So you always complained about not having a locking exposure compensation dial, but now you're complaining that you have one? And now you want them to.... add a second unlocked dial next to it to do the same thing? 🤔❓
Tinderbox it's totally ridiculous. And the Canon shutter curtain doesn't block sensor dust, Tony is mistaken, it's made to block light for decay, not dust. I don't buy his complaint at all, DSLRs had tons of dust, try using a magnifying LED loupe that technicians use to clean sensors, your DSLR will have dust.
I think what he means is that they should change it to a hold and turn mechanism. So you have to keep the button pressed down while turning it. That way it's fast but still protected.
I think the problem is that many of these buttons move easily when you bump the camera. Like my Canon body, I can have it powered on at my hip all day and the shutter/aperture/Exposure Compensation stay set. After 5 mins of walking with the Sony, anything set to a wheel will likely have changed. I look forward to the lock button, but I think requiring a bit more pressure to turn the buttons would help too.
@@thestevewood Sony got it right, press and hold is annoying, but it works well for some things, not with others. For event photographers where light conditions can change minute to minute, having it fully unlocked to change on the fly is crucial. The only time it really has trouble with accidental movement is when you put in or take out of your camera bag, those are the times it should be locked, especially with a tight bag. To claim it it normally wanders around is laughable.
Sony please put a locking button on the exposure compensation dial. Sony why did you put an annoying locking button on the exposure compensation dial 😂
I think the point here is, "Fix the ex comp so that it doesn't accidentally change, but (at the same time) keep the process of shooting natural". Perhaps a solution like, depressing the knob to twist would have been a better way to address it. Yeah, his response sounded a bit ... crazy lol, but I get what he's saying. The request was actually "fix the problems, but don't break up any natural flows that happen during creativity". Now, there will be trollers who say, "I have no problem pushing a button and then twisting, and then re-pushing the button..." (and for tech guys, we can always figure it out...) but i don't believe that's what he was trying to suggest. Just my thoughts...
I have a button assigned to Exposure Comp. I keep the dial locked and use the button/software to change setting. I can see what I'm doing in the viewfinder ... I very seldom us the rear LCD.
It is VERY annoying when on a strap I have to check my A7iii to see if I accidentally adjusted my exposure compensation. Thank God for the dynamic range or I wouldve lost a lot of photos.
Tony : Why don't you put a locking button in exposure compensation dial in order not to change it accidentally? Also Tony : Why did you put a locking button in exposure compensation dial, now i have to unlock it first and i missed my shot.
@@nevakee716 I just underwent that painful proces... if you don't do video Nikon has much more affordable lenses. the problem is that the ztf adapter make the lenses sooooo noisy. unusable for video. I hate that. I had to go sony
You hate your camera because it doesnt backup raw files to the cloud? lol if you thought the buffering to memory cards was bad... I'd like to see it buffer 50 100MB raw files over cellular.
@@MerveDemirci or the poor batter having to power wifi/cell signals ......... no thanks i can deal with HOOKING up a usb C cable to my computer i dont know why he must take out his "floppy cards"
@@MerveDemirci Aha :). Özür dilerim ama bir pop şarkıcısının burada olmasını beklemezdim. Saygı duydum ve tüm şarkılarını büyük bir bekleti ile dinleyeceğim (progressive rock dinleyicisiyim).
@@DeadLead Selam :) Pop şarkıcısıyım ama yıllarca rock da söyledim, progresif olmasa da :) yakında pop ama biraz da rock bir şarkım çıkacak, teşekkürler destek için :)
I appreciate the video, but a lot of these felt like an old man yelling from the porch (and I think I'm older than Tony, so I'm familiar with the practice). And for those who want the TL;DR version: #5 Buffering - 1:40 #4 Lack of Connectivity - 4:13 #3 Controls are bad, mmmk - 8:57 #2 Sensor dust - 12:11 #1 Menu system - 15:15
All valid criticisms. It just depends on what you're used to how much it would annoy you. Having never had sensor dust on any camera, that would put me off instantly. I think the rest I could live with.
@@cooloox Thats impossible with digital camera's unless you never changed a lens in the wild. I never noticed much difference with Canon, Nikon and Sony. I got dust with all of them.
I find only point 2 a valid problem. As he states, it mainly affects Sony for some strange reason, as if it is electro-charged and attracts dust like a magnet. The menu is just shit, but I don't care as I don't go there much after setting it up to my liking. I do wonder just like Tony, why no camera has internal memory, they all only work with memory cards, with all the issues that brings. Then you also don't need 2 card slots and you don't have to wait for it to write to the card. But you can't blame Sony, as nobody does this for some weird reason.
I love that the Canon R body closes the shutter when the lens is removed to prevent dust from getting in. I'm surprised Sony doesn't do anything like that.
Tony, all good points and Sony can and should address all of them. The one that surprised me was sensor dust. My wife and I have been shooting the Sony a7r since, well the a7r. We have purchased a pair of each version and currently, both have and shoot the a7rIV. We get sensor dust, but no more than when shot Canon up to and including the 1DX. I have all of the fancy sensor cleaning tools and have always kept our sensors clean since there were sensors to clean. We are not particularly careful other than turning the camera off and pointing the body opening down when switching lenses which we did with our Canon digital lineup as well. I have a lighted loop that I use to inspect our cameras, but no more than every 3 or 4 months. Sensor dust just has not been a problem in our experience, but we only have about 200,000 Sony shots between us.😎
I have commented before on one of Tony's videos about sensor dust on A7* cameras. I swap lenses regularly on my Sony bodies and dust is a minor issue for me. I have to clean the sensor sometimes; say once every three or four months when I notice a dust spot on my images. I wonder whether this is due to different atmospheric conditions, centrally heated homes (which dries the environment) or different materials used in camera bags that are more or less prone to static charge.
