Dream Camera? - Sony A7R

First of all, apologies for not writing anything for the passed few months as I am getting lazier and lazier everyday in the Land of Smile :P I did had some drafts but later just dumped them as it's just my usual ramblings on our dear Singapore gahment.  Think I just get tired on my own complains and just let it be for the moment.  Maybe during election time I will be more active again on that department.  Haha

Enough about meself.  This post is about another camera (Yes, camera again... booorrrinng) that I recently accquired while I was back in Singapore.  The new Full -frame (35mm) Sony Alpha 7 R.   I got it at a special price from James of Lobangking.com.

The camera was released in late 2013 and I knew I would replacing it with my Nex-7.  I want Full Frame.  Period.  I am so used to taking film and getting the FOV of a true 35mm lens while I am shooting so it was a no brainer.  My initial choice was the normal 7 version.  Not the R version as I think 24Mp should be more than enough for me.  But when I learnt about the price of A7R that I would be paying for.  I jumped for it.  36MP is nothing much but NO AA filter.  That I am interested.

I have worked with digital medium format files before and all of them do not have an AA filter on their sensors.  The files are sharp and crisp and very very malleable for post processing.  My conclusion comes to the same after shooting with my A7R  for a month.  It's image quality is good,  very very close and to me personally, surpassed MF film in resolutions and details.  Some may argue that MF film can resolve better if I use drum scan.  Maybe?  But I have no luxuries of drum scanning in Thailand so I guess for me, this little camera is an ultimate landscape camera for me.  For shooting portraits of my family, it's a bit sharp and I need to reduce the sharpness in LR before printing them.  All the pores and scars can come out especially if I used the 135mm Sonnar.

There are some nitpicks of course.  Battery life sucks,  Loud thunderous shutter.  These I can live with as I am not that trigger happy and I have enough spare batteries around.  Shutter is not a major concern, I am used to loud mirror slaps of my Hassy last time and I don't really shoot in quiet places.  The major dislike is there is no in built image stabalizer (AS) like the Olympus and the old Alpha DSLR used to have.  I am so used to AS on my a900 so I found a lot of shaky shots on my A7R.  Still usable but it just could be better.

Dream camera?  Not really but quite close ... almost there.. :)

The lust for Zeiss….

The problem with getting a new camera, especially the 24megapixel monster of the Nex-7 is that you start to find the dual kit lenses for the Nex systems is a bit crappy.  Yup, it’s true.  When the sensor is that packed and dense with photo sensing silicates, the inferiority of the lens bloody shines too . 
Okay, ignore the above crappy excuse, I just buy because I simply lust for Zeiss.. LOL.
Some people might call it a brand thing but hey, all of us do it in a way right?  I remember my first Zeiss was the 50mm f/4 Flektogon (Praktica) which I bought an adaptor to use it on my A mount.  It’s cheap and although slow, it’s a damn solid lens.  I gave it away later and started to try out some other Zeiss M42 lenses.  Most of them are pretty decent at the price point and the resale value was there.  So I just bought and sell and tried various series of Zeiss glasses and so far none of them were duds.
Then came the Sony – Zeiss co-operation and I got the 135mm Sonnar 1.8.  Whoa!  That is my greatest purchase of all time for this killer lens I dare to say.  I would say a perfect score for me, especially if I mount it on my FF A900 and shoot any portraits.  I always find I need to soften the image a little just to remove some skin “defects” that should not be captured in the first place.  And it is also one of the lens that I love so much that I still hold onto my a900 too.  The other being the 85mm Minolta G, 50mm Macro and the 16mm FE. 
After the prime, I sold off my Minolta 28-135mm f/4 which I a bit regretted and got the 24-70mm Vario Zeiss.  That became my working lens for quite some time.  Mainly for events and it was a great and versatile lens.   It was also on my Dynax 7 film camera frequently when I shoot film.
The other great thing about Zeiss is the colours it renders, the T* coating is not just a marketing thing, honestly because I shoot slides very often and Zeiss lenses just gives a much boost in contrast.  Most of my shots with the most vibrant slides are from Zeiss glass.  I have compared my MF shots that I took with my Hassy and Mamiya  and Zeiss wins hands down in the colour department.  Mamiya Sekor is a bit flat but its damn sharp.   
I stopped shooting events nowadays so I sold my only zoom lens and got the lighter 24mm Distagon recently.  So far, to be honest, I have not used it extensively.  The main reason is that I prefer to shoot film with my Press for landscapes and that 24mm is a bit neglected, even my 135mm as I’m not at home in Thailand.
Anyway, back to the Nex system.  I was using some VC lenses on the Nex7 and was really very please with it.  But the widest VC I have at the moment was the 35mm Color-Skopar.  It’s good but as I have mentioned in my post recently, I am currently into wider lenses and was planning to get a wide angle VC or something to complement my shooting style on the 7.  The 16mm is good on the 3 but it just starts to suck on the 7.  Especially if I started to compare the files with my VC lenses.  So within a month of my Nex 7 purchase, I was looking through a local photography forum, looking for a good bargain of a M mount  wide angle lens.  Then, I saw a post,  Someone selling the 24mm Zeiss E-mount at a very good price with a good filter and 5 months warranty left.  On the APS-C , it will be a 36mm equivalent.  Wide enough for my taste and it has AF too.  Jump on it and it’s attached to my 7 now.
I spent only 2 days with the lens and I would say the lens is a bit overpriced at its retail street price of 1.5k  or 1.4k SGD.  It’s good of course, but just not good enough to justify at that price point.   I think a fair price would be 1k at most.   No weather seal and hood is plastic.  No optical stabilizer.  The  lens does not feel heavy and dense like other Zeiss glasses I have before.  Maybe, it’s designed that way to keep the weight down but the Aluminium body just don’t feel that it will last as long as those old Zeiss lenses .  Focusing manually is smooth and it’s fly by wire like the Fuji system but the travel is much much much better then the Fuji one..  Kudos to that part.  I still like it but I might sell it if there is a wider M mount lens available for me.  The 7 with its peaking function is really a god bless for manual focusing.  And if you shoot RAW, try this setting.  Change the Image setting to Black and White with peaking colour set to Yellow at Mid range.  Bloody bloody good.
And finally a rant to SONY, please stop making BLOODY bodies and solve your lens production issues!!  This lens is well sought by thousands but its out of stock since June in every major retail or web store!  What’s the use of coming out new bodies when there are no lenses available?  And now you are coming out a Nex 6 or 5R… WTF….
Here are some shots taken with the 24mm Zeiss and 7. 
Little India Streets

