Sony Sony A7 & A7R TCSTV Video

Jordan, good to finally see your face!

That being said, where do I sign up to preorder???? Do y'all ship to the US?

I'm stopping all purchase plans on other gear and waiting on these bad boys!! The difficulty now will be which one to get. 7 or 7r?

Well, almost all purchases.
 
First few questions!

- How does it handle wide angle Leica M mount lenses? Any red corner issues like the NEX?

- Is the phase detection on the A7 compatible only with the new lenses? Or does it work with Sony A mount lenses as well?

- For E mount lenses, does the camera just crop the image? Any vignetting?

Thanks!
 
Here's a few answers:
- The widest lens I test was a Leica 28mm F2, which was a hair soft in the edges wide open, but fine by F2.8. Similar performance to a Leica M Type 240. I think the sensor is actually curved to improve wide angle performance.

- I only had the LA-EA3 adaptor available, and there was no AF with A-Mount lenses. You'll need the LA-EA4 adaptor.

- There is vignetting with NEX glass, as you can see in the video. You can either manually crop, or have the camera do a 1.5X crop for you. With many lenses, you'll get a larger image by manually cropping.
 
It's a cliche, but I'm thinking "game changer". It'd be the 7, not 7R for me - I'd take faster AF and better high ISO over the extra resolution. Maybe the 35mm, Zeiss 24-70 for travel, and some manual focus glass for wide (28 and 24, or maybe 21) and ultra wide (15). I could get down to this for the bulk of non street, the OMD and 75mm for candid portraits, and the Nikon A for street. Conceptually, I'm liking this a lot.

-Ray
 
Great preview of the A7/R, Jordan, thanks!

Quick (I hope) question: how did you like that 35mm for landscape stuff? Curious if you could tell how it held up, stopped down, in the corners and at infinity?
 
The A7r with its resolution monster 36MP sensor without IBIS will be unforgiving to even the slightest camera shake. From a usability standpoint the A7 could be the sweet spot.
 
^ well, with higher resolution you'll see any camera shake more easily (provided you view the image at a size that allows you to discern the full 36mp of resolution). But ofcourse with these cameras you can keep the shutter speeds high in most conditions and still get great image quality thanks to the state of the art FF sensor.

I'd love to get the a7r with a wide aperture, super-wide angle, compact, weathersealed prime (am I dreaming now? hell yeah!). Combined with the RX10 for tele work and a Ricoh GR for snapshots or street work, I'd be set for life!
 
Thanks for the video Jordan!

36MP is equal to 15.5MP APSC, so I don't think I will see any more shake then what I got from 16MP nex-6... People are using 24MP nex-7 with no problem also...
 
^ well, with higher resolution you'll see any camera shake more easily (provided you view the image at a size that allows you to discern the full 36mp of resolution). But ofcourse with these cameras you can keep the shutter speeds high in most conditions and still get great image quality thanks to the state of the art FF sensor.

I'd love to get the a7r with a wide aperture, super-wide angle, compact, weathersealed prime (am I dreaming now? hell yeah!). Combined with the RX10 for tele work and a Ricoh GR for snapshots or street work, I'd be set for life!



I was concerned about camera shake when I bought the Rx1, and found it to be a non issue, so we shall see with the 36mp sensor. I can handhold at some slow shutter speeds and get great results with the Rx1.. I just don't buy the remark 'unforgiveable to the slightest of camera shake', unless this person speaks from experience from using the A7r, or maybe for him its true, as he could be a shaky shooter to begin with for all I know... Or this person could prove to be absolutely correct, but as for now, I don't think I personally will have a issue with camera shake... Then don't forget, some of these lens have stabilization..
 
im on public JUNK wifi, so cant watch the video... whats the shutter sound like compared to an em5? i read that it was NOT quiet... i think im spoiled by these leaf shutter compacts
 
It's a cliche, but I'm thinking "game changer". It'd be the 7, not 7R for me - I'd take faster AF and better high ISO over the extra resolution. Maybe the 35mm, Zeiss 24-70 for travel, and some manual focus glass for wide (28 and 24, or maybe 21) and ultra wide (15). I could get down to this for the bulk of non street, the OMD and 75mm for candid portraits, and the Nikon A for street. Conceptually, I'm liking this a lot.

-Ray





Probably a similar scenario to the RX1/RX1r .....the RX1 being slightly edged out in sharpness but have having slightly better high ISO and DR. In that regard the A7 wins for me....and of course the faster AF.
 
Great review. Best ive seen yet, and i love your informative videos more so than certain hong kong based jokesters.

