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JKdad

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Took my Z5 to my local store today, planning on trading it to upgrade to a Z7 II.



I shoot lots of street and move fast, so I need a camera with good auto-area AF and the Z5 just wasn’t getting it done. I figured the Z7 II would be an improvement and that’s all I wanted was for auto-area to just work. Didn’t really need a big resolution bump, although the ability to do more cropping sounded great.



My favorite guy at the store let me play around with the Nikon and it didn’t seem much better than my Z5 for what I want out of AF for my use.


Then he suggested I try out the A7R V they just got in this morning. He hadn’t even played with it yet.



I simply put it in auto-area with all the tracking stuff activated…. and it just freakin’ worked. I went outside and walked around the shopping center, holding the camera at waist level and the damn camera just instantly focused on people and I didn’t have to think about it. Dumped the files into his PC and almost the images I took were crystal clear. Not so for the Nikon files, except when I finally went to single point CAF because the auto-area just isn’t very good.



I’m a Nikon guy, but I was almost embarrassed for Nikon after using the Sony.



Two completely different leagues with AF.



The Z9 is great but far more size and features than I need.



I have heard horror stories regarding the Sony handling, but the camera felt good. Maybe not quite as comfy as Nikon, but pretty close.



Bottom line is I walked out with with A7R V and the 85mm 1.8 (my favorite for street).



The store didn’t have many lenses, so I still need a 35 or 40. I’m thinking of getting the Sony 35 1.8. There are others I’m interested in, but my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.



Any thoughts on that?
 
JKdad said:
Took my Z5 to my local store today, planning on trading it to upgrade to a Z7 II.

I shoot lots of street and move fast, so I need a camera with good auto-area AF and the Z5 just wasn’t getting it done. I figured the Z7 II would be an improvement and that’s all I wanted was for auto-area to just work. Didn’t really need a big resolution bump, although the ability to do more cropping sounded great.

My favorite guy at the store let me play around with the Nikon and it didn’t seem much better than my Z5 for what I want out of AF for my use.

Then he suggested I try out the A7R V they just got in this morning. He hadn’t even played with it yet.

I simply put it in auto-area with all the tracking stuff activated…. and it just freakin’ worked. I went outside and walked around the shopping center, holding the camera at waist level and the damn camera just instantly focused on people and I didn’t have to think about it. Dumped the files into his PC and almost the images I took were crystal clear. Not so for the Nikon files, except when I finally went to single point CAF because the auto-area just isn’t very good.

I’m a Nikon guy, but I was almost embarrassed for Nikon after using the Sony.

Two completely different leagues with AF.

The Z9 is great but far more size and features than I need.

I have heard horror stories regarding the Sony handling, but the camera felt good. Maybe not quite as comfy as Nikon, but pretty close.

Bottom line is I walked out with with A7R V and the 85mm 1.8 (my favorite for street).

The store didn’t have many lenses, so I still need a 35 or 40. I’m thinking of getting the Sony 35 1.8. There are others I’m interested in, but my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
Ha, very interesting that is. Just have fun with it and glad you got to use it before the plunge. Good on you and yeah, interesting reading thanks.

Danny.
 
I understand. As good as my R5 Canon and OM-1 were (and they were) the A7RV in the end did win me over. Largely as you say the autofocus system which was faultless. The rest it brought to the table only was icing on the cake. It is a bit intoxicating to have a focus system so reliable that's for sure.
 
ProDude said:
I understand. As good as my R5 Canon and OM-1 were (and they were) the A7RV in the end did win me over. Largely as you say the autofocus system which was faultless. The rest it brought to the table only was icing on the cake. It is a bit intoxicating to have a focus system so reliable that's for sure.
Click to expand...
Yep. Feels good to know I can just focus on getting some good street shots without constantly wondering what’s going to be in focus.

