SAR note: This is a guest post from Daniel Cook and has been first posted on SonyAlphaForum. All images are copyrightet and you can see more of Daniel’s pictures at http://www.danielcook.com and https://www.flickr.com/photos/62198876@N02/.
A7S + Voigtlander Nokton 35mm 1.2 field test by Daniel Cook.
I have spent a while trying to find a camera that works for me; I have a Canon 5D Mark III, but I find it too cumbersome and imposing on my subjects for general daily use.
Primarily I wanted a camera that would suit street photography in the way that I enjoy it, which is up close and personal. Two most recent cameras which took up this role were the Ricoh GR and Sony RX1R – whilst excellent cameras, I still wanted more. So I bought the Sony A7S and to go with it a [shoplink 33268 ebay]Voigtlander Nokton 35mm 1.2 II[/shoplink].
The Sony A7S doesn’t get a lot of press when it comes to still photography; this might be due to the 12MP sensor for which, I too, had reservations. I needn’t have been concerned, the image files have plenty of detail for my usage. The two key features of the A7S which attracted me most were the silent shooting mode and high-ISO handling. When I’m within 1 – 2 metres of my subject, silent shooting mode helps immensely, it goes a long way to reduce my interference with the scene so that I can capture it in it’s completely natural state.
The legendary high-ISO handling of the A7S is just amazing, whilst I use my Canon 5D Mark III for professional work if I need to shoot in low-light the A7S will do a much better job. The following image shot at f1.2 and ISO 51,200 with some noise reduction applied using Lightroom.
The high-ISO handling is not just useful for low light situations either, I often shoot high-ISO during the day for my street photography. My “hip-shooting walkabout street photography style” relies on zone-focussing and fast shutter speeds to capture spontaneous moments from people around me. Typically I use f8 and 1/1000th shutter speed, the shutter speed is enough to compensate for my movement and subjects moving across the frame at close quarters, this is why I rely on high-ISO to make up for the shortfall of light hitting the sensor, The A7S is quite simply the best at doing this and I welcome all the high-ISO handling that technology can throw our way, perhaps one day I will be shooting like this at night too.
I’ve only had the camera for a little under a month and think it will be a long-term addition to my equipment.
Here’s a small collection of images I’ve started to build up with the Sony A7S and Voigtlander Nokton 35mm 1.2 II combo.
You can follow my photography on http://www.danielcook.com and https://www.flickr.com/photos/62198876@N02/
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Voigtlander Nokton 35mm 1.2 II on [shoplink 33268 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
Sony A7s store links:
Sony A7s in USA/CA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony USA, Sony Canada.
Sony A7s in Eu at Sony DE, UK, ES, FR, IT, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, NO, FI, PL. And Wex UK.
A7s Gariz leather case in [shoplink 27569 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 27570 ebay]Brown (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 27571 ebay]Red (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 27572 ebay]Orange (Click here)[/shoplink].
61 Responses
Those are some nice photos. I especially like the photo of the car.
Was that taken at high ISO and relatively high shutter speeds?
That one is actually shot on low ISO, slow shutter – you can tell by the blurred flames in that shot, or by looking up the photo on Daniel’s Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/62198876@N02/16301347441/
I was wondering about the blurred flames but was not sure if slow shutter speeds will make it like that.
Just proves how inexperienced I am.
Thanks for that ^_^
A rope on fire hung vertically off a pole – walked around the back of the car during a long exposure. That’s how it was achieved 🙂
Cool, old-school stuff! Thanks for the post BTW.
Call me crazy but I had one problem with the picture: the numberplate! It turns it from a cool object into a car someone owns.
Thanks I’ll keep that in mind next time 🙂
The photographer has good eye but this subject is out of date like a deal on this site. Who cares!
Why? That keyboard picture didn’t impress you?
