A defecter from the world of Hasselblad

[peterbkk]

Since the 1970s, I have used Hasselblad medium format cameras.  For the last 40 years, I have only owned 3 main cameras, well over a decade each.  I made the switch to digital (and scanned thousands of my film trannies) when the CFV digital back was launched for the V series cameras.  As my eyes aged, I switched to H series for the auto-focus and have shot a Hasselblad H4D-50 for the last 8 or 9 years.  

 

I am a quality freak - but not a pixel-peeper.

 

But I recently realised that I am tired of lugging around such a heavy camera.  For long walking trips, I have limited myself to carrying two prime lenses, which means a lot of lens swapping, awkward with a backpack.  I have left the 'blad at home or in the hotel room on too many occasions lately.

 

When I saw that the new Sony A7R Mark II shoots 42 Mpx 14 bit images, I thought it might make a "reasonable compromise" replacement for the 50Mpx Hasselblad.   The Sony A7R Mark II is much, much, smaller and lighter.  I can carry an easy-access camera bag, instead of a heavy backpack.   I won't be as worried about theft, damage or rain as I am with the Ha$$alblad.

 

The A7RII camera specs look good.  Except, maybe, for the lossy compression on RAW files: which (a) may be changed in a firmware update and ( appears in shots that are heavily pushed in post.  Which should not be too much concern for me, as decades of shooting 12 shot rolls of transparency film taught me to get it right before pressing the button.  Some of the early sample shots from the A7Rii look great.

 

Of course I don't know if the A7RII's 4.5 micron pixel pitch will capture light as beautifully as the larger pixel pitch on the big sensor of the Hasselblad.  But, it'll be interesting to see whether the new Sony back-lit CMOS sensor can do better than the older Kodak CCD sensor for low-light low-noise capture.  Will the A7RII's colour gamut be as pleasing as the 'blad?  How will the lens range compare to the Fujinon Hasselblad lenses?

 

So I've got an A7RII on pre-order from Amazon.   I've bought the 16-35mm and the 24-70mm zoom and ordered the Zeiss Batia 85mm. I have bought the Sony E mount / Hasselblad V lens adapter to see if this system can bring my favourite lens, a Hasselblad Zeiss Planar FE 110mm f2, back to life - the best portrait / bokeh lens I have ever used.

 

I plan to put the A7RII system quickly through its paces and make a judgement call.  If it does not satisfy my appetite for quality, I'll quickly sell it while it's still a sought-after item.  But, if the Sony A7RII is good enough, my H4D could end up at the back of my dehumidifying cabinet...

 

Regards

Peter

 

PS. You can see some of my work at http://www.peterwalker.com

[addieleman]

Looked at your galleries, love your work.

[SAR_admin]

Great to have you on board!

[3dit0r]

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the two zoom lenses.

[Zé De Boni]

Considering your experience, I would suggest you to pick only prime lenses.  Owning the ZA's 85/1.4 and 135/1.8, which I use on the A99, I am sure that you will enjoy the image quality from the Batis 85. But expect to find a great difference in the results from the zooms, which may be OK, but not to compare to what you are used to. From my experience with the ZA 16-35/2.8, I guess that the new zooms may not explore the full potential of a 42 Mpix sensor. If your first results show this, before blaming on the camera, give it a chance with the  55/1.8, 35/2.8, 25/2. Those three are in my list, they may cost 20% more than the two zooms but weight 25% less in combination.

The 25 Batis will be a great pair for the 85. If budget is not your problem, the two Batis mounted on two A7RII bodies may become the default in your trips.

[DGM]

Hello Peter,

Edited:

I was interrupted in reading your original post. You have already thought of what I was going to suggest.

 

Never mind, and best of luck!

 

Best regards,

DGM

[PhilC]

Hi guys

 

Similar story but moving from a Pentax 645D backup camera to the Sony A7RII with Batis 25mm, to partner the Pentaz 645Z main body. However like Peter the weight of the MF body and lenses is fairly off putting, so when I see how the A7RII produces, I may move all the way, but early days.

 

Body is waiting at the dealer until they get the Batis in, so hopefully not long.

 

I'm all landscapes and nothing else :-) See http://www.philcorley.com if you are interested.

 

Phil

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Gavinbrownemail]

Picked up my A7R 11 today. I'm using it with my 30 year old canon 50mmFD 1.8 from my original Canon AE1 program. Manual focusing of course. The images are sublime. Just bought the canon 24mm FD 2.8 off eBay for £20.

The size and feel of the A7R 11 is perfect. Not to heavy or big. Just right.

Thinking of getting the 35mm FE.

I also own A6000 10-18mm lens which at 14mm works fine on A7R11.

[makomadns4]

I've been using the A7R for a year and a half and i love it.

 

In terms of lenses, i like my 16-35 Sony zoom and the 55 Sony prime. The 35 prime 2.8 is also nice for when you're walking around with the camera in your hand all day. I was not a fan of the 25-70 zoom it's heavy and i didn't think the image quality was anything to get excited about (especially after using the 55 prime). One lens that kinda surprised me and i personally enjoy alot is the Mitakon 50 f/.95. It's nearly as heavy as the 70-200 lens but with all that glass it does some great low light shots. Also being a fully manual lens it's a bit fun/nostalgic when i'm using it. 

 

Can't wait to get the A7II, and once the budget allows an 85 batis and the 90 micro. 

 

Good luck with the new camera, hope it lives up to expectations.

[Dane]

I'll be following this thread with great interest. I've always wanted a medium format camera, but could never justify it being an amateur. I'd love to hear someone make the transition successfully.

 

For what it's worth, I'd also suggest looking at the primes.

[peterbkk]

Thanks for all the good advice.

 

My photography falls into 3 categories. Family stuff, "serious" stuff plus video "B roll" for my underwater videos.

 

For the "serious" stuff, I will start with the Sony 55 prime and the Batis 85 prime, plus the 16-35 zoom (if it passes my quality hurdle, otherwise I will try the Batis 25).

 

For family photos, the 24-70 zoom should be OK as we currently use an aging Sony RX 100.

 

For B-roll video, I haven't decided on a lens. I currently use a Panasonic 12-35mm on a GH4. The 55 prime might work. Or the 16-35 zoom.

 

So, if the A7Rii works out, I could replace 3 cameras (Hasselblad H4D50, Sony RX100 and one of my Panasonic GH4) with one camera and a few lenses, alleviating the complex decision on which camera(s) to take. As I am often traveling with a large underwater housing and monitor (GH4 / Shogun), deciding on the second camera has always been a challenge.

 

Fingers crossed!

 

 

Regards

Peter

http://www.peterwalker.com

[Zé De Boni]

The best second camera is one exactly the same model as your main. I mean, nothing better than working or travelling with two (at least) bodies that have exactly the same controls and the same properties. One point is that you can have different lenses ready to shoot. Then, in travel, you will have a backup, in case that your main gear fails. Mostly, working with underwater housing (which is not my field, you must know better advices) you'd better have a second camera that is kept dry, since mounting and unmounting the underwater set is quite a process. And then, I repeat, in case of any incident you will have a substitute body at hand.

Now, for the family affairs a camera like the Alpha 6000 or its successor with just the 16-50 zoom (if you want it compact) or the 18-105 (if you want better quality, longer range and fixed max f-stop) can be great. And you can benefit from the interchangeable lenses and accessories for all them.

So, you will still have three bodies, but much less weight and they will all belong to the same set.