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

Well not for the first in my photographic journey I think I can admit to having made a mistake. And that mistake is getting rid of the A7 that I tried over Christmas!
I had a week in Prague last week and took the D800, even with just a couple of primes it was a chore to carry with me and took up a helluva lot more space than is ideal in this age of carry on and budget airlines!

So I've made the decision to sell all my lenses for the D800 aside from the 24-70 and 70-200 (until I see how I get on) and pickup either an A7 again or maybe the A7r, I can't see any reason why an A7x body with the 35mm f2.8, the 24-70 f4 and an adaptor for my Nikon 24mm can't do everything the D800 does for me and with a much lighter and smaller package.
Looking at the images I took with the A7 they're practically indistinguishable from my D800, and I'm sure the A7r would be even less so, I have considered Fuji or another Olympus (EM1) but I can freely admit to being a full frame junkie so it has to a Sony for me!
 
steveclem said:
Perhaps this company will pull off the Leica challenge then?:

http://konost.com/
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Interesting, if it ever sees the light of day. Looks like they've licensed the M mount from Leica. Pretty stupid move if you ask me, if you can afford the Leica glass you'd buy a Leica body for the bragging rights. It all comes down to price and i'm guessing they're attempting to sway potential Leica buyers, a brave move for a company with very little or no reputation to speak of.

I'm intrigued about the 20mp sensor though. Wonder if its a Sony.
 
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What the deal with the video settings on the A7?

It seems that 24fps is only available when the camera is set to NTSC. Surely NTSC is much further away form 24p than pal is. Bizarre.
 
rodd1000 said:
Interesting, if it ever sees the light of day. Looks like they've licensed the M mount from Leica. Pretty stupid move if you ask me, if you can afford the Leica glass you'd buy a Leica body for the bragging rights. It all comes down to price and i'm guessing they're attempting to sway potential Leica buyers, a brave move for a company with very little or no reputation to speak of.

I'm intrigued about the 20mp sensor though. Wonder if its a Sony.
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I'm not sure if it'll ever happen or at what cost to be a direct competitor. Zeiss used the mount and did well in the film game. Ricoh used it on a module for the GXR. I've no idea or claim to make on licensing issues but I'm presuming it's all above board here.
I'm definitely watching this, I want less buttons and fripperies, not more.
Leica bodies are well known for having issues which for something that costs £5k in its latest guise is a bit iffy. I'll take the Sony electronics in a rangefinder body if it's available. Others may not, it's a free world and I'm not getting into a row over aesthetics.
 
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Looks uncannily like the Leica T.....oh to be a fly on the wall at Leica HQ :eek:

Konost_FF_full_frame_digital_rangefinder_camera.jpg
 
Seriously though, they don't look like much of a threat, look at the website and promo stuff, the lady in the video is taking the picture with the shutter speed dial :D Not a Sony sensor, sensitivity is only 100/6400.
 
twist said:
The problem with Leica is cost. I think a few could swallow the camera cost but then come the lenses.
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Personally I don't think the cost is the problem. IMVHO it's just not as flexible a system as the Sony.
 
woof woof said:
Personally I don't think the cost is the problem. IMVHO it's just not as flexible a system as the Sony.
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It does mean you can use all RF wides with ease and without smearing and colour shifts. Sony haven't really produced a solution unless you want to count to A7s model or the sensor fix offered by whoever they're called. And that isn't perfect by any means.
 
twist said:
But it has a red dot. Beat that for flexibility.
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Damn, you got me... I'd forgot about that :(

steveclem said:
It does mean you can use all RF wides with ease and without smearing and colour shifts. Sony haven't really produced a solution unless you want to count to A7s model or the sensor fix offered by whoever they're called. And that isn't perfect by any means.
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There's that, but I don't care :D

BTW, that new 28mm looks nice on camera...

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/a-fe...ok-how-big-that-24-240mm-fe-is/#disqus_thread
 
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Anyone know if I bought a Sony camera from Germany if it's covered in the UK for warranty? Being part of the EU and Sony Europe and all that.
 
the thing with leica's is theres something special about them, and the glass is tiny. and is crazy good with rendering style

if your poor you can slum it with zeiss, voitghtlander and old screw mount, which will fit m mount with adapter

m mount is the best avalible mount really, contax might be better but much less glass about for that
 
pingu666 said:
the thing with leica's is theres something special about them, and the glass is tiny. and is crazy good with rendering style

if your poor you can slum it with zeiss, voitghtlander and old screw mount, which will fit m mount with adapter

m mount is the best avalible mount really, contax might be better but much less glass about for that
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Or you could buy a Sony and use any adapter for pretty much any lens ever made incl LM/LTM/ZM/VM ;)
 
pingu666 said:
the thing with leica's is theres something special about them, and the glass is tiny. and is crazy good with rendering style

if your poor you can slum it with zeiss, voitghtlander and old screw mount, which will fit m mount with adapter

m mount is the best avalible mount really, contax might be better but much less glass about for that
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I've never bought into the magic Leica thing. Maybe I should have gone to Specsavers :D

Some of the lenses are undoubtedly good but beyond the spec of focal length and aperture how close do you have to look to see it? I can see the appeal of RF's and indeed I've done my time with them (mine were replaced by MFT) but for the plus points there are minus points too and then there's the little... quality issues... that are not to be spoken of. All in all I'll leave Leica for the collectors and the camera fondlers.
 
pingu666 said:
you get a certain look to the image, and you dont get the magic till you use one, imo
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I have fondled, sorry used.

