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

In another place there's a review of the Artralab 50mm f1.2 and unsurprisingly it seems to have the same wildly inaccurate apertures as the 35mm f1.4 I had. I do wish that reviewers would crucify this awful company and embarrass them to stop doing this.
 
Brings back memories of the 4/3 days when there were discussions about the hot pixel removal system creating noticeable black holes because some of the hot pixels could quickly grow in size on long exposures.
 
At that price they really need to change the shutter to the one used in the R series or fix the issues of them breaking.
Not happened to me but seems to be quite common on the standard 3/4.

Out in China currently and seeing the prices of things out here really opens your eyes to how much we get shafted in the uk.
Not bought any Sony equipment but picked up a Benro tripod that is on their uk site at £300 for £130
From what I can tell, the supposed issue with the shutter on the A7iii (and to a lesser extend reported on the A7iv) is simply a case of huge numbers of the cameras being sold, and the internet amplifying the voices of those who (quite rightly) are upset when they are upset that the shutter has failed earlier than the rated mean life (as is to be expected in some instances, when a mean time before failure is quoted).
If there was a serious problem with the shutters, there would be thousands of failure reports, and while there are a significant number, it's nowhere close to that many.
 
From what I can tell, the supposed issue with the shutter on the A7iii (and to a lesser extend reported on the A7iv) is simply a case of huge numbers of the cameras being sold, and the internet amplifying the voices of those who (quite rightly) are upset when they are upset that the shutter has failed earlier than the rated mean life (as is to be expected in some instances, when a mean time before failure is quoted).
If there was a serious problem with the shutters, there would be thousands of failure reports, and while there are a significant number, it's nowhere close to that many.
Still significantly more than the R line or canon/ Nikon offerings. So there is definitely a weak part in these cheaper cameras, hence why they have half the life expectancy of the R line up. You would have thought after quite high reports on the iii they would have fixed it on the iv but now it’s been out a while there seems to be to be a fair amount and it seem to have been bought less by consumers.( doesn’t seem to offer that much more other that MP)

The RV seems to be the better over all camera now anyway and doubt the V will have half the tech it seems to offer.
 
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Still significantly more than the R line or canon/ Nikon offerings. So there is definitely a weak part in these cheaper cameras, hence why they have half the life expectancy of the R line up. You would have thought after quite high reports on the iii they would have fixed it on the iv but now it’s been out a while there seems to be to be a fair amount and it seem to have been bought less by consumers.( doesn’t seem to offer that much more other that MP)

The RV seems to be the better over all camera now anyway and doubt the V will have half the tech it seems to offer.
The Sony A7R cameras do indeed have a higher rated shutter, and also sell in significantly lower volumes as they are more expensive models - the A7iii camera out 6 months before the first FF Canon or Nikon mirrorless cameras, and was one of the top selling models globally for several years - the greater number of failure reports are simply a case of there being a lot more cameras sold, which is then amplified by the internet - more failure reports means more people posting it has a 'high failure rate', so more people read and repost this, leading to yet more reposts.
 
At Goodwood this weekend I twice had the recurrence of the issue with my A1 where it wouldn’t turn on after swapping batteries :( I’ve labelled the batteries and will see if it’s one particular battery that’s causing it as that appeared to be the issue last time despite Sony changing the motherboard twice.
 
Oh look... A new RX1rIII...


And it has a 35mm f2 and an EVF!!!!! :D But 60+mp just isn't for me and that'll bump the price up too. I haven't read everything or Googled but I do hope there is a non r version but sadly even that may well be waaaay out of what I'm willing to pay.

Anyone interested?
 
Would love one as a travel camera but can't justify the price over the X100. Mostly out of the fear of it being pinched or one of the kids throwing it on the floor.
 
Would love one as a travel camera but can't justify the price over the X100. Mostly out of the fear of it being pinched or one of the kids throwing it on the floor.

I've been thinking of getting an A7cII and I might but at the mo photography has taken a back seat. Of course I can't fit a compact AF 35mm f2 to an A7cII because there isn't one but with my 35mm f2.8 or 45mm f2.5 it'd be a fraction of the price of the RX1rIII and would take my 35mm f1.8 or any of my other lenses when I don't mind the larger combination.

I don't think that new RX1 has a tilting screen does it? That is something I want to keep.
 
