I'm still using my A7RIV. I had high hopes for this release, but nope, not going to do it. The biggest gripe is that moronic screen. Same one as on the last release. I want a bigger and better screen. Next off, they really need to do more work to revamp that menu system. Yes, it's menus are better than mine, I bought my niece an A74 and I was able to help her get it setup faster with the new system. But not good enough.
I could care less about video, so pumping out 8k video in today's storage market is a big whatever. I wish they would focus the R series on photography. Maybe take a look at Hasselblad's playbook. I wish I could afford that camera since it's almost everything I want, but not something I can afford. Hell, the A7RVI is at the edge of affordability for me if I push off retirement an extra year. Perhaps they could offer a stripped down model for people that just want to do photography, no video, less ridiculous buttons and menu options and a big screen. For sports and bif don't they have two models for stuff like that? For video they have the FX series. What are we still photographers supposed to do?
Since I have a full complement of Voigtlander lenses, I'm not looking elsewhere, but damn, still waiting. The new tech and new resolution is not compelling enough for me because if the box doesn't work (larger and better screen) and the menus make me cry every time I have to find something, then I can't justify spending crazy money on something I don't need. I'll keep shooting my A7RIV since it's chugging along just fine. Perhaps the A7RVII will finally be the one. Or start playing lotto so I can go Hassy. Sigh.
letchhausen wrote:
I'm still using my A7RIV. I had high hopes for this release, but nope, not going to do it. The biggest gripe is that moronic screen. Same one as on the last release. I want a bigger and better screen. Next off, they really need to do more work to revamp that menu system. Yes, it's menus are better than mine, I bought my niece an A74 and I was able to help her get it setup faster with the new system. But not good enough.
I could care less about video, so pumping out 8k video in today's storage market is a big whatever. I wish they would focus the R series on photography. Maybe take a look at Hasselblad's playbook. I wish I could afford that camera since it's almost everything I want, but not something I can afford. Hell, the A7RVI is at the edge of affordability for me if I push off retirement an extra year. Perhaps they could offer a stripped down model for people that just want to do photography, no video, less ridiculous buttons and menu options and a big screen. For sports and bif don't they have two models for stuff like that? For video they have the FX series. What are we still photographers supposed to do?
Since I have a full complement of Voigtlander lenses, I'm not looking elsewhere, but damn, still waiting. The new tech and new resolution is not compelling enough for me because if the box doesn't work (larger and better screen) and the menus make me cry every time I have to find something, then I can't justify spending crazy money on something I don't need. I'll keep shooting my A7RIV since it's chugging along just fine. Perhaps the A7RVII will finally be the one. Or start playing lotto so I can go Hassy. Sigh.
Do you mean the EVF or the rear display? The miniature size of the Sony bodies is not conducive to large rear displays.
Hasselblad is not a great example of anything in the 2020s.
The a7RIV still has that excellent sensor and is fine if you don't need the subject AF or speed.
letchhausen wrote:
I'm still using my A7RIV. I had high hopes for this release, but nope, not going to do it. The biggest gripe is that moronic screen. Same one as on the last release. I want a bigger and better screen. Next off, they really need to do more work to revamp that menu system. Yes, it's menus are better than mine, I bought my niece an A74 and I was able to help her get it setup faster with the new system. But not good enough.
I could care less about video, so pumping out 8k video in today's storage market is a big whatever. I wish they would focus the R series on photography. Maybe take a look at Hasselblad's playbook. I wish I could afford that camera since it's almost everything I want, but not something I can afford. Hell, the A7RVI is at the edge of affordability for me if I push off retirement an extra year. Perhaps they could offer a stripped down model for people that just want to do photography, no video, less ridiculous buttons and menu options and a big screen. For sports and bif don't they have two models for stuff like that? For video they have the FX series. What are we still photographers supposed to do?
Since I have a full complement of Voigtlander lenses, I'm not looking elsewhere, but damn, still waiting. The new tech and new resolution is not compelling enough for me because if the box doesn't work (larger and better screen) and the menus make me cry every time I have to find something, then I can't justify spending crazy money on something I don't need. I'll keep shooting my A7RIV since it's chugging along just fine. Perhaps the A7RVII will finally be the one. Or start playing lotto so I can go Hassy. Sigh.
