SONY A7 and A7R

[Thunderace]

mids said:

Sounds like a great deal. So with this adapter (metabones?) you get to keep AF with the Canon lenses? Any chance you could post up your thoughts on how well that works with the longer lenses once you've had time to try it properly?

FD was the Canon lens mount before EOS and lasted until 1990ish.

Only one lens was autofocus and none of the bodies were.

[mids]

Thanks, missed that. I'm just digging into what you can do with the A7, seems you can get the newer Canon lenses to AF but I'm not sure how well that'd work in reality.

[StuH]

mids said:

Thanks, missed that. I'm just digging into what you can do with the A7, seems you can get the newer Canon lenses to AF but I'm not sure how well that'd work in reality.

I regularly use my 100mm 2.8L with the metabones on my a7r - works a treat!

[bradders]

Does anyone know of a handy list of A7 supported autofocus third party lenses, and associated best adapters?

I've decided to switch to full frame from the D7000, and was waiting to see what the D750 looked like - it ticks a lot of boxes, but I still hanker after the smaller body of the A7.

[RobDickinson]

Finally caved in and bought an a7r.

[rottie102]

RobDickinson said:

Finally caved in and bought an a7r.

First thoughts?

What are you moving from?

[RobDickinson]

I dont have it yet, its complicated. I've bought it in Australia and its being shipped to a mate over there, theres a mail in voucher for a metabones adaptor so I can use my canon lenses with it.

Could be weeks before I actually get it!

[BillPeart]

There's a very good 'user' report on both models here

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/all-reviews/sony-a7-...

with some excellent examples of how sharp it is. The crispness of the model's hair on some images and the detail in two pictures of ponies is very promising.

I'm seriously debating between this and the Nikon D810. The ability to use so many lenses, the size/weight and the cost are tempting. The only things concerning me are the effect of the shutter on slow speed photos even tripod mounted (which mine often would be for landscape work) as opposed to the Nikon where in extremes I believe the shutter can be locked. Any ideas on this?

An alternative is the Pentax 645Z (going back to the reviews on Luminous Landscape are wallet threatening) but then I'd be facing mainly using a narrower range of mainly second hand lenses and I just wonder how big a benefit I'd see even on prints above 20"?

[TheRainMaker]

BillPeart said:

The only things concerning me are the effect of the shutter on slow speed photos even tripod mounted (which mine often would be for landscape work) as opposed to the Nikon where in extremes I believe the shutter can be locked. Any ideas on this?

I "think" and you will have to check, the A7 does the A7r can't. Don't know about the A7s.

[Simpo Two]

BillPeart said:

I'm seriously debating between this and the Nikon D810. The ability to use so many lenses, the size/weight and the cost are tempting. The only things concerning me are the effect of the shutter on slow speed photos even tripod mounted (which mine often would be for landscape work) as opposed to the Nikon where in extremes I believe the shutter can be locked. Any ideas on this?

It's called 'mirror lock' - the shutter has to stay where it is, but the whack-kerching of the mirror flipping up and down is avoided. Press the shutter release once and the mirror flips up and stays there; press it again and the photo is taken and the mirror flips back down.

That said I've never noticed any effect of mirror movement on photos, but maybe I don't look hard enough or have enough pixels. If it's a slow shutter speed then the effect should be invisible anyway.

[BillPeart]

Simpo Two said:

BillPeart said:

I'm seriously debating between this and the Nikon D810. The ability to use so many lenses, the size/weight and the cost are tempting. The only things concerning me are the effect of the shutter on slow speed photos even tripod mounted (which mine often would be for landscape work) as opposed to the Nikon where in extremes I believe the shutter can be locked. Any ideas on this?

It's called 'mirror lock' - the shutter has to stay where it is, but the whack-kerching of the mirror flipping up and down is avoided. Press the shutter release once and the mirror flips up and stays there; press it again and the photo is taken and the mirror flips back down.

That said I've never noticed any effect of mirror movement on photos, but maybe I don't look hard enough or have enough pixels. If it's a slow shutter speed then the effect should be invisible anyway.

Sorry, typo - meant mirror but suspect I had shutter still in my head from the Sony ref and typed that. Most of my work is/will be tripod mounted anyway so probably not too big a worry.

Just been browsing Leica M and Zeiss lenses for sale and think that's made my mind up, to go for the Sony! I'd love the Pentax but worry that all that cash might be spent on a camera that could be rivaled at half the price in a few years. The saving would allow me to upgrade to a better computer too, for the processing side.

[Simpo Two]

BillPeart said:

Just been browsing Leica M and Zeiss lenses for sale and think that's made my mind up, to go for the Sony!

Would that mean manual exposure and manual focus?

[BillPeart]

Simpo Two said:

BillPeart said:

Just been browsing Leica M and Zeiss lenses for sale and think that's made my mind up, to go for the Sony!

Would that mean manual exposure and manual focus?

To be honest, I don't know - not got that far in investigating, just looking at what's available having read such positive comments on some of the review sites. And trying to work out which adapters might be best. Coming from large format/medium format film cameras it wouldn't worry me to be fair.

[RobDickinson]

A7r has mechanical first curtain that can induce vibration between 1/20th and about 1/125th aparently. No way round it.

D810 doesn't have the same problem and also has better dynamic range at iso64. The Nikon is without doubt a better all round camera.

[Simpo Two]

BillPeart said:

To be honest, I don't know - not got that far in investigating, just looking at what's available having read such positive comments on some of the review sites. And trying to work out which adapters might be best. Coming from large format/medium format film cameras it wouldn't worry me to be fair.

It's worth checking. I'm not familiar with these combos but generally if you take a lens from one maker and stick it on a camera from another, even if it fits physically via adaptors, the electronics won't join up. So pause to think how you want to use this camera, and whether any impaired functionality is important to you.

And bear this in mind - if Rob is praising a Nikon it must be really good

[RobDickinson]

The metabones adaptors for canon electronically control aperture and even autofocus, slowly.

The d810 is a total weapon. On paper a minor upgrade from the d800 but in reality moves the game on a lot.

[BillPeart]

RobDickinson said:

The metabones adaptors for canon electronically control aperture and even autofocus, slowly.

The d810 is a total weapon. On paper a minor upgrade from the d800 but in reality moves the game on a lot.

Darn you! You've just cost me a few hundred extra $

[RobDickinson]

If I didn't have lots of canon glass I would have a d810 now.

[BillPeart]

RobDickinson said:

If I didn't have lots of canon glass I would have a d810 now.

I used to use Canon film cameras a fair bit, liked the lenses I had, but never really liked the cameras too much, but can't really explain why. The only Nikon I ever had was an old s/h Nikkormat, which had a dodgy exposure system - at least by the time I owned it.

[BillPeart]

BTW, back to the Sony and that review, this is pretty impressive

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2...