So I bought a Sony

When I started photography, most of the camera discussions were about Nikon or Canon, which one was the better system or which had the bigger selection of lenses. And as I mentioned in one of my previous articles, I had already taken a big step and switched from Nikon to Canon!

I have been using Canon for a long time. My 5D Mark III had been a great camera for me, and over the years, I built up a lens collection that covered most of what I wanted to photograph.

So what changed, and why change system?

I could have bought a smaller Canon, continued using my iPhone for most everyday photography and kept the 5D Mark III for the occasions when I really needed it.

All of those options would have been perfectly reasonable, but they wouldn't really solve the problem. I didn't want a camera that was capable of taking great photographs; I already had one.

I wanted a camera that was capable of taking great photographs and small enough that I wouldn't think twice about bringing it with me!

It is not a decision I took lightly! It means selling the equipment that I have used for years and starting again with a completely different set of settings, lenses, and accessories. You probably know the drill!

Why Sony?

Yes, but why move to Sony?

I wanted a full-frame camera with enough resolution for anything, good autofocus and, importantly, in a considerably smaller body and set of lenses. It needed to feel like a camera rather than a compromise: I didn't want to buy a small camera and then constantly wish I had bought something else.

Canon, over the years, has gathered for the "serious photographers", even too serious at times, because serious had become synonymous with "big bulky camera" and, let's face it, mostly tailored for men.

This is where Sony struck a chord with me: they have developed a series of cameras and lenses tailored at portability without sacrificing results. At that point, I tried a few cameras, checked out how they weighted on my hand and what results they were delivering. This is where the A7C II seemed to offer most of what I wanted without forcing me back into the larger system I was trying to leave behind.

The moment I tried it, it felt like a camera I could actually live with day to day.

The lens choice was just as important. I’d spent years using fast Canon primes, which I still love, but this time I wanted to approach things differently. I didn’t want a small body paired with a lens that immediately undid the advantage.

The Sony 40mm f/2.5 G is an unusual focal length for me, I’m more used to 35mm or 50mm — but it made sense the more I thought about it. It’s sharp, discreet, and pairs almost perfectly with the A7C II. Together they form a compact full-frame kit that I can carry without thinking twice. That combination of capability and everyday usability is what finally convinced me.

Then came the lenses.

One of the things I had learned from my Canon was that the body isn't really just the problem. A small camera with a large lens attached to it is still a large camera.

I spent years using fast Canon primes, which I love, but they weren't exactly designed around the idea of carrying a small camera everywhere. This time I wanted to approach things differently: I wanted to start small.

The Sony 40mm f/2.5 G seemed like an unusual choice at first. Forty millimetres isn't a focal length I am used to, but its tiny size and light weight, and the combination with the A7C II, made a lot of sense.

I could have a full-frame camera and lens that I can put into a relatively small bag and take almost anywhere. That was exactly what I had been looking for!

Selling Canon

Before I could buy the Sony, I also had to start letting go of some of the Canon equipment.

That was probably the strangest part of the process.

I've always had a tendency to keep old photography equipment. There is always a reason to keep a lens. You might need it one day. You might want to use it again. You might regret selling it.

But eventually, you end up with a lot of equipment that you don't use.

And I realised that keeping everything wasn't really helping me.

If I was serious about changing systems, I had to actually change systems.

So I started selling.

The first lens to go was the 24–70mm. Others followed.

It was also a useful reminder of how much money can be tied up in camera equipment.

Things that sit in a cupboard aren't really doing much for you.

At least when they are sold, they can become something else.

In this case, they were helping pay for the new system.

Finding the camera

Once I had decided on the A7C II, I started looking at where to buy it.

And, as usual, this turned into far more research than it probably needed to.

I compared Irish retailers, the UK, different European stores, warranty terms and prices.

At one point I found the camera in Italy for around €1,800 plus shipping.

The price on the site was higher, but after contacting the shop they agreed to honour the original price.

That was difficult to ignore.

So I bought it.

After spending months thinking about changing cameras, the actual decision was surprisingly simple.

Click.

Done.

Then I had to wait.

The box

When the camera finally arrived, I think I was expecting something to feel different.

It didn't.

At least not immediately.

It was just a box.

Then I opened it.

The first thing that struck me was how small the camera was.

I had spent years with a 5D Mark III, so my idea of what a full-frame camera should feel like was quite different.

The A7C II felt almost too small.

Then I put the 40mm on it.

That was when it started to make sense.

The whole thing was small.

And light.

And it looked like something I could actually take with me without having to make a decision about it first.

That might sound like a small thing.

For me, it wasn't.

Getting used to it

Of course, buying the camera didn't mean I immediately knew how to use it.

I'd spent years with Canon.

The controls, menus and autofocus behaviour were familiar. I knew where everything was without thinking about it.

The Sony was different.

Some things made sense immediately.

Other things didn't.

I had to work out how I wanted autofocus to behave, whether I wanted to use the screen or viewfinder, how to set up the focus area and a whole collection of other small things that you don't think about until you change systems.

But that was part of the reason I wanted to do this.

I didn't want another camera that I picked up occasionally.

I wanted to learn it properly.

So far

I've only had the camera for a short time, so this isn't going to be a review of the A7C II.

I haven't used it for enough gigs, enough travel or enough different situations to make that kind of judgement.

What I can say is that the first impression is very good.

The camera and the 40mm are sharp, small and light.

Much lighter than the Canon setup I was used to.

And perhaps more importantly, I actually want to take it with me.

That was the whole point.

Was it worth changing?

I don't know yet.

That might sound strange after spending the money and selling a system I've used for years.

But I think that's the honest answer.

A camera system isn't something you can properly judge from a specification sheet.

I need to use it.

I need to photograph Dublin with it.

I need to take it travelling.

I need to shoot music with it.

I need to see what happens when the excitement of a new camera wears off.

And I need to see whether I still pick it up six months from now.

Because that is ultimately what this change was about.

Not getting a better camera.

Not getting newer technology.

Not even getting better photographs.

I wanted to make photography easier to do.

The first step was deciding that I needed to change.

The second was actually buying the camera.

Now I need to see what I do with it.