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Sony 7/7R as a landscape camera?

mwalker

Subscriber Member
I've seen some stellar street photography with the 7 / 7R how is it as a landscape camera? Is it too light for wind ect? I just pulled the trigger on a kit...
 

Ron Pfister

Member
Don't know about wind - have not used the camera on a tripod in windy conditions so far. There are a few niggles (slowest shutter speed of 30s, shutter vibration issues with longer lenses), but IMO the pros of this compact, light-weight kit with its stellar image quality far outweigh the cons for landscape use.
 

turtle

New member
This is, IMHO, THE landscape camera. We just need more lenses for it (wides, esp).

Wind is not an issue any more than it is with a D800. The A7R is lighter, but has a much smaller cross section to catch the wind in the first place.
 

Georg Baumann

Subscriber Member
I've seen some stellar street photography with the 7 / 7R how is it as a landscape camera? Is it too light for wind ect? I just pulled the trigger on a kit...
Cancel the order, or use only with circular polarizer to shoot landscapes through car or hotel room windows . She can not be used outdoors at all, behold, indoors only with all windows and doors closed. ;)
 

wuffstuff

New member
Whilst I realise that the A7r can't be used as a landscape camera, I have been breaking all the rules and taking landscape photos with it. Please accept my apologies. :D

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DSC00316 by leephotographic, on Flickr[/IMG]

So sharp, I nearly cut myself posting this.
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
A7r, ancient 50mm, handheld, f2, iso 25600. Are there any landscape photography rules I forgot to break? If so apologies, I'll try harder.


Being serious for a second, I think the main problem at present is lenses that can give the potential this sensor so obviously has. Especially wide angle and even more especially, lenses which don't look like bazookas when mounted on this tiny camera.
 

dchew

Well-known member
I pulled out my old Galen Rowell Photoflex Chest Pouch. For those of you familiar with that, it came in two sizes; I have the smaller one. I haven't used it since I switched to a better, larger selection of lenses for my old 5D II, almost 5 years ago.

I put the a7r in there with the Zeiss 35 f/2 eos version. What a joy to hike with a small kit again. Next time I go backpacking, the Alpa just might stay at home...

It got me thinking: I wonder what the best small and (relatively) light 24mm will be for this camera? Any suggestions?

Dave

Oh, and I too think this will prove to be a fantastic landscape camera.
 

C_R

Member


The Apo Summicron 90 mm f:2 Asph. is a stellar lens, and works perfectly on the A7r. This was ISO 640, 1/250 sec f:2, handheld



Four shots with the 90AA, ISO 1600, 1/250 sec f:2, handheld. Stitched vertically (for wider FOV. not for more Pixels...)



Single shot @ ISO 1000, 1/500 sec handheld, f:5.6 with the 90AA

The 90AA on A7r is comparable to the Monochrom, when it comes to detail and microcontrast.

With my wide angles, I am not happy on the A7r. Since I shoot 90% B&W landscapes, I can wait until a native wide angle lens from Zeiss Comes (ordered the 24-70 as a -probably- preliminary solution).

Carsten
My Flickr
 

turtle

New member
Carsten, you raise an issue that is interesting: B&W on the A7R vs the Monochrom.

I recall Mr Chambers doing some tests and concluding that the D800 was higher in resolution and the better bet, but in looking over the A7R files vs the Monochrom shots I have, I don't think it is as simple as that.

The Monochrom shots have a different tonality that really does look more beautiful IMO. 1:1 resolution is appreciably higher with the Leica, but there are more pixels with the A7R. I'm gonna guess and say the A7R edges it on centre with very large prints (though sheer pixel count), but the Monochrom is going to come out ahead at the edges, despite the pixel deficit. Bottom line: the Monochrom is still right up there at the top of the pile when it comes to detail, but the files have a much more attractive tonality. If you are not concerned by the A7R files looking like all other colour cams, just with more detail, its a no brainer. I had hoped to sell my Monochrom to fund a Sony A7/R system, but I am not so sure I can part with the MM.

I've attached a couple of 100% samples from both. A7R from centre (50 ZM planar, f5, ISO 500) and MM from left edge (28 Elmarit asph, f10 or so). You're totally spoilt with both. The A7R resolves all the little stones and bits of gravel in the concrete block as well as the full leap structure of whatever is in the bed and the MM resolves the individual bricks and little side branches in the rooftop antennae (click to see full sized).

Just waiting on those wides for the A7R: Hurry up Sony, Zeiss and third party manufacturers!
 

mjm6

Member
There is another (possible) issue with the a7/a7r cameras and B&W shooting...

The compressed RAW file effectively reduces the bit depth from 14 bits to something smaller (10 bits approximately?). This could prove to be disastrous for B&W shooting in situations where any kind of filtration is needed or desired.

I haven't tried that out yet, but I have had problems with images from an uncompressed RAW file from the a900 and posterization with B&W filtration. I suspect that it will be far more susceptible on a compressed RAW file.

I doubt it will be noticeably different straight out as a B&W conversion, but applying some filtration to simulate a red filter with B&W film may show a marked difference.

At that point, I suspect that nothing will be the equivalent of the MM (or the non-Bayer filter MF backs).


---Michael
 

Hausen

Active member
Mine is used exclusively as a Landscape camera on a tripod. These were both on very windy days on exposed peninsulas. B&W with the Sony 55 1.8Fe and the colour with Minolta 90/4 M
 

Ron Pfister

Member
Mine is used exclusively as a Landscape camera on a tripod. These were both on very windy days on exposed peninsulas. B&W with the Sony 55 1.8Fe and the colour with Minolta 90/4 M
Many thanks for sharing these images, David - lovely! I'm curious what tripod and head you are using. I'll be doing some shooting in windy places soon, and am wondering how light of a tripod I can get away with. In my shooting with the A7R, I've so far been alternating between my heaviest (RRS TVC-33) and my lightest (Manfrotto 190CXPRO4) tripod, and I've seen surprisingly little difference in terms of vibration blur. But all my shooting with the A7R has been in quite calm conditions...
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Many thanks for sharing these images, David - lovely! I'm curious what tripod and head you are using. I'll be doing some shooting in windy places soon, and am wondering how light of a tripod I can get away with. In my shooting with the A7R, I've so far been alternating between my heaviest (RRS TVC-33) and my lightest (Manfrotto 190CXPRO4) tripod, and I've seen surprisingly little difference in terms of vibration blur. But all my shooting with the A7R has been in quite calm conditions...
Hang your camera under the center column.
 

Nettar

New member
Reminds me of the joke I heard about the Nikon shooter, who bought an A7R for landscapes. He always took his 800E with him, which he hung from his tripod to ensure that the A7R was steady... Nettar
 

Hausen

Active member
Pretty sure my tripod is the MePhoto travel tripod. Perfect size for A7r and if it is really bad I hang my bag from centre column:) The B&W image above was straight into the wind.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
A7r, ancient 50mm, handheld, f2, iso 25600. Are there any landscape photography rules I forgot to break? If so apologies, I'll try harder.


Being serious for a second, I think the main problem at present is lenses that can give the potential this sensor so obviously has. Especially wide angle and even more especially, lenses which don't look like bazookas when mounted on this tiny camera.
Holy mother of high ISO ... 25,600? Great shot!

I think we are being transported to a parallel universe of shooting that threatens to shred current beliefs of the old order.

To think Ben, this is just the start ... lenses will start popping up like crazy as the ripples from the splash this camera is making reach outward like a Tsunami.

Where there is demand, there is ALWAYS something to fill it.

- Marc
 
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