Lichtspiel
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One of my first shots, love the 3-dimensional feel.
The lure of full-frame goodness has always been strong for me, the related size and weight not so much.
The silent shutter and Samyang 75/1.8 work well for clandestine portraits.
After getting tired of lugging around APS-C DSLR cameras and lenses I used smaller/lighter MFT equipment for many years. The early generations of mirrorless Olympus cameras and lenses put the fun back into photography, but I was always ogling the DoF control and low light capabilities of full frame sensors. Had an RX1 for a short while, but the lack of IS, AF performance, and (obviously) singular focal length felt limiting.
One of the downsides of the FF sensor is the size/weight of telephoto lenses.
When Sony came out with the A7C it struck a note right away. Not only was it smaller, it was also lighter than my Olympus EM1 which had given up a lot of the compactness of earlier E-PM and EM10 bodies.
In-camera focus bracketing would make shots like this much easier.
After long deliberations - not a small decision to buy into a new camera system - exactly one year ago I placed an order for an A7C. By then the price had come down a bit to a more reasonable $1600 at the Greentoe. Today the average retail price is still around the original ~$1800 at most places which tells me demand has been strong since the camera appeared.
Hello! Up close and personal with the 20/1.8.
Some have criticized the pricing, but I don't think it is correct to consider the A7C as an entry model. Just because they stuffed everything into a more compact body (and reduced/eliminated some features in the process) doesn't make it really cheaper to produce or a beginners choice.
Pretty weeds.
My first lenses to go along with the new body were the inexpensive, fast and compact Samyangs 35/1.8 and 75/1.8. 35mm is really my favorite FL and the Sammy is still my most-used lens with no obvious flaws.
The Tamron 70-300 is probably the lightest and smallest option for wildlife shooting.
To extend my shooting envelope I splurged on a Sony 20/1.8 which is a wonderful lens, but just a bit heavy for me to EDC. Great IQ though and excellent for astro. Also got the lightest up-to-300mm zoom available, the Tamron 70-300 . Nice lens, but the larger sensor needs some good sized glass so compared to my Oly 40-150 the Tamron is still huge.
Samyang 75/1.8 doing its thing.
To keep with the small package theme, I got the Samyang 24/2.8, mostly because it was extremely cheap. I like it, but have not used it much since acquiring the little 28-60 kit zoom which is slow, but otherwise excellent. It somewhat competes with my 35/1.8 which I still favor slightly.
Wide views with the Voigt 15.
Finally, to get into the Ultrawide range I purchased the Voigtlander 15/4.5 which I also love, and along with the 35/1.8 and 75/1.8 is part of my EDC kit.
Huh? Samyang Fisheye grabs it all.
For giggles, I converted the MFT Samyang 7.5mm lens to fit on the FE mount. Results are round, sharp, and interesting.
The Sony 20/1.8 does well at night.
During a recent Black Friday sale I saw the Samyang 85/1.4 for $375 and that seemed like an offer I could not refuse. It is much larger than I like, but for special occasion like parties where you need a fast lens but don't want to get too close and obnoxious it fits the bill.
Hmmm. Food. The Samyang 85/1.4 is very sharp where needed. Some fringing but we'll excuse that.
I am going to review some of the strong points, and later a few of the shortcomings and things I wish the A7C had. Of course there is much more, just picking at a few things here and there.
Don't touch. The 15mm FL exaggerates the foreground and includes a lot of background.
Initially it takes a bit of time getting used to a new body, and I missed the ergonomics of the OMD, but after a few weeks it's all second nature and now I don't have any issues handling it or letting it just dangle from my fingertips.
Sometimes we get lucky and our subjects don't mind proximity. I felt a special connection to this gull, it seemed very confident that close to me and the 20/1.8. Or was it my sandwich?
The grip is small for my large hands, but the surface material is quite uhm, grippy and middle and ring finger hold the grip, little one supports from above, and index finger keeps pressing that shutter in a fairly comfy way.
Afternoon reflections.
Initially I was missing the great number of wheels and buttons from my Olympus cameras, but by now my right thumb has proudly taken on the many responsibilities for EV and aperture adjustments, AF tracking, and AF area selection.
Thin DoF with the Samyang 85/1.4. The open aperture allows for good results in low light situations. It's also big enough to get your attention!
Most of my previous cameras featured the typical center "EVF hump", but I have to say I am not missing it, and the sleek shape/reduced height allows for relatively small bags compared to what its A7 brethren require.
HDR overkill with the 20/1.8. Testing for sensor burn-in. Passed.
Not going to sing the praises of the 24MP sensor as it is well known and loved and not much different from what's in similar 24MP bodies. So good that I ended up selling my MFT stuff.
Some manual focus bracketing helped here.
One thing I really like is the battery life - I have not even acquired a spare since it lasts one whole or even two days if you keep the chimping under control, and charging it via the USB-C port is simple anywhere. Finally no need for dedicated chargers or wrestling with multiple cables.
Two focus brackets combined. ND filter to smoothen (smother?) the river.
Some complain about the lack of wheels and buttons. I actually prefer the cleaner look and reduced clutter and haven't found it limiting. Using the touchscreen to set the AF point while looking through the EVF works well for me, maybe better than a dedicated joystick.
More focus brackets. Did I mention already... ?
Downsides - There are a lot of small things that could be improved. Some of them won't matter if you don't need or miss them, but I am holding out for a perfect MkII version...
Clown face. Male Acorn Woodpecker. Very entertaining birds, social and loud.
What I am missing the most from previous cameras isn't something specific to the A7C, but rather an omission from all Sony models: Focus bracketing. Especially with the reduced DOF this is very beneficial for macro photography, and would have some advantages for landscapes too. Many other manufacturers have added this as a standard option along with exposure and other bracketing modes. Not sure what's the hold-up for Sony.
Sometimes, just sitting somewhere attracts curious birds.
Up there on my nice-to-have list is also a lossless compressed Raw format which is now available in newer Sony cams, so it may be part of a next version.
[ATTACH alt="Even "only" 24MP give plenty of potential for cropping to web-sized images."]3092397[/ATTACH]
Even "only" 24MP give plenty of potential for cropping to web-sized images.
Sometimes it's nice to have a high-res option. Sensor shift makes it possible, perhaps in a next version? Some have asked for a "A7CR" and yes, I would love to have a 60/30/15MP raw files for awesome cropping options, but I suspect that would drive the price through the roof. Keeping the 24MP sensor with a quadruple hi-res option would be a good alternative.
I like shots which make it difficult to see the scale of things.
Smaller quibbles galore - why can't the image review be improved by assigning a zoom function/magnification to the Control Wheel and skip back and forth with the Control Dial? I think only Sony has the clumsy push-this-button-first-then-push-that-button.
Or... why doesn't the LCD/EVF not display the zoom level?
So very patient subject.
The EVF has been brought up as a negative many times. Sure, if you compare it to one of the humped ones it is smaller, but it still has a good resolution. I just find it hard to see the entire display sharp to the corners without moving and adjusting when looking through it. I would call it "adequate" but I am sure there is a lot of room for improvement, even while keeping it in its current small size.
Slowing down with a ND filter.
Conclusion - After a year with the A7C I have sold off my MFT kit, and if I would drop it into the salty Pacific I would probably just buy another one. I shortly considered a A7Riii as prices have plummeted, but then realized I would loose much of the compactness and light weight that I appreciate so much. So, camera and lens-wise I am set for the moment.
Thank you for reading through all of this!
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