Question 1

Is this the best lens to use with the a7R for low light situations? http://amzn.to/2lExqnH

Accepted Answer

You didn't mention what sort of photography you wanted to use it for, so, in general terms a 50mm is a good starting point for general photography. IF you are planning on doing a lot of general low light shooting then save up your money and get a faster 50mm f1.4 lens which let's in approximately twice as much light. There are even faster lenses but are much more money or not as good optically.

If you buy a 50mm lens, and want to stick with prime lenses, meaning no zoom lenses, then for future lens choices consider looking at lenses with focal length that are half or double your 50mm. In other words something like a 24mm wide angle and 100mm Telephoto lens. The 24mm would be good for taking photos of landscapes, architecture, or groups of people. The 100mm, or 105mm, would be good for portraits.

Again, this is speaking in general terms and what was considered the rule of thumb prior to the 70's and the introduction of affordable zooms with good optics.

Nowadays zoom lenses seem to be the norm with people starting out with a camera that came with a inexpensive "kit" lens or two. Some if those can be a good deal for beginners but they sacrifice light gathering ability for versatility of zoom. Even the professional zoom lens costing a thousand dollar, often much more, are limited to a maximum aperture of f2.8, fast for a zoom, but slower than a prime, or fixed focal length lens.

Your first step should be to stop and consider exactly what you want to photograph, now and in the future, next your budget, then look at what is available.

If you're undecided which lens to go with consider renting a lens first.  In fact if you're only going to need a particular lens once or twice, say for a vacation, then renting is an option to consider.

Question 2

When will Sony offer an uncompressed RAW format, so as to adress the image quality problems resulting from its current compression algorithm?

Accepted Answer

EDIT: It's just been announced Sony will be offering 14bit on new cameras and updating a7rii. Original post:I wouldn't worry about it. I've never had a problem with Sony's lossy RAW and I'm a professional photographer. If you're shooting RAW then you're most likely using Lightroom which supposedly compensates for Sony's 11+7 compression algorithm anyway.

Question 3

Does it have overheating issue?

Accepted Answer

The problem plagues mirrorless Sony cameras in particular. It is rare on Canon DSLR cameras but when it happens the camera turns off without any warning message. (T3i is a great model if you have a good enough lens, and is extremely fast at writing to even low-class memory cards, which is insane how the DIGIC processor seems really robust.) Overheating issues are not on Panasonic cameras such as GH4. You probably want that camera for 4K if Sony gives you this problem, and I think that if videography is more important over photography on a budget, you probably want the Sony RX10 II. It is a lot better than the RX100 IV (its JPEG images are not very good even at low ISO--the lens is smaller than the RX10 II, which does play a role on a larger sensor camera). Maybe if you do not want a small camera and better battery life on a budget with greater zoom, Panasonic FZ1000 is probably the best choice. It takes really good ISO 6400 shots and very clean 4K video (remember that it is really UHD) in good to dim lighting. I cannot seem to achieve good ISO 6400 shots on any Sony model I own and samples on professional websites. Panasonic may be cheaper and is just as good, if not better. Just do not expect weather resistant protection and headphone jack on those models. Hope this helps.

Question 4

Why usb 2.0 and not usb 3.0, which is the fram rate and how long the battery with video?

Accepted Answer

The reason Sony went with usb 2.0 and not 3.0 is because only with 2.0 would the camera be able to both be charged via external battery/wall charger and used to photograph at the same time. That was one of my major gripes with the A6000 as i was not able to do long time-lapse movies because of the small battery. My A7r2 solved that problem!

ASIN	B00ZDWGFR2
Age Range Description	Adult
Aperture modes	F2.8-F16
Aspect Ratio	3:2
Auto Focus Technology	Eye Detection
Autofocus Points	399
Best Sellers Rank	#285,906 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #822 in Mirrorless Cameras
Bit Depth	14 Bit
Brand	Sony
Built-In Media	ac adaptor, accessory shoe cap, battery charger, body cap, cable protector, eyepiece cup, micro usb cable, rechargeable battery, shoulder strap
Camera Flash	Hotshoe
Camera Lens	No Lens
Color	Black
Compatible Devices	Smartphones, Computers
Compatible Mountings	Sony Mirrorless
Connectivity Technology	HDMI, NFC, USB
Continuous Shooting	5
Customer Reviews	4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (526)
Digital Zoom	4
Display Fixture Type	Tilting
Display Resolution Maximum	1,228,800 dots
Display Type	LCD
Dots Per Screen	1228800
Effective Still Resolution	42.4 mp
Expanded ISO Minimum	102400
Exposure Control	Aperture Priority, Auto, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority
File Format	JPEG, Raw
Flash Memory Speed Class	30, 60, or 90
Flash Memory Type	SDXC
Flash Modes	Auto, Fill Flash, Hi-Speed Sync, Off, Rear Sync, Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Sync, Wireless
Flash Sync Speed	1/250 Second
Focal Length Description	16-50mm (35mm equivalent)
Focus Features	Hybrid
Focus Mode	Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus (MF), Single-Servo AF (AF-S)
Focus Type	Auto Focus
Form Factor	SLR-style-mirrorless
Global Trade Identification Number	00027242893832
HDMI Type	Type D Micro HDMI
Hardware Interface	USB
Image Capture Type	Video
Image stabilization	Sensor-shift
Item Weight	625 g
JPEG Quality Level	Fine
Lens Type	body-only
Manufacturer	Sony
Manufacturer Part Number	ILCE7RM2/B
Maximum Aperture	2.8 f_stop
Maximum Focal Length	50 millimeters
Maximum Image Size	8 mp
Maximum Shutter Speed	30 seconds
Memory Slots Available	1
Metering Methods	Center-Weighted Average, Multi-Zone, Spot
Minimum Focal Length	10 millimeters
Minimum Shutter Speed	30 seconds
Model Name	sony A7R II
Model Number	ILCE7RM2/B
Number of Items	1
Optical Zoom	40 x
Photo Sensor Resolution	42.4 mp
Photo Sensor Size	Full Frame (35mm)
Real Angle Of View	58.1 degrees
Screen Size	3 inches
Self Timer	10
Sensor Type	CMOS
Shooting Modes	AUTO (Auto), Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M), Movie (Programmed AE (P) / Aperture priority (A) / Shutter-speed priority (S) / Manual (M))
Skill Level	Professional
Special Feature	Face Detection
Specific Uses For Product	Photography, Videography
Supported Image Format	JPEG
Total Still Resolution	42.4 mp
Total USB 2.0 Ports	1
Total USB Ports	1
Total Video Out Ports	1
UPC	027242893832
Video Output	HDMI
Video Resolution	4K UHD 2160p
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder Magnification	0.78x
Warranty Description	1 year coverage for labor, 1 year coverage for parts
White Balance Settings	Auto
Wireless Technology	Wi-Fi
Write Speed	up to 300 MB/s
Zoom	AF mode

Sony a7R II Full-Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera, Body Only (Black) (ILCE7RM2/B), Base

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