Review: Sony A7R With Canon Glass

[Sella174]

It seems to me that putting big lenses on a compact body kinda negates the advantage of compactness. That leaves the great sensor as an advantage, but still, the practical advantages over say a 5D3 or D800 are not that great.

Your mileage will certainly vary!

C'mon, as soon as you are attaching the lens to the tripod, the size of the camera (in the context of this thread) becomes irrelevant.

 

[verysimplejason]

I've seen a lot of Canon users using this camera for their landscape acts until Canon releases its own comparable camera. The Sony center guy located in my place (Kuala Lumpur) told me that a lot of users inquire about the A7r and immediately ask where to buy an adapter (then buy them). It's just fortunate that both Sony and the third-party seller of the adapter is located in the same floor and at the same mall. Most of my colleagues here are either macro and/or landscape shooters. I myself, am waiting for cheap second hand ones from the market to use for my landscape photos.

 

[LightandMotion]

I've seen a lot of Canon users using this camera for their landscape acts until Canon releases its own comparable camera. The Sony center guy located in my place (Kuala Lumpur) told me that a lot of users inquire about the A7r and immediately ask where to buy an adapter (then buy them). It's just fortunate that both Sony and the third-party seller of the adapter is located in the same floor and at the same mall. Most of my colleagues here are either macro and/or landscape shooters. I myself, am waiting for cheap second hand ones from the market to use for my landscape photos.

Downunder, the adaptor is included in the camera price (as well as the battery grip). Sony have done their marketing.

http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod10464.htm

 

[brad-man]

Oh how I wish Sony could arrange to release this in a fully functional EF mount. I don't want no stinking adapter...

 

[funkboy]

Oh how I wish Sony could arrange to release this in a fully functional EF mount. I don't want no stinking adapter...

The Metabones used by Fred is about as close as you're gonna get, which is pretty close...

 

[funkboy]

This is pretty awesome; I hope some Canon marketing folks see Fred's article.

These photos look like they came out of a Phase One or something.

Good to see that the latest Canon glass can really handle the demands of the hi rez sensor (& the Samyang and FD glass did pretty well too!)

 

[Sporgon]

Hmm, there's something wrong with this thread: nobody is saying "We don't need that shadow detail" or "Shadow detail isn't important of you expose properly" or "Sony's better DR isn't required if you shoot properly."

Where did all of those folks go?

Perhaps because no one ever did say that. All that has been said is that the difference is not a deal breaker for them.

 

[infared]

Well, I think this is comparing apples to oranges. Reasons...

5D MK III is about two years old.
The A7R with it's 36MP sensor is 2x the size anything Canon offers.What it should be compared to is MF or the D800
Just about every other specification makes it geared for the MF/D800 crowd. It has no business doing anything that requires speed. Landscape/fashion-portrait: okay

I think it's an awesome camera and the price rocks! If you have the money to spend, cool. It's a Leica M9 competitor and for what it offers, especially the price, I'd take it!

Unfortunately Canon is only offering two year old oranges now :-(
I feel like I just bought a Mercedes, and my neighbor rolled up in a Bentley.

...but his Bentley cost less money?
I am disappointed with this news, like every one here (especially one's like myself who were early adopters and paid $3400 for my 5D3 body)...but in pretty much every other aspect my 5D3 can shoot circles around the Sony. ...and let me remind myself that I sold two 32" prints this week (one shot at 2500 ISO) and my customers were extremely happy.

 

[tron]

Nice, now Fred Miranda could use a Canon 5D2 and/or 5D3 and/or 6D with the dual_iso ML module and let us know how they compare to Sony...

 

[weixing]

Hi,

I've seen a lot of Canon users using this camera for their landscape acts until Canon releases its own comparable camera. The Sony center guy located in my place (Kuala Lumpur) told me that a lot of users inquire about the A7r and immediately ask where to buy an adapter (then buy them). It's just fortunate that both Sony and the third-party seller of the adapter is located in the same floor and at the same mall. Most of my colleagues here are either macro and/or landscape shooters. I myself, am waiting for cheap second hand ones from the market to use for my landscape photos.

Downunder, the adaptor is included in the camera price (as well as the battery grip). Sony have done their marketing.

http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod10464.htm

So now all that they need to do is come up with a firmware update that fixes the shutter blur problem and they're home!

So the heavy shutter I feel when trying out the camera is the real... Why they need a shutter?? Isn't vibration free a selling point for Mirrorless camera??

Have a nice day.

