Hey guys! I am wondering what your thoughts are on upgrading from my X-T4 to the Sony A7RII. I have a few reasons for wanting to switch to a full frame Sony, one being the sensor size, I have had a few requests for prints that have fallen through because the sensor size of the Fuji X-T4 doesnt allow for large prints, whereas the Sony does. Also the range of Sony, Zeiss etc lenses is very extensive compared to Fuji. I have used a Sony in the field before (landscape work) and it feels so good in the hand compared to my Fuji. My concerns with the Sony is the battery life mainly, but this can be fixed by simply by carrying more batteries, getting a battery pack or charging via USB. What are your thoughts?
i’ve got both cameras, plus the 5dmkii/mkiii, xt1, xt2. The xt4 has way better video specs. if that is your thing, then keep it. The A7RII is 8 bit with quite decent AF, so not bad after all for an old camera like this. On the picture department i think this sony sensor is nearly unbeatable by any means. If you doing more photography than video work, i’d pick this old sony with zeiss lenses and maybe this will be your last camera you’ll buy for quite a long time. Just be sure to have extra batteries on you! Handling is not that great as a fuji in my opinion, especially the menus and picture reviewing/zooming in camera is slow(trick is to shot small jgs then delete). Oh..and sony G and Zeiss lenses could be quite expensive. ps.:If you are doing astro, don’t pick the A7RII, because of the ‘star eater’ algorithm.
Henry Cavendish
March 19, 2019 4:12 am
The Sony A7R II is now available new for about 1350,00 euro. I think that’s a steal for a sturdy compact full frame camera with features like a 42 megapixel sensor, build in stabilization and a good EVF.
Ahmad Mansouri
October 31, 2017 7:11 pm
Hello Nasim, Thank you for your great and fair reviews.
I have just tested a7rii and a7ii with Sony 55mm F1.8 Sonnar T FE ZA. I am surprised that focusing accuracy of a7ii was better for my shots. I am not a professional. Would please let me know why this happened? Is is possible that maybe “that” a7rii has some issues?
Best Ahmad
Jay
August 8, 2017 10:10 am
Hello Nasim, Good read and great images. I need some thoughts. I am a Nikon shooter (not a pro in anyway) and have a D610 with few good glasses like 24-70 2.8, 85 1.4 etc. Lately I am developing problems with my eye sight as well as shaky hands. I am experiencing the exact problem you mentioned about focus accuracy. Most of the things I shoot are arranged or set (landscape, portrait, products etc) other than the occasional street or fun shoots I do. So very fast AF and FPS are not a requirement for me, but the accuracy is critical. Even on a tripod, with Live View many times I find I am not getting the critical focus on eyes (or wherever I wanted on people or products). I am OK with EVF (I have used a NEX before) and like the experience of WYSISYG. Do you think the A7 series would be better for me?
Sunil Srivastava
November 14, 2016 10:53 pm
Great review. Thanks you.
Do you have the full size jpegs of sample images that I can download from somewhere ? I would like to look at then at full resolution.
Also, about that picture of full moon: Is that the full picture or a crop ? The moon looks a bit large for a 200mm lens.
Thanks
Bart
May 11, 2016 2:03 pm
Thanks for the review, i bought one with the 35mm 2.8, a little but very sharp prime, the iq is very good! I also have a A6300 now, can you review this? Its AF capabilities are amazing… Greetings!
Ralph Porter
May 2, 2016 8:42 pm
I recently got this great camera. It is nothing short of amazing and a breath of fresh air after using Canon 5D II and 1DS II for so long. I just sold the Canons and my collection of L glass and I am very happy with the Sony/Zeiss that I have purchased so far, the 16-35 F4 is a wonderful lens. With my Leica M lenses and a Metabones M to F adapter old glass has new life (I am struggling with focus more that I expected) but hopefully I will improve.
The images from this camera are wonderful (skin tone maybe not as good as the 5d ii). The camera is a breeze to use. No comparison between the EVF and the Canon optical view finder, Sony wins by a mile. Poor battery life is no big deal at all, they are tiny, take 2 seconds to swap. Wish it had two card slots that is the only real gripe but not such a big deal in the real world.
