I have been a Nikon user for the whole of my professional life. Starting out with the d700 and moving onto the D4 then D4s. Today, I think this might have changed. This morning, a friendly delivery man handed me an orange & black box.
Sony has been much discussed in photography circles lately, and even more so in my living room. Andy, who has been second shooting for me recently, bought a Sony a7s last year and has been raving about it (persistently) ever since. I politely smiled and nodded along to his rambling monologues about ISO performance and how sharp the Sony Zeiss lenses were, but honestly? I was doubtful Sony would stand up against the Nikon and Canon images I am so used to working with.
How wrong I was! The photos coming from Andy’s little 12 megapixel mirrorless camera were stunning. Superior over the D4s in low light (this thing literally sees in the dark!) and boy the Sony Zeiss lenses (particularly the 55mm 1.8 and 35mm 1.4) are sharp. Very very sharp. SHARP.
By the time the a7rII was announced, my concerns about mirrorless image quality had entirely evaporated. I really wanted this camera.
So back to this little orange & black box… I’m used to having a D4s and a D4 hanging from my sides like two concrete blocks. I have to go through doors sideways, and my back after a wedding? Ouch! :/ The a7rII is small and lightweight, but feels solid and fits well in the hand. The ergonomics are an improvement over the first generation of a7 series cameras, which had a slightly odd shutter button position and I found the grip a little bit too shallow. With the 55mm 1.8 the whole thing weighs about 900 grams. My D4s with Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART comes in at over 2000 grams. My back is already thanking me!
This afternoon I headed over to Andy’s recording studio to try it out in a low light environment. I don’t know what it is about musicians, but they seem to enjoy gloom. ;) They call it vibey or moody apparently! :P I also dragged Andy’s parents, Ian and Fiona, down to Penarth Pier for an impromptu shoot. Unfortunately the dull weather was not on our side, no sun flares, back light or nice contrast this time! I don’t think I’ve used the camera long enough to comment in detail on things like autofocus. It felt fast using the native E mount lenses, even in the lower light of the studio I had no issues. Maybe a more in depth review will come later on. I can’t wait to try it on my next wedding photography job!
Opening the files in Lightroom was nothing other than a ‘WOW’ moment. I was and still am completely blown away by the detail in these images. Nothing else really needs to be said!
Here is a selection of images from today, all taken with 35mm 1.4 & 55mm 1.8 Sony Zeiss lenses. I’ve included most of the 100% crops as well.
Huge thanks to Brownie, Harri & Daf, and also Fiona & Ian for their patience with my lack of camera confidence today!
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Aperture: 1.6
Shutter: 1:320
ISO: 200
and much closer into the same picture
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Aperture: 1.6
Shutter: 1:500
ISO: 200
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Harry playing piano, natural light this time
Aperture: 2
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 500
and crop to 2048px again
***
Aperture: 1.6
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 200
insane detail on the mic! :O
***
Aperture: 1.6
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 1600
100% cropped in again:
***
Aperture: 1.7
Shutter: 1:8000
ISO: 200
***
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter: 1:8000
ISO: 200
100% cropped in
***
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1:8000
ISO: 200
***
Aperture: 1.7
Shutter: 1:5000
ISO: 200
***
Aperture: 1.4
Shutter: 1:8000
ISO: 200
100% cropped in
***
Aperture: 1.7
Shutter: 1:8000
ISO: 200
100% cropped in
***
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter: 1:2000
ISO: 200
***
Aperture: 1.7
Shutter: 1:5000
ISO: 200
100% cropped in
***
Aperture: 1.7
Shutter: 1:2000
ISO: 200
***
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 4000
100% cropped in
***
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 1600
***
Aperture: 1.6
Shutter: 1:6 (!)
ISO: 200
***
Aperture: 1.6
Shutter: 1:160
ISO: 200
***
Aperture: 2
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 1000
***
Aperture: 2
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 12800
***
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 640
***
Aperture: 1.6
Shutter: 1:200
ISO: 200
this one is about 70% cropped in
***
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter: 1:250
ISO: 2000
***
Aperture: 1.8
Shutter: 1250
ISO: 1000
SUPERB! Very good investment, I am so excited to see how you bring it to great use at weddings and your music photography. I LOVE the sharpness!!!
I’m very curious to get your thoughts on the AF performance as a wedding photographer. So far the early reports have been SO mixed. Some saying it is fast other saying it is terrible.
Most importantly you seem to be taking some beautiful pictures straight out of the box. So good to see a new camera not getting in your way. Some of the couple pictures are stunning. Great moments and expression with a fitting composition and exposure.
Don’t see anyone saying AF is terrible on this camera. Some tests show the AF is slow with adapted Canon or Sony A lenses but native lenses are fast and so are more recent Canon mount lenses. More than useable AF
A great little write up Aga, and some wonderful images to go with it. I’ve had many heated discussions with fellow Canon users about the company’s lack of innovation for the past few years. Aside from maybe the 5DS/5DSr (which I’m still not 100% taken in by) they haven’t really done much to impress me personally. Sony are by far and a way leading the pack in terms of product development. If I wasn’t using Canon, and I had money, I’d be seriously tempted to head down the same route as you.
Looking forward to your thoughts on usability after your first wedding with it.
Are most of these taken with the 55 or 35? I’ve avoided the 35 simply because of its size.
Most were taken with the 35mm Dave, I know, it’s large but gosh, it’s the best 35mm I’ve ever had the pleasure to use.
I’ve also been considering Sony as a lighter system, but the onion-ring bokeh looks distracting. I prefer smooth bokeh so I guess I won’t be switching yet. Is it just the 35mm that exhibits this behavior?
Amazing shots! Would you mind sharing your sharpening technique? Are you using High Pass, Unsharp Mask (what levels?) or a plug-in?
Really nice shots here. Think it’s the first time I’ve seen photos that actually make me want to invest in a Sony A7Rii. Have you used yours with Canon fit lenses at all, along with an adaptor? Or do you stick to using the Sony fit lenses?