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

Finally took the plunge and have ordered the 70-200 f4. I just saw my friends and was blown away with the size. You really have to see it in the flesh to realise how small it is. So excited!!!! Hehe.
It also feels good on the a6000 which suprised me.
Bread and water for meals for the next 12 months.......fair enough!

You won't regret it, it's a really good lens [emoji2]
 
Anyone know if Sony have a lens roadmap similar to Fuji's? Been playing with the 24-70 f4 and not impressed at all. Very poor and frankly surprised they even released it. I need a zoom thats similar quality to Nikons 24-120, not another kit lens. What are my options?
 
Anyone know if Sony have a lens roadmap similar to Fuji's? Been playing with the 24-70 f4 and not impressed at all. Very poor and frankly surprised they even released it. I need a zoom thats similar quality to Nikons 24-120, not another kit lens. What are my options?

You dont have any options. I wouldve though the 24-70 wouldve been at least as good as the Nikon 24-120.

sony-lens-roadmap-sep-2014.jpg
 
You dont have any options. I wouldve though the 24-70 wouldve been at least as good as the Nikon 24-120.
Certainly isn't. The newer 24-120 is very good, as nice as the 16-35 so people are saying. I can compare the 24-70 f4 to my old dx nikon 18-105 ed if that helps.
 
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Certainly isn't. The newer 24-120 is very good, as nice as the 16-35 so people are saying. I can compare the 24-70 f4 to my old dx nikon 18-105 ed if that helps.

Wow, that is poor. Id heard its not great but thats pretty poor, especially for that kind of money!
 
Not very inspiring is it :/

No mate, its not, I keep being disappointed by the FE roadmap, much like I was when E mount was available. Finally E (APSC) mount has some decent stuff now and Ill consider going down the A6000 route as a grab n go because the price is also very good at the mo with cashback. Much better/faster AF, 1 stop worse low light but more importantly the lenses are much cheaper and faster so can easily make up for the 1 stop loss, also more choice.

IMO Fuji is the way to go if you want native lenses and a large choice of quality optics. The sensors aging but its very capable because of the lenses.
 
Wow, that is poor. Id heard its not great but thats pretty poor, especially for that kind of money!

It's ridiculous for the money. Don't get me wrong, it's very sharp in the centre around mid zoom, I don't get the zeiss pop though. Contrast isnt the best for a Zeiss either.
 
IMO Fuji is the way to go if you want native lenses and a large choice of quality optics. The sensors aging but its very capable because of the lenses.

Well, as my main lens is usually a fast standard prime and Fuji's offering (35mm) is arguably in need of a refresh I have to differ.

The FE lenses seem to be at least good quality to exceptional, the 24-70mm arguably being highly questionable but even it has its fans but on the plus side I don't think Fuji has anything to compare to the 55 or 35mm or Batis. You can compare I suppose but IMVHO the Sony system will come out on top and these are / will be some of the sharpest AF lenses ever made although I do appreciate that there's more to goodness than sharpness at least this is something we can measure. And then there's the sensor, the mushy file issues and the dubious ISO values and the limited raw ISO range. Nice lenses only go so far and you have to consider the camera and its use and for me despite the draw of the aperture and shutter dials there are just too many little niggles building up to make the Fuji not for me. I know you feel the same about Sony but for me as a prime user and forgetting about the advantages of manual lenses for a moment and just looking at the cameras and native lenses the Sony system is IMVHO building up to be a more superior system with optics and a sensor capable of image quality that Fuji can't match. If that quality matters in the real world or not is another matter but it must matter to us to a degree or we'd all be shooting with MFT or LX5's.

You may have spotted that I've been thinking about the Fuji for a while now but my original reason for buying into the A7 was to replace my FF kit and have a system capable of giving me the best quality I could get within a reasonable budget and on that count I don't think that the Fuji can compete. It could be a good second camera but I have MFT for that with an even wider choice of lenses than Fuji and in a more compact package so sadly at the moment there's no room for Fuji for me.
 
I think the 24-70 has some qc issues as many love it and many say it is bad.

I find my 28-70 very sharp and good contrast so maybe I got a good copy of that.

