Sony A7r2 - Are you happy?

I like it a lot

42 (59.2%)

It's pretty good, could see improvement; the next one could be great

17 (23.9%)

It's just a random camera, I don't care

8 (11.3%)

It's a POS, I should never have bought it

4 (5.6%)

Total Members Voted: 70

[ctz]

or at least a IQ3100 Mark II sticker to put on the "pentaprism".

[Phil Indeblanc]

seriously, if you just make it with a battery you will have a pretty interesting mark for it....but yes, a nice sticker would help! Maybe connected to autotune the metadata to P1, hehehe

[sbay]

Poor menu structure, fiddly buttons and controls, lack of joysick for focus point selection.

Set one of your custom buttons to "focus settings" this will let you use the directional button as a joystick (I have it set on down button). But I agree camera operation is a mess until you customize it.

[Zorki5]

I'm waiting for a no name or even a Sony brand housing that would help make the A7Rii look like a larger camera, so I have a easier time using it around clients. Maybe a Phase One type hosing would work well. Maybe have a external battery to help, with maybe larger screen?

Check with Hasselblad, they might have a big enough wooden grip, or something...

[NancyP]

Just in case Phil is serious, maybe someone is making an L bracket / grip for it.

[Jim Kasson]

Just in case Phil is serious, maybe someone is making an L bracket / grip for it.

Sony makes a two battery grip for the a7RII.

RRS makes brackets for that grip.

Jim

[Telecaster]

Sony makes a two battery grip for the a7RII.

I've got one of those…it does indeed turn the camera into something resembling a bloated "pro" body. Used it once so far. It may well never be used again. 

-Dave-

[Jim Kasson]

I've got one of those…it does indeed turn the camera into something resembling a bloated "pro" body. Used it once so far. It may well never be used again. 

It helps with handholding big lenses.

Jim

[David Eichler]

I am happy with the image quality, and place considerable value on the ability to use a wide range of lenses by means of adapters. I also like the magnified focusing a lot.

One thing I do not like much is the lack of a high quality capability for remote wireless control. CamRanger does not work with Sony and the Sony wifi app is not of professional quality imo.

Also, the built in level is not very precise.

My general impression is that, so far, Sony is not really committed to serving professional photographers.

[Robert Ardill]

Generally I'm more than happy with the A7RII and would like to mention a couple of points that are really important for me and which haven't been mentioned so far (or perhaps I missed them ):

- Manual focusing is totally brilliant.  Being able to zoom in to 12x makes it possible to focus with great precision, through the viewfinder, and very quickly.  As I manual-focus most of my shots this is a big, big plus for me.
- Size.  I do a LOT of walking as I'm a landscape photographer, and it is SUCH a relief not be to carting my 1Ds3 while scrambling over rocks any more.
- Zebra. I know this has been mentioned, but rather negatively.  I find it fantastic.  I set the Zebra to 100+ and with the camera in Manual mode I adjust the exposure so that I just get stripes. I then dial down by 1 stop before taking the shot.  This gives a perfect exposure. I don't find the stripes a nuisance while composing the shot as I dial up so that there aren't any.
- WiFi.  I can sit in my car and shoot remotely using my phone. I'm not interested in silent shooting, but if I was a wildlife photographer, having wifi + silent shooting would be fantastic!

At first I found the buttons and dials awkward, coming from 1Ds-land.  But after a while I've gotten so used to them that the controls are totally fine, even with gloves on (not big thick ones though ).  Having said that, I do have smallish hands ... I'm not sure I would be so happy if I had shovels for hands like some of my friends.

   The automatic EVF/LCD switching. This is been well covered by me and others. When you bend over to have a good look at the LCD screen on the back of the camera, especially if you’re wearing a hat, the screen goes dark. This “feature” also keeps the camera from being as useful at waist level as it otherwise might be. There is a great workaround which came from a reader, which gets you the equivalent of the a directly accessed manual two-way (EVF/LCD) toggle on the Leica M240. Set C3, the custom button next to the finder, to “Finder/Monitor Sel.” Then go to “Gear>4>Finder/Monitor” and set it to manual. I didn’t know about this on the trip, but,  since the EVF on the a7RII is better than the ones on its forbearers, by the end of the trip, I was holding the camera up to my eye whenever I needed to access the menu system outdoors.

This is a great trick ... thanks!  Also, if you use the center button to turn the LCD on/off you can have everything off and then turn the LCD on at the touch of a button, if you need it.  Good for battery life.

[KevinA]

Canon/metabones lens users. How is it across the frame with wide angle lenses?

