The Amazing Sony A1/A7/A9/APS-C & Anything else welcome Mega Thread!

Price hikes on the way?

Sony announces price hikes in Japan….coming elsewhere too? | sonyalpharumors

Sony Japan has announced that from Feb 1 it will increase the price on many cameras and lenses. The PDF file with the list of products can be downloaded here. I have no info yet if price increases will happen in other countries too...
www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com

Get those orders in sooner rather than later.
 
This price rise should help residual values on used glass.
 
7zlv2Vo.jpg
 
Not Sony related...

I'm bored with some framed pictures and I thought I'd change them so I'm going through pictures I've recently processed but I was reading a magazine and there's an article on the Cottingly Fairies and now I fancy these...

www.etsy.com

Cottingley Fairies Set of 5 England 1917 Rare Sepia Black White Fine Photo Print A New Clear AI Photo Reproduction Choose Size Wall Art 825 - Etsy UK

This Digital Prints item by MockupPrint has 211 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from United States. Listed on 05 Apr, 2024
www.etsy.com www.etsy.com

:D
 
Last edited:
snerkler said:
Went on a photoshoot yesterday at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse, more on Flickr

1.

A9_08221-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

2.

A9_08522 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

3.

A9_08597-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

4.

A9_08620-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

5.

A9_08670-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

6.

A9_08812 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

7.

A9_08929-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr

8.

A9_09028-Edit-2 by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr
Click to expand...
I love the composition, lighting and rendering of these @snerkler
 
There's a 20-70mm sample gallery at DPR.

www.dpreview.com

Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G Sample Gallery

The new FE Sony 20-70mm F4 G has an extremely versatile zoom range, but how do the pictures look? Check out these full resolution 60 megapixel captures!
www.dpreview.com www.dpreview.com
 

What’s next from Sony: New 50mm GM, new A1 firmware update, new A9III and more! | sonyalpharumors

An imaginary Sony Alpha on the shore (Source: Andrea Pizzini Instagram) In exactly one month from now the Cp+ show will open their doors. Sony is known for avoiding using those events to announce new gear. They prefer to have all the buzz for themselves.But here is what's coming next for us...
www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com

"In exactly one month from now the Cp+ show will open their doors. Sony is known for avoiding using those events to announce new gear. They prefer to have all the buzz for themselves. But here is what’s coming next for us E-mount shooters:

The Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM II is coming in February (I am 100% sure of that). Hope to get the exact announcement date soon
The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 FE will also be announced in February (my leaked image and specs can be found here)
New Sony A1 firmware adding A7rV video AF features might be announced in February too (but I hope it will add a ton of other new features too!)
16-35mm GMII is on the roadmap, announcement within the next few months
Sony A9III is 100% confirmed to be coming the next months. Just don’t know yet when exactly."
 
GeordieStew said:

What’s next from Sony: New 50mm GM, new A1 firmware update, new A9III and more! | sonyalpharumors

An imaginary Sony Alpha on the shore (Source: Andrea Pizzini Instagram) In exactly one month from now the Cp+ show will open their doors. Sony is known for avoiding using those events to announce new gear. They prefer to have all the buzz for themselves.But here is what's coming next for us...
www.sonyalpharumors.com www.sonyalpharumors.com

"In exactly one month from now the Cp+ show will open their doors. Sony is known for avoiding using those events to announce new gear. They prefer to have all the buzz for themselves. But here is what’s coming next for us E-mount shooters:

The Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM II is coming in February (I am 100% sure of that). Hope to get the exact announcement date soon
The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 FE will also be announced in February (my leaked image and specs can be found here)
New Sony A1 firmware adding A7rV video AF features might be announced in February too (but I hope it will add a ton of other new features too!)
16-35mm GMII is on the roadmap, announcement within the next few months
Sony A9III is 100% confirmed to be coming the next months. Just don’t know yet when exactly."
Click to expand...
The 50mm’s look interesting but I doubt anything will sway me from the Samyang FE II. If they can get the weight of the 16-35mm down to around 500-550g that could be interesting.

I’m sure the A9iii will be fantastic and I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes Sony’s new leader in AF but I doubt I’m interested as I want an upgrade in resolution if I swap my body in the future.
 
Last edited:
The barn owl and steam engine pictures above are stunning.

