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Leica S-E versus Sony A7R, or even A7RII

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Shooting V-series blad and P45+ parallel with my Sony A7rII

Hi,

I was shooting both P45+ on Hasselblad and the Sony A7rII side by side today. The results are very close, I often mix up which is which, even at actual pixels. That said, I still enjoy shooting with both cameras. Sony is the electronic wizard still giving me full control. With the "Blad" I feel a bit more like shooting with an analogue camera.

With the Sony I can do with two lenses, the 24-70/2.8 ZA and 70-400/4-5.6G. With the Hasselblad I have quite a few primes, 40/4, 60/3.5, 100/3.5, 120/4 and 180/4. Shooting with "Blad" is fun.

What I see is that the images are incredibly close.

Best regards
Erik
 
M

mjr

Guest
Erik

Having used a Hasselblad V system with film for many many years, I don't see any relationship between it and more modern systems from a usability standpoint, the S and Z to some extent are effectively DSLR's with bigger sensors in them. I am obviously using my cameras differently to you but couldn't imagine using a V for anything beyond the narrow window where everything is conducive to getting a good shot. Sure there will be occasions where you have it focused, weather conditions are decent and the light plays to the sensors strengths but I honestly feel there is no comparison at all.

You obviously enjoy the testing and comparisons, great that it gives you pleasure but if I was looking at a modern, mf body, knowing how a P45+ performs on a V system would have very little influence on any decision making, they are just entirely different things beyond the name mf.


Mat
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

That is right, but I happen to be a landscape shooter. Always shooting on tripod and mostly using a 3X monocular for focusing. The Sony I shoot in the same way, except I use magnified live view for focusing. The Hasselblad I always use with mirror lockup. I don't think that shooting a Leica S, Pentax 645Z or Hasselblad H system would change my work flow, except perhaps regarding focusing, but I really in favour of magnified live view. That has been the main reason for most of my camera upgrades.

I would say that I am pretty sure the Leica MF lenses are better than my Zeiss lenses of ancient design, but I still feel that my experience may be somewhat relevant to landscape shooters at least.

What I see right now that the Sony and Hasselblad images are remarkably close. That is good news in the sense that I can go on travel with the smaller Sony kit without giving up image quality.

Very clearly, my shooting is more about making images I like than caring about which equipment to shoot with. On the other hand, one of the main reasons I bought the Sony is that I can use it with T&S lenses from Canon. I also plan to use the Hasselblad lenses with a T&S adapter.

Yes, another thing. Sharing experience is always good, dont't you think?

Best regards
Erik

Best regards
Erik

Erik

Having used a Hasselblad V system with film for many many years, I don't see any relationship between it and more modern systems from a usability standpoint, the S and Z to some extent are effectively DSLR's with bigger sensors in them. I am obviously using my cameras differently to you but couldn't imagine using a V for anything beyond the narrow window where everything is conducive to getting a good shot. Sure there will be occasions where you have it focused, weather conditions are decent and the light plays to the sensors strengths but I honestly feel there is no comparison at all.

You obviously enjoy the testing and comparisons, great that it gives you pleasure but if I was looking at a modern, mf body, knowing how a P45+ performs on a V system would have very little influence on any decision making, they are just entirely different things beyond the name mf.


Mat
 
M

mjr

Guest
Erik

No offence intended but almost every post you make on here and LL is about equipment, performance, charts and the technical side of equipment and image production, it's very difficult having read your posts for years to consider that your focus is on producing images you like over the equipment you shoot! Obviously it doesn't matter what your motivation is as long as you enjoy it, it certainly doesn't matter to me.

I know you prefer to shoot landscapes but my point was that the V is not the same image making machine, again it's obvious that landscape photography to one person is not the same as landscape photography to another but for me personally the best landscapes have drama and bad weather or strong winds or cold and snow, a lot of those situations I think the V is a very difficult camera to use where something like the S is not. I don't personally feel the H or Z are equal in that way, they are just too bulky. You may have a different view of what constitutes a good landscape photograph, nothing wrong with that of course, I'd be happy with a V again in the studio, I loved it for portraits and stuff just wouldn't really feel it was best suited to getting out in the wilds and shooting nice landscapes, not that it isn't possible, just that there are much better options.

