Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/02/20

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Subject: [Leica] OT - Sony Alpha 7R
From: sonc.hegr at gmail.com (Sonny Carter)
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:04:32 -0600
References: <CAH1UNJ3rpUAt8xxnMJdNGC9L_ncq8-ogF2Z1s_xSyqh9yHtR6Q@mail.gmail.com> <1442780B-17BA-4304-953A-58140190E65F@icloud.com> <CAFfkXxtG=Bn6-6KZKazX04TjwgLAeLOW77JZCWEoXSEB97DpJg@mail.gmail.com> <CAJ3Pgh6T-GGohk5c8+wO+TZkFo6SM+h0UpJswVyN3booNh3FVA@mail.gmail.com> <CAFfkXxs=W_0Ps1tUiKRjjdj0yFQXkJwuPOMQu1QiDbZr7X6+hA@mail.gmail.com> <CAJ3Pgh4Gtzd3MfbwwoMk-Ab9rMbGQq8X+AXL=dEMRySgHO9yPw@mail.gmail.com>

that last answer may not be correct in all cases



On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 12:57 PM, Paul Roark <roark.paul at gmail.com> wrote:

> Yes, the 75 Summarit does very well.  Get the Novoflex adapter.  The others
> don't cut it.
>
> One other irritating issue with the a7r -- I think the 35 mm FE
> focus-shifts.  That may be one reason why they use focusing at the stopped
> down aperture.  The 35 has no physical infinity stop (probably due to
> this), and that is a bit of a pain.
>
> Manual focusing with magnification works best stopped down, but the FE at
> 2.8 does an amazing job of AF.  It even seems to balance the field
> curvature into the point it selects; I can't touch it with manual focusing.
>  However you can't then stop down and expect a sharp image.  Very
> interesting.
>
> The camera software and hardware, as design elements in an overall computer
> balancing of performance may be really starting to show what it can do.
>
> On the plus side, the Sony has focus distance read-outs in the finder.  So,
> I can do multi-zone focusing without removing my eye.  The resulting focus
> stacks are much better aligned, with the help also of grid lines and the
> level.  I know where the infinity focus is.  For this, the system that
> automatically goes to a magnified view should be turned off, which is where
> I leave that setting.
>
> Magnification as a 2-button (Why not one Sony?) manual process works best
> for the way I shoot.  I can simply remember the focus points and watch the
> scale to get my focus stack.
>
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 9:31 AM, Sonny Carter <sonc.hegr at gmail.com> 
> wrote:
>
> > Paul, do you mean the 75 2.5 Summarit?  Because I just started playing
> with
> > mine on the A7r, and have been floored by the performance.  So much more
> > than I was able to get out of it with the M8 or M9.
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 10:30 AM, Paul Roark <roark.paul at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > The Sony a7r is not a perfect camera by any means, but it's good enough
> > > that it will be what I take to Italy in a month, leaving the M9 home
> (or
> > > it'll be a backup camera).
> > >
> > > The Zeiss 35mm ZE optic for the Sony can easily out-shoot the M9 with
> the
> > > Zeiss 2.8 Biogon, which was my main lens.  The Biogon at it's best on
> the
> > > Sony is a hair sharper in the center than the FE, but the FE at 2.8 at
> > the
> > > edge is essentially equal to the Biogon on the M9 at f8.  This is quite
> > an
> > > achievement.  It may signal that design of wide angle optics for the
> > > specific characteristics of the sensor's micro-lenses is needed.  We'll
> > see
> > > of Zeiss can pull off the same magic when it releases the wider optics.
> > >
> > > ALL M optics I've tested below 50mm do not work well on the Sony.  The
> > > edges smear.  This is the major disappointment with the camera.  The
> 75mm
> > > Leica 2.8 is amazing on the Sony.  So, my 2-lens outfit is the 35mm FE
> > and
> > > the Leica 75.
> > >
> > > The Sony auto-iso is not as adjustable as I'd like, but I leave the
> > camera
> > > on Manual with auto ISO.  There the only issue is that the ISO does not
> > > show until I tap the shutter button.  But, for control we need to see
> all
> > > three exposure variables -- f-stop, shutter speed, and iso -- in the
> > > viewfinder on a continuous basis.
> > >
> > > Vibration has been a big issue for some, but for hand holding, it does
> > not
> > > appear to be very significant.  Hands absorb the vibration very well.
> > >
> > > The Sony is no Leica in terms of smoothness or speed of focusing.  Sony
> > has
> > > also clearly not matched the M9 in the micro-lens edge performance for
> RF
> > > optics.  Also, the higher the MP count is, the worse the problems of
> ray
> > > angle appear to be.  It may be the end of relatively symmetrical RF
> wide
> > > angles.  Too bad.  On the other hand the optics Zeiss has made so far
> for
> > > the Sony are amazing.  They appear to have found a price/quality point
> > for
> > > aspherics that allows them to make appropriately priced lenses that can
> > > handle high MP sensors.
> > >
> > > I actual shooting, what I notice the most between the Sony and M9 are
> the
> > > electronic level in the viewfinder and the superior quality of the Sony
> > > metering.  The Leica's focusing speed and accuracy are missed, however.
> > >
> > > The Sony leveling is allowing superior pan stitching of hand held
> shots.
> > >
