Sony Moving to Sony

Antonio Correia

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Setúbal - Portugal
Name
Antonio Correia
I currently have a bunch of m43 lenses and two 5 Mk II but I am not satisfied because of the quality of the images. Not that they are bad, but rather I find the ones from Sony to be far better with more colour rendition, sharpness and so on. They just please me more to the eye that's all.

1. I am hesitating between the Sony 6400 APS-C and the Sony A7 cameras (which of the 7 is another matter). In fact the 6400 has all the necessary features which I mostly use and is sufficient for my photos but I am tempted by the 7... Perhaps it is a bit silly as the prices are not similar...

2. On the other hand I could not find (my fault for sure) an all purpose large aperture lens Sony zoom. I know I have to go and search and search. There are very good alternatives to Sony lenses, I am aware. The lenses must be E mount full frame, so I can share them with my wife if I get the 7. She wants the 6400 and she is right. :)

3. Last point - I am very pixel peaky and very concerned about micro-contrast which I do appreciate !

Thank you for any tips or suggestions ! :)
 
If your wife has already made her decision to get the 6400 - why not wait until she has it? Then you can (hopefully ;) ) try it out and see if it is good enough for you as well? :)
 
Thank you Tilman for your comment. Much appreciated. :)
I have by my side a 6300 from a friend which I intend to ply with tomorrow. It's lens is a Sony 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 which we do not like. We like lenses with constant aperture !
 
For apsc, there are Sony 16-70mm f4 and 18-105 f4. For full frame, Sony 24-70mm f4, 24-105mm f4, 24-70mm 2.8 and Tamron 28-75mm 2.8. Longer lenses are Sony 70-200mm f2.8 and f4 versions. Sigma is releasing its dslr lenses in Sony mount also but I have not checked it much. It depends on what you shoot and carry. You can adapt Canon EF lenses easily also with Sigma adapter. Also I recommend a6500 with IBIS which you can find it used cheaper...

You can check the Sony lenses showcase at Amin's talkemount site:
Native Lens Sample Image Showcase
 
Having shot all main formats, if image quality is your top criteria, then FF is the way to go. The Sony A7 series are great cameras, especially in their third iteration. Also, Sony is lowering the price on the A7iii by $200 in the US, which makes it even more attractive than it already was. Not sure about Portugal where you are though.

But, compared to m43, Sony APS-C cameras are also a very nice step up in IQ. Plus offering a smaller compact body, similar to the m43 cameras.

If you really want an all purpose, large aperture zoom, while keeping a relatively small size, then an A7 series with the previously mentioned Tamron 28-75 2.8 lens is the way to go.

That lens provides excellent image quality, compact size, nice focal range, and aggressive pricing that is hard to match in the market.

Focal length gets a bit funky if you were to throw it on your wife's A6400 though.
 
@Antonio Correia my two cents.

I have both a FF and m43 kit (Em1.ii with pro zooms, Em10.ii with f1.8 primes) and myself I'm trying to find the right balance to maximize the pleasure I get from shooting pics. I'm not a pro, I do it for fun and enjoyment. I decided to go FF and skip the APS-C, I wanted the biggest possible jump in sensor size to really understand if life is so much better on the other side.:)

I still have not found the "12-40 f2.8" for Sony, I mean an optically awesome lens that covers my needs in 80% of situations. The kit 28-70 is better than what you read on the internet, and very very light, but lacks a bit of something on both ends. I find 28 too long for the wide angle side, and 70 not long enough on the tele side. I evaluated the 24-105 f4 and the Tamron 28-75 f2.8, and decided (yesterday) to go for the first one. Time will tell if thats the 12-40 in Sony land, for sure it's a heavier than the Oly zoom. I decided f4 was ok, as I have a 50mmf1.8 for low light, and decided the additional FL was worth loosing one stop.
 
