Review on 📷 Sony a7R II Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera (Body Only, Black) - ILCE7RM2/B: Unbeatable Quality & Versatility by James Crofton

I have made the decision to switch from shooting with a Nikon D810 to a Sony platform and I am very glad I did. While the controls may not be as intuitive as my Nikon D810 and this camera definitely won't work as an emergency weapon, the image quality is so perfect and amazing it's forgivable. Here are the pros and cons I see. about owning a Sony A7rII: Pros: Amazing picture quality - the best I've seen - and I've worked side-by-side with the D850 a lot. When it comes to high-end cameras at the top of the DxoMark scale, it all comes down to specific needs and personal preferences. The EVF is absolutely fantastic to use. It's razor sharp, colors are amazingly vibrant and true to life, and the ability to zoom in on distant objects from the viewfinder for perfect focus is a huge plus that justifies the extra battery requirement. The silent mode, which uses the front motorized shutter, is great and seems to work now (after updating to the latest firmware) when uncompressed RAW is selected. Despite its small size, this camera feels solid and the grip fits my large hands well. While Sony doesn't have a huge range of lenses, the lenses they have are insanely sharp and not among the best I've had, especially the Zeiss lenses and the new Sony 'G' lenses. To give some perspective - the best lens for Nikon finishes with a sharpness rating of 36, Sony's line of lenses picks up almost where Nikon stops and achieves an insane rating of 46 (according to DxoMark). I can use this camera with ALL my vintage glasses. including Nikkor AI and NAI MF lenses, Helios, Pentacon, Zeiss, INDUSTAR, etc. All you need is a simple adapter and each of these lenses takes advantage of Sony's 5-axis image stabilization built into the body. The camera's shallow body depth ensures that it's compatible with almost every 35mm camera lens ever made - I had trouble with this on my D810 because Nikon actually has the widest body of any camera. My M42 mount lenses (for example) need to mount easily inside the D810 body to get the right magnification and infinity focus. And that's not even an option because it risks destroying the mirror. Even old Nikkor AI and NAI lenses cannot be used without some pretty major modifications, which also reduces the value of the lens. A lot of people really don't seem to like the A7 range's user interface. I personally like the interface. Maybe it's because I work a lot with technology, but I find it pretty easy to use and after having my camera for a few weeks I've got it all in my long-term memory. It also looks more modern than the Nikon or Cannon UI. This might seem a bit segmented at first, but it makes overall sense in the end, which is why I feel professional about it. I love that Sony included two batteries and a charger. It really makes me feel like I bought a high-end camera. If they had added a screen protector (see my grumble below) I would have been perfectly happy with the accessories that came with it. Cons: Battery life could be better. I wish the build quality was a little more reliable. This. I wouldn't take this in sub-zero temperatures, do a photoshoot in a sandstorm, or take it rafting. Proper weather protection would also be a good gesture. This is probably at the top of my list - I'd like to see dedicated controls for all the basic settings I use every day. I can adjust aperture with the rear dial and exposure with the front dial, but it would be great to have control over the ISO. I almost always shoot in full manual mode, and it's a bit annoying to have to right-click the wheel to bring up the ISO dialog before selecting an ISO value. The camera should come with a screen protector like Nikon's. When you're spending that much on a camera and not getting basic protective gear, you feel Sony is being a little stingy/apathetic. A few tips: Knowing how short the battery life would be, I charged six batteries and bought a camera grip so I could use two at the same time. With this grip I can shoot about half of what I used to do with my D810, which works. Get a good protective case/backpack for this camera to keep it safe. My final verdict: Overall, this is the best camera I've ever had. ever owned. While it's kinda whimsical, some of the quirks in me are starting to grow. Now let's talk about durability. The shutter is rated for 500,000 actuations, so I hope so.