Advice on Switching to the Sony Alpha Mirrorless Camera System

Are you planning on making the switch to the Sony Alpha system? If so make sure to check out this video, I give you some recommendations and advice on how to make the switch and on the gear you are looking to buy.

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Here are the links to the gear I discuss in the video:

Cameras

Recommended lenses

Accesories


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Visit my links:

[Wightzebra]

Sold all my canon equipment last year (1DX mark II 300mm f/2.8 400mmm DO II etc) Went to Sony A9 and an A9II Love it. Lost a lot of value but nothing like it would have been this year. The stubborn ones will lose the most.

[christopherthompson]

Juan, this is a really deep dive into the topic. Much appreciated. I am currently using Fuji - 16-55, 50-140, and 10-400. I do mainly landscape with some portrait, street and astro. I think the higher pixel count on the A7R xxxx will enable me to carry less glass when I do landscapes: I am thinking of the 16-35/f2, 8 and the 100-400 GM. I am hesitating between the A7R III and the IV. My current feeling is that the A7R III would be better as popular wisdom says it is better for low light and astro.What are your thoughts? Again, sorry we won't be meeting up in Yosemite in January. Best.

[gordonnorman]

Juan: Very thorough and thoughtful discussion of Sony transitioning options. I use nearly the same Sony mirrorless kit as you for wildlife photography, transitioning from Sony A frame and Konica-Minolta prior to that. The one accessory I was surprised you don't appear to use is the vertical grip for A9/A7R3 which I find invaluable in the field - when shooting long days, I often need a second battery later in the day so this makes one less interruption in my workflow.

[radishfever]

Juan,
I was a religious listener of your podcast with Rick Sammon. It was great seeing this video pop up on my subscription page. Have enjoyed your thoughts very much over the years. Thank You. Also I work with the Canon 70D and like it very much. When it dies I will upgrade. Have the 70-200 /2.8 but often use a 50mm and the little pancake 24mm👍

[StuartSchaefer]

Hi Juan, Good video. Didn’t even know you were doing this type of videos until I happened run across it. I started making the move to Sony in 2012 in fact it was during one of your waterfall workshops. At that time I still used the Canon 7D and Mark 3 with Canon Glass. But I had just purchased the NEX 7 after seeing what Trey Ratliff was getting shooting with that camera. As soon as the first A7 was announced I started to make my full move to the mirrorless system. Of course I had a lot of Canon gear to trade and at that time got a good a price. Now moving ahead a number of years I now have the A7RIII and A9 along with many of the Sony lenses including the new 200-60mm. Which is an outstanding zoom lens especially at under $2000. Should have new A7RIV tomorrow as I preordered it the day it was announced from a local photo dealer in my area. Will trade in the A7RIII. I will add I have never regretted making this move. Cheers!

[jamesgingrich]

Your video helped me so much, thank you for all your work. Got the camera on September 13 and left for Alaska on September 14. I am mostly set because of your video, thanks again.

[richardpcrowe]

I love my Sony system... It was a steep uphill curve in learning Sony. I had been shooting with Canon DSLR cameras for over twelve years. However, as soon as I began shooting Sony, I liquidated my Canon gear. I ended up with four Sony NEX cameras: A7iii, A6400, and A6600. I also converted a old Sony NEX-7 to full-time infrared...

[JessDemant]

Agree with most what you say, but you can make a camera from the A7 series very small with the right prime lenses, such as Sony 28mm.f.2.8 and 35mm.f.2.8 and 50mm.f.1.8 plus with these lenses from Samyang 18mm.f.2.8 and 24mm.f.2.8 and 35mm.f.2.8 and 45mm.f.1.8 it will not be smaller and easier to carry around a good kit! Cheers Jess

[kennethsanta]

HI I'm between the sony a 7 III or the canon eos r for my music videos and for shooting artists etc I'm a beginner on this I would like to have the best setup I can have for $ 3000. I saw colors from the canon but I also saw some reviews that you can achieve those colors with the sonya 7III +create your own color science. I would like to be helped more interested in shooting artist life, portraits and for music videos production etc... Also the camera that you advise me to get and the lense for starting my content. Thanks

[vargavideo]

EXACTLY the info I was seeking regarding the Sony lineup. Thank you!

