Tempted by a Sony.. but..

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noell35

3,170 posts

147 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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JustinP1 said:
noell35 said:
EdT said:
Other option is to look at full frame but getting tired of carting lenses & gubbins around
Cat among the pigeons:
Putting a kilo of glass on a small camera makes it big shocker!

I'll raise you:



Seriously though, a big zoom or an f1.4 prime is always going to make a camera big.

However, the Sony Zeiss 35mm doesn't protrude much further out than the grip, which is a very different perspective and makes my Sony look half the 'heft' of my 6D with a similar prime on it.

That means that my Sony is taken out with me more than the 6D ever was and has made my RX100 redundant as the image quality of the A7 series and ease of use in getting 'keepers' more than make up for the increase in size.

Edited by JustinP1 on Thursday 20th October 11:10
The one on the left is a Sony a7rii with an 85mm 1.4. The one on the right is a Sony a99 with an 85mm f1.4

eta. It turns out that picture is from this article http://petapixel.com/2016/04/04/sonys-full-frame-p...

Seems a bit biased. I'd love an A7 but I don't think it's the answer to downsizing from an apsc DSLR which is what the OP was asking?


Edited by noell35 on Thursday 20th October 12:57


Edited by noell35 on Thursday 20th October 12:59

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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RobDickinson said:
A lot of that weight is battery... One issue with the sonys for event shooting is small batteries and because of the evf etc high power use.
For events I've been squeezing around 1k shots from an a7 (CIPA Rating: 340), and at least 1300 out of the Fuji X-T1 and X-T10 (CIPA: 350), battery life when used consistently during a day at an event is pretty decent. The issue is more apparent when switched on and off a lot and used infrequently during a few days, then life is much closer to CIPA (as I believe that's more in line with how they test them). That said, the same is true for DSLRs, nearly 3000 out of one D750 battery in a day is quite achievable.

The biggest issue (resolved on newer models for both Sony and Fuji, I believe) is that they die so suddenly, going from an indicated full to completely dead in minutes.

DavidY

4,458 posts

283 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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X-T2 much better in this regard

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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noell35 said:
JustinP1 said:
noell35 said:
EdT said:
Other option is to look at full frame but getting tired of carting lenses & gubbins around
Cat among the pigeons:
Putting a kilo of glass on a small camera makes it big shocker!

I'll raise you:



Seriously though, a big zoom or an f1.4 prime is always going to make a camera big.

However, the Sony Zeiss 35mm doesn't protrude much further out than the grip, which is a very different perspective and makes my Sony look half the 'heft' of my 6D with a similar prime on it.

That means that my Sony is taken out with me more than the 6D ever was and has made my RX100 redundant as the image quality of the A7 series and ease of use in getting 'keepers' more than make up for the increase in size.

Edited by JustinP1 on Thursday 20th October 11:10
The one on the left is a Sony a7rii with an 85mm 1.4. The one on the right is a Sony a99 with an 85mm f1.4

eta. It turns out that picture is from this article http://petapixel.com/2016/04/04/sonys-full-frame-p...

Seems a bit biased. I'd love an A7 but I don't think it's the answer to downsizing from an apsc DSLR which is what the OP was asking?


Edited by noell35 on Thursday 20th October 12:57


Edited by noell35 on Thursday 20th October 12:59
Yes, I'm pretty sure the lens on the left is the £1800ish G-master 85mm prime? It's huge, and the quality is to match.

In answer to the OP's direct question, it depends what he wants to photograph and depends where he wants to draw the line on the size/image quality issue.

A second hand A7 at £600ish and a pancake lens will wipe the floor on resolution, low light performance and autofocus over the RX100. For me, those are the three things most important, for portraits of kids etc.

I sat with my sister in law who has a bog standard DSLR and a kit lens, and as she's doing a photography course I gave her a crash course on using the centre focus point for focus, reframing and taking the shot etc.

I then got my A7rii out, put it on my lap, turned the screen up so I could see it, it automatically highlighted the subject with the relevant autofocus points, those moved as the subject moved, and I fired off three shots with the camera sat on my knee. Whole process was three seconds, all were keepers, and all better than the DSLR shot despite it taking three times as long to compose.

Yes, it's bigger than the RX100, but if you are more concerned with photos that you'll want to keep forever, then the A7 in a lot of scenarios will facilitate this. Now I've moved from FF Canon, I can't see me ever going back, as for me, the A7rii is not only producing better photos, it's much smaller, and easier to get those great photos.