This camera has me scratching my head about my Fuji and MFT gear. Their portability is great, but that doesn’t matter when so many of my shots aren’t in-focus and I have to resort to single point focusing which doesn’t fit my style at all.

Fuji is the worst btw. I’m selling that gear as well, but keeping my Olympus stuff because it’s so small and fun.
 
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My thoughts would be...

...right on. You put the cameras in hand and tested them out, and found a clear winner. No better way to do it.

Enjoy the awesome new camera!
 
I started exactly the same way as you - I cut my teeth on my dad's D810 and when moving to my own mirrorless system, I wanted the Nikon Z5. Then outta curiosity, I tried the A7C sitting next to it and was immediately hooked.

3 cameras and 8 lenses later, absolutely no regrets (except maybe the 800 f/6.3 PF). Sony ergos are a bit weird but hey, at least I can trust my autofocus.
 
JKdad said:
Took my Z5 to my local store today, planning on trading it to upgrade to a Z7 II.

I shoot lots of street and move fast, so I need a camera with good auto-area AF and the Z5 just wasn’t getting it done. I figured the Z7 II would be an improvement and that’s all I wanted was for auto-area to just work. Didn’t really need a big resolution bump, although the ability to do more cropping sounded great.

My favorite guy at the store let me play around with the Nikon and it didn’t seem much better than my Z5 for what I want out of AF for my use.

Then he suggested I try out the A7R V they just got in this morning. He hadn’t even played with it yet.

I simply put it in auto-area with all the tracking stuff activated…. and it just freakin’ worked. I went outside and walked around the shopping center, holding the camera at waist level and the damn camera just instantly focused on people and I didn’t have to think about it. Dumped the files into his PC and almost the images I took were crystal clear. Not so for the Nikon files, except when I finally went to single point CAF because the auto-area just isn’t very good.

I’m a Nikon guy, but I was almost embarrassed for Nikon after using the Sony.

Two completely different leagues with AF.

The Z9 is great but far more size and features than I need.
Click to expand...
Congrats on your decision.

Lots of us have moved across to Sony from Nikon at some point in the past few years. As time goes on it has only made more and more sense.
JKdad said:
I have heard horror stories regarding the Sony handling, but the camera felt good. Maybe not quite as comfy as Nikon, but pretty close.
Click to expand...
The ergonomics rants are way overblown, and subjective at best. Many of them don't make sense on their face (to those of us with actual experience with current/recent Sony cameras).

While any change to a new system requires a certain amount of adjustment time, in fairly short order things begin to feel natural and comfortable. At that point, using the camera becomes second nature.

If the new camera is feeling good in your hand now, it will only get better from here as you become more acclimatised to the Sony layout and "operational idiom".
JKdad said:
Bottom line is I walked out with with A7R V and the 85mm 1.8 (my favorite for street).

The store didn’t have many lenses, so I still need a 35 or 40. I’m thinking of getting the Sony 35 1.8. There are others I’m interested in, but my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
In general, third-party lenses work very well on Sony, including AF. However many of the newer on-brand Sony lenses do use blindingly fast linear AF motors, which competing manufacturers are struggling to catch up with.

That said, the most notable resulting limitation with third-party lenses is that they don't support burst rates (with AF per shot) above 15fps. However that's not relevant to the camera model you've chosen.

As regards any other potential limitations, it is camera- and lens-specific. The vast majority will AF fine for most requirements, including on the a7Rv. If there's a third-party lens that's of interest to you, it would make sense to check it out to see if its AF will perform to your satisfaction. There's better than even odds in that regard.

--
Former Canon, Nikon and Pentax user.
https://www.instagram.com/raycologon
https://500px.com/raycologon
 
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JKdad said:
my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
I don't think I've taken the Tamron 12-200 off my 7R3 since I got the lens.

The AF is fine.
 
grsnovi said:
JKdad said:
my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
I don't think I've taken the Tamron 12-200 off my 7R3 since I got the lens.