[ahmedarif]

Thank you for that. how did you come up with the A7r3 having a better AF system then the A73. not only the A73 has more AF points many reviewers find it a bit better if anything. really you need 1 year to learn. 2 weeks is more then enough as I switched from Nikon you just need to look search youtube and look for tips that can help you set-up your menu and custom setting. the thing that confuses me is you love MPs but you like the slow zoom lenses? and the image quality of the A9 is not as bad as you make it sound but I do prefer the A7 colors. noise and DR is not that different.
personally I would I would recommend selling all gear and moving to mirror-less you don't know if the prices of the old lenses made for DSLRs will hold-up

[coreydevillier]

Can you tell me what are those soothing color changing triangles in the background please?

[marilynzanca]

Hi, have you tried to use this camera for Landscape using pixel shift multi. I watched a video with someone saying that you can take 16 photos combine them together and can become a 240megpixls shot. and you cant see the photo until you get it on the sony software and fix manually. apparently the pixel shift thing is only useful for something that's not moving? my sony ar7 4 is on its way regardless of pixel multi shift. I think the sharpness on this camera is fantastic coming from a canon camera.

[bioliv]

I learned everything I need from Mike Smith and Mark Galer, and I used one year to set up my a7III. Now I find Canon menus hopeless!

[dimitristsagdis]

Could you do a video on why you switched from Canon to Sony? And as you shot several Canon lenses on SONY a bit more in depth on your experiences with them.

[JessDemant]

Will now enjoy this video for an hour!

[marilynzanca]

Hi Can you tell me what specs you need in a laptop to run Sony Ar74?

[fingolfin]

Thank you for such informative video! I am going to make the final switch from Canon to Sony so this video was like sent from heaven! I am just struggling whether to get the new 200-600 to replace my canon 500 f/4 is L or rather keep it with Mc-11 adapter. I do bird photography 90%. I am scared I might miss the prime lens over the zoom. Still the reviews of the Sony 200-600 are so enthusiastic that really makes me wonder what’s the best decision to take. Thanks!

[Matti]

Thanks for your video's. I stopped buying lenses for last 1, 5 years because, the mirrorless versions are sharper, and some (like 24mm gm) have no counterpart in DSLR. Also nothing new really came for dSlr, like 'liveview improved' nikon d860 for instance. So then the choice was Nikon Z7 vs A7RIII (and RIV). While very good camera, there was some stuff lacking, like expensive XQD, no double slots, not so good tracking. All these i can forgive for first camera. However, no good support for third party lenses became the real dealbreaker. Like the Sigma 45mm F2.8: lightweight, relative cheap very fun to use lens, and very sharp at infinity (my favorite range to shoot, as in landscape). But no support yet, and i don't think it will ever be as good as on sony (open mount system), like the function button will not carry over to nikon i'm sure off. Then i had demo of A7RIV. Was incredible impressed, especially with real time tracking, af point coverage. I gave nikon a chance to launch a new model, or firmware updates, but it was mostly silence (we still dont have CFexpress update!). They launch some nice F1.8 lenses, but they don't beat sony imo (just equal more or less). Then my favorite focal length, back ordered in america lens: 24mm gm. Someone sells it for 1150 euro, including almost full warranty, pristine condition. And this lens has been sold very few times here (used). Didnt have to think twice, bought it. Last month i already got a 24-70mm GM for 1500 euro (there has been very few at this price, but enough for me to trust it would come again, and when i saw one, i didn't think twice, i got it). This weekend i got a A7RIII used for 2k euro. (new 2, 6k). With all advice on your channel and others i managed to very quickly understand Sony, i already know most menu items :D The only thing that i must learn more is, what menu items, works when, and when it's not compatible. Like focus magnify doens't seem to work in AF-C, so i'm experimenting how i could work it better. But first impressions: for barely more then the new price of a A7RIV (4k euro), i got an insanely good deal. That was also the argument to do this: don't like it? Can sell for minimal or no loss at all. But i don't think that will be needed.

[chelostgo]

Gracias por este video. Ahora a decidir si la A-9 o la a A7MK4. Mayormente retrato aves, eventos de natacion y eventos de baile en baja luz.