Photo sharing: Sony Alpha

[fractal]

 

[zackiedawg]

A big and very pretty bug, when you really get close and study it - it's a marvel of construction and color:

These are the big eastern lubber grasshoppers, that are nesting and breeding in early May, and all over the place out in the western glades regions in late May/early June. They are big bugs - a good 3-5 inches in length, but harmless (to people at least). They're also incredibly clumsy. Some trails and levees out in the swamps are so thick with them that you cannot take steps - you will definitely crush one underfoot - there will be thousands of them every hundred feet...so you have to 'slide' your feet to bump them out of the way - which makes them try to hop away from the threat - they don't hop very smartly - springing into the air in completely random directions, often INTO the leg rather than away from it, and often land upside down, on their heads, or on their sides. They can fly, and will for short bursts, but they don't prefer to. I've always tried to show friends and family who hate them and think they're creepy to stop and really look at them up close - even some women who are scared of them have commented that when you really see the photos up close, they are surprisingly beautiful and complex!

 

[fractal]

Nasty storm rolled through the other day...

 

[fractal]

New A7rii being released.

Has new 42mp sensor. No other details yet.

Update - some specs. Has IBIS and new AF system. Price is $3,200.

A7rII:

• 42MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor
• BIONZ X Image Processor
• 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization
• 399 Phase-Detect AF Points & 5 fps Burst
• Internal 4K XAVC S Video & S-Log2 Gamma
• Weather-Resistant Magnesium Alloy Body
• ISO 102,400
• Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity with NFC

 

[havoc315]

New A7rii being released.

Has new 42mp sensor. No other details yet.

Update - some specs. Has IBIS and new AF system. Price is $3,200.

A7rII:

• 42MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor
• BIONZ X Image Processor
• 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization
• 399 Phase-Detect AF Points & 5 fps Burst
• Internal 4K XAVC S Video & S-Log2 Gamma
• Weather-Resistant Magnesium Alloy Body
• ISO 102,400
• Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity with NFC

Interesting. Not my cup of tea, but still very interesting. It really is a pro-level camera. The steadyshot does let you use some great A-mount lenses to fill the holes in the lens lineup, while keeping stabilization. 399 phase-detect points is huge... FAR more than the 117 in the A7ii. So will this translate into far superior AF?
If this can match the A6000 in terms of AF... then I would say the FE system has truly arrived. (Though still overpriced, lol).

Actually, just saw this in the press release.. this is HUGE:

Additionally, the focal plane phase-detection AF system on the α7R II works well with Sony A-mount lenses when they are mounted on the camera using an LA-EA3 or LA-EA1 mount adapter. This allows users to enjoy the wide AF coverage of 399 focal plane phase-detection AF points, high-speed response and high tracking performance with a wider range of lenses. This marks the first time that the AF system of a mirrorless camera can achieve high performance with lenses originally designed for DSLRs.


----

That means, for the first time.. without light loss of a SLT mirror, you can use a wide number of A-mount lenses. Fractal.... perhaps they will make a new screw drive/mirrorless adapter, and you can use that 200mm with full functionality.

 

[fractal]

Interesting. Not my cup of tea, but still very interesting. It really is a pro-level camera. The steadyshot does let you use some great A-mount lenses to fill the holes in the lens lineup, while keeping stabilization. 399 phase-detect points is huge... FAR more than the 117 in the A7ii. So will this translate into far superior AF?
If this can match the A6000 in terms of AF... then I would say the FE system has truly arrived. (Though still overpriced, lol).

Sensor is back illuminated. Interesting. Reading this press release it seems that Sony is claiming high resolution with high sensitivity. Can't wait for some tests and review.
Price is steep though but based on specs it seems like quite the camera.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...minated-35mm-full-frame-sensor-300097178.html

 

[fractal]

----

That means, for the first time.. without light loss of a SLT mirror, you can use a wide number of A-mount lenses. Fractal.... perhaps they will make a new screw drive/mirrorless adapter, and you can use that 200mm with full functionality.

Now that would be something. I was considering selling my LA-EA4 adapter and just manual focus. That would cover about 10% of the camera's price.

