What are sony A7x's really like?

CaveDweller

CaveDweller

Messages
1,946
Name
Paul
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm not up to date with any of the Sony range at all, like what one is the latest one out, what one is meant to be the rival to the 5D3 etc?. When asking about upgrading from my 550D to the 5D mkiii I've been told by several people to get a Sony A7, but I can't remember if they said the A7ii, S or R.

Has the 5D mkiii really met it's match with whatever A7 these people were on about, and is it worth a look at the A7 instead of biting the bullet with the 5D3? I'm starting all my gear from fresh with this move to FF and I was also told that I could use Canon lenses on the A7, is this with an adapter and if so, what one? I've already bought the lenses for my upgrade to FF. A Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 and a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L

Low light, long exposures, timelapses and video is what I like to do mostly. Also would I still be able to use my RF603 triggers and 560iii flashes with an A7?

Thought I'd start a new thread about this rather than confusing it with an older thread of mine.
 
Last edited:
The latest one is the A7II.
I have the A7R and love it gave up all my Canon gear for it as i wanted higher DR and resolution and Canon were dragging there heels. I also wanted to ditch some bulk and weight.

A7 is your general camera jack of all trades if you like.
A7S is the high ISO version.
A7R is the high resolution one.
 
Just replaced 5d mk3 with A7R so here are a few thoughts;

Resolution, the sheer amount of detail and dynamic range is vastly superior on A7R.
AF is vastly superior on the Canon. The Sony is accurate but best suited to static or slow moving scenes.
I like the interface of the A7 series and for my use, which is mainly landscapes, prefer the EVF/LCD display on the Sony to Canon's liveview.
No evidence but gut feeling suggests Canon is much more robust, sealed etc.
You can use Canon lenses with it; the best adaptor is the Metabones IV although it is pricey but it does have electrical connection which allows IS, AF (very slow but usable), EXIF data.
A big plus for me is the A7 is much smaller and lighter although this can be negated to a certain extent by using non native glass with adapters.
Battery life not brilliant but the batteries are small and generic ones are cheap so no problem.
No experience but reviews suggest the A7s is best for low light and video but it is only 12 megapixel so depends if you print large or want to make big crops.

Basically the A7R is excellent for landscape , studio etc where you want masses of detail and may well be using a tripod etc
A7II is much more general purpose with better AF and "only" 24 mp and has built in IBIS to provide anti Shake for virtually any lens.

Happy to try and answer any questions.
 
CaveDweller said:
I'm not up to date with any of the Sony range at all, like what one is the latest one out, what one is meant to be the rival to the 5D3 etc?. When asking about upgrading from my 550D to the 5D mkiii I've been told by several people to get a Sony A7, but I can't remember if they said the A7ii, S or R.

Has the 5D mkiii really met it's match with whatever A7 these people were on about, and is it worth a look at the A7 instead of biting the bullet with the 5D3? I'm starting all my gear from fresh with this move to FF and I was also told that I could use Canon lenses on the A7, is this with an adapter and if so, what one? I've already bought the lenses for my upgrade to FF. A Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 and a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L

Low light, long exposures, timelapses and video is what I like to do mostly. Also would I still be able to use my RF603 triggers and 560iii flashes with an A7?

Thought I'd start a new thread about this rather than confusing it with an older thread of mine.
Click to expand...

I have the A7s. Based on your requirements I think its probably going to be your best choice in the range and Im not sure the 5D3 could compete based on those requirements.

http://petapixel.com/2014/07/30/sony-a7s-astrophotography-review/


For other than Astro... long but worth the watch

 
Last edited:
... You can use your lenses on the A7s BUT you will need a Metabones adapter for AF (slow) or you will have to manually focus the lenses. Manual focus is pretty easy using this camera as you have some very nice focus aids like peaking and magnification in the EVF or on the LCD. Im using a RF602 to trigger flashes manually.
 
