MikeMc

I'm narrowing down my camera choice to FF Mirrorless, prob a Sony A 7RII. Mostly shooting landscapes, sunsets, street art, some family photos. I see the 24-70 2.8 zoom gets high marks although it's pretty pricey at around $2200. If I just bought one lens, what should it be? How about if I bought two lens? Image quality is my first priority.

Also, what should I expect for pricing since the A 7RII is now replaced by the A 7RIII? I see the price dropped by $500 to about $2400 or so. Does Sony have a history of continuing to reduce prices of older models?

Thanks

repleo Loc: Boston

I would highly recommend the new 24-105 f4.0 G OSS as your 'one lens' solution for Sony FF. This is a superb lens - sharp edge to edge at nearly all settings. Several reviewers say it is as good as the 24-70 2.8 GM and streets ahead of the 24-70 Zeiss unless you really need the 2.8 aperture of the GM. The 24-105 is nearly half the weight and half the price of the GM. I love the AF/MF switch on the lens and have the focus hold button set to 'eye focus'. Note, there is a software upgrade for the 24-105 to deal with some anomalies in Continuous AF mode.

For a second lens, I would wait until you see what you need other than the 24-105. You can get excellent results out to 210mm with the Sony Clear Zoom setting and the high resolution of the A7Rx will allow you to make some deep crops if needed. The 24-105 will focus down to 15" for close ups. If you want true macro consider the 90mm F4.0 macro which is another superb lens.
I don't think you will see the A7Rii drop any further in price than $2400. It has already dropped three times to get down to that. You might see it with a bonus Sony accessory package. I got one with mine last April. It had an extra battery and charger, screen protector, and 1 year subscription to Adobe CC so it had some real value. I doubt that the enhancements of the A7Riii over the A7Rii will be of much benefit for your situation, they are more geared towards the professional - bigger battery, dual slots, higher frame rate. Pixel shift seems to be limited to stationary objects.

MikeMc

Thanks much for the response and excellent advice. Looks like the 24-105 f4.0 G OSS is back ordered everywhere.
I see there are some of the deals starting to appear on the R7 II similar to what you mentioned. Adorama throws in Adobe Lightroom 6.0 for free. Plus $500 off.

dfharper1961

Image quality is very subjective. I have a Sony 24-240mm that I use as my carry lens. I have a number of other lens that were purchased for a specific purpose ie portraits landscapes speed etc. check some reviews of all the lenses folks recommend then try to figure out what fits your needs and your budget. Good Luck!

ole sarg Loc: south florida

Just get a nice fast 50mm and a good pair of shoes for those telephoto shots.

lwerthe1mer Loc: Birmingham, Alabama

I’m interested in the 24-105 for my a7ii.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I cannot give you any advise on Sony gear because I am not familiar with it but I can tell you that it would be very uncommon today to buy a lens that will not do well when it comes to sharpness.
Sharpness depends a lot on photographic techniques. Do your part and the lens you buy will do its part.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

The "nifty fifty" 50mm 1.8 was the standard normal lens in the film days. Normal because it has about the same field of view as normal vision. I know for Canon or Nikon that lens is usually under $250. One could argue that a 50mm prime is a must have. If you start with the 50 in a month or so you will probably know exctly which focal length you should have in a walk around zoom. I use the 18-200 as a walk around and I find that the vast number of my shots are between 30 to 40mm in my crop sensor 7d

gwilliams6

I second getting the Sony 24-105mm f4. I have this for my A7R3 and it stays on the camera more than any of my other seven lens from 16mm to 600mm. The 24-105 would be excellent for your A7R2 (I upgraded to the A7R3 in December , but had the A7R2 for a year and it is a great camera). Hey don't overlook buying a tested used A7R2. The best places to get a tested used Sony A7R2 are Allens Camera (Levittown,Pa. Philly's largest camera store, and my favorite), Adorama (which gets a lot of their used gear from Allens. Saw this in person), B&H photo. They all have websites for you to browse for deals on tested used Sony gear.

After that if you want a faster prime, get the Sony FE 28mm f2 (two stops faster than an f4 lens). It is only around $448 US. It is compact, sharp, fast focusing, and quiet (for video). I also have this lens and it is truly a great performance/price value. Then save your money for either a Sony G 70-200mm f4 (very nice) or the great Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f5-6.3 (Canon EF mount) which you can use on your Sony with the super Sigma MC-11 adapter. I have the Sigma and it worked great on my Sony A7R2 and now my A7R3 ,gives me great sports and wildlife images, and is actually hand-holdable, with practice. It goes for around $899. Jared Polin of FroKnows camera reviews (YouTube) tested and rates this Sigma Contemporary series 150-600mm f5-6.3 as the best super-telephoto zoom lens for the money on the market, and I agree. BTW, I have the Sony G-Master 70-200mm F2.8. It is outstanding, but very pricey. Many Sony users prefer the more affordable and lighter weight Sony G 70-200mm f4 which has excellent image quality. Cheers and have fun with your A7R2 !

bnsf

B&H has a special on the camera and lenses for the camera. Call them and see what they can do for you then check around and compare .

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

One lens- 35 f1.4 Sigma or ? , the best 24-70 you can afford.
Two lens - wide end - Sigma 24 f1.4 or 24-35 f2 , long end - Sigma 85 f1.4 or the best 70-200 you can afford.

As mentioned, do not overlook the possibility of using the 1.1-2X Clear Image Zoom !

gwilliams6

imagemeister, if only one lens, the original poster is better off with the range of the 24-105mm f4 Sony lens. That is the most useful single focal length range to start out for an A7R2. I have this lens/camera (upgraded to A7R3) combo. I have other lenses, faster primes, wider and longer lenses, but still I use the 24-105mm more often, for more subjects. Cheers

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I agree - EXCEPT - quote the OP, "Image quality is my first priority." - not convenience .....or price

BHamp00 Loc: Las Vegas

I picked up a Sony A7RIII shortly after they became available and went with the Sony/Zeiss 24-70mm f:4. I have not been disappointed by its performance... my lens is sharp with great color. I also picked up the Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm f:4, Sony/Zeiss 55mm f:1.8 and Sony 85mm f:1.8 shortly thereafter. These lenses are not too large for the camera body and maintain the smaller full frame characteristics I was looking for. I'm thinking about the Sony 70-200mm f:4 and the Zeiss 35mm f:1.4, however, I'm not driven with having them. I'm not really interested in the f:2.8 Zooms as they are large and I already have their counterparts and much more for my Nikon DX and FF cameras.

I've included a photo I recently took at the Shelby Museum in Las Vegas using the 24-70mm f:4. The original image was reduced during LR export

(Download)

repleo Loc: Boston

There is a steady supply of the 24-105 f4.0 coming in, but they get snapped up quickly. Get on the 'notify when available' list at a couple of stores. I made a cold call to my local Hunt's Photo twice and on both occasions they had one in stock. I didn't hesitate the second time. I went straight over and grabbed it.