On a different note I just popped my 16-50 on my a7. Looks strange but actually gave me some nice results.
 
Well, as my main lens is usually a fast standard prime and Fuji's offering (35mm) is arguably in need of a refresh I have to differ.

The FE lenses seem to be at least good quality to exceptional, the 24-70mm arguably being highly questionable but even it has its fans but on the plus side I don't think Fuji has anything to compare to the 55 or 35mm or Batis. You can compare I suppose but IMVHO the Sony system will come out on top and these are / will be some of the sharpest AF lenses ever made although I do appreciate that there's more to goodness than sharpness at least this is something we can measure. And then there's the sensor, the mushy file issues and the dubious ISO values and the limited raw ISO range. Nice lenses only go so far and you have to consider the camera and its use and for me despite the draw of the aperture and shutter dials there are just too many little niggles building up to make the Fuji not for me. I know you feel the same about Sony but for me as a prime user and forgetting about the advantages of manual lenses for a moment and just looking at the cameras and native lenses the Sony system is IMVHO building up to be a more superior system with optics and a sensor capable of image quality that Fuji can't match. If that quality matters in the real world or not is another matter but it must matter to us to a degree or we'd all be shooting with MFT or LX5's.

You may have spotted that I've been thinking about the Fuji for a while now but my original reason for buying into the A7 was to replace my FF kit and have a system capable of giving me the best quality I could get within a reasonable budget and on that count I don't think that the Fuji can compete. It could be a good second camera but I have MFT for that with an even wider choice of lenses than Fuji and in a more compact package so sadly at the moment there's no room for Fuji for me.

Alan, have you used the Fuji lenses? Ive mentioned the sensor needs an update and the issues so I really dont need an update, Ive used a lot of the Fuji cameras. Look at the Sony lens lineup and roadmap then look at Fujis. Sonys fine if you want to hang about a few years and hope the lenses come. I think Karls found that out.
 
I bought an A7 today, its charging at the moment :) I bought it with the kit lens to get me up and shooting right away, but i want to use it mostly with old manual lenses, are there any websites i should be checking out regarding old glass and adaptor information?

I don't know anything about the adapters I might need, they seem to vary in price greatly. I"m probably going to start out with a fastish 50mm prime, probably F1.4 or F1.8, i don't want to spend huge amounts of money, are there any I should be looking at for no more than £100?

I can't get over how tiny the A7 is, not much bigger than my Panasonic GX7 other than the viewfinder :)

Honestly. For the money I can't recommend the Yashica ML 50/1.9 enough. You can get them for the cost of a takeaway & a beer & even the f/2 is a good starter for even less!!

50/1.9 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ratters445/sets/72157644045784291

50/2 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ratters445/sets/72157643768632155

My favourite is the ML50/1.7 > 1.9 > 2 > 1.4 from my experience.
 
Alan, have you used the Fuji lenses? Ive mentioned the sensor needs an update and the issues so I really dont need an update, Ive used a lot of the Fuji cameras. Look at the Sony lens lineup and roadmap then look at Fujis. Sonys fine if you want to hang about a few years and hope the lenses come. I think Karls found that out.

Been down the Fuji route too (xt1), as a system it is far superior to Sony, it's Achilles heel is definitely the sensor, wish it was a Sony! The lenses are begging to give you more they're fantastic quality and so intuitive, the choice is great, whatever you buy it's of a very high standard. There are no dogs.

I don't feel the same about the A7. The system seems so propped up by the super sharp 55 it's beginning to sound like a one trick pony (if you're not into the MF malarkey), but the files are stunning. I love the DR. So I'm torn. Nikon is the answer but I don't care for the bulk on a 7-10 mile hike. So I'm left frustrated with Sony. The worst thing they've done is get the 24-70 so wrong when the system is still so so lacking a good range of lenses. Yet we await announcement of more new cameras. Wtf?
 
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The Sony roadmap doesn't include the Zeiss stuff, they have a few nice options on the way soon (with AF).

I personally don't think mirrorless (Fuji or Sony) is ideal if you're after zooms, both systems really sing with fast primes and that's where the real size/weight benefits are. The 70-200 options for Sony and Fuji are superb, but personally I would fill the shorter stuff with primes to suit.

