p.1 #1 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
Hi, all. Former member here, returning. Since my son was born five years ago I deliberately chose to step back from landscape photography. Now that he's getting more to the point where he doesn't need both parents around all of the time, I'd like to get back to it.
I've shot with an a7r2 almost since it was released. I've been largely content with it. I don't aspire to be a professional, but I do like knowing that I can come home with good results and knowing that my equipment isn't what's holding me back.
I went out to the coast last month, managed to get soaked by a large wave, and now the back screen of my a7r2 isn't working. Everything else seems to be okay. I'll keep that camera body and continue to use it for high-risk situations. But what, in your opinion, should I get to replace it as my main body?
I could easily find another a7r2 on the used market. They're fantastically cheap for what they offer. Advantage: I know the body, and if I'm using two identical bodies there's no confusion when I switch back and forth.
Get an a7r3. Still fairly cheap on the used market. Possibly a better sensor, but maybe mostly in the sense of low light. Possibly better focus, but a lot of my serious work is manual focus anyway.
Get an a7r4. More expensive on the used market, and good ones at the lower end of the price range get snapped up quickly. There's an increase in resolution, but maybe not that perceptible if I'm using mid-grade lenses at f/8 to f/11 or even f/16 for landscape work. The touchscreen might be nice, but I haven't tried a camera with it.
An a7r5 is out of my price range. An a7r4 is do-able, but a bit of a reach. On the other hand, if my a7r2 were still fully functional, I'd probably keep using it and not upgrade.
I'd appreciate any thoughts. I know I'm asking a question that was commonly asked five or more years ago!
p.1 #2 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
For landscape photography I'd stick with the A7R2. It's dirt cheap on the used market and delivers beautiful landscape photos. With the money you saved, get yourself another lens.
p.1 #3 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
A7RII user here - mine is still my main landscape camera! That said, I am finally looking to upgrade, but more for AF than anything else. My newer lenses like Sigma 70-200/2.8 do better on a recent body. Though I'm not a particularly demanding AF user, using an A7RVI and especially an A7IV was eye opening
Were I in your situation, I'd look at a used A7RIV - the extra megapixels are great for cropping, something I do frequently for reach, especially if I find myself out with only my L85 and I want a tighter composition.
p.1 #4 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
The a7R III has quite a few improvements worth considering. The Z100 battery and improved EVF are helpful for landscape work. The AF improvements and faster UHS-II card support make it more useful as an all-around camera. The Mark III seems like the current bargain.
p.1 #5 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
Agree with jeffbuzz, based on your needs you articulated, I’d grab a mint used A7RIII, it is great value for the dollar and you still enjoy the feeling of having upgraded in several respects.
p.1 #6 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
A7rII user here as well, mostly for macros (focus stacks) and landscapes (mostly rear shift stitches with Pentax 645 lenses and Mirex tilt/shift adapter). I've always considered the Sony mirrorless cameras as some kind of a poor man's digital back and so far I have never owned an AF lens for it. For your needs the 42mp sensor (A7rII or A7rIII) seems to be a very good choice. Welcome back!
p.1 #7 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
I’m an A7RIII landscape shooter and really enjoy the camera. I can afford the upgrade to the V but keep asking myself, what’s getting in my way of making great images and I can’t come up with a good answer other than upgrading the user…and I keep working on that and investing in my skills and vision.
p.1 #9 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
Olaf G wrote:
A7rII user here as well, mostly for macros (focus stacks) and landscapes (mostly rear shift stitches with Pentax 645 lenses and Mirex tilt/shift adapter). I've always considered the Sony mirrorless cameras as some kind of a poor man's digital back and so far I have never owned an AF lens for it. For your needs the 42mp sensor (A7rII or A7rIII) seems to be a very good choice. Welcome back!
Olaf G,
Thank you -- for my serious work, I'm using the Mirex and the Nikon 16-35 f/4, the Contax 35-70, and the Nikon 80-200 f/2.8. It's such an amazing set to work with; even 1-2 degrees of tilt can help immensely. There's not really enough coverage for shifts, but tilts work great at almost all the focal lengths except the widest parts of each zoom.
p.1 #10 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
mhespenheide wrote:
Olaf G,
Thank you -- for my serious work, I'm using the Mirex and the Nikon 16-35 f/4, the Contax 35-70, and the Nikon 80-200 f/2.8. It's such an amazing set to work with; even 1-2 degrees of tilt can help immensely. There's not really enough coverage for shifts, but tilts work great at almost all the focal lengths except the widest parts of each zoom.
Agree completely, being able to tilt in the field is priceless. I wonder why nobody came up with a tiltable sensor yet. That would be on my top priority list for camera features.
p.1 #11 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
The rii and the riii use the same sensor. I went from the a7rii to the a7rv, figuring the intermediate cameras were not worth the upgrade. The a7rii and an extra battery in my pocket worked for me. Save some money and start a a7rv fund for the future.
p.1 #12 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
I shot with the a7r3. Hated the user interface, it was computer with a lens. I've had the a7r5 and this camera is a dream in every aspect. I've shot with almost every other system and finally I feel fine just using this one body. Maybe rent it before deciding (and sometimes you can catch a good sale).
p.1 #13 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
chez wrote:
For landscape photography I'd stick with the A7R2. It's dirt cheap on the used market and delivers beautiful landscape photos. With the money you saved, get yourself another lens.
