I Downsized My Camera, Here's Why! 

Congrats on your decision! I had a client who had the same camera I had & he asked me, “you use the same camera as I use, are you sure about that?” I told him that cameras are just tools, anybody can buy pro gear, that doesn’t give them pro results. I asked him, you are a woodworker, won’t your hammer allow me to get your pro results? He said, point well made.

I sold my entire kit a couple years ago for an a7c and haven't looked back. I take it more places, there are less micro-decisions to weigh me down. I can just focus on capturing what I want to capture.

I sold all of my Nikon Sony and Canon gear for the LUMIX s5iix. The streaming and open gate capture make it a one stop shop for me

Love watching your stuff….Turning 60 this year. While I have dozens of heavy as heck SLRs & DSLRs, and I love them all, I bought into mirrorless to get smaller and lighter. Going on a trip next month with my Nikon Zfc and 3 super light primes…..looking forward to less neck and shoulder pain 😀

I "downgraded" my monsterous 50 f1.4 for the Sony Zeiss 55 f1.8. Its tiny and decent enough. I find I use it more the the larger lens. Smaller camera gear is much nicer because you'll use it more.

Try the Sony Zeiss 55mm f1.8 - had one for 7 years and it's still my fav

I decided to buy the A7CR grey market. If I don't need the large files, I set it to 26mp raw files, and I program a button to switch between aps-c and full frame. That way, the 50mm can be a 75mm as well.

Get the Zeiss 55mm 1.8, it’s Tony & sharper than any other Sony lens. You won’t regret it, I promise you.

I have the A7Cii for travel/edc/video & backup to my A7RV. I like the additional features too - Import LUTS, Aspect Ratio customization, Auto Framing. I do wish that it had a mechanical shutter. TBH, I don't have an issue with the lack of joystick. Personally, I don't even use it on my A7RV. The AF is so good and if you customize the buttons for BBF it's not a problem. Lastly, you should pick up the Smallrig grip/baseplate.

For professional stuff I always use a HVL-F28RM Flash on top as a remote flash controller. This makes the A7C bulkier and it looks like a "normal" camera for the clients. Nobody said anything about it yet :)

Love this and TOTALLY get it! I have been taking my ZV-E1 out for photos over my A7R for the exact reasons - small & nimble! Even though the ZV is not even built for photos lol

For small size why not an APSC camera, like Sony a6700? I travel internationally and have just three lenses I take: sony 18-135mm, sony 70mmto 350mm, and sigma 10-18mm. The first two lenses are much more utilized than the sigma wide angle, but it's nice to have it. All of these lenses are incredibly small. For hiking and lots of day use, forget even this size: I use a lot the sony rx100 mark vii. It's expensive but a good quality small camera. I attached an ND filter (variable) to it, but don't really feel you need it. The ND filter requires an adapter, sold on Amazon. That's it for my photo gear.

I switched to Panasonic from Sony. One camera for both photos and videos and it’s fraction of Sony price

I downsized to Fuji XT30 with four petit lenses: 16-50 XC, 50-230 XC, TTArtisan 35 F1.4, Sigma 10-18 F2.8. Total weight with carrying bag < 2kg

Absolutely, lately I have realized how much of a hastle my camera set up has become, to the point I don't even take photos anymore unless it's an appointment for a photoshoot for instance, I no longer took photos just because I enjoyed it. So I went and took my old Canon Point and Shoot Camera, one that I used before my DSLR, and I love it. So small, so light, it fits everywhere, I don't even notice it's there and the best part? It improves my photos EVERYWHERE, specially compared to a Smartphone, which ends up looking overprocessed and just worse overall. Well done, I totally understand this change :)

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I had similar thoughts, hoping for a point-and-shoot camera for travel and purchased the A7CII. It is only marginally smaller than "large" full frame alpha series cameras and only is 200 grams lighter. And the EVF is so bad in the A7CII that I always end up taking my A1 or A7RIII anyway. For photographers the A7R-series is a better option because the high MBP allows cropping in post, and if you already have an A7SIII then you have a decent video platform. The A7RV is more expensive, but has a better EVF, very decent video recording, a better flip screen, better stabilization and more dynamic range. All of these smaller lenses fit on all the other cameras. I immediately purchased a rubber eyecup for the EVF as it is nearly unusable without. The camera will still not be small enough to fit your pocket and if you are taking a backpack anyway, saving 200 grams seems like a marginal improvement. The 3 small primes and 1 small zoom that Sony have made available are not at all "pancake" lenses even if they are only around 150mm long. Sony is seriously missing a replacement for the RX100.

