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Sony A7S

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Click on the image IYP :)


Yes, Antonio,

Sony has really set the pace in new camera technology, while Canon and Nikon barely give us a yawn. Yes the 7DII will focus faster, but fundamentally the incremental improvements do not dig deep into Canon's store of patented ideas.

Sony, not even waiting for it's full line of lenses, has produced 3 A7 series cameras in the past several years - the 24MP A7, the A7R at 367MP, the 12MP see in the dark A7s and the A7RII which has 5 axis image anti-shake built into the sensor itself, thanks to it's part ownership of Olympus), allowing it to use any MFR's non-IS lenses and have 4.5 stops of image stabilization.

With Zeiss in the wings designing fine lenses, Sony is a good bet to invest in these exciting new bodies.

For me, the low weight of the A7R body and the ability to MF with magnification and red lines, is just a dream. Now for going to costa Rica, I rented a 5D Mark III and had the fast focus I needed. but now with the A6000 and the new A7II, fast focus has arrived to the Sony A system.

Asher
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
Nice gear but way too complicated for me. Give me some nice glass a shutter speed dial... iso that is easy to find and an aperture on the lens is all I need.



James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nice gear but way too complicated for me. Give me some nice glass a shutter speed dial... iso that is easy to find and an aperture on the lens is all I need.



James

Jim,

Not complicated at all. Get the Zeiss a Pentax or Zeiss lens with aperture marks, set it to aperture priority and do MF as I do with the A7R. I use it only as a manual focus system and couldn't be happier. With the MF quality large pixels, the A7S will likely excel at 11 x 14 and even do superbly at 16x20.

It's the quality of the 12 MP sensor and ability to reach into the shadows that makes this so special.

Don't give it back if you receive one for a holiday gift this season!

All you need is to get a jacket with bigger pockets!

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Congratulations to all that have the Sony A7/II/S systems. Advanced tech for sure. Takes most lenses with adapters. Zillions of ISO and the tech spec sheet continues...

I thought my ideal system had arrived. The weight, volume and size being very important for me.

After investing hours and hours of my time reading, researching, comparing ( but not using the Sony since the Sony dealer here needs a lot to be desired with respect to the A7 series ), I decided against it.

Mirrorless systems have come a long way, joy to use ( I have the XT1 ), but they are not there yet, for me. My Fuji ( I shall post some images shortly ) worked wonderfully for landscapes, slow moving subjects.

And therein lies the problem for me. My needs are fast focus acquisition and short lag time.

Don't need very high ISO....heck I am used to 400/800 film....but I need fast and accurate focus and the shortest possible lag. Not always, but more often than not.

I still believe nothing beats my DSLRs in this field. A lot of discussions have I taken part in, on other forums, with respect to this. Anticipation, zone focusing, snap to focus, small apertures etc. etc have
been discussed as compensatory mechanisms to alleviate this issue. But I am not convinced.

As to size/volume/weight...it is a mythical being. As one starts exploring 50mm and above lenses with fast apertures the weight and size advantage disappears fast..it was a myth to start with. Add a 70-200mm zoom with a fast aperture...

But I am still interested in the A7s, for its video, even there we need to wait for a 4k facility. The GH4 appears more promising for me but it is MFT.

While I investigate a tool for video, I got me a Df. Old habits die hard :)

p599206241-6.jpg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Congratulations to all that have the Sony A7/II/S systems. Advanced tech for sure. Takes most lenses with adapters. Zillions of ISO and the tech spec sheet continues.................



And therein lies the problem for me. My needs are fast focus acquisition and short lag time.

Don't need very high ISO....heck I am used to 400/800 film....but I need fast and accurate focus and the shortest possible lag. Not always, but more often than not.


p599206241-6.jpg





The mind, controlling the eye, lens, sensor, camera and then processing, makes the photograph!



With the new Sony Sensors, an enrichment in the creative chain has been provided! They supply Hasselblad, Pentax, Leaf and Phase One 50MP CMOS cameras and the A7 and A6000 examples in Sony's own products are nothing short of marvelous!

Here, it's great to have your point of view, Fahim, as you have both the creative experience and the background to weigh the technical details. As to the focus speed, use the now bargain-priced A6000, which has amongst the fastest focus out!

From the picture, I gather you still have the bespoke Leica lenses! :) So that's my assumption in this reply! Now the A7II, (and the A 7000 pending), Sony's 5 axis image stabilization brings new possibilities for your Leica treasures!

My experience is only with the Sony A7R 35 MP camera. It does not focus as fast as the A7, first version, as it misses out on Phase detection. However, I use a lot of carefully chosen MF vintage lenses from Pentax, canon FD and more as well as the native 55mm f.8 Zeiss-Sony stellar quality prime and Canon AF lenses with the nifty Metabones adapter.

