Sony A7R II in 2021?: Sony Alpha Full Frame E-mount Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review (2024)

Hi all,

I am thinking of upgrading my MFT Panasonic GX9 camera to the Sony FF. I've been looking at Sony A7 III for a long time. Unfortunately, the price is still quite high and A7 IV shouldn't be that far away. Therefore I am wondering if it would still make sense to get discounted Sony A7R II in 2021.

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.
The first lens to get is Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for about 600 Eur / $700.
Later some prime like 35mm or 50mm.

Does this combination make sense nowadays?

Many thanks

7

The A7RII will likely meet your needs, nicely.

The main thing I didn't like about the A7RII was the short battery life. I always needed to carry extras batteries, which I no longer needed to do when I stepped-up to the A7RIII. If there is any way you can swing an RIII, there are also a lot of other useful improvements; although, you do not absolutely need them, given the way you described that you will be using the camera.

2

I used an A7R2 in parallel with MFT for several years. You are on the right track. Have you considered a good condition used body from a reputable used dealer?

Andrew

1

kopi90 wrote:

Hi all,

I am thinking of upgrading my MFT Panasonic GX9 camera to the Sony FF. I've been looking at Sony A7 III for a long time. Unfortunately, the price is still quite high and A7 IV shouldn't be that far away. Therefore I am wondering if it would still make sense to get discounted Sony A7R II in 2021.

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.
The first lens to get is Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for about 600 Eur / $700.
Later some prime like 35mm or 50mm.

Does this combination make sense nowadays?

Many thanks

the A7Rii is a great camera to have, even in 2021.

For image quality, its still one of the best. The AF is pretty good with Native lenses, and with Sony A-mount SSM lenses.

To me, the biggest negatives are:
1) Battery life. You will definitely need to keep an extra or two, on you.
2) Slow buffer clear time
3) The Eye AF could be better

9

kopi90 wrote:

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

This is my 5th year with A7R2 for mostly nature and landscape photography and I have no reason to upgrade.

I've not understood the complaint about the battery, for if I start out the day with a fresh battery, I've never had to change. But I don't do video or bursts, or click hundreds of times during the day, so perhaps those who have issues with the battery should describe their clicking habits!

Regarding low light: you might enjoy at night street festivals. I've gotten good results in the past with my A7R2 system..

regards,

- Richard

2

kopi90 wrote:

Hi all,

I am thinking of upgrading my MFT Panasonic GX9 camera to the Sony FF. I've been looking at Sony A7 III for a long time. Unfortunately, the price is still quite high and A7 IV shouldn't be that far away. Therefore I am wondering if it would still make sense to get discounted Sony A7R II in 2021.

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.
The first lens to get is Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for about 600 Eur / $700.
Later some prime like 35mm or 50mm.

Does this combination make sense nowadays?

Many thanks

I don't have the A7Rii so ignore the following... 🤪

Purely for landscape photography, I think your proposed upgrade may make sense because of the better detail/gradation/dynamic range the sensor offers.

However, there are also a few downsides one might consider...

1) Selling your existing MFT gear isn't going to return you a lot of money. Just something to consider if you have a lot of lenses and are looking at a system switch. A different approach would be getting a higher-end MFT body (G9 or EM1ii or such) which will save you a lot of cash that would otherwise go into new lenses. Those cameras also have high-res modes which can work really splendid for landscapes.

2) Compared to current cameras, the A7Rii is slow in many ways. This may not be a big issue for thoroughly prepared landscape shoots, but can get a real nuisance for regular daily handling, AF, reviewing images in-camera, etc.

3) While the A7Rii has IBIS, it was one of Sony's first iterations and if you are used to MFT IBIS it will be a major downgrade. I know, for landscape (again) IBIS may not be that useful, if you are schlepping a tripod along, but then again, maybe you don't.

4) You mention semi-micro photography. I don't know exactly what that is, but be aware that Sony does not offer Focus Bracketing which makes shots like these much more difficult to achieve. And of course thin DOF doesn't help at all for macro photography.

5) You mention that you are not interested in low-light. This is where FF really "shines", so turning this around means you will not benefit that much from your proposed side-grade.

