For the better part of the first eight days of this excursion, I lugged the a7 IV and three fast Sigma lenses around in a shoulder bag. Most days comprised about six to seven hours on foot. From the moment I picked up the cheap 50mm lens the other day, the Sony/Sigma stuff has sat idle. And likely will continue to do so until it’s trundled off.
The R7 has been my Sony-killer in a couple of ways. First, it outdid it in terms of nimbleness and autofocus, then in terms of portability. The RF 100-500mm has also killed off at least one of the Sony long zooms as well, although I’ll likely hang on to the 200-600mm in hopes of a new APS-C model.
Sony does so many things right. The a7 IV is a jack-of-all-trades camera with many features that outperform its competition. I chose the lenses carefully, figuring their weight would be manageable. But for excursions like this one, where I’m on my feet with my gear most of the day, it’s time to downsize, literally. Even in terms of future Leica glass possibilities, I’m thinking small and light rather than fast and heavier options. At 152 grams, the TTartisan “Summaron” is a good start.
I headed out in the afternoon with the EF 200mm f/2.8, hoping to see what it could do with critters at near distances. But clouds and headlight weather quickly rolled in, and the shot below was about the best I could do. Aside from a bit of CA wide open, I know this lens is a powerhouse and will give it another shot under brighter circumstances.
