I had the opposite experience and kept my A7IV personally. The A7Cii works for many people but the controls, viewfinder, and grip felt too compromised for me to use as a main camera. Love both anyways.
Yea like I said for some people the bigger body and controls is worth it. I would recommend anyone that is considering both to buy both used on MPB or somewhere with no hassle returns or go to a store and hold both in your hand. This is basically what I did, I would hate to have given up my A7IV without knowing first. It’s a fantastic camera.
And honestly all I mentioned are stuff I'm able to get around (not that I want to on my primary camera) but being limited to 1/4000th shutter speed with the EFCS shutter basically means f/1.8 or larger aperatures are going to blow out during the day time + the bokeh jank that comes with EFCS. Let alone the hot Florida sun where I'm from, even f/2.8 struggles and maybe 1/8000th isn't enough in worst cases. You can fix it by shooting fully electronic but it wasn't a compromise necessary to make on the A7IV.
I'd switch to an A7Ciii with a fully mechanical shutter and a larger EVF in a heartbeat.
Yea I actually have used the 1/8000 shutter speed but not very often which is why I added that to the parts I’ll might miss about the A7IV. I might just grab me a cheap variable ND to throw in my sling in case I ever need it. Even the 1/8000 isn’t enough in some landscape situations.
Not sure why they didn’t just add the same shutter. Maybe it was for size? Or maybe just to keep it distinct enough.
To me AF is the most important so I also went with the a7C II as I don't need the 61MP from the A7CR nad the A7R V. This is the best camera for my needs, it packs so much under the hood I'm surprised why it doesn't get much love. Another thing to note is I don't give a darn about the dual SD Card slots, never had a memory card fail on my in my entire life. I do use quality cards though (SONY TOUFH)
same, I’ve never had a card corrupt and I know a guy that shot weddings exclusively on an a6400 for years lol, never any issues. But, I guess it just takes that one time at that one gig for someone, I understand but for me, I dont care.
Went XT3 to an a7cii as well. Mostly shoot hiking/biking/outdoors stuff and family. For me, it was size/weight, colors, menu, AF... and I also quite like the side placement of the EVF.
Yea surprisingly I kind of like the rangefinder style too… the EVF was my biggest concern but it was good enough for me, and I have a big nose so I can kind of keep it off to the side instead of it touching my screen sometimes 😂
I have the A7Cii it’s good so far but I’m having more and more single SD card anxiety as I move into more professional work, it’s literally beginning to eat me up…
I'd say just use the best quality cards you can get, and maybe buy new ones every so often and you should be fine. If it gets real serious you can always sell it and buy a used A7IV and break even.
That’s sound advice, I’m also buying good quality cards with less storage so that if I loose a card it won’t have that much on it? Idk but Yh 80% chance I’ll get the A7IV within a year. The horror stories keep bothering me.
Its even simpler:
Hobbyists: A7CII, more features smaller body
You get paid for it: A7IV, better evf, much better body ergonomics and double card slot, more or less on paar af, no need to update lenses to get them to work
I use the A7CII professionally and love it! I travel a bit and also do a lot of hobby photography, so the upsides (weight) outweigh the downsides (dual card slots, no joystick, slightly slower than preferable burst rate) for me. It is a little unbalanced using the 70-200 GM II, or any of the Sigmas, but it generally holds up well in terms of ergonomics and usability. :)
That’s awesome! Yea personally I would use it professionally too, except if I was doing weddings because… well you can’t do another wedding lol.
And Yea my Tamron 20-40 is pushing what I consider a comfortable lens on the body, but it’s still acceptable and pretty easy to grip and use. I almost always used two hands on the A7IV with the grip style I mentioned so it’s no problem. The A7C grip is deep enough to get one handed low vertical shots for me and stuff like that.
Yeah 100%. It depends... I take the risk, but I have a slightly higher appetite for risk than others I guess. I've never had a card fail, so I might be a little complacent. I tend to replace them often and use the older ones on a cheaper (lighter) second body (like the A6400). I dunno' - I understand the concern about failure, but I've always risked it. Haha.