 

[infared]

I was thinking some more about the FM article...and I don't know about anyone else...but I am not taking 1000's of dollars worth of "precise" camera gear out into the field and relying on a glue-in-felt fix that I have to perform myself. (I totally have the skillset to do the fix, too) on a possibly off-center adapter (God that is funny!). If Metabones is selling expensive adapters for top-notch precision camera gear and they are that poorly made...um...NO THANKS. I am just going to keep shooting with my 5D3 and lenses like my 17mm TSE and do my job as a photographer and get great exposures or just HDR (tastefully) when need be when I have that opportunity. Plus...I do not have the spare pocket change to just run out and purchase a $2400 camera body plus a poorly made adapter to get to the latest supposed state of photographic nirvana. That Sony sensor is waaaaay cool...but I am just going to keep my wits about me and see how this all develops....oh and in the meantime keep creating images with the INCREDIBLE equipment that I already have!

 

[JohnDizzo15]

Hmm, there's something wrong with this thread: nobody is saying "We don't need that shadow detail" or "Shadow detail isn't important of you expose properly" or "Sony's better DR isn't required if you shoot properly."

Where did all of those folks go?

They are still here. Pretty sure they stopped caring after the first 100 times this conversation has been rehashed though.

FWIW, I don't think anyone has ever said having the extra bit of DR and cleaner shadow detail wouldn't be nice to have. The core of what most of us have said though is that the extra amount provided by the Sony sensor is not absolutely necessary in many people's work/play (especially when images are properly exposed). Furthermore, we should continue to note that the DR and detail increase is only in the lower ISO ranges which many of us don't always shoot in.

I would love to have a new Canon sensor with cleaner output in every way. As a matter of fact, I have and am still mildly playing with the idea of picking up an A7R just out of curiosity. But even if I don't, I am still going to be making the images that I need/want exactly as I intended them to be without issue.

 

[Rienzphotoz]

<div name=\"googleone_share_1\" style=\"position:relative;z-index:5;float: right; /*margin: 70px 0 0 0;*/ top:70px; right:120px; width:0;\"><glusone size=\"tall\" count=\"1\" href=\"http://www.canonrumors.com/?p=15676\"></glusone></div><div style=\"float: right; margin:0 0 70px 70px;\"><a href=\"https://twitter.com/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-count=\"vertical\" data-url=\"http://www.canonrumors.com/?p=15676\">Tweet</a></div>
<p><a href=\"http://www.fredmiranda.com\" target=\"_blank\">Fred Miranda</a> has completed his review of the Sony A7R camera body using Canon EF lenses.</p>
<p>I am currently shooting with the <a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1008112-REG/sony_ilce7r_b_a7r_mirrorless_digital_camera.html/BI/2466/kbid/3296\" target=\"_blank\">Sony A7R</a> and I have been extremely impressed by this little gem. The 2 native Sony/Zeiss lenses I have for the camera, the <a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1008123-REG/sony_sel35f28z_sonnar_t_fe_35mm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296\" target=\"_blank\">35 f/2.8</a> and the <a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1008124-REG/sony_sel55f18z_sonnar_t_fe_55mm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296\" target=\"_blank\">55 f/1.8</a> have both been terrific.</p>
<p>Fred takes the review from the side of a Canon shooter and using Canon EF lenses along with the A7R for landscape work. If you want a high megapixel camera for your Canon lenses, this may be the camera for you.</p>
<p><strong>Says Fred


</strong><em>“After a few days below sea-level in Death Valley, it’s always nice to come back home to capture a sunset by the pier in San Clemente. Watching the sky turn my favorite shade through the golden light, I still can’t believe the images churning out of this <a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1008112-REG/sony_ilce7r_b_a7r_mirrorless_digital_camera.html/BI/2466/kbid/3296\" target=\"_blank\">Sony A7R</a>. Don’t let its size fool you, this baby packs a punch. For Canon photographers interested in landscape or studio photography, it’s a non-brainer. Combining this body with your arsenal of high quality Canon glass, makes for an unstoppable team.”</em></p>
<p><strong><a href=\"http://www.fredmiranda.com/A7R-review/\" target=\"_blank\">Read the full review</a> | <a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1008112-REG/sony_ilce7r_b_a7r_mirrorless_digital_camera.html/BI/2466/kbid/3296\" target=\"_blank\">Sony A7R at B&H Photo</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">c</span>r</strong></p>

Excellent review ... I have the a7 and the Metabones adapter, but now I'm thinking of getting the a7R and permanently having my 16-35 f/2.8 L II mounted on it for landscape images :-\

 

[Famateur]

At this point Canon just needs to concede defeat and us the Sony sensors.

Given Sony's financial struggles (particularly the Moody's downgrade), I can imagine a scenario in which Sony sells off its imaging division in order to stay afloat in other areas (TVs, computers, phones, etc.). I wonder if Canon might consider buying Sony's imaging division and/or patents. That could be exciting. Although, the downside is that there would be less pressure on Canon to innovate, so we'd get the short-term gain of Sony's current sensors, but could that be at the expense of long-term innovation/competition?