I've only just switched to Sony, but already got dust in my A7Riii. I'm actually going to clean it tonight, so I'll have to see if it gets any more dust than I saw on previous brands(Fuji, Olympus, Nikon)
I even get sensor dust on my A7 IV, which has a sensor protection. It’s not as bad as it was in my old A73 and A7R3, but i still have to clean the sensor every few weeks
Mr. Northrup, you have a love/hate relationship with your subscribers. Sometimes they love you, others times they hate your guts. But that's because you are honest. I know, you are not perfect, but one can rest assured that you are going to call things as you see them. And if it turned out that you were wrong about something, you never hesitate to own it. Kudos to you, my friend.
The camera should cremate the dirty sensor and then a teeny tiny sensor factory inside the camera will produce a new image sensor that replaces the old one. Problem solved!
That buffer-complaint is hilarious. You’re shooting off 40+ 61 megapixel photographs in RAW+JPEG to 2 cards! In a camera that fits easily in regular bags. Of course it buffers! What planet are you on?
It's not the issue that it buffers but that it locks of some functionality which it could not to. For example when Canon DSLR is cleaning buffer You can change ANYTHING like AF mode, point, exposure parameters etc. As opposite Canon M5 was not able to even take another photograph. You need to wait for the full buffer clean until You could take another image which was ridiculous. Normal camera let you take a picture as soon as there is any place in buffer and let you change settings normally.
@@wikrap1 GTFOOH, normal camera's, which the a7riv kill, don't do even close to what this thing does, so who cares if they allow you to shoot while buffering. Tony is nitpicking for the purpose of making a video.
@@craiggagnon8407 But he is mostly right - there is no ideal camera system at the moment. Anything has some flaws even if it's the best on the market. I care if I can shoot while buffering cause I'm a reporter and it was holding me back.
I found this complaint ridiculous... if you shoot sports properly you don’t even fill the buffer. Tony literally just filled the biofeedback on purpose, what is this 10fps or something? He shot for 5 seconds lol, what sports do you shoot for 5 seconds haha... crazy complaint
@@kevchallis2371 I write again it's not the matter of fully filling the buffer but that some options are unavailable if anything is in the buffer so if You shoot a 5 shots seriers You are freezed for a couple of seconds before You can for example switch to APS-C or change AF mode and there is no reason for it because it's technically possible to handle it. It's a software weakness and it is serious in some situations.
As someone who has used a Sony camera extensively for the past three years, I can say that going to a used Nikon DSLR system for surf photography has been just as bad if not worse than you describe Tony. The Nikon menus are crazy compared to the Sony. Thankfully, I can reference one of your time-stamped videos for help, but they initially made little sense to me. After a few weeks, I got used to them. As far as sensor dust, I've had to clean my Sony twice in three years. I always turn the camera off when changing lenses, and it may be helpful to remove the battery to remove any static charge from the sensor. My Nikon gets dust on the sensor too. It's just harder to clean with the mirror setup. My Sony has a nice wireless remote for off-camera triggering, while my Nikon uses a cable. For time exposures, I have to remember to lift the mirror and close the viewfinder; otherwise, I get blur and light leaks. Mirrorless doesn't have that problem. For street photography and shooting in churches, the ability to use a silent shutter on the Sony is terrific. My D800 shutter is so loud, it's embarrassing. Definitely not a street camera. Sony has a tilt screen, the D800 doesn't. My back appreciates that. But the most significant difference is the weight. Carrying a backpack with my Sony and a couple of lenses is nothing. Carrying my Nikon and some big glass is a whole lot heavier. Bottom line, a used Nikon is a great option when you want to use more expensive lenses as there are many more used lenses to choose from. Sony is a great all-around camera. It's perfect for street, fantastic for weddings, and gives excellent results in low light. It really comes down to what you get familiar with. Just create a time-stamped video on the A7R4, and you'll get fantastic traffic.
You’ve made the great mistake of giving Tony’s very reasonable video a very reasonable answer. I share your feelings about Nikon menus, which I find just as frustrating as Sony’s. The saving grace for Sony is its configurability. Taking into account the TWO quick-menus (one for video, one for stills), the many configurable buttons, the my-dial and the my-menu, I hardly even need to use the “regular” menu during a session-and I love being able to switch between crop-mode and full-frame with the press of a button. My only real complaint is that I’d like 3-5 more configurable buttons or an extra dial, which would be the equivalent of 5 more buttons.
That's weird, I've always shot SLRs/DSLRs (Canon in my case) and I've literally never had dust on a sensor. On the mirror, a couple of times, on the sensor, never! You mentioned surf. If I was shooting surfers everyday then I'm sure dust would become an issue. I'm super careful to change lenses quickly (one in my hand ready to go on before the other comes off) and to have my back to the wind.
If you compared this Sony to a D850 and not a dinosaur you wouldn’t have those complaints. Pressing 1 button to lock the mirror up (which protects the sensor) makes it harder to clean? The one time in 2 years you need to do it? I had a wireless trigger even back when I owned the D800. D850 shoots silent, has a tilting touchscreen, automatically sends your photos & videos to your phone, has dual cards, backlit buttons, fast and accurate focus tracking, huge buffer that doesn’t cripple the camera, long battery life, etc. You said carrying a “Sony with a couple of lenses is nothing” yet carrying a “Nikon with Big Glass is a whole lot heavier’. Since the glass is the heavy part of your gear, of course if you take Big Glass for the Nikon and small glass for the Sony it will be heavier, and you will get way better results with the big glass. LOL - try comparing the same things. When you carry Big Glass the difference in the weight of the body is meaningless. In fact the smaller mirrorless bodies do not balance as well when using Big Glass, and are much harder to hold and operate unless you have small hands. I don’t have small hands. I always have the grip on my D850 bodies. That’s one of the reasons why I bought the D850 after trying out the Z7 ... but there are a lot of advantages that made it an easy decision. One day Nikon will release a mirrorless that is geared for pros, capable of matching the performance of the D850. Hopefully it will be the same pro size as the D850.