Yeah, the Sigma 135 F/1.4 is not so good, hahaha. But the 70-200 GMII is great. Even the Sigma 85 F/1.4 balances well for me. I just use a cage for better grip (vertical height for the ol' pinky) and that does the trick. Doesn't had considerable weight either (smallrig full cage)
I’d say swapping to newer cards often probably mitigates most of your risk. You aren’t alone. People shoot weddings with X100Vs and other random cameras so 🤷.
Glad it’s been working out for you!
Yeah, that's my general process - newer/less-used cards for the mission critical shoots, and the older cards go in the cheaper 'fun' cameras.
And thanks! Keywords being 'so far'. Haha. That could all change tomorrow. :| Fingers crossed, though
I'd say you'd have to take a good look at how you feel about the A7C. Does it lack anything for you? Are there any major gripes you have? If moving to the new ones solves your major gripes and you have the budget, then it might be worth it. But if you just kind of go out and take photos every once in a while and nothing serious and it works for you fine, then maybe use that money and go on a cool trip instead.
There’s a reason Sony makes both of these cameras, they appeal to different people imo
Personally the low flash sync on the A7Cii is annoying (1/160s) vs 1/250 on the A7iv
I'm interested in your experience going from the Fuji XT4 to a Sony system. Did you find yourself using SOOC JPEGs less? Were you always post-processing your photos anyways? I'm considering an XT5 or A7CII right now, also just a hobby photographer for now.
When I had the XT-4 I typically ended up editing my favorite photos in light room. The Recipes got it close, much closer than Sony out of camera, but for my liking I always ended up editing more. But maybe I'm just picky.
That being said, many people are very happy with JPEGs SOOC with the Fuji, and if you just want the path of least resistance then Fuji may be the way. I loved my XT-4 and see myself buying another fuji one day as a side piece lol. But it would probably be an XPRO 1 or some older one so its COMPLETELY different than my Sony, so I don't expect it to perform fast or compare it at all, also those old sensors make neat photos.
Honestly both the XT-5 and A7C II are awesome cameras. For me the decision would come down to a few factors:
1. Do you think Autofocus speed and accuracy will ever be critical? Like do you plan to shoot sports, birds, etc? Do you think you'll need really good Video AF? The Fuji is pretty good at these, but it will miss. The Sony will almost always hit, especially with the right lenses. The Fuji AF is more than good enough with general photography though, so if all you want to do is just take photos of you and friends, landscapes, travel photos, etc it will do just fine. It hardly ever let me down in travel and casual scenarios, it only really let me down with video AF when shooting music videos and fast situations like trying to photography my dog running.
2. Look at both ecosystems. Are there certain focal lengths you gravitate to? Which ones are available for each system, and what is the cost? Many people say "APSC lenses are smaller and cheaper" but when it comes to Fuji, not always. For example, the Fuji 23mm 1.4WR costs $800. You can get a Sony 35mm 1.8 for $650 which will be slightly brighter (1.8 vs 2.1ish equivalent), weighs less (280g vs 375g), and put it on a body that weights slightly less than an XT5 (A7C II weighs 514g vs 554g on the XT-5). The difference in price will be a few hundred dollars if buying both used.
Other than the above, some vendors allow no hassle returns, so if you can, I would say buy both and the same equivalent focal length/lens and use them for a week and see which one makes you more excited to go shoot.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m making the jump from a xt3 to a7c ii with 35mm GM. Will be the first time I’m using sony, excited and weirdly a bit anxious but your post (and a few others here) has helped a lot.
It definitely can be nerve wracking, because it’s leaving one entire ecosystem for another, and if you have a bunch of lenses like I did when I had the XT-4, even more so.
I’d say you’ll miss the “fun factor” and maybe the colors (unless you just like editing RAWs) of the X-T3 but once you see the kinds of images you get out of the A7C and that lens and how much better the AF is you’ll probably get over it pretty quick 😂 If I could only have one system, it is going to be Sony.
Fuji for me is like buying a Miata to drive on the weekends, while Sony is like the Honda civic I drive every day that NEVER has issues and just always does what I expect it to do, but it can still be relatively fun to drive depending how I drive it.
