Sony A7 ii, amazon review# PhotoGear - 摄影器材
N*e
1 楼
I bought my A7ii here on Amazon and got it the first day of release. In this
review, I'm going to assume you know the basics about the A7 series, and go
straight to the pros and cons of the new camera.
PROS
*In Body Steadyshot - This is the marquee feature and for good reason. Now
ALL of your lenses have image stabilization - including those 40-year old
Nikkors and Leicas. It's amazing and it works. Of course the stabilization
is more helpful with lenses towards the telephoto end of the spectrum. I've
tried it with my 105mm and 300mm Nikkor primes with impressive results. With
native E-mount lenses that deliver focus distance information, you get full
5-Axis stabilization. If there's no electronic communication with the
camera to transmit focus distance (as with older legacy lenses) you get 3-
Axis stabilization. Note that for legacy lenses, you'll want to manually
specify the focal length to ensure the best results. And yes, Steadyshot
works a treat for handheld video too.
*Shutter release - The shutter release has been moved forward on the camera
body to a more natural location. It's now right where your finger expects it
to be.
*Better Grip - The new hand grip is thicker and easier for my hand to grasp.
The new grip extends about 10mm further from the body.
*Improved Autofocus - Sony is claiming 30% better autofocus performance.
While many were hoping for AF as fast as the a6000, it's not there yet. But
Sony has improved the focusing algorithms to elicit noticeably better
performance.
*Build quality - More magnesium is now used in the camera body, and it's
obvious. The camera feels solid and reassuring in the hands, like it's been
carved out of metal. Even the buttons and control dials add to the premium
feel of the camera.
*Video - The A7ii has several notable video improvements. High quality 50
Mbps XAVC S codec is now included. Built in stabilization is a huge help
with nonstabilized lenses. And the camera includes a S-LOG picture profile
with enhanced dynamic range that's useful for color grading.
*Wifi - This is not a new feature, but Sony has done a nice job integrating
wifi into the camera. The wifi features really showcase Sony's prowess as a
tech company (Nikon and Canon have badly lagged behind in this department,
IMHO). We are already taking this stuff for granted, but it's really kind of
incredible to remotely control your camera from your tablet or phone. If
you want to share photos from your full frame camera to social media, it's
been made easy for you, no clunky adapters required.
*Alpha menus - Sony has now standardized the Alpha menu system across
several different camera bodies. It's a clean, logical user interface that
works well. The upshot? You spend less time "menu diving" and more time
taking photos.
*EVF - The A7ii electronic viewfinder is essentially the same as the A7, but
it should be noted that it's great. The EVF is what allows Sony to squeeze
down the body size of the A7 series. Once you get used to having focus
assist and peaking (and the results of your shot) available inside the EVF,
you will love it. What once seemed like a drawback of mirrorless cameras is
now a huge advantage.
*Metal lens mount - The A7ii lens mount is more robust than that of the
first gen cameras. No wiggle! Lenses mount nice and tight to the body.
*Startup time - Startup time of the camera has been improved, which means
fewer missed shots.
*Matte finish - This is a matter of taste, but I like the matte finish of
the A7ii.
*Apps - The PlayMemories apps store has a few worthwhile apps like time
lapse. It would be nice if Sony built some of these features into the camera
, but they are inexpensive and an app purchase can be installed on up to 10
cameras. Sony needs to open the app store to outside developers to make the
most of this functionality.
CONS
*Weight - Weight has increased over the original A7 by 146 grams or 5.15
ounces to 599 grams. This is no small increase (a 26% gain over the A7, to
be precise). When packing camera gear, every ounce matters. If it gets much
heavier, we're losing a key advantage of mirrorless. Yet to be fair, at 599
grams the A7ii is still lighter than the Nikon Df (760g), Canon 6D (760g),
Canon 5D Mark III (950g) and Nikon D800 (980g). Of course none of those
competing cameras offer in body image stabilization. So the A7ii remains
lighter than the competition while offering a uniquely powerful
functionality. If the added weight is a deal killer for you, there's always
the original A7.
*Thickness - The A7ii body is not quite as svelte as the original A7.
Thickness of the body itself has increased by a couple of mm. It seems more
pronounced because the new grip extends a good 10mm further than the old.
The A7ii is (dare I say it?) a bit chunky. The body has become more like a
blend of mirrorless and DSLR. I suspect that the average non-photographer
would glance at this camera and assume it is a DSLR.
*No 4k video - Not a major omission to me, but it will be for some. If you
must have 4k, you want the A7S.
*No silent shutter - The shutter noise is improved over the original A7, but
it's not the dead silent shutter of the A7S.
*Antialiasing filter - The A7ii has a low pass filter. I'd prefer they omit
it.
*Battery charger not included - Battery life is not a strength of these
cameras (rated at 350 shots per charge) so you will want extra batteries. If
you want an external battery charger http://amzn.to/12AnHEs, you've got to buy your own. I have several batteries and prefer to charge the extras while still having my camera free to use.
