Sony a7R III Review

[sc name="affiliate disclosure"]The Sony a7R III was released late towards the end of 2017 and replaces the popular Sony a7R II. Sony's product line of A7 cameras are among the only full frame mirrorless cameras on the market. So compared to DSLRs, mirrorless cameras are less heavy and easier to carry around. Along with the Nikon D850, the Sony a7R III was among the top-ranked cameras for 2017. Because of the Sony a7R III's popularity and because it seems like a camera I would purchase in the future, I choose to review it. Hence, below is my Sony a7R III Review.

Sample Photos

[gallery ids="1941,1937,1942,1939,1940,1938"]

Price:

At the time of this writing the Sony a7R III is priced at $3198.00 for just the body. Furthermore, along with purchasing the camera body, other costs are mainly associated with lenses. Compared to Canon and Nikon, Sony's lenses tend to fall on the expensive side for most cameras.

What You Get

• 10.0 fps continuous shooting
• 3″ Tilting Screen
• 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
• 4K - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
• 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
• 5-axis Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
• Built-in Wireless
• ISO 100 - 32000
• Weather Sealed Body

Battery Life

Another major improvement I enjoyed in the Sony a7R III was the camera's battery life. For years Sony mirrorless cameras always had this drawback. As a result, the new improved battery for the Sony a7R III can last close to 750, therefore eliminating battery anxiety when shooting with the camera. Since battery life was previously a deterrent to the A7 line, I could see many professionals opting for this camera instead of bulky DSLRs.In addition to the improved battery life, other noteworthy improvements of the Sony a7R III are:

• Two Additional Card Slots
• Touch Screen LCD

[gallery columns="2" ids="1991,1969"]Also, I would like to note that the speed of the a7R III in continuous mode is blazingly fast. Since Sony has increased the frames per second to 10.0 fps, most of my photos came out very sharp. In contrast, during my review of the Nikon D850, I noticed one in every few shots using the D850 would be out of focus.

Disadvantages:

I found the LCD screen to be difficult to view on sunny days. As a result, I often defaulted to using the electronic viewfinder. I'm sure there are screen protectors for the LCD that will resolve this issue but using the electronic viewfinder is the perfect alternative. While there have been improvements to battery life, the Sony a7R III still lags behind most DSLRs in the price range.

Time-lapse

Another important feature missing from the camera is a time-lapse feature. Consequently, Sony opted not to include this feature into their newer cameras. While this feature was previously available in through apps store, Sony decided to remove their apps for their new line of cameras. Yet, there is a way to get time-lapse out of the Sony a7R III. This workaround involves using the S&Q mode by setting the fps to 1. So using this setting would produce a movie file of your time-lapse.

Summary: Sony A7R III Review

In conclusion, the Sony a7R III is an amazing camera. One thing that Sony does well is listening to their consumer base. In my Sony a7R III Review, the issues from previous A7r cameras: battery life, additional card slots, and ergonomics were all addressed in this camera. I recommend buying a 128GB memory card if you decide to purchase the Sony a7R III. Most of all You will be surprised at how fast space runs out when shooting with the Sony a7R III. The Sony a7R III is a worthy upgrade from the previous a7R II.[tg_divider style="normal"]

Review of the Panasonic GH4

[sc name="affiliate disclosure"]When I first started researching cameras, I found that mirrorless cameras were increasingly growing in popularity. One of these mirrorless cameras were Panasonic's GH line of cameras. The PANASONIC GH5 is the current model of this line but the PANASONIC GH4 in many ways put the GH line on the map. The PANASONIC GH4 was in February 2014 and replaced the previous Panasonic GH3. Below is my review of the Panasonic GH4.

Sample Photos

[gallery size="large" ids="1676,1673,1675,1674,1677,1680"]

Price & Length

At the time of this writing the PANASONIC GH4 retails for $997.99. As it is a mirrorless camera, the GH4 is built in a compact body, weighing 560g.

