Help with new gear, please (Sony most likely)

[Gloor]

Hello guys,

I'm contemplating buying myself new gear as I have a big trip coming up early next year.
Currently I have Nikon D750 +85mm 1.8 lens. Its been great but i used it mostly for portraits and when i did big trip in Banff/Jasper I rented 24-70 2.8 as I wanted to be able to do mix of things.
My main issue with that camera was always the focus. Its fine for portraits when the model is still but anything fast paced I always struggled and didn't really like the technical aspect of it. (picking focus point with the joystick or using center spot and the recompose etc.) I know that its a me thing and maybe if decided to 'man up' maybe I could be much better but I don't want to do that and here is why:

Last year my partner was pregnant and I rented Nikon Z8 + 24-70 2.8 so we could do some nice pics. As it was my first camera rental I didn't want to fluff with another brand so I picked what I know (even if not to the fullest).
I have to say that I absolutely loved. The autofocus changed everything for me. I didn't need to fluff around with that technical aspect and could really focus on the composition etc. knowing that the focus will be great (and indeed it was). As a result I have great pictures and the overall experience was a joy. And thats what I want - I don't want overcomplicated setup that would keep my brain occupied with that instead of the creative aspect of photography. I want a tool that will make my life easier and the Z8 showed me that the tech is there now and its truly wonderful use of technology.

Which brings me to my other thing. Until know I didn't have to deal with the "action beasts" called kids but now is the time. They move very fast and I want to be able to have a camera that nails the focus on the moving kids around and I can focus on capturing the nice moment + other aspects like composition, light etc.

So, I know that D750 won't do for my anymore even if most of you here would probably be fine with it.

So, I'm getting the iPhone 18 Pro which maybe could work but holding a real camera and shooting with it kinda changes something in you and you shoot differently (at least thats how i feel). The iPhone photography for me was always about quick snaps (although when i was in Japan early last year it worked well for me).


Which brings me to the setup I'm having in mind.

I think I'm ready to test another thing and I'm ok with different brand.
The Z8 is great but its a bit bulky and its very expensive. As such, I've almost decided that I would like to go for Sony A7 V and then 1 lens that would be enough for my needs at the start.

My reasoning: A7 V has very positive reviews and I like what I'm seeing. Good price, great AF, fairly compact body and overall very good hybrid (even though I don't really do much video - I have iPhone for that).

As for lens, I'm not as sure as with the camera (even if I'm open for new ideas overall), but my thinking is SONY 20-70 F4 G. It seems very well priced and people praise it as really good all rounder (especially for travelling).

My trip is over 4 months so renting is not an option as the length would pretty much cost almost the same as the purchase itself so financially it makes zero sense. In fact I could just buy the setup and sell it at the end of the trip and still pay less than renting.

What do you guys think? What would be your pick for lens if you went traveling to asia for 4 months and also had kids that you want to capture? Also, what do you think about the camera choice?

Any feedback welcomed and appreciated. Thank you kindly in advance as I'm sure you will point to things that I haven't even considered.

 

[Ray2]

Sony apsc. Cheaper, smaller, just as goof af. With kids and af, more dof (crop sensor) is your friend. You need to move from a portraits mindset to kids, family, travel and having a camera with you.

 

[Gloor]

Thats interesting. I always looked at those cameras like a toys. I never took them seriously as it reminds me the P&S options we had 20 years ago. Ill look into it, thank you for the different angle.

Sony apsc. Cheaper, smaller, just as goof af. With kids and af, more dof (crop sensor) is your friend. You need to move from a portraits mindset to kids, family, travel and having a camera with you.

 

[Clix Pix]

Sony is an excellent brand and they have a vast selection of camera bodies and lenses. I've been using Sony cameras since 2019, when I switched from Nikon to Sony, and have been more than happy with my choice. I haven't handled either the A7 V or the 20-70mm lens, but I do have the 24-70mm and it is an excellent range, excellent lens.

For travel the 20-70mm would be very versatile, but there may be times that you would want a greater range, a longer range.... You might want to see if you can try out the (now discontinued, but still excellent and available in some places) 24-120mm lens, or take a look at the currently available 24-105mm. Either would be a very versatile travel lens.