CONCLUSION
Whether you want an A7ii really boils down to two words : STEADYSHOT INSIDE.
With the A7ii, it's all about image stabilization. That's why you pay the
premium for this camera over a first generation body. If you shoot with
lenses that lack OSS (and that includes all legacy lenses) then it makes
sense to get the A7ii. It's like getting a nice across-the-board upgrade to
your lens collection. I have a host of Nikkors and some unstabilized E-mount
that will benefit.
Of course the ergonomic improvements of the A7ii are welcome. I'm sure that
many professionals will upgrade to the A7ii simply for the relocated shutter
release button and improved grip.
The 24MP sensor of the A7ii is basically the same as that used in the A7. If
you want a high resolution mirrorless monster, you want the A7R.
If you are heavily interested in VIDEO, your decision may come down to the
A7ii versus the A7S. Consider it this way: the A7S is a video camera that
takes stills, while the A7ii is a stills camera that takes great video.
While "steadyshot inside" certainly helps with handheld shooting of video on
the A7ii, lowlight performance trails the A7S. If you must have the King of
Lowlight Video, you still want the A7S.
Because I shoot both video and stills I debated between the A7ii and the A7S
(you can read about the A7S here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1wi9HcX ). It was a difficult choice, but I ultimately decided that the superlative all around performance of the A7ii was best for me.
I have owned (and in some cases still own) cameras from Nikon, Canon,
Panasonic, Fuji, and Olympus. At the moment there's literally not an apples-
for-apples competitor to this Sony camera. (If you really want a Nikon, you
might consider the Nikon D750 http://amzn.to/12veGMZ - that's a very different camera, though.) I buy the camera that is the best for my needs and am not loyal to one brand. Lately it seems that SONY is the company that's delivering innovation and excitement in this space. While Nikon and Canon have gingerly tested the waters of mirrorless camera design (no doubt to protect their existing DSLR product lines), Sony has been fearlessly pushing ahead with groundbreaking technology. Sony makes the sensors, and is on a quest for market share; we photographers are reaping the benefits.
Today, I find the A7ii the best general purpose full frame camera on the
market. It's compact, solidly built but not too heavy, plays nice with a
huge number of lenses, and is packed full of AMAZING technology. It just
does everything (stills and video) very well. And by the way, the price is
quite reasonable considering all it delivers. It's one of the most
affordable full frame cameras you can buy. If you buy one, I think you will
enjoy it.
review, I'm going to assume you know the basics about the A7 series, and go
straight to the pros and cons of the new camera.
PROS
*In Body Steadyshot - This is the marquee feature and for good reason. Now
ALL of your lenses have image stabilization - including those 40-year old
Nikkors and Leicas. It's amazing and it works. Of course the stabilization
is more helpful with lenses towards the telephoto end of the spectrum. I've
tried it with my 105mm and 300mm Nikkor primes with impressive results. With
native E-mount lenses that deliver focus distance information, you get full
5-Axis stabilization. If there's no electronic communication with the
camera to transmit focus distance (as with older legacy lenses) you get 3-
Axis stabilization. Note that for legacy lenses, you'll want to manually
specify the focal length to ensure the best results. And yes, Steadyshot
works a treat for handheld video too.
*Shutter release - The shutter release has been moved forward on the camera
body to a more natural location. It's now right where your finger expects it
to be.
*Better Grip - The new hand grip is thicker and easier for my hand to grasp.
The new grip extends about 10mm further from the body.
*Improved Autofocus - Sony is claiming 30% better autofocus performance.
While many were hoping for AF as fast as the a6000, it's not there yet. But
Sony has improved the focusing algorithms to elicit noticeably better
performance.
*Build quality - More magnesium is now used in the camera body, and it's
obvious. The camera feels solid and reassuring in the hands, like it's been
carved out of metal. Even the buttons and control dials add to the premium
feel of the camera.
*Video - The A7ii has several notable video improvements. High quality 50
Mbps XAVC S codec is now included. Built in stabilization is a huge help
with nonstabilized lenses. And the camera includes a S-LOG picture profile
with enhanced dynamic range that's useful for color grading.
*Wifi - This is not a new feature, but Sony has done a nice job integrating
wifi into the camera. The wifi features really showcase Sony's prowess as a
tech company (Nikon and Canon have badly lagged behind in this department,
IMHO). We are already taking this stuff for granted, but it's really kind of
incredible to remotely control your camera from your tablet or phone. If
you want to share photos from your full frame camera to social media, it's
been made easy for you, no clunky adapters required.
*Alpha menus - Sony has now standardized the Alpha menu system across
several different camera bodies. It's a clean, logical user interface that
works well. The upshot? You spend less time "menu diving" and more time
taking photos.
