Pedro Collares – Voice & Hang from Rafael Lopes on Vimeo.

This is the fourth part of the SAR readers legacy lens test roundup. Thanks for sending me all your work and reviews at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com!

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Roy Teo:
“I have been a Canon shooter for the past few years and have been shooting the 5Dmk3 for the last 2 years with various L lenses. However, recently i made the big decision and switched to the Sony A7R. I sold all my Canon gear and bought into the Sony system. Most recently, i did my very first shoot with the A7R. No major editing was done as i was still experimenting with the Sony camera as it is vastly different from anything i’m used to on a Canon.
Comparing to the Canon, the major difference was the AF method. The face detection works flawlessly and unlike the Canon where you have to select the focus point, on the A7R, the face detection does everything for you.
The magnification and peaking mode worked amazingly for manual focusing.
The resolution of the raw files are better than anything i was used to on the Canon.I did not have to adjust the level much in order to get the image exposed correctly.
The captured image is accurate straight out of the camera. The dynamic range is better than the Canon files I was used to.
To sum it up, I am really happy i made the switch. It’s lightweight and handles files way better than the 5D3.
Although the AF is slower and continuous focusing doesn’t keep up, for my line of portrait shooting, those do not matter. Resolution and dynamic range and colour tones matter more and in this aspect, this is where the A7R truly shine unlike any other camera i have used.
This is a set of photos taken during a test shoot with the A7R and 3 different lenses.
The Zeiss FE35mm F2.8
The Zeiss 135mm F1.8 A-mount with LEA4 adapter and
The [shoplink 22851 ebay]Canon FD 55mm F1.2 (here on eBay)[/shoplink].
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.479300242187334.1073741850.266838383433522&type=1”

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Gerald: “Hi Andrea! This has got to be the first wedding shot with the new Sony A7r and A7 using Leica manual lenses!!! They ate the first unit owners here in the Philippines! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.605369739499836.1073741832.468714236498721&type=1”

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Darren: “I’m an architecture and landscape photographer from Singapore. I’ve had the A7R for two weeks now and am happy to say it will replace my Canons for any architectural work I need to do. I’ve written a short report on using the 7R together with some real world images published on the Invisiblephotographer.asia site here: http://invisiblephotographer.asia/2013/12/14/sonyalphaa7r-darrensoh/”

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Nicolas: “I’ve found some great infos on sonyalpharumors before buying A7R, and have write something that could interest you:
http://www.nicolasgenette.com/blog/sony-a7r-for-canon-users/”

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Franky: “Minolta MD on A7: http://forum.mflenses.com/minolta-rokkor-lens-with-sony-a7-t63296.html”. Minolta MD lenses on [shoplink 23631 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

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Mike Kobal: “nikkor super wide on a7, a7r: http://www.mikekobal.com/blog/?p=10083“. Nikkor lenses on [shoplink 23632 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

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Sunil: “I am regular reader at your site. I got my A7R a few weeks ago and though I have not had the chance to shoot extensively with it, I have had the opportunity to shoot a few images with it. I was primarily a DSLR shooter using a D700 + 24-70 setup and after I received my A7R I am yet to use the D700 :-) I am really impressed with what Sony has done. This is a breakthrough imaging making device. No question. Is it perfect ? No. I cannot fathom how Sony did not include a charger and the battery life is atrocious. Having said that it does the one thing that it is supposed to do really well. Make wonderful images. The manual focus on this camera is a dream. It has an amazing EVF. I don’t miss the OVF at all. I am yet to shoot with my other Leica lenses (28 and 90 Elmarit). So far, I have shot the images using a Novoflex adapter and a modern Summicron 50 (11816). I love this setup and now take it everywhere with me. It makes for a superb portable system.
Images at http://discretememories.com/cameras-and-lenses/the-sony-a7r-is-a-fine-travel-camera/”

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Michal:

