Sony A7x lounge

RRS quickly sent me a new one. Customer service is great. That's a pro.

Puckman wrote in post #18064119
That looks like standard flare.

Here's what I'm talking about. Same scene, with the 18, 25 and 35.
These are all SOOC.

Batis 25 (big cloudy flare)

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DSC04218.jpg by Puckman2012, on Flickr

Sigma 35. No flare (I know the perspective is a bit different. Didn't have a shot facing the exact same way with the 35).

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DSC04221.jpg by Puckman2012, on Flickr

Batis 18. No flare. Exact same composition as the 25.

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DSC04223.jpg by Puckman2012, on Flickr

I would immediately check for fingerprint/dirty front/rear element. Pretty sure that happened to me with the rok 24 in PV two months back.

xpfloyd wrote in post #18064095
Yep buying used is key. Unfortunately I bought my xt1 new and lost a lot on resale. I also bought my a7rii at early adopter rate so that would be a problem too.

I feel like I'm always chasing something but don't actually know what it is. That's why I always end up changing cameras etc. I just never seem to be totally happy. Even now I've got great gear and feel like I'm taking crap photos. That's what makes me want to simplify sometimes, one camera one focal length sort of thing but it never ends there and I realise that. Just think I'm going through a slump at the moment

I could've written this myself. I always tend to pay the early adopter tax and get hit. Bought the D810 new and ended up selling it for $600 less. Same for the a7rII, ended up selling it used for $2,600. Probably doesn't help that I don't like to wait for a sale and often price it lower than most. I'd rather have a quick sale to more quickly churn out another purchase.

Even though I have gear that many would probably envy, it seems like I'm in a proverbial chase for the ideal/perfect camera. Everytime I get one I go out and shoot with it. I enjoy it. But I still yearn for something that it doesn't do.

Just looking at the specs though I think this will do it for me since I rarely have the time to sit and edit anything with my kids being such a time consuming part of my life. But yeah I feel like I'm in a slump as well, not even taking the time to properly compose lately.

MedicineMan4040 wrote in post #18064147
I bet you hate MFT !!
I love detail too in the animals and birds and am saving for a 5Dsr but whether it's the 5Dsr A7Rii or a 1D body it is shoot specific chosen for that specific day or trip but MFT is always on me daily everywhere just because I love to shoot and have always operated my life under the principle of good enough and close enough mFTs size and weight and cost/risk allow me to carry it without much fear of major loss.

Definitely a great case to be made for all the sensor formats. I've had an ongoing notion of adding a little guy like an RX100 IV as a super-small out-and-about camera.

BTW, I agree a 5DS R makes a lot of sense for your wildlife photography. I am presently a bit grumpy with mine on some recent LE shots (more noise than an a7R II with SR app), but still think it's pretty incredible camera.

davidfarina wrote in post #18064134
Totally the same as i think. No more APS-C for me.

As a portrait shooter who shoots frequently (but not always) at the widest aperture, more background blurring capabilities at an equivalent FOV matters.....so FF only for me as well!

vinmunoz wrote in post #18064151
RRS quickly sent me a new one. Customer service is great. That's a pro.

Fantastic! Carlo has said it well: great companies are really put to the test when they have to resolve problems. Now I that makes two of us that have had recent problems with RRS that their extraordinary customer service quickly solved. So good to hear you are satisfied.

MedicineMan4040 wrote in post #18064147
I bet you hate MFT !!
I love detail too in the animals and birds and am saving for a 5Dsr but whether it's the 5Dsr A7Rii or a 1D body it is shoot specific chosen for that specific day or trip but MFT is always on me daily everywhere just because I love to shoot and have always operated my life under the principle of good enough and close enough mFTs size and weight and cost/risk allow me to carry it without much fear of major loss.

To be honest i did not even consider a MFT before ever.

Its just the disappointment that comes with using other sensors than sonys, noting ive used with can compare to the good Sensitivity, Dynamic Range and resolution as something like a A7RII. Ive never used a 5DSR or the new hasselblad or leicas m9, the leica q or sl. But from what i read even the leicas are not on that level. The canon suffers from shadow banding and generally i hate to use canons because of all the banding issues they have. I can push an A7RII file 5 stops and still have no banding issues (obviouspy it way too noisy) but you get what i mean.

I used the A6000 once and found it to be pretty decent. The files looked great even at iso 3200 and 6400 didnt look so bad. But the A7RII gives even more to that.

I felt in love with that sensor to be honest and thats the main reason i want the RX1R2. Same sensor, stellar optics on front of it and small size. Perfect 2nd body for me. The hasselblad announcement of the 1DX (sounds like a canon camera btw which i think is a fail) left me cold as what the A7RII sensor delivers me is everything i would ever need. I do want a medium format but thats out of the price range. And the closest call to that is arguably the A7RII.

davidfarina wrote in post #18064134
Totally the same as i think. No more APS-C for me.

I think you guys should give it a real try before you knock it... I seriously only see a noteable difference in the files past ISO1600. The DR on the X-TransII is very good, the X-Trans III is supposed to be even better. As for the ISO200 noise... I don't think it really works that way, their native ISO is 200 (which is a number that's basically made up from brand to brand in the first place) so the noise is very simmilar there to where it is at ISO100 on any other camera.

mystik610 wrote in post #18064160
As a portrait shooter who shoots frequently (but not always) at the widest aperture, more background blurring capabilities at an equivalent FOV matters.....so FF only for me as well!