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

16-35/4 LII just fine on the A7rII, samples here: http://echophoto.dnsalias.net/ekr/Articles/Shoots/Canon_16_35_4/

Some of the samples were made with shifted lens, using HCam Master TSII adapter.

Best regards
Erik

Canon/metabones lens users. How is it across the frame with wide angle lenses?

[DaveCurtis]

Hi,

16-35/4 LII just fine on the A7rII, samples here: http://echophoto.dnsalias.net/ekr/Articles/Shoots/Canon_16_35_4/

Some of the samples were made with shifted lens, using HCam Master TSII adapter.

Best regards
Erik

Ive been using my Zeiss 21mm ZE without any issues. And of course the magnified mode in the EVF helps for manual focussing.

In side by side test shots with my 5D3, no issues across the frame to my eye at all.

[KevinA]

Canon/metabones lens users. How is it across the frame with wide angle lenses?

I only ask because of this http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/comparisons/2015-10-16-a7r2-5dsr/index.htm   I know he's a red rag to many photography bulls. It was something I had wondered myself, hence why my search turned him up.
So interested to hear from those using the combo, particularly the 24mmL f1.4 mkII

[David Eichler]

I only ask because of this http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/comparisons/2015-10-16-a7r2-5dsr/index.htm   I know he's a red rag to many photography bulls. It was something I had wondered myself, hence why my search turned him up.
So interested to hear from those using the combo, particularly the 24mmL f1.4 mkII

KR fails to account for other variables, such as the adapter and the camera itself. There is plenty of evidence from highly critical professional photographers that, with the Metabones adapters, lenses from other manufacturers work fine on the Sony A7 cameras. My own experience with the Metabones and Canon lenses on the Sony corresponds with this. HR used a Fotodiox adapter and apparently did not try any other adapters or even any other copies of the Fotodiox adapter. So, I think his conclusions are highly suspect.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

The sample Ken Rockwell shows is very different from mine.

Now, KR refers to experience with Leica lenses and says the 16-35/4 has similar issues. That is simply wrong. The issue with Leica glass is that the outlet pupil of the lens is close to the sensor plane, leading to large beam angles that induce astigmatism. For that reason, Leica has chosen very thin cover glass on the Leica M8 - and paid a price, in excessive infra red sensitivity.

Sony has cover glass of similar strength as the Canon cameras, about 2mm.

Tony Nothrup has also looked int this and found that edges/corners were significantly better on 16-35/4 when used with Canon bodies than on the A7rII. No obvious explanation, although the adapter always adds some extra mechanical tolerance.

I would say that Mr. Rockwell's findings don't make sense. Tony Northup's findings may be relevant.

What I can say is that I am quite happy with the 16-35/4 on the Sony A7rII so far. But, I don't have a Canon 5DsR to compare wih.

Best regards
Erik

I only ask because of this http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/comparisons/2015-10-16-a7r2-5dsr/index.htm   I know he's a red rag to many photography bulls. It was something I had wondered myself, hence why my search turned him up.
So interested to hear from those using the combo, particularly the 24mmL f1.4 mkII

[Telecaster]

The issue with Leica glass is that the outlet pupil of the lens is close to the sensor plane, leading to large beam angles that induce astigmatism. For that reason, Leica has chosen very thin cover glass on the Leica M8 - and paid a price, in bad infra read sensitivity.

Don't you mean "good infrared sensitivity?" 

-Dave-

[Robert Ardill]

About Canon lenses with an adaptor: one thing which is a real nuisance is that there is no DOF button on the A7RII.  The camera appears to calculate the exposure with the shutter wide open (at least with the Metabones IV) so there's no DOF preview available.  This is particularly bad for close-up / macro photography as it makes the composition very hit and miss. 

With Sony lenses the aperture is adjusted so that DOF is automatic.  Which is why I'm selling my Canon macro lenses and forking out a small fortune for a Sony 90mm Macro.

Robert

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

I would say the word is excessive infrared sensitivity.

Best regards
Erik

Don't you mean "good infrared sensitivity?" 

-Dave-

[sbay]

About Canon lenses with an adaptor: one thing which is a real nuisance is that there is no DOF button on the A7RII.  The camera appears to calculate the exposure with the shutter wide open (at least with the Metabones IV) so there's no DOF preview available.  This is particularly bad for close-up / macro photography as it makes the composition very hit and miss. 

Did you try advanced mode on your metabones? Basically just hold down the button on your metabones when you mount the lens. This will stop down the lens and give you DOF preview.

See
http://www.metabones.com/article/of/green-power-save-mode