DPReview: Sony a7RIII Receives Gold Award With Score of 90%, Which is Only Matched by The a7RII

By Louis Ferreira | Published: November 22, 2017


The Sony a7RIII topped its category of camera, just like the Sony a7RII did in 2015 with a 90% overall score. The only camera close is the Nikon D850, which shouldn’t be surprising. I kind of feel like DPReview needs to adjust their categories a little at this point because the a7RIII and a7RII shouldn’t have identical scores, especially if you compare the individual scored parts of the two, but having the two cameras have identical overall scores makes the overall score a little confusing. I realize both cameras are close in functionality, but even a 1% difference would make them clearly different. You can read the full review here and see the Pros/Cons below.

ProsCons
  • 42.4MP image sensor offers great resolution and dynamic range
  • Increased overall speed and responsiveness
  • Vastly improved battery life
  • Dual SD card slots
  • Meaningful ergonomic improvements such as AF joystick, deeper grip
  • Improved JPEG color
  • Improved menu organization
  • 10fps burst shooting (8fps w/ live view)
  • Remarkably good Eye AF performance, even with adapted lenses
  • Big, beautiful viewfinder
  • Broadly good autofocus performance
  • 4K and slow motion 1080p capture
  • Highly customizable controls
  • Hybrid Log Gamma and S-Log included for video capture
  • Includes USB-C, flash sync and microphone / headphone ports
  • Tilting touchscreen that disables EVF eye sensor when flipped out
  • New Pixel Shift mode
  • Good Wi-Fi + NFC
  • In-camera charging and power
  • Only one SD slot supports UHS-II cards
  • Write speeds can be lengthy, even using fast cards
  • Cannot switch to video mode while buffer is clearing
  • Subject tracking can be unreliable
  • Buttons and dials still need more feedback, especially with gloves
  • Battery grip still recommended for comfortable use with big lenses
  • Chosen autofocus area is hard to see
  • No in-camera Raw conversion
  • No built-in intervalometer
  • No PlayMemories app support
  • Limited uses for Pixel Shift Resolution shooting modes (static environments)
  • Limited support for Pixel Shift files
  • Pixel shift mode slower than rivals and offers no motion compensation
  • No option for infrared AF assist lamp when using on-camera speed lights

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Sony a7RIII: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Sony 24-105mm: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

via DPReview

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Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Shipping September 2018 According to One Retailer

By Louis Ferreira | Published: November 22, 2017


This could be a placeholder date based on a projection or it could be based on internal data, but B&H Photo has the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS listed as shipping September 2018. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these lenses with the new Sony a7RIII. It might even compel me to get a Sony a9 again.

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Sony a7RIII Star Eater Continued

By Louis Ferreira | Published: November 22, 2017


After yesterdays revelation about the Sony Star Eater issue still existing in the Sony a7RIII DPReview decided to publish an a7RIII/a7RII comparison tool that clearly shows how differently the two cameras handle denoising, which causes the star eater issue. The Last Word also published some additional materials of interest and found “no material difference” between the Sony a7RII and a7RIII dark-field frequency responses, which is interesting considering the above image.

If none of the above helps you understand the star eater issue, The Last Word also published this post which shows how muddy the affected dark field image becomes compared to the unaffected one. Of course, you can still capture amazing astrophotography photos with Sony cameras, even with star eater, but it will wipe out star light that is only a single pixel in size and if you have ever pixel peeped a proper astrophotography photo that can be quite a few stars to snuff out.

Join our Sony a7 Owners Group and Sony a7 Page, also follow SonyAddict on Facebook and Twitter.

Sony a7RIII: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Sony 24-105mm: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

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Sony a7RIII Pixel Shift, High ISO, Buffer Testing, and Worth The Upgrade?

By Louis Ferreira | Published: November 22, 2017

The Sony a7RIII looks like a pretty crazy camera from the buffer test below. One of my biggest issues with the Sony a9 was how it encourages you to shoot an irresponsible amount and it looks like the a7RIII might have a similar issue if you shoot it in burst mode too much. I am still editing photos from my time with the Sony a9 from way overshooting and I hate pairing down my photos so owning a camera that shoots too quickly is never good for me, but it’s good to have the option. Thankfully ill never touch the 10fps mode because it drops the RAW files to 12-bit, but 8fps might be useful at times.

As for Pixel Shift, its utility is very subject and photographer skill dependant. Luminous landscape and insights4print do a good job of exploring its usefulness, but I really think Sony needs to compile these shots in camera so that you can check them on the spot. If you’re forced to use a computer to compile the image then you won’t know if you got the shot until much later and that is not something photographers expect when shooting a digital camera.

luminous-landscape – Pixel Shift

insights4print – PSMS: Does it Deliver?

Join our Sony a7 Owners Group and Sony a7 Page, also follow SonyAddict on Facebook and Twitter.

Sony a7RIII: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Sony 24-105mm: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

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TCSTV: Sony a7RIII Jack of All Trades and Master of All Trades

By Louis Ferreira | Published: November 22, 2017

The Camera Store TV came away from Sony’s latest event with the belief that the Sony a7RIII is a Jack of all trades and master of all trades. It’s really hard to find anything wrong with the a7RIII, but the biggest improvement is, of course, the battery, which is probably followed by the AF performance and then just general overall improvement in the feel of the camera. If you have to come up with negatives though there is still rolling shutter which is to be expected, you also can’t install apps for an in-camera intervalometer and the camera really should compile pixel shift images in-camera instead of requiring an app on the computer. TCSTV seems to believe that pixel shift software will be implemented in Capture One anLightroomom in the future.

When comparing the a7RII and a7RIII shadows are a little cleaner. The a7RIII also has a slight edge over the Nikon D850, but the D850 can have more perceivable resolution thanks to the additional megapixels. Most of the D850’s advantage when a tripod is not used though.

Join our Sony a7 Owners Group and Sony a7 Page, also follow SonyAddict on Facebook and Twitter.

Sony a7RIII: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Sony 24-105mm: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

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Luminar 2018 Black Friday Offer and Save More With Offer Code

By Louis Ferreira | Published: November 21, 2017


Luminar 2018 Offer Availability:
The Luminar 2018 Black Friday offer will be available from November 21-29 and don’t forget to use the offer code from FujiAddict “FUJIADDICT” at checkout to save more.

Pricing:

  • Current users of Luminar may upgrade at a Black Friday price of $49 ($39 with your coupon code)
  • New users can purchase Luminar 2018 for $69 ($59 with your coupon code)
  • A collection of bonuses will also be included with every purchase.

Bonuses:

  • A Pack of Urban presets from Contrastly
  • Creative Look LUTs Collection for use in Luminar 2018
  • The Ultra-Wide Landscape Ebook by Ian Plant
  • Lights&Shadows Photo Training Video by Matt Granger

Those who pre-ordered Luminar 2018, will get these bonuses for free.

I have really enjoyed my time using Luminar 2018 and Aurora HDR 2018, which you can also save on with the offer code from FujiAddict “FUJIADDICT“.  While I am still getting used to both Apps, I believe they are worth your time if you are considering dumping Lightroom for something different and the company seems committed to adding functionality to their 2018 lineup.

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