Experiences - Sony A7Cii / A7CR

[Tino Dietsche]

Hello everyone,

Since I would like to switch from the Sony A7III to the A7CII for my underwater photography soon, I wanted to ask if there are already people here who take underwater photos with the A7CII or A7CR.

 

Your experiences etc. would be exciting. What kind of housing are you using, which camera have you switched from and why?

I would appreciate any feedback, whether positive or negative!

 

Many thanks and greetings from Switzerland,
Tino 

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, Tino Dietsche said:

Hello everyone,

Since I would like to switch from the Sony A7III to the A7CII for my underwater photography soon, I wanted to ask if there are already people here who take underwater photos with the A7CII or A7CR.

 

Your experiences etc. would be exciting. What kind of housing are you using, which camera have you switched from and why?

I would appreciate any feedback, whether positive or negative!

 

Many thanks and greetings from Switzerland,
Tino 

I have the A7CII as everyday camera when I dont want to use the A1 

it is a nice little camera with slow synch speed that I would not take underwater

both the evf and lcd resolution is low by today standards

I would not have any reservations on the A7IV that looks almost perfect for underwater use solid and cost effective 

Edited March 10 by Interceptor121

[Tino Dietsche]

12 minutes ago, Interceptor121 said:

it is a nice little camera with slow synch speed that I would not take underwater

both the evf and lcd resolution is low by today standards

I would not have any reservations on the A7IV that looks almost perfect for underwater use solid and cost effective 

Thank you very much for your feedback. I'm aware of the lower flash synchronization time. Since I've had these slow times with other systems in the past, it's not that tragic for me.

I'm also aware of LCD and EVF, but it's secondary for my use underwater since I work almost exclusively with an external monitor.

I've already been using the A7IV, it's been on the market since December 2021 and is without a doubt a great camera. The camera and its AF system are therefore still below the newer Sony A7rV etc. And the AF system in particular is one of the things that makes the A7CII very exciting for me. The A7CII and A7CR have the AF module of the A7rV and thus also the new autofocus, which is also highly praised for underwater in relation to the A7rV. I'm hoping for a significant improvement in this area in particular with the 90mm Macro.
For this reason, I no longer included the A7IV in my considerations.

Tino

[Guest]

42 minutes ago, Tino Dietsche said:

Thank you very much for your feedback. I'm aware of the lower flash synchronization time. Since I've had these slow times with other systems in the past, it's not that tragic for me.

I'm also aware of LCD and EVF, but it's secondary for my use underwater since I work almost exclusively with an external monitor.

I've already been using the A7IV, it's been on the market since December 2021 and is without a doubt a great camera. The camera and its AF system are therefore still below the newer Sony A7rV etc. And the AF system in particular is one of the things that makes the A7CII very exciting for me. The A7CII and A7CR have the AF module of the A7rV and thus also the new autofocus, which is also highly praised for underwater in relation to the A7rV. I'm hoping for a significant improvement in this area in particular with the 90mm Macro.
For this reason, I no longer included the A7IV in my considerations.

Tino

The A7C cameras are nowhere near the A1 or A7R V in low light auto focus

they have many modes but in real life I have had plenty of situations where the A7C II wont focus but the A1 has no issue

using a monitor to take photos is generally a bad idea 

the a1 has a monitor mode however you dont see where the camera is focussing so you end up doing a full output and that lags 

consider these cameras read already slow you dont need lag on top

to finish the C series have micro hdmi which are not nice to handle and not very robust 

A7 IV has a decent viewfinder and that would be my way to go

Edited March 10 by Interceptor121

[Staggs]

@Interceptor121 What are your thoughts on A7RIV vs A7RV underwater?  Would you say that the A7RV would be worth the extra expense picking up one over a A7RV or would you save the cash and find a good used A7RIV?

 

I like the form factor of the a7cii but I agree with your assessments on why I wouldn't take it underwater and if I upgrade from my current a6600 rig, I don't want to take the slower sync speeds with me.

Thanks!

[ChipBPhoto]

31 minutes ago, Staggs said:

What are your thoughts on A7RIV vs A7RV underwater?  Would you say that the A7RV would be worth the extra expense picking up one over a A7RV or would you save the cash and find a good used A7RIV?

Hi @Staggs - I moved to the a7rIV in 2020 and used it for 3 years.  I then purchased an a7rV last year.  Huge difference!

 

a7rV vs a7rIV findings:  

- The AF is noticeably more accurate and much faster.  (I found it even helped the notoriously slow Sony 90 macro focus faster.)  

 - The menu system is much easier to navigate.  

