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

woof woof said:
Another AF 12mm.

Just announced: new Venus Optics Laowa 12mm f/2.8 FE lens | sonyalpharumors

Venus Optics just announced the new Laowa 12mm f/2.8 autofocus Full Frame E-mount lens. You can preorder it now at BHphoto, Venus-store, Amazon. A stunning update to their legendary ultra-wide prime. Designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras, this new version is lighter, sleeker, and ready for...
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I wish someone would do an UWA prime that is truly pocketable.
 
nandbytes said:
I think the slow laowa MF ones are.
The 16G isn't particularly big. Certainly fits in my jeans or cargo trousers
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I wouldn't personally class the 16 G as truly pocketable. The Loawa 9mm ff 5.6 is pretty small but it's not cheap. I'd like something like the Sony/Samyang 35mm f2.8 size, and more like the Samyang 35mm f2.8 price too ;)
 
snerkler said:
I wouldn't personally class the 16 G as truly pocketable. The Loawa 9mm ff 5.6 is pretty small but it's not cheap. I'd like something like the Sony/Samyang 35mm f2.8 size, and more like the Samyang 35mm f2.8 price too ;)
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I think you'll be hard pressed to find UWA that cheap.
Though the samyang 18mm f2.8 is pretty cheap. But not pocketable by your standards
 
nandbytes said:
I think you'll be hard pressed to find UWA that cheap.
Though the samyang 18mm f2.8 is pretty cheap. But not pocketable by your standards
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I'm always looking for things that don't exist :ROFLMAO:
 
As it's quiet and I'm just sat waiting.... Not Sony but very nice and very tempting...


That is from left to right Railmaster, Seamaster 300 and Speedmaster.

You could buy the three individually for £12-15k or maybe less depending on condition but they wont be unused and boxed. I have Seamaster 300 and a later Railmaster homage which cost a fraction of the £4k+ price one of these originals would cost. I'd really like a homage to the original Railmaster but the most accurate I can find is quartz with mechanical ones IMO straying too far from the original. The Railmaster version I have does have some nice details such as the railway track minutes and the brushed metal face and it appeals to me as I'm quite proud of my craftsmanship certificates :D The original being designed for people working in jobs which could expose them to magnetic fields, rail and electrical workers. The originals are Omega, the Rolex rival to the Railmaster has a lightening bolt second had, a nod to electrical workers.

A7III and 40mm f2.5 + No.4 close up filter.

1-DSC00306.jpg

I don't want a Speedmaster as I have no use for one and I prefer watches without bezels and I don't use bezels anyway so the Seamaster is out too but I'm sort of tempted to an original Railmaster and £4k+ isn't too bad I suppose but in reality just like with camera gear I can't really justify spending that much on something which isn't really necessary. Good luck to those who can and do. There's a new Railmaster out and it looks like the original but is only available is grey and beige, yours for £4,800 on a leather strap. If I was going to spend that much on a watch I think I'd go for the original in black.
 
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LeeRatters said:
I've been quiet. I've been down in South Devon - I took a few Sony shots, not too many though.
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I don't think I've picked the camera up for over 3 weeks :oops: :$ F1 next Friday and Goodwood the following weekend though.

I've just spent the last week or so telling myself that I don't need an A1 II :ROFLMAO:
 
LeeRatters said:
I think you do need it tbh...... :)

I think I shot more film than I did Sony.
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If I sold both my A1 and A7RV I still wouldn't have enough money to buy one. I'd like to just sell the A7RV and buy the A1 II and keep the A1 as a second body but I'd have to find £3200 to do that I just have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am to have the gear that I have already (y)
 
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snerkler said:
If I sold both my A1 and A7RV I still wouldn't have enough money to buy one I'd like to just sell the A7RV and buy the A1 II and keep the A1 as a second body but I'd have to find £3200 to do that I just have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am to have the gear that I have already (y)
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Whats a couple of months depreciation and payments on your bus between friends :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
snerkler said:
I've just spent the last week or so telling myself that I don't need an A1 II :ROFLMAO:
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Life is short so if you have the money and if you have no problem spending it then why not?

PS.
I think I've decided that I'm not going to spend £4k+ on a 1957 watch so... Free Money... and I now have £4k+ to spend on something else. Plus I'll very likely be changing one of my cars when the boss and I get back from Thailand later this year.
 
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woof woof said:
Life is short so if you have the money and if you have no problem spending it then why not?

PS.
I think I've decided that I'm not going to spend £4k+ on a 1957 watch so... Free Money... and I now have £4k+ to spend on something else. Plus I'll very likely be changing one of my cars when the boss and I get back from Thailand later this year.
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I'm not buying anything! Never. Ever! No other camera equipment needed.....
 