I think the 28, 55 and 70-200 will serve me well on my a7ii and none of them are wanting for quality.
 
The Sony roadmap doesn't include the Zeiss stuff, they have a few nice options on the way soon (with AF).

I personally don't think mirrorless (Fuji or Sony) is ideal if you're after zooms, both systems really sing with fast primes

I think the 28, 55 and 70-200 will serve me well on my a7ii and none of them are wanting for quality.

Fuji zooms are great. The 18-55 kit is a really great lens and the 55-200 is even better. If Sony had made the 70-200 a 55-200 instead it would have made more sense. Then atleast with that and the 16-35 you have pretty good coverage. But sony have more sense than that, you still need to buy a prime to cover 50mm. Theres no continuity, I swear Sony marketing must be on drugs.
 
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Alan, have you used the Fuji lenses? Ive mentioned the sensor needs an update and the issues so I really dont need an update, Ive used a lot of the Fuji cameras. Look at the Sony lens lineup and roadmap then look at Fujis. Sonys fine if you want to hang about a few years and hope the lenses come. I think Karls found that out.

You don't need an update? I'm not interested in "updating" you as I was just expressing my own opinions as you seem to do so often about the Sony system. We're all adults and we can weigh the pros and cons and make our own minds up.

My main lens for Fuji would be the 35mm but what puts me off are persistent rumours of quality issues and the chattering issue which I know would bug me to death and that's before I get to the bodies and the things which would have me trying to resist the urge to drop kick the kit over a hedge. I have a similar love / hate relationship with MFT and I'm not at all sure that I want to buy into another compromised system which is what the Fuji would possibly be for me whereas the Sony at the moment seems just about spot on and allows me to do just about everything I want.

As to the lack of lenses issue at the moment I'm happy with the 55mm and manual lenses but I can see myself buying more AF lenses in the future.

Batis 25mm, probably going to be very good.
28mm, good reports so far.
35mm f2.8 gets very good reviews.
35mm f1.4, getting outstanding reviews.
55mm, this is an outstanding lens.
Batis 85mm probably going to be outstanding.
90mm Macro, seems to be outstanding.

That doesn't look too bad at all to me and not a one trick pony system relying on the sharp 55mm. Look at what else is available and coming, a mix of good to outstanding primes and then there's the wide zoom which also seems to be getting very good reviews. The 24-70mm may be the exception but I've also read good reviews about that too. I'd like to see a 135mm f2.8 at some point and a longer macro but IMVHO it's coming along very nicely :D
 
Well the a7 arrived today. Can't test it out until the 55mm 1.8 arrives tomorrow.
First impressions though are: its tiny.
However, its similar in weight to my d5500. Looking forward to testing it out.

I think you're going to like it :D
 
The 24-70mm may be the exception but I've also read good reviews about that too.

Where have you read good reviews? as i'd like to read them.

I took a wild punt on one to see for myself but had to return it. I didn't find any reviews that were entirely in favour of it. Most stating that it's sharp in the centre and soft at the extremes, which is correct. I was surprised and disappointed and hoped it was just early production models at fault, my Minolta 35-70 produces nicer images if I'm honest (although crap wide open). If you're going to charge premium prices, you expect premium quality. That may be the case for some Sony glass but I'm learning it's not all of it.
 
You don't need an update? I'm not interested in "updating" you as I was just expressing my own opinions as you seem to do so often about the Sony system. We're all adults and we can weigh the pros and cons and make our own minds up.

My main lens for Fuji would be the 35mm but what puts me off are persistent rumours of quality issues and the chattering issue which I know would bug me to death and that's before I get to the bodies and the things which would have me trying to resist the urge to drop kick the kit over a hedge. I have a similar love / hate relationship with MFT and I'm not at all sure that I want to buy into another compromised system which is what the Fuji would possibly be for me whereas the Sony at the moment seems just about spot on and allows me to do just about everything I want.

As to the lack of lenses issue at the moment I'm happy with the 55mm and manual lenses but I can see myself buying more AF lenses in the future.