Thankyou!! Finally someone addresses the dust issue. It's the number one and only reason stopping me from getting a sony. I do mainly nature based video where I change lenses outdoors, and pretty much every review I see of a sony camera done with a sony, has dust on it. That would do my head in coming from a DSLR. I hope that sony can fix it, because I otherwise love the specs and lenses.
Have you considered getting a Kase or Kolari clear optic glass clip in filter? It will stop the dust from getting on the sensor, and it is a lot easier to clean the filter than the sensor I guess
Hi Tony, I really appreciate you detailed reviews like this where you gnaw on the flaws even though you love the camera. Gives us the info necessary to make the informed decision re: purchasing new equipment. FYI, many of us live with somewhat flawed equipment because we can only afford new equipment every 4 or 5 years. For me now, eye AF and 5 axis stabilization are big deals. I will give up time in preparation (sensor cleaning, menu setup, etc) for a smoother shoot with use of those desired features. I really, really appreciate your reviews. Keep them coming.
Had some thoughts after watching: 1) Yeah, sure, the buffer fills up. But consider you took at least 45 continuous shots at 61 megapixels and it doesn't seem so crazy. I shoot sports and RARELY, EVER shoot more than 15-20 continuous frames. You just don't need to hold that button down like that. And if you are, that's another issue entirely. 2) You made a lot of comparisons to the fact that your phone wireless backs up pics to the cloud. Again, going back to 61 megapixels, and it doesn't seem so crazy that the camera is missing that wireless feature. iPhones, for all of their photographic power, are not professional cameras. They don't have the settings, functions, pixels, and overall customization that is housed in a pro body. I'll admit they should have GPS on a camera like this, but comparing the A7R IV to your Apple Watch -- which I don't think takes pictures -- is a bit of a stretch. 3) 360 flip touchscreen should be universal at this point. People don't mind the extra heft on a camera body if it means they don't have to lay on the ground and navigating menus is easier. Trust me. 4) Yeah, that menu sucks. UNTIL you set it up yourself. The best camera is the one you know how to use. But, it's important to remember pro cameras are complex computers. They take time to get used to. When I switched from my little Rebel T3i to the 5D lineup, there was a learning curve. Even in the same camera ecosystem. Flipping back and forth between different camera manufacturers means you won't ever have everything you want in a camera.
For some, and for me that are really annoying though. I can live with small buffer, but not able to change a lot of function while it is clearing the buffer just doesn't make sense. Also as for menu and how deep it is just doesn't make sense. Sure, it will be only if you are the only user for the camera but it doesn't happen if it is in company and shared between different videographers/photographer. What he said about it is a pain to change MSAP in menu for movie doesn't make sense neither.
Hey Matt. . .I'm an older photographer (started out in the film days) and I absolutely LOVE the advancements in camera tech . . .You're comments are some of the best I've read, but I must say that many of the others really sound almost silly. The ability to take fantastic photos with almost any camera these days is terrific. But the complaining and nit-picking that I read in many comments sounds like a spoiled child stamping his feet because he didn't get everything he wanted for Christmas. If someone considers themselves a good photographer they should be able to take an "older" DSLR out and still come back with some amazing photos. Yes, the newer "higher-tech" cameras will make it easier to do that, but it almost sounds like people aren't going to be happy until their camera damn near does everything for them. Don't get me wrong, I really love all the new advancements, I just think people should really appreciate how great cameras are these days, and quit complaining so much. Technology will continue to evolve, cameras will keep getting even more amazing, but in the meantime just get out there and get some great shots with the cameras you already have (or can afford). I have a young neighbor who is just getting into photography. She cannot afford the latest and greatest equipment and she's wondering if maybe this just isn't something she should pursue. She showed me her camera and some of her photos. . .No, she doesn't have the latest and greatest camera and lenses. . .BUT what she does have is a great eye and visual talent. I've encouraged her and told her NOT to listen to the people who have told her she can't get great shots because her camera isn't the latest or as good as theirs. I told her to just continue to develop as a visual artist with the camera she has, and when she can afford the latest tech she'll really be ready for it. It just seems the obsession with specs and tech these days has kind of gone over the top. I work with a guy who constantly talks about the specs of his camera. He showed me some of his photos and believe me they were NOT special in any way. He laughed when I told him the camera I was using at the time. . .and he NEVER asked to see any of my work. He just assumed my photos couldn't be any good and he wasn't interested in seeing them. . .And he then started spouting the specs of the newest camera he was going to buy next. I'm just getting tired of that kind of attitude that I'm running into more often these days. But you made some good points, especially that the best camera is the one you know how to use. . .You're so right!
@@BluesImprov It's just that the tech is so amazing but there are some limitations which are not the tech limitations but kind of a bad design and could not exist. That's the frustration. I don't know the solution to get additional 5EV of dynamic range but can imagine that fully articulating screen would be helpful and can't imagine why it's not there as it's not a rocket science. Just a simple hinges and flexible signal tape. That's the source of frustration.
BluesImprov - When you go from a DSLR that has a huge buffer that doesn’t cripple the camera, to a newer model that does, you obviously miss the feature. Could be nit-picking but only if you don’t care about the feature. For many it is a deal breaker.
I get so tired of hearing about the Sony Menu. Yes there are a ton of options on it, but if one option was missing boy would people complain. I use a custom Function menu, custom buttons, and use the My Menu feature and hardly ever have to go digging through the remaining menu. I really don't get the constant complaints about it. My only complaint is some of the options are a bit cryptic as to what they actually do. If you shoot Sony for a while and set up My Menu with the options you use it really should not be an issue anymore.
