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

I only get that icon when silent is ON
Interesting, mine doesn’t go even when silent set to OFF. Makes even less sense yours doesn’t make a shutter sound then :thinking:
 
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That is surprising, so the icon is always on for you?
IMG_0727.jpg by Keith, on Flickr
Yep, stats on permanently for me whenever the electronic shutter is being used.

I’m tempted to do a factory reset and see if it changes, I just need to save all my settings first.

And shooting in jpeg, what’s that about???? :eek:;)
 
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I thought that was just a Fuji thing? :ROFLMAO:

As a thought, I don't think I've ever shot a Jpeg on any of my A7 series cameras......?
I had to shoot jpeg when shooting footy as I had to send the photos in real time via ftp, I felt violated :ROFLMAO:
 
Yep, stats on permanently for me whenever the electronic shutter is being used.

I’m tempted to do a factory reset and see if it changes, I just need to save all my settings first.

And shooting in jpeg, what’s that about???? :eek:;)

I thought that was just a Fuji thing? :ROFLMAO:

As a thought, I don't think I've ever shot a Jpeg on any of my A7 series cameras......?
I know, I know:D

1 card raw and 1 jpeg
You need to speak to my daughter, I have tried:headbang:, she uses the camera sometimes and wants jpeg:)
 
Crikey, not got time to watch all of that ;)

On another note I've been getting this a lot over the past week where the site's not working properly and it's not made any difference whether using Chrome or Safari on my Mac or Safari on my iPad, has anyone else been having similar issues?

View attachment 459897
I've seen that once in the last few days, worked OK when I refreshed a while later (not sure how long before I refreshed, probably 30+ mins)
 
Crikey, not got time to watch all of that ;)

On another note I've been getting this a lot over the past week where the site's not working properly and it's not made any difference whether using Chrome or Safari on my Mac or Safari on my iPad, has anyone else been having similar issues?

View attachment 459897
Yes, been getting the same on mac and iphone, Safari and Firefox...can login, but then that message appears.
 
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Crikey, not got time to watch all of that ;)

On another note I've been getting this a lot over the past week where the site's not working properly and it's not made any difference whether using Chrome or Safari on my Mac or Safari on my iPad, has anyone else been having similar issues?

View attachment 459897

There was a problem with the search function. Sirch (appropriately enough) worked through his lunch break to fix it, and all should now be well.
 
I need someone to talk some sense into me, I've been contemplating selling my A7RV and getting the X100VI:runaway::exit:
 
I need someone to talk some sense into me, I've been contemplating selling my A7RV and getting the X100VI:runaway::exit:

You could run an A7III alongside, so you have the 'pretty' camera and the tool for when you need to do more serious stuff. Seems an odd direction to go other than 'play' value.
 
You could run an A7III alongside, so you have the 'pretty' camera and the tool for when you need to do more serious stuff. Seems an odd direction to go other than 'play' value.
The A7III's no good for me, not enough space between grip and lens.

I've always fancied an X100, no idea why. I've always played about with having something small and light to take on dog walks but not of my previous attempts (RX100, M4/3, small lens for Sony) have worked out. I'm not entirely sure an X100 would either but I've always fancied trying it out to see.

The Leica Q3 doesn't interest me, there seems to be too many negatives with the RX1R II, and the RX1R III is just bonkers price.

The idea of the A7RV hasn't worked out as well as I'd hoped as going in and out of my bag to swap bodies isn't much less inconvenient than swapping lenses, and it also means carrying extra weight.

The dream scenario would be to sell the A7RV and A1 and buying an A1 II but I'd have to front up another £1k on top of the two bodies which seems a bit mad, plus I don't really have the cash. The 'compact' idea would then go on the backburner for a while.

I'm just playing about with thoughts, I doubt I'll do it. One of the big negatives for me is the lack of subject isolation with the X100, a 35mm f2.8 lens eq is hardly going to give much subject isolation and background blur should I want it.
 
