Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Sony Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       end
  

Archive 2014 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance

  
 
shelt
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Hi All,

A first pass at comparing the a7 and a7ii with respect to smearing and color shift on the 24 Elmar. My impression is that color shift is about the same, and that there may be a very slight smearing advantage to the a7ii. Note that the lens + adapter fit very tight on the a7ii, and there is a very slight play when attached to the a7. In the test shots below, I shot the 24 Elmar at f/5.6 (it really needs f/8), and applied the FF plugin corrections from my old a7 profiles to both shots.

I think it's safest to say the performance is "roughly the same" but it will take more scientific testing with various lenses to confirm that.

There are links to the large screenshot versions on Flickr below.


Lower Right Corner at 2:1 magnification

a7 vs a7ii 2:1 Magnification by shelt59, on Flickr

Upper Left Corner at 2:1 Magnification

a7 vs a7ii 2:1 Magnification by shelt59, on Flickr




Dec 16, 2014 at 02:16 PM
Desmolicious
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Thanks for posting this. I'm only going to use it with 35mm and up lenses if I get one.
Do you mind testing for sensor reflections? That would concern me more for my uses.

Much appreciated.



Dec 16, 2014 at 02:36 PM
shelt
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


So...I retested the scene above with two other LM - E Mount adapters. There is enough noise in the tests for me to feel the two bodies are about the same with respect to smearing and color shift.

The a7ii is definitely much better with reflections! Here's a quick and dirty from my living room last night:

Sensor reflections -- a7 vs a7ii by shelt59, on Flickr



Dec 16, 2014 at 03:01 PM
Steve Spencer
Online
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


shelt wrote:
So...I retested the scene above with two other LM - E Mount adapters. There is enough noise in the tests for me to feel the two bodies are about the same with respect to smearing and color shift.

The a7ii is definitely much better with reflections! Here's a quick and dirty from my living room last night:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7531/16037763985_6467b05a28_b.jpgSensor reflections -- a7 vs a7ii by shelt59, on Flickr


That seems consistent with other reports and is great news. I still hope to get mine later this week. If not I will have to wait until after the new year



Dec 16, 2014 at 03:10 PM
pdmphoto
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


The pictures need to have the same exposure, the light source has to be at the same location in the frame, with the camera and light source at the exact same locations for both shots. It looks like the A7 picture was exposed more than the A7II. Maybe Sony dialed in their lofty ISO numbers a bit on the A7II?


Dec 16, 2014 at 03:20 PM
arduluth
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Maybe it's just me, but the improvement in smearing is definitely there. It's especially noticeable in the buildings in the first example.


Dec 16, 2014 at 03:25 PM
shelt
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


pdmphoto wrote:
The pictures need to have the same exposure, the light source has to be at the same location in the frame, with the camera and light source at the exact same locations for both shots. It looks like the A7 picture was exposed more than the A7II. Maybe Sony dialed in their lofty ISO numbers a bit on the A7II?


I agree there's a slight difference in exposure -- not sure why. But...I can tell you the reflections difference is obvious in person. You can look through the viewfinder and see the difference right away when scanning bright sources. To me, the a7ii looks about the same as the a7r with respect to internal reflections.

I'll try to do some streetlight shots once it stops raining a bit, but the improvement is pretty clear and very welcomed. It may not be perfect, but it's a lot better.



Dec 16, 2014 at 03:26 PM
shelt
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


arduluth wrote:
Maybe it's just me, but the improvement in smearing is definitely there. It's especially noticeable in the buildings in the first example.


Yes, but when I tried different adapters, the results were mixed. I'm pretty sure now there isn't a clear difference. I suspect the mount, adapter, and tolerances are affecting things much more than the sensor.



Dec 16, 2014 at 03:28 PM
turnstyle
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


This is a super cool thread, thanks for doing it!


Dec 16, 2014 at 03:49 PM
Desmolicious
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Thank you very much Shelt!


Dec 16, 2014 at 06:35 PM
mcbroomf
Online
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Thanks for the test and commentary about flare. This is v. good news for me and may be my tipping point, although it will be a couple of months before I spring for one.


Dec 16, 2014 at 08:08 PM
Desmolicious
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


shelt wrote

I'll try to do some streetlight shots once it stops raining a bit, but the improvement is pretty clear and very welcomed. It may not be perfect, but it's a lot better.


Any luck with those? Anxiously waiting for the results!





Dec 17, 2014 at 03:33 PM
shelt
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Desmolicious wrote:
Any luck with those? Anxiously waiting for the results!



Still raining here. Maybe I'll try some more indoor shots before the streetlights...



Dec 17, 2014 at 03:42 PM
shelt
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Desmolicious, here's an inside shot using the a7 and a7ii, 35 Summilux FLE at f/11, and the same manual exposures. I think the a7ii is in a slightly worse location (lights closer to corner), so the difference may be slightly more. a7ii reflections are not completely gone, but are dramatically better than the a7. Anecdotally, i think the a7ii and a7r behave in a pretty similar way. Reflections are not 100% gone, but are certainly tolerable for me. I'll try to get some outdoor comparisons soon...


Upper Right Corner:

a7 vs a7ii - Sensor Reflections by shelt59, on Flickr

The Full Frame:

a7 vs a7ii - Sensor Reflections by shelt59, on Flickr

And a bonus shot. The excellent Ricoh GR vs a7ii. I find the GR to be a great nightscape camera...

Sensor Relections a7ii vs Ricoh GR by shelt59, on Flickr

Edited on Dec 17, 2014 at 06:00 PM · View previous versions



Dec 17, 2014 at 04:33 PM
Desmolicious
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Thanks again Shelt. That really illustrates the difference well, unlike some really famous online reviewers who make no mention of the issue, even when queried.
That is a tremendous difference, and unless the upcoming A9/A7rii is something really really special, I think I've found my next camera.



Dec 17, 2014 at 05:49 PM
mcbroomf
Online
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Excellent, thanks Shelt!


Dec 17, 2014 at 05:52 PM
carstenw
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Amazing! Now I am really tempted to upgrade... I will hold out for the firmware update to fix the Auto-ISO issue


Dec 17, 2014 at 06:51 PM
WhyFi
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Thanks much for putting in the work and sharing with us.


Dec 17, 2014 at 07:08 PM
shelt
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Here's a quick and dirty set of some VERY bright LED streetlights during a rainstorm. Sorry for the sloppy shooting settings and focus, but I was trying not to soak my gear! The results were pretty consistent with the indoor shots above -- the a7ii still has some minor reflections in extreme conditions, whereas the a7 shows issues much more easily. Notice the smaller streetlight on the left...

Full Scene

a7 vs a7ii Sensor Reflection by shelt59, on Flickr

And a crop:

a7 vs a7ii Sensor Reflection by shelt59, on Flickr

Edited on Dec 17, 2014 at 10:37 PM · View previous versions



Dec 17, 2014 at 08:56 PM
snapsy
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · a7ii vs a7 - Rangefinder Lens Performance


Great stuff Shelt, thanks!


Dec 17, 2014 at 09:27 PM
1
       2       end




FM Forums | Sony Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       end
    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.