Thanks for sharing your insight, Becki! I think a camera like this would be great for travel and the shots you shared from your Arizona trip looked beautiful- I loved the one of Chris driving the boat! We don't often take our Sony cameras with us when we travel because they're heavy and we rarely use them (we also haven't been in too many situations/locations where we'd want to take photos) but having a smaller kit like this would be great to sling over your shoulder or keep in a small backpack. I love shooting day to day images on my iPhone (nature shots, city shots) but a larger camera will always provide a different look and feel and capture memories in a special way and *maybe* just encourage me to get out there and shoot some more! This may be a camera I'll try and rent and see how I like it as we're planning a trip to Japan later this year that it would be perfect for!

I got the A7CR and I love it! You might like the small rig extended grip if you find that it doesn’t hold well in your hands.

Would be interesting if fujifilm could lend you an x-t50 or x100vi, curious on your experience and thoughts purely for its compact size and the x100vi for camping would be great as its weather sealed with a hot shoe cover on at all times. Or maybe rent a Fuji and try some film simulations on camping! :)

I am not a video guy...(mostly do street stills)...but... I currently make due with a pair of Sony A7c (mark 1)s and an original A7s...I use some "full frame modified" sigma dn art lenses and an FE70200/4 tele. a set of extension tubes do the trick for most macro work...LOL...later I plan to purchase the fe200600/5.6-6.3...I am retired in Bangkok so heat and and rain do not seem to be a problem..(clear plastic bags and umbrellas still work great after all these years I am 71 years young lol )...Cheers

I’ve been using the A7Cii since it came out really, upgraded it from the A7C, to shoot mainly photos, travel style etc. but also work as a B Cam along side my A7Siii which is usually rigged up! A7Cii is also great for gimbal use, B cam setup and pure photography. I shoot a lot of pro photography on my A7Siii, at 12MP and have zero complaints in quality, but it’s still nice to be able to shoot with A7Cii (33MP) for those better quality images. Great video and great choice in cameras!

The major thing that has put me off the C series has been the viewfinder size and resolution. How have you (or others here) found that, practically speaking? My last experience with that type was the older A6300, and I did not find it comfortable or easy to use (plus the eye cups were always breaking - need those too), and at least on paper the C-series viewfinder doesn't really seem an improvement. But I like the concept of the camera, so would like to hear what the IRL experience has been.

Love your video - I have an A7C II and the 40mm 2.5 G lens for the same reasons, it's just so amazing to walk around with, and I don't feel like carrying a camera is a chore with the combo.

Ah, another great video! I’ve been thinking of this smaller Sony. I think I do have an A7CII in my future. Photography is a hobby and I just don’t see myself shooting so much anymore. I’m going to force myself to find the love again with the current bigger camera that I have. And, if I fall back in love I’ll spend the money for this one. Thanks for the great real life review.

I did almost exactly like what you did. I sold my A7RIV and purchased a A7CII. The difference is that I am using FE 1.8 50mm instead of FE 2.5 50mm. The real reason is that I am just a photography hobbist not professionalist. Thank you for the video. You have done a great job.

I've been doing the same thing - making my kit smaller in terms of size and amount of things - and a7c2 was on my radar as a photo and b-camera. Regarding client perspective my A-cam is a7s3 and rigged out with monitor and v-mount I've been getting so many complaints like "wow your camera looks expensive/professional" xD So just stick a cage on the a7c2 and it will look more pro.

