The Sony A7r – A Short Review by Tianyu Zhao

November 25, 2013 First Looks, Guest Post, User Reports 104

The Sony A7r – A Short Review by Tianyu Zhao

(Note: This is a guest user report, my full A7 and A7r review should be up within 5-7 days, Steve)

Hi Steve,

I’ve been reading your blog since I got serious into photography a couple of months back. Can’t say how much your real world reviews have helped me when choosing my lenses, so I’ve decided to share my experience with the new A7R and hopefully it can be of help to others.

I’m by no means a professional photographer, just an amateur who loves to play his camera and taking candids on the street. I pre-ordered the A7R once it was put up online as an upgrade to my NEX7. As of now I own 3 RF lenses: ZM35f2, ZM50f2 and ZM18f4. The first two have been reviewed by Steve and received quite some positive feedbacks and needless to say my results replicated the findings. The two lenses were excellent on the A7R, with the ZM50f2 being a stellar performer and while the 35f2 had some vignetting and slight magenta cast (which you won’t be able to notice for everyday shots), I found it more than comfortably tolerable. Overall the two lenses rendered superbly, and for those who want an extra stop over the FE35f2.8, you won’t go wrong with the little ZM35. On the other hand, the ZM18f4 is an interesting lens. While I’ve heard comments saying how lenses of asymmetrical design should fare better on A7/A7R, there were still noticeable vignetting and magenta cast. Although a simple Cornerfix profile creation would solve this issue rather easily, for those who would prefer not to go through this additional step I would recommend that you wait for Sony’s FE wide-angle zoom to come out (heard it’s about mid next year), or pick one of the SLR WAs – if you can’t live without a WA and can tolerate the added weight. That being said, the images produced by this lens is quite good with rich Zeiss colours and no visible distortion. Definitely among the better performing M Mount WAs.

Back to the camera itself, I found the new A7R to be an exceptional little beast. It’s extremely well-built, though I’ve had problems with the placement of the shutter and some of the control wheels were a bit too tight for my liking. With regard to the shutter sound, it would definitely be picked up if you intend to shoot street with it, but I’ve grown to like the shutter sound a lot – a firm mechanical noise that would give you a sense of security as you snap a shot. Image quality wise it’s pretty impressive, though high ISO performance is falls a little short of my expectation (the A7 will be better in this area due to the lower MP). I’ve had no problems shooting candids with this camera – it is a little bit ‘slow’ and obtrusive as compared to my NEX7 and other street cameras such as X100S and Ricoh GR, but it is definitely manageable and the image quality is stunning.

Here are three images I’ve taken in Shanghai using A7R + ZM35f2 and ZM50f2 (the last image). The images are RAW files processed and converted using Lightroom 5.3. Hope you’ll like them!

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104 Comments

  1. I have to admit these 3 pictures are horrible. You need to practice your manual focusing skill.

    I am curious bout your statement: The camera is a bit slow compare to Nex-7 ??

    Slower than Nex-7?

  2. So this guy’s dream camera doesn’t have phase detection autofocus, and less than stellar high iso. What kind of dream is that. Also I could have taken these pics with an RX100

  3. I agree that as a result, photos are way more important then the tool (the camera and all additional gear). But having the best tool available is preferable, isn’t it? I love my Rx100 because of its incredible versatility, but i also want a higher quality photos all the time. Unfortunately a better quality camera still cannot fit in the jeans pocket like Rx100 does. I read lots of stuff everywhere about A7R and finally yesterday i saw it in the shop and bought it but without the lens. By the way i also live in Shanghai so i have the question where to buy an adapter to Canon mount? Because 南京路的 Sony said they don’t have and its possible only to buy online. Would be great if you can tell me the description or the name of adapters and also i’d like to know how this cameras performs with my favourite canon 16-35 2.8 lens and with latest Sigma 35 1.4, if someone tested them with a7r already.

