Should I get an A1?

[-ST-]

For A1 owners, I'd sure appreciate your thoughts about whether or not I should get an A1. Thank you.

TLDR
I've got an A7IV with 24-105 F4 and PZ 16-35 F4. I'm going to wait for a 100-400 GM II for my next lens, and I know that could a while, although if I could find a 2x teleconverter, I'd get the 70-200 GM II again in a heartbeat.

I really like the A7IV, but I'd like to be able to crop in post more than I can with 33 megapixels. Also, I'm missing action shots (birds in flight) due to focus and frames-per-second issues (not enough frames per second).

I hope that getting the A1 will let me explore what I can do with 20-30 frames per second and faster focus tracking. This rules out the A7RV.

It might be nice to carry two bodies so I can have the 16-35 ready to go (on the A7IV) as well as the 24-105 on the A1. When I finally get my longer zoom lens, I'd probably put the 24-105 on the A7IV and the 100-400 on the A1.

I'm concerned that I'll miss the stacked selector (on the A7IV and A7RV) that lets me go from photos/video/F&S and keep separate settings for each mode. I don't shoot a lot of video, but when I switch to video it might be annoying to have to change the shutter speed aperture too.

I know the A1 will be two years old in a month. I'd be okay if I had a year before the A1 II came out. Odds are very good that if I like the A1, I'll get the A1 II. I'd be willing to lose 25-30% for a year of shooting.

Getting a better camera will not make me a better photographer, but I'm hoping that a more capable camera will help me to explore new photo opportunities.



Background
I got into photography six months ago, starting with an A7C but switched to the A7IV a week later.
Edit: In that time. I've shot about 36,000 photos over some 500 hours, with a similar amount of time working with the photos in post, over 100 hours in courses, and double that watching Sony-specific tutorials. /edit

I picked up the 24-105 F4 G OSS and started having a ball. A few months later, I got the PZ 16-35 for candid close-up shots of musicians and some landscapes. I added the 70-200 F2.8 GM II a couple of weeks ago. I'm out every day wandering around a beach and environmentally protected area, camera in hand, for two to three hours. I usually take up to 200 shots per day, keeping 25% of those. I use Capture One for post-processing.

I just returned the 70-200 GM II. I enjoyed that lens, and if that's what the version II GM lenses are like, then that's what I want going forward.

Too short, too long, 70-200
Unfortunately, I realized that I need more than 200 mm for wildlife. I liked the photos I was getting, but I was cropping in 200% and more to fill the frame or get the composition I wanted. My plan was to get a 2x teleconverter, but I can't find one anywhere, and nobody seems to know when they might be back in stock. At the other end, I found the 70 mm field of view terribly restricting. That's because I'm used to having 24 mm at the twist of the zoom ring (on my 24-105).

I would consider the 100-400 GM OSS, but the retailer who sold me the 70-200 GM II suggested I wait for the 100-400 GM II version of that lens. She said the same thing about the 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 OSS G, although I'm convinced that lens is more than I want to carry for two to three hours.

Mulling it over
So what to do in the meantime? I considered A7RV so I would have more megapixels to crop. Even in APSC mode, I'd still have 26 megapixels to work with, but most of my discarded shots are of birds in flight. I dump those because of focus issues and the relatively low shots-per-second on the A7IV. That is, I need more shots from which to choose my keepers. I'm concerned that the A7RV is no faster than the A7IV and that I'll have rolling shutter issues on panning shots when I finally get my longer lens.

I've watched too many pixel-peeping comparisons of the A7RIV / A1 / A7IV, and the main conclusion for me is that the A1 compares as well or better than the A7RIV for image quality for anything I want to do. I wish the A1 had an articulating screen, though. I shoot through the Electronic Viewfinder most of the time, but once or twice a day, I flip out the screen for a portrait shot with the body low to the ground or above eye level. I'll have to shoot in landscape orientation and crop for those if I get the A1.

Thank you
Thank you for reading this far. Some of you have seen my photos and you can tell where I am on my journey. I'd gratefully appreciate your thoughts about whether an A1 is a good, immediate next step.

 

[Brownie]

Not an A1 owner, but a word of advice.

In photography for six months? Stop chasing gear. There will always be a better camera, another lens, new gear. There are an awful lot of people out there using cameras far older and less advanced than your A7IV to make excellent photos.

There's a guy on another forum that makes better BIF photos than anyone I've ever seen, and he shoots MF lenses.

As for cropping, take a look at @spudhead's images. He gets those out of 24MP. I have a 6MP image in my office printed 8 x 10, and there's no reason it wouldn't go 11 x 14. I have printed 20MP images to 22 x 30. You simply don't need huge MP to crop, especially if you're just posting for online viewing.

This is a 1.7MP crop:

bees squash by telecast, on Flickr

Probably not what you want to hear, and certainly not the popular opinion, but it's fact. Learn how to use your gear and how to get the best out of it. Don't chase gear to make up for a lack of experience. That camera is fully capable of doing everything you want. Get out and shoot.

 

[iamdlewis]

I agree with Brownie that you seem to be chasing gear and you need to take some time to refine your skill set some.

So only the A1 and A9 have stacked sensors what you have is just a better designed dial for selecting the features.

If you are going to do wildlife you need a lens that can at the very least hit 400mm and preferably 600. If you are not going to get one of those until a version 2 is released you might as well wait on getting an A1. Also you are saving about 1lbs going with the 100-400 and either the 1.4x or 2x teleconverter but also sacrificing aperture and some image quality, as many here will tell you the 200-600 is better choice than the 100-400+1.4 (I say this as someone that loves the 100-400GM). If you think carrying the 200-600 is going to be too heavy I don't get the thought of carrying around two cameras. Additionally the wait for version updates of longer lenses tends to be longer than the update period for shorter lenses. Historically Nikon has had 7 years between their version of the 200-400 and Canon has 8 years for the 100-400. The Sony 100-400 is 6 years and the 200-600 is coming up on 4.