> > > The Sony meter is sampling 1200 zones.  It's essentially automated spot
> > > metering -- no need for checking the shot and it's histogram after the
> > > fact.  You can have a live histogram in the viewfinder, but even where
> it
> > > seemed to be leaving too much room to the right, it turned out there
> were
> > > bright spots that would have "burned out" if the shot were given more
> > > exposure.  The Sony leaves some tiny spectral highlights that are
> > "burned"
> > > (as appropriate), but even there one can almost always recover some
> > detail.
> > >  At that point you run into the issue that the Sony is compressing the
> > very
> > > top highlights.  Just below total burn-out the CMOS highlights (as with
> > my
> > > Canons) do not seem to be as good as the M9's CCD near-spectral
> > highlights.
> > >
> > > It's not the ultimate camera, but the Sony a7r is another clear step
> > > forward for landscaper work I do.  It's a keeper, but I expect in 3
> years
> > > it'll be obsolete.  There is still a lot of room for improvement, and
> > it's
> > > no street/people shooter.
> > >
> > > Paul
> > > www.PaulRoark.com
> > >
> > >
> > > On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 5:43 AM, Sonny Carter <sonc.hegr at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > > The A7r is not earth-shattering.   It does a nice job shooting my
> > Leica M
> > > > lenses, Leica R lenses, Nikon F lenses, and of course the native 35
> > Zeiss
> > > > makes real purty pitchurs.
> > > >
> > > > The camera is sturdy, fairly easy to handle even with my big paws.  I
> > > like
> > > > the folding screen and live view.  It comes to hand real nice.  I've
> > been
> > > > shooting it since the new year, and almost everything you've seen
> > posted
> > > is
> > > > from that camera.
> > > >
> > > > I read Sean's stuff, back when he was a regular guy, not an expert
> you
> > > had
> > > > to pay to read, and sometimes I agreed with him and sometimes not.
>  In
> > > the
> > > > case of corner sharpness, as it applies to my work, well, it rarely
> > does.
> > > > Almost everything I do is cropped in some fashion, and even if it
> > isn't,
> > > > I'm not wanting you searching out the corners to see how sharp they
> > are.
> > > >
> > > >  At any rate I was pretty happy with shots from my Summilux and the
> 35
> > > > T*.    I even put my Leica 21 that Mark hates on it and played with
> it.
> > >  It
> > > > was OK.
> > > >
> > > > In the foregoing graph, I said I was pretty happy with the Zeiss T*.
> > > > Actually, I think this camera and this lens were born for each other.
> > > >
> > > > When I get the swing of them, I think it will feel like I felt with
> my
> > M7
> > > > and 35mm Summicron.   That, my pals, was awesome.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >
> > > > Sonny
> > > > http://sonc.com/look/
> > > > Natchitoches, Louisiana
> > > > 1714
> > > > Oldest Permanent Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase
> > > >
> > > > USA
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 5:47 AM, Gerry Walden <gwpics at icloud.com>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I agree with Nathan that it doesn't look that earth-shattering.
> > Having
> > > > > read their not-so-favorable conclusions, I was then a little
> > surprised
> > > to
> > > > > read how positive they were in the 'Final Word' section.
> > > > >
> > > > > Gerry
> > > > >
> > > > > Gerry Walden
> > > > > +44 (0)23 8046 3076 or
> > > > > +44 (0)797 287 7932
> > > > > www.gwpics.com
> > > > >
> > > > > On 19 Feb 2014, at 07:33, Jayanand Govindaraj <jayanand at 
> > > > > gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-alpha-a7r/18
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Cheers
> > > > > > Jayanand
> > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > Leica Users Group.
> > > > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
> > information
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Leica Users Group.
> > > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
> information
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ?
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Leica Users Group.
> > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Leica Users Group.
> > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Regards,
> >
> > Sonny
> > http://sonc.com/look/
> > Natchitoches, Louisiana
> > 1714
> > Oldest Permanent Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase
> >
> > USA
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>



-- 
Regards,

Sonny
http://sonc.com/look/
Natchitoches, Louisiana
1714
Oldest Permanent Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase

USA


In reply to: Message from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] OT - Sony Alpha 7R)
Message from gwpics at icloud.com (Gerry Walden) ([Leica] OT - Sony Alpha 7R)
Message from sonc.hegr at gmail.com (Sonny Carter) ([Leica] OT - Sony Alpha 7R)
Message from roark.paul at gmail.com (Paul Roark) ([Leica] OT - Sony Alpha 7R)
Message from sonc.hegr at gmail.com (Sonny Carter) ([Leica] OT - Sony Alpha 7R)
Message from roark.paul at gmail.com (Paul Roark) ([Leica] OT - Sony Alpha 7R)