Batis 25mm, probably going to be very good.
28mm, good reports so far.
35mm f2.8 gets very good reviews.
35mm f1.4, getting outstanding reviews.
55mm, this is an outstanding lens.
Batis 85mm probably going to be outstanding.
90mm Macro, seems to be outstanding.

That doesn't look too bad at all to me and not a one trick pony system relying on the sharp 55mm. Look at what else is available and coming, a mix of good to outstanding primes and then there's the wide zoom which also seems to be getting very good reviews. The 24-70mm may be the exception but I've also read good reviews about that too. I'd like to see a 135mm f2.8 at some point and a longer macro but IMVHO it's coming along very nicely :D

Yeah, which you seem so fond of quoting all the time when Im talking to someone else. ;)

Anyway, the 35 is a very good lens, Ive owned 3 of them and each was spot on. Only 2 people here Ive read having an issue with softness, generally everyone thinks its excellent.

I get that the Sony system works for you and I know why, if I were you it would also be ideal for me, but most people just dont shoot MF and a lot of people buy FF to get shallow DOF with fast lenses. I think @rodd1000 probably means a one trick pony in the sense that its the only lens thats rated very highly thats still a decent size/price.

As for the rest.....
Batis 25 - £1k
Batis 85 - £910
35 1.4 - £1.5k
90mm - £1.1k

Youre talking cheap cameras released frequently, but very expensive lenses, makes for a hell of an expensive system and that seems to be the way Sonys clawing back profits from the bodys.

I know you also see the native lens situation a bit of a problem, but it doesnt bother you much as you have lots of legacy, others who want native may feel otherwise.
 
Yeah, which you seem so fond of quoting all the time when Im talking to someone else. ;)

If you don't want me or anyone else commenting then get a room or use pm's rather than repeatedly making the same negative points in an open forum. The system isn't for you, it's expensive and you're disappointed with it so why not just give up on it and move on.

Not that I expect this little corner of the net to be a love in, I don't and you'll know from my posts that I'm a pretty harsh critic and no fan boy for any system and I do repeatedly bitch but when I do it's because I'm pushing for better and I do try to add some balance but although I see plenty of complaining from you I see precious little balance so why not just give up on Sony for a couple of years and take another look when / if anything changes.

I took a look at Fuji, I asked questions, read reviews, decided it wasn't right for me at the moment and gave up and I suggest you do the same with Sony. It aint for you at the moment so forget it, be happy with your Fuji and take another look at the A7 series in a couple of years.
 
You just Googled that lol. Although its probably the most positive review its still very constrained.

He manages to be both highly critical and praising. Just like me.

I honestly thought you posted that link. It's in this thread somewhere.

Personally I'm not a great zoom user these days. I have the A7 kit lens but I've never used it but recently I've been thinking that the kit lens and the 55mm are possibly all I'll ever need. Except a 16-35mm, a macro, an 85mm, possibly a 135mm and maybe a 28mm. Oh, and a long zoom, 70-300mm or so :D
 
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After a very long day at work followed by a meeting with a wedding photographer I finally got to test the a7 with the 55 1.8.
Its taking some getting used to. Its very different from Nikon. Will save that for another time.
Taken some shots in a dark ish room and tbh I'm pretty blown away by the image quality. Literally no digital noise. And the bokeh!!!
Took a similar shot with my d5500 wide open and there is a lot of grainy noise.

Now I'm really keen to see what it can do out doors.
 
After a very long day at work followed by a meeting with a wedding photographer I finally got to test the a7 with the 55 1.8.
Its taking some getting used to. Its very different from Nikon. Will save that for another time.
Taken some shots in a dark ish room and tbh I'm pretty blown away by the image quality. Literally no digital noise. And the bokeh!!!
Took a similar shot with my d5500 wide open and there is a lot of grainy noise.

Now I'm really keen to see what it can do out doors.

Glad you like it :D

I do like mine but can a lens be too good? :D One thing I've been thinking about is the overall look and although they're nowhere near as good as the Sony my old lenses do have a look... faults and all and sometimes it works. I do and will use the Sony lens but I think I'll always have an old crappy manual focus 50mm too.
 