    Thanks in advance, check out my flickr btw, new a7r shots are going to be there soon as long as somebody helps me to get an adapter 😉

      • recently started, printed lots of 0.9×0.9m, two1.3×1.1m, one 1.7×0.9m and some more 1x something, don’t really remember. images looks great when they big;)

        I cannot get it, if I’m gonna buy a 100$ adapter to canon mount they won’t have AF and auto aperture function ?? which adapter should i buy to use with Sigma 35 1.4, better as cheap as possible. yesterday i saw a metabones adapters cost 400$ which can do that. Who knows?

      • That’s an impolite question Ibraar. One can strive for the best without really needing it….
        I’m sitting here with my mint FE2, 1.2/50 AiS, loaded with Tri-X rated at 800. Resolution? Not so good probably… 😉

    • Hi k3rk. Thanks for the comments. I do not live in Shanghai but I guess you can get it from local camera shops easily. The one I’m using is from Kipon, and you can get it for about 400-500RMB. There are more expensive ones from Voigtlander or Novoflex that are supposedly of higher quality, but IMO they all function similarly.

  5. Maybe, but only if it would use Leica glass

    Remember, the original Nikon rangefinder was inferior to the Leica M3 so making such assumptions is…

    • Huss, I keep dreaming of a Nikon S3 2k edition, black and new, with that 1.4/50… Very cool. But so expensive!

  6. Ive seen some very very sharp pics from the Sony A7 etc, and whereas i like these photos, from a purely technical standpoint they seem very soft, not at all coming from a FF camera…anyone else agree?

  7. Funny. I would think that when you succeed in posting a story and supporting images here, you invite comments to both, positive and negative. I’m in Chris_S’ and Ronin’s camp. I find the story informative (I wouldn’t buy this camera, but that’s not the point), and the images unremarkable as a whole, though #3 is nice.

    It’s always the same, it’s not the camera, it’s the person that uses it. I was just looking at a lot of Vivian Maier photographs, made with probably one of the clumsiest cameras ever. Did it stop her producing remarkable images?

    • P.s.: #3 is nice, but certainly not sharp. I thought this camera/lens combo was sharp. Maybe it was intentional?

      • Thanks for the comments. Steve made a point about submitting images that are under 1-1.5MB, if possible, so what you see here are images that were downloaded from a website to make them smaller. Apparently image quality was compromised in the process, but the actual images are definitely sharp as one would expect.

        Cheers.

    • Vivian Maier’s camera may have been clumsy but it was shooting medium format film (120) with higher resolution and dynamic range than any digital camera made today by a “long way.”
      So her images will have technical superiority.
      Add in that she had an amazing eye and we see here a perfect combination of tool and artist.

    • I object to the statement describing a Rolleiflex as “clumsy”.
      I have a 3.5F and it is anything but.
      And the 50 odd year old Rolleiflex makes the Sony look like the gizmo it is and clumsy at that – need a computer to access the images.

      • Allright Ibraar, I stand corrected. I put it that way to make a point.

        I tried a Hasselblad for a while, couldn’t get used to it… Not enough patience I guess. 😉

  8. Thanks for sharing your pictures, really like the third one.

    Stange that Sony always gets more negative comments than Leica or other “older” brands.

    • Thanks for the comments. Glad that you like my photos 🙂

      Indeed Sony seemed to attract quite a bit of hatred as compared to other brands. I’ve seen Steve getting attacked by Leica fans for saying RX1r is sharper than the M. I guess it’s hard for some to accept the fact that a new guy is getting all the hype in the industry.

  9. It would be great if the pictures were bigger. I never understood why people upload matchbox-sized images to Flickr for example. The don’t have to be full size images, but they should be large enough for people to enjoy.

    • Because too many times their shots appeared on other sites without any credits? Because so many people, including themselves, check flickr on their smartphones, or ipads in best case?

      • Those are valid points for sure, however I would still rather show off a great photograph at a decent size than sweat it about someone stealing it, but that’s just me. Besides, why would anyone care about nicking regular snapshots like these?

    • I would love to submit full size images as well, but Steve made a point to keep the files under 1-1.5MB if possible, so I uploaded my photos to a website and downloaded them. Guess image quality was compromised in the process. Sorry about that.

  10. You’re all right – this isn’t a photography website; there’s nothing on here about photography. It’s a support group for toy obsessed midlifers.

