Sony A7 users?

ImThatGuy

Hello!

So I'm looking for some feedback from Sony A7 users, I'm planning to bite the bullet and get a used/new A7S (probably) and would love to hear some feedback. Ideally if the you have the 24-70 f/4 too that would be great, sites elsewhere have very conflicting reviews.

A bit of background, I used to be a Canon DSLR guy (6D) but got sick of the weight and size, I then decided to downgrade to a good compact (Canon G7X) in the hope of getting good image quality in a compact body but after using it for a few months use I miss the versatility of a DSLR, I want to have the option to buy a sharp prime and have a fixed focal length.

I'm also interested in Video, I used the 6D quite a bit for this and my understanding is the A7S is a great camera for this, 4K doesn't interest me though.

I'm aware lenses are expensive and sparse but the size, image quality and build are what appeal to me.

Any one have any thoughts or suggestions?

Cheers!

gloobag

I have an A7RII and A7II. The only native Sony lenses I have are the 35mm F2.8 and the 55mm F1.8. Both of those lenses are great. I have no experience with the 24-70, but there's a lot of negative reviews out there for it.

The A7s is essentially a video camera. I know it can shoot stills, but it's not that great in that department. Low resolution and poor AF capabilities. Even the new A7sII doesn't really improve things that much in the stills department. Unless your main focus is video or extreme low light photography, I really wouldn't bother with it.

The A7RII is the best camera I have ever owned. I use it professionally for stills. I was a Canon shooter for years, and like you, wanted something a bit lighter. Long days holding up a 5Dmkiii with battery grip and 85mm L lens started to take its toll on my back. I used a Fuji set up for a while, they were nice and light and fun to use, but I wasn't happy with the lack of resolution and poor detail rendering, so eventually moved to Sony.

The A7II might be a good choice for you, and I'd say you could find it for a good price these days. It shoots good 1080P video, and is a great stills camera as well. It also just recently got a firmware update that improved it's AF performance quite a bit. You'd also gain the in body stabilisation which the A7S doesn't have. I use mine as a backup camera mostly, but I took it on a 3 week trip through Vietnam last year and it was fantastic. I carried it everywhere, even up mountains, and it never once felt like it was in the way or a burden.

Zak Flaps

gloobag wrote: »

I have an A7RII and A7II. The only native Sony lenses I have are the 35mm F2.8 and the 55mm F1.8. Both of those lenses are great. I have no experience with the 24-70, but there's a lot of negative reviews out there for it.

The A7s is essentially a video camera. I know it can shoot stills, but it's not that great in that department. Low resolution and poor AF capabilities. Even the new A7sII doesn't really improve things that much in the stills department. Unless your main focus is video or extreme low light photography, I really wouldn't bother with it.

The A7RII is the best camera I have ever owned. I use it professionally for stills. I was a Canon shooter for years, and like you, wanted something a bit lighter. Long days holding up a 5Dmkiii with battery grip and 85mm L lens started to take its toll on my back. I used a Fuji set up for a while, they were nice and light and fun to use, but I wasn't happy with the lack of resolution and poor detail rendering, so eventually moved to Sony.

The A7II might be a good choice for you, and I'd say you could find it for a good price these days. It shoots good 1080P video, and is a great stills camera as well. It also just recently got a firmware update that improved it's AF performance quite a bit. You'd also gain the in body stabilisation which the A7S doesn't have. I use mine as a backup camera mostly, but I took it on a 3 week trip through Vietnam last year and it was fantastic. I carried it everywhere, even up mountains, and it never once felt like it was in the way or a burden.

What's the video like for the A7R ii ?

gloobag

Zak Flaps wrote: »

What's the video like for the A7R ii ?

It's great to be honest. Quality is more than good enough for professional use. Size/weight and in body stabilization are a great combo for event type videos I'd imagine. AF during video works very well if you need it, but for anything serious you'd want to be using manual lenses.

It has the S-Log picture profile as well as various frame rate options, timecodes, dual recording of low res files for easier editing if your PC isn't up to handling 4k etc. It's definitely no slouch in the video department.

I think the only thing the A7s series has over it is the insane ISO performance. But the A7RII has the much better AF and 42Mp sensor.

Zak Flaps

gloobag wrote: »

It's great to be honest. Quality is more than good enough for professional use. Size/weight and in body stabilization are a great combo for event type videos I'd imagine. AF during video works very well if you need it, but for anything serious you'd want to be using manual lenses.

It has the S-Log picture profile as well as various frame rate options, timecodes, dual recording of low res files for easier editing if your PC isn't up to handling 4k etc. It's definitely no slouch in the video department.

I think the only thing the A7s series has over it is the insane ISO performance. But the A7RII has the much better AF and 42Mp sensor.

Thanks a million for your reply. I'm just a beginner to be honest but am taking the plunge. Will be using camera for both photos and video. Was wondering what was the better all rounder, the a7s ii or a7r ii.

gloobag

Zak Flaps wrote: »

Thanks a million for your reply. I'm just a beginner to be honest but am taking the plunge. Will be using camera for both photos and video. Was wondering what was the better all rounder, the a7s ii or a7r ii.

The A7RII is by far the better all rounder.

challengemaster

gloobag wrote: »

I have an A7RII and A7II. The only native Sony lenses I have are the 35mm F2.8 and the 55mm F1.8. Both of those lenses are great. I have no experience with the 24-70, but there's a lot of negative reviews out there for it.

The A7s is essentially a video camera. I know it can shoot stills, but it's not that great in that department. Low resolution and poor AF capabilities. Even the new A7sII doesn't really improve things that much in the stills department. Unless your main focus is video or extreme low light photography, I really wouldn't bother with it.

The A7RII is the best camera I have ever owned. I use it professionally for stills. I was a Canon shooter for years, and like you, wanted something a bit lighter. Long days holding up a 5Dmkiii with battery grip and 85mm L lens started to take its toll on my back. I used a Fuji set up for a while, they were nice and light and fun to use, but I wasn't happy with the lack of resolution and poor detail rendering, so eventually moved to Sony.

Are you using all your old canon lenses with it?

gloobag

challengemaster wrote: »

Are you using all your old canon lenses with it?

Just my 85mm F1.2 with a cheap Fotodiox adapter. AF works okay. It gets confused sometimes and hunts a bit, but if you're in decent light it's usable. Terrible in low light though. The native lenses are much better if you're going to be relying on AF. In manual focus you have peaking and punch in, which is handy.

ImThatGuy

Thanks for the response Gloobag. I decided to go for the A7S in the end, I was contemplating an A7R but there weren't many used. I then found an A7S new at a great price so bit the bullet with the view to selling on if I wasn't happy.

So far I'm delighted with it, the low light is amazing, and looking at my past photos a lot are in low light or at night so It'll come in handy. I also plan to do a lot more video so pleased with the additional features it offers.

I also bought a used 24-70 f/4. I needed a kit lens for the camera so decided to go with it, again with the view to selling if it wasn't up to a good standard. I'm impressed to be honest, the OSS is very good, at f/4 it's as sharp as the Canon 24-105 if not sharper and it's solidly built.

As for mirrorless vs mirrored I'm delighted so far, the AF can sometimes be a bit slower than a 6D but the size of the camera and the weight make up for that, looking forward to bringing this on my next holiday to travel a bit lighter!

Zak Flaps

gloobag wrote: »

The A7RII is by far the better all rounder.

Thanks again gloobag.
I plan on taking photos of dogs and part of that will involve shooting them
while they run and play. Is the A7r ii good for these type of action photos?
If so, would the A7 ii be good also? Might save a few quid!!!!:)

Thanks again for your advice.