I would say get the 200-600, refine your skills with the A7iv + 200-600 combination and when it is clear the gear is holding you back then you can decide if waiting on an A1ii is the right thing to do.

 

[-ST-]

Hi, Tim.
Thank you. I've enjoyed your posts and having read some of your contributions here, and I was expecting your response. Let me see if I can address your concerns.

"In photography for six months?"
My six months is about 36,000 photos over some 500 hours, with a similar amount of time working with the photos in post, over 100 hours in courses, and double that watching Sony-specific tutorials.

"take a look at @spudhead's images"
I've been admiring @spudhead's photos (and yours). It looks like he's using an A9 (24 megapixel, stacked sensor, up to 20 FPS) and many of the ones I liked most were shot with the 200-600 or 100-400 lens (many at the long end of the zoom). I assumed some cropping was involved. As I wrote above, I've ruled out the 200-600 (I can't imagine walking with it for 2-3 hours a day), and I'll wait for the next generation of the 100-400.

"That camera is fully capable of doing everything you want."
Part of why I'm looking at the A1 is the stacked sensor and up to 30 FPS (closer to 20 FPS lossless compressed raw). The A7IV drops to about 6 FPS when shooting raw. I also want to take some fast action shots (panning) and shoot with the silent shutter without issues with rolling shutter.

"if you're just posting for online viewing"
I post very little online (pretty much just here to participate in the community). I'm not printing, but I enjoy my photos on a 28-inch (Resolution: 4500 x 3000) monitor or a 60-inch 4k screen with my partner (she's a painter).

"Don't chase gear to make up for a lack of experience."
Sound advice; however, my general approach to things has been to remove all obstacles, so I have no excuses when I hit my limitations.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[Brownie]

Hi, Tim.
Thank you. I've enjoyed your posts and having read some of your contributions here, and I was expecting your response. Let me see if I can address your concerns.

"In photography for six months?"
My six months is about 36,000 photos over some 500 hours, with a similar amount of time working with the photos in post, over 100 hours in courses, and double that watching Sony-specific tutorials.

"take a look at @spudhead's images"
I've been admiring @spudhead's photos (and yours). It looks like he's using an A9 (24 megapixel, stacked sensor, up to 20 FPS) and many of the ones I liked most were shot with the 200-600 or 100-400 lens (many at the long end of the zoom). I assumed some cropping was involved. As I wrote above, I've ruled out the 200-600 (I can't imagine walking with it for 2-3 hours a day), and I'll wait for the next generation of the 100-400.

"That camera is fully capable of doing everything you want."
Part of why I'm looking at the A1 is the stacked sensor and up to 30 FPS (closer to 20 FPS lossless compressed raw). The A7IV drops to about 6 FPS when shooting raw. I also want to take some fast action shots (panning) and shoot with the silent shutter without issues with rolling shutter.

"if you're just posting for online viewing"
I post very little online (pretty much just here to participate in the community). I'm not printing, but I enjoy my photos on a 28-inch (Resolution: 4500 x 3000) monitor or a 60-inch 4k screen with my partner (she's a painter).

"Don't chase gear to make up for a lack of experience."
Sound advice; however, my general approach to things has been to remove all obstacles, so I have no excuses when I hit my limitations.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

First off, I have no concerns. You don't need one, you want one.

 

[-ST-]

Hi, David (@iamdlewis),

Thanks for your reply. You're right; I'm daydreaming about carrying two bodies. I've been thinking of getting an RX100 VII as a lighter companion camera.

I appreciate the insights about how long it might be until we see the second versions of various lenses. It was about five and have years between the first 70-200 GM and the second. Maybe we'll both be picking up a new 100-400 soon. But until then, I'd like to try some of the things you can only do with a stacked sensor.

Even though the 70-200 GM II was not a keeper for me, I did learn that I enjoy a longer lens and a larger aperture (low-light shots). I had to have it in my hands to learn that. I may find that shooting 20 frames per second or having 50 megapixels to edit isn't for me, but I learn hands-on. I don't mind paying for those lessons.

Who knows how long it will take for the A1 II to show up? (rhetorical question).

Cheers!

 

[Slug]

I have both an A1 and a A6400 for use on wildlife and whatever. My keeper rate with the A6400 on birds in flight is at least as good as the A1 if not better. I mostly shoot at around 12 FPS, at times 20, but never at 30. Simply way too much data to deal with.

 

[-ST-]

I have both an A1 and a A6400 for use on wildlife and whatever. My keeper rate with the A6400 on birds in flight is at least as good as the A1 if not better. I mostly shoot at around 12 FPS, at times 20, but never at 30. Simply way too much data to deal with.

Thanks for your reply.
From what I've read/heard/watched, I shouldn't really expect 30 FPS from the A1 except under ideal circumstances. 20 FPS sounds more realistic. And yes, I'm already planning to spend a bunch of money on big CF Express A cards and more hard drives. In Capture One, they have a nice preview-before-import, and a post-import "cull" mode. I know I'll be using those.

Which did you get first (A6400 or A1)? If I had one, why get the other?

It looks like you are using full-frame lenses on the A6400. I'd probably do the same because I wouldn't want to double up with APSC lenses and full-frame lenses.

 

[-ST-]

First off, I have no concerns.

