Should I upgrade from a6400 to a7iv?

[Maclife80]

Hey there photo friends.

I have a question and maybe some of you can give their thoughts about it. I started taking mainly photos around 2 years ago. And I really felt in love with it. My current setup that I have is Sony a6400. Tamron 11-20 f2.8. Tamron 17-70 f2.8 and Sony 70-350 G.

I am still learning everyday new stuff and getting better and better. So now after over 2 years of experience I am thinking about switching/upgrading to full frame for instance getting the new a7lV with for example the sigma 24-70 f2.8

What are your thoughts on that? Is it a good upgrade? Should I stick with my current setup. Will my pictures be that much sharper with the new setup ?

 

[Martin_99]

Hey there photo friends.

I have a question and maybe some of you can give their thoughts about it. I started taking mainly photos around 2 years ago. And I really felt in love with it. My current setup that I have is Sony a6400. Tamron 11-20 f2.8. Tamron 17-70 f2.8 and Sony 70-350 G.

It's great apsc setup, enjoy it!

I am still learning everyday new stuff and getting better and better. So now after over 2 years of experience I am thinking about switching/upgrading to full frame

Do you know why? In what smaller apsc format limits you?

for instance getting the new a7lV with for example the sigma 24-70 f2.8

What are your thoughts on that? Is it a good upgrade?

Depends on your needs. In general, you can get better image quality if you know what you are doing for higher price/size/weight.

Should I stick with my current setup.

Short answer: YES

Will my pictures be that much sharper with the new setup ?

Sharpness depends mainly on lenses. If you buy better FF lenses, you can get a little bit sharper images. You already have recent very good glass, so difference will be probably visible only magnified on PC or very big prints.

I see the main reason for switch to FF due to better low light performace and easier background separation with fast FF lenses.

If you have money to burn, rather buy some fast prime in favourite focal length.

 

[AZheaven]

Hey there photo friends.

I have a question and maybe some of you can give their thoughts about it. I started taking mainly photos around 2 years ago. And I really felt in love with it. My current setup that I have is Sony a6400. Tamron 11-20 f2.8. Tamron 17-70 f2.8 and Sony 70-350 G.

I am still learning everyday new stuff and getting better and better. So now after over 2 years of experience I am thinking about switching/upgrading to full frame for instance getting the new a7lV with for example the sigma 24-70 f2.8

What are your thoughts on that? Is it a good upgrade? Should I stick with my current setup. Will my pictures be that much sharper with the new setup ?

Regarding the A7IV. AF wise? Yes, should be a major upgrade. Ergonomics wise? Yes, the A7IV will feel better in your hands.

Sharpness is all about technique and lenses. Today it's difficult to find a "bad" lens. Thought honestly they are out there. Just saw photos on Fred Miranda with the A7C and Sony kit lens 28-70 and they were phenomenal.

The Sony 24-105 f4 is still one of the best buys lens wise. Super sharp and versitle. And that lens was my one and only lens for 2 years until I bought the Sony 100-400. There are other options out there from Sigma and Tamron to name two. The Sigma 28-70 f2.8 seems to be a good lens from what I'm seeing on Youtube. And Tamron just updated their 28-75 f1.8 to a version 2 which seems to improve on the first one.

Up to you if you will recoup some money if you decide to sell what you have. When I switched to Sony from Nikon in 2018 I took a loss. But the gain made was worth it.

 

[Jeff2013]

If you are serious about photography and continually seek improvement, I would say, yes, go for the upgrade. The A7IV will provide greater dynamic range, lower noise in lower light, better image resolution and cropability, access to higher quality, professional level, FF glass, a better shooting experience (i.e., larger viewfinder) and greater customization.

I belong to a number of photography clubs and also teach photography classes. My observation has been that virtually all the photographers convert from crop-sensor cameras to FF (or add FF to their kit) within a couple years of shooting - even the ones that originally claimed that they were completely happy with their crop sensor system.

You might as well take the plunge and enjoy the upgrade, now.

--
Jeff
Florida, USA
http://www.gr8photography.com

 

[Beegeegee]

This response is really helpful to me. I’m in a similar situation, but a lower price band. I’ve been shooting an a6000 and have decided it is time to upgrade. I’m trying to do some wildlife photography, birds mostly, and I’m frustrated with the limitations of this setup (70-350mm G).

I’m trying to decide between moving to the a6400 (in-body stabilization, real time AF, uses existing glass, but still limited if I wanted to upgrade lenses further) or an a7/iii (FF, in-body stab, but doesn’t have the improved AF). Trying to stay in the <1,500 range. The new a7c and a7/Iv are both above the price point.