That’s deserved 🙂 just take it as an example of bokeh – I hadn’t had many suitable occasions to use 1.2
Although ostensibly, this website is for all things Sony Alpha, in point of fact it has quickly become the epicentre for E-Mount and A7 fanatics. There’s nothing wrong with being a fan or something, but when it develops into fanaticism it can be a very dangerous thing, as is evidenced by the responses I get whenever I comment on my preference for A-Mount.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this review receives the same negative comments. After all, the author clearly says: “I have a Canon 5D Mark III, but I find it too cumbersome and imposing on my subjects for general daily use. Primarily I wanted a camera that would suit street photography in the way that I enjoy it, which is up close and personal.” In other words, he uses his A7S for a very specific reason. He goes on to say: “… whilst I use my Canon 5D Mark III for professional work, if I need to shoot in low-light the A7S will do a much better job.” This would seem to indicate that his Canon is his “go-to” camera, and the A7S is for specific settings.
Like the author, I think the A7 series has great potential in general and is unbeatable in certain specific situations, but it certainly is not a “be all and end all” camera system. As a nature and landscape photographer I often hang large telephoto lenses off my camera. When shooting wild animals I also need extremely fast focus. Neither of these applications suggest an A7… yet.
If E-Mount and the A7 series work for you, that’s great. I fully acknowledge it is a great system. But please think before you post obnoxious remarks when someone has the audacity to say that it doesn’t work for them… yet.
I am with you. In this world of “My opinion is the only that count”- attitude it’s difficult to explain that the newest gadged as potential but isn’t there yet.
Ok mirrorless could be the future, but the future is not today.
A7 r/s technology would have had the same success in a Amount body such as a A77 or A99.
Even changing mount for compactness has ended in a cul-de-sac. Approx. same weigth and dimensions as a regular DSLR with less space for bottons and less ergonomic, not to mention battery life.
The only benefit is the ability to use other lens mounts (with focus by Sony on migration from Canon and Nikon)
In the end there is a body (or system) for every approach of photography.
For someone it is the tiny (unvisible) streetphotographer style of Cartier Bresson, for other it is a DSLR, for others a 8×10 wooden Large Format. The important thing is the possibility to have a choice and not be forced to enter a system only because it might representing the future yet to come .
Photography should be fun and enjoyment 😉
Back when we only had the iPad and iPhone as perfect systems they where considered “the” future, but the reality is: whatever works will be “a” future, nothing will ever be “THE” future because whatever works will be copied and improved on by the competition.
The Iphone at its release delivered all what the other phones had and much more. The A7x delievers less then a full grade DSLR thats the difference. It has the potential but is not there yet IMHO.
The first iPhone delivers nothing special, but it worked, just like the A7x. the iPhone only became interesting and close to what it promised at the start around version 5S
you are like a blind sitting in a tunnel talking about sunlight.
Well I would rather call me somebody who trys to see things as they are. The blind is somebody who takes things for granted only because he has heard it’s the future, it’s trendy. But it’s only MHO
Agreed, I’d be looking really hard at those new Canon 5D’s, 100-400 ll, 200-400 & 11-24 if I shot wildlife professionally The only reason I took Sony onboard was for the EVF & Video functionality, points oft missed by the flag wavers. Pick any high-pressure stills staff-job and you’d be remiss not going with a Canon, as the realtors like to say; SERVICE-SERVICE-SERVICE.
True and after I get my FS7 chances are I will be dropping the A7s and just keep the a6000 as a holiday snapshot camera. In general it takes better pictures then the A7S, or should I say more my eye pleasing pictures? Just did a side by side shoot with both, same lenses etc. got better results from the a6000. All with really nice sunlight off course. Whatever low light I might need for work, the FS7 can give me so no more need for the A7S and it’s messy handling. Back to canon for nature hobby.
You cannot compare the A6000 & A7S IMO, different beasties altogether. I thought the A7S would be my video-centric camera, WRONG. It’s probably the most versatile stills camera I’ve owned, it’s just rough around the edges for stills use. Realistically it’s probably a few generations away from being 5D stills polished.