The a7C2 is pretty awesome. I use an a7R4 for photo, which is what I mostly do and the a7C2 for video and photo if I need multiple lenses, or just have no space to pack a bigger body. I also struggle with the lack of a joystick though and adapted to using touch focus more often. I could also use a couple more programmable buttons some of the time, especially when using a manual lens like the Voigtländer 50mm f/2, which is my favorite lens.

I downsized by giving up photography.

A while back I sold my Bronica 6x6 and host host of lens but kept my OM-2n & 35mm f2 & 50mm f1.4. I bought an Oly M10 , a 30mm f1.7, 50mm f1.4, 80mm f1.8. It fits in my work bag with the 50mm f1.4. I use it everyday...

Lovely! I love the A7Cii. As a creator I’m in my soft life era and I only want to use things that helps me just tell the story. Thanks for sharing

I’ve had the a7cii since launch. It’s amazing! For the grip, consider getting the base plate grip from smallrig. It’s not big at all but adds a little more grip to the bottom of the camera

Great video. You may also try OM1 cameras and lens. You will get similar results lot cheaper. And at an affordable cost.

i really enjoyed this video, glad it showed up on my feed. I've always shot ff and got a Canon r6mk2 and it's amazing, but for personal use paired up with f1.2 glass, it's way too heavy. for family portraits, i downgraded to a crop camera the canon m6mk2 and I've noticed myself shooting more photos than with my other bigger camera. thanks for this video! new sub here!

I did the same thing, only thing I miss is having a joystick for photos.

Hey Becki!! Hey Chris!! So I’ll apologize right off the bat here because technically this comment doesn’t have to do with this video, but I didn’t know where else to go with this… So here I am! 😂. So like always I’m a day late and a dollar short and I’m just now listening to your July 11th podcast. Look ya’ll, I was laughing so god damn hard at you two that it looked like I was ugly crying. This uncontrollable laughing turned into the laughing farts (Peckham, I know you know what I mean! You’ve definitely had the laughing farts at some point, I’d bet my life on it!) and the laughing farts although very funny even when you’re by yourself, they are like Ron White delivering the punchline and 100 times better when there’s someone else to share your laughing farts with! So here I am, laughing, tears, shitting myself, but what’s so funny ass hat? I don’t know why, but for some reason hearing Becki say “Once your Dicky Bird is in that pocket the fabric…” Enter Chris : “Ehh it’s a penis Becki..” Becki: OK…. Apparently my inner 13 year old came out or something because the phrase “Your Dicky Bird” tickled my funny bone to no end.. I personally thought that I was an old pro when it came to my potty mouth vocabulary. Since the vernacular is similar between where I live in Maine and where ya’ll are from in Newfoundland I’ve noticed a lot of our toilet humor and fuckity fukk fukk words are the same, but Miss Becky…. You got me good with Dicky Bird.. It still makes me giggle. I think it was the amazing combo of a new word I hadn’t heard along with the sound of Chris being semi annoyed that the proper anatomical term for Dicky Bird wasn’t used so he matter of factly just says “It’s a penis Becki”.. You two killed me with that! Side note, I know exactly what kind of underwear you’re talking about in that podcast Chris! They are so freaking comfortable, plus everything stays in its own place and doesn’t try to visit the neighbors when you’re wearing them! FYI when you go to order a few new pairs of those underwear, you know, so that the next time you’re on a jet ski in the middle on the night, half naked, with your Dicky Bird on display for half the lake to see just keep in mind that they are no longer called “My Package Underwear” they changed the name to “BN3TH”.. Anywho, Keep On Keepin’ On you two!! You both rock. Remember my offer still stands for you two to come visit KPQI on your way to Newfoundland so I can be your personal tour guide and chauffeur when it’s helicopter vacation time again! Chris’s new Onlyfans account will be live soon with his premiere photo shoot he likes to call “Jet Skis and Dicky Birds, The Lake dic-tastrophy.” 😢😂.