LeeRatters said:
I'm not buying anything! Never. Ever! No other camera equipment needed.....
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Good ;)

nandbytes said:
Recently been spending most of our money on trips.

But would have loved an A1ii :ROFLMAO:
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Mrs WW fancies a winter cruise. I'm hoping I don't fall out of the shower again like I did on my first ever ferry crossing. I still have a bump on my head, I think I'm stuck with it for life.

I know some people do struggle with money issues and I've had my hard times and I feel for those struggling but with getting older and having no family now who need anything I'm going to have a serious talk with Mrs WW and get her used to the idea that we can't take it with us and if either of us want anything then why not?
 
woof woof said:
Good ;)



Mrs WW fancies a winter cruise. I'm hoping I don't fall out of the shower again like I did on my first ever ferry crossing. I still have a bump on my head, I think I'm stuck with it for life.

I know some people do struggle with money issues and I've had my hard times and I feel for those struggling but with getting older and having no family now who need anything I'm going to have a serious talk with Mrs WW and get her used to the idea that we can't take it with us and if either of us want anything then why not?
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I thought WE were your family....? ;) :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
woof woof said:
As it's quiet and I'm just sat waiting.... Not Sony but very nice and very tempting...


That is from left to right Railmaster, Seamaster 300 and Speedmaster.

You could buy the three individually for £12-15k or maybe less depending on condition but they wont be unused and boxed. I have Seamaster 300 and a later Railmaster homage which cost a fraction of the £4k+ price one of these originals would cost. I'd really like a homage to the original Railmaster but the most accurate I can find is quartz with mechanical ones IMO straying too far from the original. The Railmaster version I have does have some nice details such as the railway track minutes and the brushed metal face and it appeals to me as I'm quite proud of my craftsmanship certificates :D The original being designed for people working in jobs which could expose them to magnetic fields, rail and electrical workers. The originals are Omega, the Rolex rival to the Railmaster has a lightening bolt second had, a nod to electrical workers.

A7III and 40mm f2.5 + No.4 close up filter.

View attachment 456600

I don't want a Speedmaster as I have no use for one and I prefer watches without bezels and I don't use bezels anyway so the Seamaster is out too but I'm sort of tempted to an original Railmaster and £4k+ isn't too bad I suppose but in reality just like with camera gear I can't really justify spending that much on something which isn't really necessary. Good luck to those who can and do. There's a new Railmaster out and it looks like the original but is only available is grey and beige, yours for £4,800 on a leather strap. If I was going to spend that much on a watch I think I'd go for the original in black.
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I've had a Pre-Moon Speedmaster, an original Flightmaster and a Seamaster 300 plus 11 Rolex (inc. Submariner and GMT) and countless other Omegas. I've been through all that and come out the other side. I now have just a Stowa Marine Original as my daily watch and three 18kt Omegas which I wear occasionally. As I get older, the desire for these material things has decreased hugely.

Like you, I've known hard times but I now I have an aversion to collecting 'stuff'. It's ironic that I now have far more than I need - I could have done with that when I was younger - but that's life.

50198853206_6b53f3e007_b.jpg


Stowa Marine Original
 
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Rosedale said:
I've had a Pre-Moon Speedmaster, an original Flightmaster and a Seamaster 300 plus 11 Rolex (inc. Submariner and GMT) and countless other Omegas. I've been through all that and come out the other side. I now have just a Stowa Marine Original as my daily watch and three 18kt Omegas which I wear occasionally. As I get older, the desire for these material things has decreased hugely.

Like you, I've known hard times but I now I have an aversion to collecting 'stuff'. It's ironic that I now have far more than I need - I could have done with that when I was younger - but that's life.

50198853206_6b53f3e007_b.jpg


Stowa Marine Original
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I keep toying with selling some watches as I only wear them once or twice a year and it seems a bit of a waste to have them sit there doing nothing, but then I think why when I don't need the money :thinking:
 
Mr Perceptive said:
So keeping something that you don’t use is more sensible than buying an A1ii which you would use………….
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I'm lucky in that I don't need the money from the watches to buy the A1 II (y) It's a case of justification, selling both cameras and coughing up another £1k just to get the A1 II seems a bit crazy. Selling the A7RV and coughing up £3300 to buy the A1 II seems equally mad. However, despite how mad both options sound it's not stopping me wanting the A1 II :headbang: :ROFLMAO:

On a slightly different subject I see that the A1 II has just have a huge $600 increase this weekend, I wonder how much this will effect prices for us from the likes of Panamoz :thinking:
 
To move me away from the subject of new toys, here's an edit I've done over the weekend that I quite like.