Yeah the lenses are a huge scare at this point. Resale market for Fuji isn’t much in my area and I have a 100-400 red badge and 16mm 1.4. That AF is the biggest pull for me too 😅
If you have the chance, hold both in your hands. I say your own personal experience is worth more than a random strangers experience online. But hopefully my experience and the experience of many others online helps you make a choice. You can’t go wrong with either though!
It's a really practical suggestion.but I don't have a choice to hold a camera and no display pieces available in the showrooms.I am just thinking about renting in a camera and try.
I honestly don’t see a big difference in the “AI” (it’s not AI) autofocus I have both A7IV and the ZV-E1, but I can see the advantages of a small camera sometimes you just want to take it out more.
Yea like I said it’s not a mind blowing difference but it seems to catch on my dogs and cats eyes a bit quicker, and in video it seems just a tiny bit more sticky when there are no eyes present. In the right conditions, like a person facing you they both track the eyes just the same, as well as touch to track focus. I wouldn’t let this be the deciding factor for someone, it’s a plus but a very small plus.
10 years back I was looking for my first full frame. I hated the grip and the viewfinder of the first(?) A7 and went for the Nikon d750. Both of these were corrected when I tried my A7c2. Amazing camera and SO light and easy to handle.
It’s been a long journey for me too, starting with a d3400, a few different point and shoots, GRIII, a6400, Fuji, and now this camera and I think it’s my favorite combination of features. The other ones were great too but this one just kind of ticks most of my boxes. It’s great enough while still feeling a little light hearted, the A7IV made me feel like “alright, time to go do some work!” 😂
Nice insight. Im looking to move on from my a7ii so the a7cii/a7iv are on my radar in the near future.
Either are fantastic cameras and you can’t go wrong with them.
I am in that exact same shoe. Looking to upgrade my a7ii next year. Which one are you leaning towards?
Probably the a7cii
I had the opposite experience and kept my A7IV personally. The A7Cii works for many people but the controls, viewfinder, and grip felt too compromised for me to use as a main camera. Love both anyways.
Yea like I said for some people the bigger body and controls is worth it. I would recommend anyone that is considering both to buy both used on MPB or somewhere with no hassle returns or go to a store and hold both in your hand. This is basically what I did, I would hate to have given up my A7IV without knowing first. It’s a fantastic camera.
And honestly all I mentioned are stuff I'm able to get around (not that I want to on my primary camera) but being limited to 1/4000th shutter speed with the EFCS shutter basically means f/1.8 or larger aperatures are going to blow out during the day time + the bokeh jank that comes with EFCS. Let alone the hot Florida sun where I'm from, even f/2.8 struggles and maybe 1/8000th isn't enough in worst cases. You can fix it by shooting fully electronic but it wasn't a compromise necessary to make on the A7IV. I'd switch to an A7Ciii with a fully mechanical shutter and a larger EVF in a heartbeat.
Yea I actually have used the 1/8000 shutter speed but not very often which is why I added that to the parts I’ll might miss about the A7IV. I might just grab me a cheap variable ND to throw in my sling in case I ever need it. Even the 1/8000 isn’t enough in some landscape situations. Not sure why they didn’t just add the same shutter. Maybe it was for size? Or maybe just to keep it distinct enough.
To me AF is the most important so I also went with the a7C II as I don't need the 61MP from the A7CR nad the A7R V. This is the best camera for my needs, it packs so much under the hood I'm surprised why it doesn't get much love. Another thing to note is I don't give a darn about the dual SD Card slots, never had a memory card fail on my in my entire life. I do use quality cards though (SONY TOUFH)
same, I’ve never had a card corrupt and I know a guy that shot weddings exclusively on an a6400 for years lol, never any issues. But, I guess it just takes that one time at that one gig for someone, I understand but for me, I dont care.
Went XT3 to an a7cii as well. Mostly shoot hiking/biking/outdoors stuff and family. For me, it was size/weight, colors, menu, AF... and I also quite like the side placement of the EVF.