I was acknowledging the points you raised. I shouldn't have called them concerns. I've only just discovered the "Reply" option that lets you quote and split like this.

You don't need one, you want one.

My pursuit of photography is all about "want" and fun.

It looks like photography is a profession for you and I respect that perspective.

Thanks again.

 

[Slug]

Thanks for your reply.
From what I've read/heard/watched, I shouldn't really expect 30 FPS from the A1 except under ideal circumstances. 20 FPS sounds more realistic. And yes, I'm already planning to spend a bunch of money on a big CF Express A card and more hard drives. In Capture One, they have a nice preview-before-import, and a post-import "cull" mode. I know I'll be using those.

Which did you get first (A6400 or A1)? If I had one, why get the other?

It looks like you are using full-frame lenses on the A6400. I'd probably do the same because I wouldn't want to double up with APSC lenses and full-frame lenses.

Got the A6400 first as I read it had similar focusing software to the A9 which seemed a good option given the price difference. I have always been happy with the performance of the A6400 and yes, I use 100-400 full frame lens with it. But like many others bitten with the photography bug I worked my way through a number of Sony cameras looking for my ideal for bird photography including A9 and A92 and the A1 (which I still Have) but still go back to the A6400 for reliability particularly on trips away.
Over the last few years I worked out that buying new and test using a camera over a 3 month or so period, then selling while still quite new with warranty was more economical than renting. The dollars dropped just represented the cost of a learning experience.
The A1 is a very good camera but I have many disappointments with its focusing ability on small birds. It will often pick a branch or grass blade in place of the bird and I've tried a multitude of settings in trying to overcome the issue.

 

[Clix Pix]

I happen to have the A1, the A7R V bodies and also the 100-400 GM as well as various other Sony lenses.... I have been shooting pictures for many, many years and, hey guess what, am still learning!

Many years ago, I started shooting with Nikon back in the SLR days and then eventually moved into the DSLR era...... I purchased and used what I could afford and learned from that as I went along. Only several years into my shooting with Nikon DSLRs did I begin to think that, gee, maybe I was ready to jump into the big time and buy and learn to use a D2X.....which at that time was the holy grail for amateurs like me and the accustomed gear for professionals and seasoned enthusiasts. I bought one and learned with it and over time added another lens or two as needed and eventually moved up to the D3....

That was some years ago. I made the shift to Sony (which I did because in 2019 Nikon did not yet offer what I wanted either in terms of mirrorless bodies or lenses). I was not willing to wait an unknown period of time before Nikon finally coughed up a body plus a lens or two that met my needs. Sony had exactly what I wanted when I wanted it. I also had already had some experience with a couple of Sony cameras, although not FF mirrorless bodies and lenses.

After years of shooting experience II felt comfortable in considering the purchase of the A7R IV, which had recently come out at that time, as by then I had absolutely learned over and over that it's not just the body which is important, but actually the lenses are even more key in getting the results one wants. I also had figured out exactly what kinds of shooting I most like to do and which lenses work best for those times I pick up a camera. Time went on, the A1 was announced and when I read the specs I knew, oh, yes, this one was definitely for me, as it ticked all my various boxes and resolved a concern or two I'd had with the A7R IV.

The A7R IV and the A1 made a terrific pair, complementing each other quite nicely with regard to the type of shooting I like to do, and while each was a new learning experience in its own right, over time I felt comfortable each time I used one or both of them. Not too long ago I swapped out the A7R IV for the A7R V and it's the next step in a progression I have made over many years. Still lots to learn with both cameras!

I use the A1 primarily for wildlife shooting and have that camera set up for continuous high burst shooting, which is great for that purpose. What's not so much fun is wading through all the images later in the post-processing phase of this! The A7R V so far has been used primarily for indoor shooting: macro/closeups/tabletop, etc, but when warmer weather comes I will be taking her out to play at least a few times with the 100-400mm mounted on her. just to put her through her paces and see how she does.

The rather long-winded point I'm making here is to say that I agree with others that at this point in time, after only being involved in photography for six months, that you really just need to work with what you've already got so that you can figure out what you still need to learn and what the gear you have isn'n't helping you achieve. Use the gear you have to explore subjects, to explore lighting conditions, to explore all kinds of situations...... You will learn far more from that than you will from simply buying another new camera body, another new lens....

The camera you have is more than simply a truly capable body -- it can help you produce outstanding results right now, with just the lenses you have. The more you use those lenses, over time the more you will realize what additional lens(es) and focal lengths, etc., you would like in the future to achieve specific results. When I went to the camera shop to trade in my Nikon gear for the A7R IV, I knew pretty much what I wanted in the way of lenses for starters, but I'm sure the camera shop staff were wondering what the heck I was thinking.... I started out with two macro lenses and one fast mid-range prime tele. In a month or so I returned to the store to buy an additional lens, the 200-600mm, having had some time to get used to my new gear and to determine that I wanted and really needed that long tele zoom sooner rather than later.

In the spring I realized that while I love the 200-600mm, it is just too awkward and heavy for me to carry around on a regular basis as a "walk-around" lens on my daily walks, and that's when the 100-400mm GM came into the household and quickly became a favorite lens. I absolutely adore this lens and it is extremely versatile.

So this is all a process which for me has continued over the three years since I first brought home that A7R IV and three lenses. I've added other lenses to the family as I've gone along, but only after coming to a point when I realized that, yes, this or that lens was what I needed for particular situations.