The AF is fine.
Click to expand...
Do you mean the Tamron 28-200?

I don't think they make a 12-200.
 
There is nothing better than walking into an actual store and having the cameras in our hands!

Regarding lenses: please take your time. There is are so many great lenses for Sony E-mount, it is almost embarassing, and 3rd party work really really well, and in some cases offer, what Sony does not.

For manual focus I especially recommend Voigtlander, and some of the Zeiss Loxias.

For zoom, I especially recommend the latest Tamron ones. You will find no limitations with these lenses on your camera body. Sony E-mount (unlike Canon or Nikon) is open for developers, that's why.
 
SilvanBromide said:
JKdad said:
Took my Z5 to my local store today, planning on trading it to upgrade to a Z7 II.

I shoot lots of street and move fast, so I need a camera with good auto-area AF and the Z5 just wasn’t getting it done. I figured the Z7 II would be an improvement and that’s all I wanted was for auto-area to just work. Didn’t really need a big resolution bump, although the ability to do more cropping sounded great.

My favorite guy at the store let me play around with the Nikon and it didn’t seem much better than my Z5 for what I want out of AF for my use.

Then he suggested I try out the A7R V they just got in this morning. He hadn’t even played with it yet.

I simply put it in auto-area with all the tracking stuff activated…. and it just freakin’ worked. I went outside and walked around the shopping center, holding the camera at waist level and the damn camera just instantly focused on people and I didn’t have to think about it. Dumped the files into his PC and almost the images I took were crystal clear. Not so for the Nikon files, except when I finally went to single point CAF because the auto-area just isn’t very good.

I’m a Nikon guy, but I was almost embarrassed for Nikon after using the Sony.

Two completely different leagues with AF.

The Z9 is great but far more size and features than I need.
Click to expand...
Congrats on your decision.

Lots of us have moved across to Sony from Nikon at some point in the past few years. As time goes on it has only made more and more sense.
SilvanBromide said:
I have heard horror stories regarding the Sony handling, but the camera felt good. Maybe not quite as comfy as Nikon, but pretty close.
Click to expand...
The ergonomics rants are way overblown, and subjective at best. Many of them don't make sense on their face (to those of us with actual experience with current/recent Sony cameras).

While any change to a new system requires a certain amount of adjustment time, in fairly short order things begin to feel natural and comfortable. At that point, using the camera becomes second nature.

If the new camera is feeling good in your hand now, it will only get better from here as you become more acclimatised to the Sony layout and "operational idiom".
SilvanBromide said:
Bottom line is I walked out with with A7R V and the 85mm 1.8 (my favorite for street).

The store didn’t have many lenses, so I still need a 35 or 40. I’m thinking of getting the Sony 35 1.8. There are others I’m interested in, but my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
In general, third-party lenses work very well on Sony, including AF. However many of the newer on-brand Sony lenses do use blindingly fast linear AF motors, which competing manufacturers are struggling to catch up with.

That said, the most notable resulting limitation with third-party lenses is that they don't support burst rates (with AF per shot) above 15fps. However that's not relevant to the camera model you've chosen.

As regards any other potential limitations, it is camera- and lens-specific. The vast majority will AF fine for most requirements, including on the a7Rv. If there's a third-party lens that's of interest to you, it would make sense to check it out to see if its AF will perform to your satisfaction. There's better than even odds in that regard.
Click to expand...
I mainly shoot street, so I merely needed an auto-area mode that works… single shot, etc.

Thats said, I’m a rendering guy and love lenses with character. Preferred my Z 40mm over the 50 1.8 for that reason.

I’ve heard the Sigma 35 F2 renders nicely. Might take a look.
 
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4Photos said:
There is nothing better than walking into an actual store and having the cameras in our hands!

Regarding lenses: please take your time. There is are so many great lenses for Sony E-mount, it is almost embarassing, and 3rd party work really really well, and in some cases offer, what Sony does not.
For manual focus I especially recommend Voigtlander, and some of the Zeiss Loxias.