Sharing experiences is all relative, I find none of your experiences relevant to me but others will find them valuable, I much prefer sharing images and looking at images others share. I have said to you in the past to show more images, not because I feel you have anything to prove, just in the hope that you'd stop posting quite so many technical things! We all like different things and I can and do chose to ignore what I don't like so it's all good, that's how forums are.

I hope you enjoy the Sony, I really do, it would be great to see how much you enjoy it by looking at beautiful images you make with it though.

Have a good week!

Mat



Hi,

That is right, but I happen to be a landscape shooter. Always shooting on tripod and mostly using a 3X monocular for focusing. The Sony I shoot in the same way, except I use magnified live view for focusing. The Hasselblad I always use with mirror lockup. I don't think that shooting a Leica S, Pentax 645Z or Hasselblad H system would change my work flow, except perhaps regarding focusing, but I really in favour of magnified live view. That has been the main reason for most of my camera upgrades.

I would say that I am pretty sure the Leica MF lenses are better than my Zeiss lenses of ancient design, but I still feel that my experience may be somewhat relevant to landscape shooters at least.

What I see right now that the Sony and Hasselblad images are remarkably close. That is good news in the sense that I can go on travel with the smaller Sony kit without giving up image quality.

Very clearly, my shooting is more about making images I like than caring about which equipment to shoot with. On the other hand, one of the main reasons I bought the Sony is that I can use it with T&S lenses from Canon. I also plan to use the Hasselblad lenses with a T&S adapter.

Yes, another thing. Sharing experience is always good, dont't you think?

Best regards
Erik

Best regards
Erik
 

algrove

Well-known member
Mat
You make many good points. More specifically I had trouble with my P45+ (with SWC or 503CW) over a few years shooting landscapes. I did not buy it for studio and never realized how fidgety it could be outdoors. Yes, that was stupid of me. If it did not say battery low (fully charged) then it would say CF card full or none existent (when it was fresh or even new). Due to these problems it caused me to miss many crucial 1-2 minute intervals of sunrises or sunsets. After traveling up to 10 hours with plane & auto to get to a location and have that happen, I decided to part company once a friend of mine said that he shot in Hawaii with Micheal Reichmann and suggested I take a close look at the 645Z. This friend was heavily invested in his PO system, but admitted he would have gotten the 645Z too if not for that.

A few months ago during monsoon season at the Grand Canyon during one sunrise a few of us were shooting in a sideways rain storm. One friend had my old P45+ setup and was cursing the system for its fragility. I was the only one who felt confident enough in my gear to let the rain pummel it without issue. Of course wiping the front filter kept me busy. I immediately realized this was the classic case of having the right gear for the right use. Even Canikon users were having fits with their gear getting wet. One guy had an A7R and like me he never complained and just carried on with creating images. We both looked at each and smiled.
 

Pradeep

Member
Erik

................ it's obvious that landscape photography to one person is not the same as landscape photography to another but for me personally the best landscapes have drama and bad weather or strong winds or cold and snow, a lot of those situations I think the V is a very difficult camera to use where something like the S is not..............

Mat
Mat, I share your preferences for landscapes which is why I could not make much use of my Phase system. I would have loved to go the Leica S route, but having burnt myself badly with one very expensive MF system, I was very reluctant to repeat the same mistake. I did own two Leica M bodies and a few lenses (still have a couple left) and again, I found that it was not a good landscape tool (of course the S would be a different horse altogether).

I am now quite happy with the 645Z and the A7RII. In fact the question I am beginning to ask myself is whether the Sony is good enough to replace the Pentax completely. It is not an easy answer, certainly the bulk and heft factor plays a role, but there are other things to consider, such as pixel size, cleaner images and the ability of the Z to really pull up the shadows. The one thing that may make me give up the Pentax is its poor performance with clipped highlights, it is very intolerant of overexposure and that is something I need to watch very carefully especially when the sun is anywhere in the image.

