noone

Thanks for reviving this thread! I love some of the Coen movies (and have an overwhelming urge to go watch a clip of "Man of constant sorrow" on YouTube). One thing that I would like to know if anyone uses (or wants to try) a camera in the middle/single camera, with a fast wide lens and a Sony camera and using clearzoom instead of camera movement?

I never did like my Nikon 35 1.4, it was too veiled wide open though ok stopped down. Those look nice from it though. My only Nikon lenses left are a 50 1.8 AF (non D made in Japan) and it is just a backup 50 now but amongst the best of the cheap 50s I have had and an old 85 1.8 pre AI converted (pretty good glass but way too battered to be worth even trying to sell). I don't use it much these days but it still does ok. I shot a video with it (never thought I would use this lens for a song) that I hope to be able to put on Youtube from the same gig. Foghorn String band.

Well the A7s is now over three years and a half old and again, if I was shooting for pay I would certainly not be using an A7s ONLY but it would sure still be in my bag. Ergonomics is subjective and I prefer the first version A7 cameras to the later ones and the A7s to all the other cameras I have used though perhaps I am in a minority there. My point is that a lot of things mentioned as being faults are not really and it comes down to what the camera is designed to do and when people say things like you can not customize a button for silent shutter? And yet the number of cameras that even HAVE a silent shutter is small and the number that can customize it to quick(er) access must be very small indeed. The A7s can not do some things that some other cameras can and it can do things some others can not and it comes down to what someone wants/needs. There is still no other camera I would want for low light high ISO stills and the same with the limited video that I do (it has recently been knocked out of the number one spot for ISO on DXOmark by two medium format cameras but even so after three and a half years it still holds up well and it is also no slouch for image quality at lower ISOs either). It is not for rapid shooting or high pixel counts but coming from cameras like a Pentax Spotmatic and Olympus OM1-n it works just fine for photography.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I use my A7s as my main photography camera too and I disagree with just about everyone of those points. Focus point- is that really an issue? I hit the centre button to get up the focus area, hit it again to get the focus point (I usually use small flexible spot) and use the four way buttons to move it where I want. Very simple and easy and I find it easier to use than the Canon 7D was. If two quick presses of a button right where your thumb is takes too long you can always change it to one press by setting the centre button to focus settings instead. There is a LOT in the menus and to me they are well placed (though I don't have to go into the menus very often when out and about with the camera). Inability to map important functions? Not all buttons can be set to all functions but geez there is more that can be set than most cameras and while it is true you can not set silent shutter to any button, is there a list of cameras that CAN (it will be a short list)? Is silent shutter something that NEEDS to be set rapidly? I have only used it a few times in more than three years and it is still fairly quick to set if you are familiar with the menus (it is very useful though when needed). Looking further, the control wheel can be set to 4 things, custom buttons 1, 2 and 3, centre button, AEL and AF/MF buttons to well over 50 things each, left, right and down buttons to 44 things each, and if you use a lens like the FE 85 1.8 you get even more customization with the focus hold button being able to be set to over 50 things too. The camera is not built to the same level as more expensive Pro DSLRs but it is as robust as any other that I have used/owned other than early film SLRs. It is not a weather sealed camera but is a bit better than being completely unsealed (and besides many of my lenses are not sealed anyway including my most expensive Canon L). Battery life is an issue for some but I am still using the original batteries I got with it as well as an even older one from the A7 I had earlier and even after four years of constant use I still only needed one battery to shoot a couple of bands Saturday night at different venues with around 300 photos and well over 60% left. I take a couple with me in case but most of the time, one is enough for a days photo shooting. I just make sure and charge my batteries after use. For video, yes, I would want all three of my batteries for a gig but I only record the odd song or two. Jpegs and colours, again is subjective but I don't seen any huge difference to any other camera system I have used (which is most of them). The "issues" with the camera as I see it are not so much problems as limits- IE not a camera for tracking or fast AFC and if you need more than 12mp but it never was meant to be. If you applied the same logic to many other cameras that don't have many of the things as an A7s you could say just about any camera is not much good.