I feel that the "Sony menu" hate comes from people not wanting to learn how to work the menus. I feel the same frustration when I got a Panasonic camera and even Canon. Hated the menu system from them when I first opened them. Then I still used it, and got used to them, learned where to find what I needed. This is coming from me having used Sony since the NEX period. So I've been accustomed to their menus, and find them easy to navigate.
After shooting away dozens of 61MP images in machine gun style, the buffer has to clear. What about only shoot as much as you need? I mean even in sports? Who wants to wade through hundreds of nearly identical photos to find out the 3 or 4 perfect ones? Those are ridiculous expectations. Probably it is a RU-vidrs job to complain for the sake of complaining. Nothing to do with good or less: with professional photography. A pro shooter does not have hours of time to transfer and select in hundreds or thousands of photos what he hasn't got right at the time of shooting. If this goes on, in a few years people will shoot 20fps for 2 minutes to cover an entire race or whatever, they will then have 2400 shots. Then they will complain that after 2:01min the new Sony will start to stutter whereas the Nikon (if they are still around) will go on shooting at slow 6fps till the card is full. Then they complain that they cannot let the camera select the best pic via A.I. and automatically get it edited in- camera and uploaded to the web. Then why can the camera not simultaneously shoot stills at 20fps and record video at 4k 120p??? What a lamer. By the way 4k is so 2016, I expected 6k by now, what is Sony thinking? "Deeply flawed"? Honestly, I think this kind of apoproach to photography is "deeply flawed". But this is - of course - only my personal opinion, and yet have a nice Christmas. Those are only first world problems.
I do Motorsports and Airshows. Not unusual to do 5,000 plus images in a week. Buffering is a huge deal to me. This is why i use Nikon D5 and D500 bodies. Yes the buffers fill but they right quickly and I can still access menus and shoot during the coping to cards. With Nikon now support CF express cards buffering has become a thing of the past.
You are SO RIGHT. These are major frustrations. I hope Sony listens to you. Sony in case you are reading this, I own the A7r IV, A7r III, A9, A6400, (with A6600 on order), and RX100 Mk VII. There is much to love about what you are doing, and in many instances you are listening to your users. But this list of complaints has been around for a while, and has not yet been fixed. One of my top complaints, covered by Tony, is the poor way in which you handle the switch between stills and video. I far prefer what Nikon has done on the Z7 and Z6, where you have a switch to move between the two modes, and all the settings for each mode can be different. Of course as a video shooter, I want to fix my shutter speed at 1/50th or 1/60th of a second, but when I am shooting stills, I want to use Aperture priority mode. Trying to use the 1,2, and 3 settings on the mode dial is only a partial solution, and drives me mad. Despite all of this, I still love your products, - but PLEASE fix these issues. Thank you!
Didn't Tony say his problem with the dial was that one could accidentaly turn it if not locked and when locked it took an extra second or so to change it. Maybe the solution here would be that Sony made the dial a bit less sensitive to turn?
@@CockpitScenes I was expecting the dial will work only as long as you keep the lock button pressed for example. Don't really know if will be worse though, don't have this problem with the normal dial.
I don’t get how you have such an issue with sensor dust, I’ve owned these Sony cameras for a long time and only once had to clean my sensor after a windy day at the beach. Just be more careful when switching lens and get an air blower.
@@Jim1971a And yet most don't give a damn about that and don't use it. It's a silly complaint when there are more than a few with that feature built for video. The A7RIV was not.
When I started learning about photography I looked up to you but now I feel different. The capabilities of this camera are unimaginable 5 to 10 years ago. What else do you need for a product which has excessive specs for what it is intended for? Yes,to take photographs and video.
may be this guy don't know about modern technology!!!!!! watch his go pro fusion video, he uses an under powered slim hp laptop that doesn't even have graphic card to render 5k video files
He was obviously being facetious. He was comparing smartphones where you don't even see how files are managed to the camera that has physical things that you have to move between the phone and your computer. The difference is comparable to going back to floppies.
Out of all things you hate about the camera, the sensor dust issue haunts me. I have the a7r3 and dust is an issue, why should i spend $3500 for the same problem. The menu system isn’t a deal breaker but the dust sucks. Has sony fixed this. Regards
Ok...... the menu thing... I've been shooting Sony now for about three years. I hardly ever need to go into them. I have my setup, and it works for majority of conditions. The exposure compensation know complaint is a bit odd - you decide if it is locked or not... not a camera problem. That said, dust is a bonafide issue. Its one that almost had me leave Sony. Dust in images is such a time waster. And sometimes is to the level that it damages the images to the point of not being worth fixing. I've kinda solved the problem by using anti-static air spray to clean the sensor. Works every time, and sensors stay clean for a lot longer. But I also know it isn't advised to spray concentrated air directly on the sensor.... but it works so I keep doing it.
It’ll never happen! I’m pretty sure that the camera companies work together to make sure. In fact, there was a board meeting about that… * fade to black *
Coming from a Sony, i understand what Tony says, but even with that-the Sony's are the best out there. The dust issue isn't as bad as he made it out to be, i always hold the sensor down when swapping lenses-never had a dust issue, yes the sensor is always exposed but hence the mirrorless. I also have a blower that i just blow it out every now and then between lens changes. Also the buffer issue, i think its not fair-you're asking a 61MP camera to do an A9's job. Sony is so good that its the favorite camera to hate on. Just my 2cents. Tony is hiting some good points and i agree with some of them.
I have the rII - it’s a sometimes problem for me. And I’ve not experienced the phenomenon where I’ve cleaned the sensor and dust appears by the end of the shoot. Also, I’m assuming that by “cleaning” Tony refers to using a blower rather than wet cleaning. Which is rarely necessary.
@@godsinbox yes, if you swap lenses in a dust air, the sensor will collect a whole bunch of dust. My personal tip is to find a point light source and check the air before taking off the lens at any time, but it might not be possible in certain conditions.
