Sony A7RV - my thoughts after 1 week...
I knew the Sony A7RV would be a great camera but I didn't expect the sheer level awesomeness that it could achieve. After all the Youtube videos that I had seen and all the reviews I had read I knew it was good and I knew I wanted it. And now that I've owned it for a week I can can 100% confirm that this camera is truly amazing.
So what is the Sony A7RV? It's a mirrorless camera with a 61 megapixel full frame sensor. There is a (very) long list of ALL the specs which I'm not going to go through here because I just haven't used it long enough to have had a chance to try them all. Basically I played with it enough to be able to use it for what I do: forest, outdoor and landscape photography. And in the week that I've had that was enough to not only fulfill my expectations but also go beyond them.
So... the stuff I like:
- That huge megapixel count on a full frame sensor. Yes, it's worth it.
- The focusing system. In manual focus mode turn the focus ring on the lens and the camera automically zooms in to allow you to see if you are actually in focus. My Canon 90D didn't do that. I like.
- The ease of changing basic exposure settings using dedicated buttons/knobs.
- Low noise. Waaay lower than the 90D.
- Incredible performance in low light.
- Very fast and accurate auto focus. I only briefly tried this since I don't normally photograph people and animals but wow! Gets that eye super quick!
- Not one but two SD card slots.
This is just scratching the surface. I honestly don't need a lot of what this camera can do because I don't photograph people (no weddings, sports events, etc) or animals (gymkhanas, dog shows) and for video I use a Sony camcorder. However photographing forests can be tricky, as I'm sure most of you know. All those leaves and small twigs... it's a ton of detail to process. But this camera handles it all like a champ.
Are there downsides? Yes. And they are:
- HUGE files. Raw uncompressed is about 135mb per file.
- Battery life. Sony says 600 shots but I have my doubts. On my 90D the battery lasted for ages. I do have a second battery but it's worth mentioning.
- It's very expensive so you'll want insurance.
I also have to mention the lens I am using with the Sony: a Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art. I got this especially for the A7RV and it obviously plays a huge role in getting great shots. I was going to get an adapter to be able to use my Canon lenses but the Art is so good I'm thinking I might get one or two more of them.
Hoping that at least some of you found this useful.
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