For zoom, I especially recommend the latest Tamron ones. You will find no limitations with these lenses on your camera body. Sony E-mount (unlike Canon or Nikon) is open for developers, that's why.
Click to expand...
I make it a point to buy most of my gear from this small store in hopes they stay in business.



If it weren’t for putting hands on the camera and a knowledgeable salesperson, I’d likely be waiting on a Z7 II to ship and then keep struggling with AF.
 
JKdad said:
Took my Z5 to my local store today, planning on trading it to upgrade to a Z7 II.

I shoot lots of street and move fast, so I need a camera with good auto-area AF and the Z5 just wasn’t getting it done. I figured the Z7 II would be an improvement and that’s all I wanted was for auto-area to just work. Didn’t really need a big resolution bump, although the ability to do more cropping sounded great.

My favorite guy at the store let me play around with the Nikon and it didn’t seem much better than my Z5 for what I want out of AF for my use.

Then he suggested I try out the A7R V they just got in this morning. He hadn’t even played with it yet.

I simply put it in auto-area with all the tracking stuff activated…. and it just freakin’ worked. I went outside and walked around the shopping center, holding the camera at waist level and the damn camera just instantly focused on people and I didn’t have to think about it. Dumped the files into his PC and almost the images I took were crystal clear. Not so for the Nikon files, except when I finally went to single point CAF because the auto-area just isn’t very good.

I’m a Nikon guy, but I was almost embarrassed for Nikon after using the Sony.

Two completely different leagues with AF.

The Z9 is great but far more size and features than I need.

I have heard horror stories regarding the Sony handling, but the camera felt good. Maybe not quite as comfy as Nikon, but pretty close.

Bottom line is I walked out with with A7R V and the 85mm 1.8 (my favorite for street).

The store didn’t have many lenses, so I still need a 35 or 40. I’m thinking of getting the Sony 35 1.8. There are others I’m interested in, but my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
I totally get how you walked in to buy a Nikon and walked out with an A7RV. Sony's AF blows my mind every time I use it. I do street photography too and strange as it may sound to some, I will often take my non-Sony gear out with me just to keep myself challenged with less-than-perfect AF or manual focus.

Sony's AF is literally so good that the process becomes too easy and automated and I begin to get lazy and sloppy. So I reserve my Sony gear mainly for when I know I will have moving targets and I don't want to lose too many shots.

I ignore most posts on ergonomics. Every camera has its ergonomic pros and cons and mostly its personal anyway. One photographer's favourite camera is another's hand-muscle nightmare. I don't feel any discomfort from carrying a recent Sony A7 camera. Try walking around all day with a Lumix S1 in your hand :-(

When it comes to 35mm lenses, I like the 35mm f1.4 GM and also the older Sony-Zeiss 35mm f2.8. It doesn't get much attention these days but I find the rendering to be special.

Enjoy your new camera; its an incredible tool.
 
enigmatico said:
JKdad said:
Took my Z5 to my local store today, planning on trading it to upgrade to a Z7 II.

I shoot lots of street and move fast, so I need a camera with good auto-area AF and the Z5 just wasn’t getting it done. I figured the Z7 II would be an improvement and that’s all I wanted was for auto-area to just work. Didn’t really need a big resolution bump, although the ability to do more cropping sounded great.

My favorite guy at the store let me play around with the Nikon and it didn’t seem much better than my Z5 for what I want out of AF for my use.

Then he suggested I try out the A7R V they just got in this morning. He hadn’t even played with it yet.

I simply put it in auto-area with all the tracking stuff activated…. and it just freakin’ worked. I went outside and walked around the shopping center, holding the camera at waist level and the damn camera just instantly focused on people and I didn’t have to think about it. Dumped the files into his PC and almost the images I took were crystal clear. Not so for the Nikon files, except when I finally went to single point CAF because the auto-area just isn’t very good.