I do see the appeal of RF's as a type and I can see how some would like the build and feel of Leica kit but the film Mx's are physically rather larger than I'd want a camera to be (even the A7 is getting there) and changing the film can be a right faff on and there's the limitations of the system, focal lengths, accurate focus etc.

Most of all I'm done with film and other systems (MFT and A7) interest me more for digital but there's something else too and it's... the price. There's a little voice inside me that looks at the price of some things and defines some as excessive and just wrong to pay. It's all relative I suppose and Leica money isn't much compared to sportscar money but no matter what I can afford that little voice inside sometimes sets limits. £2.5K for a Leica 50mm f1.4 v £60 for a Minolta or £800 for a Sony?

One I shot at Christmas time with a £60 lens, ISO 1000, looks lovely :D (the focus is on the tree :D)

 
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chrism_scotland said:
The new 28mm and 35mm lenses that are coming look very nice! Always loved a 35mm f1.4 in the past!
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Yes, the 28mm looks nice and compact on the camera. I haven't see the new 35mm but I think I'd go for the 28 to give a bit more separation to the 55mm.

Other stuff...

Got my first 50mm f1.2 today. I've had a 25mm f0.95 for MFT but this is my 1st 50mm f1.2 for FF.

On camera...





It's probably my worst Rokkor wide open :D It's a bit soft and there some blooming and fringing but whole images look ok. The 50mm f1.4 is sharper wide open and suffers less blooming and no real fringing so my head says that the 50mm f1.4 is the lens to go for :D but I just wanted to give a 50mm f1.2 a go. It's in very good condition, it looks new :D
 
woof woof said:
Yes, the 28mm looks nice and compact on the camera. I haven't see the new 35mm but I think I'd go for the 28 to give a bit more separation to the 55mm.

Other stuff...

Got my first 50mm f1.2 today. I've had a 25mm f0.95 for MFT but this is my 1st 50mm f1.2 for FF.

On camera...





It's probably my worst Rokkor wide open :D It's a bit soft and there some blooming and fringing but whole images look ok. The 50mm f1.4 is sharper wide open and suffers less blooming and no real fringing so my head says that the 50mm f1.4 is the lens to go for :D but I just wanted to give a 50mm f1.2 a go. It's in very good condition, it looks new :D
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You need to put on the Sony FE 55mm f1.8 :D
 
Rizvan said:
You need to put on the Sony FE 55mm f1.8 :D
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I have one but it'll rest now and again :D

I got the 55mm f1.8 to use when faffing on with manual lenses takes a bit too long.

There's really no denying that the 55mm f1.8 is a very good lens and better than the old film era lenses but I like using relatively cheap kit :D and the whole manual focus experience when there's time to do it :D

PS. Everyone should try old lenses and maybe even a 50mm f1.2 or 1.4 sometime :D The 50mm f1.8's are bargains and can still be found for under £20. I love my Zuiko 50mm f1.8. Small, sharp and only £15 :D
 
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chrism_scotland said:
Torn between a cheapish A7 and maybe wait for an A7r ii to accompany it or just buying an A7ii the IS is quite tempting.
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I wouldn't commit to anything just yet, theres a new model due to be announced anytime. I'm in the same boat and I'm thinking Sony could well throw us a curve ball.
 
rodd1000 said:
I wouldn't commit to anything just yet, theres a new model due to be announced anytime. I'm in the same boat and I'm thinking Sony could well throw us a curve ball.
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I'm waiting too, hopefully for a pro-body Sony A9.
Then also buy the FE 90mm macro or FE 85mm :)
 
wait for reviews on the 90mm, i suspect it might be a repackaged tamron, so really might be better to wait and see if im right, adapter plus slr lens might be a better way

the sigma 105 is £380 atm, sonys oooooold 100mm is over 100 more in all its screw drive extending glory...
 
chrism_scotland said:
Realistically I'd be unlikely to be forking out for an A9 just now anyway, maybe in the summer when I'm more flush!
A used A7 and 35mm f2.8 is unlikely to set me back much more than £1000 all in, but I am quite tempted by the prices of new grey bodies actually.
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You may not need to go grey if the rumour of a new base model below the A7 is true.
 
chrism_scotland said:
Realistically I'd be unlikely to be forking out for an A9 just now anyway, maybe in the summer when I'm more flush!
A used A7 and 35mm f2.8 is unlikely to set me back much more than £1000 all in, but I am quite tempted by the prices of new grey bodies actually.
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This! An a7rii will be around the 2300 quid mark at launch for body only. That's a huge leap in price. Seems people keep forgetting new models cost a fortune.
 
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