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I've been thinking of getting an A7cII and I might but at the mo photography has taken a back seat. Of course I can't fit a compact AF 35mm f2 to an A7cII because there isn't one but with my 35mm f2.8 or 45mm f2.5 it'd be a fraction of the price of the RX1rIII and would take my 35mm f1.8 or any of my other lenses when I don't mind the larger combination.

I don't think that new RX1 has a tilting screen does it? That is something I want to keep.
Fixed 3.0" 2.36m-dot touchscreen for AF tracking and intuitive control.
 
Fixed 3.0" 2.36m-dot touchscreen for AF tracking and intuitive control.

I think having got used to a tilting screen I can't see myself buying a main camera without one. Used with eye detect to shoot at other than eye level they are IMO a great thing to have.
 
Oh it’s light though, lighter than my A7Cii body only… though it’s also GFX100RF money, and if you’re spending that kinda money a Q3 has got to be an option too.
 
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Oh it’s light though, lighter than my A7Cii body only… though it’s also GFX199RF money, and if you’re spending that kinda money a Q3 has got to be an option too.

Looks like Sony have borrowed Canons Cripple Hammer with the EVF resolution, at the expected price point this is IMO a bit of a blunder. Even the X100VI has a higher resolution and the GFX100RF and Q3 have double the resolution.

On the plus side the AF will be notably quicker than the competition
 
If it was in the X100 price point I’d be interested but it’s too expensive to be of interest to me.
 
Oh it’s light though, lighter than my A7Cii body only… though it’s also GFX100RF money, and if you’re spending that kinda money a Q3 has got to be an option too.
The original RX1 (I'm assuming the new camera is a similar size/weight) is a remarkably small camera and I think smaller than most people realise. I have a friend with a Q3 and side by side, the Leica absolutely dwarfs the Sony and closer to the size of an A7C with lens (I haven't had them side by side) whereas the RX1 body is only slightly bigger than the RX100 series. Portability wise it's the RX1 lens that lets it down a bit since it sticks out a lot which means it doesn't really fit in a pocket but it's still a remarkably small package, I always saw Q2/Q3 comparisons but I was really surprised how big the Leica is.
If it was in the X100 price point I’d be interested but it’s too expensive to be of interest to me.
Funnily enough I was thinking much the same and I think it would be possible by taking the internals of an A7C and putting them into the smaller RX1 body. It seems likely Sony were aiming squarely at the Leica Q3 and while the Sony is a lot smaller I don't think people are prepared to pay a premium for Sony cameras as they will for Leicas, from what I can see the RX1RII was certainly not a strong seller and the new version isn't really doing anything much different apart from a big bump in the price. Sony are clearly an incredibly innovative company (arguably I feel the most innovative camera company over the last 15 years or so), this camera though feels more like a me too effort.

I am disappointed because as much as I like the original RX1R it's an old camera now and it does show it, the AF is basic, it doesn't support features like wireless transfer, it's still on micro USB etc. I've toyed with the idea of an A7C series camera but they're a lot bigger than the RX1 even with a small lens and doesn't offer enough of a size/weight saving over a standard FE mount body.
 
If it was in the X100 price point I’d be interested but it’s too expensive to be of interest to me.

I don't think it could be at X100 price point as it's ff and the Fuji isn't and the Sony has afaik a nice lens whereas the Fuji has just (IMO) a passable lens with perhaps the most awful mf action I've ever used on a camera. I have to say that I was impressed with the X100s/f evf though, lovely. The A7c range is imo more of a X100 competitor but of course you have to buy your own lens.

Sony seem to be noticeably slipping in the sales rankings and I have to say that there's little to nothing tempt me. I'm sort of tempted to the A7cII but I have questions over the evf and how the shutter is switched from evf to mechanical which I think is manually done rather than automatic as with my aging old Panasonics. Apart from vlogging cameras I think Sony are if not asleep then nodding off at the wheel for plm.

As mentioned above, I think Sony have become addicted to the cripple hammer. I know I can be obsessive but to me there seems to be something wrong with every camera Sony makes.
 
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I've toyed with the idea of an A7C series camera but they're a lot bigger than the RX1 even with a small lens and doesn't offer enough of a size/weight saving over a standard FE mount body.

I have the Panny GX80 and GX9 which I think are similar in size to the A7cII and I do find them noticeably smaller than the A7III and easier to get in and out of a bag as they don't have the SLR hump. If this is enough of a saving is a personal decision.