Thank you all for the words and time spent on this thread.
Yesterday we at home, have bought the Sony A6500 with the "humble" Sony 18-135 lens as an assumed option for lightness with good image quality.
As the 6500 uses E mount I am planning to get the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 for myself coupled with a A7RIII.
Unfortunately one can't neither rent any equipment in Portugal nor test even in Sony center !!!
I am starting a search for an used or refurbished Sony A7RIII in the EU under warranty which is I am aware, pretty hard to find.
Thank you again to all ! :)
Side note - I can't stand these forums with white background. They hurt my eyes...

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Olympus EM1 (Mark 1) with 12-40, 40-150 and 25 Pro lenses, Pen F with 12, 17, 45 and 75 primes, Panasonic GX9 with 15, 20, 25, 42.5 primes and 14-140 superzoom. Each system has its own bag and I take the bag I feel like that day.
 
I read that your m43 setup didn’t meet your required IQ standards. I guess you’re into low light or big prints. Both are not the strongest points of m43. I do look at other systems sometimes, but mostly because it’d be fun to try something new. I do not ask a lot of my gear. For me, it’s more about the awareness of my surroundings I get from taking pictures than about the end result. And I especially like my GX9 with 20 as a carry everywhere, the Pen-F for fondling (that one is just so much fun), and the EM1 to shoot that great set of pro zooms. The EM1 with it’s dated 16mp sensor is on the nomination to be replaced. Let’s hope Olympus doesn’t only give us the EM1X this year. A mark III of the EM1 or EM5 would suit me nicely.
 
marlof, thank you for your comments. :)
I am neither in low light frequently nor in making large prints. The maximum I make is the A3+ with my Epson R3000. I often do A5 in small folios under themes.
Perhaps I am just losing my time - and making others do the same also - and am not going to buy anything ! A shame indeed.
I am very picky about the sharpness of my images, very demanding.
All this issue (buying a Sony) relates to the fact that my wife doesn't like the Panasonic GX7 she was using recently and decided to move to Sony getting a A6500. I used the GX7 myself and liked it. The best would be if we both could share lenses but I can't expect so.

On the other hand I have six m43 lenses being some quite good. The Panasonic/Leica 42.5 f/1.4 (or 1.2 ?), the Oly 75mm, the Pan 7-14, two Olys 12-40, one 40-150 f/2.8 and the kit Pan 20mm which came with the GX7.
I have ordered a GX9 which I think is pretty good but I had to cancel and move to the A6500.
So, this mania of mine of wanting to buy a Sony 7RIII is just a crazy idea. It is really ? :LOL:
This camera would make me to want two or 3 Sigma primes... lots of money.
For what I generally do in photography what I have is more than enough.

Anyway, I will be making some kilometers next Sunday to use a Sony 7R III for about 1 hour. The guy has an adaptor for Canon and I will be going with my Canon lenses to give a try. I will come home and see the files on my computer. He has a Sigma something-105 f/4.0 ...

Than you ! 👍:)
Here a portrait of mines to colour this thread, when using Canon equipment a few years back.
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I have Sonys (A9 and A7Riii) and have owned all of the A6xxx bodies at some point. Without the least hesitation I'd say the Fuji APS-C cameras have better IQ and color SOOC than the APS-C Sonys. As a matter of fact, I sold my Sony 100-400 in favor of the Fuji 100-400. That lens on my X-E2 or X-Pro2 gives equivalent apparent sharpness at the same level of cropping. Even if the Sony was switched to APS-C mode, the Fujis shine. I've never seen anything like their SOOC jpgs, with Oly being the next closest. The A7 series bodies are better since the third gen, but if I don't need to crop a lot, I'll grab the Fujis. My FF bodies are reserved for commercial work now, when any file can go from web thumbnail to a poster size print after the shoot, and I want the best file I can deliver to a client. For personal stuff and travel, it is the Fujis all day long.

Shooting with an X-Pro2 and a prime reminds me that I'm a photographer, not just the holder of an imaging device.
 
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