Finally decided ... it's gonna be Sony A7

Hi All,

After hearing from POTN members, I decided to make a 'switch' from Canon 40D to Sony A7. I did consider Canon 6D too, but my photography needs out-weighted the advantages of Canon 6D.

I recently sold "70-200mm F/2.8 Ver II IS" and "70-200mm F/4 Non-IS" lenses as I realized that the extra weight of lenses was refraining me from going out to take photos. I kept 50mm F/1.4 USM and 100mm F/2.8 USM Macro lenses, to be used with an adapter (can someone suggest any adapter, it should be solid build, but cheap too, I don't need the AF feature of my lenses?).

Also, what is the best, light weight, cheap lens to go with A7? Will the 28-70 Kit lens a good option?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

I handled one for several days, the zeiss 35mm and zeiss 55mm 1.4 are totally stellar lenses.

I don't know the quality of the kit 28-70 - but the IQ of the other two blew me away. Also had an A mount 70-200 2.8 lens with the A to E adaptor (III?) and it was impressive as well no lag in the AF. (have to watch which adaptor, the version 1 is mf, I think)

That little A7 is the perfect travel camera. Get the focus peaking on if you keep any lenses to MF with - shoot old school like back in the day with a film camera - only better.

The biggest switch is the autofocus - I like to select a 'point' in a rapid fashion, I finally went with the flex grid, that was working the best for me. But focus peaking might also be awesome with practice.

The equivalent lenses for the Sony to your 70-200's are going to be just as big and just as heavy but won't have as much reach... I think you've defeated half the purpose of your switch.

That could be said the same about him upgrading to the 6d as well.

elitejp wrote in post #16923601
That could be said the same about him upgrading to the 6d as well.

And? I never suggested he should upgrade to the 6D... in fact, I'm pretty sure I suggested going with a mirrorless crop camera system like the Fuji X-T1 with either it's current 50-200/3.5-4.8 lens or upcoming 50-140/2.8 lens. Either one will be significantly smaller and lighter than what he has now and offer just as good or better IQ (definitely better from the camera). I'd even suggest a 70D with Sigma 50-150/2.8 OS over the A7 or the 6D for the OP's needs.

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #16923540
The equivalent lenses for the Sony to your 70-200's are going to be just as big and just as heavy but won't have as much reach... I think you've defeated half the purpose of your switch.

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #16923814
And? I never suggested he should upgrade to the 6D... in fact, I'm pretty sure I suggested going with a mirrorless crop camera system like the Fuji X-T1 with either it's current 50-200/3.5-4.8 lens or upcoming 50-140/2.8 lens. Either one will be significantly smaller and lighter than what he has now and offer just as good or better IQ (definitely better from the camera). I'd even suggest a 70D with Sigma 50-150/2.8 OS over the A7 or the 6D for the OP's needs.

Huh? Sorry, I guess i needed to read between the lines
(Somewhere your message must have got cut off)

elitejp wrote in post #16926730
Huh? Sorry, I guess i needed to read between the lines
(Somewhere your message must have got cut off)

No, OP has another thread asking which body to go for, here was my response in said thread. Stop making assumptions based on my gear...

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #16916455
That said, they're both great cameras, it depends on what you shoot and what you intend to use it for OP. Personally I'd buy an X-T1 over both unless like me you need high ISO capability, in which case I'd opt for the 6D or wait for a few reviews of the upcoming A7s.

You kinda need to tone it down. Im not stalking every response you write in every thread. Nor was I trying to start an argument or make assumptions based on your gear. My response to you was only based off of what the OP wrote in this thread in which he was choosing between the 6d and the a7 which are both full frames. That has absolutely nothing to do with your gear.

casepase8

Typically, I am never one to comment and/or criticize peoples decisions on the internet with camera gear. How ever, since I am in the same boat as you building a new kit I thought I'd put in my two cents!

Like you, I am currently re-configuring my own kit. Primarily my workflow is portrait, weddings and track motor sport. So for me, I have been doing some heavy research on what my best options could be. Sony's A7 body was really attractive! The size, weight, lens opportunity and image quality screamed at me and seemed like it could be something to consider for my price range. How ever, I decided to look things in a different light.

For me, the Sony A7 would have fulfilled every need in my workflow. One thing that really scared me was the battery life. From what I have read on several photographer blogs and review sites is that the battery doesn't even last 300-350 shots. Recording 1k-3k images per event, shooting 8-12 hours in some occasions and relying heavily on a strong battery this pushed me away. The other factor was the full frame NATIVE lens library Sony currently offers. Because the A7 would be my only camera system and I do not own a separate Nikon/Canon kit, it made less sense to have a system that only offered a few Sony/Zeiss branded NATIVE lenses. Metabones does offer a converter that can help counteract that downfall, but you do lose performance in auto focus (only offered with Canon mount lenses) which in return could lose the shot you could have had.

With that said, my post was not designed to bash your decision to move into the fresh and new A7 camera system. It was simply to look at this investment from a realistic point of view. If this is your ONLY system, maybe you should reconsider. The A7 should serve you well, but considering the Zeiss 55 1.8, Zeiss 24-70 f/4 (supposed to be amazing) and the Zeiss 35 1.8…just to name a few… are a few viable lens choices currently for purchase it could be hard to cover all of your bases during shoots.

I decided to go ahead and build up a high end Nikon or Canon kit (still deciding) and later in the future pick up the Sony A7 with a Metabones adaptor and take full advantage having two different systems after I have a reliable and established system for my workflow. This allowed me to focus on what exactly would cover my bases to MAKE MONEY. If you're in photography to make money, then you need to look at it as to what would bring home the cash. Below, are my plans for my kit of which these three pieces will cover all of my needs and later allow me to expand into some high end prime lenses or even the Sony A7 with an adaptor if I chose.

Canon 5DMKIII
Canon 24-70 II
Canon 70-200 I

OR

Nikon D610
Nikon 24-70
Nikon 70-200 VRI

Good luck with your decision, and I cannot wait to hear how the switch goes for you!