I'm T, an editor at the gadget nerd who doesn't really like SLR cameras! Hello everyone! I said goodbye to my EOS 5D Mark II, which I'd loved for over ten years, and bought a new mirrorless SLR camera, the SONY α7 II.
As for the reason I replaced it, the main reason was that I desperately wanted a ``light'' camera for everyday use and work.
The new α7 II is so light! It was worth buying just for that lightness, but I also enjoyed many other benefits, so I would like to write about them in my review.
Later on, for some reason, the author bought a Nikon D3...
First of all, what is a mirrorless camera?
What is the difference between a single-lens reflex camera and a mirrorless camera?
The biggest difference is that mirrorless cameras do not have a "mirror" that projects an image onto a viewfinder part called a pentaprism. As a result, the large glass part called the pentaprism has also been eliminated.
As a result, the camera has been made significantly smaller and lighter.
By moving to mirrorless cameras, light can now enter the image sensor directly, which offers a variety of benefits that were not possible with previous SLR cameras.
This is the biggest difference from the EOS 5DMark II.
Five benefits of switching to the α7 II
If I get too technical, the blog will end there, so if you want to know more about the differences between SLR cameras and mirrorless cameras, please refer to this external website, which is easy to understand → What is the difference between SLR and mirrorless cameras?
Here I would like to write about the benefits of choosing the α7 II.
①Lightness is justice!
The camera I had been using until now, the Canon EOS 5DMark II and lens, EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM, were a very heavy combination, weighing over 2kg in total, and when I walked around with them hanging from my neck all day, they dug into my neck and caused pain.
Of course, the quality of this camera and lens is amazing, and it is still a great model that can be used actively today. I have introduced its greatness before.
But...I still want a lightweight camera...!
Here are the cameras and lenses I purchased after giving in to that desire:
The combination of the camera: SONY α7 II and the lens: SIGAM 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN weighs about 1kg. The difference is 800g! This difference is too big. Weight is an important factor for gadget lovers.
In fact, I didn't feel any pain even when I hung it around my neck all day. And the biggest thing is that it's now lighter, so I feel more comfortable taking it outside and taking pictures!
If it's heavy, you won't feel like taking casual snapshots.
That might have been fine if I was using it exclusively for work, but I wanted a lightweight camera because I also wanted to use it for leisure purposes.
Lightness is justice (∩´∀｀)∩ Yay!
This is the biggest advantage of mirrorless cameras.
②Vari-angle is really convenient
When the EOS 5D Mark II was released, the lower-end model had a vari-angle monitor, but it wasn't on the Mark II. Now that I've switched to the α7 II, I have a vari-angle LCD!
This is actually quite useful.
Until now, when I took pictures of subjects from low angles, I mostly just guessed, but this function has made low-angle shooting much easier. It is extremely useful for taking snapshots in the city or taking pictures of products in a photo booth.
3. Old lenses can be used in aperture-priority auto mode
This is another benefit of mirrorless cameras, but it's great to be able to use old lenses in aperture-priority auto mode.
All three lenses in the photo are old lenses with aperture rings and are designed for Nikon cameras, but they can also be used in aperture-priority auto mode when using a mount conversion adapter for Sony.
When I had the EOS 5D Mark II, I had to shoot in manual mode when using old lenses, but that was no longer an issue when I switched to the α7 II.
Manual shooting is fun when it comes to hobby photography, but when it comes to work, speed is everything, so this is a welcome benefit.
4. Capture images with the same bokeh and exposure as you see them
This is something that is common with compact digital cameras and smartphone cameras, but with conventional SLR cameras, you couldn't check the exposure or blur until you had finished taking the picture.
The EOS 5DMark II also allowed you to shoot while checking the exposure and bokeh in live view mode, but it had significant limitations that made it impractical.
With the advent of mirrorless cameras, the image can now be captured directly on the image sensor, making it possible to see the exposure and blur in real time.
Once you get used to this function, it's hard to go back to a SLR camera...^^;
⑤In-body image stabilization
This is a very welcome feature, and one that shows progress with the times.
The α7 II has 4.5 stops of image stabilization regardless of the lens type. There have been cameras with in-body image stabilization in previous SLR cameras, but 4.5 stops is really powerful...^^;
It makes you feel the progress of the times. That being said, the α7 II was released in 2014, so it's not a particularly new camera, but this image stabilization is definitely advantageous for shooting in dark places!
The EOS 5DMark II is a good camera, but I've always wanted in-body image stabilization, so I'm happy.
Here are three disadvantages that are a bit disappointing
I would also like to point out some slightly disappointing aspects of the SONY α7 II.
① Battery life is poor
Mirrorless cameras have a well-designed mechanism, but because the image sensor is constantly capturing images and the electronic circuits are constantly running, battery life is shorter than that of SLR cameras.
For someone like me who takes a lot of snapshots around town, battery life wasn't a big issue, but when you use it for work, that's not the case, so I quickly purchased an extra battery.
