Engadget reviews the RX10 an says it’s the “best fixed-lens camera we’ve ever used”

We all like interchangeable lens mount cameras but if you need one solid camera that can do 99% of the things you will ever do than the Sony RX10 will be the right camera for you. Engadget says:

Ultimately, we love the Sony RX10. In fact, we struggled to populate the cons section down below with anything other than a high price tag. But your $1,300 goes a very long way here, and if you need to capture sharp images and full-HD video clips in pretty much any lighting condition, with a vast focal range, you’d be hard pressed to find a more suitable shooter. This is the best fixed-lens camera we’ve ever used, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the RX10 Mark II, whenever that comes about, is the only comparable model worth considering.

Overall the Sony RX camera series is almost flawless. The RX1/R have a super lens fitted on a super small camera with super silent shutter. Te RX100 and RX100II are by far the best small compact camera to date and the RX10 is the only f/2.8 zoom camera with a decent sized sensor (unlike the competition which uses tiny sensors).

And on SAR you read many critics on Alpha A and E-mount cameras. But when it comes to talk about an RX cameras people never complains :)

RX10 store links:
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.

Also the 35mm Zeiss FE gets Dxomarked: Second best tested 35mm lens ever.

DxOmark (Click here) tested the Zeiss 35mm FE lens. The lens is the second best lens teste after the Sigma 35mm and Samyang f/1.4 lenses. These lenses score better mainly because of the greater Transmission (they ahve a much larger aperture). It has not the stellar performance of the Zeiss 55mm FE but the 35mm Fe is also made to be compact and not to be the best 35mm lens on market. And that’s exactly what DxO writes in their conclusion:

Although the Zeiss FE Sonnar T* 35mm f2.8 ZA doesn’t have the consistent performance and sharpness in the outer field of its sibling the ZE Sonnar T* 55mm f1.8 ZA, the fact that it is very close to the Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG HSM A in IQ (over the same aperture range) is a plus. On the downside, it lacks that model’s versatility in low light, naturally, but at least it’s a fraction of the size and weight and complements the small size and inherent portability of the A7 models.

P.S.: Also Lenscore (Click here) tested the 55mm and 35mm Zeiss FE lenses.

Zeiss 35mm FE store links:
USA: Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Europe: Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,

Zeiss 5mm FE:
USA/Canada: Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonyStore US and Sonystore Canada.
Europe: Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT

A7-A7r news and reviews roundup…

EOSHD Sony Shootout Part 1 – RX10, A7R, FS100, RX1 from Andrew Reid on Vimeo.

This is a new roundup of the many reviews and tests made by our SAR readers:

A7r review at EosHD:

“Enthusiasts will love the stills but are better served by the 5D Mark III or Panasonic GH3 for video. Stills users should also seriously consider the Olympus E-M1 for the superior ergonomics, native lens range and AF. Yet the A7R is ultra-special in terms of outright stills quality with 36MP resolution and 14 stops dynamic range, combined with the ability to use almost any traditional SLR lens via an adapter.”

Full A7 review at Focus Numerique (French)
A7r with Nokton 21mm review at SLRclub (Korean).
Zeiss 35mm FE lens review at Cetus (German).
A7/A7R Light leaks at Sony community.
White Orb problem ont he A7? DPreview forum.
Sony LA-EA4 Review by Philip Reeve (In German at SystemKameraForum).

Maarten:I’ve posted a in-depth, hands-on video review of the Sony a7R on Youtube: http://youtu.be/x5_EP2M_5eY. The sample images from the video are available on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maartech/sets/72157640284560815/
More details on my blog at maartech.com

Nick:Hi guys, I’ve done a small unscientific test on the A7 and a handful of legacy lenses, hope you like it.
http://fullframeboy.co.uk/2014/01/legacy-lenses-test-on-the-sony-a7-part-1/

Holger:A7r pictures from the air in Southafrica http://aufwind-luftbilder.photoshelter.com/gallery/Sony-A7R/G0000NdXgcJFYs3s/

