Fun With Sony Cameras

[biglouis]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

First outing with the A7 and 55/1.8

"Taking the view" - top of Primrose Hill

"Last year's leafs"

"Barges, Bike, Busker"

 

[jonoslack]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Hi Todd

Is it just me, or are most of these images look spectacular?

It's because people like Tim Ashley, Son, Matt and Ashwin are all posting, and some of them are in nice places!

Am I just suffering from GAS, or is there something to it? I did get to handle these and was surprised at how much I liked the A7/zoom combo. It was shower to AF than the EM1, but…those files...

It's just GAS . . . . but if it's any consolation, I now have the A7/zoom and the E-M1 with the 12-40, I should only keep one, but it's causing me some anguish. I'm not having much trouble with the AF on the A7, and the files are lovely. The kit lens is also great . . . but not, I think, on the A7r, so if you want the combo with the kit lens I'd stick to the A7r.

All the best

 

[jonoslack]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Some from the morning stroll... all with the 28-70 which I have tamed but not mastered. Taming involves always either using MF or 'double press AF' and always using a higher shutter speed than feels necessary...

Fantastic Tim - I love the recapitulation of the shape . . . . . and then the realisation that it's a breast .

As for the kit zoom - I was taking grab shots of bridges on the A7 whilst Emma was driving up the motorway today - only once missed focus - whatever the cause, it must be an A7 / A7r distinction

All the best

 

[biglouis]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Fantastic Tim - I love the recapitulation of the shape . . . . . and then the realisation that it's a breast .

As for the kit zoom - I was taking grab shots of bridges on the A7 whilst Emma was driving up the motorway today - only once missed focus - whatever the cause, it must be an A7 / A7r distinction

All the best

I think one of the things which has surprised me most with the A7 in the few hours I have had it is the AF which in my experience, even in dark rooms (testing last night) has been surprisingly fast. So fast in fact that I've taken shots when not meaning to and they are in focus. Below is a case in point.

I was facing away from the railway line when I heard the hiss of a train behind me. I turned and instinctively framed and shot but this must have been in quite literally a split second. The lens was wide open at f1.8 and the shutter fired at 1/5000. I am amazed that in such a minute space of time focus and metering were accurate.

Full frame

100% detail

Left hand edge of the frame

I would imagine some of the softness is down to f1.8 but even so this is remarkable and unexpected. For example my RX1 probably would not have coped.

LouisB

 

[gurtch]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

I purchased a 50mm Leitz 50mm f2 uncoated Summar some years ago to use with the M8, which I no longer have. I bought it with a specific picture in mind: shooting it wide open at f2 in the fog, to get that soft glow around things that old uncoated lenses seem to provide. Finally had the opportunity to use it on the A7R. We had brutally cold weather here so that the tidal salt water bay froze. Then we had a sudden warm spell. The fog rose off the bay, and I shot this at f 2. Some additional atmosphere added in Mystical Lighting PP.
Regards from NJ shore
Dave

 

[PeterA]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Nice catch Matt! I will have to visit Pike Place one of these days. Too bad, it is so far from NYC!

the pink makes the shot ..

 

[PeterA]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

A7R + Noctilux 50mm F1 Version 3 (E60 detachable hood) test

100% crop

Nice to see you posting again

 

[jaree]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

On the way back from work.
A7 + Leica 35MM Summilux (FLE)

ISO 100, F2:

ISO 6400, F1.4:

-- Eeraj

 

[jaree]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Experimenting with the Mamiya 200 MM F2.8 APO on A7. Mounted via Fotodiox adapter. Quality of the adapter is ok, but not great. The fit is not "airtight". This was the only brand I could find for Mamiya 645 to Sony Nex - if someone knows of an alternate, please let me know.

I know pictures are boring - the weather is dull and rainy here. Tree was focused on the right branch on a small central area.

F2.8:

F2.8:

F5.6:

-- Eeraj

 

[Rawfa]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

28-70mm FE

Pentax 50mm 1.4

iso 6400

 

[jonoslack]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Hi Rafel
These are lovely. A7 (or R)

 

[nostatic]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Hi Todd

It's just GAS . . . . but if it's any consolation, I now have the A7/zoom and the E-M1 with the 12-40, I should only keep one, but it's causing me some anguish. I'm not having much trouble with the AF on the A7, and the files are lovely. The kit lens is also great . . . but not, I think, on the A7r, so if you want the combo with the kit lens I'd stick to the A7r.

All the best

I keep going back and forth. I still have good u4/3 glass and shoot the GH3, though mostly video. I was about to pull the trigger on the EM1 but held off. It feels a bit better in my hands than the A7, and my head says EM1 since I've got a good set of lenses (12-35/2.8, 35-100/2.8, 25/1.4, 45/1.8) and also the GM1 which is a fun little camera. My head says that staying in the same "family" gives the most bang for the buck, and the touchscreen on the EM1 makes for quicker shooting and the IBIS solves a lot of issues in low light and for run-and-gun video. I find the IBIS works better than the Panny OIS.

