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Sony a7R IV + Sony FE 200-600mm 5.6-6.3 for Planespotting

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  • Sony a7R IV + Sony FE 200-600mm 5.6-6.3 for Planespotting

    Hello All, I just wanted to get some opinions on whether the Sony a7R IV + 200-600mm is a good combo for planespotting. Any of you have this camera or lens? Feel free to give some opinions on the camera and lens. I want to see if this camera is a good one to upgrade to from my 7-year-old Nikon D7100. Thanks in advance guys!

  • #2
    First of all, read this..... https://petapixel.com/2019/10/02/the...ouldnt-buy-it/

    I have two Nikon D7000 bodies and about a year ago added a Nikon D7200 as an upgrade. It has a Nikon 18-300 VR f3.5-f5.6 on it and it has become my standard walk around combo. I can’t recall when I last used the D7000’s. One of them has a Nikon 70-300 VR on it and the other has a Sigma 17-70 on it. I also have a Sigma 120-400 VR available but haven’t used that in a while.
    Would I consider the kind of upgrade you are proposing ? Simple answer is No, it’s not so much an upgrade, it’s a change to a very different type of photography and a bloody expensive one at that. Your lens choice restricts you to fairly long range shooting so you are going to need something in the 18-200 range. Full frame suitable lenses are not cheap so you are therefore looking at not getting a lot of change out of £4,000.

    I would not contemplate the “upgrade” that you are proposing and I have been around photography for some 50 years.
    Last edited by brianw999; 2020-03-13, 13:24.
    If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

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    • #3
      Originally posted by brianw999 View Post
      I would not contemplate the “upgrade” that you are proposing and I have been around photography for some 50 years.
      You disagree, because he wants to change from Nikon to Sony?

      Ok a little bit more seriously. I would also very much like to have all your experience from 50 years to answer the questions without knowing where and how he wants to take pictures, that he dont need such a lens.

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      • #4
        I plan to use it to shoot planes at Hong Kong, where the planes are very far away because of the airport, which is large in size, also, the requirements for all the spotting spots are all above 200mm. Is the 200-600mm worth it in this case scenario then? brianw999. appreciate your opinion once again.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by hkgaviationspotting View Post
          I plan to use it to shoot planes at Hong Kong, where the planes are very far away because of the airport, which is large in size, also, the requirements for all the spotting spots are all above 200mm. Is the 200-600mm worth it in this case scenario then? brianw999. appreciate your opinion once again.
          I’m assuming that you are talking about the Sony 200-600 f5.6 - f6.3. That’s one hell of a lens costing just south of £1,635 Combined with the body price of £2,300 - £3,000 and that’s one hell of an investment increase over the lower cost of your Nikon kit.

          Comparing a 24 mpx Nikon DX Body against a 61 mpx FX Body is a non starter exercise really. They are in totally different areas of type, style and performance.

          The choice comes down to what you are prepared to spend. Without a doubt the Sony wins that race !
          Last edited by brianw999; 2020-03-16, 18:43.
          If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

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          • #6
            As a user of both Canon dlsr and Sony A6000 mirrorless camera, I'd say stick to the dslrs. I have that Sony for over three years and I'm still not used to the electronic view finder. I use the Sony mostly for static shots and landscapes. I also know someone who switched from Canon to Sony, first to a6300, then to full frame cameras, he uses Sony 100-400 GM lens, and he says that this set kicks ass in general, but not so much for aviation photography. It's just feels odd, he says.

            You're gonna do what you wanna do, but if could suggest something, it's stick to Nikon and buy some good lens. A Tamron 150-600g2 for instance, a similar Sigma, or 200-500 from Nikon. Or go for Canon 7d mk2 with the Canon's 100-400mk2, which probably is the best spotting gear on the market right now.

            But actually the best thing you can do, is to rent some gear, test it by yourself, and then make a decision.


            edit: probably the worst thing about my Sony is battery life. 350 shots is probably max you can get. Canon will do over a 1000 with still some 15-20% of battery life left. And it takes longer to fully charge Sony's battery!
            ​​​

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            • #7
              Thanks for all the opinions and advice. I have decided to rent some Sony gear to test the camera out. Thanks again for all the valuable opinion and advice guys. appreciate it very much!!

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