Never thought about the metabones +7 + canon FF glass. Thats pretty crazy!! Will really lower the barrier to trying out this body.
 
Great review. Best ive seen yet, and i love your informative videos more so than certain hong kong based jokesters.
So true! As a car buff, I tend to compare it to Top Gear vs Fifth Gear. Top Gear is funny, but it's basically useless if you want to learn about cars. It's purely entertainment. Fifth Gear is also entertaining, but there's (often) real substance behind it. But this comparison isn't really applicable anymore, since lately the HK Jokester is obviously bored out of his mind from doing these "reviews", and it shows; the entertainment value has been lost as well.
 
Sony's A7 and A7r are very interesting cameras. As a Nikon 1 user frustrated with Nikon's hesitation and marketing incompetence regarding mirrorless cameras, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write a short article on my blog. It goes like this:

Sony A7 and A7r…the unofficial Nikon 2 system said:
Nikon 1 system bashers often say that the 1” sensor is too small, that N1 should have had an APS-C size sensor from the get go and that therefore the system in its current form is a major failure. In my humble opinion this is all nonsense. Disregarding the usability quirks, lack of some features and price, the N1 system is good just the way it is. There is nothing wrong with the sensor. In my mind Nikon couldn’t have chosen a better sensor format to segment the market more efficiently in regards to image quality and size. When you think about it, N1 is right in the middle. Upgrading from a smartphone or a compact to N1 gives you a nice, big boost in image quality and flexibility (lenses and accessories). The same is true when upgrading from N1 to full frame should you decide that you need even better IQ. Therefore, what Nikon should do next, is not ditch the N1 system in favour of APS-C, but rather introduce a Nikon 2 system with full frame cameras and lenses. In my opinion Sony full frame NEX cameras, A7 and A7r, are what Nikon 2 should look like, plus on sensor phase-detect AF employed in N1 cameras. Considering that two FF Sonys have just been introduced, Nikon maybe already way too late to the party.

There are so many things going in favour of Sony’s A7s. First and obvious pro is the large sensor in a tiny, carry anywhere body. The size and weight advantage is more than obvious when compared to FF DSLRs like the 5D Mark III, 6D and Nikon’s D600/D610 and D800. While I wouldn’t want to go back to large cameras such as these, despite fabulous image quality, I’m seriously considering the lower-end A7.

Sure, it is expensive in absolute terms. Compared to FF DSLRs, however, the price is just right. Look at it this way: despite lacking many mechanical parts, like the mirror box, most MILCs are more expensive than comparable, much larger and material intensive, DSLRs. The Sony A7s are not. Their prices are in line with what you would expect for a similarly spec’d FF DSLR or lower, depending on the models you are comparing. Unlike other MILCs, you don’t pay extra for the size and weight advantage, which is another plus.

One additional thing I like is that Sony have learned some lessons since they have introduced the APS-C NEX system. Instead of hesitant lens introduction, fuzzy lens roadmap, and zooms with overlapping focal lengths, Sony’s marketing approach is bold and decisive this time around. Focusing on primes and releasing a clear lens roadmap on day one is how it’s done. This is a page Nikon should take from Sony’s book. After the comment on “reconsidering Nikon 1” many users have considered jumping ship. What have Nikon done? Nothing! To me, and I’m no marketing expert, the most obvious thing a company in that situation should do, is reassure actual and potential users, that the system is still alive and kicking. Not stay silent and introduce a camera that implies major repositioning and refocusing on an ultra-small niche market. Sure you could introduce such a camera, but AFTER you have reassured existing users! I bet Porsche owners eagerly awaiting a new 911 wouldn’t appreciate 0 info on the new model, while Porsche is introducing a company’s first 911 jet boat. They would be pissed and rightfully so.

I have a feeling that one of these days I will grow impatient of waiting for Nikon to learn how to market a mirrorless system. In which case I will probably keep my V1 and lenses for all those situations, where speed and portability are crucial, but I will most certainly stop holding my breath for an affordable 32/1.8, fast standard zoom, native telephoto and macro. I will add another system to complement my N1. And Sony’s A7s may just be it.

The only thing I don’t like about the A7s are the lens prices. Primes are priced similarly to DSLR lenses which are 1 to 2 stops faster. The 55mm f/1.8 costs more than twice as much as a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 and almost three times as much as a Canon 50mm f/1.4. The 35mm f/2.8 is only $100 shy of the excellent Sigma 35mm f/1.4 and costs $250 more than a Canon 35mm f/2 IS. Thankfully the A7 is cheaper than D610 and considerably cheaper than the 5D Mark III and A7r undercuts the Nikon D800 by almost $400.
 
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