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Author Topic: A7r first impression  (Read 40219 times)

CptZar

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A7r first impression
« on: December 03, 2013, 05:15:08 am »

Just came back from San Francisco. I used the A7r with some Zeiss Hartblei and Canon TS lenses.  I did not have to blend any image. The dynamic range is incredible. With the 5DIII, I always had to blend in PS. Focus Peaking works nice. However to nail focus the x14 Zoom is better. With the EVF this is easy. For tilt you focus for infinity and then just dial in a little tilt. Just like the theory says, but now it works.  Focus peaking will show you exactly how your focus plane moves. Also what happens if you you open/ close aperture. Impossible with any other FF cam.

The cam handles nice, though I disabled all the functions of the dial wheel as they alway pop up somehow. The Sony wireless remote control was used for shutter release.

I used the Metabones adapter. I didn't have any issues with it.  

The images are made with Zeiss Hartblei 40 and 80 mm and Canon 17mm. Vignetting was not an issue. The sunset with flowers had a some tilt added (Zeiss Hartblei 40mm).

Files where converted with Adobe DNG Converter 8.3 and then processed in Aperture. I guess Apple RAW  will get even better results.

The dynamic range is amazing. You push a totally dark image all the way up, and there is no color bending. It stays absolutely clean. Impossible on the 5DIII which will then always give you color artifacts.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2013, 01:20:09 am by CptZar »
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MrSmith

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2013, 05:20:17 am »

What adapter were you using? And alignment issues?
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CptZar

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2013, 07:05:18 am »

Metabones, no issues.

mhospelt

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2013, 01:39:50 pm »

WOW, that are good news. So, no issues with the Canon TS 17mm?
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Alan Klein

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2013, 01:53:17 pm »

If you were buying digital now for landscapes, would you recommend this over all other FF cameras?  Do you think you can get away from grad ND filters?

CptZar

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2013, 03:03:40 pm »

WOW, that are good news. So, no issues with the Canon TS 17mm?

The Beach picture was made with the 17TS. You can see it was shifted quite some degrees. No vignetting there.

CptZar

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2013, 03:18:25 pm »

If you were buying digital now for landscapes, would you recommend this over all other FF cameras?  Do you think you can get away from grad ND filters?

Yes I would. I wanted this Camera. FF, EVF, no mirror. No Nikon D800 and I just sold my 5DMIII. But  that is me, others will think different. About ND Grads, I think no. There is still moments you might need them. But less.

Isaac

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2013, 03:54:46 pm »

Focus peaking will show you exactly how your focus plane moves.

Oh! That's such a cool toy!
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ACH DIGITAL

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2013, 04:29:15 pm »

Congratulations on your acquisition. Would you mind explaining how focus peaking works with this camera? I have a D800 and now a Pana Lumix m4/3 that has focus peaking with the click of a button. Focusing with the Lumix is so easy.

ACH
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Antonio Chagin
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BJL

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Re: A7r first impression: focusing
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2013, 07:52:07 pm »

Focus Peaking works nice. However to nail focus the x14 Zoom is better. With the EVF this is easy. For tilt you focus for infinity and then just dial in a little tilt. Just like the theory says, but now it works.  Focus peaking will show you exactly how your focus plane moves. Also what happens if you you open/ close aperture. Impossible with any other cam.
Thanks for the report; I am glad the camera is performing well, and i am becoming more persuaded that focus peaking would be nice to have in my next camera. But I do not understand that last sentence (underlined above): aren't there a number of other cameras that offer both focus peaking and magnified live view for focusing?
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CptZar

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Re: A7r first impression: focusing
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2013, 01:20:52 am »

Thanks for the report; I am glad the camera is performing well, and i am becoming more persuaded that focus peaking would be nice to have in my next camera. But I do not understand that last sentence (underlined above): aren't there a number of other cameras that offer both focus peaking and magnified live view for focusing?

You are right. I mean FF.

CptZar

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2013, 04:08:25 am »

Congratulations on your acquisition. Would you mind explaining how focus peaking works with this camera? I have a D800 and now a Pana Lumix m4/3 that has focus peaking with the click of a button. Focusing with the Lumix is so easy.

ACH

You can select three level of focus peaking. Low, Med, High. It's always on then and I guess, beside that it is like on the Lumix. If you choose B&W as default, select red as focus peaking color and increase sharpness, you will get a very accurate picture where the focus lies. The RAW Image will be color anyway.

ACH DIGITAL

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2013, 08:56:15 am »

Thank You.!
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Antonio Chagin
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BJL

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A7r first impression: mirrorless vs the best of Canon and Nikon DSLRs
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2013, 09:52:30 am »

You are right. I mean FF.
I should have guessed. Yes, the A7 and A7r give us the first look at the combination of new "digitally driven" viewfinder and focusing technologies with the "biggest and best" of DSLR sensors, and the opportunity to compare more directly with the best DSLRs from Canon and Nikon.
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telyt

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Re: A7r first impression: mirrorless vs the best of Canon and Nikon DSLRs
« Reply #14 on: December 04, 2013, 10:04:23 am »

I should have guessed. Yes, the A7 and A7r give us the first look at the combination of new "digitally driven" viewfinder and focusing technologies with the "biggest and best" of DSLR sensors, and the opportunity to compare more directly with the best DSLRs from Canon and Nikon.

The Leica M has a "digitally driven" viewfinder option and a full-frame sensor.  $omewhat le$$ acce$$ible though.
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Vladimirovich

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Re: A7r first impression: focusing
« Reply #15 on: December 04, 2013, 11:03:42 am »

aren't there a number of other cameras that offer both focus peaking and magnified live view for focusing?

I think that Sony A99 FF (we do not count aps-c, m43 and p&s) camera has both focus peaking and magnification for manual focusing.
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CptZar

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #16 on: December 04, 2013, 11:28:24 am »

Yes, but a translucent mirror and thus you can only use legacy lenses. And I was talking particularly about TS lenses. It's the whole package. Sorry if this was unclear.  But again just my personal opinion.

BJL

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Re: A7r first impression: mirrorless vs the best of Canon and Nikon DSLRs
« Reply #17 on: December 04, 2013, 11:47:44 am »

The Leica M has a "digitally driven" viewfinder option and a full-frame sensor.  $omewhat le$$ acce$$ible though.
By 'new "digitally driven" viewfinder and focusing technologies' I meant the whole package: focus peaking, magnified live view at any part of the image and with aperture fully open to make focus effects easier to see, on-sensor AF using both contrast detection and phase detection, etc.
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MatthewCromer

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Re: A7r first impression
« Reply #18 on: December 04, 2013, 11:58:21 am »

BTW, on my Alpha 65 focus peaking is also very much driven by the image contrast and sharpness settings.  I have a "peaking" preset (max contrast, max sharpness) I go to when I want to use peaking that makes a huge difference.

Peaking isn't a panacea, but it is quite useful.
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Vladimirovich

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Re: A7r first impression: mirrorless vs the best of Canon and Nikon DSLRs
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2013, 12:35:44 pm »

on-sensor AF using both contrast detection and phase detection, etc.
A7r does not have PDAF on sensor though... so only A7 satisfies everything  :)
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