100% agreed. Even as a hobbyist I go crazy with the complicated menus. My OMD-EM5II now feels clear and simple after Sony's mismatch menus.But you nailed it on the head with the compressed font and iconography issues. They need to reprogram the entire system for a clearer icon based menu option or at least a check box on the existing menu items when you hit the back dial (right click) to add all needed preferred items to an icon based system with touch screen ability. Then allow one to flip back and forth between scrolling old menus and touch based icons. Memory chips are cheap and available and compact enough to have onboard storage for the buffer to flush faster and then slow write to sd card afterwards. Imagine a 1 gig memory chip with fast access to the sensor output, that then frees up shooting and camera operations, as it then buffers from internal memory to slower storage (sd cards). Olympus' sensor shake tech is excellent to Sony PAY Olympus big bucks for access to it (thus helping Olympus bottom line) but tell me why a reverse drop down protection cannot be made to work to protect the innards from dust when ever the lens release button is used. Make it tacky enough to trap dust and dirt then on lens attachment snap back up out of the way. It's not like there is an optical pathway being used on a mirrorless system. Jeez even a Pentax K1000 slr had flocking inside to trap dust. And move that release to the other side of the camera to prevent accidental lens removal please. I have large hands and 3 times now have pressed the shallow button only to have my left hand grab a falling lens in a panic. And lastly make the flip screen OLED based for a brighter (but not washed out) low energy use display matching the viewfinder resolution... How is it they can create a miniature super high rez finder monitor but still use a 2K low rez back screen? It's like buying a Porsche but it only comes with Civic eco tires. Let's hope Sony is listening.
You speak my language here. I have the A7RIII and A9 - all of these issues are so prevalent on these bodies as well - in particular sensor dust and hitting that exposure adjustment dial - I had thought the lock on the IV would have fixed it, but clearly has just introduced new issues. All of the other issues are so true for the older bodies as well - and it is a shame Sony has not addressed these. BUT, I love the cameras. I was a dedicated full-frame Nikon user and I loved those cameras, until I switched to Sony. Design wise, terrible, but as a basic photographic tool ,they are great. Finally, I cannot agree more about binary reviews - thanks for being so pragmatic and "human". Good stuff.
8:16 there's your answer for why there isn't better "smartphone-like" connectivity options on the cameras. Better to use the stored amps to power the camera to take more pictures, than to be syncing with cloud services. That said, I agree that there's still room for overall improvement and the current state of the app is just embarrassing.
I think these are really just first world problems. A good photographer can and will deliver great work without tilting screens, cloud storage and crop mode. Photographers like me who cannot afford all the luxury gear still able to do great if not amazing work without all that fluff. So how is this can be possible? You may have forgotten how was life without ultra expensive gear, when we all had a cheap camera and a lens on it but we were happy with it. What keeps me loving this channel is the high horse that both of you riding on. Both of you are established photographers and probably well off, yet still nitpicking about silly details on cameras and their manufacturers. Yet to see the day when you pick up a disposable camera and amaze with the results...
Wildlife Photography: A7iV vs. A9 - Your opinion/ review/ comparison. Also using A99ii+Kenko MC7 x2+Minolta 300mm f2.8 - which seems to work very fast & sharp, and although heavy, it seems that the main tiring effect and feeling of "cumbersomeness" is more related to torque than actual weight for me (ditched the Sigma 500mm f4.5+Kenko MC4 x1.4 for the Minolta - 600mm vs. 700mm, seems just as sharp to me so far, is much faster and less prone to philosophy (wandering focus). Originally meant for low-light photos/ night wildlife photography without the Kenko...-Again, your comments are much anticipated.
Tony you're freaking awesome. Love the no bullshit review. The dust killed it for me. I can live with the buffering and the PlayStation Japanese Logic menu system but dust...no way. Wow! Thanks man. Keep them coming!👍
@@ryansatterlee1278 it can also get expensive as the good swabs to clean em aren't cheap either. sometimes u need to use multiple sensor swabs to get it completely clean because after one use its contaminated
Oh you poor bastard thinking this was a legit review. Lol. The sensor dust thing is complete garbage. Shoot landscapes and wildlife and never once had issues even chasing lenses while out. So many other shooters have the same dealing except for Tony mr RU-vidr first photographer second. Lol.
For me, the connectivity complaints are valid, as well as the functionality lock on buffering, and flip-screen limitations. The exposure lock complaint sounds like complaining for the sake of complaining. Ditto with the menu system. I learnt the Sony menus, and between the customisable quick menus and just learning where my most used items are kept, I really have no issue with Sony menus. In fact, if I had to choose between Sony menus and Olympus menus, I much prefer the Sony. Sensor dust issue? I don't know if you're just unlucky or if I'm lucky (or more careful), but I've only had to clean my sensor twice in a year's worth of use of my Alpha cam.
Tony Yes! I agree; Menus really need to be improved. Dust can be a problem especially if one makes a living with their photography. Post process take time and time is money. With your evaluation of the Sony system ,hopefully,Sony will make the necessary changes to improve work flow. After all these Sony camera aren’t cheap. I shot Nikon and Canon in the past so much easier to navigate and understand the menu system. I’m locked 🔒 into Sony , so I have to make the best of it and hopefully Sony will address some of the issues you pointed out with software or next model updates. Meanwhile let’s keep doing what we love , photography. Good job 👍
There's a self-cleaning vibration feature in the alpha cameras that you can use before and after shoots, that might take care of most of your dust issues on the sensor.
I spent 7 hours at an air show Saturday in windy conditions using an A9 and 4 different lenses. No noticeable sensor dust. I have yet to use more than air on my A9 and A7RIII after almost a year using them for outdoor weddings and portraits. But I don’t shoot video.
Currently sony a7 r4 is 4950 USD in Turkey, while a fujifilm gfx100 is 9900 usd, a gfx50r is 3750 USD and a Fujifilm xt3 is 1350 USD. So Fujifilm sells for US prices with all tax included, while sony, nikon and canon dont. At launch, Nikon z7 preorder was 5200 usd here, body only.
