# Sony announced new A7 R II



## The_Traveler

with specs that astound (if the camera lives up to it) and price that dampens my enthusiasm a bit.

Sony a7R II Alpha Mirrorless Digital Camera a7RII Camera Body B H






I used the A7s the other night and it was enjoyable but a 12 MP image is smaller and a bit more constricting than I'm accustomed to.
If the A7 R II has 42 M and high iso capability, that may be my next camera body.

With that camera and the 55 1.8 Zeiss lens, I'll be in heaven.


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## Solarflare

It has a backlit full frame sensor. I'm VERY curious about high ISO performance.

And internal 4K recording. Did the A7ii even have that ?

Unfortunately still a VERY LOUD shutter (boo!!!). But it has electronic first curtain, 50% reduced vibrations, and optionally a pure electronic shutter that probably comes with a very fast readout, since online tests state video rolling shutter / jello effect is very low. I guess thats kind of tolerable.

Thats about all the issues that camera seem to have right now, just a loud shutter.

And probably still the awful lossy compression of the RAW data.

Also, unfortunately, Leica just published the damn. most. perfect. compact camera ever !


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## JustJazzie

Can someone please help me understand what a "backlit sensor" is/does?


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## DarkShadow

JustJazzie I just read up on this to find out my self.Here you go,hopefully it will help you.Back-illuminated sensor - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Camera looks Sweet.


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## Scatterbrained

If only Sony would stop the the compressed raw nonsense I'd be all over this camera.


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## Solarflare

JustJazzie said:


> Can someone please help me understand what a "backlit sensor" is/does?


 I means that the photodiodes, the light sensitive part of the photosite, due to technological limits, have to be written first to the sensor.

Every other circuitry has thus to be located ABOVE the photodiodes and thus blocks the light. Also, every layer of circuitry makes the photosites sink lower and lower and reduces the light actually hitting the photodiode as well.

Backlit means the last step is to remove all silicium below the photosensors, then turn them around. All circuitry is now BELOW the photodiode, and the photodiode is now on the surface.

Also of course one can go "wild" with the circuitry and add as much as one wants now; its no more in the way.


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## sashbar

Solarflare said:


> Also, unfortunately, Leica just published the damn. most. perfect. compact camera ever !



This Leica has one huge, glaring fault that makes it far from being perfect.


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## Solarflare

Uh-hu.

Let me guess - either price or fixed lens or both.


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## bribrius

500 bucks on ebay in a few years you just have to wait it out.


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## tirediron

42Mp?  I find the 36 on my D800 excessive much of the time, and while storage is cheap the huge files really chew through a hard-drive's capacity!  Of course the fact that they couldn't be bothered to install an optical viewfinder on a >$3K camera makes me wonder too...


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## bribrius

tirediron said:


> 42Mp?  I find the 36 on my D800 excessive much of the time, and while storage is cheap the huge files really chew through a hard-drive's capacity!  Of course the fact that they couldn't be bothered to install an optical viewfinder on a >$3K camera makes me wonder too...


still just shoot 24 mp, and as of late have been using the lower sized jpegs more than anything.  The extra mp is helpful when i am doing serious cropping. But that is usually because i am using the wrong lens, can't reach, etc etc. to start with.  Higher mp, i would like for those reasons but also the occasional landscape open street/building shots or the chance of something going to large print etc. Most of my abstracts or simple subject frames or snaps are fine with low quality jpegs (i hate to call them low quality though as they are actually pretty good for the purpose they serve). That said, i still shoot with 3,5,8,16 mp cameras too so i guess i would have to define need better.. Not often i print over a standard 8x10, not so sure i would see much difference.


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## DarkShadow

More megapixels is great for cropping,especially us birders but boy when you get one that need little to no cropping,its a huge file.I see some of those D8xx at full res just cracks me up how big they are.I think 24 MP is a sweet spot.JMO


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## Braineack

DarkShadow said:


> More megapixels is great for cropping,especially us birders but boy when you get one that need little to no cropping,its a huge file.I see some of those D8xx at full res just cracks me up how big they are.I think 24 MP is a sweet spot.JMO


Except if you have a new 5ds and have to crop in on the horrible image it produces.  
[emoji79] 

using tapatalk.


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## DarkShadow

I wouldn't know and for three thousand plus,I rather have the Sony or the Nikon D750 with a Tamron 150-600.Selling My 6D soon and saving up a little for a little while but in the meantime just love my Pentax and sony sensor.


