Whenever a company like Sony comes out with a statement to the effect that AF subject ID is “improved by 40%” in a new model, I wonder how on earth they quantify such a thing. Sure, stabilization can be fairly objectively measured by shutter speed. But subject identification? Really? The a7cII, over a substantial period…

Before setting off on my current travels, I had three criteria for my gear selection: critter glass that prioritized quality over reach; lighter weight than my previous journey; and a bag that met size requirements for all my planned conveyances and venues. Sony made it easy to satisfy the first part. The second was accomplished…

Funny how some of us eagerly wait for a new model of a favorite camera, only to find the updated features to be less than what we’d hoped for. Adding an a7c to the arsenal a few months back cured me of that condition. Sony boasted about its “simplified” menu arrangement when the a7IV came…

Faced with the likelihood of finding critter friends much more confiding than in most other places, I opted to split my reach and increase my speed with a 70-200mm f2.8 GM II and 2X teleconverter shortly before I departed for this leg of the journey. Out for a last-minute accessory just before I left the…

With weight and gear compatibility being factors of importance in the immediate future, the SL2 got unceremoniously dumped after all. In its place is the predecessor of my current favorite a7cII, an a7c. It’ll allow me to move about comfortably with more time spent shooting and less time changing lenses. Just as weight didn’t bother…

Some time back, probably six months ago, I speculated that one of the a7cX series cameras might make a good companion for one of the SL series cameras. In between then and now, I reasoned my way through all sorts of scenarios. One of those was ending up with FF and APS-C bodies, which I…

For the past two years and most of the four before that, I’ve been post-processing images on ipad. Even in 2024, apps are almost like the stone age compared to software available for PC and Mac OS. Photomator has made some nice strides in denoising, but it’s nowhere near Topaz or DXO. Lightroom Mobile, a…

Sample variation, especially with lenses being made in all sorts of places nowadays, is a concern when making choices. My first copy of the 70-350mm G, acquired not long after its release, was okay, pretty good when stopped to f/8. Reviews suggested it should have been a little better. The current copy is better wide…

Out with the SL2 and 50mm Summilux-SL today, I got a harsh reminder of what caused the setup to fall out of favor. Weird shutter cadences, shutter lag, missed focus on static objects, yeah, all of the above. The maddening thing is that when it nailed focus and fired properly, which was actually most of…

It’s a new twist on the old megapixels vs. glass reach conundrum I’ve been vacillating on for years. Using the E 70-350mm G, a crop sensor lens, on the a7cII, I prefer critter images I get over those from the a6700. Fine detail is clearly more evident when using the a7cII, even at 14 megapixels….