Actually You have this info in viewfinder or on the screen so why it bothers You? I currently have it and use it but I had bodies without and it wasn't a pain.
I'm curious why you say that? You get all the shooting information you could ever want on the rear LCD (and in the viewfinder of a mirrorless camera), so I can't see any point whatsoever in wasting real estate on a second screen which only replicates what the rear LCD does, but with far less information.
Point 4 is kinda dumb. Wireless transferring is nearly useless for large raw photos. It will never be as fast as physical storage disks, and if you’re in close-enough range to use WiFi or Bluetooth to transfer then why would you not just use physical media? And uploading it to the cloud is just a bad idea. There is no reason why your raw files should be on the cloud and nobody in their right mind would offer a cell plan meant only for uploading endless raw files from a camera to the internet. Wireless and internet transfers is a non-starter for cameras that can shoot raw photos. Fine for your iPhone that shoots JPEGs and .HEIFs straightaway, but not for raw.
All of these things are so, so true. This is one of my favorite videos of yours. Thank you for saying what needs to be said... most RU-vidrs are way too scared of offending companies and won't be straight up with their audiences. A+
i don't have sensor dust problems. it probably means he's changing his lenses in really dusty areas , or his lens is already releasing dust from the USM movement.
I very much agree. The absence of an on-board GPS (with a dedicated switch to turn it off when shooting indoors) is absolutely unpardonable. The menu system could borrow a page or two from Hasselblad X1D. The sensor dust issue, too, must be addressed. However, you did miss a couple of glaring shortcomings of the camera: - the absence of a LOSSLESS COMPRESSION codec - the lack of mRAW & sRAW options - the low-light performance is about a stop inferior to A7r III's. To summarise, My pet peeves with the camera are: - the lack of on-board GPS - the lack of LOSSLESS COMPRESSED option for saving raw files. - the lack of sRaw & mRaw formats - Global shutter for video and electronic / silent shooting - poor dust resistance - a relatively poor high ISO performance Sony, I hope you're listening!
Hi Tony: I have just returned from two weeks in a very dry and dusty Okavango Delta (Botswana), and while I can partially agree with you about the buffering, you are just asking for trouble by shooting JPEG and RAW together, especially @ 61 Megapixels, you also slow your frame rate down. Why would you do that in the bush? I shoot in short bursts, and even though we witnessed 2 x wild dog hunts/ chases/kills from A-Z, I shot the extremely fast action in short bursts and captured pretty much all the important action. I get what you say about shooting sports. I also shoot surfing and rugby, and as long as I shoot in short bursts, I don't really miss much action.... Just saying... I just shoot to a card and switch off the replay facility, occasionally chimping to check how I went. Just going through 16,500 images shot over 13 days, the vast majority are good, so IMHO shooting RAW ( Compressed) and JPEG is unnecessary, and just wastes time and fills cards! (I shoot 128 Gig UHSii cards and was getting 2,015 - 2,018 images per card on the A7Riv...) I also used the APSC-Super 35 crop feature which really makes this camera something really special. I never change lenses in the field because of dust in the bush. I must (respectfully) tell you that I have had no ingress of dust on my A7Riv, so I always shoot two rigs side-by-side for speed, versatility and to reduce any dust ingress..... I tried the A7Riv on my SONY 400mm f2.8 + 2x TC which was great, but using the APSC- Super 35 crop mode 1,200mm @f5.6 was difficult to keep absolutely steady, even shooting at high shutter speeds which I always try to maximise. Next to that I had one of my A9i's on my 100mm - 400mm +1.4x TC, so I switched them over, and then the A7Riv was absolutely a perfect match. The A7Riv and the 100mm - 400mm +1.4x TC is a match made in Heaven. Extremely sharp, light and great in low light also. I understand the purpose of this video, and it would be great to have all the wish list you mention, but then you would be paying twice as much! However, when SONY bring out the new sensors which refresh at 120x per second, I have no doubt you will get your wish list... Until then, there is NO camera yet on the market that delivers everything that you are wanting :-) Keep up the great work. Best regards IG: timdriman
@@BenelliMr When the APS-C Super 35 crop is used, you still have 26 Megapixels. I use the crop feature mainly for composing an image, knowing that it will be more accurate and also I still have the 26 Megapixels.... I shoot my 100mm-400mm +1.4xTC always attached, and my 400mm f2.8 +2xTC always attached...It gives me a focus range from 140mm to 1,200mm ... *I am just waiting for SONY to bring out a 150mm-500mm f4 + built in 1.4x TC, then out goes my 400mm f2.8... I am no fan of long fixed primes for wildlife and surfing...My old Canon bag with 3x bodies and 3x lenses plus bits and pieces weighed 26 kilos! Now my SONY bag with 3x bodies/ 3x lenses etc weighs 12.8 Kilos... Weight and volume are no problem now.. :-) Images available on my Instagram feed: timdriman Have a great day :-)
I got my camera just last Thursday and was so worried when I read the title of this video that you would reveal something that would make me regret my purchase. But I had been prepared by you and others already for these five things beforehand. I can still love my new camera!!!
I've been enjoying Tony and Chelsea for years and this is the first time I've ever felt like they just had childish opinions. Y'all are usually awesome, but most of your complaints are "why isn't my camera my phone?" and just a lack of appreciation for advancements that are in the camera. Oh you're mad that your 60mp pictures still fill up the buffer? Just stop it down to the size of last generations pictures if you don't want to fill the buffer. What do you need 60mp sport photography images for?
The average ISP uplink in United States is 3Mbps-10Mbps. It will take 1 week to upload 1 x 128Gb RAW file photo session into a cloud without an SD card.