I bought an A7 for my wife. She enjoys taking photos but knows nothing about photography - trust be told, I bought it for me, but under the pre-tense it's her camera.

It will never replace my D800e or D4s - in terms of functionality, build, lenses etc. It's not a motorsport type of camera, which I shoot, and sometimes I can stubble a little with the EFV, getting focus where I want it and generally with the controls.

It would however easily become an every day camera for me, with either the Sony kit lens, which is perfectly adequate, or with MF legacy, or Nikon lenses (currently looking at which adapter is best).

We're off to Iceland tomorrow so this will be a big test for it. I have all my gear in tow, however I'll certainly use the A7 if I can pry it away from my wife.
 
I'll start off by saying that ultimately I tried the A7 and decided to keep the D800 instead but I really couldn' fault it for what it does, ultimately its a stunningly good full frame sensor in a very compact body.
Its easily as good IQ as the Nikon D600 which shares the same sensor and it was brilliant being able to carry the A7, 35mm f2.8 and the 28-70 kit lens in a bag and not worry about breaking your neck, not something I can do with a Nikon D800!

If I had the money I'd have both an A7/A7r and the full frame Nikon kit as the handling and control on the A7 wasn't quite there for me yet, I like to have direct access to controls in the way the D800 does (dedicated buttons for almost everything).

Battery life is a pain but they're relatively cheap and small to carry loads of them, I'll certainly pick one up again, used prices on the A7 seem to be falling again now the A7ii is out.
 
Thanks all. Pretty impressive cameras for what they are if I'm honest. Having watched the videos posted above I'd love those low light capabilities of the A7S, but it's just the low pixel count that's putting me off slightly. I realise that's why they are so good at low light though, but I'm hoping to make big prints some day (just for myself).

With the A7R being aimed towards landscapes and studio I think the better bet for me between the three would probably be the A7ll, if it is up to par with the 5D3 that is. I also want to get a bit more into shooting wildlife as well. With being a gamekeeper I have great opportunities to capture wildlife but with the slower AF due to the lens adapter I'm not sure how that would pan out.

It's quite hard to decide with comments and videos off the internet. There's not many shops I'd imagine that will have all these cameras in stock for me to try either.
 
CaveDweller said:
Thanks all. Pretty impressive cameras for what they are if I'm honest. Having watched the videos posted above I'd love those low light capabilities of the A7S, but it's just the low pixel count that's putting me off slightly. I realise that's why they are so good at low light though, but I'm hoping to make big prints some day (just for myself).

With the A7R being aimed towards landscapes and studio I think the better bet for me between the three would probably be the A7ll, if it is up to par with the 5D3 that is. I also want to get a bit more into shooting wildlife as well. With being a gamekeeper I have great opportunities to capture wildlife but with the slower AF due to the lens adapter I'm not sure how that would pan out.

It's quite hard to decide with comments and videos off the internet. There's not many shops I'd imagine that will have all these cameras in stock for me to try either.
Click to expand...

I was a bit concerned about 12MP but I doubt Ill be printing larger than 20 x 30" anytime soon and the ISO benefits are far more beneficial than MP in my case.
 
If your shooting wildlife wouldn't faster Af and longer reach be better? Maybe sony a6000? you already have advantage of extra reach. That is unless it's wildlife in the dark then I'd say stick with a dedicated dslr as the Af on the Sonys aren't anywhere near on par with a 5d. The A7's are quite niche cameras and until the Af is equal to that of a dslr they will always be a compromise.
 
Last edited:
Resolution on A7R very impressive, and the form factor isn't bad but that's as far as it went on my pros list - oh I liked the AutoISO implementation and I liked it's video capability. I ditched mine for a Fuji XT1. Didn't like the physical control layout, the menu layout or the sheer amount of it, it was very slow to respond. I never had AF lenses so can't comment there. I was very annoyed when it transpired Sony lied about the weather sealing, and found their after sales to be worse than useless. The highlights blown warnings were about a stop too pessimistic.