This problem appears to have been resolved in the successor model, the α7 III, by using a larger battery.
In this area, the EOS 5D Mark II wins by a landslide.
②It is a little difficult to hold
It's great that the camera has become smaller thanks to being mirrorless, but it also means that it's a little harder to hold compared to the EOS 5D Mark II, and because it's so small, your little finger has a little extra room to hold it.
It's not a fatal weakness, but I think it will bother some people.
The grip of the EOS 5D Mark II was solid, so there was no room for my fingers to get stuck, and best of all, that sticky grip is something the α7 II doesn't have.
By the way, there are parts available to solve this problem:
3) The EVF viewfinder is a little hard to see
The viewfinder of the EOS 5D Mark II cannot be said to make it easy to see the focus peak, to put it mildly.
This was its only weakness other than its weight.
So what about the α7 II, which has become a mirrorless camera with an LCD viewfinder? It's also hard to see the focus peak, and no matter how much I adjust the diopter, I don't think it's much easier to see than the EOS 5D Mark II...
It seems that the viewfinder resolution is even better on higher-end models of the α7, so I'm a little envious of that.
The lenses I put up for adoption this time and the lenses that joined the group
■ Lenses given to foster children
I recently purchased the α7 II and these are the lenses I gave away in order to buy a new lens.
From the left, there are three lenses: the SONY FE7-3.5/5.6-28mm OSS that came as a kit lens with the α70 II, the Canon MACRO LENS 100mm f2.8 USM that I have used for many years, and the Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 L USM.
■ Surviving lenses
Next are three lenses that I decided not to give up for adoption, but to continue using by using a mount adapter.
All of these lenses are for Nikon.
From the left...the Nikon Ai-s Micro Nikkor 55mm f2.8, which I will continue to use for product photography; the Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.4, which has beautiful depiction of dark areas and is particularly known for its unique bluish color; and finally the Nikon Ai-s Nikkor 20mm f2.8mm, which will come in handy when you want to take unique and unusual images.
These will surely be useful in the future too.
Newly purchased lenses
With the funds I earned, I purchased a new lens: the SIGMA 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN.
This lens has a focal length and F-number that are known as the big three lenses, yet it weighs only 470g and delivers sharp images even at wide open apertures.
Even when combined with the α7 II, it weighs only about 1kg, and I think there is no better combination as a standard zoom lens. I will post some sample photos using this lens in the next section, so please take a look.
Example photos
I took some street snapshots using the combination of the SONY α7 II and SIGMA 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN, so I'll post some example photos here.
However, I don't just shoot the photos straight from the camera; I take the RAW photos and develop them in Adobe Lightroom by adjusting the parameters to make them look like positive film.
*Click on the example photos to enlarge them.
Why didn't I buy the A7III?
If you've read this far, I'm sure many camera experts are wondering, "Why did you buy the α7 II instead of the α7 III?" The price difference between the α7 III and the α7 II is over 10 yen. A 10 yen difference in gadgets is quite large, isn't it?
The α7 III has made definite advances, such as improved ISO sensitivity, 4K video recording, and improved eye autofocus, but none of these features really appealed to me enough to justify the price difference.
Considering the above, if there is a difference of more than 10 yen, wouldn't you be happier if you bought the α7 II and used the remaining money for lenses?
So I chose the α7 II as my new camera. Buying a new gadget makes me feel good!
SONY α7Ⅱ Twitter reviews
For your reference, we have included some comments from α7 II users on Twitter.
I noticed that many Twitter users were enjoying using old lenses. If you want to enjoy the capabilities of a 35mm full-frame sensor, you need old lenses!
We will also post the impressions from the camera magazine "Digital Camera Watch" below.
The α7 series is generally an easy-to-use camera. As a digital camera, it has excellent response and operability, allowing you to shoot stress-free. Furthermore, the α7 II is equipped with in-body image stabilization, and is free from the constraints of shutter speed. It is a camera that makes it easy to concentrate on the subject without being overly concerned with operation.
Quote source:Digital Camera WATCH
Summary
This time I wrote about the α7 II in a style that recommended it, but the EOS 5D Mark II, which I regretfully gave up, is also a camera that is very applicable today.
If you don't mind the weight, I think you'll be better off buying a used EOS 5D Mark II, as it's better value for money.You can actually buy it on Amazon for around 3 yen ^^;↓
There is no right answer when it comes to choosing a camera.
But, I've loved the EOS 10D Mark II for 5 years, so I thought it was about time to review a new gadget camera.
I would like to use it carefully.
This has been brought to you by editorial staff member T!
Enjoy Gadget Life!
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✔ISO6400 is fine for me as a regular sensitivity, so the sensitivity tolerance of the 7III doesn't really appeal to me.
✔ I don't have the opportunity to shoot 4K videos as a hobby. For work, I use the SONY FS7.
✔I mainly take cityscape photos, so I don't need eye autofocus