You don't have to eliminate a feature because the worst case scenario isn't ideal. 5G upload speed is 1,250 MB/s. a7R IV JPG files are 28 MB. So, you could upload 45 JPG files per second across cellular. My home WiFi does 500 Mbps (62 MB/s) so I could still do 2 JPGs per second. You could choose to upload more compressed JPGs while storing raws locally, or they could upgrade to a more modern compressed image format, like HEIC, which would greatly reduce the bandwidth requirements.
@@TonyAndChelsea that 5G speed is a theoretical limit and even then only on the wide band mode which basically requires line of sight to the tower (you can block it with your hand!).
Tony & Chelsea Northrup when 5g becomes ubiquitous that would be great. As it is however, 5g only exists in a few US cities and isn’t even supported by the iPhone 11 pro.
Tony, got a lot out of your critique of the iv. It has been over a year, forgoing decisions that are hardware based, eg the file capture media, has Sony corrected or you have learned better setup to eliminate any of your top 5?
main Reason I haven't gone Sony..No Verticle Screen, can never understand why many manufacturers haven't a flippy screen. I use Em1 mk2 and the sensor cleaning system is so brilliant. Never had a problem even in the desert.
@@HesselFolkertsma i do it differently i click fn, than on my phone-app i just click on the name of camera wifi, no scan needed, and even if i'm on home wifi, it just skip to this one and when image is transferred it goes back to my home wifi
He keeps coming in and out of focus. The shallow depth of field in this video is way too shallow. It makes it hard to watch and it hurts my eyes! The foreground is blurry and distracting. His hands and the camera are blurry and he keeps looking at the monitor. I usually love his videos but I paused the video and looked at the comments to see if anyone else was having trouble. Not sure if I will finish the video. Please Tony next time increase your F stop so we can watch your video.
Some wedding photographers. In fact, Tayler Jackson said exactly this in one of his videos. He's using Nikon or Canon because he cannot switch from still to video mode quick enough when using Sony
Fair and balanced review of the camera and the Sony eco-system. While I appreciate many of the comments below, Tony's observations are valid and thoughtful. While Sony has improved many features from the A7III to the A7IV - it does not mean the we all have to agree with or love the way Sony executed these "improvements". If the improvements were executed poorly, we have an obligation to let Sony know about it. (ie. Exposure lock feature)
hopefully the firmware will solve some of the problems. Tony, what kind of lens did You recorded the video? I kind of like the circular-shaped bokeh of that ...
I just sold my canon 6d mark ii and lenses and picked up the Sony a7iii. For the past year all I heard was how amazing and far ahead Sony was. Now between fb and RU-vid all I see is things to make me second guess that switch. I was skeptical because dslrs are just so durable and rugged. I think I may have to consider switching back 🤦🏻♂️
Yes everybody talks about mirorrless camreas like they are perfect, aand lot of the photographers who switch from CaNikon switch back, because in paper they look good buuut in real life they are not perfect for everybody.:/ Buut yeah its the future soo at some point we'll all need to switch🤷♂️
Mirrorless is not the future, they only offer new way and ease of use in taking photos and videos but photo processing and IQ is only at par with DSLR. I have z6 for weekend fun ( D850 and D7200 for my proffesional work ).
@@marinlukas3112 It definitely has a mechanical shutter. The A9 is the only camera they sell that is specifically designed to be used silently, and it still has a mechanical shutter that you can choose to use.
But wait point two isn’t just with the Sony, what camera have full time connectivity and perfect with your phone/backup storage? I think you’re making a mountain out of a mole hill (Fuji user btw, not defending Sony but commenting on your points)
Carlo Puliti FWIW my phone connects with my Canon 5D Mark IV by launching the app and touching to the camera. I can not only transfer JPEGs from camera to phone for rapid sharing, I can operate the camera remotely via the phone app. It works equally well with the 80D, 90D, 6D II, and the R.
John Drummond I understand that and know most modern cameras do that. I don’t think you understood what my point was; Tony wants no physical memory cards as he’s tired of transferring images from the SD cards and my argument was that all camera have that system, furthermore all of the apps only transfer JPEGs and my final point all manufactures app are slow and clunky. So why is Tony saying this about the Sony
@@carlopixels7512 his complaint was because Sony's app is so clunky. He used Canon's app as a positive comparison because the latter just works with no fiddling. Also the camera, lacking built-in GPS, needs to connect to your phone's WIFI to get GPS data, but the app is so bad that all it did was drain both devices' batteries. If it worked like Canon's, uploading images from the SD to the phone would not be a hassle.
Carlo Puliti It’s true that many of these problems aren’t just Sony issues. Literally every “real” camera has terrible file connectivity, the menu systems are bad (Sony’s is just extra terrible but they all stink), the external apps are afterthoughts, etc. What’s annoying is that Sony (and others) are doing great work towards image quality and completely ignoring work flow, ease of use, image sharing, and the other stuff that smartphones are doing so well. It’s ridiculous that my $4000 A9 with a $2500 lens is less efficient and less elegant than my $600 smartphone.
So glad I revisited this review. Once again I am hearing the siren song of Sony, luring me away from my D850. All of the 'cons' listed hear I can live with....EXCEPT the dust. That for me is a huge deal breaker. I'm really hoping the A7 IV to be announced soon will deal with that. Thanks for the video and all the hard work!
That sound effect you overuse with your transitions: that hurts my brains. It's cheap, everyone knows how to do it, it doesn't help with anything, but it's horrible. Please stop.
He is absolutely right. Cameras need to get as smart as smart phones. It's 2019 and nothing is stopping them to do that except investment. No builtin eMMc storage ? why not. My dashcam has it.
Tony you had the lens off waving the camera body around! It might get dust in it, just saying! Also sensor cleaning function, works sometimes. My Nikon DSLR's always had dust issues too but I have switched to Sony anyways AND when on a serious shoot I always will use a rocket blower prior with any and every body no matter what I'm using just to make sure. I don't ever chance that! Because if your dust spot winds up in the center of someone's eye you can't always fix that.
