The Sony A73/A7R3/A7S3/A9 Thread

Tysonator · 9 May 2017 at 22:38

Raymond Lin said:
It will be a different line of bodies.

I agree, if there are new mirrorless bodies from big 2, that may spawn a new canon / nikon eog system like the M.
Canon & Nikon do have a great line up of lens, it is up to third party lens makers to fill the void in the sony len line. The fact they have not may be that there is just not enough interest or the investment is too risky !

Raymond Lin · 9 May 2017 at 22:42

Raymond Lin said:
I just had an idea.

Canon already have the dual pixel focus tech which works amazing in Live View. All they really need is to develop a good hybrid EVF into the bodies, do a mirror lock up and implement electric shutter and do silent shooting.

Best of both worlds, the AF is already there, the body size can take the EVF.

20fps in electronic shutter, 14fps with mechanical shutter.

Optical and EVF, both through the lens. Don't need to change mount, don't need to change lenses.

Tysonator said:
I agree, if there are new mirrorless bodies from big 2, that may spawn a new canon / nikon eog system like the M.
Canon & Nikon do have a great line up of lens, it is up to third party lens makers to fill the void in the sony len line. The fact they have not may be that there is just not enough interest or the investment is too risky !

I had the idea first!

D.P. · 10 May 2017 at 16:30

^^^ Exactly what Nikon and Canon should. Nikon's sensor-based phase AF was world leading when the nikon 1 was released and still holds up pretty similarly to the latest Sony A bodies .

Biggest issue is still the fact that even the best EVfs aren't as good as optical.

Raymond Lin · 10 May 2017 at 17:02

D.P. said:
^^^ Exactly what Nikon and Canon should. Nikon's sensor-based phase AF was world leading when the nikon 1 was released and still holds up pretty similarly to the latest Sony A bodies .

Biggest issue is still the fact that even the best EVfs aren't as good as optical.

Hence my suggestion of the Hybrid, if you want that silent no black out shooting. Go EVF and live with the difference. If you don't care for blackout, don't care for noise, like shooting portraits in a studio or stock images. Go optical.

Energize · 11 May 2017 at 20:39

Does anyone even have an issue with blackout? Shooting sports on old 4fps SLR's there was no issue tracking the subject with the OVF, the problems with the lag using an EVF when shooting in continuous mode however...

D.P. · 11 May 2017 at 21:38

Not a big problem at all, you get used to it and you barely notice it.

The main advantage of mirrorless is just removing a big mechanical device that might fail, and a speed up in potential FPS because there is no need n=to move a heavy mirror. But then even the FPS of the A9 with actual AF is not that different to the D5 for example

robj20 · 12 May 2017 at 16:00

Not the main advantage for me. Main advantage is the live view seeing what your image will look like instantly.

D.P. · 12 May 2017 at 17:29

robj20 said:
Not the main advantage for me. Main advantage is the live view seeing what your image will look like instantly.

That is what I get form the optical viewfinder though. the EVF doesn't add anything in that regard, sure it sues data captured from the sensor but it has no way to present to you all the data it can capture, especially if you are going to take a 30second exposure or some such. No EVF has the dynamic range of the real world. I much rather see the real world and have an understanding of my exposure settings and the capabilities of the sensor.

More useful is the real-time histograms etc., buts its hard to digest that information in real-time.

robj20 · 12 May 2017 at 17:40

D.P. said:
That is what I get form the optical viewfinder though. the EVF doesn't add anything in that regard, sure it sues data captured from the sensor but it has no way to present to you all the data it can capture, especially if you are going to take a 30second exposure or some such. No EVF has the dynamic range of the real world. I much rather see the real world and have an understanding of my exposure settings and the capabilities of the sensor.

More useful is the real-time histograms etc., buts its hard to digest that information in real-time.

Hmm I can take my A7R into a pitch black room and set up a long exposure and be almost certain im going to get the image I want within seconds. With an optical you have to work it all out first.
I like both for different reasons but for what work I do evf wins for me. I don't shoot anything that moves.

Raymond Lin · 12 May 2017 at 20:02

robj20 said:
Hmm I can take my A7R into a pitch black room and set up a long exposure and be almost certain im going to get the image I want within seconds. With an optical you have to work it all out first.
I like both for different reasons but for what work I do evf wins for me. I don't shoot anything that moves.

When doing long exposure I use live view, it works just like your on your A7.

One thing nobody mention, anyone tried look through the EVF with polarised sun glasses on, it's complete pitch black lol

D.P. · 12 May 2017 at 20:56

robj20 said:
Hmm I can take my A7R into a pitch black room and set up a long exposure and be almost certain im going to get the image I want within seconds. With an optical you have to work it all out first.
I like both for different reasons but for what work I do evf wins for me. I don't shoot anything that moves.

I can do the same with an OVF. When you start with a multi-minute exposure then the EVF will be wildly out as well. As Raymond says, you can just use liveview if you really want to a digital image, but neither the rear LCD or an EVF can tell you what data is a actually captured. A close examination fo the histograms on the rear LCD is abut as good as it gets, otherwise you just need experience .