Is there anything actual concrete on the A9III? I had a look around but all I've found are 'confirmed' rumours promising releases in 2021 and 2022 that never happened as is usually the case with these rumour sites. The A1's high price is a bit of deterrent on its own but more so because it has a number of features I don't need particularly the higher resolution and the 8K video so an A9III with 25MP, 4K video but an improved sensor at a lower price than the A1 would definitely be of interest to me but as discussed here before may not be enough to stand out on its own.
 
JohnMcL7 said:
The barn owl and steam engine pictures above are stunning.

Is there anything actual concrete on the A9III? I had a look around but all I've found are 'confirmed' rumours promising releases in 2021 and 2022 that never happened as is usually the case with these rumour sites. The A1's high price is a bit of deterrent on its own but more so because it has a number of features I don't need particularly the higher resolution and the 8K video so an A9III with 25MP, 4K video but an improved sensor at a lower price than the A1 would definitely be of interest to me but as discussed here before may not be enough to stand out on its own.
Click to expand...
Thanks John.

Nothing confirmed on the A9iii but it's a very strong rumour and they're pretty much on the money with the intel.
 
I've been looking at the camera size comparison site and checking my A7 against my old 5D and 50mm f1.4. I do wish someone would make compact primes like the ones just about everyone made back then. Every Sony AF fit f1.4 makes the A7 deeper than that 5D combination although the A7 camera is smaller. Since the beginning of this I've wanted compact lenses that are good enough for me but so far apart from a couple of notable exception like the 35mm f2.8 the options are very limited and f1.4 wise nada unless going MF and in the future I can't see this changing as big to humongous lenses are the norm now. It is one area in which I think mirrorless has spectacularly failed to deliver. There is the Sony 50mm f1.8 but the AF might just be stone age on my A7. I know lenses of the size of the more compact film era ones wouldn't be as good as the GM's or maybe even as good as lenses like the Sony 35/55mm f1.8 but they'd be good enough for many people and it's a trade off I'd make for more compact kit.
 
woof woof said:
I've been looking at the camera size comparison site and checking my A7 against my old 5D and 50mm f1.4. I do wish someone would make compact primes like the ones just about everyone made back then. Every Sony AF fit f1.4 makes the A7 deeper than that 5D combination although the A7 camera is smaller. Since the beginning of this I've wanted compact lenses that are good enough for me but so far apart from a couple of notable exception like the 35mm f2.8 the options are very limited and f1.4 wise nada unless going MF and in the future I can't see this changing as big to humongous lenses are the norm now. It is one area in which I think mirrorless has spectacularly failed to deliver. There is the Sony 50mm f1.8 but the AF might just be stone age on my A7. I know lenses of the size of the more compact film era ones wouldn't be as good as the GM's or maybe even as good as lenses like the Sony 35/55mm f1.8 but they'd be good enough for many people and it's a trade off I'd make for more compact kit.
Click to expand...

My Sony F1.4 in A mount is quite tiny, but optically it's a long way from what would be acceptable now. You know how much people winge about CA on the Zeiss 55 and Sony 35 f1.8? They're immaculate by comparison. Big glass seems to mean that things can be much better corrected.
 
ancient_mariner said:
My Sony F1.4 in A mount is quite tiny, but optically it's a long way from what would be acceptable now. You know how much people winge about CA on the Zeiss 55 and Sony 35 f1.8? They're immaculate by comparison. Big glass seems to mean that things can be much better corrected.
Click to expand...

Yup. Anything the quality of the old Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM would have the likes of the Northrups howling and forums would melt although in its day it was thought (arguably) to be the best you could get for Canon or Nikon mount so I just can't see it happening and the result is very good but big fat lenses and no real choice but very good but big fat lenses.

We can in fact see how that lens performs on an A7r...

phillipreeve.net

Review: Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX - Still worth getting in 2025? - phillipreeve.net

The Sigma 50mm 1.4 EX was once the biggest and most expensive 50mm f/1.4 AF lens, today it can be found at bargain prices but
phillipreeve.net phillipreeve.net
 
Last edited:
nandbytes said:
given the style of your photography I wonder if one of the A7R series would be better (which ever generation fits within your budget)
Click to expand...

Raymond Lin said:
A7R3 surely is the best bang for buck?

Eye-AF
High res
Intervalometer built in
Clear Zoom for cropping internally
Best IQ Sony Sensors of the lot (on DXO Marks)
Relatively cheap now for what it is.
Click to expand...

