Jump to content

whats stopping me from pre ordering the a7rii?


justaguy
 Share

Recommended Posts

Simply waiting for the A9. Tempting but

 

1. Not big enough megapixel increase. Megapixel increase is not enough to encourage me to switch at this price point. 5 1/2 more megapixels just isn't that tempting. I can work around the shutter shock issues of the A7R in the meantime by shooting faster than 1/150 or slower than 1/30. I hope Sony develops a sensor soon that truly intrudes into MF space with a mirrorless (small) design.

 

2. Waiting for lossless raw. I know this is a firmware issue that Sony says they can update, but they haven't yet. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

 

3. Weather sealing and durability. Unclear if Sony is yet up to Canikon flagship quality. Maybe now?

 

Battery life and no dual card slots are minor annoyances, but not deal breakers like the above. I carry extra batteries and cards in my bag.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I was going to have to "strech" to get to a $2600-2800 range- plus it's not readily available yet ( no instant gratification for losing one's mind) But i'm really enjoying , getting in the swing of things, with my A6000 while i put some lens'es together. When Sony catches up with demand, and wants to sell a boatload of them, i'm in.

Link to post
Share on other sites

@Brad, agreed on points-If i were you i would wait too for a9-its coming i bet, and it will rock, besides, a7r2 is not going anywhere , id carry a brick around if it took good fotos [figuratively], and have before, [and loved it] besides, longer larger lenses are more stable on dslr bodies , and auto focus a bit/lot faster too, this is my opinion.

They wouldnt bother releasing 2 new a mounts lenses recently if nothing was in the pipeline what say?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Foto-Fanatic - agree. I also strongly suspect Sony has a behind-the-scenes deal with Canon that Sony won't release a bigger sensor until Canon has had a fair amount of time to market Canon's 50 mp Sony-manufactured sensor in the 5D3. (By the way, I recently sold out of Canon and switched into the Sony E mount platform because of good Zeiss Primes and a reasoned belief the A9 is in the works. I do hope my new investment in lenses will translate to the A9!) I am also hoping the A9 will be announced before Christmas, and I will pay whatever price they charge then assuming it lives up to my expectations.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I totally understand folks who already have invested in previous Sony Alpha versions having to take a hard look at what they have already invested in and I really sympathise with that dilemma.

However, expensive as it may be I have already purchased two Sony FE lenses (Sony FE 28mm F2 and Sony Zeiss Sonnar T 55mm F/1.8 ZA FE) and have the A7RII on preorder in the UK.

I must confess that I do feel rather out on a limb reading the variety of posts here and elsewhere regarding my decision however perhaps some input as to why I'm where I am might explain (BOTH to me and whomsoever might be interested) the possibly 'crazy' path I'm embarking upon...

 

I'm retired and have just sold all of my Canon gear entirely with the sole intention to come to this 'apparently fabulous new Sony miracle' - I would not have considered this a few months ago but the recent announcement of the Sony A7RII convinced me that as an 'Old Git', humping this DSLR gear around isn't any fun and indeed said gear has been unused for a long time. When I look at LR I can see how few times that gear was taken out over the last two years and it is a sin to leave such kit unused (somewhat old body a Canon 1D3 10mp APSH 1.3 crop sensor 10 fps) and some more recent Canon glass such as a Canon 70-200 f2.8 L IS II ).

 

I've had much longer super Canon glass in my bag (except it didn't fit in the bag) before such as a Canon 400 L f2.8 IS and all the Wimberley / tripod stuff to suite and at one time a Canon 300 L f2.8 IS that I thought I could take out for the day (don't get me wrong these lenses were absolutely amazing) when one day, as an 'old git' carrying this body / 300 combo across my outstretched arms (and couldn't see the trip coming) caused me to trip and fall on a coastal path in Cornwall. UK and during which I'm trying to save 'my precious' lens and in doing so I almost rolled over the 200 foot cliff.

 

Despite having such (albeit heavy) excellent glass it was still a matter of PP cropping into my images to get a nice print of a BIF.

 

Whilst the above might seem a somewhat elaborate digression there is an outcome...