It sounds like you need better glasses to see lcd screen more clearly. I use two sets of reading glasses - for desktop (extended arm length), and for books (half of arm length). Books distance is good enough for me to see lcd screen, but I prefer to use viewfinder with diopter adjustments.
I agree on video - I never used it on any of my cameras and have zero interest in it. But it gets shoved down our throats, no matter what.
The A7R6 was my companion yesterday in rain and wet fog in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Tennessee-North Carolina border. These two images were made with the Tamron G2 28-75/2.8 which I have enjoyed on some previous shoots - very pleasing image quality in a size/weight that balances well on the Sony (and at a bargain price compared to some other offerings).
I finished setting up all my customized buttons and will rarely need to menu dive now - I have instant access to most of what I need when shooting such as WB, aspect ratio, IBIS on/off, mechanical/electronic shutter, drive mode, subject recognition on/off, subject recognition type, AF mode, AF area. And something I’ve come to appreciate about Sony bodies is having 4 different dials dedicated to quick and easy access to each exposure parameter - aperture, shutter, ISO, and exposure comp.
Currently I’m using a Kirk universal L-plate which fits fine, but the camera handling will be improved once I get an arca baseplate under the grip for my pinky - so far we have Smallrig taking preorders, Leo Photo announcing they’re working on one, and RRS telling me they will soon have the camera and begin work on a new plate if any of their current Sony ones don’t fit (I’m sure they won’t due to the reconfigured grip area).
The cameras are now available for $250 off from one of our trusted sellers on the B&S board. I suspect by the holidays we’ll see some $39xx pricing.
Ross Martin wrote:
The A7R6 was my companion yesterday in rain and wet fog in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Tennessee-North Carolina border. These two images were made with the Tamron G2 28-75/2.8 which I have enjoyed on some previous shoots - very pleasing image quality in a size/weight that balances well on the Sony (and at a bargain price compared to some other offerings).
I finished setting up all my customized buttons and will rarely need to menu dive now - I have instant access to most of what I need when shooting such as WB, aspect ratio, IBIS on/off, mechanical/electronic shutter, drive mode, subject recognition on/off, subject recognition type, AF mode, AF area. And something I’ve come to appreciate about Sony bodies is having 4 different dials dedicated to quick and easy access to each exposure parameter - aperture, shutter, ISO, and exposure comp.
Currently I’m using a Kirk universal L-plate which fits fine, but the camera handling will be improved once I get an arca baseplate under the grip for my pinky - so far we have Smallrig taking preorders, Leo Photo announcing they’re working on one, and RRS telling me they will soon have the camera and begin work on a new plate if any of their current Sony ones don’t fit (I’m sure they won’t due to the reconfigured grip area).
The cameras are now available for $250 off from one of our trusted sellers on the B&S board. I suspect by the holidays we’ll see some $39xx pricing....Show more →
Not focusing on the technical stuff… nice photographs. :-) (The first one made me a little homesick for the Northern California redwoods, where I often photograph rhodendrons this time of year. There don’t appear to be any of those in Liverpool though…)
I’m interested in your prediction of sub-$4k pricing since I won’t buy until after I get home and after the (almost certainly) RRS L-bracket becomes available.
gdanmitchell wrote:
Not focusing on the technical stuff… nice photographs. :-) (The first one made me a little homesick for the Northern California redwoods, where I often photograph rhodendrons this time of year. There don’t appear to be any of those in Liverpool though…)
I’m interested in your prediction of sub-$4k pricing since I won’t buy until after I get home and after the (almost certainly) RRS L-bracket becomes available.
Thank you, Dan. Those rhodies in the redwoods are certainly glorious.
With that FM seller already $250 off just six days after official US release, it makes me think we could see another $250 off by the holiday sale period. By way of comparison to what usually happens with Sony pricing, the A7RV released in late 2022 at $3899 and within about two years was available new from that same seller for $2950.
letchhausen wrote:
I'm still using my A7RIV. I had high hopes for this release, but nope, not going to do it. The biggest gripe is that moronic screen. Same one as on the last release. I want a bigger and better screen. Next off, they really need to do more work to revamp that menu system. Yes, it's menus are better than mine, I bought my niece an A74 and I was able to help her get it setup faster with the new system. But not good enough.