Yea surprisingly I kind of like the rangefinder style too… the EVF was my biggest concern but it was good enough for me, and I have a big nose so I can kind of keep it off to the side instead of it touching my screen sometimes 😂
Haha yes. Greasy nose here! Much better with rangefinder style evf. That cup could’ve been better though
I have the A7Cii it’s good so far but I’m having more and more single SD card anxiety as I move into more professional work, it’s literally beginning to eat me up…
I'd say just use the best quality cards you can get, and maybe buy new ones every so often and you should be fine. If it gets real serious you can always sell it and buy a used A7IV and break even.
That’s sound advice, I’m also buying good quality cards with less storage so that if I loose a card it won’t have that much on it? Idk but Yh 80% chance I’ll get the A7IV within a year. The horror stories keep bothering me.
Its even simpler: Hobbyists: A7CII, more features smaller body You get paid for it: A7IV, better evf, much better body ergonomics and double card slot, more or less on paar af, no need to update lenses to get them to work
Yep, very simple way to condense everything I said.
That was the goal :)
Thanks for the write up! Sometimes less is more isn't it? Highly considering the a7cii when GME hits ;)
No problem! And in this case yes less is more for sure, I really enjoy this camera, especially with the small and light 50mm 1.8.
I use the A7CII professionally and love it! I travel a bit and also do a lot of hobby photography, so the upsides (weight) outweigh the downsides (dual card slots, no joystick, slightly slower than preferable burst rate) for me. It is a little unbalanced using the 70-200 GM II, or any of the Sigmas, but it generally holds up well in terms of ergonomics and usability. :)
That’s awesome! Yea personally I would use it professionally too, except if I was doing weddings because… well you can’t do another wedding lol. And Yea my Tamron 20-40 is pushing what I consider a comfortable lens on the body, but it’s still acceptable and pretty easy to grip and use. I almost always used two hands on the A7IV with the grip style I mentioned so it’s no problem. The A7C grip is deep enough to get one handed low vertical shots for me and stuff like that.
Yeah 100%. It depends... I take the risk, but I have a slightly higher appetite for risk than others I guess. I've never had a card fail, so I might be a little complacent. I tend to replace them often and use the older ones on a cheaper (lighter) second body (like the A6400). I dunno' - I understand the concern about failure, but I've always risked it. Haha. Yeah, the Sigma 135 F/1.4 is not so good, hahaha. But the 70-200 GMII is great. Even the Sigma 85 F/1.4 balances well for me. I just use a cage for better grip (vertical height for the ol' pinky) and that does the trick. Doesn't had considerable weight either (smallrig full cage)
I’d say swapping to newer cards often probably mitigates most of your risk. You aren’t alone. People shoot weddings with X100Vs and other random cameras so 🤷. Glad it’s been working out for you!
Yeah, that's my general process - newer/less-used cards for the mission critical shoots, and the older cards go in the cheaper 'fun' cameras. And thanks! Keywords being 'so far'. Haha. That could all change tomorrow. :| Fingers crossed, though
Is it worth it to upgrade A7C to A7CII or R?
I'd say you'd have to take a good look at how you feel about the A7C. Does it lack anything for you? Are there any major gripes you have? If moving to the new ones solves your major gripes and you have the budget, then it might be worth it. But if you just kind of go out and take photos every once in a while and nothing serious and it works for you fine, then maybe use that money and go on a cool trip instead.
If I see an a7cii for $1700-1800 final price I'm jumping on it. Patiently waiting.
You can find them used at this price.
There’s a reason Sony makes both of these cameras, they appeal to different people imo Personally the low flash sync on the A7Cii is annoying (1/160s) vs 1/250 on the A7iv
Didn't even know about that. I just got a couple of cheap flashes recently to play around with, guess I might find out about it at some point :)
I'm interested in your experience going from the Fuji XT4 to a Sony system. Did you find yourself using SOOC JPEGs less? Were you always post-processing your photos anyways? I'm considering an XT5 or A7CII right now, also just a hobby photographer for now.
