The Chicken or the Egg

[ItchieFinger]

Ok here goes,

My kit isn’t great although I’m not a professional either.

Camera - A7

Lens - 55mm prime and 24-105mm G also the paper weight 28-70mm that ships with A7 bundle.

The plan is to pick up a A7iii and a 100-400mm and add it to my pack. - I hate changing lens’s I’m a dust magnet.

Not interested in video overly. Drone is pretty good with that I guess.

Im heading away to the far reaches of North Western Australia and think that my current setup will be too short and not really keen on getting up close and personal.

Questions I have are.

1. What should I buy first A7iii or 100-400mm

2. Should I ditch the A7 or leave it as redundancy/spare with the 55mm mounted semi permanently as it gives a great pic.

3. Is my lens 24-105mm a waste on the older A7

4. Is the A7iii my answer?

5. What are the cons with what I have and will there be a noticeable difference with the A7iii?

Look forward to your help

[LiveShots]

1. By all accounts the 100-400 is a solid performer, though your a7 won’t be able to use it to its full advantage due to the slower focusing software on your current camera. If your planning on taking photos of fast moving wildlife then it may cause some lost shots. Though it depends a lot on the situation.

2. Sony’s current trade up program will give you $200 for your a7, so unless it’s worth more on a private sale I would suggest keeping it as a backup with your 55mm attached.

3. Don’t know, never used a 24-105. Might be easier to carry than the 100-400 though.

4. The a7III has the same AF system as the a9 so you will notice a big upgrade there, not counting the HUGE firmware update that is coming soon.  

5. The a7III has a much better focusing system than your a7, coupled with the 100-400mm you should be able to get some good action shots.

Things to consider; If you are going on your trip AFTER the new firmware update is available then I would get the a7III and use your 24-105 for the trip and get the 100-400 later, or maybe look into renting one when you get to Australia.

Secondly, there is a possibility that there could be reductions in camera prices as the war between mirrorless systems is starting to kick in, now that Canon and Nikon have joined the fray. It’s possible the a7III could see some additional reductions in the near future.

Its a tough call, personally I would look into the option of renting some gear when you get to your destination.

Edited March 4, 2019 by LiveShots