Old Man Take a Look at My Life

Make Good Art Sony A7S Sony Zeiss Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA

Black Friday was for much more than just shopping at Venice Beach November 29th, 2014.

Bob Dylan would be proud of this guy. 1/2500th of a Second shutter speed will freeze even the frizziest hairs in his ample mane.

It was a crazy stoner kind of Friday late afternoon, so typical of Venice and its Endless Summer… and just perfect for a stroll with the Sony A7S fitted with the FE 50mm f/1.8. The more I use this combination, the more I grow to love it. After shooting Old Man Take A Look At My Life, it would be hard for me to argue against this being the best all around camera in the world for me. It’s the one that does everything I ask of it, daytime or nighttime. I am using a very high shutter speed for these images, as in each case I am freezing some pretty fast motion.

This guy not only had the look down, he had the sound there as well. Here, 1/2500th of a Second is a fast enough shutter speed to freeze his head swings.

Running into a merry band of strolling minstrels is not uncommon around Venice Beach. Music is as much a part of the culture here as skateboarding, basketball, and weight training. No, they are not always in tune. Nor are they always singing the same key with the harmonies. But the energy is unmistakably intoxicating with a great time guaranteed for all.

Tack sharp flying through the air with the birds when you use a fast shutter speed. In this case, 1/4000th of a Second for “Air America”

Forum friends speculate the A7S is not a good sports camera. I have no idea why. It certainly seems just fine to me. Skateboarders in full flight have to be one of the more difficult subjects I know of to shoot, since they move around very fast. As you can see on this page the A7S and 55 f/1.8 set to f/8 were more than up to the job. Some I guess worry that 12MP is not enough. It is for this kind of street shooting or documentary photojournalism. For types of work requiring higher resolution, the A7R is the better choice, but those uses are not this kind of imagery for me. For my needs, this A7S feels just right, a hybrid storytelling machine.

“Grabbing Air” Sony A7S, 1/4000th Sec, FE 55mm f/1.8 at f/8, ISO 3200. S-Log2 PP7 Profile, RAW processed and graded with Lightroom.

While not the fastest frame rate of the usual run of sports cameras, it is plenty fast enough for me to depress the shutter for a second time to capture a second exposure in the same sequence. Continuous shutter mode would yield even more.

The A7S is fast enough for a second frame – “Grabbing Air II” Sony A7S, FE 55mm f/1.8 at f/8, 1/4000th Sec. ISO 3200

Overall it was a great day photographing many high flyers. The A7S held up perfectly, both stills and video. What more can I ask from a camera? The A7S may be considered lacking in some features and so may not be considered “pro” grade by some, but photos like these don’t come out of just any “consumer grade” product. Canon and Nikon may have the reputation currently, but look out universe – there is a new sheriff in town!