Plus I've never quite gotten on with Sony, and have somewhat of a bias about the company. Not sure why, but brands are funny that way. That said, when I look through the various forums here I see spectacular shots with any of the systems (since the shooters are *very* good), but for some reason the ones in this thread seem to stand out. I do have a 135/2 L lens that I'm not using that could go away and make up the difference between them. But while the GH3 is the work camera, the next one I buy will be the fun camera, so perhaps logic shouldn't carry the day. That said, GAS clouds the mind of even the strongest individual

 

[iiiNelson]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

A7 + 50 Lux ASPH test shot

A7 + 24 Elmar ASPH test shot

A7 + 24 Elmar ASPH

A7r + 55/ 1.8 FE

 

[nostatic]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

A7 + 24 Elmar ASPH

This is exactly the type of shot that I want to be able to get. Crappy lighting so likely very high ISO, but enough dynamic range so the stage lights aren't totally blown out and you can still get detail from the shadows. This is one area where I think u4/3 struggles - if I protect the highlights then the shadows become a mess and vice versa.

 

[iiiNelson]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

This is exactly the type of shot that I want to be able to get. Crappy lighting so likely very high ISO, but enough dynamic range so the stage lights aren't totally blown out and you can still get detail from the shadows. This is one area where I think u4/3 struggles - if I protect the highlights then the shadows become a mess and vice versa.

Yeah that's pretty much straight out the camera at ISO 6400 and f/4. There's some noise at 100% but it can be cleaned up reasonably well very easily. The color are pretty much like this out the camera.

That being said I've used my M9 in the same conditions and made it work. The pictures weren't always as clean but they worked for what I needed them for.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Yeah that's pretty much straight out the camera at ISO 6400 and f/4. There's some noise at 100% but it can be cleaned up reasonably well. The color are pretty much like this out the camera.

To make a valid comparison with m4/3 (as mentioned by the poster above):
The same DOF would require f/2 with the smaller sensor and the ISO could then be reduced to 1600. Since an E-M1 at ISO 1600 is vastly superior to any of the two A7 bodies at ISO 6400, the Olympus would be the better camera for this particular shot. The E-M1 obviously also adds IBIS to the equation, adding the possibility of reducing the ISO further for static subjects.

Just sayin'

 

[bcm]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

Ben: Particularly like the first one - also a perfect fit to the one of your daughter (?) on the swing you shared a few days ago.

Thanks Hermann. Both of those shots where taken at the same place whilst on holiday. The colour of the sky and the water there were beautiful. Only get there once a year over Christmas normally though.

And yes it's my daughter. She gets mistaken for a boy all the time the poor little bugger. Would help if her hair would grow.

 

[iiiNelson]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

To make a valid comparison with m4/3 (as mentioned by the poster above):
The same DOF would require f/2 with the smaller sensor and the ISO could then be reduced to 1600. Since an E-M1 at ISO 1600 is vastly superior to any of the two A7 bodies at ISO 6400, the Olympus would be the better camera for this particular shot. The E-M1 obviously also adds IBIS to the equation, adding the possibility of reducing the ISO further for static subjects.

Just sayin'

People aren't static in concert settings and I could very easily put my 35/1.2 lens (or just about any FF lens out there) on the A7 or A7r to cover the ISO concerns or I could've shot it at a lower ISO. I was mostly testing to see how clean I could go. Most of my shots were in the ISO 1600-3200 range at f/4.

I don't want to tell him what's the best way to spend his money and I almost bought an E-M1 myself but the A7 and A7r were much better fits for what I do and needed.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

People aren't static in concert settings and I could very easily put my 35/1.2 lens on the A7 or A7r to cover the ISO concerns or I could've shot it at a lower ISO... I was mostly testing to see how clean I could go. Most of my shots were in the ISO 1600-3200 range at f/4.

There will obviously always be varied options for the two systems. What I'm pointing out is that the two Sony bodies aren't much better suited for than an E-M1 for low light photography. The 17.5mm f/0.95 will do away with some of the advantage the A7/r might have with an f/1.2 lens. The advantage to either camera will vary with focal lengths and available lenses for that length obviously.

As for myself, I stay with m4/3 because of the available native lenses. With current technology, I don't see the the sensor size difference between 35mm and m4/3 as significant for my use anymore. Others have different needs and opinions obviously.

For extreme low light photography: See Nikon Df/D4... or a Fuji with a Speed Booster, making your f/1.2 become f/0.85 and a Noct into a rather speedy f/0.7

 

[iiiNelson]

Re: Fun with the A7/7R

There will obviously always be varied options for the two systems. What I'm pointing out is that the two Sony bodies aren't much better suited for than an E-M1 for low light photography. The 17.5mm f/0.95 will do away with some of the advantage the A7/r might have with an f/1.2 lens. The advantage to either camera will vary with focal lengths and available lenses for that length obviously.

For extreme low light photography: See Nikon Df/D4

Some yes but not all and one could put a Noctilux on an A7/r. The bottom line is one can't argue physics when needed despite however much Micro 4/3 has come (and I still love my G1.) It's more than adequate for most applications no doubt but when a larger sensor is needed or wanted then you just need a larger sensor. Believe me the GF1 really made me want an M9 more for those instances.

Yes the Nikon D4 and Df are great/ capable cameras as well (although you can't adapt just about any lens ever made to it) but there's a forum to sing it's praises already.