I need someone to talk some sense into me, I've been contemplating selling my A7RV and getting the X100VI:runaway::exit:
Just buy the smallest 35mm lens you can get and use it on your A7Rv. It won't be much bigger and will be a much better and more versatile camera. Wear a jacket with slightly larger pockets
 
There's only one answer to the X100 itch....
 
The A7III's no good for me, not enough space between grip and lens.

I've always fancied an X100, no idea why. I've always played about with having something small and light to take on dog walks but not of my previous attempts (RX100, M4/3, small lens for Sony) have worked out. I'm not entirely sure an X100 would either but I've always fancied trying it out to see.

You might have read my X100s/f journey.

I just fancied one so thought I'd give one a go. The s was faulty (the evf kept going dark) so it went back and was replaced with the f. I'm glad Lee likes it but I always seemed to pick something else over it. I did like the old style look of the cameras and the manual controls but I got too many inexplicably slightly missed focus shots and that might be an issue for you. The MF function is IMO very poor too. I don't think it's just me as I've seen several reviews mentioning focus issues and one mentioning the MF action but most people wont MF with these cameras anyway. Another issue I found is that the Fuji's would blow highlights in shots where I'd have not expected a problem with my MFT kit. APS-C should be about the same or better than MFT so maybe it's the way Fuji have set up their metering highlights v shadows. I didn't use the Fuji's enough to get to the bottom of that. They do have nice EVF's. I never used the OVF because of the framing / parallax and I hated to see the focus point jump. I didn't see any real IQ difference between my GX9 and GX80 and X100s/f and as the MFT kit was faster (more responsive) and with more reliable focus and metering the Fuji went.

If you get one you might love it but unless you fall in love with the controls or want to use the film simulations you might think it's all a bit meh especially at what seem to be the inflated prices Fuji's are going for these days.

Hope I haven't put you off but Fuji focus performance might be an issue for you. You're a long time dead though so you should get one :D
 
Just buy the smallest 35mm lens you can get and use it on your A7Rv. It won't be much bigger and will be a much better and more versatile camera. Wear a jacket with slightly larger pockets
I’ve toyed with that idea too. I bought the 10-20mm for that reason but I can’t say I’ve used it much, and I’m not a fan of the power zoom.

The only lens(es) close to this in terms of size and weight are the 35mm f2.8’s. I did have the Sony Zeiss 35mm f2.8 but didn’t keep it for long, I’m not sure why but knowing me it was probably the lack of ability to isolate the subject. Things have changed since then though and if I do want that kind of shot I’ve got the f1.4 GM.

Pocketability isn’t essential, and it’s not even a requirement (y)
 
I've always fancied an X100, no idea why. I've always played about with having something small and light to take on dog walks but not of my previous attempts (RX100, M4/3, small lens for Sony) have worked out. I'm not entirely sure an X100 would either but I've always fancied trying it out to see.

You might have read my X100s/f journey.

I just fancied one so thought I'd give one a go. The s was faulty (the evf kept going dark) so it went back and was replaced with the f. I'm glad Lee likes it but I always seemed to pick something else over it. I did like the old style look of the cameras and the manual controls but I got too many inexplicably slightly missed focus shots and that might be an issue for you. The MF function is IMO very poor too. I don't think it's just me as I've seen several reviews mentioning focus issues and one mentioning the MF action but most people wont MF with these cameras anyway. Another issue I found is that the Fuji's would blow highlights in shots where I'd have not expected a problem with my MFT kit. APS-C should be about the same or better than MFT so maybe it's the way Fuji have set up their metering highlights v shadows. I didn't use the Fuji's enough to get to the bottom of that. They do have nice EVF's. I never used the OVF because of the framing / parallax and I hated to see the focus point jump. I didn't see any real IQ difference between my GX9 and GX80 and X100s/f and as the MFT kit was faster (more responsive) and with more reliable focus and metering the Fuji went.

