Sony α7s - Game changing for Low Light shooters

TaoTeJared

Thom Hogan seems to disagree, about the Sony RAW files and considering how many cameras he has used, I tend to take his word for it. Thom thinks that the A7r's RAW files are no where near as good as the D800E, but I do not recall the exact details he mentioned. I'll have to look it up.

Edit: He specifically mentions artifacting in RAW and JPEG files, but only with the A7r.

Canon's and Nikon's Raw output is better for sure but not by much.

I have also seen artifacting in the raw files with the Rx1, Nex 7,6,5 and A77. A few make a huge stink about it but it is not noticeable until 800% zoom and would never show on a print. It is just a few pixels in deeper shadows or homogeneous colors like the sky. Certainly not good, but not a negative either.

I think it is Sony's is better than Fuji, Panasonic, Pentax and the older Oly (OM-D EM1's sensor is much improved) raw files for the ability to really edit the files. Sony's files are flat and very neutral and need to be edited a good deal to finish the image.

TaoTeJared

Not sure if anyone saw the pre-orders are out. $2,500.

Sony α7s 12MP full frame mirrorless camera
High ISO setting of 409,600.
SLog-2 Gamma - 1,300% wider increase in Dynamic range
Improved Fast Intelligent AF performance in light as low as EV-4

No takers?

PB_PM

Nope. Why? Total lack native mount lenses.

TaoTeJared

As of right now it is outselling everything from Nikon and Canon on Amazon and it is not due to ship until July 8th! I would say that is a lot of takers.

For those who don't follow other systems, there is a 35mm 2.8, 55mm 1.8 (which has been named the best 50 in production. We will have to see it against Sigma's), and stabilized 24-70mm F4 with many more coming. All are Zeiss branded. If you add a ultra wide angle and a 70-200 you have the whole basic pro-set.

sevencrossing

If you add a ultra wide angle and a 70-200 you have the whole basic pro-set.

Yes when/if they bring out - a fish eye, a 16 -35, a 80 - 400 , a 24mm f1.4 , a 400mm f2.8, a 600mm f4 and a 100mm macro, at a sensible price I might get excited

MikeGunter

Hi all,

@sevencrossing - Yes when/if they bring out - a fish eye, a 16 -35, a 80 - 400 , a 24mm f1.4 , a 400mm f2.8, a 600mm f4 and a 100mm macro, at a sensible price I might get excited

Assuming you had those lenses in Nikon mount and were able to use manual focus the adapters are less than $100 which seems sensible enough to be excited. ;-)

My best,

Mike

snakebunk

I think it is a great concept to make mirrorless full frame cameras. But one silly thing I've been thinking about is how such a small camera is to handle. I often rest my 500 mm lense on hide openings and hold on to my DSLR, but I wonder with such a small camera if I may lose the grip.

sevencrossing

and were able to use manual focus

Sorry Mike I cannot get excited about going back to manual focus. nor can I get excited about adaptors
I would get excited about, a reasonably compact lightweight full frame camera, with light weight compact 24mm, wide aperture lens, that matched the IQ of my D800

MikeGunter

Hi all,

@sevencrossing - Some people can't use manual focusing at all or at least not very well.

Likely, I would be one of them. I have much trouble with my cataracts, and frankly, at my age, I don't hold on to things well either. I use a tripod nearly all the time.

Auto focus is my friend.

The focus peaking used in the Sony a7 _should_ be pretty cool. At least as good as the old prism rangefinders that did a pretty good job of getting focus.

@snakebunk - Different strokes for different blokes... Depends doesn't it? If one is going to haul around a lot of largish lenses a lot or smallish lenses a lot, or if one is going to mix it up a lot.

Personally, I've carried a lot a lot. My profit on it is, I know that I want to lighten my load.

My best,

Mike

Wesley

Looks like there will be Zeiss 16-35mm F4 and "large aperture prime" coming. Along with 28-135mm F4 and "macro" lens.

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/a7s-gets-pricing-in-uk-preorder-and-first-english-fe-lens-roadmap/


a7s full electronic shutter:

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/surprise-or-mistake-sony-a7s-has-full-electronic-shutters-says-german-fotomagazin/

TriShooter

I am in my 70s, and still using manual focus lenses like the 400mm f/3.5 & my splendid 85mm ED f/1.4 because they take great images. Sure I keep a 24-120mm f/4 on my D800 which performs well at F8 using strobes, but still take pictures for fun, and because of that have purchased AT LEAST five Sony cameras in recent years because of Sony's focus peaking which performs pretty doggone well for me. I love my Nikon gear, but clueless as to why Nikon does not offer such a simple, and useful feature on their top-end cameras.

If it is to force me to give up Nikon lenses that I love, which are better built than the ones they make now, to buy an AF-S replacement it is not likely to happen having survived well over 30 years without a buying a complete set of af-s lenses.

I agree with TaoTeJared's comment on the Sony RAW files, but it never held me back because it is one click to change the Sony RAW files into D2X, or D3 mode standard, portrait, neutral, landscape, or vivid digital color in Adobe RAW. The prospect of higher dynamic range is exciting to me no matter who leads the way in making a breakthrough.

Think of the amount of time we all spend creating artificial light scenarios / compression / HDR to help our cameras abysmally approach capturing what our eyes see easily. Low light capability is great for action shots which I do for fun, and my big lenses do shake a lot less without the mirror slap. But dynamic range is, at least for me, the Holy Grail of making better images if all other things I want are acceptably close.

I just sold all my Sony gear, but kept the converters for my Nikon lenses.