So…I tried a Sony camera.
I love my Fujifilm XT-5 very much. Let me say that first.
However, it does have its shortcomings, namely the autofocus. If you do a Google or YouTube search, you’ll see plenty of videos of photographers lamenting about Fuji’s autofocus issues. It’s inconsistent at times, especially in continuous autofocus mode. I’ve taken plenty of shots that look amazing at first glance, but when you look at it properly, you notice that the subject isn’t in focus at all. That leaf is though.
But I didn’t want to photograph the leaf. 🙂
Over the past six or seven months, I’ve been going to events and photographing people and performers for fun. I’ve definitely been getting better, and I’m considering doing event photography on a part-time basis if I can find someone looking for help. With that in mind, I’ve been evaluating whether I want to keep using Fuji for events or try another system.
Now, I’ve always heard the old age “Sony is for work, Fuji is for fun” argument. Everyone says if you want the best autofocus, use Sony. I decided that I wanted to put that idea to the test and try out a Sony camera for myself. So I rented the Sony a7R IIIA and the Sigma 85mm f1.4 for the weekend.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have as much time with it as I would like. I imagine some of the issues I encountered were because I didn’t have enough time to truly learn the system.
Navigating menus
The menu design left me a bit confused. I only had the camera for three days, so perhaps with time I would learn it as well as I do Fuji’s. However, I felt that I was able to navigate the menus a bit quicker on my XT-30 II on day zero.
I think the main issue for me is that it feels very crowded. There’s so much you can do that I felt overwhelmed. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily. But it took me a while to get to the menu option to change the focus mode.
I did do some Googling and it looks like you can use the custom buttons to avoid digging through menus. So maybe I could’ve used the C1 button to quickly change my focus mode, for example.
Manipulating exposure
This is the one area, I feel, where Fuji’s XT-5 excels. It is a lot easier for me to quickly manipulate the shutter speed or ISO on my camera. Someone comes running by? I can up the shutter speed in a few seconds by rotating the dial on the top of the camera.
With the a7R IIIA, I had to use the rear dial to manipulate the shutter speed. Sometimes I missed it. I also had to dive into the menus to set the ISO (although I mainly use auto ISO anyway).
I also noticed that a7R IIIA does have a exposure indicator on the LCD screen, which is great. The XT-5 has one, too. However, on my XT-5, there’s an arrow that moves up or down the exposure indicator depending on how under/over-exposed the image is. So if I point my camera at a lamp that’s turned on, for example, the arrow will move up to indicate that the photo is over-exposed.
On the a7R IIIA, I didn’t experience that. Maybe there’s something I’m missing!
Processing speeds for photos
My XT-5 has a slow processing speed. After I take a photo, I’m waiting at least three seconds before the camera is ready to take another picture. I struggled to capture images quickly during content day last week. Hopefully there’s a way to fix this that I don’t know about.
The a7R IIIA does not have this issue. Immediately after I take a photo, the camera is ready to take another one. This is extremely useful for any event, sport, wildlife, or wedding photographer. I genuinely enjoyed seeing how quickly I could fire off a few photos with this camera.
Ergonomics
The built-in grip on the Sony a7R IIIA is much, much better than the Fuji XT-5’s. It feels very comfortable in my hands. I was worried it might be a little too big for me, but it actually feels great. I imagine that the grip on Fuji’s X-H2S would feel about the same as the a7R IIIA.
The a7R IIIA is heavier than the XT-5, though. I appreciate how lightweight the XT-5 body is.
Autofocus
Sony’s autofocus is a bit better than Fuij’s. It is snappier and a bit more reliable. I could move focus from object to object and focus would shift very quickly.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the Eye AF to work. I think it might’ve been because of the focus mode I was using. Again, I think this is an area that, with time, I would learn quickly.
Image quality
The Sony a7R IIIA has a 42.4 MP, full-frame image sensor. The images it produced were stunning and extremely detailed. I zoomed in to one picture I took at a poetry event and I was surprised at how much detail the camera captured. I also attribute this to using a great lens.
Fuji’s XT-5 has a 40.2 MP X-Trans 5 HR CMOS sensor. The images it produces for me are also stunning and very detailed. There is a difference in the image quality between the two, but I think they’re both great.
Overall thoughts
Overall, these are both fantastic cameras. Every camera is going to have its strong and weak points. The a7R IIIA definitely feels like a camera I’d bring with me to photograph events while the XT-5 feels like a camera I’d bring with me to photograph events and the everyday.
I would honestly like to use both systems.
Could I get the Sony? Absolutely!
If I am willing to sell a kidney. The a7R IIIA retails for $2.2k and the Sigma 85mm retails for $1.1k. So this setup alone is over $3k. I’m sure it’s worth it, but I’ll stick with the XT-5 until I can find a used one.
Below are some images I took with the camera from my local Greek festival and a walk along North Coast Harbor.