If you get one you might love it but unless you fall in love with the controls or want to use the film simulations you might think it's all a bit meh especially at what seem to be the inflated prices Fuji's are going for these days.

Hope I haven't put you off but Fuji focus performance might be an issue for you. You're a long time dead though so you should get one :D

And. To confuse you even more..... :)

Take what Alan says, and fully switch it around ;) :ROFLMAO:

I tend to use mine a lot for street & more snapshot type images - I don't use it for sunrise, dedicated landscape etc

But, I use mine mainly in OVF mode because I don't really like the EVF, with manual focus (street) AFS general, and funnily enough, I've (honestly) had a few shots where to jpeg film simulation image would show better highlights than the actual RAW file. Blown highlights have never been an issue for me & I shoot with +0.7 EC usually.

I think you really need to try one. They are quite a personal thing I think.
 
You might have read my X100s/f journey.

I just fancied one so thought I'd give one a go. The s was faulty (the evf kept going dark) so it went back and was replaced with the f. I'm glad Lee likes it but I always seemed to pick something else over it. I did like the old style look of the cameras and the manual controls but I got too many inexplicably slightly missed focus shots and that might be an issue for you. The MF function is IMO very poor too. I don't think it's just me as I've seen several reviews mentioning focus issues and one mentioning the MF action but most people wont MF with these cameras anyway. Another issue I found is that the Fuji's would blow highlights in shots where I'd have not expected a problem with my MFT kit. APS-C should be about the same or better than MFT so maybe it's the way Fuji have set up their metering highlights v shadows. I didn't use the Fuji's enough to get to the bottom of that. They do have nice EVF's. I never used the OVF because of the framing / parallax and I hated to see the focus point jump. I didn't see any real IQ difference between my GX9 and GX80 and X100s/f and as the MFT kit was faster (more responsive) and with more reliable focus and metering the Fuji went.

If you get one you might love it but unless you fall in love with the controls or want to use the film simulations you might think it's all a bit meh especially at what seem to be the inflated prices Fuji's are going for these days.

Hope I haven't put you off but Fuji focus performance might be an issue for you. You're a long time dead though so you should get one :D
Yeah I remember you not being a fan. I’ve not had those issues with Fuji, and I don’t manually focus, my gripe’s always been the X-Trans sensor rendering of fine detail.
 
You still wont get the wide aperture DoF but as I've said many times now, the 40mm f2.5 is IMO a significantly better lens than the old 35mm f2.8. It has an aperture ring too.
 
And. To confuse you even more..... :)

Take what Alan says, and fully switch it around ;) :ROFLMAO:

I tend to use mine a lot for street & more snapshot type images - I don't use it for sunrise, dedicated landscape etc

But, I use mine mainly in OVF mode because I don't really like the EVF, with manual focus (street) AFS general, and funnily enough, I've (honestly) had a few shots where to jpeg film simulation image would show better highlights than the actual RAW file. Blown highlights have never been an issue for me & I shoot with +0.7 EC usually.

I think you really need to try one. They are quite a personal thing I think.
Yeah I think I need to at least try one. One of the reasons I haven’t is that there’s no camera stores in my town these days, and whilst Harrisons is only 30 mins away it may as well be the other side of the world at times. I guess if I was really serious I’d make the effort ;)
 
And. To confuse you even more..... :)

Take what Alan says, and fully switch it around ;) :ROFLMAO:

I tend to use mine a lot for street & more snapshot type images - I don't use it for sunrise, dedicated landscape etc

But, I use mine mainly in OVF mode because I don't really like the EVF, with manual focus (street) AFS general, and funnily enough, I've (honestly) had a few shots where to jpeg film simulation image would show better highlights than the actual RAW file. Blown highlights have never been an issue for me & I shoot with +0.7 EC usually.

I think you really need to try one. They are quite a personal thing I think.

I'm sure this isn't a sensor issue and is more to do with how Fuji have set it up so it doesn't surprise me that some JPEGs are better. The sensor should really be better than my aging MFT kit but raw wise I saw no real advantage over MFT.