6) You mention Travel photography. Be aware that especially telephoto lenses are much larger and heavier to cover the 4x larger sensor. Generally speaking, you will also need to reach deeper into your pocket to take full advantage of the high resolution sensor with "good glass".

7) If you shoot raw and do post-processing, make sure your computer can handle the wonderful 42MP files, or plan on updating your CPU, GPU, RAM and storage.

(I switched from MFT to FF because of DoF control, low light shooting, landscape and portraits. The A7C also has a very good AF system, and is small/light).

2

Lichtspiel wrote:

kopi90 wrote:

Hi all,

I am thinking of upgrading my MFT Panasonic GX9 camera to the Sony FF. I've been looking at Sony A7 III for a long time. Unfortunately, the price is still quite high and A7 IV shouldn't be that far away. Therefore I am wondering if it would still make sense to get discounted Sony A7R II in 2021.

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.
The first lens to get is Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for about 600 Eur / $700.
Later some prime like 35mm or 50mm.

Does this combination make sense nowadays?

Many thanks

I don't have the A7Rii so ignore the following... 🤪

Purely for landscape photography, I think your proposed upgrade may make sense because of the better detail/gradation/dynamic range the sensor offers.

However, there are also a few downsides one might consider...

1) Selling your existing MFT gear isn't going to return you a lot of money. Just something to consider if you have a lot of lenses and are looking at a system switch. A different approach would be getting a higher-end MFT body (G9 or EM1ii or such) which will save you a lot of cash that would otherwise go into new lenses. Those cameras also have high-res modes which can work really splendid for landscapes.

2) Compared to current cameras, the A7Rii is slow in many ways. This may not be a big issue for thoroughly prepared landscape shoots, but can get a real nuisance for regular daily handling, AF, reviewing images in-camera, etc.

3) While the A7Rii has IBIS, it was one of Sony's first iterations and if you are used to MFT IBIS it will be a major downgrade. I know, for landscape (again) IBIS may not be that useful, if you are schlepping a tripod along, but then again, maybe you don't.

4) You mention semi-micro photography. I don't know exactly what that is, but be aware that Sony does not offer Focus Bracketing which makes shots like these much more difficult to achieve. And of course thin DOF doesn't help at all for macro photography.

5) You mention that you are not interested in low-light. This is where FF really "shines", so turning this around means you will not benefit that much from your proposed side-grade.

6) You mention Travel photography. Be aware that especially telephoto lenses are much larger and heavier to cover the 4x larger sensor. Generally speaking, you will also need to reach deeper into your pocket to take full advantage of the high resolution sensor with "good glass".

7) If you shoot raw and do post-processing, make sure your computer can handle the wonderful 42MP files, or plan on updating your CPU, GPU, RAM and storage.

(I switched from MFT to FF because of DoF control, low light shooting, landscape and portraits. The A7C also has a very good AF system, and is small/light).

I should just mention that handheld low-light shooting with an A7R2 is poor. IBIS is miles behind an EM1.2 and AF struggles when the EM1.2 carries on.

The FE system has a lot of pretty good cost-effective lenses from Tamron, Sigma and Samyang. Comparing the 12-100/4 Pro with the Tamron super zoom is an interesting exercise in what matters to the individual photographer.

I wouldn’t and didn’t sell my MFT system to move to Sony, although others have.

In my book a used EM1.2 and A7R2 currently represent exceptional value, for different use cases.

Andrew

kopi90 wrote:

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.

Really? Wonder where you have seen such a price, as over here (Netherlands) it is still about 1700,- Eur.

Can you provide me with a direction so I can have a look at it myself?

Thanks in advance.

The A7R II uses the NP-FW50 battery which is 1020mAh. The A7R III, A7R IV, A7 III, A7C, 6600, etc all use the NP-FZ100 at 2280mAh. This results in double the real world battery life.

The newer FZ100 battery is also cheaper per mAh (31% more expensive, but with 55% more capacity). Downside: FZ100 battery is 39% physically larger and twice the weight.

If you want to do a like-for-like comparison budget for 2.5x NP-FW50 batteries and the battery grip $195~ total (2x FW50 = $54 + 1/2 FW50 = $27 (1/2 battery) + $60~ for a refurb/used battery grip). The battery grip alone easily offsets the weight saving of the FW50.

