Sony A7R II impression and images

A7Rii w/ Zeiss 100mm makro-planar

brettski wrote in post #17875786
A7Rii w/ Zeiss 100mm makro-planar

Hosted photo: posted by brettski in
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forum: Sony Digital Cameras

Hosted photo: posted by brettski in
./showthread.php?p=178​75786&i=i127326054
forum: Sony Digital Cameras

Beautiful captures from an awesome lens!

55mm 1.8 Zeiss

Thank you Dave! It's such a fun lens to "hunt" with.

I am getting ready to purchase a Sony A7RII. I am planning to pair this with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II, a Canon EF 11-24mm f/4 L and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II via a Metabones IV adapter. I was hoping the folks on this thread could comment on the use of this camera with those lenses. I've seen a few images created with the 24-70 in here, and I think an image or two created with the 11-24 in that lens's thread. When I need some reach, I also have a Sigma 18-200mm crop lens, though down the line I'll replace that with a better telephoto lens.

Do people feel this camera performs well with these lenses (the 11-24 & 24-70)? My other consideration was getting a 5D3, however the features of the A7RII are highly attractive: the better DR, EVF with focus peaking, IBIS (great for the 24-70 which lacks IS) EFC & silent shooting, not to mention the 42 MP.

My main concerns with this camera are the battery life and any degradation in IQ or AF accuracy & speed when using an adapter. AF tracking not working with adapted lenses is a downer too.

Is it accurate that the Metabones adapter presents a 1/3 stop loss of light? How much of an issue is this in the real world? (It appears not much.) In addition to the Metabones IV, I am seriously looking at picking up the Fotodiox ND Throttle adapter. Having a built-in variable ND filter to the adapter is awesome, especially considering the 11-24 lens cannot accept front filters I think that adapter would pair very well with that lens.

Are the any other things I need to be considering before making this purchase? From what I have seen so far, this camera body seems to pair quite well with both the 24-70 II and the 11-24 lenses.

Thanks,
heldGaze

The camera is awesome with the 24-70 II.

Never heard about the 1/3rd light stop loss.

There is a poster on here that does a lot wide angle stuff and I believe bought then sold the 11-24. You may want to check as to why? Something about soft corners if I remember.

IBIS is the main reason I bought the A7RII, I own lots of Canon bodies as well, but IBIS and silent shooting for weddings with 24-70 II, 85L and 135L makes it a go to for Portraits and landscapes. I don't use the camera on moving objects or where fast hands on a camera with good ergonomics is essential.

The only time you lose a third of a stop of light is when you use the Sony Adapter ( LAEA4 )with older Sony Alpha or Minolta lenses. This does not happen with any other adapter.

heldGaze wrote in post #17877284
I am getting ready to purchase a Sony A7RII. I am planning to pair this with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II, a Canon EF 11-24mm f/4 L and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II via a Metabones IV adapter. I was hoping the folks on this thread could comment on the use of this camera with those lenses. I've seen a few images created with the 24-70 in here, and I think an image or two created with the 11-24 in that lens's thread. When I need some reach, I also have a Sigma 18-200mm crop lens, though down the line I'll replace that with a better telephoto lens.

Do people feel this camera performs well with these lenses (the 11-24 & 24-70)? My other consideration was getting a 5D3, however the features of the A7RII are highly attractive: the better DR, EVF with focus peaking, IBIS (great for the 24-70 which lacks IS) EFC & silent shooting, not to mention the 42 MP.

My main concerns with this camera are the battery life and any degradation in IQ or AF accuracy & speed when using an adapter. AF tracking not working with adapted lenses is a downer too.

Is it accurate that the Metabones adapter presents a 1/3 stop loss of light? How much of an issue is this in the real world? (It appears not much.) In addition to the Metabones IV, I am seriously looking at picking up the Fotodiox ND Throttle adapter. Having a built-in variable ND filter to the adapter is awesome, especially considering the 11-24 lens cannot accept front filters I think that adapter would pair very well with that lens.

Are the any other things I need to be considering before making this purchase? From what I have seen so far, this camera body seems to pair quite well with both the 24-70 II and the 11-24 lenses.

Thanks,
heldGaze

I had the 11-24mm. Works perfectly with the a7R II. It is a fantastic lens, no complaints. I only sold it because I wanted to return back to having the TS-E lenses since my subjects are so often architectural ones.

Also, the ND Throttle is indeed awesome - highly recommend it. Especially with the 11-24mm. However, I do want you to be aware that the throttle has no aperture control. So, to use it you need to pre-set your aperture beforehand. Here is how: 1. Mount the lens to the a7R II via Metabones adapter. 2. Set the lens to the desired aperture. 3. use "Aperture Preview" (I mapped this to custom button C1), 4. While holding the lens in Aperture Preview, dismount the lens from the Metabones adapter. 5. Remove the Metabones adapter and replace with the ND Throttle and mount the lens to the ND Throttle.