Raymond Lin · 12 May 2017 at 21:01

A EVF or LCD can't really tell you the final image if you are shooting with tripod and long exposure anyway.

Nothing beat experience. I can tell what kind of settings I'd need from where I am standing in relation to my subject and the light source around me. I would dial up or down the exposure comp before I put my camera up to my eye.

How's that for saving time?

EVF has its use and I think they are okay, just not the greatest thing like some YouTube bloggers professes them to be.

jonneymendoza · 12 May 2017 at 22:21

Raymond Lin said:
A EVF or LCD can't really tell you the final image if you are shooting with tripod and long exposure anyway.

Nothing beat experience. I can tell what kind of settings I'd need from where I am standing in relation to my subject and the light source around me. I would dial up or down the exposure comp before I put my camera up to my eye.

How's that for saving time?

EVF has its use and I think they are okay, just not the greatest thing like some YouTube bloggers professes them to be.

I highly disagree. Evf is the future and better than ovf.

Having a rubbish time here on my 5d4 in Barcelona. Wished it had evf.

hrockh · 16 May 2017 at 16:16

Raymond Lin said:
There is 1 place in the US or something at the moment?

The big thing for pro, especially at an event like the Olympics, Canon CPS will literally put up shop on site with hundreds of DSLR and lenses for members to borrow. Sony do not have that. They are not years but decades behind in this regard, their infrastructures is not there for this kind of service.

YET! They are rumping up their CPS equivalent to Nikon / Canon levels. What they miss now are the big fast expensive zooms. But a9 + 100-400mm could be a cheaper entry to this market.

jonneymendoza · 16 May 2017 at 16:29

hrockh said:
YET! They are rumping up their CPS equivalent to Nikon / Canon levels. What they miss now are the big fast expensive zooms. But a9 + 100-400mm could be a cheaper entry to this market.

i read a discussion about these super tele pro lenses.

Lets be honest. a 150-600 zoom is better and would sell more to people like us rather then a 500/600mm prime that are used by a tiny sum of people!

Those are very very niche lenses

hrockh · 16 May 2017 at 16:34

jonneymendoza said:
i read a discussion about these super tele pro lenses.

Lets be honest. a 150-600 zoom is better and would sell more to people like us rather then a 500/600mm prime that are used by a tiny sum of people!

Those are very very niche lenses

I don't think a 150-600 zoom would be able to perform on par with the primes.
Maybe having something like the $10k Canon 200-400 with 1.4x extended?

Raymond Lin · 16 May 2017 at 16:45

hrockh said:
YET! They are rumping up their CPS equivalent to Nikon / Canon levels. What they miss now are the big fast expensive zooms. But a9 + 100-400mm could be a cheaper entry to this market.

Well, everything is YET with Sony.

One can argue Canon is YET to produce a camera like the A9 and it is only time, so it is a 2 way street.

I can only talk about what we have now as opposed to what may happen so until there is a good network of CPS like service for Sony, it is hard for a profession to switch, especially if you shoot at the Olympics.

hrockh · 16 May 2017 at 16:49

Raymond Lin said:
Well, everything is YET with Sony.

One can argue Canon is YET to produce a camera like the A9 and it is only time, so it is a 2 way street.

I can only talk about what we have now as opposed to what may happen so until there is a good network of CPS like service for Sony, it is hard for a profession to switch, especially if you shoot at the Olympics.

solid point. well more competition is better for the whole market, let's see how things will go.

jonneymendoza · 16 May 2017 at 19:28

Check this out

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/first-a9-test-canon-lenses-using-mc-11-adapter-jason-lanier/

Raymond Lin · 20 May 2017 at 15:35

Sooooo, I had a go today.

It is amazing.

The no black out is almost the best thing since sliced bread..so to speak, I am not sure if it is necessary but it is certainly nice.

The AF tracking with native lenses are really fast, one thing I didn't look into is if I can use a single focus point because you can move the little box with the thumb stick to focus, it still comes up with a cluster that darts around when you press the button and a couple of times that focus point cluster popped up on the other side of the EVF!!! totally assumed wrong what I wanted to focus on. It has very very good AI servo though.

Also tried it with the Sigma adaptor with my Sigma 50A 1.4. The focus speed is definitely slower compared to the 24-70 GM or the 85 GM.

The shutter, as in FPS is insane, was instantly taken back how quick it is. With the 5D I could have it on Highest speed and I am able or used to press the trigger and have 2 or 3 photo bursts, which I am used to, in order to eliminate blinking, same process with the A9 and I think about 6-7 photos went off. I would go through SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much memory if I am shooting that thing.

Overall, from a quick play I like it a lot, it does a LOT right, with native lenses it works brilliantly, size wise with the primes and adaptor is a bit big so I won't go into the size is smaller than a DSLR argument as it is moot.