On a purely subjective image quality front I always struggled with things like colour balance, it was always a struggle to get it bang on without some colour ending up blown or requiring lots of tweaking in post, greens in particular tended to end up in shades of neon, blues would always band up.

My summing up would be on paper a very very good system lots of features etc, in the real world though Fuji have done it better without the FF sensor in their X series. I really wanted to like my Sony, I preordered it, I paid a lot of money for it but it just didn't work for me. It's new owner loves it though, and he got the same description of it from me as I've just given.
 
cheers all.

twist said:
I was a bit concerned about 12MP but I doubt Ill be printing larger than 20 x 30" anytime soon and the ISO benefits are far more beneficial than MP in my case.
Click to expand...

Is 12MP quite good at that size of print? Obviously it depends how far away you are, but I'm on about your average sized living room.
 
Last edited:
Alan Clogwyn said:
My summing up would be on paper a very very good system lots of features etc, in the real world though Fuji have done it better without the FF sensor in their X series..
Click to expand...

I disagree. Fuji ergonomics, glass and build are world class, so are the colours but the sensor is not, by a very long stretch. I always found my Xt1 images mushy at 100%. No amount of good glass can correct what the sensor does with the information. Which is why I moved it on.
 
Last edited:
[QUOTE="CaveDweller, post: 6719132, member: 56564"
Is 12MP quite good at that size of print? Obviously it depends how far away you are, but I'm on about your average sized living room.[/QUOTE]

That's a good question. I've not printed from my A7s yet but I've been entirely happy with large prints from my D700 and the A7s absolutely trounces the D700. I honestly haven't decided whether the A7s is a better tool for my needs than the D700 but in terms of IQ, I have no reservations - even at base ISO it is streets ahead.
 
CaveDweller said:
Also would I still be able to use my RF603 triggers and 560iii flashes with an A7?
Click to expand...

For off camera flash yes, these are dumb triggers and flashes and will work fine. I might be wrong, but I think the wireless shutter release functions are Canon specific and won;t work with the A7x. The A7x's built in wireless gives other remote trigger options.

I think Twist uses a 560iii so he can probably tell you more. I went for a Nissin i40 and like it plenty.
 
Last edited:
twist said:
Agreed, best FF sensor Ive used so far. (5d, 6d, D700, D750, D800 and A7!)
Click to expand...

Yep, I went from 5Dmkii to A7 to D610 (via a few m43 options) to D800 to D700 and now to A7s. The A7s sensor is the most rewarding for me.

Alan Clogwyn said:
On a purely subjective image quality front I always struggled with things like colour balance, it was always a struggle to get it bang on without some colour ending up blown or requiring lots of tweaking in post, greens in particular tended to end up in shades of neon, blues would always band up.
Click to expand...

I'm not seeing any problems like this with the A7s but... I did try an A7 and didn't gel with the IQ much - which is why I went for the A7s rather than the A7ii. It looks as if the form factor of the A7ii is a step up from the A7 but not so much the IQ.
 
Last edited:
Bah, you lot aren't making this any easier haha. First my decision was between the 6D and 5D3, now it's 5D3 and whatever A7. I didn;t really set my sights away from Canon until I made this thread. I've not really got any Canon specific items apart from my lenses and I think you're correct about the 603 triggers because I ordered Nikon ones by mistake, which work fine on my 550D, obviously not shutter release though.
 
Last edited:
CaveDweller said:
Bah, you lot aren't making this any easier haha. First my decision was between the 6D and 5D3, now it's 5D3 and whatever A7. I didn;t really set my sights away from Canon until I made this thread. I've not really got any Canon specific items apart from my lenses and I think you're correct about the 603 triggers because I ordered Nikon ones by mistake, which work fine on my 550D, obviously not shutter release though.
Click to expand...