“the second part of the non-FF lenses and adapters: http://per-analogia.blogspot.com/2013/12/a7-i-obiektywyadaptery-nie-kryjace-ff.html
This time Lens Turbo was tested and a comparison of A7 + FD lenses versus NEX-5N + Lens Turbo + FD lenses was made.
First part of the test: http://per-analogia.blogspot.com/2013/12/A7crop.html Third part is coming soon.
A7 + Sigma 30mm f/2.8 short test: http://per-analogia.blogspot.com/2013/12/a7-sigma-30mm-f28-dn.html”

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Pedro: “I have now tested the A7r with 3 different Zeiss 35mm lenses (Zeiss FE 35mm Distagon, Zeiss Contax 35mm Distagon, Zeiss Jena 35mm Flektogon) and the Leica 35mm Elmarit. The images are posted to Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lastingimages/sets/72157638858397944/”

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Pascal: “here’s a little article that presents the M vs R lens choice on the A7r. I own quite a few Leica-R lenses and love them to bits: http://www.dearsusan.net/2013/12/19/188-leica-m-or-leica-r-which-red-dot-for-your-sony-a7r/“

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Specs and Preorders in US and Canada:
Dedicated Sony announcement page at Amazon US (Click here).
Sony A7r body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 24-70mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 55mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
70-200mm A-mount at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony A to E adapter with mirror at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
A7/A7r leather case at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
A7/A7r vertical grip at Amazon, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony W Series Battery Charger at Amazon, BHphoto.
Sony FA-CS1M Off-Camera Shoe at BHphoto.
Semi-Hard LCD Screen Protector for A7-A7r at Amazon, BHphoto.

Specs and Preorders in Europe:
Sony A7r body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,  WexUK, WexDE.
Sony A7 body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit Sony  DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.
Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,
Zeiss 55mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT
Zeiss 24-70mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT
Sony G 28-70mm lens at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO.

Asia:
A7r at Digitalrev.
A7 at Digitalrev, Amazon Cina.
A7 with 28-70mm lens at Digitalrev.

Sony-BTS A7R from Cutting Edge on Vimeo.

So, who develops RAW files better for the new Sony A7, A7r? (It’s not Adobe) -> LeicaBoss.
A7r review at SonyAlphaLab.
Full review of the A7 has been posted at Admiring Light.
Full review of the Zeiss 35mm FE lens at Admiring Light.
A7r unboxing series on Flickr.
Nice A7r with Leica Lens images at Mapcamera.

Chandler: “Here’s a short video shot on the a7r: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P-cUXvGxi8 A full behind the scenes of that film, and sample photos taken with the a7r, are here: http://www.longshotfilmstudios.com/1/post/2013/12/sony-a7r-short-film-sample-photos.html”

Hatem: “I’ve been a regular visitor and reader of your site, and have just published an article which could be of interest to your readers about the great experience using the Sony A7R together with the Sony Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 Lens and Sony LA-EA4 Adapter. You may be interested in sharing it. Link: http://shapedbylight.com/2013/12/25/shooting-the-sony-a7r-with-the-sony-zeiss-135mm-f1-8-lens-and-sony-la-ea4-adapter/”

Florian: “I’ve browsed the Web and found this little but very nice review of the A7. The lady who was giving it a try is a great photographer and uses mainly middle format and film. The results from her shoot with the A7 are beautiful and she seems to be quite impressed with our tiny little camera. Don’t know if it’s worth a news, but I think it’s great to see middle format photographer having a great time using the A7. The link is here: http://blog.micmojo.com/2013/sony-a7/”

Thododoris: “I took an A7r sample with me on a mountain trip – images here: http://thodorismarkou.com/blog/2013/12/winter-solstice-sony-a7r/
…all the images were shot at aperture-priority mode and AWB, and I really liked the fact that I didn’t have to do any post-processing – the camera got the metering and the white-balance perfect every time. The focusing was a breeze, too – it never slowed me down.
I’ve also included two RAW files, which will be available for a week.”