A1_04135-Edit by Toby Gunnee, on Flickr
 
@snerkler It’s meant to be Sony’s sale weekend also, some nerve putting up the prices just to say they are giving you a discount
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So you think it's just a marketing ploy then? I wondered if it was down to Mr Trump's taxes.
 
snerkler said:
I'm lucky in that I don't need the money from the watches to buy the A1 II (y) It's a case of justification, selling both cameras and coughing up another £1k just to get the A1 II seems a bit crazy. Selling the A7RV and coughing up £3300 to buy the A1 II seems equally mad. However, despite how mad both options sound it's not stopping me wanting the A1 II :headbang: :ROFLMAO:
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I was in the same boat recently, selling an X-T3 + lenses and getting a Leica Q3 43 and having to cough up £4K in addition, so I get where you are coming from. I bit the bullet, my wallet hurts a bit, but I have no regrets about investing in the camera :) my FOMO extends to not missing out on the opportunities rather than taking every focal length with me. Having two Leica Q3s is about as mad as having two Sony A1s especially as neither of us shoots professionally. My cameras certainly don't gather dust they are used on a regular basis (and I enjoy using them!)

I've been too long on this planet and now understand that once I get an itch, it needs to be scratched, so I might as well give in at the earliest opportunity and have the usage benefit.
 
Rosedale said:
I've had a Pre-Moon Speedmaster, an original Flightmaster and a Seamaster 300 plus 11 Rolex (inc. Submariner and GMT) and countless other Omegas. I've been through all that and come out the other side. I now have just a Stowa Marine Original as my daily watch and three 18kt Omegas which I wear occasionally. As I get older, the desire for these material things has decreased hugely.

Like you, I've known hard times but I now I have an aversion to collecting 'stuff'. It's ironic that I now have far more than I need - I could have done with that when I was younger - but that's life.
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My parents had nothing starting out and I was brought up to be careful with money and only buy what I needed and could afford and that's a hard thing to break out of, my mam and dad sadly never really did and although I'm trying to I know I never will. Mrs WW is the same. She doesn't care about money or bling as long as she has a phone and a tablet. The shock to me was the disintegration of my family and wondering why I have money in the bank and no one to leave it to. All Mrs WW's family are ok and as long as she has enough I'd rather burn it than leave it to people who made my life hell. Every month now when I do the banking the total is up, what's the point in saving? And yes I do give to charities.

I have two Swiss watches but IMO the better cheap Chinese watches with decent Japanese or Chinese movements are probably as good or better. I think the first cheap one I bought was £17 and after 6 years it's still faultless. The 1950's £4k Railmaster I've been looking at is very nice but on line people are saying that one of the Chinese homages is better and of course it's a fraction of the cost. There are differences between the homages and the originals as these are homages not fakes and there are nice original designs too. I think most of mine are either original designs or homages of watches which have become generic with similar watches being made by multiple known name brands.

The light is going a bit so this isn't a great picture.

1-DSC00310.jpg

I think this is a lovely watch and IMO as lovely as an Aqua Terra. It's not afaik an Aqua Terra homage, the comparison is just on loveliness as I think the Omega AT is a particularly lovely thing, as is this one.

I don't collect stuff but I will buy multiple things that do the same job if there are interesting differences. Like the boxes full of film era lenses I had. One 50mm would have done the job but it was fun researching and finding good copies of different brand 50's and comparing them. It was a cheap hobby and it gave me an interest especially when it was difficult to go out. Ditto these cheap Chinese watches. The original idea was to have one so that I could leave the Swiss watches at home when walking the dodgy streets of my home town but it's morphed so I can treat them like jewellery and wear a different one each day. I could buy new or vintage known name Western or Japanese brands but I still can't bring myself to and TBH having cheap ones appeals to my inverse snobbery :D and I've had the enjoyment of researching each for the miserly cost of hundreds not thousands of £'s. Good luck to those who do spend on luxury goods and I sympathise with people who'd like to but can't afford it. May the day come when they can :D

Sorry about the long post :D
 
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snerkler said:
I'm lucky in that I don't need the money from the watches to buy the A1 II (y) It's a case of justification, selling both cameras and coughing up another £1k just to get the A1 II seems a bit crazy. Selling the A7RV and coughing up £3300 to buy the A1 II seems equally mad. However, despite how mad both options sound it's not stopping me wanting the A1 II :headbang: :ROFLMAO:

On a slightly different subject I see that the A1 II has just have a huge $600 increase this weekend, I wonder how much this will effect prices for us from the likes of Panamoz :thinking:
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Just buy the A1 II Toby!!!!!! Give some money to a good cause if you feel guilty :D

This is DAIS not DAID!
 
