5 Reasons to Shoot a Sony Right Now

Sony is consistently putting out groundbreaking cameras and this is just a short list of reasons why you would want to shoot a Sony digital camera. Here we go:

1) In-Body-Image-Stabilization (IBIS) in a full-frame camera

We were surprised to hear that the Sony A7II was going to have image stabilization built in to the body. They are not the first company with the technology, but it has never been put in a 35mm sized sensor camera. Even with non-stabilized lenses, IBIS allows photos to be shot handheld at much slower shutter speeds to get acceptably sharp photos! This is a huge boon to anyone that like or needs to shoot older film lenses or like the smaller size of non-stabilized lenses in general. Check the video below for a visual description of the effectiveness of this technology!

2) Compact Size- WX500, and A series full frame cameras

This camera is as small as it gets!
This camera is as small as it gets!

” The best camera is the one you have with you…” Everyone has heard some variation of that quote, especially since the rise of cell phone cameras and increasingly smaller advanced cameras. This is the way the industry is going; smaller and lighter with higher quality image quality.

These cameras are not in the same category, so this is not a slight against the phenomenal 1DC/1DX, but this sure shows the size differential!
These cameras are not in the same category, so this is not a slight against the phenomenal 1DC/1DX, but this sure shows the size differential!

This is especially true of the newest point and shoot cameras from Sony as well as their full frame A series mirror-less cameras. The brand new Sony WX500,  the worlds most compact point and shoot to have a 30X optical zoom. It is tiny. For a little more than $300 you get a lot of camera.

This is what 30x optical can do...
This is what 30x optical can do…

3) Low Light King- The Sony A7s

The A7s is still untouched when it comes to low-light shooting!
The A7s is still untouched when it comes to low-light shooting!
1-13 sec at f - 8.0 ISO 32,000   Unedited.
1-13 sec at f – 8.0 ISO 32,000 Unedited.

The Sony A7s is still the king of low light cameras, capable of ridiculously high ISO capture with minimal noise. It is something that needs to be seen to be believed. you can shoot in ways that you would never be able to with any other camera.

10.0 sec at f - 5.6 ISO 6400, Sony FE 24-70 f/4. No Noise reduction was performed on this image. The combination of long strutter speed and high ISO normally would be a recipe for bad color noise.
10.0 sec at f – 5.6 ISO 6400, Sony FE 24-70 f/4. No Noise reduction was performed on this image. The combination of long shutter speed and high ISO normally would be a recipe for bad color noise.

If you are not convinced, just check one out for yourself! If you want to see some sample images from the A7s, check out the blog here!

4) Video Quality- XAVC-S Codec

The video below is a simple one that simply explains what a codec is and why XAVC-s is so useful. Previously, DSLR’s have used a much lower bit rate video codec, which leads to less detail, color information and flexibility in editing. This 50mb/s codec really expands your ability to get video footage to look the best that it can be. They even included this XAVC-S codec in the new Sony WX500 mentioned above!

    5) Adapt any lens- Even rangefinder and old SLR lenses. Almost any lens!

Sony A7II with Leica Summicron  50mm f/2 with an adapter.
Sony A7II with Leica Summicron 50mm f/2 with an adapter. This is my current set-up!

Now we can put almost any lens on to a full frame camera to take advantage of the awesome looks available from lenses that would just sit on a shelf collecting dust.

Sony A7II with Leica Summicron 50mm F/2
Sony A7II with Leica Summicron 50mm F/2

The Fotodiox Pro EF to E mount adapter allows you to put Canon EF lenses on your Sony E mount camera, allowing you a huge market of rental lenses at your disposal!

What we have here is some revolutionary technologies, and progressive ideas that some other companies have been slow to accept or adopt. Sony is poised to be a major player for years to come in the imaging industry, and we are excited to see what they come out with next.

If you are interested in more information about Sony cameras, we have an Introduction to Sony Mirrorless Cameras class this Saturday! Check it out here!

TJ Hansen

Photographer at MPEX.com

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