If landscape photography is the priority, I would recommend sticking with the A7RII or maybe moving up to the RIII, which is also available at a good price. With the RIII, often one battery is enough for the day. A few family pictures shouldn't be a problem with it. I used to always buy the latest camera myself—1-inch, APS-C, full-frame A7 second generation, and then third generation. With each new camera, I saw a significant improvement in dynamic range, which is particularly beneficial for landscape photography. When the first rumors about the A7RIV started circulating, I was determined that I would buy it. I was hoping that with the RIV, the dynamic range would be enhanced even further and reach at least 15.7 stops. When the RIV was released, I was very disappointed. There was no better dynamic range, just more megapixels. The last thing I wanted was even more megapixels. The last significant improvement in image quality came from the RII to the RIII. Both have the same sensor, but the RIII has a coating on the sensor that prevents reflections and further enhances the dynamic range compared to the RII. After the RIII, there were no more improvements in image quality. It caps at around 15 stops, and the color depth has not improved either. Since its release, I have been shooting with the RIII; I've used it intensively over the years, and it just won’t break down. If it ever does break, I’ll either buy another RIII or maybe even the RV. The RV is now not much more expensive than what I paid for the RIII back then. However, I don’t really need most of the improvements in the RV. The image quality isn't better. Moreover, I plan to buy some manual Loxia lenses in the future, which unfortunately don't work as well on the RV.
p.1 #14 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
I have had both the A7RIII and A7RIV, bought here used at FM B&S board. Besides just the 42 to 61MP increase, I upgraded to the A7RIV because the A7RIII AF was limiting to me. I found A7RIV a better performing body, it has faster focus acquisition, more AF points covering a larger portion of the sensor and better eye AF in case you want use it to photographer your son.
p.1 #15 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
Schwarzlicht wrote:
If landscape photography is the priority, I would recommend sticking with the A7RII or maybe moving up to the RIII, which is also available at a good price. With the RIII, often one battery is enough for the day. A few family pictures shouldn't be a problem with it. I used to always buy the latest camera myself—1-inch, APS-C, full-frame A7 second generation, and then third generation. With each new camera, I saw a significant improvement in dynamic range, which is particularly beneficial for landscape photography. When the first rumors about the A7RIV started circulating, I was determined that I would buy it. I was hoping that with the RIV, the dynamic range would be enhanced even further and reach at least 15.7 stops. When the RIV was released, I was very disappointed. There was no better dynamic range, just more megapixels. The last thing I wanted was even more megapixels. The last significant improvement in image quality came from the RII to the RIII. Both have the same sensor, but the RIII has a coating on the sensor that prevents reflections and further enhances the dynamic range compared to the RII. After the RIII, there were no more improvements in image quality. It caps at around 15 stops, and the color depth has not improved either. Since its release, I have been shooting with the RIII; I've used it intensively over the years, and it just won’t break down. If it ever does break, I’ll either buy another RIII or maybe even the RV. The RV is now not much more expensive than what I paid for the RIII back then. However, I don’t really need most of the improvements in the RV. The image quality isn't better. Moreover, I plan to buy some manual Loxia lenses in the future, which unfortunately don't work as well on the RV.
One nice benefit using the A7R2 is the ability to use the playmemories app to mimic ND filters as well as reduce noise. I keep my A7R2 around just for this feature.
p.1 #16 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
The A7RII was "state of the art" at the time and for a long time, it was the best you could buy in the mirrorless segment, all in a very compact size...
chez wrote:
One nice benefit using the A7R2 is the ability to use the playmemories app to mimic ND filters as well as reduce noise. I keep my A7R2 around just for this feature.
p.1 #17 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
I used to have the A7RII then switched to the A7RIII, the improvement was not on the image quality side, but everything else was improved:
- the battery finally became usable. Before you had to always have 2 or 3 batteries with you at any time.
- the AF is much better, as explained by others, it makes a better "all around" camera. Eye AF is a game changer every time you have a person in the frame.
- many small details, for example the "crop mode" that you can assign to a button. On the RII you had to go to a menu, select crop, exit...
Absolutely no regret for the switch.
But if you can't afford the III, the II is still a very good camera when it comes to image quality. You can buy a charger with 2 slots, 3 more batteries and you are good to go.
p.1 #18 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
Thanks, everyone, for the comments so far. In a way, it's good to hear that there's not a clear "best" answer. That lets me shop opportunistically and pounce on a good deal that comes up.
p.1 #19 · Getting back into landscape photography with the a7r series
I a not a landscape specialist. I am a close-up and macro specialist but I do more-general photography at times. Some of the following might be useful:
I started with the A7r, which was fine for macro, for which I mostly use flash (Nissin Air 1 system, version for Sony).
For non-macro, the shutter bounce and the limited IS meant I waited for a used A7r3 to be available, with its redesigned shutter and improved IS. I can't remember which body I bought it for but my VC-C3EM vertical grip has been on the camera permanently. It holds 2 batteries and has a second (lockable) shutter release button and the two adjacent allocated buttons for portrait orientation.
I wanted FF for my existing, then for more, purchased, legacy lenses and, more recently, for new Laowa lenses. I do not own any Sony lenses.
I have no plans to upgrade.
I should point out that my go-to body for macro is the Olympus EM-1 and system flash. Again, I see no need to upgrade.
