Bernd Smid from our A7rIII group tested the [shoplink 65175 ebay]Nikon 400mm f/3.5[/shoplink] autofocus performance using the [shoplink 65176]Techard adapter[/shoplink]:
And here is an autotofocus test with the Canon 85mm:
Kai: “Sony’s latest water-resistant, shock-resistant camera looks set to be tough competition for the GoPro Hero 6 with its bigger 1″ sensor and S-Log2 but can it outdo the most popular action camera around?”
And here is the RX0 presentation video from Sony Europe:
Evan sent me his latest video showing INCREDIBLE tethering speeds of the a7RIII:
Shooting tethered with the Sony a7RIII over USB-C to a Microsoft Surface Book 2, using Profoto B1 lights, I test the tether speed of single shot for the first part of the shoot and then burst speed in the second part.
Does the Sony A7R III deserve the hype and excitement it has been getting across the photo community? After several days shooting with it and numerous hours working with both photos and videos produced by it, I have to say yes, it absolutely does. The Sony A7R III does a fantastic job addressing the concerns fans of the A7R II had, while simultaneously introducing new features perhaps few asked for. It’s pretty clear that Sony was actively listening and taking notes on what improvements they needed to make to their third-generation A7R camera. This is probably the first camera I’ve personally ever shot with that feels like a true advancement in areas in which its predecessor was decidedly weak.
The camera is faster and more responsive than the a7RII in almost every way, which translates to greater confidence and less tension when shooting an event. That seems to include the autofocusing, although I can’t be sure without a real test.
I mean, what is there to not like. Anything that isn’t that great about the Sony a7r III can be overcome and in no way do I see it being a burden in the long run. The Sony a7r III is replacing my Sony a7 as my main camera, although I still still keep the original due to just how good it still is. I recommend the Sony a7r III for working professionals and semi-professionals. And if you get it, I strongly recommend using it with Capture One to make the most of it.
Opticallimits (former known as Photozone) tested the [shoplink 65031]Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens[/shoplink]. And the conclusion is a bit disappointing:
It isn’t easy to come to a conclusion about the Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA. Technically it has some weaknesses but then we have seen these weaknesses in other representatives of this class (high-speed wide-angle primes). The resolution characteristic is great in the image center straight from f/1.4. However, the image corners are not that hot till about f/2.8. Now does that matter from a real-world perspective? Usually, it doesn’t. If you use the lens at large apertures, the corners are rarely of relevance and, most likely, not on the same focus plane as your main subject anyway. So if you require such a fast 35mm prime lens, the Zeiss is certainly worth a look. However, if you are willing to look beyond the mainstream, you may also check out the new Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 FE although keep in mind that Samyang doesn’t really have the best record when it comes to centering quality.
I can’t wait to see Sigma releasing their 35mm f/1.4 lens. If rumors are correct this lens will be also smaller than the Zeiss which for me (as a hiker) is very important.
One of the new A7rIII “features” that reviewers seem to not have talked a lot about is the new “color performance”. Gordon from CameraLabs just posted the full A7rIII review and wrote this:
“The A7r Mark III may share the same 42 Megapixel full-frame sensor as its predecessor, but Sony’s processing is much improved with far better-looking JPEGs out-of-camera”
Sony have been criticized in the past for not being on par with Canon/Nikon when it comes to JPG color performance. While this is also a matter of personal taste it’s great to see Sony working and improving the JPG engine.
And today Dpreview posted a Nikon D850 vs Sony a7R III comparison. The conclusion:
As we said earlier in this slideshow, you can no longer summarily decide which camera is going to be better for a given situation, based simply on whether it’s Mirrorless or a DSLR. But with these two cameras it’s near impossible to find any situation in which one definitively outshines the other. Landscapes? the DR differences are small enough that it comes down to a question of whether the weight difference or the built-in intervalometer swings it for you. The Sony is better at video in several respects, but if video isn’t your primary concern, the D850 makes it so easy (out of the box) to jump from stills to video to stills that even that’s not going to be a decisive victory for those just shooting the odd clip. What’s most striking about both cameras is how good they are across a range of subjects and shooting types, making them very hard to tease apart. The differences in video and in the areas of autofocus in which each excels (the Nikon for action, the Sony for pictures of people), apart there’s no clear winner. This isn’t fence-sitting on our part: they’re genuinely two of the best cameras the world has ever seen.
And ThatCamer1Guy posted his first impression review:
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