River King:Hi I recently took a road trip along the US pacific coast only one week after I got my A7R. It was a great experience to know this camera through the trip. One thing I did realize this fantastic camera has “forced” me to think more before I press the shutter. In the end, I shot less photos, but enjoyed a lot more. The lens I used from this trip are CZ135mm, 24-70mm F2.8CZ, Contax G35/45/90, pretty light set up actually. You can see the road trip photos from here:
http://www.riverkingphoto.com/?p=1714

David:I made a comparison of sensor noise with the Alpha 7 at different ISO levels (from 100 to 25600). The article includes three 100% crops for all ISO levels and links to the original images. Maybe this is of interest for your readers: http://davidtanzer.net/alpha_7_iso_noise

Doug: “We just published my written and video reviews of the a7: Blog: http://rds.com/aatg12 Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kDnLUVn8lo

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Specs and Store Links 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 Store Links 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 TidBits…(Dpreview Zeiss 55mm test, A5000 video by BBC cameraman, Touit macro image samples).

Filius de Lacroix-Shot with a Sony Alpha A5000 from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

Dpreview also posted the DxOmark result of the 55mm f/1.8 lens and adds:

“From the lab test results, the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA is quite simply one of the sharpest lenses we’ve seen.”

Fuji X-M1 compared to Sony A7r JPEG comaprison at Soundimagesplus.
Toui 50mm macro image samples (Flickr).
Zeiss 24-70mm FE image samples at DC.fever (Chinese). More image samples at Kasyapa (Japanese).
Comparison between the Hasselblad medium format camera and the Sony A7r on by Alexander Heinrichs on youtube (German).
Wirelass Auto Import Version 1.2 for mac has been released (supports A7 and A7r).

A7r teardwon at Lensrentals. Canon glass test by Fred Miranda. Pulitzer Winner Brian Smith writes Lens mount adapters overview.

Image courtesy: Lensrentals

Roger Cicala and Aaron Closz from Lensrentals (Click here) had some fun tearing in pieces the A7r and discovered how that is one hell of an engineering work!

This is rather amazing. The completely disassembled Sony A7R consists of about a dozen major pieces, held together with 29 screws of just three different sizes. A typical DSLR has around 120 screws of 11 different sizes. You might not care less about that, but do you know what I thought about? How much easier it will be to fix this camera when it breaks. How much simpler it must be to perform all the calibration that must be done during assembly. And how much simpler it must be to assemble the A7R in the first place. In other words, how much cheaper it must be to make this camera, than to make a DSLR.

Fredmiranda.com (Click here) posted the full Sony A7r review with a focus on the Canon glass used on the camera:

Even if Canon comes up with a high-megapixel body, and even if resolution and dynamic range are equaled, it’s tough to deny the benefits of Sony’s lightweight A7R. Especially, if you’re hoofin’ it to a remote location.
After a few days below sea-level in Death Valley, it’s always nice to come back home to capture a sunset by the pier in San Clemente. Watching the sky turn my favorite shade through the golden light, I still can’t believe the images churning out of this Sony A7R. Don’t let its size fool you, this baby packs a punch. For Canon photographers interested in landscape or studio photography, it’s a non-brainer. Combining this body with your arsenal of high quality Canon glass, makes for an unstoppable team.

Pulitzer Winner Brian Smith (Click here) gives you an overview of the Len mount adapters for your A7-A7r.

The.me (Click here) had the chance to play with the Zeiss 24-70mm FE lens.

Kirk Tuck (Click here) reviewed the Sony RX10.

Zeiss 55mm FE review by Daniele Cuccia (Click here).

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Specs and Store Links 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 Store Links 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.

Superb! Zeiss 55mm FE is the best autofocus lens ever tested at DxOmark!

DXOmark (Click here) published the full Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 FE lens test and the results are extraordinary! It’s the best autofocus lens ever tested at DxO and the second best lens ever tested at DxOmark (full ranking here) after the manual focusing and 4 times more expensive $3999 Zeiss Otus.This is what DxO writes about the lens:

In fact, the Zeiss Sonnar has similarly high peak sharpness and outstanding uniformity with less than 5% loss in sharpness across the field at any given aperture value. Transmission is outstanding but while both distortion and chromatic aberration are quite well controlled, some slight CA is evident throughout the aperture range though it decreases when stopping down.
On paper at least the Zeiss Sonnar T* FE 55mm f1.8 ZA may seem somewhat unadventurous and over-priced given the f1.8 maximum aperture. In reality the lens is a bright 1.8TStops, and image quality is outstanding. Even the $1,000 price seems quite reasonable.