3

Lichtspiel wrote:

Generally speaking, you will also need to reach deeper into your pocket to take full advantage of the high resolution sensor with "good glass".

That is a myth.

1) a 42MP sensor has the same pixel density as an 18MP APSC sensor. I am not sure what it is for mft, maybe 12MP. I dont remember people saying you needed the best lenses for a Canon T2i(18MP)

7) If you shoot raw and do post-processing, make sure your computer can handle the wonderful 42MP files, or plan on updating your CPU, GPU, RAM and storage.

42MP should not be taxing a computer built in the last 5 years.

9

Great camera, excellent sensor, and does just fine in low light. The best bargain in cameras today (IMO) is the A7rii.

2

kopi90 wrote:

Hi all,

I am thinking of upgrading my MFT Panasonic GX9 camera to the Sony FF. I've been looking at Sony A7 III for a long time. Unfortunately, the price is still quite high and A7 IV shouldn't be that far away. Therefore I am wondering if it would still make sense to get discounted Sony A7R II in 2021.

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.
The first lens to get is Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for about 600 Eur / $700.
Later some prime like 35mm or 50mm.

Does this combination make sense nowadays?

Many thanks

The A7Rii is imho the best value/performance available at the moment. The A7riii has the same sensor but is >50% increased market price, A7riv is >100% price - the A7rii is fabulous value currently - I got mine second hand but virtually unused from a reputable camera shop on ebay for about 900Eur.

I've got the A7rii + Tamron 28-200 + Samyang+Sony 35mm f1.8 + Samyang 24mm f1.8 - pretty much what you're looking at. Great combination. Depending on what you're looking to shoot on travel, have a look at the new 28-60 'kit' lens as well. It's got superb performance for it's size/weight and works really well to make the camera/body a great travel combo - you can find it new for ~250Eur now.

6

newdom wrote:

kopi90 wrote:

Hi all,

I am thinking of upgrading my MFT Panasonic GX9 camera to the Sony FF. I've been looking at Sony A7 III for a long time. Unfortunately, the price is still quite high and A7 IV shouldn't be that far away. Therefore I am wondering if it would still make sense to get discounted Sony A7R II in 2021.

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.
The first lens to get is Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for about 600 Eur / $700.
Later some prime like 35mm or 50mm.

Does this combination make sense nowadays?

Many thanks

The A7Rii is imho the best value/performance available at the moment. The A7riii has the same sensor but is >50% increased market price, A7riv is >100% price - the A7rii is fabulous value currently - I got mine second hand but virtually unused from a reputable camera shop on ebay for about 900Eur.

I've got the A7rii + Tamron 28-200 + Samyang+Sony 35mm f1.8 + Samyang 24mm f1.8 - pretty much what you're looking at. Great combination. Depending on what you're looking to shoot on travel, have a look at the new 28-60 'kit' lens as well. It's got superb performance for it's size/weight and works really well to make the camera/body a great travel combo - you can find it new for ~250Eur now.

ps - again depending on your usage of course, I wouldn't get too hung up on the battery 'issue'. Lots of people bang on about the battery being poor in the a7xii models and the much improved battery in the a7xiii models, but the size/weight increases correspondingly, and the a7rii comes with two batteries that take seconds to swap and give you hundreds upon hundreds of shots - I get about 300-400 shots per battery. I'm sure some use cases would do very well with the increased capacity on a single battery but I'm not sure what they are!

1

newdom wrote:

newdom wrote:

kopi90 wrote:

Hi all,

I am thinking of upgrading my MFT Panasonic GX9 camera to the Sony FF. I've been looking at Sony A7 III for a long time. Unfortunately, the price is still quite high and A7 IV shouldn't be that far away. Therefore I am wondering if it would still make sense to get discounted Sony A7R II in 2021.

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.
The first lens to get is Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for about 600 Eur / $700.
Later some prime like 35mm or 50mm.

Does this combination make sense nowadays?

