soblue Posted October 14, 2013 #1 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Sony have been quiet on the NEX replacement of the NEX 7 - now look like a full frame replacement instead Good 24 and 36 sensors, but not keen on the kit lens 28-70 f/3.5-5.6 http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/14/4836792/sony-a7-a7r-full-frame-cameras-leak-photos Andrew :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pierces Posted October 14, 2013 #2 Share Posted October 14, 2013 (edited) It will use e-mount APS-C lenses in crop mode and has a new batch of e-mount full-frame on the way. The A7 has a new full-frame 24MP sensor with hybrid contrast\phase-detect autofocus on the sensor and the A7r has a new 36MP sensor that will use contrast-detect autofocus (more accurate but slower). Both sensors have re-designed micro-lens arrays to improve performance of lenses with the short lens-to-sensor distance of the e-mount. The new sensors are supposed to really improve performance with wide-angle lenses. Under $2k for compact weather-sealed full-frame camera with a kit lens.....hmmmmm. I'm not ready to dump my A77 right now, but this looks like a there's a sea-change in the way digital cameras are designed and a break from the old body style left over from having to deal with rolls of film and motors to move it. It's a good time to be a photographer! Dave Edited October 14, 2013 by pierces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pierces Posted October 19, 2013 #3 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Well, the first impressions are in and I have some serious considering to do. It looks like my A77 may be the last full-size camera I'll ever own unless the new Alpha A-mount rumored for next year has something more to offer. I always try to wait for the second generation of a new line but unless they come up with a quantum leap in sensor technology, I'm not sure what more I could ask for. A sample image from the A7r was posted by a member on DPReview. If you zoom in on her left eye, you can see the false eyelash is peeling away. Too much makeup on the nose too...:) http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/52350806?image=0 Same size as the new Olympus E-M1 with nearly four times the sensor area! Expensive, but the bang for the buck is amazing. (The A7 body with the 28-70 kit lens is about $2000 while the E-M1 with the 12-40mm is $2400!) As I have often said (and just saw it in print from an Australian review), "it's a great time to be a photographer!" Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soblue Posted October 19, 2013 Author #4 Share Posted October 19, 2013 I'm with you on the comment, last full-size camera I'll ever own too. I like the look of the A7 (24mb), the A7R (36mb) looks the biz, but for me, it will require more storage space (RAW files especially), more computer processing power needed. But there again when you look at photo from a 36mb camera, all that cropping power, it is great. Choices, just so many. Best of all for me with these mirrorless cameras is the size and weight reduction, especially for travel. At times my equipment has weighed 16KG's, hand luggage for the flight. Nowadays the airlines are getting strict on the handle luggage weight. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipmaster Posted October 20, 2013 #5 Share Posted October 20, 2013 Sony has been innovative, but the biggest problem I see is that these wondeful cameras have a niche set of features and very limited number of quality lenses that can extract the goodness of the sensor. I'm like you guys, my current stable of cameras are likely my last, that plus an iPhone is all I need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awboater Posted October 20, 2013 #6 Share Posted October 20, 2013 (edited) Nikon is rumored to release a full frame hybrid/mirrorless as well. It supposedly will have a retro look, something like an FM2. This would be a drastic change for Nikon, but who knows? http://nikonrumors.com/2013/10/20/breaking-new-nikon-full-frame-hybrid-mirrorless-camera-coming-soon.aspx/ http://photorumors.com/2013/10/20/dont-buy-that-sony-a7-camera-yet-nikon-is-rumored-to-release-a-new-full-frame-hybrid-camera-soon/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PhotoRumors+%28PhotoRumors.com%29 If both companies are on the verge of releasing such a camera, they are probably jockying around for a one-up-manship of the other for the press release. Nikon typically releases a high-end camera just before the Olympics... whether it is this camera or if they have yet something else up there sleeve remains to be seen. Edited October 20, 2013 by awboater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pierces Posted October 21, 2013 #7 Share Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) Sony has been innovative, but the biggest problem I see is that these wondeful cameras have a niche set of features and very limited number of quality lenses that can extract the goodness of the sensor. Not sure what niche the features fit into...Photography, maybe?:D As for lenses, the short registration of the NEX mount allows for virtually any brand of lens to be adapted to is with excellent results. The NEX-7 has been a workhorse for manual lens users (notably Leica M-mount) since it first appeared. Focus magnification and peaking on the LCD and in the viewfinder make manual focusing a breeze. With fully autofocus-functional adapters for Sony/Minolta A-mount lenses and