Anonymous: “Hi Andrea! This has got to be the first wedding shot with the new Sony A7r and A7 using Leica manual lenses!!! They ate the first unit owners here in the Philippines! You might want to feature them. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.605369739499836.1073741832.468714236498721&type=1”

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Specs and Preorders in US and Canada:
Dedicated Sony announcement page at Amazon US (Click here).
Sony A7r body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 24-70mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 55mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
70-200mm A-mount at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony A to E adapter with mirror at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
A7/A7r leather case at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
A7/A7r vertical grip at Amazon, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony W Series Battery Charger at Amazon, BHphoto.
Sony FA-CS1M Off-Camera Shoe at BHphoto.
Semi-Hard LCD Screen Protector for A7-A7r at Amazon, BHphoto.

Specs and Preorders in Europe:
Sony A7r body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,  WexUK, WexDE.
Sony A7 body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit Sony  DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.
Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,
Zeiss 55mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT
Zeiss 24-70mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT
Sony G 28-70mm lens at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO.

Asia:
A7r at Digitalrev.
A7 at Digitalrev, Amazon Cina.
A7 with 28-70mm lens at Digitalrev.

SAR reader Stilgar posted a big A7r ($2300) vs Leica M240 ($7000) comparison. As we have seen from previous tests the Leica still shows a better corner performance also because Leica provides Lens correction and the Sony doesn’t. In all other areas (High ISO, color, resolution) the A7r is definitely better. Still, I would love Sony to deliver a cameras as well built and as elegant as a Leica M :)

Here are the tests:
Iso comparison here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/stilgarnaib/11242509894/in/set-72157638420888705
M-mount lenses here, center crop and corner crop too : http://www.flickr.com/photos/stilgarnaib/sets/72157638447272734/
One for noise performances : http://stilgar-photo.blogspot.ch/2013/12/sony-a7r-vs-leica-m.html
One for the 18SE performances : http://stilgar-photo.blogspot.ch/2013/12/sony-a7r-vs-leica-m-part-02-leica-super.html
One for the Cron35 : http://stilgar-photo.blogspot.ch/2013/12/sony-a7r-vs-leica-m-part-03-leica.html
One for the Voigt 35 1.2 : http://stilgar-photo.blogspot.ch/2013/12/sony-a7r-vs-leica-m-part-03-voigtlander.html
One for the noctilux f1 : http://stilgar-photo.blogspot.ch/2013/12/sony-a7r-vs-leica-m-part-06-leica.html
One for the Cron75 APO : http://stilgar-photo.blogspot.ch/2013/12/sony-a7r-vs-leica-m-part-06-leica-apo.html
And one for the resolution : http://stilgar-photo.blogspot.ch/2013/12/sony-a7r-vs-leica-m-part-07-quid-de-la.html

Links to the tested lenses:
Leica Super-Elmar 18 ASPH for f3.4 to f16 [shoplink 23445 ebay](lens here on eBay)[/shoplink].
Leica Summicron 35 ASPH from f2 to f16 [shoplink 22603 ebay](lens here on eBay)[/shoplink].
Voigtlander Nokton 35 Aspherical 1.2 II from f1.2 to f16 [shoplink 23446 ebay](lens here on eBay)[/shoplink].
Leica Noctilux 50 f1 from f1 to f16 [shoplink 23447 ebay](lens here on eBay)[/shoplink].
Leica APO-Sumicron 75 ASPH from f2 to f16 [shoplink 23448 ebay](lens here on eBay)[/shoplink].

The shutter vibration measured by Beforethecoffee

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There has been a great discussion about the possible Sony A7r vibration issue posted here on SAR by John Holmes. But SAR reader Ferrell McCollough doesn’t seem to see it this as a real issue. On Beforethecoffee (Click here) he writes:

“I found that there is no discernible difference between an image taken with a strobe while the shutter was open for 10 seconds ie. no shutter vibration and a normal exposure with shutter vibration. I checked with a 35mm FE lens and a Nikon 85mm 1.4 and metabones adapter. I also did not see any difference in the A7R mounted on a sturdy tripod or resting on a table top. Both had image quality matching the strobe image with no shutter vibration.
I feel very comfortable in my conclusion that the A7R is not losing image quality due to shutter vibration.“

Here are pix of the three parts I will use, prior to their heading off to the local machine shop yesterday.

Guest post by Joseph Holmes.