My 602 is Nikon, works fine. My advice is decide how badly you need fast AF and long lenses with fast AF the A7 will do everything else very well.
 
could we expect an A7s mk2 thats at least 20mp?

also a7rmk2?

Also i already have a 5d3 so an a7r would compliment me superb! thoughts?

does the a7s blow away an a7r in low light shooting?
 
Last edited:
CaveDweller said:
Bah, you lot aren't making this any easier haha. First my decision was between the 6D and 5D3, now it's 5D3 and whatever A7. I didn;t really set my sights away from Canon until I made this thread. I've not really got any Canon specific items apart from my lenses and I think you're correct about the 603 triggers because I ordered Nikon ones by mistake, which work fine on my 550D, obviously not shutter release though.
Click to expand...

There's a whole new can of worms ready to be opened which is manual focus. I really bought the A7s because the Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 was haunting my GAS dreams. Turns out that for my sort of photography - babies, kids, people - MF with the A7s is a breeze. I get more keepers than ever. For your low light, long exposure and video there are world of MF lens options available.
 
jonneymendoza said:
could we expect an A7s mk2 thats at least 20mp?

also a7rmk2?

Also i already have a 5d3 so an a7r would compliment me superb! thoughts?

does the a7s blow away an a7r in low light shooting?
Click to expand...

I think they will keep the A7s MPs down and stick with 12. IBIS, 10 bit and internal 4k is my guess. Video guys dont need MP.

Yes, the A7s blows every FF camera away in low light. Its ridiculous.
 
Last edited:
jonneymendoza said:
could we expect an A7s mk2 thats at least 20mp?

also a7rmk2?

Also i already have a 5d3 so an a7r would compliment me superb! thoughts?

does the a7s blow away an a7r in low light shooting?
Click to expand...

1. I hope not. 12MP does me fine.

2. Yes.

3. Depends what you shoot - if it is insane detail for landscapes then yes bit otherwise I reckon an A7s would be a better partner for your 5d3.

4. Yes.
 
paulcamcas said:
There's a whole new can of worms ready to be opened which is manual focus. I really bought the A7s because the Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 was haunting my GAS dreams. Turns out that for my sort of photography - babies, kids, people - MF with the A7s is a breeze. I get more keepers than ever. For your low light, long exposure and video there are world of MF lens options available.
Click to expand...

Id like to say I never played any part in this :D
 
id use the a7r for landscape and night time walkabout shots.

not sure how good it is to MF.

the 5d3 MF is pants due to the viewfinder but on my old canon A1 film it was bloody easy to focus even at f1.4
 
jonneymendoza said:
id use the a7r for landscape and night time walkabout shots.

not sure how good it is to MF.

the 5d3 MF is pants due to the viewfinder but on my old canon A1 film it was bloody easy to focus even at f1.4
Click to expand...

The A7 has MF aids, magnification is great (also without peaking), then theres peaking with or without magnification.

 
Last edited:
jonneymendoza said:
id use the a7r for landscape and night time walkabout shots.

not sure how good it is to MF.

the 5d3 MF is pants due to the viewfinder but on my old canon A1 film it was bloody easy to focus even at f1.4
Click to expand...

You'd need to get the facts about night time walkabout shots from an A7r user. I suspect that the A7s will murder it.
 
twist said:
The A7 has MF aids, magnification is great (also without peaking), then theres peaking with or without magnification.
Click to expand...

Peaking works great for me. Hardly ever miss an eyeball.
 
Last edited:
jonneymendoza said:
id use the a7r for landscape and night time walkabout shots.

not sure how good it is to MF.

the 5d3 MF is pants due to the viewfinder but on my old canon A1 film it was bloody easy to focus even at f1.4
Click to expand...

@dancook does night street with his A7s with Voigtlander lenses, as far as I know hes more than happy and the A7s destroys his 5d3 in low light.

Ive also been incredibly impressed by my A7s high ISO and Im coming from the D750 which is better than the 5d3 at high ISO.
 