I, too, have read good reviews of the A7 V -- it definitely is worth going to a camera shop and handling it, getting an idea of how it feels in your hand and in actual usage. Sony cameras are very quick and responsive, have a lot of versatility in customizing the settings and functionality to your liking and shooting style.

Good luck in your decision-making and have a wonderful time on your four-moth tour of Asia!

 

[Gloor]

Thank you so much.

If you don't mind, what did you switch from on the Nikon side and what do you have now? Also, what surprised you with Sony and what are you missing from Nikon?

I've heard the Sony menus are complex but I didn't find Nikon menus particularly simple so I wonder.

Thank you in advance 😉

Sony is an excellent brand and they have a vast selection of camera bodies and lenses. I've been using Sony cameras since 2019, when I switched from Nikon to Sony, and have been more than happy with my choice. I haven't handled either the A7 V or the 20-70mm lens, but I do have the 24-70mm and it is an excellent range, excellent lens.

For travel the 20-70mm would be very versatile, but there may be times that you would want a greater range, a longer range.... You might want to see if you can try out the (now discontinued, but still excellent and available in some places) 24-120mm lens, or take a look at the currently available 24-105mm. Either would be a very versatile travel lens.

I, too, have read good reviews of the A7 V -- it definitely is worth going to a camera shop and handling it, getting an idea of how it feels in your hand and in actual usage. Sony cameras are very quick and responsive, have a lot of versatility in customizing the settings and functionality to your liking and shooting style.

Good luck in your decision-making and have a wonderful time on your four-moth tour of Asia!

 

[Clix Pix]

Thank you so much.

If you don't mind, what did you switch from on the Nikon side and what do you have now? Also, what surprised you with Sony and what are you missing from Nikon?

I've heard the Sony menus are complex but I didn't find Nikon menus particularly simple so I wonder.

Thank you in advance 😉

At the time I switched I was still using the Nikon D3; I also had the D300, but I sold that camera body a few months prior to making any decisions about switching.

Now I have the Sony A7RV and a bunch of lenses. I started out with just three lenses, each selected for specific uses: the Sony 90mm macro and the Sony 50mm macro, plus the 135mm medium tele. At the time I told myself that I had another older camera (a so-called "superzoom") and that I could also continue using that if I wanted something with a long reach. That didn't last very long and soon I was back at the store purchasing the Sony 200-600mm. I live on a small lake and we have a lot of water birds (ducks, geese, herons, cormorants) that hang out here and I can photograph them right from my deck.

Over time I added other lenses as the need (or desire) arose, as prior to trading in all my Nikon lenses I had made a list and noted to myself which ones I had a used a lot, which ones didn't have high priority. That helped a lot in my decisions over the next few years as I built my Sony collection of photographic tools.

I had already used the Sony NEX-7 and had really liked that camera so I was somewhat familiar with Sony; the "Superzoom" that I mentioned was the Sony RX10 IV, which at that time was one of the longest and best quality cameras of that type. What surprised me about the A7R IV as I was setting it up was the relative complexity compared to my older D3, which is understandable, going from DSLR to mirrorless. Also the menu didn't seem all that well organized, and initially I thought it was just me, as I was transitioning from one camera system to another. Well, it wasn't just me.....that older menu was a pain.

Thankfully, thankfully, Sony has now revised its menu, which just about every Sony user had complained about through the years. Now the menu structure makes more sense and things are easier to find in a logical order. Have to admit that one reason I bought the A7R V was to be able to take advantage of that new menu!

So if someone tells you that Sony has a lousy menu system in their cameras, they are probably thinking of the older version. In the current camera bodies the situation is much better and a bit more intuitive for the user. Actually, too, once one has set up the body pretty much as they like it, there isn't much need to go back into the menu for anything.

One reason that I made the shift to Sony was because at the time Nikon was releasing their new Z series of cameras bodies and lenses, there simply were not very many new offerings in the way of lenses. As someone who especially enjoys shooting macro and closeups, I was keenly disappointed in the absence of any macro lenses at all, even on their roadmap of what they would be releasing over the next year or two. I also was unhappy about the fact that I would not be able to use some of my older or my vintage lenses with their FTZ adapter. Later on they did release a new version of that adapter, and apparently that offered more flexibility in its usefulness.

