New Sony Full-Frame Camera: The GX8 Replacement That Many Want?

[Biro]

Matches nicely with those tiny Samyang primes: 18/2.8, 24/2.8, 35/2.8, new 35/1.8, 45/1.8, 75/1.8. And even Sony has a few smallish primes: 28/2, 35/2.8, 55/1.8...

That's exactly what I've been saying.

 

[jayweh32]

That's exactly what I've been saying.

Those dang samyang lenses are what keep me looking at Sony. I know there are compromises with some but the price compactness and the character they have looks amazing all considered.

 

[Jeroen81]

Maybe the A7CIII will be something nice. But this is most certainly not. No front dial in a €2100 camera.... Seriously?

 

[mike3996]

0.59x magnification doesn't tell the whole story alone. Pen-F had 0.62x and it has been one of the nicer EVFs I've used.

But this is Sony so it probably is around as nice an EVF as what Panasonic has in GX80... ie. not very nice.

 

[994]

Northrup have some very interesting real-world use feedback in their video.

Some takeaways:

• IBIS seems not great
• Older Sony menus
• Lack of front dial
• AF is not that snappy and a lot of misses (might be with a Samyang, though - not sure about Sony lenses)

I didn't catch if they are using pre-production or not.

 

[Jeroen81]

How many users will use this in full manual? And for P, A, S and full-auto one dial + compensation is just fine. Yes, maybe there could be two dials switchable between control and compensation like on OM-D. But I think I may like dedicated compensation even a hair better.

How many users will buy a €2100 body that's seriously crippled

It's not like people are going to buy this without thinking to much about usability.

 

[gwydionjhr]

Northrup have some very interesting real-world use feedback in their video.

Some takeaways:

• IBIS seems not great
• Older Sony menus
• Lack of front dial
• AF is not that snappy and a lot of misses (might be with a Samyang, though - not sure about Sony lenses)

I didn't catch if they are using pre-production or not.

Tony's "reveiw" was a hit job. He's using a non-native lens on pre-production firmware, and he kept placing Chelsea's face outside of the PDAF AF area (it's not full sensor coverage) and then complaining that it couldn't track her face.

 

[994]

Tony's "reveiw" was a hit job. He's using a non-native lens on pre-production firmware, and he kept placing Chelsea's face outside of the PDAF AF area (it's not full sensor coverage) and then complaining that it couldn't track her face.

I wonder if the final FW could also include upgraded menus?

 

[gwydionjhr]

I wonder if the final FW could also include upgraded menus?

I highly doubt it.

 

[Jeroen81]

Many more than will miss second dial. Maybe strange but true.

We will see. Have a feeling that the price will go down pretty fast.
It's basically a crippled A7III for a premium price.
Although a lot of people say they like a rangefinder style body, there is a reason Panasonic doesn't make many anymore.

 

[Mike Wingate]

No joystick on the Sony. Not for me, although the alternative lenses do look promising.

 

[Aristophanes]

I want a Nikon rangefinder-style body (around 500g) with the Z6 EVF,

That’s the problem. Visibly large EVFs with superior magnification have to be physically quite large. The magnification ocular alone is hefty. This is probably why the 0.59 magnification on the FF RF style by Sony, and the not very good EVF on the RX1 series. RF designs will probably always have this issue. The Fuji X-PRO line are large and bulky (and costly as a result of that hybrid VF. What you ask for may not be technically possible.

 

[Biro]

Since this would be a secondary camera for me (assuming I got one) I am less worried about the EVF and lack of a front dial than I am the old-style menu. Perhaps the menu will change by the time we can buy the new Sony. But I'm another Pen F owner who has no issue with that camera's EVF. We have to remind ourselves to be wary of reviewing via the spec sheet.

 

[gwydionjhr]

That’s the problem. Visibly large EVFs with superior magnification have to be physically quite large. The magnification ocular alone is hefty. This is probably why the 0.59 magnification on the FF RF style by Sony, and the not very good EVF on the RX1 series. RF designs will probably always have this issue. The Fuji X-PRO line are large and bulky (and costly as a result of that hybrid VF. What you ask for may not be technically possible.

There is also no reason they couldn't add a bit of a hump on the left side to allow for a larger EVF. Hell, do that AND make it adjustable for angle like on the GX8. No one said the top had to be completely flat like an old school rangefinder, it was a design choice.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Do EVF’s use a lot of battery power? The larger they are the more power they use.

 

[John King]

Do EVF’s use a lot of battery power? The larger they are the more power they use.

That's my understanding, Mike.

 

[BDR-529]

$1799 body only...

https://www.dpreview.com/news/75595...riendly-a7c-24mp-full-frame-mirrorless-camera

"Sony Electronics Introduces Alpha 7C Camera and Zoom Lens, the World’s Smallest and Lightest Full-frame Camera System"

Weight (including battery)
Sony 7C: 509g
Sigma fp: 422g

Size (only Sony has sort of grip so thickness is not comparable but fp is really astonishingly small and light)
Sony 7C: 124.0 x 71.1 x 59.7mm
Sigma fp: 112.6 × 69.9 × 45.3 mm

There is a very fine print at the bottom of the page mentioning something about the smallest FF ILC with IBIS .

I didn't see anything about 7C weather sealing but Sigma is dust/splash proof and it has a huge heat sink because, just like pannys, it's build for outstandinc video specs whereas 7C is clearly a crippled "point and shoot" rangefinder with bare minimum acceptable specs like only 4k30p which is nothing to write home about since the price will likely translate into 1800€ here in Europe.

Anyone who is willing to spend around 2000€ for an ILC body alone can just as well throw in few hundreads more to get a proper camera. And I didn't quite understand the title of this thread. How can Sony E-mount camera be a "GX8 replacement"? None of the MFT lenses purchased for GX8 will fit and that's where the bulk of money went so the only replacement is another MFT body. 7C would mean buying an entirely new camera kit from scratch.

 

[mike3996]

Do EVF’s use a lot of battery power? The larger they are the more power they use.

They use quite a bit of battery power but it's mainly optics and lenses that make their magnification. So no, a 0.5x EVF doesn't necessarily consume any more electricity than a 0.7x EVF...

 

[Hypilein]

We will see. Have a feeling that the price will go down pretty fast.
It's basically a crippled A7III for a premium price.
Although a lot of people say they like a rangefinder style body, there is a reason Panasonic doesn't make many anymore.

I am also one of those people who like the rangefinder style. However, it seems that everytime a manufacturer brings one to market they hike the price up a notch and/or swing the cripple hammer. No wonder they are not successful. The only exception is actually the gx00 series (not the gx8) and Sony A6xxx series, the later is probably one of Sonys most successful series.

People don’t pay significantly extra for style (unless Leica). It’s time camera manufacturers take note.

 

[Biro]

The DPReview TV guys say it's not perfect but they really seem to like it. The kit lens, too.