 

[havoc315]

Now that would be something. I was considering selling my LA-EA4 adapter and just manual focus. That would cover about 10% of the camera's price.

I wonder how it will sell at that price. Thats much more than the A99 when it came out. It's more than the D810 or 5dIII. It is 1 of the most expensive cameras on the market, and it still has a weak native lens system that discourages some of the big spending pros. I wouldn't be shocked if we saw significant price reductions by Christmas -- with a price finally resting at $2500-$2800 for a while.

This is definitely the new Alpha flagship.

 

[fractal]

I wonder how it will sell at that price. Thats much more than the A99 when it came out. It's more than the D810 or 5dIII. It is 1 of the most expensive cameras on the market, and it still has a weak native lens system that discourages some of the big spending pros. I wouldn't be shocked if we saw significant price reductions by Christmas -- with a price finally resting at $2500-$2800 for a while.

This is definitely the new Alpha flagship.

Aggressive pricing for sure. They claim est shutter life of 500k clicks plus weather sealing plus 4k plus IBIS plus all the other goodies. You are right about flagship and "pro-level".

 

[havoc315]

Aggressive pricing for sure. They claim est shutter life of 500k clicks plus weather sealing plus 4k plus IBIS plus all the other goodies. You are right about flagship and "pro-level".

Personally... I'd rather they focused on speed instead of resolution. Give me a 16-24mp camera with more reasonable file sizes, that can shoot at 8 fps with a huge buffer that never slows down.

I wonder if they might release a LA-EA5 adapter that lacks a SLT mirror, but includes screw drive.

 

[zackiedawg]

The rumors being floated by all the camera site testers and reviewers who were at the introduction go one step further than the A-mount PDAF performance, which is already good news...It may be even more important news that the Canon EF autofocus adapters like the Metabones can ALSO achieve full fast OSPDAF autofocus and tracking focus with existing Canon lenses. That would indeed be a huge improvement in the mirrorless game, as it solves a few complaints right away: 1. not enough and not fast enough lenses (now Canon's entire EF lineup becomes available to select from), and 2. Canon users have a legitimate alternate body choice to go with their existing Canon lenses, which could bring more business to Sony's E-mount, much more quickly.

 

[HPS3]

I don't have to worry about trying this one......it's way out of my budget even before the lenses! I've tried the A7 series a few times but just don't enjoy them much. I also don't see much size savings once you as these crazy expensive Zeiss lenses.

If I had $6000 to burn, I would probably buy a Leica. Maybe that way it might hold some value.

 

[fractal]

I know sensors are not the only thing when grading a camera but consider this; Sony has now placed it's top of the line sensor exclusively (for now) in a Sony camera.

 

[havoc315]

I don't have to worry about trying this one......it's way out of my budget even before the lenses! I've tried the A7 series a few times but just don't enjoy them much. I also don't see much size savings once you as these crazy expensive Zeiss lenses.

If I had $6000 to burn, I would probably buy a Leica. Maybe that way it might hold some value.

1 --- You will have it within 6 months.

2 --- It is VERY expensive. You can debate what the threshold price is for "enthusiasts" but I certainly would say it's somewhere less than $3,000. I know it's priced a bit less than the Canon 5ds, but we will see whether that's really for enthusiasts, or just for pros. Are they just trying to sell this camera in the Nikon D4s and Canon 1dx market, or do they intend for this to be a broad consumer product? Therefore, I strongly suspect...

3-- We will see the price drop to under $3,000 by Christmas. Still expensive... but it could go as low as $2500-$2800, which puts it at a less absurd level. Still expensive, but competitive with other full frame dSLRs.

4 --- Size savings. I play devil's advocate to both sides on this one. The weight savings are not hugely significant, especially if you use premium glass. But when using certain primes and some of their more compact lenses, you can certainly have a less bulky kit. No, it will never be as small as your Fujis, etc.. but it is full frame.

5 --- Sony lenses are expensive, over-priced. And there are continued weaknesses in the FE lineup. BUT, if the talk is accurate, this is practically a universal mount. Without any true penalties, you may be able to use any SAM/SSM A-mount lens, and any full frame Canon lens. That REALLY opens the doors.