What You Get

In my opinion, the ergonomics are the strength of this camera. I like cameras that have buttons placed for each feature. There are some cameras that make you scroll through endless menus in order to find the feature you're looking for. I've noticed entry-level cameras seem guilty of this trend:

• 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
• ISO 200 - 25600
• 3″ Fully Articulated Screen
• 12 fps continuous shooting
• 4K - 4096 x 2160 video resolution
• Built-in Wireless
• In Body Flash
• Weather Sealed Body

4K Video is one of the features that attracts consumers to the GH4. There are also several video editing options available in camera to split and edit video.

What You Won’t Get

The GH4 has a Micro Four Thirds camera sensor. This means the sensor is smaller compared to larger camera sensors such as APS-C and Full Frame bodies. Because of this, you may experience poor low light performance and smaller dynamic range in your photos.

Summary of My Review of the Panasonic GH4

In conclusion, I enjoyed using the PANASONIC GH4. By 2018 standards, it is an older camera but it's still packed with amazing features. Panasonic has since released a replacement for the GH4, the GH5 in 2017. However, if you're looking for a budget camera in terms of video features, the GH4 makes the perfect budget option. I found it to be one of the best options in the micro four thirds class of cameras.

Grade: B+

Review of the Nikon D850

[sc name="affiliate disclosure"]After trying out several Canon and Sony cameras, I wanted to photograph with more Nikon cameras. Late in 2017, Nikon released the successor of the Nikon D810, the Nikon D850. Since it's release in 2017, the Nikon D850 has been getting rave reviews in the photography community. Below is my Review of the Nikon D850. In this review of the Nikon D850, I will be looking at the price, strengths, and disadvantages, of this camera.

Who This Product is For?

The Nikon D850 is a professional level camera most likely suited for individuals who want to upgrade from their mid-level cameras. It may be a little too advanced for the beginner photographer that's looking to get started in the field. The D850's features make the camera ideal for photojournalists to portrait, event, and wedding photographers.

Price

At the time of this writing the Nikon D850 currently retails for $3,296.95. Other full frame cameras that the D850 competes with are the Canon 5D Mark IV and the Sony a7R III.

Sample Photos

[gallery ids="1780,1782,1783,1784,1787,1790"]

What You Get

Below are some of the list of features in the Nikon D850:

• 2 Storage Slots
• 4K - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
• 46MP Full Frame Sensor
• 153 Focus Points
• 7.0 fps continuous shooting
• 8k/4K Timelapse
• Battery Life: 1840 shots
• Built-in Wireless
• Face Detection Focusing
• Illuminated Buttons
• NFC Connectivity
• SnapBridge App
• Tilting Screen
• Weather Sealed Body

StrenthsI did not cover this in my review of the Nikon D500, but one thing I love is the AF/M switch on newer Nikon bodies. The AF/M is used to switch between the Autofocus and Manual Focus mode. Normally this switch is found on the camera lenses. I have found that I sometimes forget to switch the lens back to the AF side after switching from Manual. Having it on the AF/M switch on the body ensures you just have one place to keep track of for this setting.Another strength of this camera is the long battery life. A single charge lasted nearly four days on the Nikon D850's battery. This was mostly using the Nikon D850 for photography purposes.

"I could see photojournalists and sports photographers often using the silent shutter feature for their assignments"

Silent PhotographySimilar to many mirrorless cameras, the Nikon D850 has a silent shutter feature. I took advantage of the silent shutter feature when I took photos in downtown Monterey. This feature is terrific and truly allows you to be a fly on the wall when taking photos in public. With this feature, I could see photojournalist and sports photographers often using the silent shutter feature for their assignments.