It'll be interesting to see what happens. My guess is that Canon is always working on new/innovative sensor tech. Whether/when we see it, of course, depends on effectiveness of the tech, reliability, production capability, competition, market conditions, et cetera. Canon may move slowly, but I'd be very surprised if a significant jump in sensor performance doesn't come along in the next 1-3 years.

That Sony's consumer electronics are not doing so well does not include Sony sensor division.
The Sony imaging division has 50% of the whole sensor market today, and Im not talking about few SLR sensors
Sony has 50% of the whole sensor market = mobile phones,computing,surveillance plus several other areas .

That's an excellent point relative to the sensor market. If I understand your point correctly, you're saying it might not make sense to sell off a division that is doing well in its sector. I'm curious, though, what proportion Sony's imaging division is to the rest of Sony and/or what that division is valued at, should it be shopped to other companies. Could the success of the sensor division make it more attractive to sell if the company needs an infusion of cash to stay afloat?

Obviously, I don't have all of Sony's financials in front of me, but it's interesting (to me, anyway) to contemplate the possibility of Sony selling off its sensor/imaging division, where Canon could be a potential buyer...

 

[Hill Benson]

Awesome, I'm going to keep using my 5D3 anyway because I enjoy the challenge of shooting with low DR! ;D

 

[Ricku]

Obviously, I don't have all of Sony's financials in front of me, but it's interesting (to me, anyway) to contemplate the possibility of Sony selling off its sensor/imaging division, where Canon could be a potential buyer...

Sony's sensor division is not going anywhere. In fact, it is expanding.

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sony-buys-nintento-chip-factory-to-increase-the-cmos-sensor-production/

 

[bholliman]

Excellent article by FM. The shadow recovery of the a7r files is impressive.

I have a long way to go before my photography skills catch up to the capabilities of my excellent Canon equipment, so I'll be keeping an eye on this from the sidelines. I think its healthy for the industry and good for the consumer that Sony is pushing the envelope here.

I was thinking some more about the FM article...and I don't know about anyone else...but I am not taking 1000's of dollars worth of "precise" camera gear out into the field and relying on a glue-in-felt fix that I have to perform myself. (I totally have the skillset to do the fix, too) on a possibly off-center adapter (God that is funny!). If Metabones is selling expensive adapters for top-notch precision camera gear and they are that poorly made...um...NO THANKS.

+1. I'm really surprised the quality of the supposedly high-end Metabones adapter is so irregular.

 

[keke-dodo]

Just curious about the following 2 questions to compare the image quality:

1. will a 30+mp upscaled picture looks the same quality to it's original 21mp by Canon 5D III, disregard the picture size/number of pixel difference

2. how will the shadow recovery comparison look like, if using original 5D III 21mp raw vs. Sony 30+mp raw, after recovery?

 

[Rienzphotoz]

Just curious about the following 2 questions to compare the image quality:

1. will a 30+mp upscaled picture looks the same quality to it's original 21mp by Canon 5D III, disregard the picture size/number of pixel difference

2. how will the shadow recovery comparison look like, if using original 5D III 21mp raw vs. Sony 30+mp raw, after recovery?

Welcome to CR
1. No it will not be the same if you are printing it ... indistinguishable for website use.
2. Sony 36MP sensor will out resolve the 5D MK III in shadow recovery.

 

[DigglerDawg]

Hello all. I've monitored this forum for several years but only just decided to join.

This story has interested and tempted me. I'm primarily a landscape photographer and own a 1DS III and some decent glass. Whilst the camera has been a trusty workhorse and delivered some great images, I've often been disappointed with the dynamic range and softness in RAW. I must accept that I'm using probably 7-year old technology now and it appears that lower-priced prosumer products are equalling and in some cases surpassing the IQ of my trusty old box.

For some time now I've been sure that a combination of a few criterea would tempt me into purchasing a new full-frame body:- Greater DR, greater resolution, less higher-iso noise, less weight. I don't care much for better/faster autofocus, framerates etc etc.

To those who might question these requirements:
DR has always been limiting to me, I've always missed the extra that seemed to be afforded by decent 35mm film. I'm often shooting into the light, whether the sun is visible or not. I filter many of my shots and often still need to combine heavy filtering and blending techniques - if I can reduce the need to do this, all the better.

Resolution - 21MP used to be BIG, it's become about average now. I often print landscapes large and would love not to have to interpolate. The extra detail offered by higher resolution is always going to benefit my images, regardless.

ISO - It's true I shoot predominantly low-iso long esposures, but I also find myself in situations where higher-iso is needed. On the 1DS III, I'm hesitant to run above 400iso when I want a clean image. It seems to me that high-iso IQ is the area that has improved most in those 7 years.

So, I'm now in a position where I feel tempted by a little Sony which appears to offer the things I'd benefit from. I could probably fund its purchase by selling the 1DS III (retaining my glass). My question is; should I? Do you guys think I'll realise significant improvement from such a move, or so little I should stay-put?

Thanks for your time