Do you have sensors smaller than FF that see regular use in your kit? Do you use them exclusively? ILC or fixed lens? Is it the same mount as your larger kit or different? Do you have lenses specific to the camera or do you share the kit with a larger sensor? How do you use them? What pleases you about them? Tell us all about it.
My story:
I started digital in the long ago with APSC (silver Canon Digital Rebel, to be exact, a couple of days after it became available at Circuit City). Even when I moved primarily to FF, I maintained a crop camera as a back up and occasional wildlife option. With Sony, I hung on to the NEX-7 for a long time because I didn't like the physical control layout on the NEX-6 or a6xxx cameras. When it stopped wanting to be a camera, I took a long look and trial with Fuji. They had a lot to offer, and I was close to pulling the trigger, but then Sony released the a6700 and that won me back. I've been endlessly impressed with the little guy's capabilities since. And I am used to Sony's way of thinking, so the menus aren't an issue.
My kit:
a6700 (x2, I bought a second one with the recent sale)
Zeiss Touit 12/2.8 (love it, but it's a shelf queen now, standing by in case something happens to the Sigma)
Sigma 10-18/2.8 (great city lens)
Sony 20/2.8 (pancake snapshot perfection)
Zony 24/1.8 (sentimental fav)
Tamron 35-100/2.8 (recent addition, quickly became essential)
Sony 70-200/4GII (bug hunter)
Sony 100-400/4.5-5.6 GM (everything else hunter, often used with the 1.4x)
How I use it:
The 6700s, Sony 70-200GII and variable aperture GM are my wildlife kit. The Sigma, Zony, and Tamron are proving to be the perfect business travel combo, and family/friend adventure combo, and I'm feeling particularly lazy combo. I use the 20/2.8 when I want a conveniently small memory maker. All that makes up about a third of my shooting.
I wouldn't change a thing... except:
I have a long-time standing wish for a more substantial model. It doesn't have to be huge. a7II/rII size would be nice, with an improved, black-out free EVF, a stacked sensor (doesn't have to be new-the 26MP model Sony sells to Fuji would do nicely), at least 15fps in stills, big buffer, blah, blah, blah. The truth is, I'm more content with this kit than I am with the FF, which will undergo some major changes this fall.
It comes down to what good and less good features matter to you. I had the a6300 and it was great because of small size and functionality at low cost. Seems to me that with price increases, everything went downhill from there, since there are more versatile combinations with full frame, if buying used is ok for the money. I have a like-new A7RIII: the crop mode is plenty and everything else seems better. I really enjoy having a decent viewfinder.
Of course, there are great APS-C and FF lenses that feel balanced on APS-C: Sony 11, Samyang 18, Samyang 24, Sony 28, Sigma 30, Samyang 35, Samyang 45, Sigma 56, Samyang 75. But that became problematic in recent times because of so many newer options in full frame.
For example, the outstanding Sigma 56 is bulky enough that the Viltrox 85 Evo may as well get the call instead, and that lets you add the 1.5x reach on crop. Likewise, apples to apples, the Sigma 45 seems, for the most part, better than going with the older Sigma 30.
The Sony 11 is harder to move away from, because arguably it meets or beats the Viltrox 14, if/when you don't mind the round view for composition. At distance, that APS-C lens is badass even against the Viltrox 20. And it is f/1.8.
On full frame, if you want small, the 7Artisans 40mm f/2.5 is hard to beat. I don't know why nobody ever discusses that one.
just sold all my apsc sony kit a6700 + 4 lens and bought a new fuji x100vi, a have my pro kit a7iv + lens, but all i can say is i love the whole form factor of the fuji x100 and the image quality is great. i just love the fact that i now have a small candid camera with me all the time.
Been there with the Fuji X system, loved the size and the images were excellent. AF was about 3 generations behind current state, and the EVF’s marginal; and it didn’t appear either was going to improve anytime soon. So I sold out and went to a Sony A7C2 with a couple smaller, lighter f1.8 and 2 primes and the 20-70/4 zoom as my revised “small” kit, which in actual use is essentially the same size and weight as the Fuji kit, at least within a few mm or a couple ounces here or there.
So far it seems a good move for me. Being FF, the f4 zoom shares the same net DoF as my APSC f2.8 zoom did. The evf on the little Sony is a lot better than the Fuji X’s were even though it’s regarded as marginal. The Sony is fully usable a good 2-3 higher ISO’s than the little Fujis as well, and of course AF is in a different league. I did give up 7mp of sensor resolution, but haven’t really noticed it at all. There are several convenient UI protocols on the Fuji that the Sony lacks, but I’ve figured out how to live with that lack. I am satisfied so far and don’t see myself ever going back to APSC or M43. If I do decide I need something smaller or lighter, I’ll just use my phone.
