Any A7 II users want to share their experiences? I'm tempted...

[bmorse]

So I've been a music photographer for 8 years, and also a director. I tend to do a lot of DSLR shooting, and I saw the A7 and was interested. I've liked the images that came from it, but the "vanilla" a7's filming modes didn't cut it for me, and the 7S didn't shoot to a high enough resolution to my liking.

Enter the A7II. I'm looking for something that would be smaller and lighter than my 5D3, double as a backup camera to my C100 on shoots, and be capable of travelling the world with me. I'd also like to a smaller camera to get back into street photography. So - I'm appealling to you guys to basically tempt me away. The 5D IV is slated for later this year, but Canon have been slow to progress, and I'm not that impressed with their customer service. What's the Sony experience like? What's the user experience of the A7 II like?

Ben

[GreggLonewolf]

Hi Ben

It's an exciting time in the camera world at the moment and I'm pleased to see that Sony have started making serious in-roads back into an area they used to excel in.

Let's face it - Sony got caught with their pants down when Canon introduced the 5D and 7D cameras, with the excellent stills and video combinations and at a remarkable price point. They then built upon this with the C300, 500 and 100 models, which have become the mainstay of many a music journo - yourself included.

Now, however, the tables seem to be turning - Canon's emphasis (with the advent of the 5DS and 5DS R) seems to be concentrating once again on stills (excellent 50mp + images coming our way) but the video side of things seems to not to be so exciting.

Thankfully, Sony seem to have stepped up to bat again, with the excellent low light capabilities and excellent dynamic range offered by the A7 family.

That said, unless you're in a rush to go and grab a camera, my advice would be to take a moment and wait to see what Sony have coming up in the next few months - if the rumours are to be belived, there will be a new full frame E mount offering as well as a couple of new APS-C sized cameras coming our way soon.

The beauty of the E-mount is that you should be able to mount your Canon glass, or whatever else you have been using on the 5D and C100 onto the Sony bodies, so you don't need to shell out on a whole new set of optics.

Just be patient, as the future looks very rosy, and your new best friend may just be around the corner.

[bmorse]

Thanks man! I didn't know there were others coming - I had supposed the A7 II was going to be it. Exciting times. Canon is due a 5D4 to go with the two 50 MPX models they just launched too. Competition is good for the consumer regardless. Let's see what comes out.

[GreggLonewolf]

Yeah, as you know Canon have just announced the 5DS and 5DS R with their new 50 MP chip.

The latter R model, which doesn't have the anti aliasing filter will give you masses of resolution.

The interesting thing is that Canon designed the chip, but guess who makes them - Sony (apparently Canon just saw the good sense in outsourcing the manufacturing to a company that has a far bigger sensor making plant).

Now, I'm sure these chips are purely to be used in Canon products, but the guys at Sony aren't daft and if they knew the direction Canon were going they will have been looking to do something similar.

The rumour mill has it that the A7R II announcement isn't far away - the first or second quarter of 2015 - and best guess seems to be 95% certain that it will include a high megapixel sensor (possibly even a 50MP or more).

So, as I said before, if I were you I'd bide my time and see what the 5D mk4 has to offer and in the meantime listen out for some interesting announcements from Sony in the coming months.

[bmorse]

My bad man, I thought they were out already. I'm now extra excited to see how they do.

[Normski4ash]

I bought a A6000 about 6 months ago, basically I do like the camera though there are a few caveats that are annoying.

However I bought the A7 II hoping it would be fixed - NO !

First thing is the battery, on a full day shoot I take six with me as they don't last very long, expected the A7M2 being a much larger camera than the A6000 to have a bigger battery, NO, exactly the same battery as the A6000.

Secondly I never use the back screen to take photo's, there is no way to turn it off completely. Yes you can stop it seeing the world, but the back light is still on and all the settings are there. I have assigned C4 to turn it on and off, (C2 on the A6000), this helps, but it is still being powered and using PRECIOUS battery life... Also when the camera is hanging around my neck as I walk along, the camera thinks I have my eye to the viewfinder, therefore the Oled comes on, and as far as I am aware stays on all the time it is there. I now turn the camera off in between shots, then back on at the next stop for shots. Let's hope I never miss anything waiting for it to power up...

Third, again when the camera is around my neck, or on a side sling which I prefer, I find that the wheel/dial on the back activates with the movement of the camera against me whilst I walk, lift the camera to take a shot and the iso has gone up to some ridiculuous figure, or the display has altered or the shooting mode has gone to delay. I have had to go into the menu and disable all the functions of the wheel/dial on the back of the camera. This is no biggy as they are all in the FN menu, just pointless having the dial there really.

On the plus side, there is a dedicated compartment for the SD card, easy to get in and out, on the A6000 it is impossible, I ended up putting some insulation tape on the card and folding it over the battery, give me something to get hold of...

Hope this helps, I also have a 5D3, and a 7D2 and am looking to go smaller and lighter, This camera certainly packs the punch, and as you say Canon are dragging there heels with the 5D4, and there pathetic attempts at mirrorless are laughable.

I do think the A7 is a winner, mirrorless is definitely the way to go, and time will improve them... 

Enjoy & Snappy Happing, Normski