I am interested to hear from pro photographers who undertake paid for work with the A7R or if you chose to use a Nikon D810 after testing the two systems and if so why you made this choice. Is shutter shock really as bad as some reports make out or can it be controlled well with technique?
Jim Kasson has also done extensive testing of the A7r and documented this on his blog 'The Last Word' in detail. The A7r starts
here, the A7
here, handholding
here and EFCS
here . Not easy to summarise but the core problem range seems to be 1/20 – 1/160 ish. Either side of this, it's unlikely to be purely a camera issue.
Paul's 10x ratio of FL/S seems overly cautious at first, but given that he's using a 35mm, 1/350 is really only an extra stop of safety margin. I use both the Leitz 75mm 'M' lenses – 'cron and lux' and haven't found an issue with either at speeds in excess of 1/500 but I 'don't do' landscape (so suggest you take his word rather than mine … )
There are various suggestions on the net as to how to best limit the degradation – some practical, such as the battery pack, others less so. Obviously if you're using the A7r, as I do, with a fast flash generator such as a Profoto B4, with flash durations of 1/2,000- 1/20,000, shutter shock becomes rather a mute point.
The biggest disappointment IMO, was that I found the 'lux 50mm below par – because of corner smearing. The Sony 55mm though is an exceptional lens rivalling, according to some on this site, the Zeiss Otus - so I'd suggest you factor one in. I, reluctantly, did and don't regret it. There's also a strong rumour that Sony are about to announce a few new FE lenses ( notably an 85/1.8] at Photokina.
I've set the camera up in such a way that I can implement [AF-ON] at the touch of a button, then turning the lens barrel automatically brings up an enlarged LV for manual fine tune – though I've yet to find it necessary with the 55. Setting the camera up requires some thought and consideration as to your preferred method of working. People complain about the menu system but you've got 12 programmable [Fn] , 3 [C] keys and 5 controller keys all at at the click of a single button.
Regarding some of your other points:
pros >
- the biggest advantage of the A7r is interoperability – the ability to use, via adapters, other lenses. Retrofocal designs in particular – so your lens collection isn't lost. Obviously, this requires manual focus, but in 'portraiture' it's now, IMO, a necessity for critical focus.
- EVF and focus peaking – excellent implementation, I won't buy another camera without FP.
- tethers (via the Remote Camera Control app) into a 'watch' folder in Lightroom or C1.
cons >
- unsuitability of leica 'wides'
- limited native lens selection
- shutter 'noise' – although I've got quite used to it and actually like it. Not suitable for discreet shooting though, but for that you've got the Fuji.
- battery life – buy a couple more and an external charger (check them on Amazon) – there's also an external mains power source for studio use.
Finally, to answer part of your original question – yes, I did sell my D800E, though not the lenses, because the time had come to make the switch and I didn't see any benefit in making a half-hearted jump. Do I regret it ? Not at all. Primarily because of the LV and FP and, more importantly, I now have a choice of Leica, Zeiss and Nikon primes – don't 'do' zooms. If I 'need' a Nikon – I can always rent one.
Additionally, I don't see any big difference in IQ between the two, if anything I prefer the Sony CFA and skin tones, but that's of little importance to me as most of my photography is B&W. I see a greater difference from lenses rather than real or imagined output variations.
The other reason for selling the D800, is that, as another poster so helpfully suggested above, I
do see a very substantial difference in IQ between a Leica S and Nikon. If ultimate IQ is needed then that's the route I'd take. Do a google search on images by Tom Munro and you'll see some examples.
And to finish on a speculative note - the ultimate MILC may well be just around the corner - all Leica need to do is modify an M-E, upgrade the MP and sensor, ditch the OVF for a redesigned high-res internal EVF together with FP, and all bets are off...