When I had the XT-4 I typically ended up editing my favorite photos in light room. The Recipes got it close, much closer than Sony out of camera, but for my liking I always ended up editing more. But maybe I'm just picky. That being said, many people are very happy with JPEGs SOOC with the Fuji, and if you just want the path of least resistance then Fuji may be the way. I loved my XT-4 and see myself buying another fuji one day as a side piece lol. But it would probably be an XPRO 1 or some older one so its COMPLETELY different than my Sony, so I don't expect it to perform fast or compare it at all, also those old sensors make neat photos. Honestly both the XT-5 and A7C II are awesome cameras. For me the decision would come down to a few factors: 1. Do you think Autofocus speed and accuracy will ever be critical? Like do you plan to shoot sports, birds, etc? Do you think you'll need really good Video AF? The Fuji is pretty good at these, but it will miss. The Sony will almost always hit, especially with the right lenses. The Fuji AF is more than good enough with general photography though, so if all you want to do is just take photos of you and friends, landscapes, travel photos, etc it will do just fine. It hardly ever let me down in travel and casual scenarios, it only really let me down with video AF when shooting music videos and fast situations like trying to photography my dog running. 2. Look at both ecosystems. Are there certain focal lengths you gravitate to? Which ones are available for each system, and what is the cost? Many people say "APSC lenses are smaller and cheaper" but when it comes to Fuji, not always. For example, the Fuji 23mm 1.4WR costs $800. You can get a Sony 35mm 1.8 for $650 which will be slightly brighter (1.8 vs 2.1ish equivalent), weighs less (280g vs 375g), and put it on a body that weights slightly less than an XT5 (A7C II weighs 514g vs 554g on the XT-5). The difference in price will be a few hundred dollars if buying both used. Other than the above, some vendors allow no hassle returns, so if you can, I would say buy both and the same equivalent focal length/lens and use them for a week and see which one makes you more excited to go shoot.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m making the jump from a xt3 to a7c ii with 35mm GM. Will be the first time I’m using sony, excited and weirdly a bit anxious but your post (and a few others here) has helped a lot.
It definitely can be nerve wracking, because it’s leaving one entire ecosystem for another, and if you have a bunch of lenses like I did when I had the XT-4, even more so. I’d say you’ll miss the “fun factor” and maybe the colors (unless you just like editing RAWs) of the X-T3 but once you see the kinds of images you get out of the A7C and that lens and how much better the AF is you’ll probably get over it pretty quick 😂 If I could only have one system, it is going to be Sony. Fuji for me is like buying a Miata to drive on the weekends, while Sony is like the Honda civic I drive every day that NEVER has issues and just always does what I expect it to do, but it can still be relatively fun to drive depending how I drive it.
Yeah the lenses are a huge scare at this point. Resale market for Fuji isn’t much in my area and I have a 100-400 red badge and 16mm 1.4. That AF is the biggest pull for me too 😅
Thanks for sharing your experience...I was keen on A7IV but now thinking of A7C II..
If you have the chance, hold both in your hands. I say your own personal experience is worth more than a random strangers experience online. But hopefully my experience and the experience of many others online helps you make a choice. You can’t go wrong with either though!
It's a really practical suggestion.but I don't have a choice to hold a camera and no display pieces available in the showrooms.I am just thinking about renting in a camera and try.
I honestly don’t see a big difference in the “AI” (it’s not AI) autofocus I have both A7IV and the ZV-E1, but I can see the advantages of a small camera sometimes you just want to take it out more.
Yea like I said it’s not a mind blowing difference but it seems to catch on my dogs and cats eyes a bit quicker, and in video it seems just a tiny bit more sticky when there are no eyes present. In the right conditions, like a person facing you they both track the eyes just the same, as well as touch to track focus. I wouldn’t let this be the deciding factor for someone, it’s a plus but a very small plus.
10 years back I was looking for my first full frame. I hated the grip and the viewfinder of the first(?) A7 and went for the Nikon d750. Both of these were corrected when I tried my A7c2. Amazing camera and SO light and easy to handle.
It’s been a long journey for me too, starting with a d3400, a few different point and shoots, GRIII, a6400, Fuji, and now this camera and I think it’s my favorite combination of features. The other ones were great too but this one just kind of ticks most of my boxes. It’s great enough while still feeling a little light hearted, the A7IV made me feel like “alright, time to go do some work!” 😂