I think many of us are reluctant to post our images on a forum, it took me a while and perhaps this is the only forum where I've done so without much worry. Over on another 'pro' forum, I did post a couple, but only when I was challenged and accused of being an ignorant and inexperienced noob. Some on this thread are quite aware of what I am talking about.

The reason why many don't share images while some overload a thread is perhaps to do with confidence in your own work and anxiety over peer reviews. The well known names don't feel the need to justify themselves and so don't post images and the new guys are somewhat shy. It is easy to post images of a lens test done in the backyard to demonstrate a certain quality (or lack of). It is a completely different thing to 'show and tell' because that invites criticism of your work and ability as a photographer.

Just for the record, I've always found Erik's comments and posts to be polite, precise and quite useful from a technical perspective - and not just on this forum. I would respect his decision to not post images and just accept or reject his conclusions about his gear. It is a free world.

Just my 3 bits.
 

algrove

Well-known member
I am now quite happy with the 645Z and the A7RII. In fact the question I am beginning to ask myself is whether the Sony is good enough to replace the Pentax completely. It is not an easy answer, certainly the bulk and heft factor plays a role, but there are other things to consider, such as pixel size, cleaner images and the ability of the Z to really pull up the shadows. The one thing that may make me give up the Pentax is its poor performance with clipped highlights, it is very intolerant of overexposure and that is something I need to watch very carefully especially when the sun is anywhere in the image.
Predeep

You must be reading my mind except for the fact that I do not own a "new" 42MP Sony. I am wondering if for my street work the new RX1R2 could be a start just to see how the new sensor performs. Then again I could always use it beside my 645Z during landscape shooting. That is an impecable lens on the body so if anything it should show the best that new sensor can offer at 35mm FL. Then again I often collage images so that can alter my decision making. I just love how the 645Z gives such rich images even if the files get into the 2GB realm.

I find I do not ETTR like I used to and often end up going out the the 3/4's line with my exposures just to be safe on the highlights. How ever when I get back home and look at them in LR I often realize I could have gone another stop to the right without problems. Of course time of day dictates many choices.
 
M

mjr

Guest
Pradeep

Photography is in general a pleasurable experience, posting images is not for everyone and each should make their own decision regarding posting or not, overloading a thread or not based on what they feel comfortable with, I go through phases of posting but without doubt, it's on my own terms, I am comfortable with being the only person who likes what I shoot!

Also, I agree with you, Erik is entitled to post whatever he wants whenever he wants, I have never suggested otherwise, my suggestions for him to post photographs are solely because to me they are much better than to look at than the incessant regurgitation of facts and figures, no reason whatsoever that he or anyone else should listen to me though, it doesn't matter one bit what I think!

I think it's brilliant that you guys have found a camera system that brings you pleasure, no doubt the Z is a very capable system, I think half the battle is finding what works and allows you to just get on with creating images, it would be good to see what you produce but for no other reason than it's good to see people enjoy what they make and be proud of the results, impossible to be universally liked or accepted so f**k it!

Mat
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

I have posted a few images shot with the A7rII using a Canon 24/3.5 TSE LII, they are here:

http://echophoto.dnsalias.net/ekr/Articles/Shoots/Guillermo/

Raw images are included.

I am pretty pleased with the camera.

I also have small write up on my experience here: http://echophoto.dnsalias.net/ekr/index.php/photoarticles/84-my-sony-a7rii-journey

Now, I may find that there is a lot of hype about the camera. Also, I does not work in my way in many senses. The best design camera from Sony in my humble opinion is the Alpha 99. But, I cannot put the Canon 24/3.5 TSE LII on a Sony Alpha 99 :)

Best regards
Erik


Predeep

You must be reading my mind except for the fact that I do not own a "new" 42MP Sony. I am wondering if for my street work the new RX1R2 could be a start just to see how the new sensor performs. Then again I could always use it beside my 645Z during landscape shooting. That is an impecable lens on the body so if anything it should show the best that new sensor can offer at 35mm FL. Then again I often collage images so that can alter my decision making. I just love how the 645Z gives such rich images even if the files get into the 2GB realm.

