RichC
Well-known
The technology in my new camera, an A7R II, is outstanding: it creates amazing images, and the viewfinder and image stabilisation mean I get more "keepers" than with my previous camera, a Nikon D800E.
However, the ergonomics suck! Did Sony's design department bother to give the camera to serious/professional photographers for feedback during its development? Judging by how awful the camera is to use, I guess not! Or they put aesthetics above usability...
The right-hand side of the camera is grippy, which is good; but that makes the rest of the camera worse to hold, with its smooth, slippery painted metal. The camera body is too short, so the base digs uncomfortably into my palm. And the buttons...! These are tiny, barely move, have no feedback (e.g. resistance or a click) and are almost flush with the camera body. The three control wheels are also horrible - tiny, mushy, slippery. And Sony seems to have forgotten about left-eyed photographers: using button C3 means poking my thumb into my right eye! Lastly, the shutter button is also mushy, has little movement and the flat profile makes it awkward to use.
After a couple of weeks' ownership, I've decided that the Sony is the most uncomfortable camera I've ever used (excepting Soviet film ones ... I own a Moskva - imagine a camera built by a tractor factory!).
So, I decided to do something about it. See the photos.
It may just be that Sony happened to design a camera that’s wholly unsuited to me. But in case anyone else finds the camera uncomfortable, here’s what I did...
I always keep an Arco-Swiss quick-release plate permanently attached to my cameras as I often use a tripod. So, I bought a cheap L plate from eBay to increase the depth of the body, removing the upright as it’s uncomfortable to hold (and I don’t need it anyway). The increased height definitely makes the camera more comfortable to hold.
Next I covered the camera in leatherette. You can download my template from here. The camera feels much better in my left hand...!
Leatherette on the camera back doesn't increase comfort. But I took the opportunity to cover up the mess of white lettering (most of which doesn't match the buttons, now I've set custom functions). For neatness, I used leather punches to cut out the holes for the buttons (cheap punches on eBay).
The buttons now have rubber extensions. They feel way better, and I can now find them without fruitless fumbling! I used 1 mm rubber sheet (from eBay), with the circles cut using a ring binder hole punch (perfect size!). Before punching the holes, I attached 3M ultra-strong double-sided tape (eBay again). I cut the two lozenge-shaped buttons by hand.
Lastly, I stuck on a Lolumina self-adhesive soft release, to improve the shutter button.
The camera now handles loads better. It's not perfect - I still poke my thumb into my eye, and the buttons remain mushy - but I notice the ergonomic faults less, allowing me to concentrate on the task in hand: taking pictures.
NB: in case anyone's wondering about the blacked-out logos... I hate logos! I'm not an advertising hoarding! If manufacturers want me to advertise their products, they can pay me! As a matter of course, I remove logos and names from stuff I buy, if easy and practicable.
However, the ergonomics suck! Did Sony's design department bother to give the camera to serious/professional photographers for feedback during its development? Judging by how awful the camera is to use, I guess not! Or they put aesthetics above usability...
The right-hand side of the camera is grippy, which is good; but that makes the rest of the camera worse to hold, with its smooth, slippery painted metal. The camera body is too short, so the base digs uncomfortably into my palm. And the buttons...! These are tiny, barely move, have no feedback (e.g. resistance or a click) and are almost flush with the camera body. The three control wheels are also horrible - tiny, mushy, slippery. And Sony seems to have forgotten about left-eyed photographers: using button C3 means poking my thumb into my right eye! Lastly, the shutter button is also mushy, has little movement and the flat profile makes it awkward to use.
After a couple of weeks' ownership, I've decided that the Sony is the most uncomfortable camera I've ever used (excepting Soviet film ones ... I own a Moskva - imagine a camera built by a tractor factory!).
So, I decided to do something about it. See the photos.
It may just be that Sony happened to design a camera that’s wholly unsuited to me. But in case anyone else finds the camera uncomfortable, here’s what I did...
I always keep an Arco-Swiss quick-release plate permanently attached to my cameras as I often use a tripod. So, I bought a cheap L plate from eBay to increase the depth of the body, removing the upright as it’s uncomfortable to hold (and I don’t need it anyway). The increased height definitely makes the camera more comfortable to hold.
Next I covered the camera in leatherette. You can download my template from here. The camera feels much better in my left hand...!
Leatherette on the camera back doesn't increase comfort. But I took the opportunity to cover up the mess of white lettering (most of which doesn't match the buttons, now I've set custom functions). For neatness, I used leather punches to cut out the holes for the buttons (cheap punches on eBay).
The buttons now have rubber extensions. They feel way better, and I can now find them without fruitless fumbling! I used 1 mm rubber sheet (from eBay), with the circles cut using a ring binder hole punch (perfect size!). Before punching the holes, I attached 3M ultra-strong double-sided tape (eBay again). I cut the two lozenge-shaped buttons by hand.
Lastly, I stuck on a Lolumina self-adhesive soft release, to improve the shutter button.
The camera now handles loads better. It's not perfect - I still poke my thumb into my eye, and the buttons remain mushy - but I notice the ergonomic faults less, allowing me to concentrate on the task in hand: taking pictures.
NB: in case anyone's wondering about the blacked-out logos... I hate logos! I'm not an advertising hoarding! If manufacturers want me to advertise their products, they can pay me! As a matter of course, I remove logos and names from stuff I buy, if easy and practicable.
