tashley
Subscriber Member
Plenty of us have got the camera now and plenty of those cameras have been put through their paces. None of us is infallible but we're generally a fairly experienced crowd and we we mostly have had lots of experience of other cameras and systems.
So what's the consensus so far, if there is one?
I'll go first. My take is that it is a keeper, as a travel and walkabout which if treated right can produce gallery quality prints, but that though I had a quote from my dealer for him to buy my D810 system, I've decided that I need to keep it and run it in parallel.
MKII pluses:
* a bit more resolution (but in truth not enough to matter much to me).
* much more 'sorted' than the MkI, especially the shutter.
* much nicer focussing and the tracking ability is now genuinely useful, if not perfect
* nice files and DR but actually no real improvement on the MKI (which I sold months ago because of the shutter)
* I happen to find the lens range useful. Many disagree. QC could do with a boost but that problem is not Sony's alone
* I have few M mount lenses left but I am not in the "huge improvement over the Mk I" camp
* I can use a whole load of legacy glass, which is fun, flexible and cost-effective.
* IBIS. IBIS IBIS IBIS. IBIS.
* same old light weight and small form factor, better ergos than before. I really like shooting it.
* I LOVE not having to AF Fine Tune my lenses.
* Video, which I am using more and more, is way better than the D810 and in fact is so good that I have sold my A7s
Minuses:
* under perfect conditions and with good light you probably still get a better file from the D810, a tad less noise, better colour gradations, I suspect slightly better DR at low ISO. The Sony might be better at higher ISO but that matters less to me.
* less pro feeling usability than the D810 and a far worse menu system
Overall I'll use it a lot more than the D810 but for really critical stuff and the finest results, assuming I don't have to carry it far, I'll stick to the Nikon system. But then I've never quite been able to part with my IQ180 for when I need to go ultimate ultimate.
Final thought: I spent a week shooting my new RX100 IV just before the A7RII arrived and i love, love love that camera. It will seriously bite into the use cases for the MkII, it really is that good.
Gear slut? Moi?
So what's the consensus so far, if there is one?
I'll go first. My take is that it is a keeper, as a travel and walkabout which if treated right can produce gallery quality prints, but that though I had a quote from my dealer for him to buy my D810 system, I've decided that I need to keep it and run it in parallel.
MKII pluses:
* a bit more resolution (but in truth not enough to matter much to me).
* much more 'sorted' than the MkI, especially the shutter.
* much nicer focussing and the tracking ability is now genuinely useful, if not perfect
* nice files and DR but actually no real improvement on the MKI (which I sold months ago because of the shutter)
* I happen to find the lens range useful. Many disagree. QC could do with a boost but that problem is not Sony's alone
* I have few M mount lenses left but I am not in the "huge improvement over the Mk I" camp
* I can use a whole load of legacy glass, which is fun, flexible and cost-effective.
* IBIS. IBIS IBIS IBIS. IBIS.
* same old light weight and small form factor, better ergos than before. I really like shooting it.
* I LOVE not having to AF Fine Tune my lenses.
* Video, which I am using more and more, is way better than the D810 and in fact is so good that I have sold my A7s
Minuses:
* under perfect conditions and with good light you probably still get a better file from the D810, a tad less noise, better colour gradations, I suspect slightly better DR at low ISO. The Sony might be better at higher ISO but that matters less to me.
* less pro feeling usability than the D810 and a far worse menu system
Overall I'll use it a lot more than the D810 but for really critical stuff and the finest results, assuming I don't have to carry it far, I'll stick to the Nikon system. But then I've never quite been able to part with my IQ180 for when I need to go ultimate ultimate.
Final thought: I spent a week shooting my new RX100 IV just before the A7RII arrived and i love, love love that camera. It will seriously bite into the use cases for the MkII, it really is that good.
Gear slut? Moi?
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