Have been thinking about the same thing with my 7R III. But every time I take it up, the body feels small and light, it's more the lenses that make it clunky. If I have a smaller prime lens on it (Tamron 35/2.8 or Sony's cheap 50/1.8), the whole thing becomes a lot more enjoyable because it gets lighter, more compact and more easy (=straightforward) to use because you don't really bother about zoom aspects. It's more like 'use what you have' and it's less annoying to carry with you on a walk or whatever then having a much bigger, heavier setup. Even though these other zooms are not heavy on their own at 570g.

I also switched cameras for a smaller size three years ago. Went from Nikon to Fuji, it‘s an XT30 and much smaller. Last year or two years ago I picked up the 33 mm f1.4 (50 mm equiv). It‘s a nice setup, but I made a few bad choices, I think. Neither the lens nor the camera have optical image stabilization, I just didn‘t plan ahead there. And I feel like 23 mm (so 35 equiv) would have been the better choice, which is weird because I really like 50 mm on my analog camera. Also, as the years passed by, the market has changed a lot and right now I don‘t think Fuji is worth the money for me. I could have had a small full frame and mirrorless Nikon for just a tad more money, but the lens is cheaper, so yeah. I don‘t see myself spending 1700 € for a T5, just because it‘s mirrorless and I find the low light capabilities to be worse there. Don‘t get me wrong, I love my camera and the photos it can take, the 33 mm lens is insanely good, but if I was offered a choice to just trade I‘d probably do it. But at the end I think you can really only make a good decision if you‘ve tried the options for a while and that‘s what I‘m doing right now. Maybe not going for f1.4 and choosing a lighter and smaller lens like you did would have been smart, too.

I missed taking good quality photos and having complete control over it, plus i wanted to film log whenever i wanted, yet i didnt want to carry my a7iii. I got the a6400 and been carrying that everywhere. Makes a HUGE difference. I also invested in a peak design clip for my backpack and that made an even bigger difference. I definitely can relate to this video!

I've been thinking about selling my Canon 5D mk iv for a while. I got extremely burnt out and I decided to quit working as a photographer/videographer for a while. I still wanna capture images, just because I love doing so, but I find myself not bringing out the camera because it's massive! Although it lacks some features I really value, this seems like a great option and something that would definitely work for me once I get used to it. Thank you so much for the review!

I'm so over big cameras. I think back to the days when i was traveling with big DSLR gear, and think, "Wow, those days sucked." These days, I want to go as small and light as I can. The A7C II looks like a great camera. I use the A6XXX series, so I'm looking forward to getting a FF version of this form factor.

I actually went from an A7iii to an A6700 to go even smaller. Love it for family photos.

i have an a7c and ADORE it. It fits in my purse - that means I take it with me all the time. The sigma 35mm contemporary lens is nice, and so is the sony 85mm!

4:40 - While this isn’t a full replacement for a joystick, have you by chance tried touchpad mode for focusing? I believe that that lets you set the focus point by moving you finger around the screen like a mouse. (And that’s under Menu → Setup → Touch Panel/Pad → Touch Panel+Pad.)

isn't the lens the biggest (pun intended) change to your setup? I do not find the A7C so much smaller than cameras with a virtual viewfinder. And as you pointed rightly out, ergonomics do matter. For many the missing 2nd slot is important to write duplicates of their fotos to. so being robust against catastrophic card failure, not so much to have a 2nd card inserted to seamlessly switch over when the first is full.

Highly recommend the Smallrig baseplate and getting a thumb grip. Made my A7Cii infinitely more comfortable to hold for long periods of time and doesnt add a lot of weight. Also check out Sigma's I-Series of primes. The 24mm f2 and 65mm f2 in particular I've found to be outstanding.

i placed the smallrig baseplate (notsponsored) makes it more comfortable to hold!! i have the a1, fx3 bt this is my fave of all my set up

So much liking these camera videos 👍🏼. Your transition from one to another model cameras makes sense in relation to their purpose. Maybe someday I can sit down with you for some lessons. You guys are awesome!!