With that decision and that use case (birds at rest), would you suggest the switch to the FF (absent the better features) is still worth it?

 

[Maclife80]

What would be a good starting lens for FF? Like a always on lens.

the sigma 24-70 f2.8? or any other recommendations ?

 

[Maclife80]

the 6400 doesn't have IBIS!

 

[Jeff2013]

This response is really helpful to me. I’m in a similar situation, but a lower price band. I’ve been shooting an a6000 and have decided it is time to upgrade. I’m trying to do some wildlife photography, birds mostly, and I’m frustrated with the limitations of this setup (70-350mm G).

I’m trying to decide between moving to the a6400 (in-body stabilization, real time AF, uses existing glass, but still limited if I wanted to upgrade lenses further) or an a7/iii (FF, in-body stab, but doesn’t have the improved AF). Trying to stay in the <1,500 range. The new a7c and a7/Iv are both above the price point.

With that decision and that use case (birds at rest), would you suggest the switch to the FF (absent the better features) is still worth it?

The 70-350mm is an excellent lens. The image circle is fairly wide, and some FF shooters actually use this crop-sensor lens due to its light weight. At 70mm, no cropping is required and at 350mm only the outer edges (maybe 20%) need to be cropped on full-frame.

You can pick-up used A9's, great cameras, (in perfect condition) over on Fred Miranda for just under $2,000 USD and you could use your 70-350mm lens until you later decide to upgrade to a FF lens. It also might make sense for you to pick-up an A6400, where you would have no compromises. If you decide to go the 6400 route, I would buy a used (like new condition) one over on Fred Miranda so that you can sell it later with little loss, should you be ready to take the FF plunge.

Edit: I didn't realize that the 6400 doesn't have IBIS, but rather, you would need to go to the A6500. Another thing to keep in mind is that IBIS works best at shorter focal lengths - hence it would not work really well at 350mm.

The best budget FF combination I could recommend would be a used A9 combined with the Sigma 100-400 DN, which can be had for under $1,000 USD on Fred Miranda. I have that lens, along with the GM 100-400mm and have found that it is actually sharper between 200-400mm than the GM lens (Dustin Abbott found the same thing in his tests). The only downside is that FPS would be limited to 15fps on the A9.

--
Jeff
Florida, USA
http://www.gr8photography.com

 

[Jeff2013]

What would be a good starting lens for FF? Like a always on lens.

the sigma 24-70 f2.8? or any other recommendations ?

The Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DN is an excellent lens (have a look at reviews published, such as Dustin Abbott's).

 

[Martin_99]

This response is really helpful to me. I’m in a similar situation, but a lower price band. I’ve been shooting an a6000 and have decided it is time to upgrade. I’m trying to do some wildlife photography, birds mostly, and I’m frustrated with the limitations of this setup (70-350mm G).

I’m trying to decide between moving to the a6400 (in-body stabilization, real time AF, uses existing glass, but still limited if I wanted to upgrade lenses further) or an a7/iii (FF, in-body stab, but doesn’t have the improved AF). Trying to stay in the <1,500 range. The new a7c and a7/Iv are both above the price point.

With that decision and that use case (birds at rest), would you suggest the switch to the FF (absent the better features) is still worth it?

It's up to you how expensive or big setup you choose. For birding, you can choose from setups with similar reach, eg.:

A6400 with 70-350 - app. 1kg, $1900

A7III with Tamron 150-500 - app. 2.4kg, $3400

Of course, with higher price and cost you will get better camera - mainly low light performance, but also eg. better battery, etc.

 

[Beegeegee]

Thank you! A used A9 is pretty much the best of all worlds! Great suggestion! Thanks!


Also edit: I didn’t realize the 6400 didn’t have IBIS either!

 

[AZheaven]

What would be a good starting lens for FF? Like a always on lens.

the sigma 24-70 f2.8? or any other recommendations ?

The Sigma 24-70 f2.8 is an excellent lens. Sharper and less expensive than the Sony GM. And still will be after version 2 of the Sony GM is released.

But as an all around lens, if you don't specifically need f2.8 is the Sony 24-105 f4.

If I'm repeating myself (apparently happens as one ages!) sorry about that!

 

[WhistlerNorth]

The best budget FF combination I could recommend would be a used A9 combined with the Sigma 100-400 DN, which can be had for under $1,000 USD on Fred Miranda. I have that lens, along with the GM 100-400mm and have found that it is actually sharper between 200-400mm than the GM lens (Dustin Abbott found the same thing in his tests). The only downside is that FPS would be limited to 15fps on the A9.