I guess it just isn't a camera for you. I don't think I would want the A7s as my ONLY camera if I was shooting for pay but I would still certainly want it in my bag and for the things it shines at, it is still better than most (especially low light/high ISO). Many of your issues are subjective though and that is fine, you have to live with the camera after all. I have never had a problem with colour from any camera from any brand and as to ergonomics, I actually prefer the A7s to any other camera I have used film or digital. The A7s (and the same with the other two first gen A7 cameras) is NOT a camera for AF with Canon lenses I think. It IS ok for static things and the likes of ducks on a pond but certainly not for anything moving fast or far. The later FF E mount cameras are much better with adapted AF lenses. AFC is horrible but AFS with native lenses is just fine and works in almost no light long after other cameras have stopped (and is ok for me for concerts and pub gigs, often in very low light). 12mp is something some people wont want now (I often shoot jpegs at gigs and the file sizes at the highest level jpegs are just right for emailing as taken). I don't crop much so it is fine for me. I can not agree on the construction either as mine is around three years old and used daily and had a lot of use and abuse and all that has happened is a tiny bit of paint off where the A7s logo is. It is not a weather sealed camera (just light dust and moisture resistance) but is fine in very light rain so far though I am careful in that regard. The price of AF native mount lenses has been a bit high compared to others though maybe not so much others that are similar (IE greater choices) but some cheaper ones are appearing. For what it is worth the Sony Zeiss 55 1.8 is worth paying a bit more than the average 50mm and the FE 85 1.8 is an absolute bargain. The 28-70 FE kit lens is also quite good for a kit lens and not stressed by the 12mp of the A7s. I hope you find what you are after!

The background just looks terrible to me (struggling to put in writing why) I dunno, but it is not smooth. I have used canon L glass (EF and FD) on APSC and it doesn't like that often to me though depends on the lens. As to sharpness, well you would be a better judge of the full size shots than me but it does look like I would expect from most fast lenses with a very tiny area that is in focus and sharp and the depth of field in some of those shots looks like it might be around an inch with not much of the image within that inch? In any case, thanks for posting.

That 50 1.1 actually looks pretty sharp to me at the point of focus (which is not all that deep) but the background looks terrible. Some 50 1.2/.095 50mm lens are not THAT dear but I am not sure I would want any of the cheaper ones (again). I loved the Canon FD 50 1.2 L and at some point would not mind another if I could get a cheapish one that was still good. I think I would only get one with an aspherical element now except for maybe another Pentax 50 1.2 K though the Sony Zeiss 55 1.8 has pretty much cured me from wanting any more normal lenses.

I think that depends. For weddings if you shoot rapidly and lots of photos, then AF would be more important and the same maybe if you are shooting for something like a Newspaper ot if yu are shooting a trade show where you might only be there for a short time but not everyone shoots that way. For me, for events, decent low light/high ISO would be more important and for real estate AF would be below decent high ISO and also in many instances being able to shift a lens. Many wedding photographers will supply fewer images and be fine with manual focus or just use AFS (which just about all cameras are good at). I think real estate might be better with FF simply because it is easier to get wider lenses. A7s with Canon 17 TS-E shifted (otherwise the building would be leaning back quite heavily to fit it all in) and at ISO 25600 and for the second, it is shifted quite a bit at ISO 51200

The Canon 5diii has a few advantages for photography over the Nikon D750 and vice versa (but the same with your current A7s). Your Canon lenses would be a big factor to me (usable on the Canon and usable on the a7s with MF and less so for very slow AF). They both have dual card slots (an advantage over the A7s). They both have better weather sealing (A7s only has some limited dust and moisture sealing). 24mp for the Nikon, 22 for the Canon and 12 for the Sony. The Canon and Nikon have much better AFC and tracking AF (for many, this is a big deal and would be what makes the Canon and Nikon better for photography, for me not an issue so I prefer the a7s for photography for many purposes). They both have OVFs VS EVF (individual preference- mine is now an EVF any day). They both have flash sync at 1/200, (A7s 1/250) the Nikon has a built in flash, the others don't. The Canon AF works to EV -2, the Nikon to EV -3 (the A7s to EV -4 at least). The D750 has a 1/4000 max shutter speed, the 5D iii (and a7s) 1/8000. The Canon has a fixed screen, the Nikon (and Sony) tilting. You would give up a fully silent shutter with either the Canon or Nikon as well as focus peaking. I would think the 5d iii might suite you better?

For video away from what you are doing there is always weddings and parties I guess (not something I would want to do for pay- too nerve wracking). There will be a LOT more wedding work here in Australia soon I think because of legalizing same sex marriage. Kids parties? Engagement parties? Offering stills and video? How do you find the 1/160 flash sync of the Sony and 1/200 of the Nikon? Enough? The other thing for me would be the 1/4000 max with each of them. No problem indoors but I guess it depends on what the light is like there. For architecture, I would keep looking for a "cheap" Canon 17mm F4 L TS-E and it works great with the FF Sony's (and ok with Canon DSLRs even).

A few years ago, Pawn shops were the FIRST place you should have looked (especially for film era lenses) but in the last year or two it seems they all use Ebay to check prices before they buy/sell so much less a bargain now. Many of them also now sell on Ebay. I think charity stores CAN still be real bargains though even some of those will check Ebay for prices now. I have gotten some very nice bargains from pawn shops but nothing lately. I did get a couple of half decent tripods from a charity shop for $5 each (they have since realised they are worth a LOT more).