 - Lastly, the white balance is dramatically improved.  This is key for both auto WB and video, should you eventually dabble in that realm.  (I frequently had back to back AWB images have completely different colors with the rIV)  

 

The a7rIV was literally the last body made before the newer improvements began to be incorporated.  If you have the ability, the a7rV is definitely worth the investment for both today and longer term use.  
 

Hope this helps in your decision process.

 

Edited March 10 by ChipBPhoto

[Tino Dietsche]

2 hours ago, Interceptor121 said:

The A7C cameras are nowhere near the A1 or A7R V in low light auto focus

they have many modes but in real life I have had plenty of situations where the A7C II wont focus but the A1 has no issue

using a monitor to take photos is generally a bad idea 

the a1 has a monitor mode however you dont see where the camera is focussing so you end up doing a full output and that lags 

consider these cameras read already slow you dont need lag on top

to finish the C series have micro hdmi which are not nice to handle and not very robust 

A7 IV has a decent viewfinder and that would be my way to go

Thank you for your feedback, even if it is rather critical.

 

It is absolutely clear to me that there are certain differences between the A1 / A7rV and the A7CII / A7CR when it comes to autofocus. The price difference between the cameras is also clear, and you shouldn't forget that either.

 

Of course an A1 or the A7rV would be absolutely great, but they are simply too expensive for my photography.
In Switzerland, the A1 currently costs more than three times as much as an A7CII, and the A7rV also costs almost twice as much. The A7IV is only slightly higher in price.

 

On the subject of taking photos with a monitor, I have been working this way for more than three years now and have done over 160 dives with the setup. When I take photos, I see the image from the camera display 1:1 on the monitor. When I'm filming, I no longer have the settings, but I work with fixed settings and MF focus and that worked perfectly for me.
The alternative to the monitor would of course be a 45° angle viewfinder. But from my point of view, this cannot be used as flexibly as the monitor.
I also have Micro-HDMI on my A7III, so it's not new to me and hasn't been a problem to this day. In my opinion, the cable routing inside the camera is crucial.

 

I come from the A7II and A7III series, so anything newer is guaranteed to be faster than what I had before.

[Phil Rudin]

Tino, like you I have been shooting Sony starting with A7II/RII and have progressed including A7C to now shooting A7RV and A1. 

 

 I think you already own the best choice in the A7IV for the price point. Any slight difference in AF speed (and it is very small) V. A7CII is far out weighed by the much better EVF, 1/250th sync, dual card slots, less expensive housings V. A7R V, same sensor as A7C II and more. 

 

If you are looking at A7CR v. A7R V the cost difference is large but not like the A7C II differences. Already owning the A7IV camera also makes the transition a bit more tolerable.  

[Guest]

56 minutes ago, Tino Dietsche said:

Thank you for your feedback, even if it is rather critical.

 

It is absolutely clear to me that there are certain differences between the A1 / A7rV and the A7CII / A7CR when it comes to autofocus. The price difference between the cameras is also clear, and you shouldn't forget that either.

 

Of course an A1 or the A7rV would be absolutely great, but they are simply too expensive for my photography.
In Switzerland, the A1 currently costs more than three times as much as an A7CII, and the A7rV also costs almost twice as much. The A7IV is only slightly higher in price.

 

On the subject of taking photos with a monitor, I have been working this way for more than three years now and have done over 160 dives with the setup. When I take photos, I see the image from the camera display 1:1 on the monitor. When I'm filming, I no longer have the settings, but I work with fixed settings and MF focus and that worked perfectly for me.
The alternative to the monitor would of course be a 45° angle viewfinder. But from my point of view, this cannot be used as flexibly as the monitor.
I also have Micro-HDMI on my A7III, so it's not new to me and hasn't been a problem to this day. In my opinion, the cable routing inside the camera is crucial.

 

I come from the A7II and A7III series, so anything newer is guaranteed to be faster than what I had before.

The HDMI connection on sony cameras has more than 150 ms delays and the whole set up with monitor is bulky only suited to easy dives without current which is not what I do

or course when things move slow or dont move you can do what you want

45 degree evf is less expensive and more streamlined

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Staggs said:

@Interceptor121 What are your thoughts on A7RIV vs A7RV underwater?  Would you say that the A7RV would be worth the extra expense picking up one over a A7RV or would you save the cash and find a good used A7RIV?

 

I like the form factor of the a7cii but I agree with your assessments on why I wouldn't take it underwater and if I upgrade from my current a6600 rig, I don't want to take the slower sync speeds with me.

Thanks!