I agree that he should just buy one though and even though prices seem IMO a bit too high for what the cameras are these healthy prices should mean that if anyone goes for one and it doesn't gel they wont lose too much.
 
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Yeah I think I need to at least try one. One of the reasons I haven’t is that there’s no camera stores in my town these days, and whilst Harrisons is only 30 mins away it may as well be the other side of the world at times. I guess if I was really serious I’d make the effort ;)

I think, for you, it'll fall short on IQ & aperture :)

For how I use the X100f, neither of those things are 100% important. I almost treat it as a digital film camera.

With no fancy editing, masking, etc here's my Flickr album so far - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ratters445/albums/72177720314499327/page6

In fact, the majority are Classic Chrome jpegs.
 
Yeah I remember you not being a fan. I’ve not had those issues with Fuji, and I don’t manually focus, my gripe’s always been the X-Trans sensor rendering of fine detail.

I never saw any issues. Have you processed some pictures yourself and seen anything to put you off?

It's not really that I wasn't a fan and I do see the appeal but I think you have to like the positives a lot more than the less positives. The positives are clearly the look of the cameras and maybe the controls and the JPEG look and you need not be too fussy about the less good aspects like (for me) the focus issues and the MF action.

For many people the JPEGs and the way the camera looks will be the big positives and outweigh everything else and maybe just being a part of the Fuji crowd and experience appeals to some people and for those people I don't know for sure but I suspect that a lot of them will use the camera in auto and never fiddle with the controls.

I wouldn't be surprised if you loved one but equally I wouldn't be surprised if you gave one a good road test and decided it wasn't for you and if that's the case the good news is that you probably wont lose too much if you sell it on.

The only thing seriously tempting me at the moment is an A7cII but the articulating screen puts me off a bit and I would like to see the evf for myself but I think it would probably be ok. I don't think the RX1rIII is a realistic possibility unless Mrs WW buys me one for Christmas :D
 
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A couple more Whitby pictures. A7III and Sony 40mm f2.5.

The first is a six second exposure and the other one might not be to anyone else's taste but I like it :D

It was a bit windy so the foreground foliage is moving. The people and the dog in the distance aren't sharp at 6 seconds. Actually nothing looks sharp here. Ok on my screen though.

DSC00417.jpg

Almost into the sun.

DSC00377.jpg
 
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I think, for you, it'll fall short on IQ & aperture :)

For how I use the X100f, neither of those things are 100% important. I almost treat it as a digital film camera.

With no fancy editing, masking, etc here's my Flickr album so far - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ratters445/albums/72177720314499327/page6

In fact, the majority are Classic Chrome jpegs.
Strangely this is exactly what started my latest GAS attack. I was thinking about getting a negative scanner to scan all of my old old family photos so I've got digital copies that I can look at as they're just stuck up in the loft gathering dust. It got me onto thinking about my first camera (see below) which was literally point and shoot. It was a 35mm lens and it got me thinking that I never used to worry about focal length, aperture etc etc. Granted I was just a kid and not into photography per se, I didn't have a scooby about anything but I just enjoyed taking photos. It got me thinking that this is pretty much exactly what the X100 is, you've not got to worry about focal length, and you don't really have to worry too much about aperture as you've not got that much flexibility in DOF, so it would be just point and shoot.

pt-NikonRD2-01.jpg

I never saw any issues. Have you processed some pictures yourself and seen anything to put you off?

It's not really that I wasn't a fan and I do see the appeal but I think you have to like the positives a lot more than the less positives. The positives are clearly the look of the cameras and maybe the controls and the JPEG look and you need not be too fussy about the less good aspects like (for me) the focus issues and the MF action.

For many people the JPEGs and the way the camera looks will be the big positives and outweigh everything else and maybe just being a part of the Fuji crowd and experience appeals to some people and for those people I don't know for sure but I suspect that a lot of them will use the camera in auto and never fiddle with the controls.

