One Month After The Switch

It’s now been a month since I moved away from Fujifilm for my main workhorse setup and began using Sony. In this blog, I will share how the switch has been going so far, what I’ve learned, the issues I’ve faced, and whether I regret the move or not. For full clarity, this switch wasn’t sponsored in any way, and Sony doesn’t know who I am. There were no issues with Fujifilm as a brand or with the people there. Even though my main kit is now Sony, I still have my X100VI for everyday carry. Lastly, I picked Sony because it ticked all the boxes for me and my specific needs. I’m also not someone who jumps systems every year; prior to this switch, I used Fuji exclusively for seven years.

Why

For those new here, let me quickly summarise why I switched:

I wanted to experiment with other brands and didn’t want to be tied to a specific one.
I found myself moving away from the compact Fuji gear to their pro-level gear, which completely negated the size and weight advantage.
I found the performance and reliability of my Fuji cameras to suffer, from focusing issues to full breakdowns requiring repairs.
Many pro features that are standard in other systems seem to be missing in Fujifilm, and there appears to be a greater focus on hobbyists than professionals.
The overall build quality seems to be on the decline with each new model.
I found myself being overly reliant on Fujifilm’s colour science when editing. The first time I tried to edit Sony files last year, I struggled to get the colours how I wanted. I didn’t want to be dependent on one specific brand for my style and wanted to expand my editing skills.
I’d become known as a “Fujifilm photographer,” and I no longer wanted to be defined by the brand of camera I used, especially since I’m not an ambassador or involved in any commercial agreement.
From a pure business perspective, using different gear opens me up to a wider audience and gives me more content ideas, especially for blogs and YouTube. This is my livelihood, and while some people may feel this reason is a little “off,” I need to ensure I can provide for my family.
The biggest reason of all: I got bored. Just like you’d get bored driving the same brand of car every day for seven years.

Why Sony

While there are many brands out there, Sony offers the best overall package for me. The bodies are compact, and there is a huge choice of lenses, both native and third-party. Sony also has a vast range of APS-C lenses that can be used with a full-frame system in APS-C mode. Sony files seem to be the most neutral and require editing to get the best out of them. As someone who loves editing, this is a bonus. Amazing autofocus, comprehensive customisation, a vast ecosystem, and pro-level features are further reasons why I chose this brand. Finally, Sony just feels the most familiar to me, having owned and used their cameras before. That said, I’m not exclusively shooting Sony—I still own Fuji, Leica, and Hasselblad gear.

Shooting Experience

Overall, I haven’t noticed much difference in the shooting experience between the A7R and my old X-H2. I heard a lot of people say Sony cameras feel boring or lifeless, but so far, I can’t agree at all. In fact, the A7R is much more enjoyable to use than any other camera I own. It’s better than the Leica, Hasselblad, and Fuji. It feels great in the hand, and so far, I haven’t come across anything I really dislike. It is a little heavier than the Fuji, but not by much.

Performance

One reason I praised the shooting experience is that the Sony just works. This is the first camera I’ve used where it feels like it’s designed to get out of your way and let you focus on being creative. You can assign custom camera setups to function buttons, meaning I can be shooting in aperture priority, but the moment I press and hold a button, the camera switches to shutter priority and a specific shutter speed. Everything is instant—from the autofocus to powering on and switching modes. It’s nice not having to wrestle with the camera and being able to 100% focus on photography.

Camera Setup

This is where the Sony can get a little advanced and overwhelming. There are so many options, configurations, and settings that it can feel complex at first. I’m still in the trial-and-error phase when it comes to setup. Despite the Sony having extensive customisation options, some key features, like AF Lock, are missing—or I’ve yet to discover them. It will take months of continuous use to explore all the possibilities. This isn’t a camera that’s ready to go straight out of the box.

Image Quality & Editing

The image quality is outstanding on both the A7R and A7C. The images are sharp, detailed, and have ample dynamic range. However, editing Sony files is vastly different from Fuji, Leica, or Hasselblad. Sony files don’t have a look baked in—they’re very flat, dull, and very uninspiring straight out of the camera. The colours aren’t that nice by default, so you need to edit them quite a bit to achieve the desired results. That said, the files are incredibly flexible and can be pushed in many directions. Once you get the hang of it, these files make excellent starting points—assuming you like to edit. If you prefer results straight out of the camera, this system might not be for you.

Unexpected Quirks

My Sony experience has been smooth overall, apart from the A7C II overheating after an hour of indoor video shooting. When it overheated and shut down, the video file being recorded was corrupted. Fortunately, I managed to restore it using Wondershare software. I’ve read online that others have experienced this issue as well. Another quirk is the lack of some key features, such as AF Lock, and a few software inconsistencies, which I’ll cover in a separate blog. Other than that, the cameras have been flawless.

Challenges

The biggest challenge so far has been editing the raw files. They behave differently from what I’m used to, and I need to figure out how far I can push them and which adjustments to make to achieve specific results. My colours are still far from where I want them to be. There are no shortcuts, but I’m actually glad I’m going through this process because I’m learning a lot.

Regrets

I’m sorry to all the Fuji fans, but the only regret I have is not making the switch sooner. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a new camera. I’m thoroughly enjoying the shooting experience on the A7Rv. There’s honestly nothing I miss about the Fuji cameras. I’ve kept the X100VI as it’s fun for casual days out and everyday carry, but for pure shooting experience, the A7Rv is unlike anything else I’ve used.