I find I do not ETTR like I used to and often end up going out the the 3/4's line with my exposures just to be safe on the highlights. How ever when I get back home and look at them in LR I often realize I could have gone another stop to the right without problems. Of course time of day dictates many choices.
 
M

mjr

Guest
Predeep


I find I do not ETTR like I used to and often end up going out the the 3/4's line with my exposures just to be safe on the highlights. How ever when I get back home and look at them in LR I often realize I could have gone another stop to the right without problems. Of course time of day dictates many choices.
I generally expose to how the photograph speaks to me whether that is massively underexposed or overexposed, ETTR I think is less relevant with such flexible files. I have never been keen on capturing each scene or subject to the cameras full potential and then adjusting in post, it just seems pointless to me, if I see a scene I know immediately how I want to present it and shoot accordingly. The Z can recover huge amount of details so preserve al those delicate highlights regardless of what the histogram looks like, I do exactly this with the S.

Mat
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

I don't really have major problems with Hasselblad P45+ combo. It works for me and I enjoy the relatively slow workflow. What I lack mostly is live view which I feel is needed for accurate focus.

I am pretty sure the Pentax 645Z is a great camera. It has a sensor similar to my Sony cameras but 70% larger in area, so I am pretty sure it is marginally better. Also Pentax cameras are known to be very weather tolerant.

What I have seen so far is that if I shoot with my H-blad, P45+ combo and my Sony A7rII I get very similar results. The Sony A7rII is of course a very efficient shooting tool, but exactly that is the charm of of the Hasselblad. Find a vantage point, set up tripod, choose lens, compose and shoot a well exposed image. With the Hasselblad it is an effort. With the Sony it is a bit of anticlimax. I shoot one image, check histogram, if needed I shoot another one. After that it is done.

Now, I am pretty sure I could replace the Sony with almost any MFD system. But, which MFD system gives me zooms from 12 to 400 mm? Which MFD system does give me Live View combined with almost 400 phase detect AF-points? With the Sony I have access to almost any lens ever made. Also lenses tend to be in the the 1-2k$ range, new generation MFD lenses may be 2-3 times that expensive. So, the Sony goes a long way regarding an affordable high performance system.

But, I could also have gone with Canon or Nikon. Or, the Pentax 645Z. Going past the 645Z things start to be get quite expensive.

Best regards
Erik



Mat
You make many good points. More specifically I had trouble with my P45+ (with SWC or 503CW) over a few years shooting landscapes. I did not buy it for studio and never realized how fidgety it could be outdoors. Yes, that was stupid of me. If it did not say battery low (fully charged) then it would say CF card full or none existent (when it was fresh or even new). Due to these problems it caused me to miss many crucial 1-2 minute intervals of sunrises or sunsets. After traveling up to 10 hours with plane & auto to get to a location and have that happen, I decided to part company once a friend of mine said that he shot in Hawaii with Micheal Reichmann and suggested I take a close look at the 645Z. This friend was heavily invested in his PO system, but admitted he would have gotten the 645Z too if not for that.

A few months ago during monsoon season at the Grand Canyon during one sunrise a few of us were shooting in a sideways rain storm. One friend had my old P45+ setup and was cursing the system for its fragility. I was the only one who felt confident enough in my gear to let the rain pummel it without issue. Of course wiping the front filter kept me busy. I immediately realized this was the classic case of having the right gear for the right use. Even Canikon users were having fits with their gear getting wet. One guy had an A7R and like me he never complained and just carried on with creating images. We both looked at each and smiled.
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi Matt (?),

No offence, but I may explain a few things. To begin with I am no artist. I am an engineer who loves taking pictures. Back in 1972 I bought "Focal Encyclopaedia of Photography", and I have been deeply interested in the physics of photography since.