@@cbflazaro Then either that changed in one of the recent-ish firmware updates or my a7III is special, because I was never able to set more than 6 things when I bought it and gave up trying after that.
I have only occasionally had a problem. But I am paranoid when I change lenses. Always turn the camera off (if I remember) and have the replacement lens ready and in hand. There is a sensor cleaning function. Just shakes the sensor. But I think you can only configure it to automatically work when you turn it off. Would be better to have it operate when you turn the camera on; after changing lenses. But I worry that shaking the lens only moves the dirt around. Maybe off the sensor, but still in the camera. Same with the shutter closed of course. The dust lands on the curtain, but then what?
I inherited a Zeiss Ikon camera from my father. He obtained it in Germany in 1952, many years before my birth. He took the most beautiful pictures I've seen with it when I was home from college in the eighties with my lovely partner. He had the exposure and details in his heart. Auto meant to him that he didn't have to shift gears in his car.
Ok, yes the Sony mirrorless gets sensor dust but after lots of shoots, 3+ years, I only have to clean the sensors a few times. And yes I shoot in all conditions. I do not swap lenses outdoors. I have three cameras so just switch cameras. So no, I don’t agree with you on that point.
Great review, as always. Out of curiosity, if you could only choose one camera between the A7r iv and the D850 (with relevant 200-600 or 200-500 lens), what would you choose? I love the specs of the A7R ivA but the ergonomics are not as good as the D850. Your thoughts would be very welcome. Thanks, David
Just wanting to confirm your statement at the 22:00 mark. Are you saying you like the a7riv over the d850? I use an a7riii and feel the d850 is in a league of its own. Thanks Tony :)
I hate sensor dust on my A7 III. I only have one lens, always on the body, still sometimes get new dust on the sensor. The hack with closed shutter like on EOS R should be possible with the firmware update, but will Sony do it?
Hey Tony! Great Video. Many helpful points. Just want to throw in a few thoughts. .First, you definitely CAN set the back dial to adjust exposure compensation, that's one of the options on Camera 2 Page 9 that you can set for custom key #1 (which is the display dial even tho its not a key). Maybe since you have a review unit you are still on some pre-release firmware but in the production version I have this works 100%. Im not sure i understand your concern about the EV dial tho.. i dont think the risk of accidentally hitting it is very great when using the cameras-- no more so than the main rear dial for example which is used for aperture or shutter.. in fact its harder to turn than that. Isnt the idea of the lock that you can lock it when you for example put it in your bag? Furthermore the EV is shown prominently in the display so its easy to see if its off (not to mention you can tell by just looking at the image).. so not to diminish the validity of your own experience, but Im shooting with it and Im not seeing the problem. Second, yes the help system example you show is ridiculous HOWEVER Id not want to put people off hitting that garbage can help icon.. many of the descriptions ARE helpful. Yes they can be better.. but its a good system and Id give it at least a B+, far from worthless. Third, yes the menu system can be made better... BUT I do think that with all the ways to customize this camera, it is an overcome-able problem.. perhaps you could do a video about how to overcome it? Suggestions for taking advantage of custom buttons and the My Menu, best things to put in the function menu, etc. (tho Im sure you've covered some of those in your general overview of course). But I also keep wondering- when will we just be able to control cameras by voice anyway? Why cant i just SAY "Exposure Comp plus 1 stop" .. or "turn on DRO," etc.. so I dont have to take my eye away from the viewfinder or fumble with ANY buttons or menus. I think Sony has the opportunity to leapfrog all of this by embracing voice. Of course its not appropriate in all situations (wedding ceremony, noisy environment) but still, the camera is generally very close to the mouth when the eye is at the viewfinder, so you could prob enable it to work with even a low volume voice and even in moderately noisy environments. And of course voice "search" for on-screen settings. would also be the optimal way to get around the soft keyboard problems. To your point about the illogic of the exposure mode settings being "soft" for the video mode vs "hard" for the usual photo shooting situation... this is a tricky one.. My guess is that Sony has realized that there are many advantages to having "soft" exposure modes-- for example this enables the 1-2-3 modes on the hard dial to be assigned any combination of settings incl different exposure modes. But on the other hand, it would be too big a break from tradition to come out with a camera without a hard dial that gives you the usual S-A-P-M options, so they are in kind of a hybrid. I do agree that a separate video vs still mode where your other settings stay in place does kind of make sense, but on the other hand this gives you the ability to define standard settings for video (incl exposure mode) and go to those with one click. I'd also add two of my own pet peeves #1--for all the indicators and icons the camera has, there are 2 very important ones missing. Id like an indicator to show if I am in APSC-Crop mode or FF (otherwise the only way is to toggle and see what happens if the image gets bigger or smaller).. And #2 is kind of tiny but when you are registering a face you have to take a photo of that face right there when you are registering it... uh, is there a reason i cant just point to a photo ive already taken, zoom in to the face and then say- register face? Also it would be nice to be able to NAME your MyMenu menus. Sony names their menus (tho some poorly) so clearly they get the value. Why can't i name mine? Lastly, whats up with the whole area of downloadable apps for the cameras? I know they killed the prior generation (and it was clunky) but will this be replaced with anything? Huge oppty for cool stuff. Would love it if there was a simple scripting language so you could write a very simple sort of "macro" - for example for lightening, something that says that if the brightness increases by more then 3 stops within 1/25th of a second, or a script that brackets shutter speed if you are playing with long exposure and want to try to get a few different exposure lengths and then compare them, etc etc.... Think what the ability to write simple macros did for Excel, or for Maya.
I understand what you're saying about the buffering, but really Tony, if you let the buffer fill up in this camera, you're "spraying and praying", IMHO. Also, why would you want to use a 'crop mode' at all? Why not crop the images in post?