 

Selling this Canon DSLR gear (in the last few days) has enabled me to go for the upcoming Sony A7RII and I'm really hoping it lives up to its billing because this will be a renaissance in my photographic career because I won't be kitted up for BIF's any more instead I'll use my binoculars for them but will throw myself into new perspectives such as Street; Landscape; Night scenes; Still Life e.g. Flowers; Buildings etc. Not that the A7RII can't address big glass and autofocus (AIUI) but I will be relieved of humping gear and can focus afresh on new horizons.

 

I hope my personal circumstances / experiences hasn't bored you to death but I'd just like to say that the prospect of acquiring the Sony A7RII might just have reignited my new / (possibly) last foray into photography causing me to travel light and look for every photographic opportunity in a new unfettered way.

 

Thanks for reading I hope you all don't mind me sharing this.

Jamie

Link to post
Share on other sites

Jaime - my story is very similar to yours except mine is about 3 months older. You will certainly be thrilled with your decision and the results if you PP. The A7RIi looks to solve some problems with the A7R (esp shutter shock), but I am still happier with the A7R than my old 5DII. Do look at the Batises and Loxias -- amazing and much smaller. Sony does need some longer focal length quality primes though.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I believe the Zeiss and Sony lenses are/will be more precise and refined than old or new Canikon lenses and camera bodies in the intermediate term. Smaller, lighter and more beautiful. Think Motorola cell phones for Canikon.

Link to post
Share on other sites

P.S. Sony and Zeiss camera lens development would be served well by curving their shutter blades or doing more than eight or nine. Eight and nine straight blades excels in bokeh. Curved is better. More and curved that work is better of course.

Link to post
Share on other sites

IIRC, the plain version and the R-version share the

same V-grip. Considering who-it-is that cannot live

without a double card slot, it might make sense for

Sony to redesign the V-grip to provide the 2nd slot.

 

`

Link to post
Share on other sites

Jayteepix & BradP - I too am in this boat - well almost. I have a Canon 1Dsii with a variety of L lenses, flashes, softboxes, tripods etc and also a Panasonic SD900 video camera. I would say I am about 60:40 video:photo but recently I am taking my trusty canon gear out less and less. I love taking photos, but if I'm shooting video too it seems a real pain (the family tell me!) to do one, then the other. Also, my camera bag is pretty hefty and I find it hard to leave equipment at home "just in case"

 

My interest in the A7 series started a short while ago reading up on the low light capability of the A7s. Low light is something I have always struggled with, iso performance being average at best on both my stills and video. The A7s is just insanely good in this department. But it does have shortcomings. Then this new A7rii was announced which seems to address most of them..... I'm waiting till a few "real" people get them in their hands and review. What I'm most interested in is how the low light ability compares to the A7s. I know it can't be better, but how close is the question.

 

I am seriously close to selling my whole setup and taking the leap. I only wish I had a crystal ball to see when/if an A7sii is coming out with all the improvements of the A7rii but with the crazy low light ability of the A7s

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Waiting for mirrorless A-mount.

I highly suspect that is something we will not see.

Current trend suggests Sony moving away from the a-mount completely.

At first i was really against the e-mount. but it just makes good business sense considering how heavily Sony has been into making e and fe mount video cameras.

Link to post
Share on other sites

P.S. Sony and Zeiss camera lens development would be served well by curving their shutter blades or doing more than eight or nine. Eight and nine straight blades excels in bokeh. Curved is better. More and curved that work is better of course.

 

... most of the Sony E-mount lenses already use curved shutter blades. Not sure what you are referring to.

Link to post
Share on other sites

In answer to this question, a number of reasons come to mind:

1. Cost - I am in Australia and the exchange rate is plummeting south. :(

2. I currently own an A77 (mk1) but have purchased FF alpha lenses because I wanted to move into FF to get best QI for price. (SAL24F20Z; SAL1635Z; SAL70200G; SAL70400G2; SAL135F28) 

3. I am waiting for the release of both the A9 and the replacement for the A99 before I commit one way or another

4. I am getting on in age (mid 60s) so weight is a factor, although I would not sell my alpha lenses, so the difference in body weight is actually small when hooked up to one of my alpha lenses.