I wouldn't be surprised if you loved one but equally I wouldn't be surprised if you gave one a good road test and decided it wasn't for you and if that's the case the good news is that you probably wont lose too much if you sell it on.

The only thing seriously tempting me at the moment is an A7cII but the articulating screen puts me off a bit and I would like to see the evf for myself but I think it would probably be ok. I don't think the RX1rIII is a realistic possibility unless Mrs WW buys me one for Christmas :D
Yeah I used to have the X-T1, and with every iteration of the X-T series I've downloaded sample raws and jpegs to play about with them. I wondered if it was worth trying the original X100 to test the water so to speak, that's a bayer sensor and if I bought wisely I should lose very little.

Another potential issue for me is the viewfinder. As a left eye shooter rangefinder type cameras can be a problem, you mention the A7cII and when I tried this and the A7cR I found the EVF awkward to look through as it wasn't pronounced enough, the X100 is even less pronounced. I do wonder how much I'd actually use the EVF on an X100 though, I'd imagine I'd only use it in times of extreme sun glare on the LCD.
 
@snerkler you need to burn your labcoat before investing in an X100VI , if the labcoat is still around you will find fault (you probably will anyway, you have faults in every Fuji item you have purchased in the past ), you have never got on with X-Trans files in the past, what makes you think you will now??? You have alreday found fault in the aperture not being fast enough, left eye shooter issues, purchasing one will be a huge msitake.

The original X100 files will suit you better and the colours are gorgeous, but I guarantee now that you will complain about the AF speed (you have to send it a postcard to focus), the EVF quality, the softness of the lens at F2, etc, etc
 
@snerkler you need to burn your labcoat before investing in an X100VI , if the labcoat is still around you will find fault (you probably will anyway, you have faults in every Fuji item you have purchased in the past ), you have never got on with X-Trans files in the past, what makes you think you will now??? You have alreday found fault in the aperture not being fast enough, left eye shooter issues, purchasing one will be a huge msitake.

The original X100 files will suit you better and the colours are gorgeous, but I guarantee now that you will complain about the AF speed (you have to send it a postcard to focus), the EVF quality, the softness of the lens at F2, etc, etc
I can't disagree with anything you've said :ROFLMAO:
 
I can't disagree with anything you've said :ROFLMAO:

If you want @snerkler quality in a 'compact fixed lens camera' then you really only have 3 options:-

1) Sony RX1R family
2) Leica Q family
3) Fuji GFX100RF

All are not ideal for left eye shooters.

Just get a little lens for your existing Sony ILC cameras, at least the investment will be small, you'll still find fault (as its not a GM lens),

Otherwise man up and just use the GM35mm F1.4 - because you know you are happy with the IQ, lens quality, bokeh, etc, etc
 
If you want @snerkler quality in a 'compact fixed lens camera' then you really only have 3 options:-

1) Sony RX1R family
2) Leica Q family
3) Fuji GFX100RF

All are not ideal for left eye shooters.

Just get a little lens for your existing Sony ILC cameras, at least the investment will be small, you'll still find fault (as its not a GM lens),

Otherwise man up and just use the GM35mm F1.4 - because you know you are happy with the IQ, lens quality, bokeh, etc, etc
2 and 3 don't interest me. I could sell the 10-20mm that I don't get on with and buy a 35mm f2.8 to see how I get on, but ideally I'd like something smaller. I've been searching for the holy grail ever since I started my photography journey, one day it may exist :lol:

I do also just like trying new gear though ;)
 
2 and 3 don't interest me. I could sell the 10-20mm that I don't get on with and buy a 35mm f2.8 to see how I get on, but ideally I'd like something smaller. I've been searching for the holy grail ever since I started my photography journey, one day it may exist :LOL:

I do also just like trying new gear though ;)

I don't get why 2) does not interest you, buy carefully (procewaise), you can try, and if you don't like it it, you can sell on at minimal loss. A Q bought new at launch cost £2,550, 8/9 years later you will probably still see a return of £1600-£1800 - thats less than £100 a year depreciation.

