As more details of the Sony A7s emerge I am becoming more and more impressed. Today the DxO Mark results were published. The 36MP A7r sensor gets a score of 95, just one point below the Nikon D800E which probably houses a near identical sensor.
Ugly ducking it may be, but the high-performance A7r is shaping up be more than a match for Leica’s traditional M, a camera which has had the mirrorless full=frame market to itself for over five years. With Leica lenses mounted, as Steve Huff has proved, the A7r is the equal, if not the better of Leica’s flagship body. And it is one third of the price.
Leica purists will cling to the M, of course, and I certainly have a high regard for the German camera. There will always be people willing to pay over the odds for quality and the sort of after-sales service Leica provides. There is also an atmosphere of fellowship among Leica owners who tend to get sucked in to forums and owner clubs; this is something that does not exist in the same form with other marques. It is hard to put a value on this sense of belonging which reinforces the desire to stay pure.
But there is a big caveat. This holds good only as long as competing cameras do not offer significantly better results, something that remains to be seen when we can compare both cameras side by side. If the A7r can knock the socks of the M then Leica should worry. Technology and mass production is catching up on craftsmanship.
Steve Huff’s blog is really good. The guy is so enthusiastic it transpires in each and every review he does. The biggest concern with his site is not to catch the ‘Gear Acquisition Syndrome’ because this is dangerous to both your wallet and your mariage :-). Back on the a7R’s review one must ask oneself if buying an M240 is worth doing really. If the difference in results is not significant, the question will be on everyone’s lips. I would hate to see the red dot brand slowly die because of japanese 21st century more pragmatic vision so I hope Leica will produce a ‘Mini M’ with a built in e-viewfinder one day that more people could afford without taking the risk of losing its soul…