Yes, compared to the Zeiss Otus there FE version has 2/3 stop less. But damn, it costs 4 times less and gives you an almost “Otus” performance! Well done, Sony-Zeiss. We need more lenses like that for the new FE system!

If you don’t own the lens these are the directs tore links to grab one:
USA/Canada: Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonyStore US and Sonystore Canada.
Europe: Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT

Sony A7-A7r SAR readers tests and samples!

First Test Video with Sony A7R from Luke Holley on Vimeo.

Wilson: I have written a review of A7r with 3 Canon lenses, 2 ZE Zeiss lenses, Zenitar Fish eye, Leica Noctilux, 2 VM lenses and a hasselblad medium format lens. Tho it’s in Chinese, I think it might be useful for everyone just to look at the photos. Below is the link to my blog post and my Flickr.
http://teenymylife.blogspot.hk/2014/01/sony-a7r.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/i-loved-yesterday/

Thodiris:I did some portraits with the Sony A7r, the Carl Zeiss 35mm/f2.8 and the Minolta MD 50mm/f1.4 – you can see them here: http://thodorismarkou.com/blog/2014/01/samira-meets-the-sony-a7r-portraits/

George:Some thoughts about the A7+ AF adapter + Contax lenses on my blog http://www.photosynthesis.gr/photoblog/?p=1170

Eddy:I was in ‘Val di Sole’ last week… :-) Once again for a week on snowshoes. I had the A7R with me (with the LA-EA4 + 24mm f2 CZ). I’ve put up a short review at Dyxum: http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/a7r-one-week-in-the-cold-snow_topic104112_post1246150.html#1246150. And the complete series of pictures is here: http://www.thelightpoet.be/2014/01/snowshoes-new-year-2014/

Carl:So I just managed to sell my old 5d, and ordered my A7r. And I am very excited. But what things should I get for it? I am not talking straight photography stuff, like tripods and lenses. For example the battery ”only” last 300 photos roughly for it. Now that is fine for most daytime photographers, but for travelers that is close to nothing (especially with memory cards of today). So I have been trying to google myself through the information web to find basically nothing. Like most people know batteries has Volt and mAh. Volt is the charge out rate if I am not mistaking, and mAh is the longevity. But this is not always the same. I could get more photos with my 7,2V 2000 mAh after market batteries for my 5d, but filming was much better on the 7,4V 1600 mAh. Well that is just one thing, but we’ll worth posting if anyone actually know which or what battery to pick to prefer.

Desy:Here is a styled maternity shoot I did for the Sony A7! Used the Zeiss 35mm 2.8 and the 55mm 1.8! http://desycheng.com/love1/2014/1/5/parker-mackenzie

Javier:Hola te pongo enlace a un video casero hecho integro con sony A7 y zeiss 35 mm, solo con el microfono del cuerpo de la cámara (algnas tomas con mucho viento y no entra el ruido al micro!). Un video informal pero con una gran cálidad y fluidez de trabajo. Para trabajos familiares pero con resultados profesionales. En clave de humor: http://youtu.be/HKt3M0nZHTA

Ron:Thought your readers might be interested to see what the Sony A7 can do with recording live music. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3Z4RxzRdr1lLfzQVh6V4SRy5SK0d4Ifp

David:I played around with the MD Rokkor 28/2.8 on the Sony Alpha, here is a mini review: http://davidtanzer.net/md_rokkor_28_alpha_7

Rawfa:I’ve contributed with a music video shot with the A7 a while ago and now I’ve just posted a very very quick comparison between the Sony A7 with a regular Pentax PK adapter on full frame mode and the Sony A7 with a Lens Turbo (the “generic” speed booster) on APS-C mode. Here you go http://www.getdpi.com/forum/sony/49901-sony-a7-vs-lens-turbo-speed-booster.html#post562816

Brian:I’ve put together a pretty thorough guide to lens mount adapter for Sony A7 and A7R here: http://briansmith.com/sony-a7-a7r-lens-mount-adapters/

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Specs and Store Links 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 Store Links 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.