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The Sony A7 thread [Merged]


dmclalla

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Ahhh good old Naim audio. The parallels are apt. Fiercely rejecting digital media until eventually, reluctantly producing a CD player of their own, behind the curve and catching up all the time.

 

I'm a Meridian man myself. Even I pooh poohed active digital speakers, until I shot with them, er, I mean listened to them.

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@Rick,

 

Yeah, I'm a Hawthorne guy though I bought my Unitiqute for a deal out of SF (it was the first version - yes version two is supposedly 'better" but not besought o justify the $600 I saved). If one streams audio (I have a Vortexbox NAS) then it's a no-brainer. Sounds so much better than the Sonos I tried (and now need to sell after hardly using it...hmmmm :p ). I am lusting after the matching power amp though for a bit more juice than (50w vs 30w though Naim 30w is a lot more than most everybody else - Naim doesn't buy into that inflated numbers game). But of course I already need to upgrade! ;)

 

Did you ever get my PM? I need your eye biz co-ordinates as I want to see you for my long overdue annual (worth the trip down to Kent I think) as long as you take Microsoft Premera. Maybe we can schedule so as to have some lunch or other as well.

 

Best,

 

CP

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Ahhh good old Naim audio. The parallels are apt. Fiercely rejecting digital media until eventually, reluctantly producing a CD player of their own, behind the curve and catching up all the time.

 

I'm a Meridian man myself. Even I pooh poohed active digital speakers, until I shot with them, er, I mean listened to them.

 

You should check out their latest line-up. Well ahead of the curve now, esp in the streaming/server and all-in-one units realm. Of course much of their line makes Leica prices look like a bargain. High end hi-fi is outrageous - personally I'd rather spend $1000 on a lens than a power cable, but each to their own. (my fave is the $1k plus ethernet cables - really?:eek:)

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Silver, with unidirectional crystalline structure. You can hear the difference if you wire them up the 'wrong' way around. <cough>bullshit<cough>

 

I know exactly what you are talking about, those poor little electrons just don't know which way to go unless you use that unidirectional wire, I mean interconnects... confused little guys those electrons.

 

I love the Merdian stuff. I could only afford the Revel Salons... 7.1 system with Voice-center, Gems-side, and Embrace-rears. :o

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I heard one instance where the electrons got soooo pissed at bumping into the sharp inner edges of the cable positioned the wrong way around, that they simply turned around and went back the way they came!

 

You mean that some of those pissed-off electrons went back to the amp? Must have been an impudence problem. If, I was that amp, I'd be hot!

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@Rick,

 

Yeah, I'm a Hawthorne guy though I bought my Unitiqute for a deal out of SF (it was the first version - yes version two is supposedly 'better" but not besought o justify the $600 I saved). If one streams audio (I have a Vortexbox NAS) then it's a no-brainer. Sounds so much better than the Sonos I tried (and now need to sell after hardly using it...hmmmm :p ). I am lusting after the matching power amp though for a bit more juice than (50w vs 30w though Naim 30w is a lot more than most everybody else - Naim doesn't buy into that inflated numbers game). But of course I already need to upgrade! ;)

 

Did you ever get my PM? I need your eye biz co-ordinates as I want to see you for my long overdue annual (worth the trip down to Kent I think) as long as you take Microsoft Premera. Maybe we can schedule so as to have some lunch or other as well.

 

Best,

 

CP

 

Sonos... I need some more Sonos players. We can talk when you come in.

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I do think decent power cords and interconnects make a difference - up to a point. I recently put a $120 Audioquest C7 power cord on our Sony LCD and it was like getting a whole new TV - deeper blacks, punchier colors and better sound (I'd bought it for a piece of hi-fi gear I subsequently returned and was stuck with this cord). I almost think manufacturers do this so one needs to buy up to get similar quality instead of supplying better power cords. But simply delivering ones and zeros? That's when "get a life" crosses my lips.....

 

Okay, sorry to have derailed with my hi-fi metaphor. Back to cameras.... (and that Merdian gear is great but would be total overkill in my little 8x10' living room - consequently the Unitiqute and Rega Rs1's).