I’m a Nikon guy, but I was almost embarrassed for Nikon after using the Sony.

Two completely different leagues with AF.

The Z9 is great but far more size and features than I need.

I have heard horror stories regarding the Sony handling, but the camera felt good. Maybe not quite as comfy as Nikon, but pretty close.

Bottom line is I walked out with with A7R V and the 85mm 1.8 (my favorite for street).

The store didn’t have many lenses, so I still need a 35 or 40. I’m thinking of getting the Sony 35 1.8. There are others I’m interested in, but my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
I totally get how you walked in to buy a Nikon and walked out with an A7RV. Sony's AF blows my mind every time I use it. I do street photography too and strange as it may sound to some, I will often take my non-Sony gear out with me just to keep myself challenged with less-than-perfect AF or manual focus.

Sony's AF is literally so good that the process becomes too easy and automated and I begin to get lazy and sloppy. So I reserve my Sony gear mainly for when I know I will have moving targets and I don't want to lose too many shots.

I ignore most posts on ergonomics. Every camera has its ergonomic pros and cons and mostly its personal anyway. One photographer's favourite camera is another's hand-muscle nightmare. I don't feel any discomfort from carrying a recent Sony A7 camera. Try walking around all day with a Lumix S1 in your hand :-(

When it comes to 35mm lenses, I like the 35mm f1.4 GM and also the older Sony-Zeiss 35mm f2.8. It doesn't get much attention these days but I find the rendering to be special.

Enjoy your new camera; its an incredible tool.
Click to expand...
 
Congrats on your A7R V.

You found out for yourself by actually handling and test-using the camera — for street photography.

Most of the street photos I have shared with you in various forum threads were created with Sony FF MILCs.
 
Last edited:
JKdad said:
enigmatico said:
JKdad said:
Took my Z5 to my local store today, planning on trading it to upgrade to a Z7 II.

I shoot lots of street and move fast, so I need a camera with good auto-area AF and the Z5 just wasn’t getting it done. I figured the Z7 II would be an improvement and that’s all I wanted was for auto-area to just work. Didn’t really need a big resolution bump, although the ability to do more cropping sounded great.

My favorite guy at the store let me play around with the Nikon and it didn’t seem much better than my Z5 for what I want out of AF for my use.

Then he suggested I try out the A7R V they just got in this morning. He hadn’t even played with it yet.

I simply put it in auto-area with all the tracking stuff activated…. and it just freakin’ worked. I went outside and walked around the shopping center, holding the camera at waist level and the damn camera just instantly focused on people and I didn’t have to think about it. Dumped the files into his PC and almost the images I took were crystal clear. Not so for the Nikon files, except when I finally went to single point CAF because the auto-area just isn’t very good.

I’m a Nikon guy, but I was almost embarrassed for Nikon after using the Sony.

Two completely different leagues with AF.

The Z9 is great but far more size and features than I need.

I have heard horror stories regarding the Sony handling, but the camera felt good. Maybe not quite as comfy as Nikon, but pretty close.

Bottom line is I walked out with with A7R V and the 85mm 1.8 (my favorite for street).

The store didn’t have many lenses, so I still need a 35 or 40. I’m thinking of getting the Sony 35 1.8. There are others I’m interested in, but my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
I totally get how you walked in to buy a Nikon and walked out with an A7RV. Sony's AF blows my mind every time I use it. I do street photography too and strange as it may sound to some, I will often take my non-Sony gear out with me just to keep myself challenged with less-than-perfect AF or manual focus.

Sony's AF is literally so good that the process becomes too easy and automated and I begin to get lazy and sloppy. So I reserve my Sony gear mainly for when I know I will have moving targets and I don't want to lose too many shots.