Disadvantages

Some of the disadvantages that I noticed when trying out the Nikon D850 were:

• Heavy Camera Body: 1015g
• No "PASM" Dial

I noticed that the Nikon D850 doesn't feel that heavy when taking photos. However, you do feel the weight of the camera when carrying it in your bag. Depending on the lens you choose to pair this camera with, long days carrying the camera will be strenuous.Similar to the Nikon D500, the Nikon D850 has replaced the traditional "PASM" Dial with a "Mode" dial.The problem with this "Mode" dial is that now you need to use two hands to switch between Priority, Aperture, Shutter, and Manual modes.There is no in body image stabilization in the Nikon D850, but that is pretty common for most Nikon and Canon bodies. This is something that Sony has an advantage over both Nikon and Canon.

Grade: A+

I enjoyed my time using the Nikon D850. I was extremely pleased with the photos that the D850 produced. The only issue that I had was autofocus seemed to miss some shots. This may be the case of just using a new camera. I think with all the features the Nikon D850 has it will be the top camera among Photojournalist and Sports photographers.

Summary: Review of the Nikon D850

In conclusion, I think the Nikon D850 is technologically the best modern DSLR on the market today. I think the Nikon D850 is the perfect example of where Camera manufacturers should take their DSLRs in the future. Combining both features from Mirrorless and DSLRs are the future for way camera tech should go. I highly recommend this camera. Among semi-pro full frame DSLR cameras, the Nikon D850 reigns supreme.[tg_divider style="normal"]

Review of the Nikon D500

[sc name="affiliate disclosure"]I normally shoot with a mix of Canon and Sony Cameras. While I enjoy shooting with these brands, I am always looking to expand my horizons. Because haven't taken photos using Nikon Cameras, I decided to test out one of their newest cameras. As a result, here is my review of the Nikon D500. Released in January of 2016, the Nikon D500 is the company's update to the previous D300.

Price

At the time of this writing the Nikon D500 costs $1,896.95. It's dimensions are 147 x 115 x 81mm and weighs 860g.

Sample Photos

Here are a few photos I took with the Nikon D500:[gallery ids="1275,1276"]

What You Get

With the Nikon D500 you get a high performance camera. Here are some of the features you get with the Nikon D500:

• 4K Video
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• Illuminated Buttons
• Long Battery Life: 1240 shots
• Number of Focus Points: 153
• Number of Cross Type Focus Points: 99
• NFC Connection
• Max ISO: 51.200
• Max Shutter Speed: 1/8000
• Two Card Slots
• WiFi

In addition to these features, the D500 is one of the newest Nikon cameras that work with their Snapbridge app. As an app, SnapBridge has many mixed reviews. When I tested SnapBridge I found that it worked well. One feature I enjoyed was being able to automatically download images to my phone as I take photos. I think this would be extremely useful for photojournalist or event photographers.

What You Won’t Get

There are a few features missing from the Nikon D500 that you get in similar cameras of the price range:

• A Built-in Flash
• A Full Frame Sensor
• GPS

The Nikon D500 is also heavier than it's competitors at the price range weighing at 860g.Most of all, the Nikon D500 is heavier than Nikon's Full Frame Camera the D750.One item I did not enjoy on the Nikon D500 was the mode dial:[gallery columns="1" size="medium" ids="1266"]This mode dial makes it very complicated to switch to Aperture, Priority, and Shutter modes. Using this dial, I needed to select the "MODE" button, than turn a dial to select Aperture, Priority, and Shutter modes.In addition, Nikon's "Quiet Shutter" mode is still notoriously noisy. If you are taking landscape photos this may not be an issue but with event photography be aware that this the shutter sound is noticeable.

Summary: My Review of the Nikon D500

In conclusion, I liked the Nikon D500. The main issue I had with the camera were the Mode dial and ergonomics. Although I got amazing photos out of the Nikon D500, I thought the ergonomics were a distraction. I did love how fast the shutter was on camera. If I needed a camera for action sports I would definitely pickup the Nikon D500. To conclude my review of the Nikon D500, if you're looking for a fast camera for action sports you will enjoy the D500. However, you may be satisfied with a cheaper alternative like the Nikon D7500 if your work doesn't require sports or action photography.[tg_divider style="normal"]