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another A77 vs. A850 challenge

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realgeek

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This weekend, I hope to do more tests comparing the A77 to the A850, but I decided to do one quick test today.

Here are two self-portraits. Both were shot on a tripod using using the Tamron 70-200 lens, although at 200mm for the A850 and 135mm for the A77. Camera settings were f/8, 1/125, and ISO 200. I used a Sony HVL-F56AM flash in manual mode at 1/4 power (in a softbox). Images were developed from RAW in Lightroom using default settings, although I changed the white balance to "Flash" (both AWB choices were off, presumably because flash was in manual mode).

Which is which? Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't see much difference in level of detail.







 
You need to sleep more.

But the test is pretty clear. Thanks.
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IQ is not judged exclusively by high iso noise performance
 
Top one has more detail when i look close at things like the hairs you missed shaving.
 
BTW top one seems to have a deeper dof so I vote A77.
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IQ is not judged exclusively by high iso noise performance
 
Main diff I see between the two is the bottom one seems to be focused more towards the tip of the nose than the top one. But, resolution/sharpness wise, I have no guess which is which. Both very sharp and this adds to my happiness with my choice to add the a77 as a companion to my a850!
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  • AlanS
 
mike_2008 said:
BTW top one seems to have a deeper dof so I vote A77.
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IQ is not judged exclusively by high iso noise performance
Click to expand...
I'll go along with you on this one...but I really can't see very much of a difference. This is a pretty darned good comparison btw.. I would say though, the top one seems to have a very slight magenta tint...

If you wanted to make the challenge tougher, get out your dof calculator and compensate the a77's fstop so both cams have the same dof (but you'd have to keep all the shooting stats secret) and use a good quality white balance card to get the colors absolutely identical.

edit- would have to be about f5.6 but I'm just guessing your subject distance. But then you'd need to turn down the light some and try to get the identical exposure..would be tough but I think maybe doable.

BM
 
I'm not really interested in doing that. I just wanted to see how comparable they were.

In truth, there is no way to get them to be exactly equal. Even the change in focal length makes a difference. As does the fact that a FF camera uses more of the edges of the lens. It's all about choices.

Personally, I think any differences beyond pure composition highlight the relative strengths and weaknesses of the camera, and are therefore legitimate points of comparison. A debatable point, I realize. But that's my opinion.
bmadau said:
If you wanted to make the challenge tougher, get out your dof calculator and compensate the a77's fstop so both cams have the same dof (but you'd have to keep all the shooting stats secret) and use a good quality white balance card to get the colors absolutely identical.

edit- would have to be about f5.6 but I'm just guessing your subject distance. But then you'd need to turn down the light some and try to get the identical exposure..would be tough but I think maybe doable.
Click to expand...
 
Based off my own results checking my new a77 against my a850, I would say the bottom image is the a77. I've found the colors to be a little stronger with the a77.
 
From my experience with a700, I would say that the top image is too pink, therefore it's the 850 (700 is very similar). Bottom image is a bit too yellow and must be the 77.
--
Larry
lbickford.zenfolio.com
 
And the correct answers are:

A77:





A850:





Conclusion: some differences, but no clear victor. And certainly not in terms of detail.
 
And what a surprise!

The first one looks more natural (better WB?) on my monitor, like it is a real thing whereas the second one looks like the photograph of it.

A77 is a great camera!

--
'Life is something that happens to you while you're making other plans'.
M. Millar
 
I saw most posters putting the bottom (yellow) pic as the A77 and the top (Pink) one as the A850 yet you state the top is the A77.

That's great to know since I much preferred the way the top one gives colour on the brighter areas of the picture ... although after handling it in the local sony centre I don't want one at all. The new kit lens was nice though if a bit girthy.

Next comparison you might want to equalise the colour balance : if the detail level is what's being tested. The colour shouts much louder than anything else in this particular test.
 
I would have guessed that. Yes, I know, it's easy afterwards, but anyway.

Why? Look at the lower eyelashes of the left eye. A850 has clearly more detail, even though it was at a disadvantage because that lens is sharper at 135 than at 200mm. Colors are better as well.
 
Ulfric M Douglas said:
Next comparison you might want to equalise the colour balance : if the detail level is what's being tested. The colour shouts much louder than anything else in this particular test.
Click to expand...
I did. I set WB to Flash in Lightroom -- i.e., 5500K.
 
Nose is sharper on the A77; eyes are sharper on the A850. Obviously there is a difference in focus here, which makes meaningful comparisons impossible.
--
Anthony Beach
 
photonut2008 said:
Nose is sharper on the A77; eyes are sharper on the A850. Obviously there is a difference in focus here, which makes meaningful comparisons impossible.
Click to expand...
I disagree. Perfect comparisons are ALWAYS impossible. This tells you that they're close enough to be confusable.

And it is wildly inconsistent with results posted by DPR and some others on this forum. So that's interesting.
 
realgeek said:
photonut2008 said:
Nose is sharper on the A77; eyes are sharper on the A850. Obviously there is a difference in focus here, which makes meaningful comparisons impossible.
Click to expand...
I disagree. Perfect comparisons are ALWAYS impossible. This tells you that they're close enough to be confusable.
Click to expand...
They are not "confusable" to me, one is sharper in some ways, and the other is sharper in other ways. What I cannot do is actually compare them directly. As for the perfect comparison being impossible; sure, but a reasonable one isn't, it just requires some effort.
realgeek said:
And it is wildly inconsistent with results posted by DPR and some others on this forum. So that's interesting.
Click to expand...
No doubt there are worse tests around.
--
Anthony Beach
 
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