As for waiting around to see if Sony brings out a revised version of the 100-400mm GM, you could have a really long wait. If there is a genuine need to have and use that lens and benefit from its focal length / range right now, then there's undoubtedly one sitting in a box on any number of camera shops' shelves at this every minute. I suspect that Sony has a few other lenses which are taking priority for being released, either as GM II versions of a previous lens (85mm GM comes to mind, for instance) or as something brand-new altogether.....

One thing you need to consider, too, is the impact of a camera with high resolution and subsequently large RAW files (if you're shooting in RAW and not in .jpg). This can make a big difference to a computer which may or may not have the needed powerful innards under the hood, so to speak.... Processor, Graphics card, RAM and storage are all going to be important factors in working with larger image files.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do! It is all too easy to be tempted into rushing to buy a lot of new stuff all at once or within a short period of time before you've even really had a chance to figure out all the mysteries of the gear you already have. You've got a very fine camera in that A7IV..... Yes, another lens or two will be helpful, but really it does take time sometimes to figure out just which lenses you will really want and need.....and one way to figure that out is to simply shoot with what you've already got so that you can recognize when there are situations in which another lens would be much more suitable. From what you have said, you've already kind of done that with the 70-200mm lens vs the 100-400mm lens....

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

I've been doing this for a year and a few months now. I'm hearing where you are coming from but once I got the A7RIII I have been pretty content. I too am going to get an A1II when it gets released but I don't feel like a camera upgrade will be a complete game changer for me. An A7IV is a sensational camera and it's abilities are certainly not something to laugh at and you are definitely not being hindered in any way with that.

Lens wise is hard to say because you find out what suits you along the way. I've just always found fantastic brand new prices and have been able to sell them for very close to what I paid for them.

If I were you I would keep accumulating lenses but sit on that camera body. You look like you're committed to only buying the higher end stuff so you can't really go wrong. I'd say just keep getting lenses and keep on shooting, the biggest improvements I see in myself more and more each week are to do with composition and editing, not much to do with my camera body.

 

[-ST-]

Got the A6400 first as I read it had similar focusing software to the A9 which seemed a good option given the price difference. I have always been happy with the performance of the A6400 and yes, I use 100-400 full frame lens with it. But like many others bitten with the photography bug I worked my way through a number of Sony cameras looking for my ideal for bird photography including A9 and A92 and the A1 (which I still Have) but still go back to the A6400 for reliability particularly on trips away.
Over the last few years I worked out that buying new and test using a camera over a 3 month or so period, then selling while still quite new with warranty was more economical than renting. The dollars dropped just represented the cost of a learning experience.

Hey, Greg.
Thanks for all those insights, especially " I worked out that buying ... then selling while still quite new with warranty was more economical than renting. The dollars dropped just represented the cost of a learning experience."

At this moment, if I were tired of photography (I'm not) and could sell everything for 50% of what I paid for it, I'd consider the other 50% to have been well worth the experience. I'm sure I could recoup closer to 60-75% for the A7IV, but I'll probably keep it for other reasons anyway.

The A1 is a very good camera but I have many disappointments with its focusing ability on small birds. It will often pick a branch or grass blade in place of the bird and I've tried a multitude of settings in trying to overcome the issue.

Oh, that's disappointing about the focusing ability. There's no point getting dozens and dozens of shots if they are out of focus.
I hope the A1 II will have at least the same (much touted) focusing ability as the A7RV.

Thank you.

 

[-ST-]

I happen to have the A1, the A7R V bodies and also the 100-400 GM as well as various other Sony lenses.... I have been shooting pictures for many, many years and, hey guess what, am still learning!

Many years ago, I started shooting with Nikon back in the SLR days and then eventually moved into the DSLR era...... I purchased and used what I could afford and learned from that as I went along. Only several years into my shooting with Nikon DSLRs did I begin to think that, gee, maybe I was ready to jump into the big time and buy and learn to use a D2X.....which at that time was the holy grail for amateurs like me and the accustomed gear for professionals and seasoned enthusiasts. I bought one and learned with it and over time added another lens or two as needed and eventually moved up to the D3....

That was some years ago. I made the shift to Sony (which I did because in 2019 Nikon did not yet offer what I wanted either in terms of mirrorless bodies or lenses). I was not willing to wait an unknown period of time before Nikon finally coughed up a body plus a lens or two that met my needs. Sony had exactly what I wanted when I wanted it. I also had already had some experience with a couple of Sony cameras, although not FF mirrorless bodies and lenses.

After years of shooting experience II felt comfortable in considering the purchase of the A7R IV, which had recently come out at that time, as by then I had absolutely learned over and over that it's not just the body which is important, but actually the lenses are even more key in getting the results one wants. I also had figured out exactly what kinds of shooting I most like to do and which lenses work best for those times I pick up a camera. Time went on, the A1 was announced and when I read the specs I knew, oh, yes, this one was definitely for me, as it ticked all my various boxes and resolved a concern or two I'd had with the A7R IV.

The A7R IV and the A1 made a terrific pair, complementing each other quite nicely with regard to the type of shooting I like to do, and while each was a new learning experience in its own right, over time I felt comfortable each time I used one or both of them. Not too long ago I swapped out the A7R IV for the A7R V and it's the next step in a progression I have made over many years. Still lots to learn with both cameras!

I use the A1 primarily for wildlife shooting and have that camera set up for continuous high burst shooting, which is great for that purpose. What's not so much fun is wading through all the images later in the post-processing phase of this! The A7R V so far has been used primarily for indoor shooting: macro/closeups/tabletop, etc, but when warmer weather comes I will be taking her out to play at least a few times with the 100-400mm mounted on her. just to put her through her paces and see how she does.