5. I have spent my money on quality glass, rather than keep up with the latest techno body.

6. As mentioned in point 1 above. It is the cost of the package that will be the decider for me.

 

I definitely like what I see in the A7R (mk2). It would be a great travel camera using the SEL24240.

 

It is just a real pity Sony chooses not to release any info on the pro version of the A series (A9) or the upgrade for the Alpha A99.

 

My 2 cents.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

It is just a real pity Sony chooses not to release any info on the pro version of the A series (A9) or the upgrade for the Alpha A99.

 

 

 

Remember: the A9 is just a rumour or are there any official announcments I've missed?

 

Currently I can see no reason for a A9, the Mark2 series of the A7 is solid enough to survive professional usage till the next generation will be released.

Link to post
Share on other sites

"I'm tired of losing so much money to depreciation" Camera bodies are electronics anymore, not optics.

 

Electronics have slaved to Moore's law for the last 50 years. That is 3 years (sometimes as much as 4) and everything that has gone before is obsolete. That's just the way it is, and with the improvement we're getting it's pretty wonderful. I'm 3 generations of digital now and happy. It's been A100, A65 and A7ii. 50k frames later the A100's still a nice camera and the CCD sensor has great color. A65 has a long lens and is dedicated to birds and critters. I'm tickled with the A7ii, even though now about 9 months later (1/2 a Moore cycle) it's sliding downhill behind the A7Rii.

 

Optics OTOH are a different story. I'm still happily shooting the 50mm Minolta lens I got in the late 80's. It promises to resolve around 50mp, so if I live long enough I may get 2 more cameras out of it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

" Waiting for mirrorless A-mount."

 

"I highly suspect that is something we will not see.

Current trend suggests Sony moving away from the a-mount completely.

At first i was really against the e-mount. but it just makes good business sense considering how heavily Sony has been into making e and fe mount video cameras."

 

 

Sensor development as in the A7Rii, back illuminated, fast, lots of PD and CD AF points argue for A mount mirrorless. The big break was ditching the 1960's vintage flipping mirror.

 

Sony keeps updating A mount lenses, and has repeatedly stated commitment to A mount. Looks like a 3 camera lineup, entry level (currently A58), prosumer (A77ii) and flagship (A99xx) with RandD migrating from E mount where the money currently is. Without the RandD burden A mount is profitable and gives Sony a foothold in bigger bodies and traditional DSLx markets. No reason to drop it, and the 16 million plus A mount lens legacy keeps driving a trickle of new users to the cameras.

 

E is where Sony is revolutionizing (and perhaps saving) the camera business, but pronouncements of the death of A are premature. It ain't an either/or situation.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

"whats stopping me ...?"

 

#1: low bitrate for 4k video & only 8bit limitation for the shogun guys.
 
#2: faulty algorithm for full frame 4k video (lesser quality than the s35 crop)
 
#3: no HEVC/h.265 support
 
#4: limited battery life
 
#5: quick price depreciation of the E-mount cameras
 
Waiting for A7III/A9?
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Below is the clincher as to why I will not put down my hard earned money on a A7r M2:  

Things to know when using A-mount mount lenses using the LA-EA3 adaptor

When using the LA-EA3 some of the AF modes and AF area settings aren't available. These include:

  • Zone Area, which is a shame because it can be really useful in Continuous AF
  • Lock-On AF, so no 3D tracking
  • Eye-AF, which would be very useful for portraits and lenses like the SAL 135mm 1.8
  • AF-A and DMF although I find these two less of a problem.

There are also some important settings you should check when using DSLR lenses:

  • Phase Detec. Area: it can be useful to display the area on the LCD/EVF.
  • AF system: you can manually choose to use the contrast or phase detection points. Choose the latter at all times!
  • Priority Set in AF-S/AF-C: even more important than with FE lenses, always choose focus priority (AF)!

ALL of these should be available to an A mount lens user.

 

Why aren't they? I can understand these not being available to adaptors for Canon or Nikon attached lens.

 

But why has Sony crippled it for A mount lenses??

 

Is this a firmware fix?

 

I hope so.

 

Until then, no deal. I'm not parting with my money.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...