  11. It is difficult to tell much from these pics.

    I have the Zeiss 35mm Biogon that was used for the first two pics and I recognize the color signature and drawing of the lens in the fist pic, but that is really all I can tell here.

    We will have to wait for Steve to post his review.

    We all know Steve’s style of photography and we have seen him take a lot of pics with a lot of cameras.

    So if the A7/7r has a unique signature then it should flavor his usual style and we should see a difference good or bad.

    As to the subject of equipment vs. photography: I think most of us love special and unique gear. We are always enjoying the experience of trying something new. I think that each of us deep down wants to find that camera/lens combo that touches us and inspires us and becomes our muse, our magical tool that allows us to create, to realize our unique vision.

    I am one of those. And for me, recently that muse has been the lowly V1 with the 6.7-13mm lens. I don’t know why, but when I hold that camera and look through that little EVF I somehow feel I can take the kind of pictures I want to.

    I have posted on flicker for several years with cameras of all types, both digital and film and it was not until I began using the V1 and posting those pics that I had pics that became favorites and attracted contacts.

    I think this is how we can know we are on the right path, that we have the right tool, when we enjoy our work and others enjoy it as well, and we feel that irresistible urge to keep getting out there and create.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/54171644@N07/sets/72157633029810049/

  12. Thanks Tianyu, nice write up and photos, I’ve been looking for samples from the A7 or A7R with the ZM 50 f2

  13. Just another camera? How about full frame, 36mp, small, Leica like, perhaps a Leica beater?

    One problem is that tiny pictures tell nothing about the quality of a 16×20 print and up. And not every monitor produces wonderful color and, or sharpness.

    If you find the reviews too tantalizing is that your problem or Steves? Since no one camera and certainly no one lens does it all, those of us who love photography want to read about those differences, and not just from Steve.

    • An ff digital Nikon rangefinder would best Leica in every conceivable way. Alas, it will never happen.

      • What would you expect the NIkon to have in it that the “M” doesn’t and at what price?
        This is an academic question for Leica camera owners, but for those who want the Leica experience of wonderful lenses they can use them on Sony Nex 7 cameras with great results.

        • A Nikon rangefinder is a lot less common than an M, and better made (according to some) than an M3. I’ve never seen one in the flesh, let alone shot with it, but it (particularly the commemorative edition) holds an elusive attraction to me. Very irrational, I know.

    • Thanks for the kind words. China’s exotic but not to that extent mate. Saw him at one of the pubs with a couple of friends who were all dressed in costumes. And in case he didn’t notice, he’s Caucasian 🙂

  15. Thanks for the post Tianyu.
    I was a little surprised to read that you had magenta issues with the 35mm lens.

    Nice photos and best regards.

    • Thanks Huss. Glad you’ve enjoyed the photos. The issue is minimal, but it’s there. I saw only one incident observable magenta cast out of about 200+ shots.

      Cheers.

  17. Thanks for sharing your images – I don’t know whether I am sold on this camera yet.
    There is always a lot of hype when a new camera is being marketed but wait for 6 months 1 year and have a look at it then and you can see more clearly.
    Good work by the way .

  18. Looking at those screen shots, there is nothing technically remarkable or identifiably FF about them.

    However, this is a very poor means of assessing shots and I’m sure advantages would emerge with prints made from the files.

  19. Thanks for your pictures, Mr. Zhao, and your review. Don’t worry about the childish negativity from the condescending twerps. Maybe they are jealous. Maybe they have to step on others to feel superior. Who knows what else goads their animus. This site is always a mixture of photography and gear review, and that’s what is fun and informative about it. If people can’t be civil towards someone who shows enough humility to solicit your constructive critiques, they can always leave. This site is free, last I check.

    So, Mr. Zhao, keep shooting and keep sharing. And THANK YOU.

    • Thank you so much for your kind comments. It meant a lot to me. Criticism is a part of the learning process to me, and I welcome all sorts of constructive comments. I’ll definitely keep shooting and improving myself. Cheers 🙂

  20. Tianyu,
    I am also adding the A7R to my NEX-7. I am surprised that you are disappointed in the high ISO results on the A7R, especially after seeing a number of nice photos taken with the A7R in low light over the last month. Do you feel it is not any better than the NEX-7?