I had already had some experiences with Sony gear, although not their full-frame bodies and lenses, so knew that I'd liked what I had used. When I handled the A7R IV for the first time it felt right, it felt comfortable and the buttons and wheels were in the right locations for me. In the store they let me try a couple of different lenses and shoot with them just to get a sense of how the process would work for me. So I made my decision that I was going with Sony.

Since I have not handled any of the Nikon Z series cameras and lenses, I cannot offer any sort of comparison between the two brands, but it would be ideal if you can check out both before making your decision. See which system fits best into your current and future needs and lifestyle, for travel and at home, etc., etc.

Hope this helps!

 

[Gloor]

Thank you so much! Much appreciated

 

[Ray2]

Thank you so much.

If you don't mind, what did you switch from on the Nikon side and what do you have now? Also, what surprised you with Sony and what are you missing from Nikon?

I've heard the Sony menus are complex but I didn't find Nikon menus particularly simple so I wonder.

Thank you in advance 😉

That I know of, Sony's been through 3 rewrites of their menus. I’m shooting examples of 2 of them. Currently they’re pretty straightforward. Lots of settings as the cameras have lots of configurations possible. But after your first exposure, they’re fine. I’ve been away from Nikon too long to compare the 2. But with Sony, the menus are basically the same across bodies and there's amazing consistency in UI of the various models. I wouldn’t worry about the menu's.

 

[Apple fanboy]

There is no bad choice to make regarding camera choice. I had the D750 for many years before trading in for the Z6iii.
Just rent a Sony or Z Nikon for a day and see which suits you best.

As for lenses the 24-120 f4 I have now offers me a better range than the old 24-70 f2.8 I had before.

The Nikon adapter works very well (I still use it with my Nikon 105mm macro). No difference in usability.

But the most important thing about whatever camera you use is to understand the settings and customise them to suit your needs.

I use the U1, U2 and U3 presets for birds, landscape and macro. Makes it easier to switch between my three main uses.

 

[Gloor]

You are probably right, these days most cameras are good. I'm just trying to go for the best for the price and longevity. Renting won't solve anything as I will still have to learn new system and I'm ok to adapt to something new. Basing something on a rental doesn't work for me even if its actually solid advice.

24-120 f4 sounds great but its for Nikon I can see and its actually quite heavy. I think if that was the weight I would go for then I would pick the 24-70 gmii as that is very close to that weight and you get 2.8 aperture which gives you more creative freedom.

When you mention preset, what do you actually preset (except the autofocus type of course)?


I'm still leaning towards the Sony A7 v but I think the lens is less decided.

The 20-70 f4 is a solid contender though and then I was thinking that I could consider 70-200 2.8 when the kids start doing sports but thats still far away 🙂

There is no bad choice to make regarding camera choice. I had the D750 for many years before trading in for the Z6iii.
Just rent a Sony or Z Nikon for a day and see which suits you best.

As for lenses the 24-120 f4 I have now offers me a better range than the old 24-70 f2.8 I had before.

The Nikon adapter works very well (I still use it with my Nikon 105mm macro). No difference in usability.

But the most important thing about whatever camera you use is to understand the settings and customise them to suit your needs.

I use the U1, U2 and U3 presets for birds, landscape and macro. Makes it easier to switch between my three main uses.

 

[Apple fanboy]

So it will vary by camera brand, but I set U1 for fast moving birds. So I set the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, bird detection, frame burst size, 3D tracking, silent mode etc.

For my landscape mode I do multiple exposure (bracketing), single focal point etc.

Basically whatever you want.

As for lenses the 24-120mm is a lot lighter than my old 24-70mm. Maybe half as much. But I’ve not used the 24-70 Z mount version which I’d expect to be lighter than the old one.

But like I said the Sony equivalents are just as good. Or Canon or Fuji. Just pick the one that suits you best.

 

[Gloor]

I see, ok that makes sense now. Fair enough

So it will vary by camera brand, but I set U1 for fast moving birds. So I set the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, bird detection, frame burst size, 3D tracking, silent mode etc.

For my landscape mode I do multiple exposure (bracketing), single focal point etc.

Basically whatever you want.

As for lenses the 24-120mm is a lot lighter than my old 24-70mm. Maybe half as much. But I’ve not used the 24-70 Z mount version which I’d expect to be lighter than the old one.

But like I said the Sony equivalents are just as good. Or Canon or Fuji. Just pick the one that suits you best.