The rather long-winded point I'm making here is to say that I agree with others that at this point in time, after only being involved in photography for six months, that you really just need to work with what you've already got so that you can figure out what you still need to learn and what the gear you have isn'n't helping you achieve. Use the gear you have to explore subjects, to explore lighting conditions, to explore all kinds of situations...... You will learn far more from that than you will from simply buying another new camera body, another new lens....

The camera you have is more than simply a truly capable body -- it can help you produce outstanding results right now, with just the lenses you have. The more you use those lenses, over time the more you will realize what additional lens(es) and focal lengths, etc., you would like in the future to achieve specific results. When I went to the camera shop to trade in my Nikon gear for the A7R IV, I knew pretty much what I wanted in the way of lenses for starters, but I'm sure the camera shop staff were wondering what the heck I was thinking.... I started out with two macro lenses and one fast mid-range prime tele. In a month or so I returned to the store to buy an additional lens, the 200-600mm, having had some time to get used to my new gear and to determine that I wanted and really needed that long tele zoom sooner rather than later.

Thanks for telling me about your journey. You've reinforced the idea that lenses are more important than bodies. I held that view too but had come to believe that the lens(es) I'd like, are not available now. Maybe I should revisit that.

In the spring I realized that while I love the 200-600mm, it is just too awkward and heavy for me to carry around on a regular basis as a "walk-around" lens on my daily walks, and that's when the 100-400mm GM came into the household and quickly became a favorite lens. I absolutely adore this lens and it is extremely versatile.

So this is all a process which for me has continued over the three years since I first brought home that A7R IV and three lenses. I've added other lenses to the family as I've gone along, but only after coming to a point when I realized that, yes, this or that lens was what I needed for particular situations.

As for waiting around to see if Sony brings out a revised version of the 100-400mm GM, you could have a really long wait. If there is a genuine need to have and use that lens and benefit from its focal length / range right now, then there's undoubtedly one sitting in a box on any number of camera shops' shelves at this every minute. I suspect that Sony has a few other lenses which are taking priority for being released, either as GM II versions of a previous lens (85mm GM comes to mind, for instance) or as something brand-new altogether.....

The current 100-400 is looking better and better, although if a 2x teleconverter had been available, I'd still have that wonderful 70-200 GM II, for indoor and low-light situations. I usually head out before sunrise.

One thing you need to consider, too, is the impact of a camera with high resolution and subsequently large RAW files (if you're shooting in RAW and not in .jpg). This can make a big difference to a computer which may or may not have the needed powerful innards under the hood, so to speak.... Processor, Graphics card, RAM and storage are all going to be important factors in working with larger image files.

My computer hardware is capable of handling larger images. I went through a phase of doing large stitched panoramas (80 megabytes or more), and I've already budgeted for some fast external drives. If necessary, I could get a new M2 Mac something with lots of RAM.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do! It is all too easy to be tempted into rushing to buy a lot of new stuff all at once or within a short period of time before you've even really had a chance to figure out all the mysteries of the gear you already have. You've got a very fine camera in that A7IV..... Yes, another lens or two will be helpful, but really it does take time sometimes to figure out just which lenses you will really want and need.....and one way to figure that out is to simply shoot with what you've already got so that you can recognize when there are situations in which another lens would be much more suitable. From what you have said, you've already kind of done that with the 70-200mm lens vs the 100-400mm lens....

Thank you!

 

[-ST-]

I've been doing this for a year and a few months now. I'm hearing where you are coming from but once I got the A7RIII I have been pretty content. I too am going to get an A1II when it gets released but I don't feel like a camera upgrade will be a complete game changer for me. An A7IV is a sensational camera and it's abilities are certainly not something to laugh at and you are definitely not being hindered in any way with that.

Hi, Clint,
I appreciate the reminder that I've got a pretty good camera right now. I haven't found any comparisons of the autofocus between the A7IV and A1, but that's not surprising - nobody compares those two bodies.

Lens wise is hard to say because you find out what suits you along the way. I've just always found fantastic brand new prices and have been able to sell them for very close to what I paid for them.

If I were you I would keep accumulating lenses but sit on that camera body. You look like you're committed to only buying the higher end stuff so you can't really go wrong. I'd say just keep getting lenses and keep on shooting, the biggest improvements I see in myself more and more each week are to do with composition and editing, not much to do with my camera body.

You're in great company with this advice (see responses above).

I haven't decided on what I want to shoot, but I'm curious about those things you can only do with a stacked sensor. As a life-long, hands-on learner, for me, there's only one way to find out. It could turn out that I like fast-paced action shots more than landscapes and wildlife. I didn't have much interest in birds until I found this place just a couple of weeks ago.

Cheers!

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

You're in great company with this advice (see responses above).

I realise this, but I just thought if every single person on this forum mentions it to you then maybe it will sink in...

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Need and want are 2 different things I'd say it's desirable, and I wouldn't mind one either, but finances and other considerations come into play and I have been happy with the A7RiV for approaching 3 years now. It took me a long time, more than 6 months, to get the best out of it, and I've been a photographer for 40 years, so my advice is, as others have said, learn your camera and skills with what you have, practice and know what you can do and then, by the time you are very competent, a newer model will be around or on the horizon and it will be a better upgrade.

 

[-ST-]

Need and want are 2 different things

Thanks, Kev.

I appreciate your reply.

For me, no aspect of this journey into photography is based on need. I don't have some earnings/investment criteria. The whole thing has been about want and fun.