Not quite with you there. If it wasn’t for my lenses I’d be shooting Nikon. I was never a Canon fan. It’s one of those visceral things. As for EVF, I don’t think they’re quite there yet either, unless you really don’t know what you’re doing. A good pentaprism still gives you the most accuracy.
>As for EVF, I don’t think they’re quite there yet either, unless you really don’t know what you’re doing<
VIDEO/MOTION – you'd know that if you knew what you were talking about! I realize that most on here are hobbyists shooting wildlife/nature/landscape but get with the program, this isn't 1996………..
I am a photographer… professionally trained. I do NOT shoot video. I have no doubt that an EVF is useful for video, but as a still photographer I strongly prefer a pentaprism, which can still give me more accuracy than an EVF. Yes, an EVF can give you a close approximation of what an image will look like, but I already know what it will look like. That’s why I went to school for 3 years and practiced for another 40+. 😉 Oh, and by the way, it may not be 1996, but it’s not 2096 either!
>I am a photographer… professionally trained. I do NOT shoot video<
You're not be the only one here ya knows…….
Two types of photographer out here today, those who shoot what they want when they want for amusement (they usually have other income from previous occupations/pensions) and those who rely SOLELY on income from photography (99% of wildlife shooters fall into the former category BTW). Which are you Gerry?
Video HAS TO BE on your dance card if you're a working pro *going forward* and expect to support yourself SOLEY in the visual arts. As does social media!!!!!!!
This is a nice video, you may enjoy it from a wildlife perspective.
http://youtu.be/NupzXUP1hqk
As to your description of the OVF & EVF, well that may work for you on the longer glass, but it certainly isn't the case on anything under 85mm and shot in poor light or into the light. Try working an 85L without the aid of a tether in a portrait shoot, tough-tough-tough, much easier off of an EVF, especially shooting in the field. You wonder why most studio pros tether????? OVF's are inherently INACCURATE!!!
Like I said in the previous comment, the A7S "stills wise" is probably two generations away from the 5D., that aint bad for a first gen product.
Well I rediscovered all my old manual glass because of the EVF option Sony offers, which was pretty cool after 40+ years of shooting. To shoot a perfect focus portret at F0.95 is something I would never try again with my 5DIII because the OVF is simply not capable of showing me the correct focus unless I replace it. Age, date, experience, whatever, it is all nonsense, what matters is what gives you the result you want the way you want them.
People don’t use EVF’s because they lack experience or schooling, usually it’s the other way around, people don’t look at EVF’s because they got experience and schooling and think they know it all.
I’m glad you don’t shoot video, a lot of photographers shoot video and they are terribly boring.
Could you clarify what you mean when you say a pentaprism gives you more accuracy?
EVFs are tiny, little LCD displays. They merely project a JPEG image onto a tiny screen. The image is downgraded to 8-bit, sRGB pixels. A pentaprism shows you the actual image, and the pentaprism on Sony’s A900 is acknowledged as one of the best in the business. It is simply superb. Although they may not haunt this site, there are a very large number of photographers who still prefer to see the real thing. Some day we’ll have an EVF that can match the quality of a pentaprism, but it’s NOT today. Contrary to what you will read in many of the responses here, there is a sound reason why Canon and Nikon have not jumped onboard yet.
ignore the flame bait, he’s always like that.
Have you actually used a camera with a modern, high refresh rate, high resolution EVF? Rent a Sony A7s or Olympus E-M1 or even better a Fujifilm X-T1… bright, clear and excellent for accurate manual focus…. Also, on my A7s I can frame a shot in almost complete darkness…. try that with a OVF….
Silvestro, I have 12 lenses, none of which require manual focus. My A900 does not have live view, but I can still frame a shot in almost complete darkness as well. I shoot stars and other astronomical bodies quite often. Oh, and I borrowed an A7R from a friend for a week. The images were fine, but I didn’t like the camera at all. Too tiny, too light and too slow to focus, It looks damn ridiculous behind my 70-200 2.8, you can barely see it behind my 150-600 and the combination is completely unbalanced. It’s a great street camera, but I don’t shoot street scenes very often. When I do I just use my RX100.