I realize that might sound like a lot of effort to use the ND Throttle, but put things in perspective: it is far far easier than messing with a front-mounted filter system (like Lee), especially with the 11-24mm. If you are shooting landscapes, as I do, then you can pre set your lens to f/8 or f/11 and you're good to go for the entire day of shooting.

Reading through all your comments here I think you are going to love the a7R II. Your lens choices, interest in the ND Throttle, etc. are all things I can relate to and can confirm they work beautifully for my needs (my primary genres are travel, architecture, landscapes). Hope this helps.

heldGaze wrote in post #17877284
I am getting ready to purchase a Sony A7RII. I am planning to pair this with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II, a Canon EF 11-24mm f/4 L and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II via a Metabones IV adapter. I was hoping the folks on this thread could comment on the use of this camera with those lenses. I've seen a few images created with the 24-70 in here, and I think an image or two created with the 11-24 in that lens's thread. When I need some reach, I also have a Sigma 18-200mm crop lens, though down the line I'll replace that with a better telephoto lens.

Do people feel this camera performs well with these lenses (the 11-24 & 24-70)? My other consideration was getting a 5D3, however the features of the A7RII are highly attractive: the better DR, EVF with focus peaking, IBIS (great for the 24-70 which lacks IS) EFC & silent shooting, not to mention the 42 MP.

My main concerns with this camera are the battery life and any degradation in IQ or AF accuracy & speed when using an adapter. AF tracking not working with adapted lenses is a downer too.

Is it accurate that the Metabones adapter presents a 1/3 stop loss of light? How much of an issue is this in the real world? (It appears not much.) In addition to the Metabones IV, I am seriously looking at picking up the Fotodiox ND Throttle adapter. Having a built-in variable ND filter to the adapter is awesome, especially considering the 11-24 lens cannot accept front filters I think that adapter would pair very well with that lens.

Are the any other things I need to be considering before making this purchase? From what I have seen so far, this camera body seems to pair quite well with both the 24-70 II and the 11-24 lenses.

Thanks,
heldGaze

I ahve the 24-70 f2.8 mk2 lens and its a cracker on the a7r2 and love using it.

It does sometime hunt in AF in dim light but focus peeking more then makes up for it.

anyways yes there is sometmes softness in corners when shooting on any wide angle lenses, not much canon but native ones too.

You just need good technique and a damm good copy.

i had a samyang 14mm prime and it was soft on the corners and then i replaced it with a new one.

below is some old pics from the old samyang

1

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/CPQn​3q

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Cjis​ZV

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/BH58​mJ

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/DCaA​eg

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/CEDq​Gj

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/DrK9​aN

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/D4DW​DF

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/CECo​z5

David Arbogast wrote in post #17877648
I had the 11-24mm. Works perfectly with the a7R II. It is a fantastic lens, no complaints. I only sold it because I wanted to return back to having the TS-E lenses since my subjects are so often architectural ones.

Also, the ND Throttle is indeed awesome - highly recommend it. Especially with the 11-24mm. However, I do want you to be aware that the throttle has no aperture control. So, to use it you need to pre-set your aperture beforehand. Here is how: 1. Mount the lens to the a7R II via Metabones adapter. 2. Set the lens to the desired aperture. 3. use "Aperture Preview" (I mapped this to custom button C1), 4. While holding the lens in Aperture Preview, dismount the lens from the Metabones adapter. 5. Remove the Metabones adapter and replace with the ND Throttle and mount the lens to the ND Throttle.

I realize that might sound like a lot of effort to use the ND Throttle, but put things in perspective: it is far far easier than messing with a front-mounted filter system (like Lee), especially with the 11-24mm. If you are shooting landscapes, as I do, then you can pre set your lens to f/8 or f/11 and you're good to go for the entire day of shooting.

Reading through all your comments here I think you are going to love the a7R II. Your lens choices, interest in the ND Throttle, etc. are all things I can relate to and can confirm they work beautifully for my needs (my primary genres are travel, architecture, landscapes). Hope this helps.

David,
Thank you for looking through my comments and offering your advice, that is very much appreciated! That was super kind of you to do. My girlfriend saw your reply and said, "what a nice guy."

I have seen many of your photos in the 11-24 thread. You have used it on all 3 of the bodies I have considered, 5D3, 5DS & A7RII. I actually was thinking of PM'ing you directly some questions, so I'm very thankful for you taking the time to look at my posts and reply.

I remember you were saying that you had picked up an 11-24 and it had some softness in the upper right corner (that one shot of the library I believe, with a wall corner that wasn't as sharp as it should have been). It seems that the one issue with this lens is that a lot of people have been getting soft copies and needing to exchange it for a properly working copy. So that is my concern about the 11-24, and as soon as I get it in, I will be posting in the 11-24 thread hoping that people can help me determine if I got a good copy. I suppose it is also worth picking up the Hejnar L-brakcet for the metabones adapter to support it on a tripod.

