Fun With Sony Cameras

[pegelli]

I was hoping Pieter that you were coming this way...maybe next year

Thanks Barry and rest assured, Cornwall is still high on my list and when I come I'll let you know so I can treat you to a beer (or other drink) and you can tell me time and place to visit all the great photo spots in good light

In the meantime a few more from Skye

The Old Man of Storr as seen from down below

A7ii + FE70-300G


Neist Point Lighthouse

A7 + FE24-70/4 CZ


The old Man of Storr as seen from above (after a ~1 hour climb in the dark to arrive before sunrise)
I left in the guy in the yellow jacket in on purpose, to give viewers a sense of scale on this rock formation

A7ii + FE70-300G

 

[k-hawinkler]

Thank you K-H.

Re: A7R4. The short answer it's a very good one

The 135mm is probably the sharpest "Sony" lens that I currently own (or have owned so far to date... 16-35/4...Zony 35/1.4...Sonnar 55/1.8...GM 85/1.4...G 90/2.8...G70-200/4...GM 100-400mm)...definitely going to keep this piece of glass.

I purchased the A7R4 about 3 weeks ago from HK because the waiting list/time here in the UK was just so long.
The first few days was getting my head around the settings in the menu system...followed by some prolonged awful windy/rainy days - Typical Cornish weather!
I really have not spent that much time with the camera as of yet (not as much as I was hoping for), still early days...Definitely no regrets with the purchase.
The A7R4 has a noticeable jump in IQ and resolution over my worn out battered A7R2...The A7R4 extra resolution now best serves me for APS-C cropping a lens and a wider focal length gapping as opposed to just making larger prints.

The camera itself is pretty amazing in what it is capable of being able to achieve and also in what it can produce...Build quality and AF is much improved over my A7R2...I have no interest in the movie side of the camera, so can't really comment.

The main downside with the camera is still the menu system...It's way overly complicated and hard to remember where everything is (Somebody new coming to Sony for the first time would probably struggle for awhile)...Setting up correctly the shortcut custom keys/Function Menu Set/My Menu helps access what is important to your individual way of shooting.

I updated my SD cards to a pair of Sony Tough 128GB cards which work great with the camera (Each card now produces 1002 shots of Raw uncompressed with fast read/write speeds)...A single battery is good for a days shooting unless you do 10fps all the time (i.e. sports/wildlife photography).

The GM 100-400mm is a more recent acquisition than the camera, which is still waiting to be introduced to the Cornish coast..I eventually caved in on that lens as I needed the extra reach over the 135mm...Your images (and David's) helped make up my mind for me.

Also I just wanted to thank you personally for all of your support over on FM.

Cheers Barry

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Taken at Porthleven yesterday...Dynamic range torture test
Quattuor - A7R4 + GM 135mm

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Thanks and good luck Barry.
You are definitely on a roll.
Your images are always enjoyable.

I ought to have a closer look at the GM 135/1.8 FE.
My FE 90/2.8 OSS MACRO seems bitingly sharp.
I wonder how the 135mm would work for portraits?
Of course for portraits I can use my Summilux-R 80/1.4 on A9 and TAP with AF.
Or use the Fuji 50S with GF110/2.0.

 

[jotloob]

Thanks Barry and rest assured, Cornwall is still high on my list and when I come I'll let you know so I can treat you to a beer (or other drink) and you can tell me time and place to visit all the great photo spots in good light

In the meantime a few more from Skye

The Old Man of Storr as seen from down below

A7ii + FE70-300G


Neist Point Lighthouse

A7 + FE24-70/4 CZ


The old Man of Storr as seen from above (after a ~1 hour climb in the dark to arrive before sunrise)
I left in the guy in the yellow jacket in on purpose, to give viewers a sense of scale on this rock formation

A7ii + FE70-300G

Wondwerful images . :thumbs:
Pieter , I envy you . I have been to all these places , especially Skye . That was quite some years ago . But I was very unfortunate . The only camera I had with me was a HORSEMAN612 (new) and only one film magazine (had only one by that time) . After a couple of images at SLIGACHAN the film transport was blocked and I could not get it work again .:banghead: Frustration .

 

[pegelli]

Wondwerful images . :thumbs:
Pieter , I envy you . I have been to all these places , especially Skye . That was quite some years ago . But I was very unfortunate . The only camera I had with me was a HORSEMAN612 (new) and only one film magazine (had only one by that time) . After a couple of images at SLIGACHAN the film transport was blocked and I could not get it work again .:banghead: Frustration .

Thanks Jürgen, not a good story with your Horseman
I bet since that time you always have a backup with you on trips like this?