One reason I don't post a lot of pictures is that I mostly post on threads like this one and I simply find web size images totally irrelevant in discussions on image quality. Any posting here or on LuLa has links to my homepage and gallery.

Getting back to the A7rII, I had it for something like six weeks. Of those six weeks I have spent three on travel, shooting images. Some of those images are here and here.

Best regards
Erik





Erik

No offence intended but almost every post you make on here and LL is about equipment, performance, charts and the technical side of equipment and image production, it's very difficult having read your posts for years to consider that your focus is on producing images you like over the equipment you shoot! Obviously it doesn't matter what your motivation is as long as you enjoy it, it certainly doesn't matter to me.

I know you prefer to shoot landscapes but my point was that the V is not the same image making machine, again it's obvious that landscape photography to one person is not the same as landscape photography to another but for me personally the best landscapes have drama and bad weather or strong winds or cold and snow, a lot of those situations I think the V is a very difficult camera to use where something like the S is not. I don't personally feel the H or Z are equal in that way, they are just too bulky. You may have a different view of what constitutes a good landscape photograph, nothing wrong with that of course, I'd be happy with a V again in the studio, I loved it for portraits and stuff just wouldn't really feel it was best suited to getting out in the wilds and shooting nice landscapes, not that it isn't possible, just that there are much better options.

Sharing experiences is all relative, I find none of your experiences relevant to me but others will find them valuable, I much prefer sharing images and looking at images others share. I have said to you in the past to show more images, not because I feel you have anything to prove, just in the hope that you'd stop posting quite so many technical things! We all like different things and I can and do chose to ignore what I don't like so it's all good, that's how forums are.

I hope you enjoy the Sony, I really do, it would be great to see how much you enjoy it by looking at beautiful images you make with it though.

Have a good week!

Mat
 
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Pradeep

Member
Pradeep

Photography is in general a pleasurable experience, posting images is not for everyone and each should make their own decision regarding posting or not, overloading a thread or not based on what they feel comfortable with, I go through phases of posting but without doubt, it's on my own terms, I am comfortable with being the only person who likes what I shoot!

Also, I agree with you, Erik is entitled to post whatever he wants whenever he wants, I have never suggested otherwise, my suggestions for him to post photographs are solely because to me they are much better than to look at than the incessant regurgitation of facts and figures, no reason whatsoever that he or anyone else should listen to me though, it doesn't matter one bit what I think!

I think it's brilliant that you guys have found a camera system that brings you pleasure, no doubt the Z is a very capable system, I think half the battle is finding what works and allows you to just get on with creating images, it would be good to see what you produce but for no other reason than it's good to see people enjoy what they make and be proud of the results, impossible to be universally liked or accepted so f**k it!

Mat
I agree completely Mat, photography in general should be a pleasurable experience and it is for the most part, unless one is forced to make a living from it when like anything else it could become a chore. Since I am a rank amateur, it is always a pleasure for me to be out there making images and having fun.

Having said that, there are those of us who don't earn a penny from it and still strive to get the best out of what's available, and like the home brewer who simply has to concoct the best tasting beer with the tools at his disposal, we are passionate about our own work, sometimes fanatically so. It is fortunate that in photography you can sometimes indulge and get yourself good equipment but the difficulty is that not being 'in the business' you may end up with something that is not quite the ticket. Which brings me back to this and similar threads, where I can rely on somebody else's expertise on choice of gear.

And yes, nobody is here to live up to any expectations or to please anyone, but personally I still find myself reluctant to post images since I consider myself to not be 'in the same league' as many of you here. It is a humbling experience going through some of the work I see here and yet it is quite useful to do so - I am learning all the time, or at least I hope I am.
 

