"Autofocus is supported, with the following known limitations.
Autofocus speed is very slow and inadequate for most moving subjects. The autofocus speed is unfit for professional use for sure, and it would disappoint most enthusiasts.
Only Canon-branded lenses introduced in or after 2006 are officially supported. Autofocus may be disabled for older Canon lenses and most third-party lenses, including most Sigma, Tamron and Tokina lenses and all Contax N lenses modified by Conurus."
p.16 #3 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
I was initially excited at the thought of getting this for backpacking, but after looking at the weight of the Sony lenses and comparing to a similiar Canon 6D setup, the weight difference doesn't appear to be worth the cost. Again, this is only for my specific needs as I usually carry
Sony System
Camera - 522 grams with extra battery
24-70 lens - 426 grams
70-200 lens - 840 grams
Total - 1788 grams
Canon 6D
Camera - 770 (no extra battery as battery life is double Sony)
24-70 f/4 lens - 600 grams (670 grams for 24-105mm)
70-200 f/4 IS lens - 760 grams
Total - 2130 grams
So, the Canon system is about 15% heavier (or about 11 ounces), which when backpacking, would definitely be nice to have. But for the cost, it doesn't appear to be a great investment for me.
Definitely like where the industry is heading though, so hopefully a few more options will pop up in the near future.
p.16 #6 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
michael49 wrote:
I just broke down and pre-ordered the A7. My first dSLR was the Canon 350D in 2005 and this is the first time that I've pre-ordered anything.
Congrats. Are you pre-ordering any lenses? I know you like 35mm FOV...
p.16 #7 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
mco_970 wrote:
Congrats. Are you pre-ordering any lenses? I know you like 35mm FOV...
Thanks Michelle. I love the 35mm FOV, but I just wish the 35mm was f/2, f/2.8 is slower than I'd like.
I do have the Canon 40mm f/2.8, but then I'd need to get the pricey Metabones adapter. I've also been thinking about the Voigt 40mm f/2, which I think would be a perfect match with this camera.
p.16 #8 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
itai195 wrote:
What about the touit lenses? Or the Zeiss 24mm ZA and/or Fuji 23mm? Those are all pretty nice lenses.
Anyway, I don't think it's a stretch to say that many posters in this thread are excited about these cameras primarily for the purpose of using alt lenses. That's why I found a comment about AF kind of odd.
i've actually been pretty disappointed with the ZA 24/1.8 and the touits. the fuji i quite like but it lacks the cross the frame sharpness and a little of the pop of the new 55/1.8 (as judged by a few samples and the mtfs of course).
compare sony's calculated mtfs of the ZA 24/1.8 to the ZA FE 35/2.8 and you'll see the new lens is quite a bit better (and half the size!) while being the same equivalent focal length and aperture.
the touit 32's mtfs aren't directly comparable to the ZA FE 55/1.8's but you can get a general idea of the performance. you can see a lot more from looking at the pics. the ZA is obviously much better corrected and also has less harsh bokeh.
one big aspect of performance is the sensor though. the FF sensor means that even if the touit 32 and ZA 55 had identical mtfs (which they don't) the ZA would stomp it because 1mm of an aps-c sensor is a much bigger portion of the sensor than 1mm of a FF sensor.
finally, on an unrelated note, i also vote that one of the redundant threads be closed.
"Autofocus is supported, with the following known limitations.
Autofocus speed is very slow and inadequate for most moving subjects. The autofocus speed is unfit for professional use for sure, and it would disappoint most enthusiasts.
Only Canon-branded lenses introduced in or after 2006 are officially supported. Autofocus may be disabled for older Canon lenses and most third-party lenses, including most Sigma, Tamron and Tokina lenses and all Contax N lenses modified by Conurus."
Graham
I'll go out on limb and predict we will see some good AF adapters for both canon and nikon within a year or so as a result of the A7r.
p.16 #10 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
I was really looking forward to getting a FF Nex as a backup/complement for my M9...but I must say that I'm somewhat disappointed. Don't take me wrong - it's great that Sony came up with these cameras and at a reasonable price point. I'm sure the image quality will be very good.
However I'm disappointed by the form factor. We're entering DSLR territory here. A NEX-5 sized camera would be awesome. The A7 form factor with something that looks like a fake pentaprism... not so much. The M9/M240 Leicas are IMO a bit too big - and the A7s are even bigger.