Very interested in your comparison of the new Sigma 100-400 vs Sony GM 100-400. I have an A6500 and 70-300 and looking for more reach for a wildlife trip next spring.

I just put down a deposit on the new A7IV so figuring out what would work in the lighter end as I am female and small in stature. I would not be using it at fast FPS.

What camera are you using the sigma on?

 

[Jeff2013]

The best budget FF combination I could recommend would be a used A9 combined with the Sigma 100-400 DN, which can be had for under $1,000 USD on Fred Miranda. I have that lens, along with the GM 100-400mm and have found that it is actually sharper between 200-400mm than the GM lens (Dustin Abbott found the same thing in his tests). The only downside is that FPS would be limited to 15fps on the A9.

Very interested in your comparison of the new Sigma 100-400 vs Sony GM 100-400. I have an A6500 and 70-300 and looking for more reach for a wildlife trip next spring.

I just put down a deposit on the new A7IV so figuring out what would work in the lighter end as I am female and small in stature. I would not be using it at fast FPS.

What camera are you using the sigma on?

I had the Sony 70-300mm. The Sigma 100-400 is sharper and has much better contrast. I am using it on the A1 and A7rIV.

 

[WhistlerNorth]

The best budget FF combination I could recommend would be a used A9 combined with the Sigma 100-400 DN, which can be had for under $1,000 USD on Fred Miranda. I have that lens, along with the GM 100-400mm and have found that it is actually sharper between 200-400mm than the GM lens (Dustin Abbott found the same thing in his tests). The only downside is that FPS would be limited to 15fps on the A9.

Very interested in your comparison of the new Sigma 100-400 vs Sony GM 100-400. I have an A6500 and 70-300 and looking for more reach for a wildlife trip next spring.

I just put down a deposit on the new A7IV so figuring out what would work in the lighter end as I am female and small in stature. I would not be using it at fast FPS.

What camera are you using the sigma on?

I had the Sony 70-300mm. The Sigma 100-400 is sharper and has much better contrast. I am using it on the A1 and A7rIV.

So which lens do you use most or does situation dictate— like weight depending on shooting location.

 

[3V AudioVideo]

the 6400 doesn't have IBIS!

Maybe upgrading to 6600, which has IBIS, would be better fit for you, if IBIS is the main reason? It's 1/2 the price (often on sale for $1198) of the a7iv. I also have the a6400 and often thought to get it, but also also thinking to get the a7iv instead, but for additional main reasons other than just IBIS.

 

[Jeff2013]

The best budget FF combination I could recommend would be a used A9 combined with the Sigma 100-400 DN, which can be had for under $1,000 USD on Fred Miranda. I have that lens, along with the GM 100-400mm and have found that it is actually sharper between 200-400mm than the GM lens (Dustin Abbott found the same thing in his tests). The only downside is that FPS would be limited to 15fps on the A9.

Very interested in your comparison of the new Sigma 100-400 vs Sony GM 100-400. I have an A6500 and 70-300 and looking for more reach for a wildlife trip next spring.

I just put down a deposit on the new A7IV so figuring out what would work in the lighter end as I am female and small in stature. I would not be using it at fast FPS.

What camera are you using the sigma on?

I had the Sony 70-300mm. The Sigma 100-400 is sharper and has much better contrast. I am using it on the A1 and A7rIV.

So which lens do you use most or does situation dictate— like weight depending on shooting location.

I get 30fps with the GM lens and 15fps with the Sigma on the A1, so I use the GM for BIF. The GM lens also makes a better macro lens.

 

[Hans vdC]

Tamron 28-75/2.8 is very good (I use on my A7III, sold that and awaiting delivery of the A7IV)

 

[aarif]

--

A A

Explore A A’s 933 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[BrentSchumer]

Hey there photo friends.

I have a question and maybe some of you can give their thoughts about it. I started taking mainly photos around 2 years ago. And I really felt in love with it. My current setup that I have is Sony a6400. Tamron 11-20 f2.8. Tamron 17-70 f2.8 and Sony 70-350 G.

I am still learning everyday new stuff and getting better and better. So now after over 2 years of experience I am thinking about switching/upgrading to full frame for instance getting the new a7lV with for example the sigma 24-70 f2.8

What are your thoughts on that? Is it a good upgrade? Should I stick with my current setup. Will my pictures be that much sharper with the new setup ?

If you're happy and still learning, spend money on experiences to photograph, not gear. FF improves the envelope of what you can do, but it won't make similarly-shot photos look better.

You haven't articulated a reason to upgrade here.