If you don't want me or anyone else commenting then get a room or use pm's rather than repeatedly making the same negative points in an open forum. The system isn't for you, it's expensive and you're disappointed with it so why not just give up on it and move on.

Not that I expect this little corner of the net to be a love in, I don't and you'll know from my posts that I'm a pretty harsh critic and no fan boy for any system and I do repeatedly bitch but when I do it's because I'm pushing for better and I do try to add some balance but although I see plenty of complaining from you I see precious little balance so why not just give up on Sony for a couple of years and take another look when / if anything changes.

I took a look at Fuji, I asked questions, read reviews, decided it wasn't right for me at the moment and gave up and I suggest you do the same with Sony. It aint for you at the moment so forget it, be happy with your Fuji and take another look at the A7 series in a couple of years.

I really don't care if you comment and when did I say I never want anyone else commenting, that's daft especially when I'm in a discussion with somebody else in the first place. You're the person that's getting upset, not me, if you have an issue ignore my posts. When I have a discussion with someone else you seem to always want to reply directly to me and get defensive. This is not your personal thread, it's an open forum, try to remember that. As far as I can see there are likes next to my comments which usually means people are interested or agree to some extent.

So you're entitled to 'discuss' issues with other systems but I can't? Don't be a hypocrite. I already said I will look at Sony again but I can still discuss the system with other users and I've said all along every system has issues so let's move on shall we.
 
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More evidence that Sony are not on the same planet as the rest of us. I've been considering the 28mm f2 with the 21mm uwa converter for landscapes etc. However the £250 converter doesnt have a filter thread, which pretty much makes it useless for any serious photography. I'm pretty sure this will alienate anyone wanting this lens for landscape. Given we already have 35mm FE primes I would have thought making this a 24 instead of 28 made more sense in the first place. Not sure how long I'm going to put up with this Sony bs. Bonkers.
 
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24s cOst a fair bit more? But yeah 28mm isn't that compelling for me now cos of smartphones

and cheer up, atleast your not a a mount user like me :(
 
24s cOst a fair bit more? But yeah 28mm isn't that compelling for me now cos of smartphones

and cheer up, atleast your not a a mount user like me :(

Wish they would bring out an a mount mirrorless. Seems they are killing the system off though even though they say they aren't.
 
You're the person that's getting upset, not me, if you have an issue ignore my posts.

I'm not upset, just a bit bored by your negativity in this thread which I think needs to be seen in the context of your rather brusk replies to anyone raising similar issues in the Fuji threads. I personally don't see this as a balanced approach. I'm very critical too but I also recognise the strengths of the A7 system, the Fuji and MFT too and I just don't see that from you, just negativity.

You have problems with the system... fine. You think that the lenses are expensive, they are. You have good points which will strike a chord with many people but you ignore the positives. The system is clearly not for you and no doubt not for many people so why not just be happy, drop the constant criticism on the same subjects and enjoy your Fuji.

The A7 will hopefully still be here in a couple of years time and it may have improved focusing, a better lens line up and who knows... there may even be cheaper and more compact lenses too but at the moment it's clearly not a system for you as evidenced by your repeated negativity on the same issues.

Here's a challenge for you, have you got anything positive to contribute in this thread? Nothing back handed, just something genuinely positive?
 
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I'm not upset, just a bit bored by your negativity in this thread which I think needs to be seen in the context of your rather brusk replies to anyone raising similar issues in the Fuji thread. I personally don't see this as a balanced approach. I'm very critical too but I also recognise the strengths of the A7 system, the Fuji and MFT too and I just don't see that from you, just negativity.

You have problems with the system... fine. You think that the lenses are expensive, they are. You have good points which will strike a chord with many people but you ignore the positives. The system is clearly not for you and no doubt not for many people so why not just be happy, drop the constant criticism on the same subjects and enjoy your Fuji.

The A7 will hopefully still be here in a couple of years time and it may have improved focusing, a better lens line up and who knows... there may even be cheaper and more compact lenses too but at the moment it's clearly not a system for you as evidenced by your repeated negativity on the same issues.

Here's a challenge for you, have you got anything positive to contribute in this thread? Nothing back handed, just something genuinely positive?