Last edited:
Loads of good info you lot (y) Can't keep up with my own thread haha

CaveDweller said:
Bah, you lot aren't making this any easier haha. First my decision was between the 6D and 5D3, now it's 5D3 and whatever A7. I didn;t really set my sights away from Canon until I made this thread. I've not really got any Canon specific items apart from my lenses and I think you're correct about the 603 triggers because I ordered Nikon ones by mistake, which work fine on my 550D, obviously not shutter release though.
Click to expand...

I do like a bit of manual focus :D My first "proper" (to me) camera was an Olympus PEN EPL-1. My dad gave me a whole bunch of different lenses from his old Olympus OM film camera. I bought an adapter to fit them and I soon fell in love with the Zukio 50mm f/1.8. Still have that camera and all the lenses.
 
twist said:
The A7 has MF aids, magnification is great (also without peaking), then theres peaking with or without magnification.

Click to expand...

I'd be kinda used to that system. My 550D has very similar when running Magic Lantern, Has all sorts of features to highlight over/under exposed areas and a small box pops up to check focus better.
 
CaveDweller said:
I'd be kinda used to that system. My 550D has very similar when running Magic Lantern, Has all sorts of features to highlight over/under exposed areas and a small box pops up to check focus better.
Click to expand...

The A7s also has Zebras for highlights. Cool thing is the A7 does all of that also in the viewfinder not just lcd.
 
chrism_scotland said:
If I had the money I'd have both an A7/A7r and the full frame Nikon kit as the handling and control on the A7 wasn't quite there for me yet, I like to have direct access to controls in the way the D800 does (dedicated buttons for almost everything).

Battery life is a pain but they're relatively cheap and small to carry loads of them, I'll certainly pick one up again, used prices on the A7 seem to be falling again now the A7ii is out.
Click to expand...

Just a couple of quick thoughts on this...

I moved from Canon 5D to A7 and I see little if any difference in direct access but maybe Nikon are different.

This is how I control my A7...

Aperture - Dial.
Shutter speed - Dial.
Exposure compensation - Dial.
ISO - Central spinning wheel.
Centre button and surrounding buttons...
-Magnified view - Middle button.
-Display options - Centre button.
-White balance - Right button.
-Drive mode - Left button.
-Metering - Bottom button.
Grid lines - C1.
Peaking - C2.
Focus area / delete a shot - C3.
Various menu things - Fn.
Exposure Lock (latching) / AF/MF - button.

I shoot raw and don't need any jpeg filter or art modes and the only things I need to go into the menu for are...
- Format the card.
- Switch between EVF and back screen.
- Change the time / date.

The only thing that irritates me is the EVF/back screen and I'd like a button to toggle between EVF and back screen which would leave the back screen truly off when the EVF is selected. Other than that I'm happy.

I find battery life adequate for a day out but it could be better. I've turned everything I don't need off and I turn the camera off when I think I'm not going to take a shot for a few minutes and I also take the battery out when the camera is at home in its drawer.

Focus performance is another area oft criticised but I find my A7 is about the same in the real world as my 20D and 5D were. I certainly don't notice any significant slowness or inaccuracy.

CaveDweller said:
Loads of good info you lot (y) Can't keep up with my own thread haha

I do like a bit of manual focus :D My first "proper" (to me) camera was an Olympus PEN EPL-1. My dad
gave me a whole bunch of different lenses from his old Olympus OM film camera. I bought an adapter to fit them and I soon fell in love with the Zukio 50mm f/1.8. Still have that camera and all the lenses.
Click to expand...

For manual focus these cameras are great :D I have Olympus Zuiko, Minolta Rokkor and Canon FD lenses.
 
Last edited:
Guys from What the A7 II like compare to the S and R?

I know S is the king for Low light
R is MP

what the A7 II

Also what is AF like on these for still shots/? I would of that Tracking won't be as fast as a 5D MKiii
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top