Confused ! Which Alfa 7 suits best for me ?

<p>I am a landscape, travel and people photographer. <br /> Want to buy a Sony Alfa for travel purposes.<br /> Looked at different model Alfa 7s and a bit confused... Want the Alfa 7 with at least 20 MP, high ISO, and at least 1080 P video.<br /> Also want to hear your lens recommendations....</p>

<p>A7 R looks ok but now new A7 ii out !</p>

<p>May be better to wait some months ?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hello Sami,</p>

<p>I have no direct experience with the Sony A7's but here is a comparison between the different models. Of course this is comparing specifications only, so you'll need to read some reviews and go an play with one if you can.<br>

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=sony_a7&products=sony_a7_ii&products=sony_a7r&products=sony_a7s">Link</a><br>

Laurie</p>

<p>You might want to wait for the new A7II, available in a month or two. The A7II has 24MP and many improvements over the current series. Most impressively, it has in body image stabilization, IBIS, a feature probably worth waiting for. Go to the B&H website, they have terrific information. At Luminous Landscape Michael Reichman also just published a great first look article. The A7R does have 36MP but some have had problems with shutter shake, YMMV. See Lloyd Chambers' blog. <br>

I had and sold one of the Olympus OMD bodies with IBIS and it's a truly wonderful feature. What is means is that any lens you can attach is an IS lens. I loved it with my old Leica 90mm Elmarit f/2.8. On that camera it was a 180mm f/2.8 stabilized lens! I preferred the image quality of the Fuji X cameras so sold the Oly but I do miss that feature. I fervently hope all the mirrorless cameras will have it someday, and someday SOON.<br>

I do not own any of the Sonys so cannot honestly make lens recommendations.<br>

Good luck.</p>

<p>Any of the A7 cameras give you a compact, lightweight full-frame camera which will accept lenses of nearly any manufacturer. Each has certain good and bad points you must consider in finding a fit for your needs. These are the high points, as I see them.</p>

<p>The A7 has 24 MP, the best AF of the three, and a shutter which can be quieted by using the "electronic first curtain" feature. The shutter remains open for the shot, activated electronically, then the mechanical shutter closes at the end and is rewound.</p>

<p>The A7s has only 12 MP, but exceptional high ISO performance. The "S" also has a completely silent electronic shutter. Unlike certain Nikon cameras, the silent shutter operates at full resolution (not 1080p) at any ISO setting, producing both RAW and/or JPEG image files. It is well suited for weddings, theater and other events which don't allow flash and require little or no shutter noise. While all of the A7's have video capability, the "S" is the only one with 4K output. It promises to be a real contender in the video production world.</p>

<p>The A7r only claim to fame is a 36 MP sensor without an anti-aliasing filter. You really need a Leica or Zeiss lens to take advantage of this resolution. Zeiss has introduced several lenses specifically designed for EVF cameras like the A7 to minimize vignetting and color shifts in short focal length lenses. The shutter is the noisiest of the trio, and is reported to result in camera shake, which can be seen in many of the published images.</p>

<p>The best for last, Sony just delivered the A7ii model for sale (at B&H and elsewhere). Still just (just?) 24 MP, it has improved image quality. While not completely silent, the shutter noise is now comparable that of a Leica M240 (aka M10 or simply "M"). Best of all, it has 5 axis in-camera motion stabilization, which works with any lens, not just ones with Sony's optical image stabilization (OSS) capability. The hand grip is enlarged and the shutter release is on top of the grip, similar to practically every DSLR in existence. The Mark II now records 50 MHz video (4,2,2) internally, without need for an external HDMI recorder.</p>

<p>Which lens do you need? What do you use now? There are adapters for practically any lens. If you want auto everything, then perhaps one of the native FE full-frame lenses would do. Zeiss makes a 35, 55, and 24-70/4 zoom, which are pricey but effective. </p>

<p>Sony may release an A7rii shortly, and there are rumors of a "professional" A9 series in the wings. Maybe it's worth waiting. Sony is on a roll, but it's hard to say what will happen and when. The A9 may prove to be a medium format camera with an EVF and a 54 MP sensor. Lenses would be expensive, but I have a few Hasselblad lenses around. We'll see.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, my A7ii arrives Monday, along with a Leica lens adapter.</p>

<p>Thank you all for precious responses... It seems better to wait for a while...may be for a A7Rii or another one.<br>

I already have RX100 and love it.</p>

<p>Not sure if I can use all my lenses on it though...</p>

<p>I thought about waiting. The 7 and 7r came within a month of each other early in 2014. I jumped for the 7ii early because it fits my needs. A 7rii would probably cost at least $600 more and only yield 20% better resolution, and possibly without the electronic first shutter - essential for noise and vibration control. There will always be a newer model down the line, so it's better to catalog your needs and find a good fit than to continually wait for the next improvement. If you can't identify a need, save your money and don't jump at all.</p>

<p>The AA filter in the A7 is fairly weak. You do see Moire in fabric and repetitive architectural detail. However, the greater the resolution, the smaller and less significant these items become. For example I saw an artifact that looked like a multi-colored neon light, which proved to be a power line twisted around a steel cable, visible only in a 100% pixel view.</p>

<p>based on your statements, the new A7II. While I expect upgrades to the A7R next, the A7II is the one for you.</p>

<p>i would wait for IBIS unless you are a low-light specialist or need 36mp for humongous prints. </p>

<p>The latest one, or wait a few weeks and there will probably be another.</p>

<p>Seems to me like the a7 II is the best balance of all four a7-series cameras. For any photographer with no particular "niche", the a7 II is most likely the best choice. I see the a7R and a7S as more "specialist"-type cameras, the former offering near-Medium-Format quality in large prints (and requirements for that quality - you probably need a decent tripod to get the most out of it), and the latter offering mostly unrivaled low light capabilities (at least at its size, when combined with f/2.8-or-better lenses).</p>