    Kim

    • Hi Kim. The A7R’s high ISO performance is definitely better than the NEX7. But for a FF body I expected the difference to be greater. I’m under the impression that the A7 will be better in terms of high ISO performance due to the lower pixel density, though I have not tried the camera. Bottom line is images shot at ISO6400 are perfectly usable without much of a need for noise reduction in post processing, which is pretty good actually. Under the same ISO images shot using the NEX7 would be beyond repair.

  21. He got serious a few months back… he could have been taking casual photography for 30 years and just decided to be serious about it recently.

    He could be serious for a day … and he still has the right to call it “taking it seriously”.

    Lay off Serious Troll.

    • Steve, the trolls are spoiling your blog – it’s like the Falklands War: bald men fighting over a comb.

      • Ha, ha, ha! “…it’s like the Falklands War: bald men fighting over a comb.” Now THAT is funny. I enjoy reading through all the support and also the dissention. I think some people don’t view the handling of a camera as part of the experience of photography. It is mechanical in nature, even in digital format. While we are treating our eyes and expectations, we are also enjoying a tactile experience of handling the camera and using its dials, buttons, etc. Maybe this camera hits all the right spots for some – at last some who care what camera is being used.

  22. I’m pretty sure Sony will update their Lens Correction app to cope with the blue and magenta shifts, they already correct for distortion and CA. Fuji does the blue and magenta digitally in camera when using their Fuji X to Leica M adapter.

  23. So when do you consider someone serious? 1 year?… 20 years? Does he have to make a living at it to be serious? ….

    Frankly, if he cares about the pictures he takes, he takes them with some thought, and he is working to get better… then he is serious in my book….

  24. Thanks for the report Tianyu – it’s nice to see some experiences and images from the camera starting to appear.

    Do you have a website or flickr account where we can see some more samples?

    • Thank you for the kind comments. Yes I do have a flickr account but at the moments my A7r images are not up yet. I had to use a VPN to access my flickr account as google sign-in is not supported in China and upload speed is insanely slow. Apologies!

  26. Thank you to Zhao for the succinct review, but almost every single image i have seen so far from this camera has been very underwhelming, from all sources. It’s hard to put into words, but it’s almost like the files have a sterile, clinical feel. They lack a certain je ne sais quoi.

    • You have a point here. The files seem to lack a distinct look such as e.g. the ones from a Leica M9 or Sigma DP Merrill have, somehow they are just very high resolution sensor files without a particular signature

    • I tend to agree about the sterile, clinical feel to images not just from the A7 but Sony cameras in general. It’s like electronic engineers have designed the cameras and evaluated the images generated based purely on technical aspects such as signal to noise ratio. They need someone with a photographer’s eye to tell them how to tweak the colour signature and improve the look of the images.

      I think things have improved with the A7(r) but they still have a way to go.

      • Sony have lost the Konica and Minolta touch…
        But I think it’s more about the Photographer. When the Leica Mono came out people were saying the same thing, until it made it’s way into the hands of talented photographers with subjects worthy of it, then people saw the capability.

      • IMHO:
        Cameras with a ‘neutral’ profile: Nikon, Sony, Leica
        Cameras with a ‘pastel’ profile: Canon Fuji

        I guess it’s a matter of personal preference but, in general, I can see the Sony images appealing more to Nikon and Leica shooters.

        • i never understood where this ‘pastel’ fuji colours come from, are you talking about jpeg or raw? because my raw files don’t look pastel at all

          • Fuji aren’t pastel – very solid in colour I think.
            I think Olympus gives the best Jpeg results.
            Everything else is what the person does afterwards on the computer.

          • @hexx – yes, sorry. I’m not quite sure how to say what I mean. 🙂 I guess a longer rambling is maybe called for.

            Different camera sensors render images somewhat different (even the raw) – some rendering certain colours better or differently than others (based on the sensor design and processor).

            I view the 5 cameras above is a sort of spectrum, with the Nikon perhaps having (arguably) the most true-to-life colour, and the Canon slightly to the right (somewhat pastel) and the Fuji further to the right (more vibrant).