Btw, I noticed quite a few of the workshop participants also shot with their iPhones (next to their main camera) with very reasonable results, I tried the same with my 5 year old Samsung but those results are hardly good enough for What's App messages to family members at home

 

[Barry Haines]

Thanks Barry and rest assured, Cornwall is still high on my list and when I come I'll let you know so I can treat you to a beer (or other drink) and you can tell me time and place to visit all the great photo spots in good light

Wonderful images of Scotland Pieter...I am enjoying them all....keep em coming.
Glad you left the guy with the yellow jacket in...as you say it gives a sense of scale to the surrounding landscape and adds a focal point to hold your attention.
Yes, it would be lovely to see you if coming this way....share photographic tales and must see Cornish places over a beer in a traditional old Ale house, sounds good to me.

Thanks and good luck Barry.
You are definitely on a roll.
Your images are always enjoyable.

I ought to have a closer look at the GM 135/1.8 FE.
My FE 90/2.8 OSS MACRO seems bitingly sharp.
I wonder how the 135mm would work for portraits?
Of course for portraits I can use my Summilux-R 80/1.4 on A9 and TAP with AF.
Or use the Fuji 50S with GF110/2.0.

Thanks again K-H, you already have an excellent selection of lenses for portraiture (Covering Leica-R, Sony and Fuji cameras) nonetheless the 135mm GM is still well worth considering or at least a look at because it's such a superb lens optically with blistering fast AF on the A7R4 (much faster than the GM 85mm).
The 90mm Macro is sharper than the GM 85mm (But I do love the GM 85 for it's f1.4 OoF rendering which I just can't fault....The 80mm Summilux-R has a similar soft look WO when I used it on my Leica R6.2 many moons ago).

 

[B L]

Taken a few hours ago with the A7R4...I needed a longer reach than the GM 85mm and the sea spray made changing to a longer lens somewhat awkward, well not unless I wanted to coat my sensor in brine
Easy solution I switched to the APS-C format which is very usable IMO.

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I like this very much as well as two more from you on this page.
Sometimes I go backward and forward from "fun with Sony...." to "fun with medium format..." to enjoy landscapes by excellent photographers and I feel (my feelings) that landscapes captured on 36X24 look more realistic. I might be wrong in my observation.Bashir

 

[pegelli]

Thanks Barry, and as you can imagine I have lots more from Scotland that will trickle in over the coming days/weeks.

Here's a wider view of the Old Man of Storr, no person in a yellow jacket this time, but if you look very carefully you'll see a little green tent where some people spent the night to be in time for sunrise without having to do the climb in the dark.


A6000 + E10-18/4


If you walk behind the closest rock formation you get this view

A7ii + Voigtländer 12/5.6, two image LR stitch



Later the same day we went to the famous "Fairy Pools", and at one there was even a fairy hard at work

A7ii + FE70-300G


But this is a more classic view of one of the nicer pools

A6000 + E10-18/4 + ND3

 

[Barry Haines]

Thanks Barry, and as you can imagine I have lots more from Scotland that will trickle in over the coming days/weeks.

Here's a wider view of the Old Man of Storr, no person in a yellow jacket this time, but if you look very carefully you'll see a little green tent where some people spent the night to be in time for sunrise without having to do the climb in the dark.


A6000 + E10-18/4

Getting up at the crack of dawn, a long trek up a steep mountain in the dark, only to find workman in yellow jackets, overnight campers and now student fairies littering up the countryside, you really didn't catch a break Pieter
At least it didn't rain for you, which is what it does for every other poor soul who visits Scotland this time of year Love the first image :thumbs: Trickle away LOL
BTW I'm looking forward to seeing Nessy

I like this very much as well as two more from you on this page.
Sometimes I go backward and forward from "fun with Sony...." to "fun with medium format..." to enjoy landscapes by excellent photographers and I feel (my feelings) that landscapes captured on 36X24 look more realistic. I might be wrong in my observation.Bashir

Thank you Bashir...I had cooked that particular APS-C cropped A7R4 image somewhat (my fault not the cameras)...The FF images from A7R4 are excellent though, I'm very happy with the camera...Thx again.

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Here are some more GM 135mm images in APS-C crop mode from the other day in Porthleven.
The Surfer was shot at different times throughout the afternoon in changing light...AF tracking locked on for most of the images

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[Barry Haines]

Birch (Platinum Toned) - 50mm Nokton @ f/1.2

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[jotloob]

Barry , I would love to see that image in soft autumn colors too .

 

[Barry Haines]

Barry , I would love to see that image in soft autumn colors too .

Thank you Jürgen...I hope to be going that way later today... Weather permitting I shall see what I can do....Thx again..
..Cheers Barry

 

[Chris C]

........I hope to be going that way later today... ...

Barry – River Fowey from the first bridge past Golitha in Draynes Valley?