I like to do astrophotography, and the ability to run the A7RII off mains instead of a battery is also a major plus for that. I mostly shoot landscapes/cityscapes, do some travel photography myself, and am becoming the family's photographer as well. I would like to break into real estate photography, and I think the 11-24 is a great lens for that.

I am planning on executing these purchases this weekend. So I appreciate the fast replies from everyone.

Cheers,
heldGaze

wallstreetoneil wrote in post #17877468
The camera is awesome with the 24-70 II.

Never heard about the 1/3rd light stop loss.

There is a poster on here that does a lot wide angle stuff and I believe bought then sold the 11-24. You may want to check as to why? Something about soft corners if I remember.

IBIS is the main reason I bought the A7RII, I own lots of Canon bodies as well, but IBIS and silent shooting for weddings with 24-70 II, 85L and 135L makes it a go to for Portraits and landscapes. I don't use the camera on moving objects or where fast hands on a camera with good ergonomics is essential.

jmaher wrote in post #17877618
The only time you lose a third of a stop of light is when you use the Sony Adapter ( LAEA4 )with older Sony Alpha or Minolta lenses. This does not happen with any other adapter.

I'll need to dig up where I had read that. I think it was in reference to the metabones, but not certain now. In my notes of pros & cons on this body I have this: "Adapters for lenses will often have some detrimental effects, such as losing a 1/3 stop of light, or internal reflections. The Metabones adapter for example has that loss of 1/3 of a stop, and the inner surface is black matte plastic. The inner surface can sometimes, rarely, create an internal reflection if there is a bright light source just out of the frame. This internal reflection can be removed by adding flocking to the inside of the adapter's surface, which many people do and I will likely do myself just a little insurance against the internal reflection."

Thanks for your replies.

heldGaze wrote in post #17878203
David,
Thank you for looking through my comments and offering your advice, that is very much appreciated! That was super kind of you to do. My girlfriend saw your reply and said, "what a nice guy."

I have seen many of your photos in the 11-24 thread. You have used it on all 3 of the bodies I have considered, 5D3, 5DS & A7RII. I actually was thinking of PM'ing you directly some questions, so I'm very thankful for you taking the time to look at my posts and reply.

I remember you were saying that you had picked up an 11-24 and it had some softness in the upper right corner (that one shot of the library I believe, with a wall corner that wasn't as sharp as it should have been). It seems that the one issue with this lens is that a lot of people have been getting soft copies and needing to exchange it for a properly working copy. So that is my concern about the 11-24, and as soon as I get it in, I will be posting in the 11-24 thread hoping that people can help me determine if I got a good copy. I suppose it is also worth picking up the Hejnar L-brakcet for the metabones adapter to support it on a tripod.

I like to do astrophotography, and the ability to run the A7RII off mains instead of a battery is also a major plus for that. I mostly shoot landscapes/cityscapes, do some travel photography myself, and am becoming the family's photographer as well. I would like to break into real estate photography, and I think the 11-24 is a great lens for that.

I am planning on executing these purchases this weekend. So I appreciate the fast replies from everyone.

Cheers,
heldGaze

Thanks so much for the kind words!

Just want to confirm that my first copy of the 11-24mm must have been de-centered or something, as I did get a soft corner. My second copy, however, was perfect. The only softness with that copy was the slight softness in the extreme corners at 11mm, which is typical for the lens. Even then I regard the 11mm corners as acceptably sharp. I think it is an impressive lens.

One thing I forgot to bring up in my original post was the color rendition of this camera. Canon is known for reproducing very natural looking color. The Sony colors seem to be more vibrant, but not unnatural. I actually like the colors I've seen on this thread, and almost consider that a plus. I'm not sure how I'll feel after shooting a lot with it. Does anyone dislike the colors coming out of the A7RII? Or is everyone loving the color still? I don't know if it's novelty to me right now or not.

David Arbogast wrote in post #17878317
Thanks so much for the kind words!

Just want to confirm that my first copy of the 11-24mm must have been de-centered or something, as I did get a soft corner. My second copy, however, was perfect. The only softness with that copy was the slight softness in the extreme corners at 11mm, which is typical for the lens. Even then I regard the 11mm corners as acceptably sharp. I think it is an impressive lens.

Of course, I've enjoyed viewing your photographs.

Right, that's what I've read, a slight softness in the corners. But I've also seen lots of people, yourself included, get a bad copy initially and need to return it for a good copy. Generally speaking the sharpness of that lens is something that is lauded, said to be like having a prime lens of 11, 14, 17, & 24 all built into one zoom. So I intend to do a lot of test shots in the first couple weeks. Do you recommend anything specific to test that I have a good copy? I don't mean to hijack this Sony thread into an 11-24 thread, so feel free to PM me if you prefer.

I've literally been having dreams about this lens. Initially I expect it to challenge my skills, but in the long run to grow my skills. I've certainly been reading up on the techniques required for shooting so wide.