Unfortunately, Sony has a problem with the A7R which is serious for a significant segment of uses, involving longer lenses on a tripod, and especially lenses which are connected via a lens foot or adapter foot to the tripod. The first curtain shutter shake is too great to avoid motion blur in many longer-lens situations. A firmware update to provide an option to add a delay between the two motions of the first curtain would be a big help, but might not be enough to solve the problem entirely.

Lloyd Chambers at DigLloyd.com, and two more of us (including myself), in separate series of carefully done experiments, have found consistent, clear and certain proof of a serious issue with the camera bouncing too much during exposures at various speeds, typically 1/100th of a second being the worst. The shutter shake seems, if anything, to be worse than when the same lens is connected to a Canon 5D II with full mirror slap. The motion is primarily in the direction of the shutter: up and down with a horizontal image and side to side with a vertical image (see samples below).

This happens more with longer lenses and more with lenses where the camera itself is not mounted directly to the tripod, rather the lens is mounted via its own foot, or its mounted to the foot of an adapter, so the camera is at the end of a “branch” sticking out in space, unsupported so that it is more readily made to shake. The further the mounting point is from the camera’s sensor plane, the worse the motion blur in the capture. And it is also highly dependent on the shutter speed, with longer exposures like 1/4 and longer being unaffected and the worst blur usually occurring at 1/100th of a second (strangely). Lloyd also observed a sudden up-tick in motion blur at 1/500th with a Leica 280 mm lens. I have been seeing the problem at focal lengths between 120 and 160mm (the longest lens I have which will work on the camera at the moment), as has my friend Mike Schultz, with exposures between 100 mm and 280 mm. Our results and observations are in close agreement.

I just tried a series of hand-held exposures with a fairly light weight, f3.5 150mm non-native lens at both 1/100th and 1/160th, in both horizontal and vertical position, and there was no clear pattern of shutter vibration causing movement in the direction of shutter movement, at either shutter speed. Some where sharp, some obviously moved. So that’s good, as this implies that the self-induced vibration is not necessarily affecting hand-held cameras, for whatever reason.

It has also been conclusively shown by Lloyd’s testing that the electronic first curtain of the A7 eliminates all of this pernicious camera shake. (Unless there is another important difference between the two shutters, where the second curtain of the A7R blurs the exposure as it’s closing and that of the A7 other does not, which seems very unlikely.)

Further, Mike and I have shown that attaching a certain amount of weight to the camera can solve the problem completely. We are building 24-ounce weights (including the weight of a small, Arca-Swiss type screw-knob clamp, the L-plate and a metal block) to connect to the base of the camera when using longer lenses, especially when they are not native lenses with the camera connected directly to the tripod. I tested a 26-ounce weight, screwed to the bottom of the camera for horizontal exposures and found it highly effective. Mike tested a 24-ounce metal weight screwed directly to the base of the camera and it was highly effective for both horizontal and vertical camera position. If an L-plate such as the new one from Really Right Stuff, and a compact screw clamp are combined with a block of metal, the metal would need to weigh only about 17 ounces and can therefore be a piece of brass or stainless steel about 1 x 1.25 x 3″ long with simply a hole drilled through the middle in the short direction, or drilled through, up to a quarter inch behind the middle, because the shutter is about 1/4″ ahead of the tripod screw hole of the camera and moving the bar forward a bit would center it right beneath the shutter for optimal effect. Such a piece of stainless will weigh about 17 oz, so combined with the L-plate and clamp, the total is 24 ounces. A piece of brass would, depending on the alloy chosen, probably weight 1 or 2 ounces more. 13 ounces doesn’t work very well at all. We have not tried a series of several different weights, owing to the inconvenience of performing such tests, but a total weight of 24 ounces is looking at least close to ideal

I suspect that when the Sony G 70-200 f4 OSS lens appears, we will find that even at 200mm on a tripod, it is little affected by this malady, because the shake is well prevented by the Arca-Swiss style clamp on the tripod head with the camera directly connected via the base of an L-plate to the tripod. When mounting the same lens on its tripod foot for better weight balance and less strain on the lens mount (the 70-200 lens is only 840 grams so it’s not too heavy to mount directly and have the camera support it), the vibration issue is very likely to be worse, and may show motion at speeds close to 1/100th, especially when closer to 200 mm, or they may not be bad enough to notice. We’ll see.