*EVF - The A7ii electronic viewfinder is essentially the same as the A7, but
it should be noted that it's great. The EVF is what allows Sony to squeeze
down the body size of the A7 series. Once you get used to having focus
assist and peaking (and the results of your shot) available inside the EVF,
you will love it. What once seemed like a drawback of mirrorless cameras is
now a huge advantage.
*Metal lens mount - The A7ii lens mount is more robust than that of the
first gen cameras. No wiggle! Lenses mount nice and tight to the body.
*Startup time - Startup time of the camera has been improved, which means
fewer missed shots.
*Matte finish - This is a matter of taste, but I like the matte finish of
the A7ii.
*Apps - The PlayMemories apps store has a few worthwhile apps like time
lapse. It would be nice if Sony built some of these features into the camera
, but they are inexpensive and an app purchase can be installed on up to 10
cameras. Sony needs to open the app store to outside developers to make the
most of this functionality.
CONS
*Weight - Weight has increased over the original A7 by 146 grams or 5.15
ounces to 599 grams. This is no small increase (a 26% gain over the A7, to
be precise). When packing camera gear, every ounce matters. If it gets much
heavier, we're losing a key advantage of mirrorless. Yet to be fair, at 599
grams the A7ii is still lighter than the Nikon Df (760g), Canon 6D (760g),
Canon 5D Mark III (950g) and Nikon D800 (980g). Of course none of those
competing cameras offer in body image stabilization. So the A7ii remains
lighter than the competition while offering a uniquely powerful
functionality. If the added weight is a deal killer for you, there's always
the original A7.
*Thickness - The A7ii body is not quite as svelte as the original A7.
Thickness of the body itself has increased by a couple of mm. It seems more
pronounced because the new grip extends a good 10mm further than the old.
The A7ii is (dare I say it?) a bit chunky. The body has become more like a
blend of mirrorless and DSLR. I suspect that the average non-photographer
would glance at this camera and assume it is a DSLR.
*No 4k video - Not a major omission to me, but it will be for some. If you
must have 4k, you want the A7S.
*No silent shutter - The shutter noise is improved over the original A7, but
it's not the dead silent shutter of the A7S.
*Antialiasing filter - The A7ii has a low pass filter. I'd prefer they omit
it.
*Battery charger not included - Battery life is not a strength of these
cameras (rated at 350 shots per charge) so you will want extra batteries. If
you want an external battery charger http://amzn.to/12AnHEs, you've got to buy your own. I have several batteries and prefer to charge the extras while still having my camera free to use.
CONCLUSION
Whether you want an A7ii really boils down to two words : STEADYSHOT INSIDE.
With the A7ii, it's all about image stabilization. That's why you pay the
premium for this camera over a first generation body. If you shoot with
lenses that lack OSS (and that includes all legacy lenses) then it makes
sense to get the A7ii. It's like getting a nice across-the-board upgrade to
your lens collection. I have a host of Nikkors and some unstabilized E-mount
that will benefit.
Of course the ergonomic improvements of the A7ii are welcome. I'm sure that
many professionals will upgrade to the A7ii simply for the relocated shutter
release button and improved grip.
The 24MP sensor of the A7ii is basically the same as that used in the A7. If
you want a high resolution mirrorless monster, you want the A7R.
If you are heavily interested in VIDEO, your decision may come down to the
A7ii versus the A7S. Consider it this way: the A7S is a video camera that
takes stills, while the A7ii is a stills camera that takes great video.
While "steadyshot inside" certainly helps with handheld shooting of video on
the A7ii, lowlight performance trails the A7S. If you must have the King of
Lowlight Video, you still want the A7S.
Because I shoot both video and stills I debated between the A7ii and the A7S
(you can read about the A7S here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1wi9HcX ). It was a difficult choice, but I ultimately decided that the superlative all around performance of the A7ii was best for me.
I have owned (and in some cases still own) cameras from Nikon, Canon,
Panasonic, Fuji, and Olympus. At the moment there's literally not an apples-
for-apples competitor to this Sony camera. (If you really want a Nikon, you
might consider the Nikon D750 http://amzn.to/12veGMZ - that's a very different camera, though.) I buy the camera that is the best for my needs and am not loyal to one brand. Lately it seems that SONY is the company that's delivering innovation and excitement in this space. While Nikon and Canon have gingerly tested the waters of mirrorless camera design (no doubt to protect their existing DSLR product lines), Sony has been fearlessly pushing ahead with groundbreaking technology. Sony makes the sensors, and is on a quest for market share; we photographers are reaping the benefits.
Today, I find the A7ii the best general purpose full frame camera on the
market. It's compact, solidly built but not too heavy, plays nice with a
huge number of lenses, and is packed full of AMAZING technology. It just
does everything (stills and video) very well. And by the way, the price is
quite reasonable considering all it delivers. It's one of the most
affordable full frame cameras you can buy. If you buy one, I think you will
enjoy it.