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Just on people being willing to pay a premium for Leica. Those rebadged Panasonics at inflated prices imo tell the whole story. Madness.
 
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Just on people being willing to pay a premium for Leica. Those rebadged Panasonics at inflated prices imo tell the whole story. Madness.

:ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: I'll confess to buying one of them as well (D-Lux8 100th Anniversary Edtition) for my wife. I agree that its inflated compared with the Panasonic, but it has a few things going for it (over the Panasonic):- better residuals, the Leica User-Interface (now similar to the Q3) and most importantly for my wife Leica Fotos integration, which is probably the best camera to phone/ipad integration from any camera manufacturer.

I agree its a lot of bread but YOLO
 
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I don't think it could be at X100 price point as it's ff and the Fuji isn't and the Sony has afaik a nice lens whereas the Fuji has just (IMO) a passable lens with perhaps the most awful mf action I've ever used on a camera. I have to say that I was impressed with the X100s/f evf though, lovely. The A7c range is imo more of a X100 competitor but of course you have to buy your own lens.

Sony seem to be noticeably slipping in the sales rankings and I have to say that there's little to nothing tempt me. I'm sort of tempted to the A7cII but I have questions over the evf and how the shutter is switched from evf to mechanical which I think is manually done rather than automatic as with my aging old Panasonics. Apart from vlogging cameras I think Sony are if not asleep then nodding off at the wheel for plm.

As mentioned above, I think Sony have become addicted to the cripple hammer. I know I can be obsessive but to me there seems to be something wrong with every camera Sony makes.
Yeah I understand why the Sony is more expensive than the X100VI, all I was saying was that if it was in a similar price bracket I could have been tempted. For what it’s worth I think the Fuji is overpriced for what it is, but at least that’s a popular camera. RX1 sales have not been great.

I don’t think the A9III and A1 II are crippled, except for the price of the A1 II ;)
 
Sony things that annoy me...

Removal of physical controls, I'm still smarting over the removal of the af/mf/exposure lock button and switch, 1/8,000 max mechanical shutter speed, can't include lower ISO's in auto ISO, from what I've read - less than cutting edge evf's. That might be it :D Sony won't care about me as I only buy a camera every 15 years or so but if things carry on as they are I might be priced out of the new camera market.
 
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I don't think it could be at X100 price point as it's ff and the Fuji isn't and the Sony has afaik a nice lens whereas the Fuji has just (IMO) a passable lens with perhaps the most awful mf action I've ever used on a camera. I have to say that I was impressed with the X100s/f evf though, lovely. The A7c range is imo more of a X100 competitor but of course you have to buy your own lens.
I agree with Snerkler below I think the Fuji overpriced for what it is and Sony have an electronics advantage compared to Fuji as well, looking at the price of the A7CII they're already in that ballpark. Also amusingly the the RX1RIII price puts it in the same price bracket as the Fuji GFX100RF with the bigger MF sensor.
I have the Panny GX80 and GX9 which I think are similar in size to the A7cII and I do find them noticeably smaller than the A7III and easier to get in and out of a bag as they don't have the SLR hump. If this is enough of a saving is a personal decision.
Much smaller sensors though so not comparable to the FF sensors, I would say both solutions are big for what they offer compared to the 1in compacts.
Yeah I understand why the Sony is more expensive than the X100VI, all I was saying was that if it was in a similar price bracket I could have been tempted. For what it’s worth I think the Fuji is overpriced for what it is, but at least that’s a popular camera. RX1 sales have not been great.
I thought the same about the Fuji although I'm not criticising them for it because clearly they can however as you've mentioned, Sony can't. I'm not aware of any sales figures for the RX1 mk1 and mk2 but I can't believe they were anything other that a complete disaster. There's a small number of mk1's for sale second hand but very few mk2's plus you almost never seen either camera mentioned online. I suspect the high price of the mk3 is to make up for low sales numbers however I think it's narrows down the potential market even further.
 
Much smaller sensors though so not comparable to the FF sensors, I would say both solutions are big for what they offer compared to the 1in compacts.

I wasn't comparing sensors I was looking at camera body bulk, hence the size comparison not an IQ comparison. I've never handled an A7c of any vintage but I don't think they're too far away from the bulk of my Panasonic cameras which are for me noticeably smaller (and therefore I assume the A7cII will be too) than my A7 and A7III because of the lack of an evf hump. This might not be enough of a difference for some but for me it is noticeable and welcome.