But Sony needs to address this critical issue, which is preventing many uses of the camera from allowing us to get sharp pictures, except by using the dead weight. Notice that of all the samples published on the web, there have been few, if any, longer lens captures, and the method of connection to the tripod and use of adapters can have a big impact on the result.

In no case have I seen motion at focal lengths of 85 mm and below, even when adapting the lens to the camera and supporting the assembly by the adapter’s foot. Native lenses may be fairly safe from obvious movement out to 150mm when the camera is mounted directly to the tripod, at all shutter speeds, horizontal or vertical camera, but only testing them will tell. Vertical is apt to be worse, however.

We very much hope that Sony changes the firmware so as to allow an option to introduce a delay between the closing of the first curtain and the opening of the first curtain, to begin the exposure. It would appear that this delay would be very effective at diminishing the additional effect of the first motion of the first curtain to nearly nothing if it is only as long as 1/10th of a second, and would be a substantial improvement if it were even a delay of just 1/40th of a second, as evidence shows that this vibration is dampened very quickly. Or they could, with a new soft shutter option, require a double push of a remote to trip the shutter in this special mode. About half the vibration would remain, but it would be a big help to reduce it by half.

Leica did provide a special solution, something very much like this with the M240, I gather. It is certainly unfortunate that we didn’t get an electronic first curtain option with the A7R, and it remains mysterious why it didn’t happen. Hopefully a follow on camera will not omit this vital feature for tripod work with a very light weight camera. But in the meantime a modest firmware update could solve the problem ABOUT half way and help a lot. All of my tripod-shooting photographer friends care about this issue a great deal. The whole point of the camera is defeated if its fine detail is ruined by shutter shake.

Here are two examples made by Mike (100% sections). The first is the Nikkor 70-200 f4 VR lens at 1/100th and 800 ISO at 180 mm, the A7R turned vertical, and the lens connected to a sturdy tripod via the lens’ foot. The second is with the 24-ounce brass weight screwed directly into the tripod hole of the camera (no L-plate or clamp). These results (the one with the shake) are typical of what all three of us are seeing. Shorter lenses are better, longer are worse. And this lens, if the camera+lens had been mounted directly to the tripod, might have given a fine result, or a least a much less damaged result.

When the camera is hanging out on the end of the camera-lens mass, it is very readily moved by small forces!

Addendum:
As an addendum to my letter about the shutter vibration issue, I wanted to mention that my friend Mike and I have discussed what would be an optimal solution for Sony to allow the two movements of the first curtain to be separated in time, so as to cut vibrations during the exposure by roughly half.

After considering various options, we prefer a mode which would work exactly like a conventional MUP (mirror up) mode. When this “Delayed Shutter” mode is enabled, the first press of the shutter release (on a remote or on the camera) would cause the first shutter curtain to close, ending live view. The second press would then begin the exposure sequence by opening the first curtain, which is then followed by the second curtain closing, then re-opening to again begin live view.

I think we would find that even with a shutter speed of 1/100th of a second and the camera turned to vertical (portrait) position, that a delay between the two presses of as little as 1/4 second would still achieve the full benefit of the Delayed Shutter mode. Click, click. Simple, fast, and familiar to all of us tripod users. This would still be faster than the traditional process, where we wait 2 to 6 seconds after mirror up for the camera to calm down before starting an exposure where fine detail matters a lot. This approach, rather than inserting a fixed delay, would also allow us to choose precisely when we want the exposure to begin, which is important in many cases. It just wears out the shutter button on the remote twice as fast, along with the battery of a wireless remote.  :-)  Fully sharp results with longer lenses may still require the use of a dead weight as described, but only testing will tell.  The weight seems to be highly effective, but cameras can wiggle lots of different ways and some setups may not even work just right with the weight at some shutter speeds, after a firmware fix.  I sure hope they do as I really like this camera.  I’ve been waiting a very long time for a camera that can do what it does

Regards,

Joseph Holmes

Kensington, California

Without the dead weight, camera vertical, so shake is left-right:

With the weight attached, everything else the same:

Editor’s note: This is a SAR readers article. Submit your articles at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com if you want them to be posted here. Thanks!