This is a beast of a camera, no looking back it’s just the best I have used in the digital era. The only camera I have felt as happy with was my Leica M6 when I finally slapped a not so small fortune down for that mechanical beast and two Summilux lenses.
Thanks for the review, this is what was missing for me.
Alex Chen
December 11, 2015 5:06 pm
Yes, another skin tone question as picture of SONY from 10 years ago were pretty much looks like painting. Outdoor trip test, but please kindly add some people photos when you have them.
Sven
December 6, 2015 2:04 pm
@Nasim
Sorry Nasim, I think 4.4 is too low (fuji xt1 and xt10 got better overall evaluation for instance!) The features should get 5 stars (first hig megapixel count camera/sensor even BSI with ibis, 4 k uncompressed internally, 399 AF PDAF dpreview tested it and according to them it performed as good as or even surpassed the best PDAF DSLR systems D810/D750 in continous shooting, low light and the overall accuracy was notiveably better with the new SONY etc.) and the movie recoding functions only got 3 stars despite the fact the sony a7 (r)II series has much better movie recording features (even useful for/aimed at pro videographers !) than the fujis or nikon D810, D750! Let alone it has Ibis even only one or two stops better than none liek Fuji, Nikon etc.! For me the A7RII is the best stills and video camera (with the exception of the A7IIS for video and ultra low light) on the market hand down!
I know the mk ii has still a lot of flaws (usb 2.0, one sd slot and only uhs I standard etc., messy menues, weaker batteries, no lossless compressed RAW otion, timelapse options in the app, app better working wiht android/ios
But honestly KUDOS to SONY these are relatively easy things to fix some with firmware updates or with the MKIII, the “missed”native af lenses are coming out surprisingsly fast and af adapters for nikon lenses or other brands are also new on the market to adapt old lenses etc.
A lot of those things are even more valid for Dinosaur Nikon, they do not offer these features 4k fullframe uncompressed internal, focus peaking, evf for manual lenses, ibis (also partially Fuji), it seems Nikon think they are too big to fall/fail! They should not feel too confident!!Competiton is getting harder nad harder and not only on the camera front also on the lens front sigma arts , tmaron new vc/stabilised primes are much better than nikons counterparts and more innovative!
Best example is the new released 24-70 2.8 VR it is according to dxomark and other reviewers not a good update for 8 years of time for developing an excelletn successor in some categories even worser than the old one!!! The CAs are still astonishingly high over 30 points and this should be a pro lens??? Let alone 82mm new filter thread, bigger, heavier and 2500 dollar price tag 800 more for VR…..Nikon didnt meet the high expectations and they failed again! It seems everything what nikon is doing is not working as it should or makes problems…..nikon has to come back on the right track otherwise they will disappear!! QC should be not an unknown word….Do they control the quality of their products at all?????
Nikon has a lot of problems lack of innovations, wrong marketing, some totally failed products, horrible Q&C, issues and issues (D800e AF left, d810 spot, d750, new 300 pf f4 lens VR issues etc.) OH I forgot DUSTY D600….it didnt cast a positive light on nikon! In comparison to canon nikon is a camera, binolccuar manufacturer less product range than canon!! Canon, sony have much deeper pockets!!
Samsung’s out, Holga’s out, Mamiya’s out. It’s all happening at once. Consolidation in the shrinking camera market has been coming for some time. I fully expect one of Hasselblad, Ricoh/Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, or Fuji to be next by the end of 2016 or 2017. Maybe Nikon wil be the first of the really big ones….
Its mergers and acquisitions time to survive in the declining camera business:)!
With you here on all points. Nikon to Hassleblad to Nikon again (over 40years), and left wondering why my sense of brand loyalty seems misplaced. Nikon’s arrogant stance, notwithstanding its huge repeated flunks with oil/dust, left/right AF, 750 flare shadow, all beckon a fall. The BSI sensor route seems clear, though apparently grudged by Nasim and by Nikon’s latest crop of D5/D500. As aside, don’t you also detest the way Nikons infinity-closeup focus turn is opposite way to all other lens manufacturers.