Pradeep

Member
Predeep

You must be reading my mind except for the fact that I do not own a "new" 42MP Sony. I am wondering if for my street work the new RX1R2 could be a start just to see how the new sensor performs. Then again I could always use it beside my 645Z during landscape shooting. That is an impecable lens on the body so if anything it should show the best that new sensor can offer at 35mm FL. Then again I often collage images so that can alter my decision making. I just love how the 645Z gives such rich images even if the files get into the 2GB realm.

I find I do not ETTR like I used to and often end up going out the the 3/4's line with my exposures just to be safe on the highlights. How ever when I get back home and look at them in LR I often realize I could have gone another stop to the right without problems. Of course time of day dictates many choices.
You know, the new RX1 sounds like a great camera even with the fixed lens. I don't do any street photography at all but I can see how this would be perfect for it since 35mm is said to be the ideal FL for the genre (or so I believe). As opposed to the Leica M, this would be an easier and ?smaller camera to have and use especially with such advanced AF. I don't know how much the lack of IBIS would detract, but then the Leicas don't have it either.

With the Z, I do have to be careful of blowing the highlights and yes, spot metering is crucial in that regard. Otherwise, as you and I well know, the files are simply amazing.
 

algrove

Well-known member
I generally expose to how the photograph speaks to me whether that is massively underexposed or overexposed, ETTR I think is less relevant with such flexible files. I have never been keen on capturing each scene or subject to the cameras full potential and then adjusting in post, it just seems pointless to me, if I see a scene I know immediately how I want to present it and shoot accordingly. The Z can recover huge amount of details so preserve al those delicate highlights regardless of what the histogram looks like, I do exactly this with the S.

Mat
Don't get me wrong, I shot what and when I like it and more often than not do not let the camera determine what I do since capturing the image is number one for me, ETTR way down the list. That being said as we all know if you want to "use" the DR one paid for then ETTR is the best way I know of to get that DR into my files. So when I first set up a scene, assuming plenty of time exists, I check the histogram and often use it to ETTR.

You are right about the flexibility of the Z files. Nothing like I've ever seen before including S files I have shot.
 

jaree

Member
A few comments based on my first hand experience, hopefully I will save you some money. I am sure everyone else's experience is stellar to date.

I owned the S2 and 35/70/120/180 S lenses. I recently sold them all. In my experience, Leica QC is severely lacking with numerous AF failures for S lenses - I have first hand experience with this. Af on my 120 failed twice and it took Leica 5 months to repair it - feel free to PM me to see real examples of what happens when you need service on this premium camera system.

There is a whole thread on the L forum on the AF failures with S lenses with several folks reporting the issue - do check out the photo of the flimsy $2 DC motor used for AF in that thread, it is an eye opener. My 180 which was working fine when I sold it, stopped working (failed AF) when the buyer received it. Major egg on my face.

Apart from this, a few users are reporting issues with the S2 sensor. The bottom line is that at this price, things better be 100% PERFECT and they are not. I am sure S006 will exhibit issues in 2-3 years.

Another things is that this kit is heavy, esp if you are travelling. I hike a lot (several miles with substantial elevation gain per day) and while folks here will tell you about carrying their S along with lenses all over the world, the reality is that unless you are built like Goliath, this can be impractical. So think about where you plan to deploy it.

I would skip the S and stick to Sony A7 series or get the Pentax 645Z if you really want MF. Your A7 system with native lenses or Leica R lenses and several other adapted lenses will give you a far greater shooting envelope with much greater reliability. Digital Leicas are simply not going to be as reliable as the Japanese brands.

If you own a studio or are a wedding photographer and want to differentiate (i.e. brag to clients on how expensive the camera system is), then Leica S may help

While the OVF on the S2 is great, LV with magnification is the way to go IMHO.

I am assuming that money is a consideration otherwise you probably wouldn't have asked - be aware that the market for S lenses is really down. If you ever want to sell, you will incur a substantial loss unless you get them at 50% off in the first instance.

Other than all of the above, S is a really great system, esp if Leica can give a 10 year warranty.

Good luck and your YMMV may vary etc.

I would welcome some advice from members of the forum.

