Sony Children in normal light/indoors with the rx1? Get mine tomorrow

Andrew Rasmussen

New Member
Location
Medford, Or
I am a semi-professional photographer and am set to receive the rx-1 tomorrow via fedex. Right now for snaps around the house i've been using the original canon 5d + 35L 1.4 lens. When I saw sony come out with a FF compact camera, it took me about 2 days to order it.

I've read over and over that this camera hunts in low light. And my main question is, how "low" is low-light in reference to this camera. Like a dark bar? Or like a room with the blinds closed with soft light shining through.

Can't wait to get it tomorrow and find out for myself, but i'd like some answers or something to read to make these hours stop feeling like years.
 
Hi,

I'm gonna try to be as helpful as I can in perspective of what you are getting into.

I had a 5D2 and the same lens, along with a 24 1.4 (version I) and a 50 1.4. The 5D2 has the same focusing module as your 5D classic (Interesting name, I know, but that's the name it goes by in a few forums I have been)
After selling all the L lenses I had plus the 50, I got into manual focus with those ZE lenses. The advantage of the 5D2 was that, if you really failed to get the focus confirm beep when turning the lenses, you can do live view.
Probably you have already researched about fly-by-wire focusing and a few other things about the RX1, but bare with me for a bit longer and we'll get to the true point.

I sold all Canon related gear I had for NEX 7, Zeiss 24, 5n, CV35mm 1.2 II, 15mm 4.5, and 50mm 1.8 OSS.
The AF was NOT faster, but it nailed it more times than the 5D2. You see, with 21mp, you REALLY see when you are not in focus and it annoyed the s£$% out of me.
So, I was happier because not only my cam was smaller, but also more accurate albeit slower in its AF capabilities.

Not to worry, though, because Sony is full-on 24/7 live-view goodness. And you know what? the DMF function is by far the best feature a live view camera can have.
At the first sign of focus hunting, you only need to twist the lens barrel a notch and you get to magnified focus view WITH focus peaking.
Oh yes, I forgot Focus Peaking, the one thing that helps you that little bit more when manual focusing. I believe God gave it to men and we should all be grateful for it.

The speed of focusing won't be the same. Also, contrast AF requires that: contrast. Contra-light reduces contrast and sometimes the camera can get it and sometimes not.
In low light, same thing happens, contrast goes down the drain. HOWEVER, the RX1 focusing algorithm will still focus IF you happen to aim the focusing dot/area at a contrasty enough area.
I am able to focus on books at f2/ ISO 3200 1/30. Sometimes the lettering is good enough to help the AF calculator, sometimes not.
If you have ever worked, or know someone, who has worked with a Contax G2 camera before, it is VERY similar to that.
The AF can be picky, but when it nails it...it nails it fine. Unlike my 5D2s which used to lie to me and I trusted them blindly.

So, having a problem focusing? no worries, keep the camera in DMF and twist the focusing ring as soon as it hunts. You will nail the focus anyways.
The EVF helps A LOT in this department.

Another scenario: girlfriend sleeping, white sheets, white pillows, ISO 3200, f2, 1/50 (I am standing about 3m away from the bed)... cannot focus on bed, but can focus if the focusing dot has half of GF head and half on pillow.
The camera needs contrast.
 
I forgot to mention the children situation.
To photograph with any contrast AF camera is to become more adept at predicting reality.
You need to focus on what you want to photograph, then think of of focusing the lens and catch the moment when it happens.
You cannot do the "OMG, its happening now...click click click click"
You need to do the "I want a photo of this. I'll prepare for it"

Many RX1 forums and reviews should have painted a picture already of what you can expect to do with the RX1.
They should have also given you an idea of what you cannot do with it out of the box, without practice or determination.
If you get to learn the RX1, though, it is a formidable camera matched by no other.
 
Thanks for the well written response. It answers a lot of my questions. And I definitely know what you're speaking of when you say the 5d lied to you about things being in focus.

I can deal with focus being slow, i just want it to be accurate, which it sounds like I've made the right choice.

Are you happy after selling your canon gear? I've been on the fence about going that way as well.
 
When I bought my NEX 7 and Zeiss 24, I still had my 5Ds and lenses.
I wanted to make sure that I wanted the trade of I was getting.

I realised that I gave up:
1) 1.5 stops of high ISO performance
2) Fast AF
3) Sturdy body
4) Appearance of professionalism

But I gained:
1) Smaller, lighter camera. This is very important for my work, where close presence to subjects is part of the work.
2) Accurate AF
3) 2 bodies for the price of 1!
4) Less money loss (quantity wise, not percentile wise) compared to SLR gear when bought new and sold later. The money that I loose is less when buying NEX and selling NEX than buying 5D and selling 5D (or Nikon, or whatever)

So, I haven't looked back.
What NEX gave me was great. It also made me shoot so much more because I carried my cam everywhere.

Worth noting, I never fell in love with Canon. I loved Contax the most and it was a shame they went out of the industry. The Contax G2 was the finest camera I owned. I missed it a lot but not so much now, thanks to the RX1.
 
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