Image courtesy: ThePhoBlographer

New tests:
Sony Zeiss 50mm f1.4 tested on the A7r at ThePhoBlographer.
Canon 5D Mk III vs. Sony A7 vs. LEICA M typ 240 by Ken Rockwell (As you can see corner performance sucks).
Shock News! Sony make decent kit lens – The 28-70mm and the Sony A7 (Soundimagesplus).
A7r test at Focus Numerique (google translation here).
Trey Ratcliff reviews the A7r at StuckinCustoms.
A7-A7r test at Japanese DC.watch.
A7 and A7r hands-on at Bestmirrorlesscamerareviews.
Magnus Lindbom, a Swedish landscape photographer are trying out the Sony A7R.
A7r with Zeiss Otus at The.me.
A7r Shutter sound as Waveform.
The Sony compression causes artifacts. It needs to be brought to light. Digilloyd and others are finding these.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1260660
http://www.flickr.com/photos/110671606@N08/
Videos showing Moiree on the A& and A7R (one and two).
Non-scientific images with the Zeiss FE 55mm/1.8 and a Nikon 50mm/1.8 in a small studio setting at MichaelRommel.com.

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Specs and Preorders in US and Canada:
Dedicated Sony announcement page at Amazon US (Click here).
Sony A7r body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 24-70mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 55mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
70-200mm A-mount at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony A to E adapter with mirror at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
A7/A7r leather case at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
A7/A7r vertical grip at Amazon, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony W Series Battery Charger at Amazon, BHphoto.
Sony FA-CS1M Off-Camera Shoe at BHphoto.
Semi-Hard LCD Screen Protector for A7-A7r at Amazon, BHphoto.

Specs and Preorders in Europe:
Sony A7r body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,  WexUK, WexDE.
Sony A7 body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit Sony  DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.
Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,
Zeiss 55mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT
Zeiss 24-70mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT
Sony G 28-70mm lens at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO.

Asia:
A7r at Digitalrev.
A7 at Digitalrev, Amazon Cina.

Video review by TheVerge

The team from The Verge tested the new A7 and A7r cameras and their conclusions are very…radical:

Just like the first iPhone that didn’t have copy and paste, the first Mustang that didn’t have basics such as reverse lights, and the first Converse All Stars that didn’t even have Chuck Taylor’s signature on them, the first full-frame interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras are by no means perfect. But they are so much more advanced in both design and performance than other cameras that they already belong in the conversation.
It might be a few years before we realize it, but when the DSLR is relegated to a niche status among specialty photographers and full-frame mirrorless cameras dominate the market, we’ll have the a7s to thank as the cameras that started it all.

Couldn’t agree more! The A7 and A7r are by no means perfect (slow af, slow FPS, ugly corner performance with many wide angle lenses and so on). But they are the milestone for a new path int he camera industry. And Sony is leading the way!

Important: The Lens Compensation APP has been updated for the A7-A7r. And Apple Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 5.02 adds support for the A7-A7r.

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Specs and Preorders in US and Canada:
Dedicated Sony announcement page at Amazon US (Click here).
Sony A7r body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 24-70mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 55mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
70-200mm A-mount at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony A to E adapter with mirror at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
A7/A7r leather case at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
A7/A7r vertical grip at Amazon, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony W Series Battery Charger at Amazon, BHphoto.
Sony FA-CS1M Off-Camera Shoe at BHphoto.
Semi-Hard LCD Screen Protector for A7-A7r at Amazon, BHphoto.

Specs and Preorders in Europe:
Sony A7r body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,  WexUK, WexDE.
Sony A7 body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit Sony  DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.
Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,
Zeiss 55mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT
Zeiss 24-70mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT
Sony G 28-70mm lens at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO.

Asia:
A7r at Digitalrev.
A7 at Digitalrev, Amazon Cina.