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Somewhat off topic perhaps, but maybe not... I recently used my Nex 6 indoors with a flash and discovered EVF shooting in this situation can be problematic (I had not done this before as I either use my M or my DSLR in such situations). At any rate, shooting in Manual, ISO 100, 1/125s and aperture at f5.6 and a flash the EVF is essentially blacked out making it almost impossible to compose and confirm focus. I resolved this by switching to manual focus and opening up aperture so I could compose and focus, then stop down to take the shot. Still, in this situation, you have to jump thru hoops to compose and focus then fly in the dark to actually take the picture. Is there a more convenient way or do you have to live with this on an EVF only camera?

 

No problem.

 

Go into the camera menu, scroll to "Live View Display", toggle "Setting Effect" to OFF. Nice bright viewfinder that remains constant just like an OVF (only better because you can see in pitch darkness).

 

You won't see exactly what you are getting like you do with "Setting Effect" ON, so if you like that, set it back to ON when shooting normally.

 

- Marc

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His opinion on handling, build etc. are helpful I'm sure. But I don't know what to make of his shots using various lenses shooting the window and frame. I wonder why he chose to do that?

 

 

To your first point.

I have used for over a year now focus peaking and magnification quite a bit.

In my experience, except for very high contrast scenes, focus peaking is pretty approximate.

To nail focus I rely on magnification.

 

To your second point.

Well, one can clearly see a color cast in some of the images.

 

Once my A7R has arrived, I will do my own tests, also with M lenses.

 

Interesting is also his take on the E-M1.

I have had my E-M1 for 5 weeks now. It handles beautifully.

It gives useable IQ for fairly low ISO shots, up to about ISO 1600 IMHO.

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Lens used was Leica Vario-Elmar-R 105-280/4.2

One would think the A7R would give better IQ with this lens! :D

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To your second point.

Well, one can clearly see a color cast in some of the images.

 

Once my A7R has arrived, I will do my own tests, also with M lenses.

 

 

His exposures varied enough so that I felt I had no reference point. An easy technical way to compare cast and falloff on various lenses is to place a piece of white PleixiGlas (Perspex to some) in front of the lens and shoot with a consistent light source and exposure. This method eliminates the variables from the field of view covering a different subject area and also provides even illumination across the field. You have to use a normal contrast setting on the camera or in post, otherwise the vignetting will be exaggerated or reduced. I would make sure the very center of each test image had the same brightness level maybe a stop or two darker than white before comparing them.

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I suppose it is inevitable that when a new camera is released, some here go into a tailspin justifying their Leica M cameras. Heaven forbid any camera should take Leica lenses!

 

I look forward to actually learning something about how either camera works with Leica lenses generally, and wides more particularly.

 

Stereos, yeah diverting (I'm a Roksan, Musical Fidelity, Bowers & Wilkins fan myself), but please - you don't need to feel threatened because another camera comes along that might find its way into you camera bag ALONG WITH YOUR LEICA.

 

Blah blah, Leica cameras better with Leica lenses, blah blah Sony don't know what they're doing ... Relax. Your M(240) will go just as well now as it did before, even if the Sony does work well.

 

Jeez Louise.

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I suppose it is inevitable that when a new camera is released, some here go into a tailspin justifying their Leica M cameras. Heaven forbid any camera should take Leica lenses!

 

I look forward to actually learning something about how either camera works with Leica lenses generally, and wides more particularly.

 

Stereos, yeah diverting (I'm a Roksan, Musical Fidelity, Bowers & Wilkins fan myself), but please - you don't need to feel threatened because another camera comes along that might find its way into you camera bag ALONG WITH YOUR LEICA.

 

Blah blah, Leica cameras better with Leica lenses, blah blah Sony don't know what they're doing ... Relax. Your M(240) will go just as well now as it did before, even if the Sony does work well.

 

Jeez Louise.

 

John, are we reading the same thread? I think everyone thinks this is going to be a decent camera. Most of us are just trying to define what it is going to be able to do for us and our lenses. We are big boys here, cameras don't threaten us... speakers (800D) that look like R2D2 had sex with a washing machine are a little disturbing, though. :cool:

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