I know this is a personal thing and definitely subjective, but I think the super shallow DOF style portraiture is generally over done. I almost never shoot portraits wide open unless I'm a good distance from the subject. I hate having a picture where just one eye is in focus, or just one eye lash for that matter. Even when shooting with the 35/1.4 on the Fuji I sometimes have to stop it down to f2-2.8 if I'm shooting people's faces.

Besides, Fuji has plenty of great portrait lenses that are right there in line with what Sony has for the FE system (56/1.2 APD, 90/2, 50-130/2.8, etc).

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #18064215
I think you guys should give it a real try before you knock it... I seriously only see a noteable difference in the files past ISO1600. The DR on the X-TransII is very good, the X-Trans III is supposed to be even better. As for the ISO200 noise... I don't think it really works that way, their native ISO is 200 (which is a number that's basically made up from brand to brand in the first place) so the noise is very simmilar there to where it is at ISO100 on any other camera.

I know this is a personal thing and definitely subjective, but I think the super shallow DOF style portraiture is generally over done. I almost never shoot portraits wide open unless I'm a good distance from the subject. I hate having a picture where just one eye is in focus, or just one eye lash for that matter. Even when shooting with the 35/1.4 on the Fuji I sometimes have to stop it down to f2-2.8 if I'm shooting people's faces.

It depends on how you frame a shot. For tightly framed shots you'll have issues getting enough of the face in focus with a fast aperture lens and FF sensor. For loosely framed shots most of your subject will be in focus and the advantage comes from better subject isolation. Most of my portraits have a looser framing, but I always stop down when I frame tightly. I prefer the flexibility to get as shallow of DOFebruary possible....you can always stop down to get more DOF with a FF sensor...can't do the same with a smaller sensor.


But like everything else, it depends on what and how you shoot.

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #18064215
I think you guys should give it a real try before you knock it...

I don't think anyone here is "knocking" the XT2. It is a tremendously serious camera.

Regarding ISO 200 and noise/DR, all I can say is look at the D800 vs D810. The D810 made a significant leap in DR and lower noise over the D800 even though the two cameras sport virtually the same 36 MP sensor. All that really changed was the D800's base is ISO 100 and the D810's is ISO 64. So, that's is a documented measured case for lower ISO = lower noise/greater DR between two similar sensors.

Do you have documentation/measurem​ents that contradict the D800/D810 anecdote and that supports your belief that the XT2 ISO 200 is the same as another cameras ISO 100?

I am seriously interested in it, though...I will be giving the camera a lot of consideration and may very well give it a try.

I think I am happy. Its on the A7rii but I havent been able to shoot. However the distance from 3' to infinity is so short I dont think I will miss AF

and the Loxia looks gooooooood.

xpfloyd wrote in post #18064095
Yep buying used is key. Unfortunately I bought my xt1 new and lost a lot on resale. I also bought my a7rii at early adopter rate so that would be a problem too.

I feel like I'm always chasing something but don't actually know what it is. That's why I always end up changing cameras etc. I just never seem to be totally happy. Even now I've got great gear and feel like I'm taking crap photos. That's what makes me want to simplify sometimes, one camera one focal length sort of thing but it never ends there and I realise that. Just think I'm going through a slump at the moment

TMaG82 wrote in post #18064154
I could've written this myself. I always tend to pay the early adopter tax and get hit. Bought the D810 new and ended up selling it for $600 less. Same for the a7rII, ended up selling it used for $2,600. Probably doesn't help that I don't like to wait for a sale and often price it lower than most. I'd rather have a quick sale to more quickly churn out another purchase.

Even though I have gear that many would probably envy, it seems like I'm in a proverbial chase for the ideal/perfect camera. Everytime I get one I go out and shoot with it. I enjoy it. But I still yearn for something that it doesn't do.

Just looking at the specs though I think this will do it for me since I rarely have the time to sit and edit anything with my kids being such a time consuming part of my life. But yeah I feel like I'm in a slump as well, not even taking the time to properly compose lately.

You guys are chasing a magic bullet.

There is no perfect camera. If you think there is, you'll just end up buying new gear over and over again. And you'll never be satisfied. You just need to buy the gear which has compromises you're willing to live with.

As for the fullframe and smaller sensor discussion... I'm willing to go as low as APS-C. I know I've gotten some incredible images out of my APS-C DSLR (Canon 550D/T2i) with some good optics attached to it. And that sensor is technically one of the crappiest sensors on the market.

Only exception to the rule is my smartphone which is fine for instagram stuff.

jocau wrote in post #18064281
You guys are chasing a magic bullet.

There is no perfect camera. If you think there is, you'll just end up buying new gear over and over again. And you'll never be satisfied. You just need to buy the gear which has compromises you're willing to live with.

This is rather shocking coming from you...the ultimate perfectionist who won't buy a great camera (e.g. a7R II) because it isn't perfect. Something changed?

I was about to say the same thing as David A...he beat me to it. (Only I was going to make a comment about the whole uncompressed/compresse​d thing).

Thanks for the feedback on that Batis 25 "cloud". I will have to check for fingerprints when I get home. I tell you, nothing like being out in the field, shooting, at night (Where it's dark and I wouldn't be able to see a smudge on glass even if I tried) and seeing image after image exhibiting some funky artifact. I ended up shelving the 25 and just shooting with the 35 and 18.

As a side effect to this adventure, I realize more and more that I do not need to carry with me the 18, 25 and 35 on all outings (and I had the 55 and left it in the car). Still too much gear.
I want to go down to a 2 lens setup for walking around with a shoulder bag. Maybe 25 and 55 would have been a better choice there (with enough separation between the 2 FLs), or 18 and 35....