I can definitely see it as a replacement for a Canonikon DSLR. Unfortunately it won't for me. I have a Canon 5DII that I use for video and it shoots RAW video.. something the A7 does not... It would have been wonderful if it did - then I could get rid of all my DSLR lenses and gear.. but it doesn't.
I'm sure that the A7:s will be what many people here have been looking for and that's great - I'm looking forward to seeing the photos Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will work for me - something that I had hoped
p.16 #11 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
denoir wrote:
I was really looking forward to getting a FF Nex as a backup/complement for my M9...but I must say that I'm somewhat disappointed. Don't take me wrong - it's great that Sony came up with these cameras and at a reasonable price point. I'm sure the image quality will be very good.
However I'm disappointed by the form factor. We're entering DSLR territory here. A NEX-5 sized camera would be awesome. The A7 form factor with something that looks like a fake pentaprism... not so much. The M9/M240 Leicas are IMO a bit too big - and the A7s are even bigger.
I can definitely see it as a replacement for a Canonikon DSLR. Unfortunately it won't for me. I have a Canon 5DII that I use for video and it shoots RAW video.. something the A7 does not... It would have been wonderful if it did - then I could get rid of all my DSLR lenses and gear.. but it doesn't.
I'm sure that the A7:s will be what many people here have been looking for and that's great - I'm looking forward to seeing the photos Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will work for me - something that I had hoped ...Show more →
I'm not sure I'd call the A7 bigger than the m240. Without the EVF hump on top, it would be much smaller, but I don't think the EVF makes the camera carry bigger than the m240. Plus, the A7 is 200 grams lighter.
p.16 #12 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
douglasf13 wrote:
I'm not sure I'd call the A7 bigger than the m240. Without the EVF in top, it would be much smaller, but I don't think the EVF makes the camera carry bigger than the m240. Plus, the A7 is 200 grams lighter.
Link to size
And we're talking about a 'naked' M240. Add an EVF on top of a M240 and the difference in size is still more obvious.
p.16 #13 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
uhoh7 wrote:
The FPS and AF are they only thing holding up CANIKON at the moment. Maybe sony felt sorry for them
We will see a bigger model in January with really good AF I'd bet.
Lenses are and will come out of the woodwork.
The shutter noise has also left a few survivors: that is a real shame. Oh well, just have to brace myself for the reaction.
Can someone enlighten me on the reasons why the AF is inferior to a traditional DSLR? Is it something inherent to mirrorless in general or something specific to this new system? AI Servo is super important to me right now shooting sports, and from what I can gather in reading this thread this probably isn't a camera I'd want to use for sports photography.
p.16 #14 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
Jman13 wrote:
Shh...don't feed my dumb brain. He needs to be quieted.
Rational me says: More MP means nothing to me...I've been shooting with 16MP sensors for 4 years and have never really wanted for more resolution. DR is also a minimal increase. I've pulled absolutely insane shadows and highlights out of my Fuji files, to a point where I almost never shoot HDR any more because the pulled and pushed single file ends up looking better than a 5 stop bracketed HDR. I feel no real need for an extra stop of DR. Tonality...Fuji's tonality is pretty darn good. Is the A7 better? Yeah, probably a little, but not THAT much. Well-behaved Bayer? You have a point, though with C1, I almost never have an issue with X-Trans, even with foliage heavy scenes. I'm sure the 55/1.8 is sharper at the edges than the 35/1.4. But again, $1400 sharper? That's the kicker. Do I WANT the A7 with 55/1.8? Yes...yes I do. Does it make SENSE for me to spend the money on it?
p.16 #15 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
jim bennett wrote:
Can someone enlighten me on the reasons why the AF is inferior to a traditional DSLR? Is it something inherent to mirrorless in general or something specific to this new system? AI Servo is super important to me right now shooting sports, and from what I can gather in reading this thread this probably isn't a camera I'd want to use for sports photography.
DSLR uses Phase Detect AF whereas mirrorless has traditonally used Contrast Detect AF with some on sensor Phase Detect AF systems just starting to show up. A7r uses only Contrast Detect AF. A7 uses both with PHase Detect on sensor BUT DSLR Phase Detect is still superior (Olympus seems to be the best with AF and Mirrorless thus far, though I'm not sure it's equel to high end DSLR Phase Detect yet).