            *note: that’s not to say that the most true-to-life is necessarily ‘best’ – I think that’s a matter of personal taste.

            So a spectrum that goes left to right as follows

            Leica (slightly cool colours) / Nikon (pretty true) / Sony (also pretty true, though slightly less accurate than Nikon) / Canon (slightly pastel) / Fuji (more vivid)

            I’d also place the Olympus between the Leica and Nikon

            Just my 2 cents 🙂

          • Thank you Mars Observer, it makes sense now 🙂 I always found Nikon’s output inaccurate but I haven’t touched Nikon’s cameras for few years now, it sounds like they have fixed it.

            In comparison done by Mark Dubovy at Luminous Landscapes he actually found Leica’s output more accurate than the one from his D800 (interesting when you think about other reports about the new M).

            For me it doesn’t make much difference, it can just make post processing less painful if you get the colours you like out of the box.

            I will wait for Steve’s full review of these new Sony cameras but I’m leaning towards the new M.

  27. Great photos! …am wondering how the A-mount Zeiss 24mm f2.0 would fare on the a7R with the Sony LAEA-4 adapter which gives phase detection auto focus/auto exposure

    • me too.
      i could not imagine any reason, why some would call a “high ISO shortfall” on this. except in comparison to a D800 or 6D. or medium format.
      and that a7 > a7R thinking is not true. comparisons on dpreview.com between these two showed: a7r at ISO 25600 looks better to me.

    • The Pop Photography report is just out and… The A7r is the ‘camera of the year!’

      However, in their tests, they note ISO performance is about one stop less than the D800, acceptable only up to 1600 (in their opinion)

    • Thanks for the question. I guess it’s because I had a higher expectation due to the fact that the sensor is the same as the one in Nikon D800e, so I expect high ISO performance to the same. However, as supported by DXO marks scores, high ISO performance is slightly below that of D800e. Don’t get me wrong though, high ISO performance is definitely what you would expect from a FF body. But as Mars Observer correctly points out, I would say ISO performance is acceptable probably up to 3200 if not 1600 only.

    • Those who care about the camera more than the pictures. For some people, camera’s are a hobby, buying them, talking about them on the internet, searching ebay for rare lenses, testing lenses etc. The end purpose of owning a camera isn’t always about photography, sometimes its simply about the camera.

      • Of course we care about the cameras….this is a gear site! What a stupid comment. It’s kind of like going on a Audio/Video web page and saying that no one cares about the music….
        If you don’t want to read about gear and just look at pics then go to flickr or better yet, 500px.

        • Talking about music eh, well, would you care whether Lennon/McCartney wrote their songs with a bic ballpen on a piece of toilet paper or whether they used a MontBlanc fountain pen on a piece of 1000 year old papyrus? It’s nonsense isn’t it? What matters is the end result and in photography or other art forms, it’s the end image that is important.

          The camera/lens combination that is used to get that image is important only in the way it enables the photographer to get the image he/she wants. Some of the best photographers in the world still use 5×4 view cameras, some use 120 film and some, no doubt will use the Sony A7 if that’s what they think will get them the results that they want.

          • I think a better music/audio analogy might be:
            ‘It’s just music, who cares what media it’s on’
            But in fact some audiophiles do care whether it’s CD or vinyl for example (as well as whether the guitar is electric or acoustic)

          • There are plenty of gear heads in music though (guitars, midi-controllers, pianos), hell there’s a forum with that very name 🙂

          • Would also like to point out that when I see a great photo I don’t really care what camera took it. Sometimes a photo has great IQ and then I do care, but that’s besides the point and it just over complicates things.

            But when I take a photo myself then it does matter. What type of gear fits my purpose, or my usage pattern, or the style I’m looking to get from my shot, etc. A camera doesn’t even have to perfect in any way, in fact a limitation can offer a creative boost or allow you to learn something new about photography, but technical perfection will allow you to get shots you couldn’t get otherwise. It won’t make you more creative, it won’t improve your framing, but it could “make you see in the dark” for example. Or allow you to take a more contrasty shot without blown-highlights.