The “7” is complete!

As I mentioned in my previous post before on one of pet peeves about the 7 is the grip of the camera.  It’s just a bit tad too small for my fatty fingers so I was looking around for a case until I saw someone posted this grip at a rangefinder forum.  I followed the link and it led me to this website by Jim.  By just looking at the pictures, I know its something that is well thought off and designed.  It even sports a dovetail like plate for Arca Swiss type lens release system. 

Anyway, to cut the story short.  I ordered 1, price is a bit steep but if it helps in making better pictures, then its a worthwhile investment.

It took more than 2 weeks to arrive but it was here today!  The initial impression was that it was  very well machined and the metal feels solid. Although it was CNC machined out of a block of aluminium.  There were no rough at all along the edges on the grip.  Everything was smooth which means Jim really took the time to have it finished off nicely.

I took out my 7 and tried the fitting and it is a snug fit.  The black colour may not match exactly but the fitting was just great.  I could easily access the battery cover and taking out the battery.  However, I do have some difficulty taking out the SD card with the additional height of the grip but its not that bad.  It’s already a bit tough without the grip so naturally it’s tougher but not a big deal for me as I rarely change cards.   The speaker for movie playback or camera “beeps” is working fine too as there is a hole just beneath the speaker.  I tried low lit handheld shots and this time I could easily and confidently shoot at 1/10 with the grip.  Previously it was not even possible to do it at 1/30.  And finally as a bonus, check out this photo below..

Yea!  Its a camera lens plate too.  No need to have additional lens plate and moreover, you can still attach non Arca Swiss plate below the grip as it has a standard tripod screw threads just below the dovetail plate.

Like the Thumbs up grip for Leica Digital and Fuji X series, the Jim Buchanan Palm grip totally changes the handling of my Nex 7.  Yes, you might want to wait for the cheaper China clone but I think this grip is just worth that $99USD.  Totally!

Birthday Gift–Nex 7

Those who followed me on FB or Instagram will know I bought another camera : P.  I was thinking of pampering myself this coming Aug since I had work hard for the pass few months.  Especially on June and July where I clocked a great amount of OTs.  I was thinking of getting another lens to my arsenal but was put off by that idea as I just recently acquired my 24mm Distagon and I did not find I had enough time (or purpose) using it as often as I wished   : S.  And I already have (almost) all the focal lengths I required at the moment anyway.

So I decided to look around on the web when I discovered the retail price of the Nex-7 body in Thailand was only 39,900 Baht inclusive of tax.  Now normally it’s not that attractive but this time, due to the strong SG dollars.  The converted price was less than $SGD1,600.  Way below the retail price in Singapore.  Moreover I get to have my 7% VAT refund if I buy it in Thailand. 

I decided to go take a look in Bangkok (still not decided to buy yet)which I had over 6 hours of waiting for my next domestic transit.    I already played with the camera before and I quite like it on my first impression.  Just that the price at that time was just not that attractive to me.  Moreover I am still enjoying  my Nex 3.

The “look” and “see” became a “buy buy buy” immediately when the salesman at Sony Store Paragon told me they are having an annual promotion.  10% off the retail price!  And can pay by Credit Card some more…. KNS…. I ask him about the VAT refund and he say I could claim that too…. so in the end, it’s 10% off retail and less 7%.  After my calculation, I paid $1370 for the brand new camera with a year Tourist warranty (covered in SG).   Really good bargain (The last time I asked, SG retail best price is 1700 wor…) 

I’m not sure whether the sales is still on going but for those hunting for Sony gears.. It’s a good time to visit Bangkok now.  Will post more later… Now need my beauty sleep.  Just finished my 3rd night shift and I have 4 more to go… : P

More Plastic Cameras

Ever since I got baby no 2 on the way.  I have been refraining myself of buying more cameras.  There was the EP-1 and Fuji 200 EXR.  So to quench my thirst for new toys.  I turned myself to cheapo plastic cameras.  There was the Black Brid Fly. And recently, I just got the Diana F+ and Diana Mini and all sorts of accessories.

