Sony A7R2 Thread

[Travis Rhoads]

I am not sure how many others on the forum will be using Sony equipment. I am about 18 months into ownership of the A7R2 after experimenting with an A7R. I have loved it, and have been going native this year. So I thought this thread would be a good place to share tips, info, tricks or to ask questions about the Sony A7R2. Maybe share an occasional image used with the camera, something that shows off the range or capabilities of the camera.

To start it off, this image is the last image of 2016, Sunset on December 31. It shows what is possible with the DR the A7R2 has, exposing for the sky and sunset, while being able to recover the details under the pier without any loss of IQ. To this day, it still amazes me what is possible...
Under Topsail [EXPLORED] by Travis Rhoads, on Flickr

 

[Bob Israel]

I'm with you Travis. Been using Sony for several years now having migrated from Canon gear. The migration has taken a lot weight off my back. I love Sony gear and shoot with an A7r2 and A6500. I'm wondering what Sony has up their sleeves next and I'm hoping for an A7r3 or A9r.

Here's one from me with the Sony A7r2 and the Voigtlander 15/4.5 III. I love this combo.

Prelude to Summer by Bob Israel, on Flickr

 

[JimFox]

Those are some nice images you guys. You are really showing off the A7R2.

Good idea on this thread Travis.

Jim

 

[MayD]

Wow. Great photos. I have been thinking of getting one.

 

[Ryan10]

The images that come off the A7R2 are gorgeous! I'd love to switch from Canon to Sony, but I'm scared of the "star eater" situation that's going on. You have any issues with astrophotography on the Sony now?

 

[Travis Rhoads]

Those are some nice images you guys. You are really showing off the A7R2.

Good idea on this thread Travis.

Jim

It is a really powerful tool, and after about 18 months with it, I am happier with it for landscape/portrait work than I have been with any other body...

Wow. Great photos. I have been thinking of getting one.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask...be glad to help where I can.

The images that come off the A7R2 are gorgeous! I'd love to switch from Canon to Sony, but I'm scared of the "star eater" situation that's going on. You have any issues with astrophotography on the Sony now?

Ryan, I think I had some issues before the revision to the Firmware, but they were minor. My MW image over Sparks Lane was shot with the Sony after the firmware update, and I don't feel like that sky lacks any stars...there are people much more technical and smarter than me that still maintain that its not really fixed...I wish I had another one with an older Firmware on it to test against, but I don't.

 

[Kevindar]

There are a few of us around. It will be fun to share tips.
I am very late to the game, having received my a7rII about 3 weeks ago. very happy with the detail it produces, and dynamic range. As I have gotten used to the interface, I am happy with it. righ t now, almost using it exclusively with canon lenses and an MBIV adapter
Rainbow falls
Rainbow Fall, Sierra by kevindar, on Flickr

Palos Verdes
flickr--4 by kevindar, on Flickr

 

[Bob Israel]

The images that come off the A7R2 are gorgeous! I'd love to switch from Canon to Sony, but I'm scared of the "star eater" situation that's going on. You have any issues with astrophotography on the Sony now?

Much has been made about the star eater algorithm. Recent firmware updates supposedly helped but some are not yet satisfied. I'm not saying it's not real or still an issue, but I've been pretty satisfied with my results. Here's one shot with the Zeiss Batis 18/2.8

 

[Travis Rhoads]

Great image Bob...the Batis 18 is a phenomenal lens, and for astro it really is a top performer.

 

[Bob Israel]

Thanks so much! The Batis 18 is a great lens for astro, however, I didn't like the focus by wire. I much prefer a lens like the Loxia 21 which hits infinity focus at hard stop. Sure, not as wide, but I find it easier to work with.

 

[Travis Rhoads]

Thanks so much! The Batis 18 is a great lens for astro, however, I didn't like the focus by wire. I much prefer a lens like the Loxia 21 which hits infinity focus at hard stop. Sure, not as wide, but I find it easier to work with.

A little trick to working with the B18...and I have confirmed this with the SharpStar filter. When in manual focus with the B18, rotate toward infinity, and just as it changes to the infinity symbol...that is the optimal focus setting for the B18...Ian Norman found the same to be true for his copy and I have found the same to be true for mine. And since you can see it in the dark...its actually pretty easy. I like that extra 3mm of FoV.