I'd say it's desirable, and I wouldn't mind one either, but finances and other considerations come into play

I've never regretted getting the best tools available for any pursuit long before my experience would seem to warrant them. And I've managed to do that without compromising other aspects of life.

and I have been happy with the A7RiV for approaching 3 years now. It took me a long time, more than 6 months, to get the best out of it, and I've been a photographer for 40 years, so my advice is, as others have said, learn your camera and skills with what you have, practice and know what you can do and then, by the time you are very competent, a newer model will be around or on the horizon and it will be a better upgrade.

I'm not concerned about having too much camera for my needs.

The reason I addressed this to A1 owners, is only they can tell me the things only they can know - like the fun things they can do that no one else can, or the reasons I might not want one.

Thanks for thinking about this with me.

​

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

HI ST,







I have been -down the the nikon journey before switching to Sony and went from the AR7iv, to the A9ii and finally the A1
and as a committed wildlife shooter with probably 70% devoted to birding, frequently use my A1/A9ii in parallel......my AR7iv
I sold a long time ago as I found the shutter speed and focus efficiency(BIFs) to be limiting.


The release of the A1,and comparable resolution at up to 50Mp with the AR7iv and very similar focusing strengths of the A1
and A9ii convinced me that should sell the AR7iv .

As you have seen the many comments above you should by now have some level of clarity for a way forward, however let me
Add a further comment or two as someone who has never constrained my pleasures in life due to financial considerations and
Whilst as many on this forum, I absolutely look for quality, value for money, and suitability in my photographic "gear" purchases,
I put equal weight on the negative frustrations of knowing I can do better and enjoy my photographic adventures more by having
professional level market equipment ......if you have the money(and of course your wife/partner agree!!!!) why deny yourself
the enjoyment.

Philosophy aside, let me also say I have never at anytime regretted buying my A1 and quite frankly my inclination is to sell my A9ii
and buy another A1 but common sense tells me to hold on and see what shakes out of the A1 firmware update vs Aiii debate.


I note comments above about the A1 focus on small birds and leaves and branches complications, but I have to say I have never
Experienced this and find the many area focus options the A1 offers along with its multiple quick access settings options , particularly,
when using spot focus and its variants, are more than capable of dealing with this .

The other aspect is the A1 fps rating . Down at 10 fps and dependant upon the wing flap speed of your subject you can often miss the
Best/most appropriate wing position to make the most of your overall subject image whilst at 20-30fps I rarely do not achieve the best
wing position in my burst frames........in truth 15fps is probably the optimum fps but the available market fps at the time of my A9
acquisition steered me down the camera path I have described above.

The other consideration in buying the best market equipment, camera and lens , and if you are motivated to be the best you can as you
progress along your photographic journey, .you can be assured the ultimate image quality you achieve will be defined by your individual
ability/experience and eliminates frustrating thoughts of...." if only I had bought xxxxxxx"

Anyways good luck with your final decision/choices.........

As an aside, in relation to high fps cameras/resolution and post production speed , yes you will need a high end computer /monitor set up and

If you include focus stacking of say +100 images at the 50 Mp end my set up includes an I9 12th Gen computer at 64 GB Ram,16GB vRam and 2Tb of internal Ssd storage.........with preferable single/dual 27" or more high gamut monitors.

Probably a bit overkill in some areas but it never let's me down in respect of post production workflow speed........the matter of +50Mp image filtering
which can easily be accommodated on such a machine, or lower, using currently available free/cheap softwares from the market/internet.























































































































































sTngs,nd me .e A1. v e A1



s.rings. and....x"eve e.met the .reevere.A9iit.selfvingses, and let me iv .f the A1ng. 7iv y the A1, with many of the current market cheap/free image processing softwares.













































sTngs,nd me .e A1. v e A1

 

[Brownie]

I realise this, but I just thought if every single person on this forum mentions it to you then maybe it will sink in...

It won't, because he wants one. You can't debate desire with someone. I can respect desire, there likely isn't a single one of us here who doesn't suffer from GAS at one point or another.

I guess my point is buy whatever trips your trigger but, don't be surprised if you're disappointed when the new widget doesn't launch your output to the next level.

 

[Brownie]

It looks like photography is a profession for you and I respect that perspective.

Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment. But no, that's not a professional, that's 56 years of shooting. During that period, I've wasted more time than I can image engaged in the exact same exercise as you, right now.

After many small film cameras, my first 'real' camera was a Pentax K1000. 100% manual. My God, how did we ever manage?

When Minolta released the Maxxum 7000 I just had to have one in all of its automated glory. A built-in motor drive? NO WAY! Auto focusing? JEEZ! While it was a fully capable camera system and could operate in any mode possible (and then some), it could also be a big ol' SLR point-n-shoot. It immediately made me lazy. I felt compelled to use it as such. After all, wasn't that exactly why I bought it, all that automation? I lost interest because of it.

These days I'm in Manual 99% of the time. No A, no S. On a very rare occasion I'll use P. Even my custom setups on the mode dial are based on Manual. And it doesn't really matter which camera I'm using; my skill level doesn't change. About the only thing I'd like to have is a bit more burst speed. Not that I need it, it would just be convenient to have a few more frames to choose from when I'm culling shots from the track.

Interesting point here: The professional NHRA Credentialed photographers I shoot with are using 24MP speed demons. Canons for the most part.

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

Or your new camera,whatever your choice, in fact far supersedes your expectations !......it happens just as. much as new purchases underperforming expectations in my opinion.

Ultimately with the benefit of the wealth of Forum/user knowledge reflected above and herein together with your own experience the final
choices/decision is obviously yours.......good luck.

 

[Unframed Dave]

The answer is "yes".

Let me know if it solves your issues, you'll either save me four grand or make me feel good about buying one. Either way, win, win.