For me even MFT is a noticeable improvement over 1" sensors. I wouldn't be happy with a 1" camera as my best camera, I use MFT in three scenarios, when I want the smallest "quality" camera and lens package, when I want as quiet and discrete kit as possible but still with better than 1" IQ and when I'm using a lens I don't have a ff equivalent of, like the 45-150mm or 100-400mm. TBH I only take my 1" camera out when I don't want to take anything else but still think I might want to take a picture.
 
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I must admit I didn't actually look at the price of the RX1R III, I just assumed it would be similar to the RX1R II launch price. What are Sony smoking?????? £4199 :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
I must admit I didn't actually look at the price of the RX1R III, I just assumed it would be similar to the RX1R II launch price. What are Sony smoking?????? £4199 :eek: :eek: :eek:

I know!!

X100VI £1,599
RX1R III £4,199
GFX100RF £4,699
Q3 £5,550
Q3 43 £5,900

We've not had the 'annual' price increase on the Leica models yet, if we do expect them to increase £250-£300

The Q3/Q3 43 have just about reached the end of their waiting list period, they are reasonably available as is the GFX100RF.

There is a definite hole still in the 'premium' compact single fixed lens camera market around the £3K mark.
 
I know!!

X100VI £1,599
RX1R III £4,199
GFX100RF £4,699
Q3 £5,550
Q3 43 £5,900

We've not had the 'annual' price increase on the Leica models yet, if we do expect them to increase £250-£300

The Q3/Q3 43 have just about reached the end of their waiting list period, they are reasonably available as is the GFX100RF.

There is a definite hole still in the 'premium' compact single fixed lens camera market around the £3K mark.
Leica you expect to be expensive, but Sony are more of a 'mainstream' brand. I know it's not as compact but you can buy the A7cR and 35mm f1.8 for £1k less than the RX1R III, and the A7cR with 35mm f1.4 GM for the same price. I'm not sure what I'm missing????
 
I know!!

X100VI £1,599
RX1R III £4,199
GFX100RF £4,699
Q3 £5,550
Q3 43 £5,900

We've not had the 'annual' price increase on the Leica models yet, if we do expect them to increase £250-£300

The Q3/Q3 43 have just about reached the end of their waiting list period, they are reasonably available as is the GFX100RF.

There is a definite hole still in the 'premium' compact single fixed lens camera market around the £3K mark.
There's already a few GFX100RF around at the £3750 mark @trevorbray has been trying to get me to buy one, he's learning at last......let someone else make the expensive mistake :ROFLMAO:
 
There's already a few GFX100RF around at the £3750 mark @trevorbray has been trying to get me to buy one, he's learning at last......let someone else make the expensive mistake :ROFLMAO:

It's a good hobby getting other people to spend their money - obviously I'm schizophrenic, because I can persaude myself to do it :ROFLMAO:

The GFX100RF is a nice camera, its a little visually challenging, and IMO the lens isn't fast enough at the price point, but it makes up for it in GFX goodness and a lovely big and bright EVF

Leica you expect to be expensive, but Sony are more of a 'mainstream' brand. I know it's not as compact but you can buy the A7cR and 35mm f1.8 for £1k less than the RX1R III, and the A7cR with 35mm f1.4 GM for the same price. I'm not sure what I'm missing????

There's usually options in any manufacturers range where an ILC body + lens can compete with a fixed lens camera. Those with FOMO will opt for the ILC solutions, as they love carrying buckets of lenses with them. But I feel there are a lot of benefits with a single lens solution, the decision making process is easier, and with limited options you work for the best image.

I'm shortly going to be 'down' to 4 digital cameras, 3 are fixed lens, and the other I only have one lens for!!!
 
And the cripple hammer seems to be well used with the RX1Riii

No weather sealing (at least it’s not mentioned) - all it’s competition have WR (though it does cost extra with the X100VI)

The hood is an optional extra - at this price point that is really tight on Sony’s part

Don’t think this will be a big seller - at least not in European markets.
 
Leica you expect to be expensive, but Sony are more of a 'mainstream' brand. I know it's not as compact but you can buy the A7cR and 35mm f1.8 for £1k less than the RX1R III, and the A7cR with 35mm f1.4 GM for the same price. I'm not sure what I'm missing????
The US tariffs may be having a global impact (at least in the Sony costing analysis): higher US price = lower US sales = lower total global sales = increased per unit production + r&d costs.
 