 

[Bob Israel]

I didn't keep the lens long enough to try that. Maybe I will in the future. I shoot with the Loxia and also the Rokinon 14/2.4 SP. I like this lens a lot too, especially for Astro. It's gone under the radar but it really is a fine optic . . . Much better than the 14/2.8

 

[Jim Dockery]

I've had an A7rII since it first came out. My 1st full frame pro level camera. I've been quite happy with it in respect to the sensor and many other technical aspects. Not so much with the menus, and have found that it seems to attract dust on the sensor more than other cameras I've owned. If changing lenses I try to clean it with a pocket-rocket and sensor brush just about every day.
This one was taken in Coyote Gulch, UT, Fall 2016. Batis 18mm

 

[Travis Rhoads]

I've had an A7rII since it first came out. My 1st full frame pro level camera. I've been quite happy with it in respect to the sensor and many other technical aspects. Not so much with the menus, and have found that it seems to attract dust on the sensor more than other cameras I've owned. If changing lenses I try to clean it with a pocket-rocket and sensor brush just about every day.
This one was taken in Coyote Gulch, UT, Fall 2016. Batis 18mm

View attachment 2238​

very nice! Yes, IQ is amazing and makes the little things like the menus tolerable. They made minor improvements in the a9, but not drastic. I agree, I think it does attract more duct, partially because there is not much space between the lens mount and the sensor, it is pretty exposed. But worth it, to be able to pull off images in one shot that would have required brackets on my old 5D2.

 

[Jim Dockery]

I also agree on the DR that you mention Travis. The above shot being an example. I've also been disappointed with the star eater issue and hope Sony will come out with a firmware fix that lets us turn it on or off.

Panorama from Samish Overlook, San Juan Islands Sunset.​

 

[Luvwine]

I am not sure how many others on the forum will be using Sony equipment. I am about 18 months into ownership of the A7R2 after experimenting with an A7R. I have loved it, and have been going native this year. So I thought this thread would be a good place to share tips, info, tricks or to ask questions about the Sony A7R2. Maybe share an occasional image used with the camera, something that shows off the range or capabilities of the camera.

To start it off, this image is the last image of 2016, Sunset on December 31. It shows what is possible with the DR the A7R2 has, exposing for the sky and sunset, while being able to recover the details under the pier without any loss of IQ. To this day, it still amazes me what is possible...
Under Topsail [EXPLORED] by Travis Rhoads, on Flickr

Agreed about dynamic range. It is the main feature that led me from Canon to Sony tho others like small size helped. Since we are both in Atlanta, we should shoot sometime!

Here is a shot that demonstrates good dynamic range to me, tho there are many others....

 

[Jim Dockery]

Nicely done Stephen. How did you process it? I've been shooting to the right then masking off the bright/sky area to bring back color and saturation along with adding an increase in exposure and lightening the shadows for the foreground. I often shoot an under exposed sky shot also (just in case) but most of the time I don't need to blend it in.

 

[Luvwine]

Thanks for your kind words. I will need to look to answer in detail, but I am pretty sure this is a single exposure. I often use the SR app even for landscapes as it allows one to push 2-3 stops in post without introducing any noise in the shadows (assuming one is combining 8-16 images). In this case, however, I suspect I exposed it as close to "correctly" per the histogram as possible. I often play with the lightroom sliders bumping up the shadows and lowering the highlights. If that is not enough, I will sometimes adjust the sliders for individual colors--usually decreasing the luminance in LR for a scene like this of the orange and yellow sliders, for example. Also, I sometimes will do a digital GND filter. The good thing with the A7rii dynamic range is one can be a stop or two more exposed than the "100%+ zebra and still recover the highlights in most cases. Note this is NOT true with the SR app as then one has to avoid any zebra indications (exposing for the highlights) but the ability to push in post makes this okay.

 

[Steve M]

The images that come off the A7R2 are gorgeous! I'd love to switch from Canon to Sony, but I'm scared of the "star eater" situation that's going on. You have any issues with astrophotography on the Sony now?

I shoot a lot of astro on a7r2.

While there seems to be issue....I believe it comes down to the sony implemented removing hot pixels . If you get an astro shot that has stars looking like hot pixels u can see they sometimes look close to stars that are not clear. I have found shooting with good lens and well focused the issue does not exist for me. In some of my post I remove stars in the milky way core to make the core more clear.....just my thoughts