52 25 January 2020 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
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What the
owners think
Three Sony Alpha 7R users give
their verdictAs a professional landscape
photographer, my equipment
has to earn its keep, which is
why I still use the Sony A7R
for all my professional work.
I’ve been committed to
mirrorless cameras since
2008 when I purchased the
Panasonic G1. However, I
upgraded to the Sony when I
realised I could attach a tilt/
shift adapter to it and use my
older (Nikon F-mount) Carl
Zeiss 25mm and 50mm
lenses. This allows me to
alter the plane of focus that I
could only previously
implement with my large-
format view camera in daysgone by. My equipment does
get battered and I must say
the Sony has been through
many punishments since
purchasing it in early 2014,
yet it hasn’t missed a beat
and the quality of images it
produces still blows me away.
The only sign of wear and
tear is that the rear screen
has tarnished, probably
caused by my sunscreen
when looking through the
viewfi nder during the
summer months. The A7R
has undoubtedly been the
best camera I’ve owned. See
more images at http://www.
markbanksphotography.com.For and against
+ Great picture quality
+ Small and lightweight- Screen can tarnish with age
- Shutter can cause shake on longer lenses
Mark Banks
Freshwater pond,
Cairngorms, Scotland
Sony A7R, Samyang 100mm
F2.8 ED UMC Macro lens, 1/15sec
at f/11, ISO 100© MARK BANKS
For and against
+ Very affordable today
+ Resolves magnificent detail- ISO performance against newer models
- Shutter slap is off-putting when
working discreetly
Gregory Knowles
As a landscape photography
enthusiast and self-confessed
pixel peeper I have always been
drawn to camera systems capable
of resolving large amounts of
detail. As with many enthusiasts,
budget has been a constraint tothe choice of equipment available
and appreciably one has to make
compromises. As such my aim was
to put together a full-frame
system for landscape with a
selection of lenses in the focal
length range of 18mm through to
200mm for £1,000. Having useda wide variety of equipment over
the past decade I have found
myself using the Sony A7R as my
main body.
The high pixel count, lack of AA
fi lter and admirable dynamic range
was a huge draw and the resulting
quality from the 36.4MP sensorspeaks volumes as to what a
fantastic system it was when fi rst
released in 2013 and how it has
so far stood the test of time. Like
most cameras there are a few
negatives to take into account,
which include its loud shutter,
below-par battery life, ISO
performance against newer
models and lack of autofocus
when attaching and using legacy
lenses. If you already have an
established collection of good-
quality lenses, then for circa £500
for a used body and adapter you
can be confi dent that you will be
able to produce exceptionally
high-quality images that still
compete today. Needless to say,
I’m a fan of the A7R and would
recommend it to others working to
a strict budget. More of my images
can be viewed on Instagram
gregknowlesphoto.© GREGORY KNOWLES
© MARK BANKS
Greg swears by his A7R for
his love of landscapes
Sony A7R, Sony FE 24-70mm
f/4 ZA OSS Carl Zeiss T* lens, 1/25sec
at f/11, ISO 100