I have not used any. i am not a fan if super high resolution but the a1 is fast

second choice would be a7 iv

i think 33 megapixels is very good really like my a7cII photos but would not take the camera underwater 

sony should release the a7 V this year

[Staggs]

I think a new a7v would fit me perfectly if it hits, i'm in no rush to upgrade right now either.

[dentrock]

Worth reading through the "Stop me before I buy again" thread which covers the OP's original question among lots of other stuff. Save us repeating...

[Keith Johnson]

Hi everyone. I recently bought the A7CR and have just come back from diving with it in the Caribbean. I upgraded from M43 so don't have a comparison with the other Sony FF options. However, my experience was fantastic. My understanding is that this has exactly the same sensor, process and AF as the A7RV. It clearly has the lower 1/160th sync speed given it has the EFC shutter. I found the AF to be excellent and the animal eye detect astonishing. I have the Nauticam housing which is amazingly small light and compact. It's smaller than my previous EM5Mk3 housing. Taking the camera and housing together there's a significant cost saving over A7RV. Happy to share more of my experiences.

[Tino Dietsche]

5 hours ago, Keith Johnson said:

Hi everyone. I recently bought the A7CR and have just come back from diving with it in the Caribbean. I upgraded from M43 so don't have a comparison with the other Sony FF options. However, my experience was fantastic. My understanding is that this has exactly the same sensor, process and AF as the A7RV. It clearly has the lower 1/160th sync speed given it has the EFC shutter. I found the AF to be excellent and the animal eye detect astonishing. I have the Nauticam housing which is amazingly small light and compact. It's smaller than my previous EM5Mk3 housing. Taking the camera and housing together there's a significant cost saving over A7RV. Happy to share more of my experiences.

Thank you for your feedback! The slower flash sync speed of 1/160 shouldn't be a big problem for me either.
Which lenses did you choose?

Greetings from switzerland,

Tino

[Keith Johnson]

Tino. I'm using the 28-60mm Sony lens with the Nauticam wet lenses: WWL1 and CMC1 & CMC2. All these work brilliantly with the 28-60.

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Keith Johnson said:

Tino. I'm using the 28-60mm Sony lens with the Nauticam wet lenses: WWL1 and CMC1 & CMC2. All these work brilliantly with the 28-60.

Do you have any images to show?

[Biodives]

On 3/15/2024 at 4:25 PM, Keith Johnson said:

Hi everyone. I recently bought the A7CR and have just come back from diving with it in the Caribbean. I upgraded from M43 ...

 

It's smaller than my previous EM5Mk3 housing ...

 

Hi Keith,

 

I should just go to stores and check it out myself but if you use the viewfinder underwater, how does the one of the A7cR compare to the EM5Mk3? I am more concerned about that than the sync speed.

 

Bart

[Keith Johnson]

Sure. There are a few big differences between the A7CR and the A7RV that you'd have to be comfortable with. That's the price you pay for having something much smaller, lighter and cheaper. One is the EVF and screen. The A7CR doesn't have the amazing 9mp EVF of the A7RV but just a 2.3mp EVF which is also smaller. The screen is 1mp rather than 2mp. I find this just fine as I mainly use the screen. However, for people who normally use the EVf they'd probably notice a big difference. The other big difference is the EFC shutter which limits the flash sync speed to 1/160th.

[Keith Johnson]

Happy to share some pics.

[Davide DB]

16 hours ago, Keith Johnson said:

Happy to share some pics.

 

Nice shots indeed!

 

[Tino Dietsche]

I did it! And last night I was in the water for the first time...

 

Sony A7CII, Sony 90mm Macro F2.8G, Nauticam-Housing, MF-2 Flash

 

 

 

 

[Davide DB]

Wow sharp as a blade. Bravo

[RVBldr]

Love the 90mm macro lens. Very nice pics.

[ChipBPhoto]

2 hours ago, Tino Dietsche said:

Sony A7CII, Sony 90mm Macro F2.8G, Nauticam-Housing, MF-2 Flash

Congratulations on the new rig!  Terrific images; nicely done! 

[Phil Rudin]

I had the original A7C which I just sold about two weeks ago, they are excellent little cameras and size wish can be quite small depending on lens selection. I used mine with the 28-60 and both WWL-1 and WACP-1 which makes for a very small package. 

 

Regarding all the talk about the max sync speed of 1/160th you could buy the UWTechnics Sony A7C/R flash trigger for Nauticam housing which is about $190.00US more than the Nauticam trigger and get HSS with your MF-2'S, Apollo III or Retra strobes using fiber plus other features like TTL with many other strobes. You need the same trigger to get above 1/250th with the A7R V so not a bad future upgrade.