to wait and it may be something quite similar that was mocked up in Photoshop for the total lack of a better visual... Or maybe completely fake.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
You know what the longer I look at the lens image the more it looks fake. On multiple counts.

It is not long left to wait and it may be something quite similar that was mocked up in Photoshop for the total lack of a better visual... Or maybe completely fake.
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I make the presumption that everything on that site is fake.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
And yes Sony bodies are tragic in ergonomic department. Every other new camera is apart from z9, the overly plastic z8 and maybe r3 that excites me as much as a lens cap
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That's just preference, prefer smaller bodies over the bricks ;)
LongLensPhotography said:
You know what the longer I look at the lens image the more it looks fake. On multiple counts.

It is not long left to wait and it may be something quite similar that was mocked up in Photoshop for the total lack of a better visual... Or maybe completely fake.
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They took it straight from Canon Rumors, not that that makes it any less fake news ;)
 
LongLensPhotography said:
So if we say this possibly adds value for video shooters, which I would still contest, however, for a hands-on stills users this must be a very negative thing:
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Just read what the manufacturers themselves and the usual reviewers say. Or. Believe me. Like it or not. It's a thing. For the video crowd.
 
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