            So IMO, gear does matter. I could care less for some sort of war between Nikon and Canon, or Mirrorless vs, DSLR, or Digital vs. Film, I just want something that allows me to take my shot in the best way possible. For me that would work out to a Leica M, but I’m poor so these Sony cameras are a godsent

    • So true, Chris. The bottom line: It’s all about marketing. Manufacturers are finding new customers all the time and the audience falls for it. My advice: Start taking photos. Steve has found a substantial market here for people wanting to discuss the latest and the greatest and he’ll even respond negatively every now and then to a certain brand/model to get noticed/more hits. Tianyu seriously got into photography a few months ago and is already featured here to praise the “best camera of the moment”. It’s all very strange. Six months from now there’ll be another amazing camera, won’t there? And many people then will be selling their current camera with a loss on eBay. Pretty sad, actually.

      • so how many people drive BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche?
        Chris_S: a bike gets one from point A to B like any car/train/plane, if that is your argument. Come on, leave the guy alone; let him enjoy his camera, period. Perhaps, he saves a long time for this camera.

        • I wasn’t having a go at the guy, but if he’d posted the pictures without comment about which camera he used what interest would that have had for you, anything?

          • Chris, the title of this article is pretty clear – it’s a review of a camera. It’s hard to imagine why someone who doesn’t care what camera is being used would even be reading this article. The article is only aimed at those that do, and the only purpose of the photos is to support the camera review. I understand your point, it just doesn’t seem very relevant to this article.

      • “So true, Chris. The bottom line: It’s all about marketing. Manufacturers are finding new customers all the time and the audience falls for it. My advice: Start taking photos. Steve has found a substantial market here for people wanting to discuss the latest and the greatest and he’ll even respond negatively every now and then to a certain brand/model to get noticed/more hits. Tianyu seriously got into photography a few months ago and is already featured here to praise the “best camera of the moment”. It’s all very strange. Six months from now there’ll be another amazing camera, won’t there? And many people then will be selling their current camera with a loss on eBay. Pretty sad, actually.”

        Wow. This is truely a “glass is half empty” comment rather than a “glass is half full” comment. Being a realist, I am obligated to take this comment for what it is. I see where this comment is coming from and appreciate it to a degree. On the flip side, one could say that it is because of Steve (for instance, going back to his support of the Leica X1) that we finally have these full-frame sensors in compact bodies. I believe we are just entering the golden age of full-frame sensors in compact digital cameras. We have also had the opportunity to see the advances of APS-C sensor cameras as well, such as the Fuji X100 and X100S. Yes, I am hoping that six months from now there will be another amazing camera. We are merely at the beginning of the camera revolution: Organic sensors anyone?

    • Can you imagine Bresson without Leica, Mcurry without Nikon, Vivian Maier without Rollei…. for some artists and photographers cameras are an extension of their identity/style. While it’s easy to get lost in so many novelties in this “easy to get” world, doesn’t mean it’s either Black or White. Good sense is what photographers should have and good balance. I’m certain that these new cameras will be iconic for some new “Bresson”, “Maier”, “Mcurry”. You guys are right, go take some pictures and stop complaining. 🙂

    • I’m curious Chris, Jeff and Ron… What cameras do you use to take “just pictures”?

      I’m sure you are all shooting a Lumix G1 or Nikon D70’s … because, of course, real photographers like you all never upgrades your gear.

      Condescension is unbecoming boys… Yes, I’m sure that you guys are quite happy making art with your Polaroid cameras…

      But many of us are excite about the A7r and love the idea of putting an old Jupiter-8 lens on a full frame digital camera …. without having to pay $6K-$7K for that camera….

      So thank you Tianyu Zhao for your impressions of this exciting new camera…. and don’t worry about these masters of photography who are to good for the rest of us.

      • Well put, imagination and talent are the main tools of course, but at some point we are allowed to enjoy a new camera to work with them. In many cases, including mine no doubt, the camera is the most capable of the 3 components, but I reserve the right to upgrade without having to answer to the sort of pretentious condescending nonesense in the comments above.