 

[iamdlewis]

You want to do wildlife photography...
1. Is the A1 better than the A7iv for wildlife? Yes
2. Is the A1 better than the A7iv for wildlife when your long lens is a 105? Yes but that is kind of like saying having 50 cents in your pocket is better than having 40 cents, you have more money but you still really can't get anything with it.
3. Would the purchase of the 100-400 or 200-600 and used with the A7iv be better than buying the A1 for wildlife? Yes, much better. The 200-600 would be the better choice.

 

[-ST-]

Hi, Ray.

Thank you for your comprehensive reply.

HI ST,

I have been -down the the nikon journey before switching to Sony and went from the AR7iv, to the A9ii and finally the A1
and as a committed wildlife shooter with probably 70% devoted to birding, frequently use my A1/A9ii in parallel......my AR7iv
I sold a long time ago as I found the shutter speed and focus efficiency(BIFs) to be limiting.

The release of the A1,and comparable resolution at up to 50Mp with the AR7iv and very similar focusing strengths of the A1
and A9ii convinced me that should sell the AR7iv .

As you have seen the many comments above you should by now have some level of clarity for a way forward, however let me
Add a further comment or two as someone who has never constrained my pleasures in life due to financial considerations and
Whilst as many on this forum, I absolutely look for quality, value for money, and suitability in my photographic "gear" purchases,
I put equal weight on the negative frustrations of knowing I can do better and enjoy my photographic adventures more by having
professional level market equipment ......if you have the money(and of course your wife/partner agree!!!!) why deny yourself
the enjoyment.

It's great to get to know you better. As for the partner, she's completely on board. She noticed the difference in my photos when I got the PZ 16-35, and even more so when I got the 70-200 GM II. She's disappointed that the 70-200 GM II went away and is eager to see what is coming next (including the possibility of the A1, and one or two GM lenses).

Philosophy aside, let me also say I have never at anytime regretted buying my A1 and quite frankly my inclination is to sell my A9ii
and buy another A1 but common sense tells me to hold on and see what shakes out of the A1 firmware update vs Aiii debate.

That's a relief. I'm delighted you're doing well with your A1.

I note comments above about the A1 focus on small birds and leaves and branches complications, but I have to say I have never
Experienced this and find the many area focus options the A1 offers along with its multiple quick access settings options , particularly,
when using spot focus and its variants, are more than capable of dealing with this.

Thanks for the tip about the focus.
I have custom programmed all the buttons and FN menu on the A7IV. I'm looking forward to doing that with the A1, to get to know what only it can do, and access the things I want quickly.

The other aspect is the A1 fps rating . Down at 10 fps and dependant upon the wing flap speed of your subject you can often miss the
Best/most appropriate wing position to make the most of your overall subject image whilst at 20-30fps I rarely do not achieve the best
wing position in my burst frames........in truth 15fps is probably the optimum fps but the available market fps at the time of my A9
acquisition steered me down the camera path I have described above.

The other consideration in buying the best market equipment, camera and lens , and if you are motivated to be the best you can as you
progress along your photographic journey, .you can be assured the ultimate image quality you achieve will be defined by your individual
ability/experience and eliminates frustrating thoughts of...." if only I had bought xxxxxxx"

Anyways good luck with your final decision/choices.........

Thank you.

As an aside, in relation to high fps cameras/resolution and post production speed , yes you will need a high end computer /monitor set up and

If you include focus stacking of say +100 images at the 50 Mp end my set up includes an I9 12th Gen computer at 64 GB Ram,16GB vRam and 2Tb of internal Ssd storage.........with preferable single/dual 27" or more high gamut monitors.

I've got respectable gear, but not at your level. For me, a touch screen with a stylus are essential for some of my other pursuits. That's why I have this (and it's two predecessors dedicated to different tasks).
Surface Studio 2+

Processor	11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11370H processor
Graphics	NVIDIA® GeForce RTX® 3060 Laptop GPU with 6GB GDDR6 GPU memory
Memory and Storage10	32GB (DDR4) 1TB solid-state drive (SSD)
Display	Screen: 28” PixelSense™ Display Touch: 10-point multi-touch Aspect Ratio: 3:2 Resolution: 4500 x 3000 (192 PPI) Color profile: sRGB and Vivid Individually color-calibrated display 1 billion colors, improved color accuracy and better gradients with Auto Color Management Contrast ratio 1200:1 Dolby Vision® support4 Gorilla® Glass 3

In addition to the following, I have some SSD drives. I'm prepared to up the hardware platform if that becomes necessary. I've been curious to explore the M2 Apple silicon. Maybe this will give me a reason.

Probably a bit overkill in some areas but it never let's me down in respect of post production workflow speed........the matter of +50Mp image filtering
which can easily be accommodated on such a machine, or lower, using currently available free/cheap softwares from the market/internet.


sTngs,nd me .e A1. v e A1



s.rings. and....x"eve e.met the .reevere.A9iit.selfvingses, and let me iv .f the A1ng. 7iv y the A1, with many of the current market cheap/free image processing softwares.


sTngs,nd me .e A1. v e A1

Something weird happened to the rest of your message. I'd love to know what got lost.

In the meantime.
I'm running Capture One 23 (full version). My plan was to use it at least until my subscription runs out. Then I'll consider LightRoom + Photoshop if I want to get into that kind of post-production. Right now, Capture One is giving me lots of room to grow. I spend almost as much time in post as I do walking around with the camera.

Thanks again, Ray.

 

[-ST-]

Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment. But no, that's not a professional, that's 56 years of shooting. During that period, I've wasted more time than I can image engaged in the exact same exercise as you, right now.

After many small film cameras, my first 'real' camera was a Pentax K1000. 100% manual. My God, how did we ever manage?

