Dpreview is certainly (still) the most famous camera review site. But some of their Sony A7 conclusions lead to a big discussion among SAR readers. And today DPreview (Click here) also explained in a new article some of the problems they had with thrid part lenses.

Well, not everyone agrees with Dpreview conclusions. A detailed critic of the Dpreview test has been posted by SoundImagesPlus (Click here). He writes that at least two “cons” listed by Dpreview are not correct:

1) Dpreview says: “Tools for shooting with third party lenses need improvement” SoundImagesPlus writes:

I really don’t understand the third party lenses quibble. One button press to bring up a magnified view and focus peaking. Both work really well and I haven’t used anything that’s any better than this. Their comments – ‘With so many adapters available, the a7 is a very attractive option for owners of third-party lenses (which is discussed in more depth in this article). While Sony has provided tools for focusing these old lenses – such as magnified view and focus peaking – they don’t work as well as we’d hoped.’ really don’t make any sense to me. The whole method works fine for me, it’s quick, accurate and reliable. What’s their problem?

SAR note: I own the [shoplink 22851 ebay]Canon 55mm f/1.2 FD[/shoplink] and am absolutely satisfied with how it works on the Sony A7r. Completely agree with SoundImagesPlus on that point!

2) Dpreview says: “JPEG quality disappointing compared to peers – crude sharpening, over-aggressive processing and occasional posterization.” and “The areas that need the most improvement are related to JPEG image quality. While we recognize that some a7 shooters will be using Raw exclusively, those who are shooting JPEGs will see smudged details and strange artifacts, which are amplified if you edit and re-save them.”

SoundimagesPlus answer: “Quite simply having minutely examined the jpgs. from my A7 and A7r, I have no idea what they are writing about. Plus they give an example from one of their test shots, which try as I might I just cannot see. In fact I take the complete opposite position to them. I think the jpgs. from these two cameras are the best I’ve ever seen“

SAR note: I am not a professional reviewer. But from my short experience with the Sony A7-A7r JPEG engine is quite a lot better than the NEX-7 engine (I owned the camera before). And I see no major difference with the Nikon D800 shots (my company owns the camera and I did some basic testings with it). That said other reviewers wrote exactly the opposite of Dpreview claiming the Sony JPEG look quite goo. Example: DSLRmagazine (google translated article), Focus Numerique (google translation here) or Cameralabs: “the out-of-camera JPEGs from the A7 looked comfortably superior to the 5D3. In the 20-24 Megapixel class, I’d say the A7 is an excellent performer.“.

Overall I found many of the Dpreview critics correct although most of them are very insignificant for the kind of shooting I do (Example: missing built-in Flash is not a problem for me!). But the two points mentioned here in these post really go against the personal experience I had with the A7-A7r.

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Specs and Store Links in US and Canada:
Dedicated Sony announcement page at Amazon US (Click here).
Sony A7r body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 24-70mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 55mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
70-200mm A-mount at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony A to E adapter with mirror at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
A7/A7r leather case at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
A7/A7r vertical grip at Amazon, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony W Series Battery Charger at Amazon, BHphoto.
Sony FA-CS1M Off-Camera Shoe at BHphoto.
Semi-Hard LCD Screen Protector for A7-A7r at Amazon, BHphoto.

Specs and Store Links in Europe:
Sony A7r body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,  WexUK, WexDE.
Sony A7 body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit Sony  DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.
Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,
Zeiss 55mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT
Zeiss 24-70mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT
Sony G 28-70mm lens at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO.

Asia:
A7r at Digitalrev.
A7 at Digitalrev, Amazon Cina.
A7 with 28-70mm lens at Digitalrev.

Dpreview (Click here) posted the full Sony A7 review. The camera earned the Silver award. The reason why it didn’t earn the maximum Gold Award is:

While it has done a remarkable job creating these two cameras, we feel that some refinements are necessary in order to make them more competitive with the likes of the Canon EOS 6D and Nikon D610.
The areas that need the most improvement are related to JPEG image quality. While we recognize that some a7 shooters will be using Raw exclusively, those who are shooting JPEGs will see smudged details and strange artifacts, which are amplified if you edit and re-save them. Regardless of the file format you’re using, the Auto ISO feature needs to be more intelligent, to avoid blurry photos due to the camera’s love for the 1/60 sec shutter speed. Startup time, buffer clearing, and battery life were also a bit disappointing. We’re hoping that a firmware upgrade can address at least some of these issues.

Yes, the A7-A7r are not perfect camera. But they are a game changing news in the photo market. And as a personal note, I own the A7r. And for the kind of photography I do these are amazing tools!

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Specs and Store Links in US and Canada:
Dedicated Sony announcement page at Amazon US (Click here).
Sony A7r body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 24-70mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 55mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
70-200mm A-mount at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony A to E adapter with mirror at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
A7/A7r leather case at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
A7/A7r vertical grip at Amazon, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony W Series Battery Charger at Amazon, BHphoto.
Sony FA-CS1M Off-Camera Shoe at BHphoto.
Semi-Hard LCD Screen Protector for A7-A7r at Amazon, BHphoto.

Specs and Store Links in Europe:
Sony A7r body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,  WexUK, WexDE.
Sony A7 body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit Sony  DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.
Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,
Zeiss 55mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT
Zeiss 24-70mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT
Sony G 28-70mm lens at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO.

Asia:
A7r at Digitalrev.
A7 at Digitalrev, Amazon Cina.
A7 with 28-70mm lens at Digitalrev.