        In this case Tianyu Zhao has simply shared his thoughts on a new camera, I also like the third picture by the way, and some lenses.

      • Crinosil…..I’ve been a photographer for 40 years and I love it. I’ve used many cameras in that time and I’ve long gotten over the drooling and GASturbating whenever a new model of camera comes out. As to your question about which cameras I use its mostly Canon film SLR’s but I have an Olympus E-P3 with several lenses which I have never gotten on with and I’m selling. Your sneering about “real photographers like me” shows you for what you are so good luck with that Jupiter lens on your super new full frame camera that you like to read about and may actually buy.

        To Damoo, what exactly was pretentious and condescending in my comments?

        • I’d like to state that as Steve Huff himself said, and as I know from experience this site is about Photographs, Photography, Technique, Methods AND Gear reviews. It’s a great site because it ticks ALL boxes and covers everything from the latest gizmo to some old relic and everything in between.

          Though I agree with Chris and Ron about this infatuation and obsession with “upgrading” as one Upgrades a Mobile Phone, Steve needs to publish stuff people want to read about – it’s his job for Pete sake, and at the same time I totally and completely understand that people want the latest reviews, gear and see the results too. It’s a Hobby in many ways.

        • the remarks were directed at others as well as you. what is condescending is that you assume that people who buy new gear dont understand why they are buying it and are just falling for some new trick that only the clever ones like you understand. Perhaps they are just changing the way they take photographs or would like a different, possibly more capeable, or smaller tool, to do it with? I dont know, and neither do you, and that is the point.

          • I certainly don’t assume that the people who buy or rave about new gear don’t understand why they are buying it. Some are so rich and just buy the latest and greatest because it’s there and they can afford it. Others think if they buy the latest camera with 25megapixels plus, that it’s going to turn them into the next Henri Cartier-Bresson, but at least they are striving to be so. To others its just about the gear and hardly about the photographic image. It’s actually great that gearheads keep buying the latest and greatest, it’s keeping the camera makers alive and innovating to produce some amazingly capable cameras. It also means I can get a great bargain when the current model is replaced and people sell their gear. I suspect there will be quite a few Sony A7s for sale when mk11 comes out, though I wouldn’t buy one personally, only because I prefer optical viewfinders but that’s just me and EVFs are improving all the time so that may change. Of the images produced by the Sony A7, I cannot say they have impressed so far in a purely technical sense but I haven’t seen anything like a proper review yet. All the best.

    • Chris_S made the mistake of entering a brief note of sanity into a website whose revenue is made not from the discussion of the soft fall of morning light, but upon the sale of cameras and lenses. Such talk is counterproductive. We are here to admire new stuff and to listen to experts of minimal experience admire new stuff. Chris must be re-educated.

      • I don’t think he made a mistake; rather, he made a conscious decision to enter a comment to an article reviewing a product, on a site that obviously reviews equipment, where he attempted to dismiss the need for a review of any equipment. If he’s smart, he knew the reaction he’d get and he’s a flamer. If he’s not smart, well then we’ll chalk this up to him just not being smart. ;~)

        • Winner winner chicken dinner! Thank you Sean…very well said. I mean seriously….I love these condescending comments from those who say ‘the gear doesn’t matter’…..and they are posting on a GEAR SITE. I actually happen to agree that in most cases the gear is irrelevant, but the equipment is part of the hobby and why so many go on this site.

          • ” I actually happen to agree that in most cases the gear is irrelevant”……..you said it and in saying it you contradicted the first paragraph of your post. Try thinking for yourself sometimes.

      • I think the point is that digital is still evolving and has a fair way to go… Its not like film which is a mature medium. People are therefore particularly interested when you get full frame mirror-less cameras like this. It is big news. Go back to when Leica came out and you would have had a similar buzz amongst photographers, although there was no internet back then so you didn’t have so many trolls!

    • I would guess most on this site care as the user experience and creative process is as important as the end result. It’s what enables you as an artist and what gets you out of bed to go that extra mile. If a picture is good or not and speaks to you is highly subjective so banking on other people liking your art shouldn’t be a concern. Having fun while creating should though and often times that is the magic recipe for success.

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