Thanks for letting us know that the newer 50mm 2.5 G has a performance upgrade from the old 1.8!

I do miss these photography centric videos. Do you folks have any “tutorial” videos lined up this year? Might be worth a revisit how you edit raw files - color corrections and such, then finish off with signature look filter?

months ago i did the same thing. Sold my FX3 for the ZV-E1. So glad I did too.

Agree on all of that, I love my a7cii since I'm always on the move too. I used to shoot on tiny MFT cameras, but switched to the original a7c because I like using vintage glass.

Plz, could you do a video on how you or your editors are able to illustrate every video with past projects all the time ? Is there some power folder, do you keep finals version in a dedicated folder ? Or do they just go back into the file drives and download what they need each time ?

Carrying the A7R5 full day walking around does feel bulky and heavy sometimes..so I bought a Q3 for those lazy days but ended up it is becoming my main camera

I just sold my A7RIV to buy this! similar reasons as you Becki - 6:20 - I thought it was just me hitting the ISO button, so much so I remapped that button to do nothing and mapped the ISO function to the silver wheel :)

Very nice video! The reason I chose a7c is for travel and occasional pro work and it never let me down so far! You could do zeiss 55 q 1.8 too, it's a beast! Haven't figured out yet most suitable zoom lens. I really love the Sony 24-105 but it's so heavy...

I'm on a similar journey - I'm upgrading while downsizing for travel :) I thought the size comparison was a little unfair on the A7R4, though. It's not like the A7R4 is a fixed lens camera that _couldn't_ take the 50 2.5 :)

I was with Canon and M43s traded and sold all my stuff for the OG a7c and absolutely loved it! when they announced the mark ii and i was putting in overtime in my day job just to get it! Its my all time favorite camera!

Why not the 55mm 1.8 Zeiss?

Got the A7C for a more minimalistic camera and am now into the A7CR - the c concept is wonderful... 😊

I have the zve1 and love it but I kinda regret not waiting for the a7c ii. I only carry around 1 camera and wish I had more MPs. Too often I end up using my phone for pics.

Great choice - I've got zeiss 55 1.8 instead of 50 2.5 - my favourite lens ever

Aww Love the shot of Cabot tower !! Makes me miss home !

Finally. So glad to see (7:20) a professional say how little they care how people perceive their camera setup. It’s ironic how photographers are paid for their optics and vision but flinch when we wonder how the client’s may find the “optics” of their gear.

I got the a6700 that i really love but i also love FF. The only thing that would be a minor gripe about the A7Cii would be the slightly smaller grip. The a6700s grip feels so good in hand. Fits like a glove. Because of the FF id be happy to try the A7cii.

I LOVE my A7C! Can’t wait to upgrade to the II

Love the editing on the pictures. What’s the setting?

Good advice and nice to see you back in the drone factory!

I did exactly the same and got also the same setup. It’s fantastic! But now and then I go for my heavier 35mm 1.4 gm just because of the aperture 😅

I went from a74 to a6700 and honestly going smaller does make me wanting to bring my camera a lot more and my wife complains less lol

I just got a tiny Viltrox 40mm f/2.5 for my Nikon Z6 - it's very liberating after using bigger lenses! I don't care if it's not quite as fast or sharp as the "real" 50mm/35mm - I take it out with me more often, that's much more important. Restrictions make you more creative too! Viltrox (and others) are making some great lenses these days - I doubt I will buy any more overpriced Nikkors when I can get 90% of the performance for a third of the price.

The thing about how non-photographers and filmers views a bigger setup as more proffesional is so true!

Thanks again for sharing very helpful and valuable information and advice with all of us.

Absolutely loved the video! I am on the Sony A7S III (I am video focused). Curious how the A7C II it does in low light for video compared to A7S III? Thanks!

I do love the nifty 50 for the size, cost and the quality is good but you get what you pay for. It’s pretty slow. It was great for volleyball portraits I took for my son’s high school team. The Sony FE 50mm F2.5 G Full-Frame Ultra-Compact G Lens looks awesome. I’ve finally gotten out of my auto comfort zone and been using my A7C in Aperture priority mode to shoot sports. Photos do look much better but still not where I want them. That’s with a 35 to 150 and not the nifty 50 of course.