When Minolta released the Maxxum 7000 I just had to have one in all of its automated glory. A built-in motor drive? NO WAY! Auto focusing? JEEZ! While it was a fully capable camera system and could operate in any mode possible (and then some), it could also be a big ol' SLR point-n-shoot. It immediately made me lazy. I felt compelled to use it as such. After all, wasn't that exactly why I bought it, all that automation? I lost interest because of it.

These days I'm in Manual 99% of the time. No A, no S. On a very rare occasion I'll use P. Even my custom setups on the mode dial are based on Manual. And it doesn't really matter which camera I'm using; my skill level doesn't change. About the only thing I'd like to have is a bit more burst speed. Not that I need it, it would just be convenient to have a few more frames to choose from when I'm culling shots from the track.

Interesting point here: The professional NHRA Credentialed photographers I shoot with are using 24MP speed demons. Canons for the most part.

Take the compliment.

I shoot manual most of the time (with ISO set to Auto), but I usually check the ISO before I take the shot. Later, I review all the settings in post as part of the overall learning process.

It's great to get to know you better.

 

[-ST-]

Hey, Ray,

Or your new camera,whatever your choice, in fact far supersedes your expectations !......it happens just as. much as new purchases underperforming expectations in my opinion.

Ultimately with the benefit of the wealth of Forum/user knowledge reflected above and herein together with your own experience the final
choices/decision is obviously yours.......good luck.

When I got the 70-200 GM II, I saw an immediate change in my photos. It wasn't just an incremental difference occasioned by the longer focal length. With the faster lens, I could put more emphasis on depth of field, and with the narrower field of view, I had to approach composition differently. And, since I could shoot some wildlife, I had to think more about the quality of the light, time of day, and position of the sun. Even though I had a longer focal length, I spent more time zooming with my feet to take advantage of the different depth of field at longer focal lengths.

These are all equally important in the photos before, but they seemed to make a more significant difference with the new lens. I revisited and re-shot some of my favourite images with the new lens. That was a tremendous learning opportunity.

I couldn't have anticipated these benefits before I got the lens, but I enjoyed them immensely.

I hope to see similar kinds of growth with whatever I get next.

 

[-ST-]

Hi, David,

Thanks for the concise breakdown.

You want to do wildlife photography...

I haven't decided on/committed to wildlife photography. Getting the 70-200 GM II opened that window for me, and of course, I wanted to do more.

1. Is the A1 better than the A7iv for wildlife? Yes
2. Is the A1 better than the A7iv for wildlife when your long lens is a 105? Yes but that is kind of like saying having 50 cents in your pocket is better than having 40 cents, you have more money but you still really can't get anything with it.

I agree. The biggest limitation in my current set up is the lens. I had convinced myself that I should wait until the next generation GM lenses came along before investing in that area. That's why I started looking more seriously at the camera bodies.

3. Would the purchase of the 100-400 or 200-600 and used with the A7iv be better than buying the A1 for wildlife? Yes, much better. The 200-600 would be the better choice.

The 100-400 is looking better, but if I can find a 2x teleconverter, I'd probably get the 70-200 GM II again. Most days, I start my outing in the early hours before dawn, mainly thinking of landscapes. For that time of day, I want the faster lens. Later, I'd add the teleconverter and go after wildlife.

As soon as the weather improves, I'll probably spend more time in the forest across the lane. Who knows what I'll want to shoot in there?

The lenses thinking doesn't preclude the A1. I'm excited to see what I can do with faster burst speeds.

 

[Jeff A]

Hi, Clint,
I appreciate the reminder that I've got a pretty good camera right now. I haven't found any comparisons of the autofocus between the A7IV and A1, but that's not surprising - nobody compares those two bodies.

You're in great company with this advice (see responses above).

I haven't decided on what I want to shoot, but I'm curious about those things you can only do with a stacked sensor. As a life-long, hands-on learner, for me, there's only one way to find out. It could turn out that I like fast-paced action shots more than landscapes and wildlife. I didn't have much interest in birds until I found this place just a couple of weeks ago.

Cheers!

There are so many good responses to this thread, I won't attempt to modify the responses. I just want to address one of your statements. You said "nobody compares those two bodies". I actually read a response from a well known photographer-Educator, Mark Galer. He has been a Sony Ambassador for over 10 years and recently on his Q&A Forum, he did answer that question. Comparing the A7IV, the A7RV and the A1 in Auto focus performance, he didn't hesitate. Absolutely the A1. It's all about the stacked sensor. Now, the A1 is missing some of the latest bells and whistles but when you get down to pure performance, the A1 wins. I suspect that within a year, the A1 will incorporate these new improvements, but I have no information to back this up. One other thing, about lenses, and again about Mark Galer. The longest lens he normally shoots with (Other than testing) is the 100-400 GM and although he has tested the 1.4 & 2.0 TC, he does just fine without them. He does own a 200-600 but he feels it's too much to carry. Don't forget the light loss with the TC's. Just for grins, go to Flickr.com and look at Mark Galer's albums and how they are organized and you will have all the info you need, right there. Good luck in your quest. If I had your resources, I would just wait for the A1-II, but that is just me.

 

[evacguy]

I've got nothing of value to add to this conversation, but to say its really an interesting discussion, thanks to everyone for contributing to a very informative and interesting discussion and I hope ST figures out what to do.

Oh, one other thing, I'm just a newbie, so I know next to nothing, but I've got to say, I absolutely love the A7iv and the 70-200mm f2.8 OSS II rocks! I'd like longer reach, but there is nothing this bad boy can't do.