In printing images to 26" x38" approximately, upressing the Sony A7R files to match the native size of Phase One 80MP back files and printing at 300 dpi, the Sony images more than hold their own.

I am currently reworking my Phase One files to see if I can leave the Sony images in the dust, so to speak.

So far, however, Sony punches at much higher than its MP weight.

It could just be that the Schneider 80mm prime lens, (that I rented for the test to pair with the 80 MP back), is not such a good performer as the Sony A7R with it's 55mm Sony-Zeiss lens or that I am not post processing Phase One files well enough. So I will work harder with the Phase One files using Capture One instead of Adobe Camera RAW!

Still, at this point, I am in awe of the rich color and handling of light gradients with the A7R. The practicality of the Sony "Live View" with magnified "red edge"-assisted manual focussing in the amazing viewfinder, earns so many points for me, that speed of AF is not that important.

But for travel and street photography, the A7S has no peers in reaching into the shadows in low light, being able to focus where one can't see, and the A7II can give image stabilization to any other MFR lenses and both focus fast too!

So I'd revisit this brand. Sony essentially created the Professional mirrorless market for full frame cameras. I feel that you will fall in love with the A7II or the A7000 to further exploit your Leica lens arsenal! :)


Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Respect your perspective on this Asher.

I shall be flying to Dubai soon. Shall have the time to thoroughly put the cam through its paces.

I shall be testing the mirrorless against the D 750, which is a contender for me for video.

Until then, I shall refrain from forming a definitive opinion.

Best regards.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Respect your perspective on this Asher.

I shall be flying to Dubai soon. Shall have the time to thoroughly put the cam through its paces.

I shall be testing the mirrorless against the D 750, which is a contender for me for video.

Until then, I shall refrain from forming a definitive opinion.

Best regards.


Fahim,

Have a safe trip to Dubai!

Just make sure you have some Leica glass in your bag, or else use the 55mm f1.8 Zeiss AF image stabilized prime. I'd love to see some test prints with a Summicron on an A7II!! For me, the compactness of the Sony A7 series allows me to hand hold my camera without fatigue for many more hours. With a DSLR, it gets tiring after several hours. I added to my ADR an L bracket from Really right Stiff. I use it as a really handy grip ..... and of course to mount either landscape or portrait mode to a tripod with a Arca Swiss quick-release.

Add to that the ability to fire with one shutter release a series of bracketted shots, this is camera nirvana. Still, for street work, the A7S, A7II or the A7000 make more sense.

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Fahim,

As to size/volume/weight...it is a mythical being. As one starts exploring 50mm and above lenses with fast apertures the weight and size advantage disappears fast..it was a myth to start with.

As "hot rod" enthusiasts used to say about auto engines, "there is no substitute for inches".

Best regards,

Doug
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
May you enjoy your camera setup in good health for a longtime to come.

Best.

Fahim,

Have a safe trip to Dubai!

Just make sure you have some Leica glass in your bag, or else use the 55mm f1.8 Zeiss AF image stabilized prime. I'd love to see some test prints with a Summicron on an A7II!! For me, the compactness of the Sony A7 series allows me to hand hold my camera without fatigue for many more hours. With a DSLR, it gets tiring after several hours. I added to my ADR an L bracket from Really right Stiff. I use it as a really handy grip ..... and of course to mount either landscape or portrait mode to a tripod with a Arca Swiss quick-release.

Add to that the ability to fire with one shutter release a series of bracketted shots, this is camera nirvana. Still, for street work, the A7S, A7II or the A7000 make more sense.

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Hi Doug.

Hope Carla and you are doing well.

Sometimes, there really is no substitute for ' inches ' :)
Often the darn physics things get in one's way.

HERE is a link to the latest FE lens offerings. The two extreme ones on the right are converters.

Take care.


Hi, Fahim,



As "hot rod" enthusiasts used to say about auto engines, "there is no substitute for inches".

Best regards,

Doug
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Fahim,

Hope Carla and you are doing well.

Well, we are, overall. I am having some trouble with pain in my legs, perhaps a result of spinal stenosis, and that slows me down a bit.

Sometimes, there really is no substitute for ' inches ' :)
Often the darn physics things get in one's way.

Indeed. Of course, to an information or communication engineer, the real metaphor is "there is no substitute for energy."

HERE is a link to the latest FE lens offerings. The two extreme ones on the right are converters.

Thanks.

Take care.

You too.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
If anyone owns Leica M lenses, then consider getting an extra 25% to 30% increase in MTF 50, at least in the center, using the Sony A7R. Look at the results here.

With the A7S one would not get such a jump in MTF, but for sure one would be able to get the magic of the best lenses even in light one can hardly see anything at all!


Asher
 
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