I could care less about video, so pumping out 8k video in today's storage market is a big whatever. I wish they would focus the R series on photography. Maybe take a look at Hasselblad's playbook. I wish I could afford that camera since it's almost everything I want, but not something I can afford. Hell, the A7RVI is at the edge of affordability for me if I push off retirement an extra year. Perhaps they could offer a stripped down model for people that just want to do photography, no video, less ridiculous buttons and menu options and a big screen. For sports and bif don't they have two models for stuff like that? For video they have the FX series. What are we still photographers supposed to do?
Since I have a full complement of Voigtlander lenses, I'm not looking elsewhere, but damn, still waiting. The new tech and new resolution is not compelling enough for me because if the box doesn't work (larger and better screen) and the menus make me cry every time I have to find something, then I can't justify spending crazy money on something I don't need. I'll keep shooting my A7RIV since it's chugging along just fine. Perhaps the A7RVII will finally be the one. Or start playing lotto so I can go Hassy. Sigh.
Affordability is not the name of the game when it comes to photography. If you are willing to skip on the screen get the A7CR when the new model comes out. It's more than enough to fit your bill
FYI, Dpreview has reshot their a7rVI Exposure Latitude (DR) test, this time including the 12-bit ES burst mode in the comparison. Here's a link I generated that compares the a7rVI 14-bit ES vs 12-bit ES vs 14-bit MS (DGO) vs a7rV:
letchhausen wrote:
I'm still using my A7RIV. I had high hopes for this release, but nope, not going to do it. The biggest gripe is that moronic screen. Same one as on the last release. I want a bigger and better screen. Next off, they really need to do more work to revamp that menu system. Yes, it's menus are better than mine, I bought my niece an A74 and I was able to help her get it setup faster with the new system. But not good enough.
I could care less about video, so pumping out 8k video in today's storage market is a big whatever. I wish they would focus the R series on photography. Maybe take a look at Hasselblad's playbook. I wish I could afford that camera since it's almost everything I want, but not something I can afford. Hell, the A7RVI is at the edge of affordability for me if I push off retirement an extra year. Perhaps they could offer a stripped down model for people that just want to do photography, no video, less ridiculous buttons and menu options and a big screen. For sports and bif don't they have two models for stuff like that? For video they have the FX series. What are we still photographers supposed to do?
Since I have a full complement of Voigtlander lenses, I'm not looking elsewhere, but damn, still waiting. The new tech and new resolution is not compelling enough for me because if the box doesn't work (larger and better screen) and the menus make me cry every time I have to find something, then I can't justify spending crazy money on something I don't need. I'll keep shooting my A7RIV since it's chugging along just fine. Perhaps the A7RVII will finally be the one. Or start playing lotto so I can go Hassy. Sigh.
The only camera brands that I’ve used that have great menus are Leica and Hasselblad. Great screen combined with a full HDR camera workflow..Hasselblad X2Dii. It is unlikely that Sony’s objectives will change in a way to better match your shooting interests.
Thanks for the replies, I just needed to get that off my chest. The rear screen is a very important thing for me. I'm a 4x5 shooter, so when I bought the A7RIV I found it very natural to use the camera that way. I never shot 35mm much so viewfinder shooting was never something I engaged with. I did see some youtubers complaining about the new screen (some that had complained about it on the A7RV) so I'm not alone there. But yes, Sony doesn't seem inclined to move in my direction.
I reported this to friend and they are trying to convince me to move to used Leica since I could swap out my current E mount Voigtlanders for M mount. Which would allow me to get that new 75mm Voigtlander. I do love that glass. Another friend suggested Panasonic S1Rii because L to M mount for Voigtlander and better menus, but I have no ideas about Panasonic. Kind of forgot they were in the game tbh.
letchhausen wrote:
Thanks for the replies, I just needed to get that off my chest. The rear screen is a very important thing for me. I'm a 4x5 shooter, so when I bought the A7RIV I found it very natural to use the camera that way. I never shot 35mm much so viewfinder shooting was never something I engaged with. I did see some youtubers complaining about the new screen (some that had complained about it on the A7RV) so I'm not alone there. But yes, Sony doesn't seem inclined to move in my direction.