You might be right with the OVF accuracy. EVFs just beat OVFs in precision but lose the intuition and the connection with the subject. Still I see a certain advantage for EVFs if total control over manual focus lenses is needed. I had or have a schizophrenic relation towards my FF with OVF and the smaller system with EVF, don’t know which one is ‘better’. If weight and size is the issue, EVFs seem to be inevitable. For real photography seen as a intuitive, creative process, cameras with an OVF still serve better IMHO.
>but lose the intuition and the connection with the subject<
Yes!
This stuff is a three-way compromise going forward, stills, video & audio usability. It'll take a while for these hybrid cameras to get to the usability performance we have with say a modern 5D stills body.
Frankly a good EVF from Sony, FujiFilm and Olympus is indispensable for accurate focus…. plenty of people end up using live view to ensure accurate focus on a DSLR to avoid front and back focusing issues… and in the Sun have to use those ridiculous LCD loupe viewfinders…. EVF is the future…..
Have you tried? I have, for general photography I prefer the A600 now, after first preferring the A7S for everything. Yes I bought my A7S for video and it’s gorgeous dynamic range, but after shooting with bot the a6000 and A7s (with grip, the one thing the a6000 is lacking) the images from the a6000 where just nicer. yes the A7S is a more versatile camera, but like I said
“I will be dropping the A7s and just keep the a6000 as a holiday snapshot camera. In general it takes better pictures then the A7S”
Without grip both are awkward to hold with the 70-200, the a6000 has beter AF performance, makes a lot more noise and gives you cramps even quicker but with the silly little 16-50 on it, it becomes a nice pocket camera. Like I said: the minute I don’t need it as a video camera anymore, the A7S is out the door, I don’t even rate the fullframe option as that important anymore even after a decade of Canon FF goodness. If I want a true photographers camera, I would go back to the 5DIII, but I’m tired of all that heavy metal.
Like I tried telling Gerry, this stuff is so user specific, no point in trying to generalize it and fit in into one tiny box!
The A7S ****FOR ME**** has become a stills camera that I’ll often reach for in those moments where I think “there’s no way I could get a shot there, it’s too dark or my other kit is too obvious, too loud, to conspicuous.” And guess what, something always beats nothing.
Try tippy-toeing around a bunch of professional musicians with an A7R, A6000 or 5D3 etc. See how long it takes before you get 86’d.
We’re all different, no rights or wrongs, no absolutes……..
Ehm….. yes I know, all I said was I prefer the a6000 now. Is this becoming more and more a rant site or what? And yes the silent shoot mode is fantastic.
>You cannot compare the A6000 & A7S IMO, different beasties altogetherThe A7S ****FOR ME**** has become a stills camera that I’ll often reach for in those moments where I think “there’s no way I could get a shot there…………….<
I don't see where you're thinking this is a rant.
>You cannot compare the A6000 & A7S IMO, different beasties altogether<
You keep saying that, but that doesn't make it any more true. It's utter bollocks, as are most of the things you spout.
Just because YOU do not have a basic understanding of the tools of the trade doesn’t make something bollocks. Check in with the camera-club chairwoman next week, maybe she’ll enlighten you……………
@disqus_P1Y4cQoF30:disqus rather than being so defensive and trying a pretty lame put down why don’t you instead try and back up what you say with some facts or educated opinion. Unlike you, I don’t need enlightenment 🙂
Hmmmm, bs. You can compare the A6000 and A7s because they are both mirrorless, both EVF, both from sony, both E-Mount etc etc. What you can’t do with any useful purpose is compare either to a 5D, one’s an SLR with an optical viewfinder and a decade old legacy, the other is brand new and cutting edge. 5D for speed, A7 for extreme low light and old manual lens compatibility. You don’t buy a 5D and put 50 year old Leica lenses on it, but that’s exactly what I did with my A7ii
Good grief, the camera-club secretary has arrived. Here, watch, it may fill in a few gaps for you son!!!!!!!!
http://youtu.be/qzTwXGO9Km4
Yo Jesus, do you really use dat small evf to shoot video?