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## goodguy

Cant wait for this back lite technology to trickle down to other sensors, the info I got so far about this technology is mixed.
Currently the only camera that has this technology is Samsung NX1, Tony Northrop claims he doesn't see the NX1 sensor better then other leading sensors in the market yet other reviewers say that it actually works.
I dont think Sony would invest money in something that doesn't work so I am very excited and hope to see a 24MP back lite sensor in a Nikon FX camera soon.


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## Solarflare

One obviously doesnt absolutely need an OVF on a mirrorless camera. Its far less general than an EVF, it only works in a certain focal range in the first place and it displays far less information, too. Saying a mirrorless camera at a certain price needs an OVF is the same as saying a car needs, I dunno, six wheels from a certain price point on. Its simply not true.

And 24 Megapixel is a completely arbritary choice. On a full frame sensor, I would argue that 12 Megapixels would be the most natural choice. Gives you plenty room before you hit diffraction, keeps the demands to the optics to still manageable amounts, and is plenty for most applications.





goodguy said:


> [...] Tony Northrop claims [...]


 More importantly: who still cares what that guy says ?


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## thereyougo!

There are some video reviews up now.  One goes on and on about the lack of a touchscreen.  I don't understand the obsession with touchscreen.  It's a great way of accidentally selecting something you didn't intend to...


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## Jay Vee

Solarflare said:


> One obviously doesnt absolutely need an OVF on a mirrorless camera. Its far less general than an EVF, it only works in a certain focal range in the first place and it displays far less information, too. Saying a mirrorless camera at a certain price needs an OVF is the same as saying a car needs, I dunno, six wheels from a certain price point on. Its simply not true.
> 
> And 24 Megapixel is a completely arbritary choice. On a full frame sensor, I would argue that 12 Megapixels would be the most natural choice. Gives you plenty room before you hit diffraction, keeps the demands to the optics to still manageable amounts, and is plenty for most applications.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> goodguy said:
> 
> 
> 
> [...] Tony Northrop claims [...]
> 
> 
> 
> More importantly: who still cares what that guy says ?
Click to expand...


Yes, to get an OVF you'll need either a complex system of prisms or a mirror like in a dslr to reflect the light path to the VF. At this point it wouldn't be a mirrorless camera anymore. I know OVF vs EVF is a matter of preference but you shouldn't rule out EVFs completely. They've come a long way and from initial reviews the new EVF on the A7r2 is a huge improvement with an increased magnification to .78x and Zeiss *T coating. 



thereyougo! said:


> There are some video reviews up now.  One goes on and on about the lack of a touchscreen.  I don't understand the obsession with touchscreen.  It's a great way of accidentally selecting something you didn't intend to...



Unless you shoot a lot with a tripod or at arms length I don't really get the obsession too. How do you select your focus point when the camera is right up to your face when you look through the EVF?


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## thereyougo!

Jay Vee said:


> Solarflare said:
> 
> 
> 
> One obviously doesnt absolutely need an OVF on a mirrorless camera. Its far less general than an EVF, it only works in a certain focal range in the first place and it displays far less information, too. Saying a mirrorless camera at a certain price needs an OVF is the same as saying a car needs, I dunno, six wheels from a certain price point on. Its simply not true.
> 
> And 24 Megapixel is a completely arbritary choice. On a full frame sensor, I would argue that 12 Megapixels would be the most natural choice. Gives you plenty room before you hit diffraction, keeps the demands to the optics to still manageable amounts, and is plenty for most applications.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> goodguy said:
> 
> 
> 
> [...] Tony Northrop claims [...]
> 
> 
> 
> More importantly: who still cares what that guy says ?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Yes, to get an OVF you'll need either a complex system of prisms or a mirror like in a dslr to reflect the light path to the VF. At this point it wouldn't be a mirrorless camera anymore. I know OVF vs EVF is a matter of preference but you shouldn't rule out EVFs completely. They've come a long way and from initial reviews the new EVF on the A7r2 is a huge improvement with an increased magnification to .78x and Zeiss *T coating.
> 
> 
> 
> thereyougo! said:
> 
> 
> 
> There are some video reviews up now.  One goes on and on about the lack of a touchscreen.  I don't understand the obsession with touchscreen.  It's a great way of accidentally selecting something you didn't intend to...
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Unless you shoot a lot with a tripod or at arms length I don't really get the obsession too. How do you select your focus point when the camera is right up to your face when you look through the EVF?
Click to expand...



Also your finger will take up more space than the actual focus point so how accurate is the touch in any case?


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