The US tariffs may be having a global impact (at least in the Sony costing analysis): higher US price = lower US sales = lower total global sales = increased per unit production + r&d costs.
There's as much r&d gone into rxriii as the reading glasses from poundland
 
And the cripple hammer seems to be well used with the RX1Riii

No weather sealing (at least it’s not mentioned) - all it’s competition have WR (though it does cost extra with the X100VI)

The hood is an optional extra - at this price point that is really tight on Sony’s part

Don’t think this will be a big seller - at least not in European markets.
Cripple Hammer implies they had something better in mind.
This seems to a product purely developed by Sony's marketing department - "everyone is buying fixed lens cameras at crazy prices, let's get one out too with least possible effort without bothering anyone with some brain cells".
( no offence to anyone working in marketing, I have done so myself in the past but seriously, get your homework marked by someone that's not their mum)
 
I wasn't comparing sensors I was looking at camera body bulk, hence the size comparison not an IQ comparison. I've never handled an A7c of any vintage but I don't think they're too far away from the bulk of my Panasonic cameras which are for me noticeably smaller (and therefore I assume the A7cII will be too) than my A7 and A7III because of the lack of an evf hump. This might not be enough of a difference for some but for me it is noticeable and welcome.

For me even MFT is a noticeable improvement over 1" sensors. I wouldn't be happy with a 1" camera as my best camera, I use MFT in three scenarios, when I want the smallest "quality" camera and lens package, when I want as quiet and discrete kit as possible but still with better than 1" IQ and when I'm using a lens I don't have a ff equivalent of, like the 45-150mm or 100-400mm. TBH I only take my 1" camera out when I don't want to take anything else but still think I might want to take a picture.
I don't find the difference on the A7C series noticeable at all since they can't fit anywhere in my bags the A9 can't while smaller cameras like the RX100 or RX1 can.

In terms of MFT, I think you're making the wrong comparison to a 1in camera. Even the smallest MFT camera is far larger than an RX100 series never mind something that has a 200mm range, I use the 1in camera because I don't have the space for an MFT camera. The RX100 will easily fit in a pocket and offers a staggering 24-200mm range so the realistic comparison is to a phone and clearly the Sony will easily win that one. If I have space for an MFT camera than I have space for an FF camera so again, there's no point in using an MFT camera. I did like MFT initially but the market has moved and it's failed to offer the size advantage it initially promised, it's surprising how large the cameras are even compared to the APS-C cameras.
 
There's usually options in any manufacturers range where an ILC body + lens can compete with a fixed lens camera. Those with FOMO will opt for the ILC solutions, as they love carrying buckets of lenses with them. But I feel there are a lot of benefits with a single lens solution, the decision making process is easier, and with limited options you work for the best image.

I'm shortly going to be 'down' to 4 digital cameras, 3 are fixed lens, and the other I only have one lens for!!!
I think the comparison to an ILC camera was more as a reference point price wise and I do absolutely understand your preference for fixed lens cameras. When I first bought the RX1R the 35mm lens seemed incredibly limiting but I found it quickly quite freeing since I didn't need to debate which lens or lenses I wanted to take, I could just take the camera and work around it. I was quite excited to see a new RX1 but while the price is an immediate deal breaker, the lack of any real improvements is a further disappointment and doesn't correct the few issues I have with the original model. As you've mentioned there's no weather sealing I've seen mentioned nor image stabilisation either.

I must admit I didn't actually look at the price of the RX1R III, I just assumed it would be similar to the RX1R II launch price. What are Sony smoking?????? £4199 :eek: :eek: :eek:
Exactly....:oops: :$
 
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And the cripple hammer seems to be well used with the RX1Riii

No weather sealing (at least it’s not mentioned) - all it’s competition have WR (though it does cost extra with the X100VI)

The hood is an optional extra - at this price point that is really tight on Sony’s part

Don’t think this will be a big seller - at least not in European markets.
No weather sealing and no lens hood for £4199???? Sony really are taking the mickey with this.
 
There's as much r&d gone into rxriii as the reading glasses from poundland
You're not wrong but Sony's accounting team will still have some costs that will need to be amortized on a per unit basis.

Still suspect this will sell very well.
 
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