Many thanks

The A7Rii is imho the best value/performance available at the moment. The A7riii has the same sensor but is >50% increased market price, A7riv is >100% price - the A7rii is fabulous value currently - I got mine second hand but virtually unused from a reputable camera shop on ebay for about 900Eur.

I've got the A7rii + Tamron 28-200 + Samyang+Sony 35mm f1.8 + Samyang 24mm f1.8 - pretty much what you're looking at. Great combination. Depending on what you're looking to shoot on travel, have a look at the new 28-60 'kit' lens as well. It's got superb performance for it's size/weight and works really well to make the camera/body a great travel combo - you can find it new for ~250Eur now.

ps - again depending on your usage of course, I wouldn't get too hung up on the battery 'issue'. Lots of people bang on about the battery being poor in the a7xii models and the much improved battery in the a7xiii models, but the size/weight increases correspondingly, and the a7rii comes with two batteries that take seconds to swap and give you hundreds upon hundreds of shots - I get about 300-400 shots per battery. I'm sure some use cases would do very well with the increased capacity on a single battery but I'm not sure what they are!

Shooting in the cold with a wind has a very short battery life. Most of the time one spare is fine.

Andrew

2

At its current price in the U.S. ($1199), it is a great camera. If you can spend a little more, I'd go for the A7RIII (an open box unit or a lightly used camera with some warranty). In the U.S., Sony cameras come with a one year warranty that is transferable. If you can get a used camera that is less than six months old, for example, that would be covered by Sony's warranty and is likely at a more favorable price.

I went from the A7RII to the A7RIII. In some instances, the A7RII I bought was overheating (just being out in the sun). The A7RIII has no such problem. And it focuses faster and is more responsive.

I do think that the A7RII, at its current price, is a steal.

Almazar80 wrote:

At its current price in the U.S. ($1199), it is a great camera.

Certainly but the European price (1050 Eur) stated by the OP isnt anywhere to be found in the whole of Europe, it will get one a used copy (at best).

1

kopi90 wrote:

Hi all,

I am thinking of upgrading my MFT Panasonic GX9 camera to the Sony FF. I've been looking at Sony A7 III for a long time. Unfortunately, the price is still quite high and A7 IV shouldn't be that far away. Therefore I am wondering if it would still make sense to get discounted Sony A7R II in 2021.

To quickly mention my background, I am an amateur looking for a nice camera for travel, landscape and semi-micro photography. What I don't shoot: fast-action sports, low-light, etc.)

European discounted price is around 1050 Eur / $1200 body only.
The first lens to get is Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 for about 600 Eur / $700.
Later some prime like 35mm or 50mm.

Does this combination make sense nowadays?

Many thanks

I have a GX9, a7RII, a7III and a7RIII.

What improvements are you looking for?

In a file carefully prepped for printing 24", I can't see any difference between these cameras. At 36" and larger, 42MP makes a substantial visible difference. If you want to know my workflow for achieving these results, just ask.

If you're not printing bigger than 24" and not shooting fast action, I see no reason to replace the GX9.

4

6

I'd be tempted to save up a bit longer and buy an A7R3. Why?

I own both an A7R2 and an A7R4.

First the good things about the A7R2:

• Image quality. The level of detail in a well taken photograph is absolutely stunning, and what kept me shooting with it. The dynamic range is also excellent considering. It is a beast of a sensor

Now the bad things about it:

• I always found the A7R2 slow and obstructive in use. Pretty much whatever you do will incur some form of lag or delay. Zooming in to 100% on an image will take a couple of seconds, and there's no indication it's doing anything.
• Battery life could be better; you will definitely need a second battery.
• AF is not quick, nor is it great in low light. For your use case it will probably suffice though.

Why the A7R3 then? Because it fixed or improved all the things that annoyed/frustrated me with the A7R2. You also get two card slots, better buttons, better UI, Bluetooth, higher FPS.

I never enjoyed shooting with the A7R2. I always enjoyed looking at the results it produced though.

I love shooting with my A7R4, and the results make me even happier.

Here are some of my favourite shots taken with my A7R2:

Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark

Newfoundland, Canada

England

Newfoundland, Canada

Copenhagen, Denmark

England

Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark

My best advice? Go and try them for yourself. Only you will know whether they perform well enough for your uses.