I may be overestimating my powers after once successfully scoring a hit with 'Name that Cornish Harbour Wall'

Even so; I hope to be on a winning streak......

........... Chris

 

[Barry Haines]

Barry – River Fowey from the first bridge past Golitha in Draynes Valley?

I may be overestimating my powers after once successfully scoring a hit with 'Name that Cornish Harbour Wall'

Even so; I hope to be on a winning streak......

........... Chris

Oh no Chris!...You have just lost all of your Cornish street cred in one go...Golitha indeed :loco: :shocked: :facesmack: :ROTFL:
You should have just played safe and said along the River Fowey and not expanded beyond that :grin:
It was only your most favourite childhood place in all of Cornwall - RESPRYN (Daffodil Valley)

Here are a few more from today taken at Respryn as promised for Jürgen (Sadly no soft light and the leaves are only just starting to change their colours)
First 3 images A7R4 + Sony GM 100-400mm high iso because handheld
Last 2 images A7R4 + Voigtlander 50mm @ F1.2 low iso

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[Shac]

A9 100-1=400+TC1.4

 

[jotloob]

Oh no Chris!...You have just lost all of your Cornish street cred in one go...Golitha indeed :loco: :shocked: :facesmack: :ROTFL:
You should have just played safe and said along the River Fowey and not expanded beyond that :grin:
It was only your most favourite childhood place in all of Cornwall - RESPRYN (Daffodil Valley)

Here are a few more from today taken at Respryn as promised for Jürgen (Sadly no soft light and the leaves are only just starting to change their colours)
First 3 images A7R4 + Sony GM 100-400mm high iso because handheld
Last 2 images A7R4 + Voigtlander 50mm @ F1.2 low is

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Barry , that is a wonderful image . Love it . :thumbs:

 

[Landscapelover]

Ridgway, CO
Sony A7R IV/Zeiss 24-70 f/4

Pramote
https://pramotelaoprasert.zenfolio.com

 

[Eiro]

Re: Fun With Sony _____

Nice! I appreciate these a lot. Owned a 944 many years ago, although different it was exactly the same color. Loved the car.
I waxed and buffed that car till my hand couldn't hold the little microfiber cloth anymore. Cool reflections.

Combining my two favorite obsessions...

Couple of pics taken in the garage using available light from the cracked main door and the light from the side door. It was pretty dim but I was inspired by the reflections and the general mood created by the lighting. These were shot using UniWB and I'm not sure I have the PP worked out but they are 1,000 times better than my earlier attempts at ISO 800. I'm definitely going to have to play with this technique some more; the difficult blacks are far richer and the red splotchiness I usually see in low light is completely absent.

ISO 200, 8sec. @f9

Same lighting as shot from front. ISO 200, 30sec. @f11. Added illuminated clock and reflection on car from third pic taken with 1sec @f8 exposure(should have refocused). The clock would have blown out and bloomed if illuminaed during the main exposure.

 

[Chris C]

...Chris!...You have just lost all of your Cornish street cred in one go...Golitha indeed .......... should have just played safe and said along the River Fowey and not expanded beyond ....It was... - RESPRYN (Daffodil Valley)

Barry – Thank you; at least my fallibility is more intact than my credibility. Right river of course, [I'd recognise that water anywhere] though wrong bridge. My error can float downstream like a Pooh-stick to blush it's passage under Respryn bridge. Thanks for your added pics; Respryn always prompts good memories for me, as do all your pics from Cornwall. I'll keep coming back for more if you don't mind.

Enjoy [our] fabulous playground .................... Chris

 

[Barry Haines]

Barry – Thank you; at least my fallibility is more intact than my credibility. Right river of course, [I'd recognise that water anywhere] though wrong bridge. My error can float downstream like a Pooh-stick to blush it's passage under Respryn bridge. Thanks for your added pics; Respryn always prompts good memories for me, as do all your pics from Cornwall. I'll keep coming back for more if you don't mind.

Enjoy [our] fabulous playground .................... Chris

Thanks Chris, this one is the River Fowey to save you guessing

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Took this image about a fortnight ago.
The little riverside village of Bodinnick on the River Fowey...Ferryside was once the home of the author Daphne du Maurier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_du_Maurier).
A7R4 handheld with the Sony GM 135mm - Just basic levels processing in ACR and a quick click on Topaz Sharpen Ai took care of the rest...Please click 100% for the full size image.

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[Thor]

Local renaissance fair, a7riii/Sigma 105 1.4 e mount,

DSC00814 by RickZPhoto, on Flickr

DSC01127 by RickZPhoto, on Flickr

DSC00775 by RickZPhoto, on Flickr

DSC01705 by RickZPhoto, on Flickr

DSC01338 by RickZPhoto, on Flickr