A7R Review at dpreview
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So, how's everyone feeling about this camera after a few months of use?
zleica
Established
I got the A7/r mainly to use a set of Leica R lenses that I have. I like the sensor and EVF on the camera a lot.
dcsang
Canadian & Not A Dentist
I still like using mine (A7) and the only thing I DON'T like about it is how craptacular Sony's instruction manual is...
🙂
Cheers,
Dave
🙂
Cheers,
Dave
uhoh7
Veteran
I knew it 😉
Quirky one that works fantastic with just a few lenses got the gold, and the sweet one that loves all sorts of glass got the silver.
Quirky one that works fantastic with just a few lenses got the gold, and the sweet one that loves all sorts of glass got the silver.
YYV_146
Well-known
But isn't that how the world works? 😀
I am perfectly happy with my two A7s. Don't need the 7r's resolution at all. If I need to print large, I'll loan a D800E...
enero
Killer of Threads
How do you guys feel about that viewfinder blackout thing that they mentioned? Is it as bad as they say?
maitani
Well-known
I rarely use the viewfinder really, the tilting display w peaking does it usually,
the only complaint I have is the non included charger (just usb in camera charger), and battery life is ridiculous compared to a D3 for example, but of course it is amazingly compact in comparison, imo sony raised the bar for the industry with those cameras. other than that, the thing for me is a close to perfection as digital back. I d had loved the Nikon DF, but for more than double the price and not taking rf lenses, i went A7 and don t look back. the negatives on dpreview review are ridiculous attemps to give canon and nikon a last breather 😉
the only complaint I have is the non included charger (just usb in camera charger), and battery life is ridiculous compared to a D3 for example, but of course it is amazingly compact in comparison, imo sony raised the bar for the industry with those cameras. other than that, the thing for me is a close to perfection as digital back. I d had loved the Nikon DF, but for more than double the price and not taking rf lenses, i went A7 and don t look back. the negatives on dpreview review are ridiculous attemps to give canon and nikon a last breather 😉
Turtle
Veteran
I'm very pleased with mine (A7 and A7R). The VF blackout is not a problem, for me, as I use them.
Yes, they are imperfect.
Yes, they are also incredible.
The above statements are not mutually exclusive!
IQ is just wonderful and they are much lighter in the hand than a M9. They are real featherweights with the likes of the 35 Sonnar attached and this along opens various doors. I've written quite a bit about them, thought about them a lot, and don't feel crushed that they are not great with ALL M lenses. Truth be told, I am going to sell some of my M lenses if the Zeiss manual focus FE lenses are as good as one would expect.
Yes, they are imperfect.
Yes, they are also incredible.
The above statements are not mutually exclusive!
IQ is just wonderful and they are much lighter in the hand than a M9. They are real featherweights with the likes of the 35 Sonnar attached and this along opens various doors. I've written quite a bit about them, thought about them a lot, and don't feel crushed that they are not great with ALL M lenses. Truth be told, I am going to sell some of my M lenses if the Zeiss manual focus FE lenses are as good as one would expect.
ChrisLivsey
Veteran
For once they have the balance right. The shutter issue, yes it is there but doesn't kill every shot, is treated with balance not the net hyperbole. The jpeg issues are correctly, IMHO, balanced with the users being more likely to choose RAW workflow.
Was a 24MP camera which is virtually identical, shutter noted as exception, going to rate over a 36MP sensor with no AA filter, which is MFDB territory?
Lens compatibility between them is a live issue but as Lens Rentals showed virtually any adapter is going to compromise ultimate performance. There are two camps, ultimate performance with outstanding, so far in the primes, native lenses or compromised performance with adapters, these are not mutually exclusive, you can have your cake and eat it.
Was a 24MP camera which is virtually identical, shutter noted as exception, going to rate over a 36MP sensor with no AA filter, which is MFDB territory?
Lens compatibility between them is a live issue but as Lens Rentals showed virtually any adapter is going to compromise ultimate performance. There are two camps, ultimate performance with outstanding, so far in the primes, native lenses or compromised performance with adapters, these are not mutually exclusive, you can have your cake and eat it.
I don't think legacy lenses are part of the review criteria are they?
ChrisLivsey
Veteran
Sony only make claims for their own glass, that must be the review criteria, what the makers claim.
http://presscentre.sony.eu/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=9193&NewsAreaId=2
funkydog
Well-known
VF blackout and shutter noise is just FUD. There are other mirrored and mirrorless cameras with more problematic vf's and shutter noise.
USB charging - The good, no more problems with going out of town and forgetting to bring a dedicated camera charger. FWIW I use the 10W ipad charger for faster charging.
The bad - the camera sometimes doesn't go into charging mode. You don't want to leave the camera unattended until the charging light is lit.
The manual is a bad joke repeated in arabic and chinese for added effect. In fairness to Sony, the price of the camera (in my part of the world) includes free workshops on how to use the camera.
USB charging - The good, no more problems with going out of town and forgetting to bring a dedicated camera charger. FWIW I use the 10W ipad charger for faster charging.
The bad - the camera sometimes doesn't go into charging mode. You don't want to leave the camera unattended until the charging light is lit.
The manual is a bad joke repeated in arabic and chinese for added effect. In fairness to Sony, the price of the camera (in my part of the world) includes free workshops on how to use the camera.
Samouraï
Well-known
VF blackout and shutter lag is way worse than on my 5DII
ChrisLivsey
Veteran
YYV_146
Well-known
Try putting it into live view.
The electronic front curtain was something Sony really should have made available, though. And I'd love to see a full electronic shutter on future models, for occasions when you don't want to draw attention.
YYV_146
Well-known
USB charging is definite improvement. If Sony did put in a wall charger with the A7r it'll probably be $50 more expensive. Now you can buy your own generic charger at whatever price you want. The $10 chargers on eBay work just fine, I use them since they take up less bulk than the original one.
I didn't even read the menu. Having used the NEX-7 and NEX-6 for two years, I changed the menu to the NEX layout and had everything up and running in 10 minutes 😀
uhoh7
Veteran
Which is pretty silly since that's a major source of buzz behind them. :bang:
ChrisLivsey
Veteran
Indeed, and Sony are not going to discourage that are they? What they are not going to do is publish claims about compatibility. Just as they do not mention compatability at al in the press release I linked The task is too large for possible combinations. They no doubt have looked at some, and found the problems with wide rangefinder glass, so are they going to shout from the rooftop- Hey wide glass from rangefinders is iffy on our new camera!!
Now the reviewers are a different matter. Gone are the days when reviews of hot cameras were up in days or weeks at DpReview
how many months has the Sony review taken? We must be near a new model now 😉
I agree they should have done something but again look at the tests needed. Every lens made in the modern era, and a lot before that with a kludge fit. Where do you start and stop?