Q2 is more likley to meet your needs, but a Q3 would give you faster AF
 
A couple of Leica questions you may be able to comment on.

I see the size as an issue. I just can't really see the Q as a compact camera but that's just based on the comparison sites, I've never held one. Secondly, the uncluttered design could annoy some as some do want a custom button for everything. We constantly hear how complicated the Sony menus are but to me that's a good thing as it gives people the chance to customise their camera by setting up all the buttons and dials with just about endless possibilities and permutations and then possibly hardly ever going into the menu system. Is that still possible with a Leica with very few controls or is it all touch screen based?

And what about focus performance? I've seen reviews which say it's not at Sony level. That might not be an issue for me but if true it could be for others. What are the limitations?
 
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I don't get why 2) does not interest you, buy carefully (procewaise), you can try, and if you don't like it it, you can sell on at minimal loss. A Q bought new at launch cost £2,550, 8/9 years later you will probably still see a return of £1600-£1800 - thats less than £100 a year depreciation.

Q2 is more likley to meet your needs, but a Q3 would give you faster AF
The Q series has never been on the radar mainly due to size/weight and price, I'd also question the ergonomics. I totally get that depreciation is minimal, but it's quite an outlay initially and my head can't justify that for what would essentially be a point and shoot for me. That's pretty much the same reason the RX1 series has never been on the radar, and truth be told the X100 series is about on the limit of what I'd deem justifiable, although of course I do think the X100 series is overpried for what it is.

Out of interest, what would the effective aperture be of the Q series in the 35mm crop?
 
The Q series has never been on the radar mainly due to size/weight and price, I'd also question the ergonomics. I totally get that depreciation is minimal, but it's quite an outlay initially and my head can't justify that for what would essentially be a point and shoot for me. That's pretty much the same reason the RX1 series has never been on the radar, and truth be told the X100 series is about on the limit of what I'd deem justifiable, although of course I do think the X100 series is overpried for what it is.

Out of interest, what would the effective aperture be of the Q series in the 35mm crop?
35/28 * 1.7 = 2.125
 
A couple of Leica questions you may be able to comment on.

I see the size as an issue. I just can't really see the Q as a compact camera but that's just based on the comparison sites, I've never held one. Secondly, the uncluttered design could annoy some as some do want a custom button for everything. We constantly hear how complicated the Sony menus are but to me that's a good thing as it gives people the chance to customise their camera by setting up all the buttons and dials with just about endless possibilities and permutations and then possibly hardly ever going into the menu system. Is that still possible with a Leica with very few controls or is it all touch screen based?

And what about focus performance? I've seen reviews which say it's not at Sony level. That might not be an issue for me but if true it could be for others. What are the limitations?
Alan

You can set custom profiles then assign them to a function button,, the button within the rear (top) dial can be assigned several functions (user configurable) which you can then scroll through

Or you can just use the Q menu

The menu system is much simpler and easy to navigate compared with Canon/Fuji/Nikon/Sony etc, so it’s not a chore to drop into when required

That all said, I hardly ever change anything!! I have a couple of user profiles (usually different auto ISO capabilities and one for movement AF-C capture)

I actually find the lack of buttons a welcome distraction as it allows me to concentrate on the image.

The Q and Q2 only have contrast detection AF so while they are accurate they are not as fast as the phase detection available in the Q3 - this is snappy in AF-S but not up to current Sony speeds in AF-C. That said it appears to be accurate and I have more info us shots from either Q3 than I do from the Fuji X-T3 in similar scenarios.

I would recommend not holding one unless you are prepared to buy, they are very tactile cameras and everything IMO feels right, yes they are a little weighty (and bulky), but that resonates with the price tag, they feel incredibly well made, it is a very satisfying experience using them
 
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