Until a couple of years ago I was shooting a lot of MF film but I reluctantly decided I wouldn't invest any more money in it as the cost and more importantly the scarcity of scanners was a concern.

I never thought I would be able to go MF digital but I've noticed that Leica is running a promotion for the Leica S-E and Summarit 70/2.5 for GBP 7,999. And there is even a store in the UK with a demonstrator S2+70/2.5 for a little less.

In the meantime I have built a system around the A7 series.

My question is: has the shipped sailed and is there really no point in a 37.5mpx MF sensor versus albeit a smaller 36pmx or even 42mpx sensor in the latest A7RII.

I've always been a bit confused about the sensor densities - is a 35mm 36mpx sensor actually going to yield a different level of detail than a 37.5mpx MF sensor?

Apologies if this is an old topic but I'd welcome some clarity.

LouisB
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

Thanks for chiming in, your support is much appreciated. Some comments:

The reason I bought the P45+/V-series combo was pretty much that I wanted to explore MF photography. At that time I also planned to buy a technical camera, with movements. I sort of even have it, as I had bought a Hasselblad Flexbody.

There were many considerations for my choice, I did consider all of the Mamiya ZD, the original Pentax 645D and also some Hasselblad H models. One of the great attractions of the Hasselblad V was the availability of lenses at reasonable cost. I have been trough something nine lenses, sorting out what I needed. I ended up with 40/4, 60/3.5, 100/3.5, 120/4 (macro), 180/4 and 2X converter. I used to have a 50/4 and an 80/2.8 but I replaced them with the 65/3.5. I also had a Sonnar 150/4 I liked very much, but it has seen very little use as I almost always used the Planar 120/4 macro instead, 150 mm simply did not work for me, so I bought the 180/4.

The main reason I don't post a lot of images is that I don't think web size images are relevant. Anyway here are a pair of images shot on this Sunday, admittedly in nice and pleasant sunny weather.

What I see is that the Hasselblad and the Sony are quite close. Below is an actual 1:1 crop from both (P45+ on the left and Sony A7rII) on the right. :) Click here for full size! Then click one more time on the image for full size. :)


In the final images both were stitched, the P45+ image is here:


And the A7r image is here:


In this case I would need to redo stitching, as Lightroom did not get it all right. But hopefully it is a nice illustration.

Now, there can be a lot of nitpicking about say sharpening and other factors, but I feel that the images are very close. On the P45+ I used the Distagon 60/3.5 at f/8 and on the Sony A7rII I used the Sony 24-70/2.8 ZA at 45 mm and f/8. That lens performs remarkably well up to around 60 mm.

Best regards
Erik


I am now quite happy with the 645Z and the A7RII. In fact the question I am beginning to ask myself is whether the Sony is good enough to replace the Pentax completely. It is not an easy answer, certainly the bulk and heft factor plays a role, but there are other things to consider, such as pixel size, cleaner images and the ability of the Z to really pull up the shadows. The one thing that may make me give up the Pentax is its poor performance with clipped highlights, it is very intolerant of overexposure and that is something I need to watch very carefully especially when the sun is anywhere in the image.

I think many of us are reluctant to post our images on a forum, it took me a while and perhaps this is the only forum where I've done so without much worry. Over on another 'pro' forum, I did post a couple, but only when I was challenged and accused of being an ignorant and inexperienced noob. Some on this thread are quite aware of what I am talking about.

The reason why many don't share images while some overload a thread is perhaps to do with confidence in your own work and anxiety over peer reviews. The well known names don't feel the need to justify themselves and so don't post images and the new guys are somewhat shy. It is easy to post images of a lens test done in the backyard to demonstrate a certain quality (or lack of). It is a completely different thing to 'show and tell' because that invites criticism of your work and ability as a photographer.

Just for the record, I've always found Erik's comments and posts to be polite, precise and quite useful from a technical perspective - and not just on this forum. I would respect his decision to not post images and just accept or reject his conclusions about his gear. It is a free world.

Just my 3 bits.
 
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