I ignore most posts on ergonomics. Every camera has its ergonomic pros and cons and mostly its personal anyway. One photographer's favourite camera is another's hand-muscle nightmare. I don't feel any discomfort from carrying a recent Sony A7 camera. Try walking around all day with a Lumix S1 in your hand :-(

When it comes to 35mm lenses, I like the 35mm f1.4 GM and also the older Sony-Zeiss 35mm f2.8. It doesn't get much attention these days but I find the rendering to be special.

Enjoy your new camera; its an incredible tool.
Click to expand...
I can see this camera making me lazy.

Thing is, for me, it’s about just getting pictures. The technical part of getting the picture isn’t what interests me. I’d use my iPhone if it gave me the images I get on a great camera. I shoot waist level and can get several hundred files in just a few hours. With my Nikon, half would be out of focus because its auto area AF isn’t good.

I might be able to slow down with this new camera since it seems like I’ll get far more keepers.
Click to expand...
Laziness doesn't come into it IMO. Or at least, it needn't -- and shouldn't.

In photography, there are many things to think about and keep track of simultaneously. If you're able to spend less time concentrating on focus, that will free you up to spend more time thinking about composition, tweaking exposure, adjusting for motion blur etc etc.

In other words it's an opportunity to lift your game. It would only be 'lazy' if you don't take that opportunity...
 
SilvanBromide said:
JKdad said:
enigmatico said:
JKdad said:
Took my Z5 to my local store today, planning on trading it to upgrade to a Z7 II.

I shoot lots of street and move fast, so I need a camera with good auto-area AF and the Z5 just wasn’t getting it done. I figured the Z7 II would be an improvement and that’s all I wanted was for auto-area to just work. Didn’t really need a big resolution bump, although the ability to do more cropping sounded great.

My favorite guy at the store let me play around with the Nikon and it didn’t seem much better than my Z5 for what I want out of AF for my use.

Then he suggested I try out the A7R V they just got in this morning. He hadn’t even played with it yet.

I simply put it in auto-area with all the tracking stuff activated…. and it just freakin’ worked. I went outside and walked around the shopping center, holding the camera at waist level and the damn camera just instantly focused on people and I didn’t have to think about it. Dumped the files into his PC and almost the images I took were crystal clear. Not so for the Nikon files, except when I finally went to single point CAF because the auto-area just isn’t very good.

I’m a Nikon guy, but I was almost embarrassed for Nikon after using the Sony.

Two completely different leagues with AF.

The Z9 is great but far more size and features than I need.

I have heard horror stories regarding the Sony handling, but the camera felt good. Maybe not quite as comfy as Nikon, but pretty close.

Bottom line is I walked out with with A7R V and the 85mm 1.8 (my favorite for street).

The store didn’t have many lenses, so I still need a 35 or 40. I’m thinking of getting the Sony 35 1.8. There are others I’m interested in, but my man advised me to stick with Sony lenses if I want to take full advantage of the AF.

Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
I totally get how you walked in to buy a Nikon and walked out with an A7RV. Sony's AF blows my mind every time I use it. I do street photography too and strange as it may sound to some, I will often take my non-Sony gear out with me just to keep myself challenged with less-than-perfect AF or manual focus.

Sony's AF is literally so good that the process becomes too easy and automated and I begin to get lazy and sloppy. So I reserve my Sony gear mainly for when I know I will have moving targets and I don't want to lose too many shots.

I ignore most posts on ergonomics. Every camera has its ergonomic pros and cons and mostly its personal anyway. One photographer's favourite camera is another's hand-muscle nightmare. I don't feel any discomfort from carrying a recent Sony A7 camera. Try walking around all day with a Lumix S1 in your hand :-(

When it comes to 35mm lenses, I like the 35mm f1.4 GM and also the older Sony-Zeiss 35mm f2.8. It doesn't get much attention these days but I find the rendering to be special.

Enjoy your new camera; its an incredible tool.
Click to expand...
I can see this camera making me lazy.