If you are bored stop replying to my comments and encouraging a reply. My views are very balanced in the fuji thread I posted regarding the negatives of the sensor but also the positives of the lens and system as a whole. You dismiss a system before even using it!!

Lol you think I'm a fuji fan boy, I don't even use a fuji but I can comment on fuji and Sony and make comparisons and provide info to people who ask because I've used both systems quite extensively.

It's not just my negativity, you clearly aren't reading this thread!

Ive sung the praises of the sony sensor.

Here's a challenge for you, stop replying to my posts when you don't need to get involved, especially when you don't expect a reply to your comment. So now we both have a challenge and can move on. Great.
 
I've asked questions in the Fuji and other threads, I've looked at the positives and negatives, I've even heaped a little praise before stating why at the moment it isn't for me but what I haven't done is posted negatively day after day after day on the same issues. My God, whenever I see your name in this thread now I automatically know it'll be negative comments.

The reason I reply to you is to provide some balance and God knows it's come to something if I'm the balanced one :D

Please try and take a balanced approach now and again. It would be nice to read something a little more positive from you in this thread.

That's all I have to say to you personally. No, I will not be ignoring you as you have strong and good opinions but IMVHO they are not balanced enough.
 
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I've asked questions in the Fuji and other threads, I've looked at the positives and negatives, I've even heaped a little praise before stating why at the moment it isn't for me but what I haven't done is posted negatively day after day after day on the same issues. My God, whenever I see your name in this thread now I automatically know it'll be negative comments.

The reason I reply to you is to provide some balance and God knows it's come to something if I'm the balanced one :D

Please try and take a balanced approach now and again. It would be nice to read something a little more positive from you in this thread.

That's all I have to say to you personally. No, I will not be ignoring you as you have strong and good opinions but IMVHO they are not balanced enough.

Karl asked the question regarding a roadmap, I posted the roadmap for him and we briefly discussed his options. Im not the only person posting negatives yet you feel the need to keep butting in in every conversation I have with somebody else, I post facts regarding system costs and launch dates, they arent myths. You have a positive view of the system as it works for you, I have a negative view because the camera is so good but they cant seem to get the basics right and make it a real success, which frustrates. I see people buying into this system and after a few short honeymoon days/weeks they dump it because of the native lens and accessory issues.

I try to warn people of pitfalls with ALL systems when they ask and not let them buy blindly because a lot of them dont know the system options as well as we might do. If they then choose to still go ahead theyll be more than happy with their purchase because theyve heard the worse side of things and probably already know the positives.

Think of me as sitting on one shoulder and you on the other ;)
 
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Woof I regard myself as quite negative about Sony too, I admit but deservedly so. If there are any Sony people reading these threads it can only do good. A balanced approach gives the impression everything is fine and dandy and that wouldn't get us anywhere. Also nowhere on the forum rules does it state we must provide a balanced opinion? Reading on other forums as well as this one, I get the sense that people do feel more frustrated with the Sony than other brands..Well maybe except Canon. Until some of the above problems are addressed I don't see a problem with complaining. Some people are very happy with Sony and thats great, I want to be happy too but as it stands that will be a long way off. Sony don't do themselves any favours.
 
Q. Why has this thread become so boring?

A. Because it seems to have become a Sony vs Fuji point scoring contest between a couple or so of strong-minded individuals, neither of whom are content to let the other have the last word.

Come on guys, the thread title says Sony A7....., no mention of comparisons to Fuji, and some of us look at new posts here to read about Sony A7, not to observe your point-scoring contest.

Imvho
 
70-200 f4 on its way rmsd to me. Yaaaaaaaay!
Come on A7 people. Post me some pics to tide me over...hehe.
I'm so excited I am about to explode.
 
Some of the most innovative cameras and some of the world's best performing glass in the past few years. Oh and the best sensors in the industry. Yeah I guess not...hehe.
 

Incorrect, it's a Sony thread.

It may be an idea to start a new thread, call it Fuji vs Sony, and argue/discuss them in there, and leave the Sony thread for Sony topics?

Edit. For some reason this is in reply to rodd1000's post above, but the quote is not showing.
 
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