If you shoot sports, DSLR is going to be superior and neither of these new Sony's will make you happy with AF.
p.16 #16 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
denoir wrote:
I was really looking forward to getting a FF Nex as a backup/complement for my M9...but I must say that I'm somewhat disappointed. Don't take me wrong - it's great that Sony came up with these cameras and at a reasonable price point. I'm sure the image quality will be very good.
However I'm disappointed by the form factor. We're entering DSLR territory here. A NEX-5 sized camera would be awesome. The A7 form factor with something that looks like a fake pentaprism... not so much. The M9/M240 Leicas are IMO a bit too big - and the A7s are even bigger.
I can definitely see it as a replacement for a Canonikon DSLR. Unfortunately it won't for me. I have a Canon 5DII that I use for video and it shoots RAW video.. something the A7 does not... It would have been wonderful if it did - then I could get rid of all my DSLR lenses and gear.. but it doesn't.
I'm sure that the A7:s will be what many people here have been looking for and that's great - I'm looking forward to seeing the photos Unfortunately it doesn't look like it will work for me - something that I had hoped ...Show more →
I think you overestimate the size of the A7, or at least I hope you do. But I totally agree regardless, I would prefer a nex 5 FF. By far. If we could get the r sensor.
p.16 #18 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
jmontagu13 wrote:
I was initially excited at the thought of getting this for backpacking, but after looking at the weight of the Sony lenses and comparing to a similiar Canon 6D setup, the weight difference doesn't appear to be worth the cost. Again, this is only for my specific needs as I usually carry
Sony System
Camera - 522 grams with extra battery
24-70 lens - 426 grams
70-200 lens - 840 grams
Total - 1788 grams
Canon 6D
Camera - 770 (no extra battery as battery life is double Sony)
24-70 f/4 lens - 600 grams (670 grams for 24-105mm)
70-200 f/4 IS lens - 760 grams
Total - 2130 grams
So, the Canon system is about 15% heavier (or about 11 ounces), which when backpacking, would definitely be nice to have. But for the cost, it doesn't appear to be a great investment for me.
Definitely like where the industry is heading though, so hopefully a few more options will pop up in the near future....Show more →
I like your reasoned approach to this. I am also a backpacking / climbing / skiing photographer and have been chasing the holy grail of cameras for a decade already - everything is either too big / heavy or too compromised on IQ. I tried using the Canon 6D with a 24-70 f/4 but even that was way too bulky / heavy for me.
This past summer / fall I used a Sony RX1 and RX100II which worked very well, but the RX100II compromises too much on the IQ front.
I think for your specific set of lens requirements, you make a reasonable argument - although from a bulk perspective the A7 system will be much smaller, physically, which makes carrying it around much easier. You also have to wonder if the 36mp and 24-70 Zeiss will outperform the Canon.
And don't forget - the A7 can be made much smaller / lighter with some primes so there's always that option too. For me the new system is a total no-brainer, but I won't be getting rid of either my RX1 or RX100II simply because nothing can touch that combo for weight / size / IQ right now. Hopefully Sony does a better job of releasing lenses for the FE system than they did for NEX or we'll be waiting years to get anything other than the launch lenses...
p.16 #19 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
Tariq Gibran wrote:
DSLR uses Phase Detect AF whereas mirrorless has traditonally used Contrast Detect AF with some on sensor Phase Detect AF systems just starting to show up. A7r uses only Contrast Detect AF. A7 uses both with PHase Detect on sensor BUT DSLR Phase Detect is still superior (Olympus seems to be the best with AF and Mirrorless thus far, though I'm not sure it's equel to high end DSLR Phase Detect yet).
If you shoot sports, DSLR is going to be superior and neither of these new Sony's will make you happy with AF. Thanks Tariq!
p.16 #20 · Official: Sony A7 and A7R Fullframe Mirrorless
In a DSLR under the mirror is a specific and large AF sensor which gets about half (?) the light through the mirror for use specifically for finding focus. With a pro camera like a canon 1 series that AF sensor has an entire processor dedicated to it. On a mirrorless it's done with software off the imaging sensor.
