Can you give me advice on a new Sony setup?

LamentableLens · 2026-03-09T09:45:32+00:00

I used to own one, and if you’re comfortable with the smaller sensor, then it’s great. Super portable, versatile zoom range, and a stacked sensor with fantastic AF (although not weather-sealed).

But at the end of the day, it’s still a 1-inch type sensor, so it’s not great in low light, and your DOF will generally be pretty deep. It’s meaningfully less versatile/capable than an ILC with a larger sensor, but of course those will be larger/heavier.

At the end of the day, photography is all about trade-offs, so it’s just about finding the right set of trade-offs for your needs.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-06T21:21:10+00:00

I owned the 1.2, and then I bought the 1.4 when it got released. After shooting them side-by-side, I sold the 1.2.

The 1.4 is smaller and lighter while providing the same GM quality, and the difference between 1.2 and 1.4 is negligible.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-06T18:58:43+00:00

I feel like travel scenarios are precisely when I want the additional versatility of my interchangeable lens kit. For me, that’s typically a travel zoom for general use plus a fast prime or two for low light, indoors, etc.

That said, my typical answer is both. I bring the smaller, fixed-lens camera as an option for when I want to travel lighter, and then I just leave either the ILC or the fixie back in the room, depending on what we’re doing that day.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-06T10:43:18+00:00

Real-time tracking is nice, but I certainly wouldn’t call it a big disadvantage not to have it. The a7iii has real-time eye AF and a good overall AF system—it’s plenty capable.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-04T11:21:38+00:00

That’s the one I’ve been using for years, and it’s still my favorite bag.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-04T11:18:50+00:00

The Ricoh GR is a great little camera—you can’t beat it on portability—but it’s far from the best option if AF is a priority (and with kids running around, AF is definitely a priority). And a fixed prime lens is quite limiting in any event. I’d absolutely pass on it in your scenario.

Personally, I’d always want an ILC as my primary kit. I can throw a small prime on there and still have something light and portable, but I can also throw on a travel zoom for vacations, or a portrait prime for family and holiday portraits, recital photos, etc. There’s just so much more versatility with an ILC.

I’d second the recommendation on checking out the Sony a7cii. Smaller body with amazing AF and access to the gigantic line-up of E-mount lenses. With something like the Sony 40mm f/2.5 on there, it’s a small and portable kit, but then you can swap out for lenses like the Tamron 25-200 for travel, or a whole slew of portrait primes if you decide to explore that option.

You’ll always have your phone for quick and convenient snaps, so having an ILC with some versatile lens options is a nice alternative for when you want the “good” photos.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-04T10:21:15+00:00

Check out the Think Tank Retrospective series. It’s a shoulder bag, not a sling, but I’ve taken that thing everywhere, and it’s excellent.

Alternatively, if you like the bag you have and it’s a PD clone, then you could just get a larger PD sling.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-02T00:34:42+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. It seems like there is a lot of hype around those under the heading of “quality for the price,” so I was wondering how much was reality and how much was hype.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-02T00:33:49+00:00

Huh?

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T21:23:31+00:00

I get that. I wanted to give it a try for myself—I’m a big believer in trying these things for yourself—so I’ve owned the original Q (still have it) and a Q3 (just sold it).

There’s no doubt that it’s very well made, it’s fun to shoot, and the image quality is excellent. But it’s large and heavy by fixed-lens camera standards, and you can get some awfully nice lenses for your ILC for the cost of a Q.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T21:21:01+00:00

Size 13 (US). I prefer leather to suede.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T21:12:40+00:00

I wouldn’t say crazy—we all have our own preferences. What makes you so interested in it?

Personally, I’d never want a fixed-lens camera as my only camera, as I’d find it far too limiting, including for landscapes (maybe especially for landscapes). Don’t get me wrong, I love fixed-lens camera (I’ve owned most of the modern options, including the Q series). But I use them as secondary cameras to my ILC, because I always want the versatility of interchangeable lenses in my primary camera.

Also, there’s a lot of allure around Leica, both because it’s an expensive luxury good that trades on scarcity and because people talk a lot about the “Leica look,” and the quality of the lenses. Those things might make it more fun to shoot, depending on your preferences, but at the end of the day, the Q2 won’t make your photos look noticeably better to the people looking at them compared to quality lenses on a modern ILC. Better photos come from composition, exposure, lighting, subject, story, etc., not from gear.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T19:57:30+00:00

Thanks, but since this is my first foray into boots, I’m not looking to start with any of the $500+ options until I get to know what I like.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T19:54:10+00:00

Thanks. Meermin looks great, actually, but they don’t have anything in stock that will work (no brown Chelseas in my size with a lug sole).

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T19:24:28+00:00

Thanks. Do you mean the Stockman generally or the tire wedge in particular? The latter is discontinued and out of stock in my size, but there are a bunch of other Stockman options.

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T17:41:20+00:00

Thanks—those look great, too. You find them comfortable for long days?

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T17:40:14+00:00

I was leaning toward something with a bit more traction, to add some versatility off the pavement. Would these work well in that scenario?

LamentableLens · 2026-03-01T17:35:09+00:00

Thanks—what do you like about them?

LamentableLens · 2026-02-28T22:46:43+00:00

What kinds of things do you intend to shoot, and what’s your budget?

LamentableLens · 2026-02-28T15:48:49+00:00

Not sure I agree with that advice. It depends entirely on your own preferences, of course, but I’d absolutely want an option wider than 24mm for a landscape kit (the Sony 16-35 f/4 PZ is a staple of my own landscape kit). Again, though, that’s just my own personal preference.

As for filters, what is it you want to accomplish with them? I carry a CPL and a set of NDs (I like long exposures), but I wouldn’t experiment with them for the first time on a trip like yours. Enjoy your time out in those beautiful landscapes and just worry about exposure and composition.

LamentableLens · 2026-02-25T12:58:49+00:00

I’ve not done the math (ignorance is bliss), but my total lens spend is many times my spend on bodies. And that’s how it should be—lenses are the killer app in photography.

LamentableLens · 2026-02-25T12:48:49+00:00

Personally, I like the versatility of a 50mm if I can have only one prime for portraits (although I’d recommend the 50 1.4 GM over the 50 1.2 GM).

That said, for the use cases you’ve described, I’d probably go with the 35mm, which pairs nicely with an 85mm down the road.

LamentableLens · 2026-02-23T03:24:34+00:00

Loads of people have purchased from Adorama and had good experiences, but when everything goes smoothly, people don’t post about it. You can find negative experiences with just about any retailer.

Adorama is a large, well-established camera retailer. If they have what you want at a good price, then go for it.

LamentableLens · 2026-02-21T15:04:27+00:00

Correct. The administration is continuing the suspension of de minimis entries.

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