I bought a new camera! The merit of full size sensor , the idea of megapixels. Alpha 7 lll or Alpha 7 Rlll? Dark hose Alpha 7 C has just showed up…

This website, “Towns with slopes and hills – walk along” is a photo blog media that delivers our familiar topics with text and photos.

Until now, all the photos were taken by my Sony Alpha 5100 (on market in 2014). It is a lightweight and compact camera equipped with APS-C sensor. It is a great help that easy-to-understand explanations are displayed on the LCD panel when I want to know “what is this function?” It is one of the best mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras for beginners.

However, my Alpha 5100 has recently become to take longer time for start-up from power-on. My camera is only this. If it is suddenly broken up, I have no way to take pictures.

So, I bought a new camera that will become a main one from now on.

What camera should I choose next? I am still a beginner but would like to step up. Some key points of choosing a camera considering the main purpose that is to post on the photo blog site. And a high-spec camera doesn’t promise the good picture, as the matter of fact!

35mm full-frame sensor, I had determined it for my next camera

I care about the photos shown on this site, I also need to consider assignments for the photo school, so I’d like to buy a camera with higher image quality than my current camera.

The 35mm full-frame sensor is about 2.6 times larger than the APS-C sensor. Yes, the larger the sensor, the better the image quality.

• A wider range can be captured
• Bokeh increases
• Smooth color gradation
• Less noise in the dark

However the bigger the sensor, the bigger and the heavier the camera will be. A full-frame sensor camera weighs about 1.56 times than an APS-C camera.

Not only camera, but lens also weighs heavier for full-frame sensor camera.

After I buy a new camera, I need to support the weight for camera and lens of more than 1kg with my hands and arms to release the shutter. Wow!

Is larger number of pixels higher quality in image?

Next, I need to consider the number of pixels.

My Alpha 5100 has about 24.3 megapixels. I thought that it would be better to have simply more pixels for image quality. Therefore I decided to buy Alpha 7Rlll which has 42.4 megapixels and I went to a Sony store to see the actual machine.

There, unexpectedly, what a store staff told me was…

Large number of pixels doesn’t mean high image quality.

A pixel is the smallest unit of a digital image. The full-frame sensor is 3.6cm x 2.4cm = 8.64 cm2 wide. Imagine, very tiny mosaic tiles of 24.3 millions or 42.4 millions would be lined-up neatly there. One tile is one pixel. “Number of pixels and resolutions” | Nippon Photo Heritage

Of course, if the number of tiles are large and fine, even human hair can be depicted in detail and the color gradation can be smoothly and beautifully reproduced. If you view the photo on a large screen such as 100-inch size or print it in a very big size, or crop a part of the image to make it larger, the ability of large number of pixels can be demonstrated in full.

On the contrary, there are also some disadvantages of large number pixels. More information are packed in the image, so the size of the image file becomes large. A RAW image file with 24.3 megapixels is around 25MB, however with 42.4 megapixels, the file size would be more than doubled. The SD card would soon reach to the maximum capacity. To handle lots of large sized images, PC would go slow unless it was a high-spec one.

Focusing becomes very severe with a large pixel sensor cameras. If the image is out of focus, the ability of 42.4 megapixels will be ended up with a backfire.

Moreover, if the number of tiles are large and the area of each tile becomes smaller, the ability to take in the light becomes weaker. This means that to shoot in the dark environment, the tile with larger area, which is less number pixels is more advantageous.

Most of audiences who visit photo blogs use PC or mobile phone

Conclusion. For photo blog website, it is not necessary to have 42.4 megapixels.

The store staff said, “buying a large-number-pixel-sensor camera is like buying a supercar. PC and lens are required to be high-spec, and you must provide high-end accessories continuously. ” “how about buying Alpha 7lll with 24.2 megapixels and you can buy a suitable lens with the money left over. The lens can directly increase expressivity in the photo. You can sign-up our cash back campaign until October 6, so it would be a great deal for you.”

I see.. Certainly, I would like to buy also a lens if I buy a full-frame-sensor camera. Then I can take pictures of beautiful bokeh. Great value is saved!

He handed over an Alpha 7lll to me and I grabbed it and felt the weight was OK for me to handle. When I was almost making a final decision, he asked, “do you care about the weight?”

Sure, yes. It is tough to handle a heavy camera. Then he showed me the website of Alpha last of all.

Here comes a dark hose Alpha 7C! Not yet decided

“Do you know this?”

I saw a news on the screen, that “a new concept camera will be announced soon”. “I don’t know about it at all, but it seems that a new camera will come out soon.” said him. “Is it something I can use?” “I don’t know. Maybe possible?”

After all, I got a lot of catalogues and went home on that day.

That new camera was Alpha 7C (planned to be on market on Oct. 23, 2020). Alpha 7C carries the full-frame image sensor with 24.2 megapixels which is exactly same as Alpha 7lll. But 7C is much smaller and lightweight. The world’s smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless camera system according to Sony.

Wow, the lightweight matters to me. Which one should I choose..?

Watch Ilko san’s youtube video if you like to know about the camera!

I go to a photo school from last year, but they don’t teach us so much about the camera. We just learn “photos that convey emotions”.

However, the photo is taken by the camera, we need to know about the camera as well. My camera teacher is Mr. Ilko Allexandroff, meaning that I learn from his numerous youtube videos.

Ilko san is a portrait photographer who uses Alpha, Canon and other cameras. More than 500 videos have been posted to his Youtube channel, and he explains cameras, equipment, and shooting and lighting techniques so well as the beginners can understand easily. He occasionally host a live event on Youtube that he does RAW development of his followers’ photos, which is fun!

Ilko san immediately posted a video commenting the difference between Alpha 7C and Alpha 7lll from his point of view as a portrait photographer.[Ilko style #510]

Alpha 7C is a unique camera with various useful video applications and portability. If Youtubers carry it anywhere and distribute videos with beautiful bokeh and outstanding color reproduction by full-frame sensor, this is it. However, for users who value photos more than videos, it is a bit tricky.

• Not able to backup image files due to the single slot of SD card
• The position of viewfinder is at left, not at the center, so it may be a bit difficult to see the object
• Only one custom button available
• The maximum shutter speed is better for Alpha 7lll

I don’t use strobe light, but Alpha 7lll has advantage for setting of lighting.

I decided the new camera as Alpha 7lll with 24.2 megapixels

Finally decided!

The new camera is Sony Alpha 7lll (on market in 2018) . The camera arrived the day after the order. I’m setting it while watching Ilko san’s video. [Ilko Style #215]

I can assign each function to four custom buttons and other buttons, any dials as I like with Alpha 7lll. It is quite convenient once I get used to it. There are many things I need to remember, but it should be a nice brain training for me. I feel I’m no longer a beginner..

I could buy the camera with discount price, so I took the plunge and bought a lens, too. My longed-for Sigma Art line. Click here and here to see some pictures shot by Alpha 7 III and Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art.

With a high-performance, high-image quality camera, can I take good pictures?

Unfortunately, the answer is NO..

With a QuickSnap, with a Pikkari Konica (Konica C35 EF), wonderful pictures can be taken.

The new camera is like an excellent assistant. How excellent the assistant is, I’m the one who take pictures. What to capture, what to deliver with the photo, that’s most important thing.

I still use Alpha 5100 as well!

From now on, when I like to shoot lightly, I use Alpha 5100 and when I aim for a particular work, I use Alpha 7iii. I like to take a lot of photos that convey emotions using two cameras.