even EOS lenses, the variety of glass available is huge. These cameras aren't priced for everybody's budget but for their target audience, they are opening new doors. With point & shoot shifting to the high end because of smartphones and Sony/Olympus' efforts in the compact arena (with Nikon looking like it is following soon), the landscape of digital photography appears to be headed for some big changes. Dave Edited October 21, 2013 by pierces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipmaster Posted October 22, 2013 #8 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Beautiful sensor... Limited lense selection.... Limited shots on battery.... Single slot memory Slow frame rate Slow focus For smaller lighter there are other options IMHO... Cameras are all about tradeoffs but if you are in the sony system another alternative, but IMHO no reason to jump from Canikon, not even close ;) Not sure what niche the features fit into...Photography, maybe?:D As for lenses, the short registration of the NEX mount allows for virtually any brand of lens to be adapted to is with excellent results. The NEX-7 has been a workhorse for manual lens users (notably Leica M-mount) since it first appeared. Focus magnification and peaking on the LCD and in the viewfinder make manual focusing a breeze. With fully autofocus-functional adapters for Sony/Minolta A-mount lenses and even EOS lenses, the variety of glass available is huge. These cameras aren't priced for everybody's budget but for their target audience, they are opening new doors. With point & shoot shifting to the high end because of smartphones and Sony/Olympus' efforts in the compact arena (with Nikon looking like it is following soon), the landscape of digital photography appears to be headed for some big changes. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pierces Posted October 22, 2013 #9 Share Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) Beautiful sensor... Limited lense selection.... Limited shots on battery.... Single slot memory Slow frame rate Slow focus For smaller lighter there are other options IMHO... Cameras are all about tradeoffs but if you are in the sony system another alternative, but IMHO no reason to jump from Canikon, not even close ;) I think you're describing a Leica....;) As I said, this type of camera is not for everybody. No camera is. But for the vast majority of shooters that can live with AF speed faster than 90% of DSLRs (A& hybrid, not A7R ), don't need 10 frames per second, a 600mm f/4 telephoto, dual slots to accommodate a bag of CF memory they paid too much for or can't afford a spare battery...wait. That's a little snarky. :o Let me try again. If someone really needs a $5000 super camera and $20,000 worth of lenses to shoot football or some other extreme action, then a camera in this class (or almost any camera made by anybody) is not going to fill the bill. If someone want to travel lighter without sacrificing quality they are tickled to death that cameras like these are becoming available. Sony is taking a gamble by going in this direction but the NEX gamble that led to this paid off. Considering the two bodies alone and one body with a kit lens are currently the top three sellers in the category on Amazon US, I'd say that there is at least some interest out there. Remember, there wasn't a compelling reason to buy an iPhone instead of a Blackberry or an Android phone instead of an iPhone...until there was. :D Too many good choices beats too few any day! Dave Edited October 22, 2013 by pierces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pierces Posted November 5, 2013 #10 Share Posted November 5, 2013 For those of you who read this thread with interest, Here are some updates. The first sniff test at the image quality came out pretty good... http://www.photographybay.com/2013/11/05/sony-a7r-image-quality-on-par-with-nikon-d800d800e/ Take the numbers with a grain of salt. There's more to imaging than DxOMark scores (usually flaunted if your favorite camera scores high and discounted as rubbish if it doesn't) but it sure looks promising. Imaging Resource did a fairly thorough comparison between the A7R and the other big guns. The test against the Pentax 645D medium-format camera seemed a bit unfair but the results were surprising.: http://www.imaging-resource.com/camera-reviews/sony/a7r/#IQC I posted this video review of the A7R on another thread but it bears repeating here. The review a hands-on with the A7R but it was shot with the A7 (stream the video in 1080p): I have wanted to move to full-frame for a while but couldn't justify the price and with my fondness for the NEX's compactness, I couldn't see getting a camera with more mass than my A77. The A7/A7R is not as small as my NEX-7 but considering it is the same size as the new retro Oly EM-1 and has a full-frame sensor, I consider "compact" a fitting adjective. It looks like I'll need to feed the Plaster Pig for a bit and seriously consider making the leap. "Seriously consider" rather than making the leap outright is due to vague rumors about a NEX-7-sized version and new sensor tech on the 2014 horizon. With the new Nikon DF camera just released (A bigger camera by far, but very retro-cool), it looks like the trend towards packing a lot of image quality into a reasonably-priced package is gaining traction. I repeat...it is a great time to be a photographer! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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