Which A7 for studio photography?

[Portrait Painter X]

I need help deciding which A7 to get! My main purpose will be indoor studio photography with an Elinchrom flash setup. Sometimes outdooor photography with portable flashes.

 

Simply put, I want the very best, most accurate, most natural looking portraits a camera can produce.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Just Al]

Hi,

 

Just keep in mind that the A7 has a max flash speed of 1/250 while the A7r is 1/160. So the A7 might give you a bit more flexibility when it comes to flash sync speeds.

Else both provide similar flash control features.

[Portrait Painter X]

Hi,

 

Just keep in mind that the A7 has a max flash speed of 1/250 while the A7r is 1/160. So the A7 might give you a bit more flexibility when it comes to flash sync speeds.

Else both provide similar flash control features.

Hi Al,

 

thanks for you reply. With the 1/160 sync speed in mind, do you think the A7R, with its higher resolution and lack of low pass filter, will produce better results for portrait photography? I've read somewhere that the A7R is the camera that best mimics a medium format camera in image quality. As a model photographer, this of course sounds very enticing to me. I'm drooling over the idea of having close to "Hasselblad quality" for a fraction of the cost and size of an H2.

 

Ola

[Portrait Painter X]

Right now it's a toss-up between A7R and A7II. I'm getting Zeiss 55 mm + Zeiss 35 mm regardless of model.

[Portrait Painter X]

Judging from the results at dxomark.com, the A7R is a winner. But is it that simple?

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[Just Al]

Hi Al,

 

thanks for you reply. With the 1/160 sync speed in mind, do you think the A7R, with its higher resolution and lack of low pass filter, will produce better results for portrait photography? I've read somewhere that the A7R is the camera that best mimics a medium format camera in image quality. As a model photographer, this of course sounds very enticing to me. I'm drooling over the idea of having close to "Hasselblad quality" for a fraction of the cost and size of an H2.

 

Ola

Hi,

 

High megapickles <> medium format. Else today's 18-24mp aps-c would equate full frame quality. No I think the distinction is more than just megapickles. Large sensor offers a more pleasing blur gradation and colour dynamics.

I feel that if you plan to do outdoor flash work, the more robust your max sync speed is the better you can control light. Else you may lose certain key light effects from your flash(es). It comes down to the style of photos you want to achieve. 

 

Here's an example where a slower Tv would not have given me the desired look that I wanted. See #2 B&W sillhoutte forest. Portrait Shoot.

 

Personally for portraits, I'd pick an a7ii over a7r. Just a more versatile camera. Then again, I started out with a 8mp Rebel XT. Dang it felt so long ago! YMMV. All the best.

[Wesley]

Regular A7 series or A7s.

 

Save you time and stress from retouching because you'll see even more skin pores and every nuisance with the A7r.

[Portrait Painter X]

Nice shots, Al! I also started out with an old XT and a kit lens.

 

Looks like I'm pulling the trigger on the A7II then. IBIS and 1/250 sync speed are very useful features indeed.

[Max the Dog]

If you love 11+7 bit color and screwed up WB this is an awesome choice. 

 

My A7r bungled up some skintones so bad the people looked like circus freaks. 

 

It's embarrassing when you've done everything right and the camera fails you and disappoints your client.

 

https://sonyvnikon.wordpress.com/

 

 

Nice shots, Al! I also started out with an old XT and a kit lens.

Looks like I'm pulling the trigger on the A7II then. IBIS and 1/250 sync speed are very useful features indeed.

[Golem]

Maxdog really should stay away from non-nikon gear.

 

Nothing else works for him, plus he has a lot of highly 

theoretical problems. Can't go into detail here ... the

children are listening ... but you should check out ALL

of his posts about sony ... yes ALL of them, and you

will realize that his advice is superbly valid ... for him,

and him alone. It's a conspiracy. There really must be

a chip in all sony gear that can sense when the user

happens to be Maxdog [or his dopplegangler]. 

   

I know some of you think this is crazy hokus pokus but

have you ever heard the "urban myth" tales of certain

folks who cannot use a wrist watch ? That the watch  

will just stop, if THEY wear it ? Well I'm not one to buy

into such nonsense, and I have a friend who is equally

cynical about silly schidt like that ... EXCEPT !!! that

same friend is one of the "watch stopper" people. He

himself finds that ridiculously hard to swallow, and

especially since it doesn't matter if it's a mechanical

watch or a quartz timed watch ! Seriously, sounds so

insane, but he's a doubter about all kindza similar BS

and craziness, yet he's got that spooky problem ! 

 

And so, the latest version of the watch stopper thing

appears to Maxdog and his sony problem. Well IF my

friend turns out to be not unique, that is assuming that

there are other watch stopper peeps amongst us, it's

just possible that there are other Maxdogs as well. So

if you wanna get into sony, make sure it's a returnable

purchase. You'll know right away if you have the same

affliction as Maxdog. The camera will do REALLY bad

schidt nearly all the time. It will help enormously if you

can test the sony directly against a nikon, as scientific

control for your experiment. But even without a nikon

as a control, be sure to wear asbestos underwear !

  

`

[Portrait Painter X]

Thanks Golem. Can't say that I take him seriously though. That blog of his is so biased and dichotomical that I don't know if he's a troll or not. Criticism is fine and well, but this guy seems to be on some sort of mission. I can find things I like and dislike about all camera brands, but to bash Sony like this is just... well, what's the point?