Re: Off Brand: Sony Announces the A7 & A7R Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras
Funny that a post that creates a firestorm of conversation comes from a Sony announcement
I was reading about these cameras on alpharumors.com and you know what they were complaining about? "It's ugly!" Okay, probably not the type of photographers I'd be hanging out with...
One word: Impressive. What can I say bad about it? That it's a Sony product vs. a Canon one. That's pretty much it.
The Fuji X100S. Leaf shutter lens. But fixed. Sony RX1. Full Frame. Also fixed lens. While I shoot mostly with my 50mm, I want options. I think the Sony A99 might be better than the Canon 5D MKIII. But limited lens availability. The pros of the A99 aren't enough to limit lens compatibility.
I've been eyeing that new Zeiss 55mm ever since they announced it a year ago. And my assumptions are right: Impressive. Seeing pictures done with the D800 is truly fantastic. It truly gets close to Medium Format quality. But only in resolution. Tonal Range is still the Medium Format domain. And what I'm hoping the big MP from Canon will challenge. And I think it will. It HAS to if it wants to be relevant.
It all boils back down to what's most important in a photographer's gear bag: lenses. And with the lenses that Sony is coming out with these new cameras is impressive. I don't care about adapters. I'll never use them. I'm a Zeiss follower and extremely happy they will be offering a 55mm f1.8 with this camera. The Zeiss 24-70 f4 could be cool. Though for $1200, it should be f2.8. But not bad.
Canon isn't sweating. They are the 800lb gorilla. Though I think they missed an amazing opportunity. They really slacked on the EOS-M and the mirrorless market. And the A7R looks to be a damn fine high MP camera equally capable with the Nikon D800. At $800 less.
I'm hoping Canon will announce their high MP camera next week at PhotoPlus in NY. Though I doubt it. We all know it will be released within a year. We're just getting too much info on it. And Zeiss wouldn't have released their 55mm f1.4 without the big MP Canon being on the horizon. Though I'm sure they'll get lots of Nikon D800 users lining up for it in the meantime.
As a fashion professional who uses Canon, I still don't see enough to switch. Yet. Lots of things to consider still: lens availability and quality, peripherals (flashes and trigger/receivers). I couldn't see myself having my 5D MK II and one of these Sony's as a backup. At the very minimum, I would need the lens adapter AND remember two different menu systems. Not to mention compatibility issues with peripherals. So I'd have to completely switch. And this system has a long way to go to be considered by serious pros. Once they get peripheral compatibility, this would be an awesome setup. Especially for travel.
If I were a person upgrading to FF or a new pro, I would have to seriously consider these cameras. I would love to get the A7R with the Zeiss 55mm f1.8 as my everyday and travel setup. I'd also use it for events that I shoot for fun. My 5D would only be used for real shoots. And really, would start collecting dust. The A7R I see as a camera I could keep for just these purposes for the next 3 - 5 years. Easy.
Sony is going to OWN the mirrorless market for the next 6 - 9 months with these cameras. They might even make camera of the year by Popular Photography. Wouldn't be surprised.
While I can't even think about buying either of these cameras anytime soon, it opens a whole bunch of possibilities for other manufacturers. It raises the bar for both Nikon and Canon. 2014 WILL be Canon's year. But I think Sony just nailed 2013...