The A7s is a wonderful stills camera for some uses (nothing better for me for low light/high ISO) and still quite a capable camera for day time use but for other subjects (like anything needing tracking or AFC at faster at faster speeds) it would never have been a good choice. Even the first gen A7 does much better at other subjects and the A7ii and A7Rii, A7Riii and A9 would all be better while still having an EVF. If DSLRs are your flavour, then of course that means (mostly) Canon and Nikon. I would go Canon if you MUST have a DSLR as currently at least Canon lenses are much more usable if you then return to mirrorless later (Sony E or M43 especially). A7s and I am as happy as a

Picking a camera for someone else is never a good idea I think though giving them the options available is. Will they be able to use anyone else's lenses and accessories? If so, what do the others use? I love my GX7 and it is still a fair choice but so would be the A6000 and various baby Nikons and Canons and much more. A6000 is available new still lots of places and would have about the best image quality at this level to me though if they only shoot in good light a smaller sensor can be fine.

I predict a 300 2.8 and 400 2.8 at a gazillion dollars each (and worth every cent IF you can afford them). That said, the sensor in my crystal ball was made by Sony so I could be wrong.

$2400 USD means it will be over $3000 here in Australia. Looks very nice but too rich for my blood and I will stick to my old FD 24 L when I need a MF 24 1.4

TowerJazz http://www.towerjazz.com/overview.html

Great, so I take it you will show how to do it? I look forward to learn from you and obviously you will only use your Canon 5diii and 28 f2 Zeiss. That is a full band shot from next to the stage with at least six musicians all visible and in focus. That wasn't high ISO in my book (it is only ISO 10,000) and was a jpeg as taken and no it is with a Canon 17 TS-E There was nowhere else I could move for the framing though of course, you will now provide that 28 f2 shot to prove me wrong? No?

It isn't a Metal band because I have not shot one of those for around three years but geez I would have loved to have an A7s when I did.

Guess.

I am still playing cos I am still just passing the time but I wonder which of the regulars "you" are? Oh and samples showing how that 28mm lens (or is it 21 now?) replaces those other lenses since I need to learn. My apologies for suggesting you ask your mum. Maybe it should be your treating Physician?

I use what I find right for the task at hand ISO 12800 is sometimes not enough if I went to shoot at night and especially if you want to use a slower aperture at night or a faster shutter speed (ask your mum if you can stay up tonight and see). A 28mm lens alone isn't going to cut it when I want 300 2.8 or tilt shift or macro or to fit in a six or seven piece rock band and have them all in shot or a more blurred background or head/shoulders portrait or..

Nice camera Satoshi but to answer your question. No, not for me. Some of the main reasons, A) it isn't the best for low light/high ISO B) It has a mirror C) It doesn't take five of my nine most used lenses at all and it isn't as good for me with my favourite CANON lens as my Sony is. D) It doesn't have a tilting LCD E) it doesn't have an EVF It is early and I am bored (why I responded to such an obvious troll post clearly designed to be obvious).

From the figures here on Ebay at least, no. The 5Diii was dearer to start and cam be found cheaper often enough. I am hardly a Sony fanboy (I use what camera suits me regardless of who makes it and the A7s just happens to be the camera I have liked the most ever for what I shoot though my favourite lens is a Canon that costs more than the camera, I am done with DSLRs though except for just playing around ). Those are actual sold cameras and here at least, the 5Diii is doing ok but no better than the A7s. Someone recently paid over $3000 for a new 5diii and someone else paid about a $1000 less for a new one, the same sort of thing applies to the A7s and the thing that stands out to me is just how little demand there is for ANY of these cameras so the price may be more down to demand on the day than anything (IE if there are two cameras and three people want them, the seller will do well but if there are ten cameras and only nine want them they will not do so well.

To be fair though, that is with a new test camera and they don't say what other lenses they have tested with it yet. Still, it is very nice in the centre. If you want a lens of that focal length and mainly for a subject in the centre, it looks a very nice choice.

What it does show is just how small the market for these cameras is. Around 10 A7s cameras sold in Australia in a few months and probably around 50 to 60 Canon 5D iii's. That might explain some lower and higher prices for the A7s If you NEED one, then you pay what you have to at the time and if you WANT one, you wait. If selling out of need you take the going rate. The 5Diii is fairly available used and there was probably a few more than normal over the last few months with people buying the 5d iv. NZ being a smaller market still would explain the price of the A7s too. Even two cameras on Ebay might constitute a "glut" unless there was a sudden need. I suspect if you did buy four 5diii's and put the on Ebay NZ at once, you might take a hit too but maybe selling spaced??