Image courtesy: Lensrentals

The new Tamron superzoom got tested at Lensrentals and ePhotozine..

Lensrentals writes:

It’s pretty obvious that the Tamron has both 600mm range and the lowest price. These tests, and everything I see from photographers using the lens in the field, support that it’s of at least equal image quality. Some people will prefer the extra wide range of the Sigma, others the lighter weight of the Canon. But for a lot of people, the Tamron is going to be the best bang for the buck.

ePhotozine writes:

With this lens, Tamron have created something that offers more reach at the telephoto end than equivalent lenses, whilst still being able to deliver good sharpness for a reasonable price. The launch price of £949 makes this lens pretty much the only option for photographers looking for a 600mm lens for under £1000.

The lens can be preordered at BHphoto (Click here).

The new Zeiss 24-70mm FE lens is now shipping in Korea as you can see on that image posted at SLRclub. The lens will ship on February 2 in USA (Source Amazon) and in late February in Europe (Source Sony Germany).

On top of this post you can see a video review of the Zeiss zoom. A couple of image samples can be seen at Mobile01 (Click on the green text links to open the images).

Zeiss 24-70mm preorders: EUROPE at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT USA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.

Image courtesy: 3D-kraft (Click here).

50mm is the most known, or used focal length on Full Frame cameras. So it could be interesting for you to learn which 50mm lens performs best on the A7-A7r. Just read the full test at 3D-kraft (Click here). Tested lenses are the:
[shoplink 23783 ebay]Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 ASPH[/shoplink]
[shoplink 23988 ebay]Zeiss FE Sonnar T* 55mm f/1.8[/shoplink]
[shoplink 23842 ebay]Zeiss Otus Apo Distagon T* 55mm f/1.4[/shoplink]
[shoplink 23781 ebay]SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95[/shoplink]
[shoplink 23447 ebay]Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 ASPH[/shoplink]

And here are some more A7-A7r news and tests:
Battle of the mirrorless monsters – Sony A7R vs Olympus OM-D E-M1 (EosHD).
New video sony A7 with Leica R summilux 50mm f1.4 by Dario Viola on Vimeo.
Sony A7r and 35mm lens comparisons (Soundimagesplus).
A7r review at Digitalcamerareview.
A7r review at ePhotozine.
A7r review at Blue Sky.

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Specs and Store Links in US and Canada:
Dedicated Sony announcement page at Amazon US (Click here).
Sony A7r body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 24-70mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 55mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
70-200mm A-mount at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony A to E adapter with mirror at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
A7/A7r leather case at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
A7/A7r vertical grip at Amazon, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony W Series Battery Charger at Amazon, BHphoto.
Sony FA-CS1M Off-Camera Shoe at BHphoto.
Semi-Hard LCD Screen Protector for A7-A7r at Amazon, BHphoto.

Specs and Store Links in Europe:
Sony A7r body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,  WexUK, WexDE.
Sony A7 body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit Sony  DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.
Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,
Zeiss 55mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT
Zeiss 24-70mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT
Sony G 28-70mm lens at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO.

Asia:
A7r at Digitalrev.
A7 at Digitalrev, Amazon Cina.
A7 with 28-70mm lens at Digitalrev.

DSLRmagazine posted a double test comparison betwen the A7r and D800 and the A7 vs Leica M.

1) First test: A7r vs D800 (spanish article / google translated article). And until a couple of months ago I would never have expected to read sentences like this one:

The processor Sony seems to work with very efficient algorithms, superb control of noise and minimal loss of detail, much better than Nikon in this respect, increasing the sense of sharpness and overall contrast.

Sony having a better JPEG engine than Nikon…that’s a big news :)

You absilutely have to see that image quality comparison table: http://dslrmagazine.com/images/stories/Pruebas/Sony_A7R_vs_Nik_D800/A7R_vs_D800_compo_AAA.jpg

2) Second test: A7 vs Leica M (spanish article / google translated article). Yet again the Sony A7 is the winner.

Here is the image quality comparison table: http://dslrmagazine.com/images/stories/Pruebas/Sony_A7_vs_Leica_M240/Sony_A7_vs_Leica_M240_compo_AAA.jpg

.

Well done Sony, now let’s release more of these FE lenses!

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Specs and Store Links in US and Canada:
Dedicated Sony announcement page at Amazon US (Click here).
Sony A7r body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS. TheCameraStore Canada.
Sony RX10 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 24-70mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 35mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Zeiss 55mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
70-200mm A-mount at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony A to E adapter with mirror at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
A7/A7r leather case at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
A7/A7r vertical grip at Amazon, BHphoto, SonystoreUS.
Sony W Series Battery Charger at Amazon, BHphoto.
Sony FA-CS1M Off-Camera Shoe at BHphoto.
Semi-Hard LCD Screen Protector for A7-A7r at Amazon, BHphoto.

Specs and Store Links in Europe:
Sony A7r body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,  WexUK, WexDE.
Sony A7 body at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony A7 with 28-70mm kit Sony  DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon FR.
Sony RX10 at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT, WexUK, WexDE.
Zeiss 35mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT,
Zeiss 55mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT
Zeiss 24-70mm at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, SE, PT
Sony G 28-70mm lens at Sony DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO.

Asia:
A7r at Digitalrev.
A7 at Digitalrev, Amazon Cina.
A7 with 28-70mm lens at Digitalrev.