I reported this to friend and they are trying to convince me to move to used Leica since I could swap out my current E mount Voigtlanders for M mount. Which would allow me to get that new 75mm Voigtlander. I do love that glass. Another friend suggested Panasonic S1Rii because L to M mount for Voigtlander and better menus, but I have no ideas about Panasonic. Kind of forgot they were in the game tbh....Show more →
Since you're a 4x5 shooter and used to bulk, perhaps you might consider an external hotshoe-mounted LCD display, such as the Atomos Ninja series.
snapsy wrote:
Since you're a 4x5 shooter and used to bulk, perhaps you might consider an external hotshoe-mounted LCD display, such as the Atomos Ninja series.
The point of the Sony is I use it when I travel in situations where I want no bulk. Often, I bring a single backpack, no tripod. Also, I'm getting older and not really shooting much with my 4x5 these days. There's no color darkrooms where I live. I've started to get into alt-process printing and this is another reason I'm getting more serious about digital.
I have done a lot with my Sony and it's given me a lot in return. I just think it would be nice for them to think outside the box, but I guess why would they since everyone loves the status quo. Friends are offering for me to try other systems, my only caveat is that they need to support Voigtlander lenses.
I’m guilty of liking many Voigtlander and Cosina Zeiss lenses. Leica is the logical system for you with reasonable menus, but compared to the A7Rvi, the new Leica ‘M’ cameras, short of the film cameras, are rather sluggish. The EV-2 with a faster processor would be a great starting point, but Leica electronics is usually a couple of generations behind Sony. Now, with the sale of Leica on the table, who know what this bodes for the future. Also, adding a few very special Leica lenses is also a plus of moving to Leica.
snapsy wrote:
FYI, Dpreview has reshot their a7rVI Exposure Latitude (DR) test, this time including the 12-bit ES burst mode in the comparison. Here's a link I generated that compares the a7rVI 14-bit ES vs 12-bit ES vs 14-bit MS (DGO) vs a7rV:
snapsy wrote:
FYI, Dpreview has reshot their a7rVI Exposure Latitude (DR) test, this time including the 12-bit ES burst mode in the comparison. Here's a link I generated that compares the a7rVI 14-bit ES vs 12-bit ES vs 14-bit MS (DGO) vs a7rV:
bwcolor wrote:
I’m guilty of liking many Voigtlander and Cosina Zeiss lenses. Leica is the logical system for you with reasonable menus, but compared to the A7Rvi, the new Leica ‘M’ cameras, short of the film cameras, are rather sluggish. The EV-2 with a faster processor would be a great starting point, but Leica electronics is usually a couple of generations behind Sony. Now, with the sale of Leica on the table, who know what this bodes for the future. Also, adding a few very special Leica lenses is also a plus of moving to Leica.
Thank you for that. I need IBIS so perhaps an SL3 (or SL3-P) with an L to M adapter. It's ungodly expensive, but at least I might feel less pain using it. And perhaps less dust. I didn't realize Leica was up for sale.
Has anyone done a careful comparison of the RAW formats on the A7RVI?
I did some informal tests today at the Portland Japanese Garden and have a really hard time telling the difference between lossless compressed and compressed HQ. To my eye, on my new EIZO monitor, they are identical.
My camera was on a tripod with the 24-70GMII at various apertures. I changed only the image quality settings between shots. I looked at highlights and shadows at 100% and even 200% and cannot see differences. The file size difference is significant. The lossless compressed file is 85MB in Lightroom; the compressed HQ of precisely the same subject with all setting the same save the image quality is 49MB.
doc4x5 wrote:
Has anyone done a careful comparison of the RAW formats on the A7RVI?
I did some informal tests today at the Portland Japanese Garden and have a really hard time telling the difference between lossless compressed and compressed HQ. To my eye, on my new EIZO monitor, they are identical.
My camera was on a tripod with the 24-70GMII at various apertures. I changed only the image quality settings between shots. I looked at highlights and shadows at 100% and even 200% and cannot see differences. The file size difference is significant. The lossless compressed file is 85MB in Lightroom; the compressed HQ of precisely the same subject with all setting the same save the image quality is 49MB.
I can't speak for the A7RVI but I have used all sorts of other Sony cameras and could never tell the difference and always shoot in compressed. Even when pushing the grading, exposure, etc. -- no difference that I can see.
AJay wrote:
I can't speak for the A7RVI but I have used all sorts of other Sony cameras and could never tell the difference and always shoot in compressed. Even when pushing the grading, exposure, etc. -- no difference that I can see.