6 --- Technology typically migrates down to the lower end cameras. Personally, I neither want nor need 42mp. Even if 2 cameras were otherwise identical and the same price except for resolution, I'd probably take the 24mp over the 42. Ever since the D800 and A7r first came out, you hear some folks regret the higher MP cameras. Tom Bricker switched from the D810 to the D750 as his primary camera, mostly because he realized the files were simply too big. Sony blogger Kurt Munger regretted his purchase of the A7r, noting he should have just gone with the smaller files of the A7. With now the A7rii and the Canon 5Ds coming out, I think we will see more of a realization that maybe the ultra high resolution isn't much of a benefit. There will be a market for it, but I can also see a demand for lower resolution cameras......
So how about in 6 months to 1 years: The A7p (for performance): The same autofocus system as the A7r. Maybe skip the 4k. Same advanced sensor technology, but only 20-24mp. With the lower resolution, increase the burst rate to 6-8 fps. Priced at $1999-$2299. If they offered that camera, it would seriously tempt me to switch back to Sony.

I'm not currently tempted because: I don't want or need 42mp..... and I'm not about to spend $3200 on a camera body.

This is still a VERY exciting camera, as it should put pressure on Canon and Nikon, and because it signals where the technology is heading, with likely cheaper models incorporating much of the technology.

 

[havoc315]

I know sensors are not the only thing when grading a camera but consider this; Sony has now placed it's top of the line sensor exclusively (for now) in a Sony camera.

In the A7r AND the RX lines. I'm VERY VERY curious to see the DXO scoring of these new sensors. I seem to recall Sony claiming their belief that the new technology will be several years ahead of everyone else.. much like it took everyone 2-3 years to catch up to the iPhone.
If the RX sensors really are huge IQ upgrades, I might be time to upgrade my old original RX100, though the new RX cameras aren't cheap.

 

[fractal]

A big and very pretty bug, when you really get close and study it - it's a marvel of construction and color:

These are the big eastern lubber grasshoppers, that are nesting and breeding in early May, and all over the place out in the western glades regions in late May/early June. They are big bugs - a good 3-5 inches in length, but harmless (to people at least). They're also incredibly clumsy. Some trails and levees out in the swamps are so thick with them that you cannot take steps - you will definitely crush one underfoot - there will be thousands of them every hundred feet...so you have to 'slide' your feet to bump them out of the way - which makes them try to hop away from the threat - they don't hop very smartly - springing into the air in completely random directions, often INTO the leg rather than away from it, and often land upside down, on their heads, or on their sides. They can fly, and will for short bursts, but they don't prefer to. I've always tried to show friends and family who hate them and think they're creepy to stop and really look at them up close - even some women who are scared of them have commented that when you really see the photos up close, they are surprisingly beautiful and complex!

Amazing shots! What set-up did you use for these?

 

[Hockeyman]

1 --- You will have it within 6 months.

@havoc315 and @HPS3 , Harry this is funny lol.

Camera specs and features intrigue me and can't wait to see some real world photos come out but it is way out of my budget also.

 

[Hockeyman]

ET photo op at Universal
ET by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

New raptor encounter at Islands of Adventure. This is a puppet and is bad bass
Clever Girl by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

Rainbow Springs near Ocala
Springhead by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

 

[zackiedawg]

Amazing shots! What set-up did you use for these?

Thank you. I shot those with my A6000 and the FE70-200mm F4 G OSS lens.

 

[fractal]

Dance recital time!

Shot with NEX-7 + Minolta 200mm 2.8 wide open. The shots were a bit tighter than I wanted but the lens continues to impress. Lighting was not as good as last year so I was forced to shoot wide open or at f/3.2 ISO 1600,3200.
I also had my SEL 50mm 1.8 which turned out to be a bit too wide. I felt like I was on the golf course with a 160yd shot to the green with a 7 and 5 but no 6 iron; in this case I was in need of a 135mm lens or a 70-200 2.8. The other option was to swap seats with someone about 3 rows behind me, but my wife thinks I'm crazy as it is.