Rob
December 5, 2015 9:46 pm
Yes cameras all vary on skin tones, that’s a good question to ask.
Hey guys! I am wondering what your thoughts are on upgrading from my X-T4 to the Sony A7RII. I have a few reasons for wanting to switch to a full frame Sony, one being the sensor size, I have had a few requests for prints that have fallen through because the sensor size of the Fuji X-T4 doesnt allow for large prints, whereas the Sony does. Also the range of Sony, Zeiss etc lenses is very extensive compared to Fuji. I have used a Sony in the field before (landscape work) and it feels so good in the hand compared to my Fuji. My concerns with the Sony is the battery life mainly, but this can be fixed by simply by carrying more batteries, getting a battery pack or charging via USB. What are your thoughts?
i’ve got both cameras, plus the 5dmkii/mkiii, xt1, xt2.
The xt4 has way better video specs. if that is your thing, then keep it. The A7RII is 8 bit with quite decent AF, so not bad after all for an old camera like this. On the picture department i think this sony sensor is nearly unbeatable by any means. If you doing more photography than video work, i’d pick this old sony with zeiss lenses and maybe this will be your last camera you’ll buy for quite a long time. Just be sure to have extra batteries on you! Handling is not that great as a fuji in my opinion, especially the menus and picture reviewing/zooming in camera is slow(trick is to shot small jgs then delete). Oh..and sony G and Zeiss lenses could be quite expensive.
ps.:If you are doing astro, don’t pick the A7RII, because of the ‘star eater’ algorithm.
The Sony A7R II is now available new for about 1350,00 euro. I think that’s a steal for a sturdy compact full frame camera with features like a 42 megapixel sensor, build in stabilization and a good EVF.
Hello Nasim, Thank you for your great and fair reviews.
I have just tested a7rii and a7ii with Sony 55mm F1.8 Sonnar T FE ZA. I am surprised that focusing accuracy of a7ii was better for my shots. I am not a professional. Would please let me know why this happened? Is is possible that maybe “that” a7rii has some issues?
Best
Ahmad
Hello Nasim,
Good read and great images. I need some thoughts. I am a Nikon shooter (not a pro in anyway) and have a D610 with few good glasses like 24-70 2.8, 85 1.4 etc. Lately I am developing problems with my eye sight as well as shaky hands. I am experiencing the exact problem you mentioned about focus accuracy. Most of the things I shoot are arranged or set (landscape, portrait, products etc) other than the occasional street or fun shoots I do. So very fast AF and FPS are not a requirement for me, but the accuracy is critical. Even on a tripod, with Live View many times I find I am not getting the critical focus on eyes (or wherever I wanted on people or products). I am OK with EVF (I have used a NEX before) and like the experience of WYSISYG. Do you think the A7 series would be better for me?
Great review. Thanks you.
Do you have the full size jpegs of sample images that I can download from somewhere ? I would like to look at then at full resolution.
Also, about that picture of full moon: Is that the full picture or a crop ? The moon looks a bit large for a 200mm lens.
Thanks
Thanks for the review, i bought one with the 35mm 2.8, a little but very sharp prime, the iq is very good!
I also have a A6300 now, can you review this? Its AF capabilities are amazing…
Greetings!
I recently got this great camera. It is nothing short of amazing and a breath of fresh air after using Canon 5D II and 1DS II for so long. I just sold the Canons and my collection of L glass and I am very happy with the Sony/Zeiss that I have purchased so far, the 16-35 F4 is a wonderful lens. With my Leica M lenses and a Metabones M to F adapter old glass has new life (I am struggling with focus more that I expected) but hopefully I will improve.
The images from this camera are wonderful (skin tone maybe not as good as the 5d ii). The camera is a breeze to use. No comparison between the EVF and the Canon optical view finder, Sony wins by a mile. Poor battery life is no big deal at all, they are tiny, take 2 seconds to swap. Wish it had two card slots that is the only real gripe but not such a big deal in the real world.