Ok I’m excited to watch this. I sold my a7rv for the a7cii. So far I’m extremely happy. I will prob pick up the a7cr if I can catch it on sale down the road.

I agree . I feel less gear is more, I'm more quick on the pulse to shoot. I do love your color/style you inject into your photos, and would love to know more (I know i know, you just said in this video it's not your cup of tea lol) cause it's stellar

I have the 1st generation a7c and that's the big camera for me. 😅 The trusty iPhone and action cameras have been doing a lot of the filming lately.

Nice image of the motor lodge in Flagstaff, Arizona.

I’ve been feeling that with my setup right now, my SL2 with a 24-70 is heavy af and most times I opt for my phone or my Insta360 Go 3 haha my next camera will probably be a small kit

I guess, but the cost of the body and lens is close to $3,000 with tax. Not exactly a cheap drag around camera.

I totally get the sentiment, but having just switched from a DSLR setup with a bunch of old glass it's a bit funny to hear you comment that a mirrorless setup is heavy😅

Happy with my Nikon Z50 17-55 F2.8 + Nikon ZF Meike 85mm F1.4

That’s funny. I just downsized as well from a Sony a7c to a Panasonic GX85 with a Leica 30mm F1.7 lens 🤣 Can’t wait to hear from all the full frame fan boys. 🤣🍉

I can not give up a dual card slot. My recent trip to London 2 files were slightly corrupted on one card but were OK on another. With a single card slot, I would not be able to recover it.

Just found your channel. To me, the A7Cii look the same size as the A7Riv. Just the added the view finder top of the body. I would buy the A7iv and slap the small form factor 50mm 2.5 on and don't look back.

Over the last few years, I also became super bored of photography. I couldn’t really figure out why, until recently. The problem for me personally was the camera. Everything about the Sony A7iv is great except the colors. Sony colors for photography are still shit. This is something rarely anyone talks about nowadays. Highlight are overly desaturated. Skin tones are rarely pleasing to me. I have been shooting in Sony since 2018. I recently picked up an old Fuji x70 then a brand new x100vi and my love for photography has returned. If you are sick of photography try to get your hands on a Fuji. The skin tones are beautiful and even JPEGs look incredible in camera.

Great, honest review! Hilarious: what clients would think of a small camera.

Great videos as always thank you so much Becky and Chris

I also have the A7CII upgraded from a A7R4.........upgraded?? Yes, the A7R4 is only good in a few things the A7CII in many, if not all. I have the zeiss Batis lenses on it. Fantastic. Lately i`m a complete voighlander fan, small an extremely well made quality. Exceptional rendering an artistry. I still have some bigger zooms because they are very handy, but i like the overall smaller size and less weight. Great combi so far, i`m very happy with it.

Great Setup! 50mm is one of my favorites for photography

How did you get your first brand deal? I'm hoping to partner with brands but not sure where to start

Have you a LR preset @ photos ?

My sundays are weird. It feels incomplete. 😢

How is a f 2.5 lens faster than 1.8 or 1.4 lens?

Becki, going to be cutting any 90' squares so you can helicopter from house to camp?

I would have honestly gone for the CR instead of Cii due to the higher MP to complement my kit versatility.

What about the zeiss 55 1.8? Its light and sharp. I dont know about the focus speed, but its has never let me down

I would have chosen the A7iv as there are two card slots. No issues with A7Cii but the issue is that there is no redundancy. Just wanna share I was shooting a basketball match and before I reached, slot one sd card corrupted and I couldn't do anything (I'm using an A9II). Imagine if the sd card corrupts during the event. I'm shooting raw on slot 1 and jpg on slot 2 and it is a lot safer. I felt that the sony cameras have the issues with card corruption.

enjoyed the video very informative

It’s really the perfect size! Still love my A7C first gen.