wordfool wrote:
I miss my A9, which was my first mirrorless camera (coming from the Canon DSLR world). I bought it because it was small and fast, and I loved shooting it. I sold it to buy an A1 and although that's a more capable camera than the original A9 I'm not as fond of it. I guess it's a version of "first love" for mirrorless that is coloring my memories of the A9, but I definitely miss it's more compact size, especially now I have an even bigger A1ii (my first A1 is relegated to backup duties).
Another camera I have fond memories of is an old Canon Powershot S40 I had in the early 00s. It went everywhere with me and I still have a ton of photos from that era that bring back fond memories. After the S40 I plunged into the dSLR world and the sheer mobility of a point and shoot was lost, along with the many improptu photo opportunities. ...Show more →
I also went the A9 to A1 to A1 II route. I missed the A9 so much, I found another one in mint, low usage condition and bought it. It is a very nice small, compact size, handles well and feels good in the hand, and tracks beautifully. I still use it, especially when I want to shoot monochrome. I also have the A1 II, which is a great camera, but I don't find it as sympatico as the A9.
Since this thread is turning into a trip down memory lane, I have mild regrets about selling my OG A9. It served as my only body replacing the A7iii and there was simply something magical about its combination of speed, silence and excellent image quality. I replaced it with an A7Rv which certainly was more flexible particularly when shooting primes and had better overall autofocus, but I did miss the blackout free experience. Fortunately, the A9iii that joined the A7Rv is so good the temptation to reacquire an OG A9 is (mostly) gone. I always wanted an A1 but wasn't in a position to acquire one upon release so I am making up for that now by replacing the A7Rv with a minty A1ii from a fellow FM member.
As for backup camera choices, I would suggest an A7V simply for its precapture abilities. I shot with one at a recent Sony Ambassador on the road event in Boston and it felt very much like the OG A9 experience except with a better body, better FPS and precapture. The only downsides to that body IMHO are the lack of a left side dial for shooting modes and only a single CF-A slot. But neither should be deal breakers. Unless you really want the cropping ability of the A7Rv, the A7V felt to me like a much nicer experience to shoot with overall than the A7Rv that I owned for 2.5 years and shot with as my primary body.
Newenglandrocks wrote:
Since this thread is turning into a trip down memory lane have mild regrets about selling my OG A9. It served as my only body replacing the A7iii and there was simply something magical about its combination of speed, silence and excellent image quality. I replaced it with an A7Rv which certainly was more flexible particularly when shooting primes and had better overall autofocus, but I did miss the blackout free experience. Fortunately, the A9iii that joined the A7Rv is so good the temptation to reacquire an OG A9 is (mostly) gone. I always wanted an A1 but wasn't in a position to acquire one upon release so I am making up for that now by replacing the A7Rv with a minty A1ii from a fellow FM member.
As for backup camera choices, I would suggest an A7V simply for its precapture abilities. I shot with one at a recent Sony Ambassador on the road event in Boston and it felt very much like the OG A9 experience except with a better body, better FPS and precapture. The only downsides to that body IMHO are the lack of a left side dial for shooting modes and only a single CF-A slot. But neither should be deal breakers. Unless you really want the cropping ability of the A7Rv, the A7V felt to me like a much nicer experience to shoot with overall than the A7Rv that I owned for 2.5 years and shot with as my primary body.
I appreciate your perspective. It is good information.
Slalom wrote:
I have an a7IV, an A7RIII + A7RIIiA and an A9.
The a7RIIIA if for better viewfinder so R3 is on the way out.
The A9 is rarely used, may be sold when A7V is affordable.
I have not heard of the RIII with an A designation. Worth investigating in my mind. I just read 8 fps without blackout. The resolution is what I want most for the backup, so this might also be an option. I assume it takes the same battery grip as the original?
Sometimes there's a temporary feeling of unfamiliarity with a new camera that makes the old one seem better. When you've used any tool for a while you become comfortable with it. Just like a trusty old hammer with a well worn handle. The new hammer might be stronger and more efficient to use. But it takes a while for your hand and head to get used to the feel of the shiny new hammer.
I miss my former Leica R6 and its huge, juicy viewfinder. That and the 50 cron were toms of fun, but I don’t miss the expense of or dealing with film.
I too had and loved the a7Riii, but the a1 was better in every way…some ways by miles. I rented an a7Rv as a second body for an Alaska trip, and it did fine. I cannot say that it missed any shots, but using it was not as seamless as the a1. The viewfinder and lag were noticeably inferior, though at a First World Problems sort of level.
If I were to need a second body routinely, I would grab a used a1 or get an a1ii and move my a1 to the second position.
Missed my Mamiya 6. Bought another one. Sold that too. Learned my lesson. I hope.
Sold my film Hasselblad and Leica M6. Only regret that I sold those too early, but don’t miss them.
Never regretted selling a digital camera, because each new one I bought was clearly an improvement over what it replaced. Or I sold because I wasn’t using it enough.
Yes, the A1 is better in every way than the A7R III, except maybe size and weight. I was looking for an a7c series camera to complement the A1 and sell the A7R III, but I changed my mind. The A7R III is not that big, and the EVF that I was criticizing earlier is not any better on the a7c series... So at least I won't have to regret selling it
I think the only camera I regret selling was maybe the Lumix GH2 bought in around 2012 with a Leica 25mm f/1.4. That was a great combo.
Sony ILCE-9, FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS, 600mm, f/6.3, 1/640s, ISO 25600
Perhaps I'll wait to get rid of the A9; this was taken pretty much in the darkness of dusk after a thunderstorm moved through last evening. Maybe wait for some used prices to drop. No hurry to make that decision.
As far as I know, my grandpa's old Sony Cybershot wasn't sold, but it's probably still laying around in storage somewhere back home. I was a small kid back then, but I always get taken down memory lane looking through old albums and the distinctive pop-up flash it had. I'll have to dig through some things and make sure that is still there.