This is a beast of a camera, no looking back it’s just the best I have used in the digital era. The only camera I have felt as happy with was my Leica M6 when I finally slapped a not so small fortune down for that mechanical beast and two Summilux lenses.
Thanks for the review, this is what was missing for me.
Yes, another skin tone question as picture of SONY from 10 years ago were pretty much looks like painting. Outdoor trip test, but please kindly add some people photos when you have them.
@Nasim
Sorry Nasim, I think 4.4 is too low (fuji xt1 and xt10 got better overall evaluation for instance!) The features should get 5 stars (first hig megapixel count camera/sensor even BSI with ibis, 4 k uncompressed internally, 399 AF PDAF dpreview tested it and according to them it performed as good as or even surpassed the best PDAF DSLR systems D810/D750 in continous shooting, low light and the overall accuracy was notiveably better with the new SONY etc.) and the movie recoding functions only got 3 stars despite the fact the sony a7 (r)II series has much better movie recording features (even useful for/aimed at pro videographers !) than the fujis or nikon D810, D750! Let alone it has Ibis even only one or two stops better than none liek Fuji, Nikon etc.!
For me the A7RII is the best stills and video camera (with the exception of the A7IIS for video and ultra low light) on the market hand down!
I know the mk ii has still a lot of flaws (usb 2.0, one sd slot and only uhs I standard etc., messy menues, weaker batteries, no lossless compressed RAW otion, timelapse options in the app, app better working wiht android/ios
But honestly KUDOS to SONY these are relatively easy things to fix some with firmware updates or with the MKIII, the “missed”native af lenses are coming out surprisingsly fast and af adapters for nikon lenses or other brands are also new on the market to adapt old lenses etc.
A lot of those things are even more valid for Dinosaur Nikon, they do not offer these features 4k fullframe uncompressed internal, focus peaking, evf for manual lenses, ibis (also partially Fuji), it seems Nikon think they are too big to fall/fail! They should not feel too confident!!Competiton is getting harder nad harder and not only on the camera front also on the lens front sigma arts , tmaron new vc/stabilised primes are much better than nikons counterparts and more innovative!
Best example is the new released 24-70 2.8 VR it is according to dxomark and other reviewers not a good update for 8 years of time for developing an excelletn successor in some categories even worser than the old one!!! The CAs are still astonishingly high over 30 points and this should be a pro lens???
Let alone 82mm new filter thread, bigger, heavier and 2500 dollar price tag 800 more for VR…..Nikon didnt meet the high expectations and they failed again! It seems everything what nikon is doing is not working as it should or makes problems…..nikon has to come back on the right track otherwise they will disappear!! QC should be not an unknown word….Do they control the quality of their products at all?????
Nikon has a lot of problems lack of innovations, wrong marketing, some totally failed products, horrible Q&C, issues and issues (D800e AF left, d810 spot, d750, new 300 pf f4 lens VR issues etc.) OH I forgot DUSTY D600….it didnt cast a positive light on nikon! In comparison to canon nikon is a camera, binolccuar manufacturer less product range than canon!! Canon, sony have much deeper pockets!!
Samsung’s out, Holga’s out, Mamiya’s out. It’s all happening at once. Consolidation in the shrinking camera market has been coming for some time. I fully expect one of Hasselblad, Ricoh/Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, or Fuji to be next by the end of 2016 or 2017. Maybe Nikon wil be the first of the really big ones….
Its mergers and acquisitions time to survive in the declining camera business:)!
With you here on all points.
Nikon to Hassleblad to Nikon again (over 40years), and left wondering why my sense of brand loyalty seems misplaced.
Nikon’s arrogant stance, notwithstanding its huge repeated flunks with oil/dust, left/right AF, 750 flare shadow, all beckon a fall.
The BSI sensor route seems clear, though apparently grudged by Nasim and by Nikon’s latest crop of D5/D500.
As aside, don’t you also detest the way Nikons infinity-closeup focus turn is opposite way to all other lens manufacturers.
Yes cameras all vary on skin tones, that’s a good question to ask.