Sony - hate it or love it?

I hate Sony. I really do. Ever since I realized they experiment and throw away half the experiments - remember Betamax? Memory stick? And a continuous stream ever since - XQD is the last I can remember. How they ever suckered Nikon into using it I’ll never guess. And then there is the menu system on their cameras. My whatever in whenever - who the hell thought up that monster??

But I have to give them the benefit - they did create some wonderful digital cameras in the alpha mount - my youngest daughters gift from me for her to complete her application to fine art photography school was a Sony A100. I had an A77 for quite a few years - and they were the first company (if we ignore Leica because they have always been mirrorless) to go full in to mirrorless.

Of course they have also continued with the built in obsolescence. But luckily for me this camera hasn’t shown it yet (knock on wood or whatever is necessary - I will even sacrifice chickens - why? - that’s another story) for it is a gem.

Sonys answer to the Leica Q. I can’t put a Q in my jacket pocket. I can with this.

The Q still costs three times as much - and although I bleed little red dots sometimes - it’s not that much more of a camera. It may even be less.

The Q is 28 - a tad too close to smartphone territory for my tastes. The RX1R is 35 - a standard objective and a standard look. And that is belittling the lens - a wonderful Zeiss f2 with close focus (Sony calls it macro) capabilities. It is paired to the sensor and the results are wonderful. I find - and you are free to disagree with me but you are wrong - that the 28 is a limiting focal length. I know ever since the iPhone people accept distortion in a portrait - but I’m not people. I don’t. The 35 - if I don’t get too close (and I’m supposed to be a photographer and know what I am doing) doesn’t distort and is perfect for the environmental portrait. And then for street, kids, landscapes, dogs, garbage …. You get what I am harping about.

Even the dinky little flash can come in handy if you happen to have forgotten to bring your real flash with you, just look at this photo - dark room, dusky atmosphere - funky flash, 35mm - and it worked.

So - although I hate Sony - I won’t be selling it or giving up this little gem anytime soon.