Thing is, for me, it’s about just getting pictures. The technical part of getting the picture isn’t what interests me. I’d use my iPhone if it gave me the images I get on a great camera. I shoot waist level and can get several hundred files in just a few hours. With my Nikon, half would be out of focus because its auto area AF isn’t good.

I might be able to slow down with this new camera since it seems like I’ll get far more keepers.
Click to expand...
Laziness doesn't come into it IMO. Or at least, it needn't -- and shouldn't.

In photography, there are many things to think about and keep track of simultaneously. If you're able to spend less time concentrating on focus, that will free you up to spend more time thinking about composition, tweaking exposure, adjusting for motion blur etc etc.

In other words it's an opportunity to lift your game. It would only be 'lazy' if you don't take that opportunity...
Click to expand...
Automation has a different effect on everyone. As you rightly point out, for some people it frees them up to concentrate on other parts of the photographic process.

Many photographers also agree that cameras with fewer automatic features, slow you down and force you to think more about each and every shot. Personally, I find myself in this latter group; avoiding automation means I get better pictures at the end of the day, unless the situation is beyond my ability to operate the camera without automatic assistance.

I recently acquired an old film camera. The cost of film, processing and scanning is so high, that I took great care before each exposure. As a result I had far more keepers than I would have done with a fully automatic digital camera.

Please don't think I am criticising highly automated digital photography - I love using my Sony A7* cameras and the extraordinary technology inside them. I am just one of those people who generally takes better photos percentage wise when I am forced to slow down. So I use automation only when I need to, rather than as a default technique.

What matters in this thread is that the OP whose method is to shoot street photography from waist level, has found his perfect match with the A7RV. Every photographer has their own particular requirements and shooting style. Thankfully there is an incredible assortment of various camera brands and models from which to choose from.
 
.
 
Welcome to the dark side! I switched from Nikon Z to Sony last month, but for different reasons.

I needed to move to a pair of stacked sensor cameras for a new work avenue, and a pair of lightly used A9 II's was my final destination.

Luckily, my local camera club has about 100 members, so somebody always has gear you might want to try. I had a chance to try out the A9 II before I jumped.

Now I'm in Sony land:

1. The AF is on another level. Not only in accuracy but also in the way it gets out of your way, so you can nail the shot. With Nikon it's WAY behind in accuracy and WAY WAY behind in implementation. Too many modes, and if you're in the wrong one you're clean outta luck! If you dare mention this on the Nikon Z forum you'll be shot down!

2. Lenses! My core professional work relies on the classic 24-70mm and 70-200mm 2.8 combo. I went for the Sony GM II's, saving me nigh on 500g over Nikon Z. This is a BIG deal. What are the benefits of the Nikon Z mount when it comes to lenses really? The larger mount and shorter throat was supposed to be a game changer. But lenses seem to be getting bigger and heavier?

3. Ergonomics and menus - it's a wash, really it is!

4. Sony "Colour Science" - we know this doesn't exist if you shoot Raw, its down to your PP software. I've had a learning curve in Lightroom with the Sony files, as I was so au fait with Nikon files. But I'm very happy now. I did purchase the Cobalt profile for my camera though. That got me where I wanted to be more quickly.

Bottom line? For somebody like me who shoots people, Sony has been a game changer. Both in terms of tech that "gets out of your way" and also in reducing the weight of my daily kit.
 
After some 30+ years I moved from Nikon to Sony back in the D800 days and have been pretty happy. The handling was a bit different for me since the Nikon’s fit like a glove but the a7rv is pretty darn good, especially since the a7rII was not nearly as comfortable in my hands. I picked up an 85mm 1.4 just last week and can’t wait to give it a go for street photography, I still love my 35mm GM but I’m looking forward to seeing how I adjust to the 85mm prospective, especially when I travel abroad.

--
Allen
___________
The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple, and love without measure. - Tibetan Proverb
 
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