If the OP doesn't want to spend on the A7 body, you can pick up the A6000 for about £340 on eBay which is a bargain, and a bit smaller again than the A7.

singlecoil

33,317 posts

245 months

Thursday 20th October 2016
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JustinP1 said:
Now I've moved from FF Canon, I can't see me ever going back, as for me, the A7rii is not only producing better photos, it's much smaller, and easier to get those great photos.
I was pretty sure I wanted an A7rii but then Canon brought out the 5DSR. I can live with the bigger and heavier body, with some of the lenses I have the difference in the body size and weight is of secondary importance anyway.


mr_fibuli

1,109 posts

194 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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JustinP1 said:
If the OP doesn't want to spend on the A7 body, you can pick up the A6000 for about £340 on eBay which is a bargain, and a bit smaller again than the A7.
Or even the A5100, which is pretty much the same minus the viewfinder, and is a lot more portable again than the A6000. The 16-50mm lens might not be amazing quality, but it as a good compromise for times when you want to make the camera pocketable - I got rid of my 18-55 and 16mm as I couldn't see a time when I would bother to use them rather than the 16-50.

I think the A5100 might be as close as you can get to the holy trinity mentioned above - DSLR quality, small size, and low price. Avoid the A5000 though as the screen quality is rubbish.

I noticed that they have just announced an A6500. Costs £1500 so quite a bit of overlap with the A7, but includes in body stabilisation, a 300 frame burst buffer, and a Zeiss zoom.

EdT

Original Poster:

5,102 posts

283 months

Friday 21st October 2016
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JustinP1 said:
If the OP doesn't want to spend on the A7 body, you can pick up the A6000 for about £340 on eBay which is a bargain, and a bit smaller again than the A7.
I've bookmarked a couple of MkI A7 with kit lenses on the Bay.. if they dont go up too high I'll save a punt.
Think whatever I end up with, if it's not got a large sensor giving good bokeh I'll end up dissatisfied . Looks like a small camera wont be as good as my 100D so what's the point.

EdT

Original Poster:

5,102 posts

283 months

Wednesday 9th November 2016
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Well, we're done. Mk 1 Alpha A7 with kit lens. Eyeing up other lenses already. Grows on trees...

Lynchie999

3,421 posts

152 months

Wednesday 9th November 2016
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EdT said:
Well, we're done. Mk 1 Alpha A7 with kit lens. Eyeing up other lenses already. Grows on trees...
good choice!

beer


RobDickinson

31,343 posts

253 months

Wednesday 9th November 2016
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Nice!

Coolbanana

4,384 posts

199 months

Wednesday 9th November 2016
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Good choice! I really like what Sony are offering nowadays.

I've an RX100 IV and RX1R, both very impressive. Nearly bought the A7RII but with the Metabones Adaptor for my Canon lenses, would have been more expensive than a 5D Mk IV so went with that instead.

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

253 months

Wednesday 9th November 2016
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The RX100 mkV is $1890 here, thats more than you would pay for an A7....

TheRainMaker

6,306 posts

241 months

Wednesday 9th November 2016
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Start saving for the 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss thumbup

Lynchie999

3,421 posts

152 months

Thursday 10th November 2016
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TheRainMaker said:
Start saving for the 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss thumbup
what he said... (or the 35mm 2.8) should be your 1st purchase!

EdT

Original Poster:

5,102 posts

283 months

Thursday 10th November 2016
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Lynchie999 said:
what he said... (or the 35mm 2.8) should be your 1st purchase!
Got a 50mm for my Canon & cant always get the shots I'm after. So yes seriously considering that 35mm 2.8.

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Thursday 10th November 2016
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EdT said:
Lynchie999 said:
what he said... (or the 35mm 2.8) should be your 1st purchase!
Got a 50mm for my Canon & cant always get the shots I'm after. So yes seriously considering that 35mm 2.8.
Going to full frame will be a bit of an adjustment. A 35mm lens on a crop body is approximately the same field of view as a 55mm on a full frame.

I've got both the 55mm f1.8 and the 35mm f2.8. The 55mm f1.8 gets used much more, as the 'just right' length for 90% of shots I like to take, and it's faster.

The 35mm f2.8 is smaller and lighter though. There is a very nice 35mm f1.4 but it's rather expensive and a lot bigger and heavier.

EdT

Original Poster:

5,102 posts

283 months

Thursday 10th November 2016
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That's a good point.. I was not comparing like to like.

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Thursday 10th November 2016
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If you can only choose one, the 55mm f1.8 is excellent. You'll happily walk back and forth to get the framing right once you see the output. smile

I had the Sigma Art 50mm f1.4 on my Canon, and that is one of the best 50mm lenses out there, but it also weighs like it should be too.

The 55mm is still in walkabout territory on the A7 but the IQ has all of the sharpness of the best 50mm lenses, but the colours just have an almost indescribable 'pop' to them which adds to the depth.

It's really is great - which is why I've only used the 35mm a couple of times, and only when I had to.

EdT

Original Poster:

5,102 posts

283 months

Friday 11th November 2016
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What a great little camera smile

EdT

Original Poster:

5,102 posts

283 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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Dear Santa can I have a Zeiss F1.8 please....