Mate of mine just told me he's thinking of selling his A7R3 :facepalm:
 
LeeRatters said:
Mate of mine just told me he's thinking of selling his A7R3 :facepalm:
Click to expand...

I think it fits the style of what you shoot perfectly, if you want to upgrade.

It has the latest battery, sure not the latest AF but I don’t think you shoot motorsports or birds or weddings? Even though it’s perfectly adequate for them, just won’t have as high a hit rate. The IQ is the best still today. Has that time lapse thing built in.

Is there anything else you need or even want that it doesn’t have? More pixels? Flip out screen?
 
LeeRatters said:
Mate of mine just told me he's thinking of selling his A7R3 :facepalm:
Click to expand...

If it's a good deal go for it. Keep your A7 and get it converted to a full-spectrum body which will let you explore some other sides of photography and also help with astro stuff.

Also considering you have got GM quality glass, they'll sing on that A7riii sensor.
 
Last edited:
Raymond Lin said:
I think it fits the style of what you shoot perfectly, if you want to upgrade.

It has the latest battery, sure not the latest AF but I don’t think you shoot motorsports or birds or weddings? Even though it’s perfectly adequate for them, just won’t have as high a hit rate. The IQ is the best still today. Has that time lapse thing built in.

Is there anything else you need or even want that it doesn’t have? More pixels? Flip out screen?
Click to expand...

I would want....

Better AF & Good eye AF - tracking? without moving the spot manually or recomposing for portraits?
Better high ISO performance
In camera crop options to compose 1:1 etc

My portrait is just casual family/friends stuff...... Just be nice (for others) to point the camera & it just find & follow the eyes.

*** by Lee, on Flickr

As you know (aside from the baby grandson! and elderly dog!) everything else I shoot is pretty static - and often manual focus anyway.

Otherwise, I'm happy with the size/weight, flip only screen, button placement, etc of the original A7.
 
nandbytes said:
If it's a good deal go for it. Keep your A7 and get it converted to a full-spectrum body which will let you explore some other sides of photography and also help with astro stuff.

Also considering you have got GM quality glass, they'll sing on that A7riii sensor.
Click to expand...

(y)

Taking two bodies astro shooting.... Plus the 35mm film camera :facepalm::ROFLMAO: Yes, would be an idea though.

I have the 24GM, 35GM, Voigtlander 40/1.2E & Tamron 70-180E
 
eyeAF for people on A7RIII is pretty good tbh. I never had any issues even shooting children.
Sure the A1 or A7IV is better but really I think past the A7RIII its getting to a point where improvements aren't as large as they used to be (for human eyeAF).
There are significant improvements in other areas of tracking but human eyeAF is mostly a "solved problem"
 
LeeRatters said:
I have the 24GM, 35GM, Voigtlander 40/1.2E & Tamron 70-180E
Click to expand...

All of them will work very on the a7RIII and are all very sharp lenses (apart from CV40/1.2 which is also pretty sharp stopped down). And they will all benefit from the added IBIS too.
I think you will appreciate having the extra room for cropping also.
 
Raymond Lin said:
The eye tracking is fine and does work, it’s obviously not as sticky as the A1 or R5 but it work as expected.
Click to expand...

nandbytes said:
eyeAF for people on A7RIII is pretty good tbh. I never had any issues even shooting children.
Sure the A1 or A7IV is better but really I think past the A7RIII its getting to a point where improvements aren't as large as they used to be (for human eyeAF).
There are significant improvements in other areas of tracking but human eyeAF is mostly a "solved problem"
Click to expand...

Thank you both (y)
 
I have the 7Riii as a second body and have to agree with what has been said above. I even use it for birds and sport and it does will with them as well.
 
LeeRatters said:
Thank you both (y)
Click to expand...

The question is how much….and what condition…and is it the original or the Gen A which has a nicer LCD, which wasn’t a big deal for me.

I might have bought the cheapest one on the market the other week at £900 but I think the previous owner was a wildlife tog who wore gloves and worn out all those edges with the abrasion.

13k shutter count, boxed for £900, down to £800 out of pocket as I had something to trade in. I think they are £1400 on grey market new so personally I think even if it’s a UK stock originally…if asking like £1200, which a lot of online stores sell their R3 at, is too high. As very unlikely they are still within warranty so you might as well get a grey market new one for that much.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top