I completely disagree
1) “Although ostensibly, this website is for all things Sony Alpha, in point
of fact it has quickly become the epicentre for E-Mount and A7
fanatics.”
Answer: There is simply 10 times more E-mount cameras and lens news out there than A-mount. Sony is pushing E-mount primarly and therefore we have much more news about E-mount. Count also the fact that on E-mount you can use a whole bunch of third party lenses. As soon as Sony will release new A-mount stuff I am sure we will have a lot more talk, reviews and news about it to post on SAR!
2) “This would seem to indicate that his Canon is his “go-to” camera, and the A7S is for specific settings.”
And what’s wrong with that?
3) “but it certainly is not a “be all and end all” camera system.”
I fully agree on that. FE system is still not mature enought to compete against te A-mount system in the areas you mentioned.
I never suggested that the information posted was exclusively E-Mount and A7. I fully understand that you can only publish the information you get and new A-Mount news is few and far between. I was actually referring to those who reply to comments, and how they almost universally consider A-Mount users to be somehow Luddites, out of touch with the times… fools because we refuse to embrace E-Mount.
“almost universally consider A-Mount users to be somehow Luddites” – and how are you doing anything to change that? A-mount is dead, Sony is all about E-Mount and you just need to accept that. Refuse all you want, it doesn’t matter, eventually you’ll either run your camera until is drops apart or move to E-Mount if you stay with Sony.
Sony is E-Mount now, move along!
It’s a rumors site. If there are no rumors about A-mount, what do you expect?
Actually the A7S is my go to camera for daily shooting, I’m not a full-time professional photographer so paid gigs are few and far between, which is when I usually rely on the Canon. AF and flash lighting are the two main reasons I keep my DSLR, well that and never wanting to sell my 200mm f2 🙂
I don’t disagree that when it comes to speed of use, AF and robustness its hard to beat a Pro/Semi-Pro DSLR body. I have a Nikon D810 and love it. Its built like a tank and of course that fabulous 36mpix Sony sensor. For me its better than the A7R if only because of its uncompressed RAW capabilities. But frankly for the pure joy of Photography on the street and for travel nothing beats me A7s with m-mount Voigtlander (15mm, 25mm 50mm) and Minolta (90mm) lenses. Always with me and truly just a blast to use…
Hey this is SAR don’t be posting anything else that makes sense here, you will ruin the flow of stupidity.
http://www.gerrycurry.com
Really, that constitutes professional work in Sony toy town?
“I have a Canon 5D Mark III, but I find it too cumbersome and imposing on my subjects for general daily use.”
he wrote the sony is for “general daily use” in case you didn’t read that right the first time.
Definitely one of the best low light combinations on the market. The VM 35m 1.2 has that much sought after sharp and dreamy combination – was shocked at how well it resolves in the center wide open. But It wouldn’t be my first pick for an f8 and 1/1000 street solution based on its relatively bulk. Something like the Minolta m-rokkor 40/2 would be perfect – small, tab focusing, sharp when stopped down and reasonably priced.
Voigtländer also makes two much smaller and less expensive Nokton Classic rangefinder lenses. A 35mm f1.4 and a 40mm f1.4.
and yet your photography is $h1t
Is this voigtlander 35mm 1.2 a new lens or some old one? I would like to know. For what mount is it?
Google is your friend.
🙂
well done, nice combo, nice pics..
Thanks for sharing
Excellent photos, I recognise Clapham Junction station 🙂
I like the fire one. Would have been more interesting though if the car was on fire. Just saying.