Sony A7 with 135mm 1.8 Sony/Zeiss lens

[bob___10]

<p>Hi Sony experts,<br>

I am looking to put together a full frame camera and a portrait lens. Is this combo the best I can do outside of Canon/Nikon? I have a Nikon D700 but I like the smaller A7 size and I think I like the 135 1.8 as the best portrait lens out there. Plus I hear the A7 might be better suited for portraits than the A7r. I do my portraits on the streets and typically shoot from the waist up. I will keep the Nikion and lenses. This is my portrait gear. Any thoughts?<br />Thanks,<br />Bob</p>

[studio460]

<p>I know little of the A7 vs. A7R, but if I were to buy the Sony full-frame, I would go for the lower-noise camera, which I believe is the higher-megapixel, A7R, oddly enough. I assume you're talking about the Alpha-mount, Sony Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 which sells for $1,798 (note that I think you would need an Alpha to E-mount [full-frame] adapter to use this lens on an A7R or A7). As focal lengths go, I think anything in the 135mm-180mm range is very nice for portraits on a full-frame body, and if I had an A7R, this would probably be my top-pick for a portrait lens.</p>

<p>For reference, here's some DxO low-light sensor scores, in order from highest to lowest:</p>

<p>Nikon D<em>f;</em> 16.2MP; DxO low-light ISO: 3279<br /> Nikon D3s; 12.1MP; DxO low-light ISO: 3253<br /> Nikon D800E; 36.3 MP; DxO low-light ISO: 2853<br /> Sony Alpha A7R; 36.4MP; DxO low-light ISO: 2746<br /> Nikon 700; 12.1MP; DxO low-light ISO: 2303<br /> Sony Alpha A7; 24.3MP; DxO low-light ISO: 2248<br /> Nikon D7100; 24.1MP [APS-C]; DxO low-light ISO: 1256<br /> Nikon Coolpix A; 16.2 MP [APS-C]; DxO low-light ISO: 1164</p>

[bob___10]

<p>Thank you, Ralph. I think i will go with the A7 as opposed to the A7R. It is my understanding the A7R is more suited to landscape, as opposed to movement. The A7 is supposed to be better in those situations like street portraits.</p>

[Ken Katz]

I think it would make sense to try out the combination of camera, lens and lens adapter to see if its comfortable to use and provides the AF performance you need. The lens weighs over 2 pounds (without the adapter), so its a real small and light camera with a heavy lens attached.

[studio460]

<p>You're welcome, Bob. However, for street portraits (i.e., available-light), I would still opt for the lower-noise camera (though, admittedly, not by much), which according to DxO, is the higher pixel-count, and pricier, A7R. However, if continuous shooting is a consideration, the A7 performs 1-FPS better than the A7R, since it has fewer pixels to shovel around. The A7R has a <em>slight</em> edge in color depth, another point toward the A7R for its suitability for portraits. Extended dynamic range is usually thought of as more beneficial for landscape photographers (of course, it's beneficial for <em>all</em> types of photography), but in this case, the dynamic range metric is virtually identical between the two models. That said, both cameras are so closely spec'd, either camera should perform well in either application:</p>

<p>Sony Alpha A7R:<br /> Low-light ISO: 2476<br /> Color depth ["portrait"]: 25.6 bits<br /> Dynamic range: 14.1 EV<br /> Burst frame-rate: 4-FPS @ 36.4 MP</p>

<p>Sony Alpha A7:<br /> Low-light ISO: 2248<br /> Color-depth ["portrait"]: 24.8 bits<br /> Dynamic range: 14.2 EV<br /> Burst frame-rate: 5-FPS @ 24.3 MP</p>

[harveysteeves]

<p>A7r and the e-mount 55mm … then just crop to the size you want. waist up with a 135 and you are going to standing a ways away unless being that far way from your subject is your intent. </p>

[benny_spinoza]

And if you want to be paranoid about things, you must research the difference in shutter shock between the two models

and whether the electronic first curtain option of the a7 reduces shutter shock compared to using the a7r which does not

have that option. There....just wanted to throw in that monkey wrench.