There are cheap compared to those latest digital camera.  For the same price I could get 4 or 5 such cameras off the net.   Problem is there are a lot of nice accessories to go with these cameras.  So in the end I’m still spending too much money on these babies :P.   Not to count I need to buy more films and spend money developing them.

As usual, my “genius” plan has backfired on me… back to the drawing board….hahaha..

Plastic Camera

I used to have a Holga (think 4 ,5 years back)and I broke it easily after a roll or 2.. Thus I refrained myself from using plastic cameras for quite some time until I saw this The Black Bird Fly!... Hehe. It got delivered last month and I only get to play with it today (yes I'm back in SG) So far the build is pretty good for a plastic camera.. The only think I dun like is the film rewind crank. Feels a bit too easy to snap. Other then that, it sure look cool and retro..

Only 2 apertures f/7 and f/11 and one shutter speed (1/125). There is a bulb mode though so low light is still possible. Now if only the weather improves a bit so I can go out and shoot! :(

Camera wishlist. - The A900

Wow. time really flies when you are working! I have not checked my blog for 8 days!!
Anyway, planning to save up to get this camera. Not cheap whor... 4kSGD. Can easily buy 2 motorbikes in Thailand!

Do I really need it, well I always dream of having a Full Frame DSLR. So when Sony finally release their A900 flagship, I went straight to a Sonystyle shop to try it out. Picture quality and the resolution is damn impressive (highest amount of MP in the FF now). Interface is the same as my A700 but the point to note is the bloody viewfinder. Finally get to see a film camera size viewfinder. Bright and 100% coverage which means I no longer need to squint my eyes to peer through the little hole in my current camera. (I wear spectacles and this makes it worst)

But... 4k leh.... think if I buy, wife will seriously kill me liao.... so just a wishlist. Hopefully price will drop (sure will lah) and then i grab later... hehehe

My new camera - Sony a700

Just last year in Sep 2006, Konica Minolta(my camera brand) sold off its entire camera and lens division to Sony. Wat lau, that time really shocked by the news. Amid all those uncertainties, I did not change system (dun want to go back to Canon leh). Reason behind this is that Sony did promised to continue the use of A-mount (Minolta's AF mount) and Carl Zeiss Optics. The latter reason is the main reason for me to stay as CZ are just wonderful lens. But the bad thing is of course the price. Sony's marketing is as good as Canon which means their product will also be expensive. Nevertheless, after a year's wait, Sony came out an advance amateur model. Which is in fact a replacement of the KM's Dynax 7D, the Sony Alpha 700 or a700 for short.

The Specs and Features
There are many improvements from 7D to a700 besides more Megapixels. First, there's a new interface. I still prefer 7D's compensation dial but the new interface also ok. Much like my old 800si. So not much of a problem for me. The infrared AF assist beam is back which is a blessing as the 7D does not have it. Which means I can focus well even in low light condition (up to 7m). Good enough as its pretty essential for events or weddings using flash. Another thing to note is the beautiful 3in LCD. Shiok man, can see whether photos are sharp anot by just zooming to 13x.
The shutter sound is also more pleasing and quieter. There's also a Dynamic Range Optimizer(DRO) but I don't think I will be using it as most probably I will shoot in cRaw. The autofocus motor is much faster and more accurate then the 7D. AF-C really works well now. Could track moving objects accurately.
Overall a lot of good improvement in the specifications and features.

Image Quality
Sony sensors are infamous for their noise issues on high iso. This time the switch to CMOS seems to be better. Noise control is good up to 800. 1600 and 3200 is usable too in bright scenes. Low ambient light will suffer a bit though. But overall still an improvement from 7D. Raw and cRaw (compressed raw) are outstanding. But the in build jpeg kinds of sucks. Even at the highest setting at XFine. Seems not as sharp as 7D. I knew about this from the other online reviews and so dun feel so bad. But its a setback as I normally shoot in Jpeg. 7D's direct out of camera jpeg is one of the main reason I switched from Canon to KM. Now kind of return to Square one liao. Lucky nowadays Photoshop CS3 got a better Raw to jpeg image processor. So I just have to get used to the new workflow. Hopefully Sony will come up with a firmware update to improve on the jpeg quality.

Value
Surprisingly, the price is ok. Consider the package includes a remote control and more important, body built in anti-shake(another main reason for the switch from Canon to KM). Sony renamed it to Super Steady Shot (SSS) liao. Basically its the same thing. So all my lens got some Image Stabilizer, unlike Canon or Nikon users who need to buy IS or VR lenses.

Overall
Good upgrade and Sony did pulled this off quite well. Now just hope their price for their lenses will drop and maybe more people will join the Alpha camp.

Now most of the Minolta users are waiting for Sony's flagship A900. Speculated to be a Fullframe camera.