Quiet times in the thread and maybe on the site too? Yesterday Mrs WW suggested I go out and take some pictures but today there's complete cloud cover and there's no detail in the sky at all and the light is just dead so I haven't bothered, I did notice last night that the moon looks BIG in the sky and that could make for a nice picture if conditions improve.

While I'm here. Just a random picture taken in November 2024. A7 and Zuiko 50mm f1.4.

DSC07592.JPG

The Zuiko 50mm f1.4 is IMO such a nice lens. I find the Zuiko aperture control clunky but I do like the colours this lens gives. I think it's the best old film era lens for out of he camera skin tones after the Takumar 50mm f1.4 but the Zuiko is IMO much better wide open.
 
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Maybe... but I don't think it's fair to compare this to a compact camera. Compact camera to me means something probably small, probably more basic than feature packed and relatively cheap. This IMO isn't cheap. It will be in your pocket though and the camera might be at home.

phillipreeve.net

Vivo X200 Ultra - The Death of the compact Camera - phillipreeve.net

In 2025 the Vivo X200 Ultra is one of the most capable camera phones you can find. But how does it stack up to
phillipreeve.net phillipreeve.net
 
My life is full of little coincidences at the moment.

Yesterday I was thinking about two people I hadn't seen for a while and then I met them both. Today I watched a Red Arrows display on Youtube, I didn't look for it, it just came up so I watched it and then James posts a picture :D

Funny world :D
 
woof woof said:
My life is full of little coincidences at the moment.

Yesterday I was thinking about two people I hadn't seen for a while and then I met them both. Today I watched a Red Arrows display on Youtube, I didn't look for it, it just came up so I watched it and then James posts a picture :D

Funny world :D
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Wow what a coincidence, have the red arrows been your way recently? I hadn’t seen much of them around here for a while despite there base only being an hour or so drive away.
 
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woof woof said:
Maybe... but I don't think it's fair to compare this to a compact camera. Compact camera to me means something probably small, probably more basic than feature packed and relatively cheap. This IMO isn't cheap. It will be in your pocket though and the camera might be at home.

phillipreeve.net

Vivo X200 Ultra - The Death of the compact Camera - phillipreeve.net

In 2025 the Vivo X200 Ultra is one of the most capable camera phones you can find. But how does it stack up to
phillipreeve.net phillipreeve.net
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Admittedly my RX100mk7 compact camera is far from cheap or basic although I don't think phone changes anything, if people were going to abandon their 1in cameras for a phone they've done so already. Putting the phone camera hardware aside briefly I wouldn't buy this phone solely to get the camera feature, there's other aspects to a phone which are important to me which this phone doesn't do, I'm sure many others are the same and wouldn't give up their iPhones or similar either. As for the camera hardware from what I can see it's using 1/1.3in sensors and a slightly smaller one for the telephoto, on paper these sensors are not much smaller than a 1in sensor but after spending some time recently with 1/1.3in sensors I'm not that impressed with them. The 1in sensors are a big step down from APS-C and FF but I find I can still get some detail back in highlights and shadows plus they clean up fairly well, the 1/1.3in sensors though I struggle to get much back in the highlights. A significant strength of the RX100mk7 is that it offers that full 1in sensor at a whopping 200mm which I particularly like since it's an area the phone is hopeless at. The camera is small enough to keep in a jacket pocket so I almost always have it with me and I can easily use it one handed which is another advantage over phones.

A bigger problem for the compact cameras though is the fact very few seem to be sold. Sony were supposed to be selling the revised RX100 VIIA which removes onboard charging to comply with the new European directive months ago but I still don't think I've seen any actually in stock. Despite countries outwith the US not needing to comply with these new rules, stock seems just as low. Interest still seems to remain high with the RX100 VII usually featuring on DPreview's most popular cameras.

The seal shots above look great and I think I was doing well getting to see around ten of them on a rock when out on a boat trip last week.
 
I have a 1" Panasonic TZ100 but I don't really class it as a compact camera. I think of it as a small camera. Compact cameras to me are small sensor cameras but maybe I should think of the smaller 1" cameras as compact. I wouldn't get much enjoyment from using anything with a smaller than 1" sensor although I do have two pictures framed from my awful Medion compact and they do look lovely.

I have no interest what so ever in phones and I don't like using them for anything other than grudgingly taken snaps because I haven't got a camera with me or because I need to send the picture somewhere quickly on some sort of messaging platform. I don't like looking at a screen 18" in front of my face and I don't like jabbing at the screen or the fact that phones have zero ergonomics when used as cameras.

IMO, Hateful Things :D
 
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I think 'compact' cameras are just for enthusiasts that want a light carry around, I don't think the casual shooter will buy compacts anymore as the phones are 'good enough'.
 
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