Number 7

The number 7, in addition to being my lucky number, has been with me since I started out in the world of photography, and serves as a common denominator to identify the cameras I've been lucky enough to use and which have marked my evolution in this practice. This 7-serie corresponds to the 'Semi-Pro' segment, straddling the expert and professional ranges. Note that with the recently released models, this categorization is no longer very appropriate, as their performance is so impressive.

Since 2017 (another seven...), I've been lucky enough to be able to share my passion for photography with my sweetheart. An excellent motivation to keep progressing! But let’s have a look back at a more personal publication, with photos and comments...

Sony Alpha 7 IV - 2023

The latest addition to my camera bag, the 'Mark IV' will once again revolutionize my approach to wildlife photography in particular.

First, thanks to the feature bearing the barbaric name of ‘ISO AUTO Min. SS’. In a nutshell : the camera automatically sets the shutter speed based on the focal length of the lens. It is highly effective for shooting moving subjects by minimizing subject blurring while also preventing camera shake. Using zoom lenses most of the time, I no longer need to constantly think about the minimum speed to set on the camera. But above all, the possibility to activate the autofocus on the eye of the animal (including birds !) together with subject tracking makes it easy to capture any moving animals and be pin-point sharp on its eye.

A second one soon joined the Team for Céline…

Sony Alpha 7RIII - 2019

Released before the α7 III, the α7 R III - 'R' for 'High Resolution' - entered my camera bag after α7 III... and what a camera!

It is also an 'R' for 'Redoutable'! Being a clone of the α9, almost everything has been improved: image quality, speed, autonomy, physical interface, menus. Presumably, the start of a long collaboration for my Landscape photography, collaboration that already began in August 2019 during our first trip to Iceland.

But enough talk, I'll leave you to it and go out to take some photos...

Sony Alpha 7III - 2018

The introduction of the 'Mark III' generation marked the time of my Revelation!

This camera, and the encounter with a fantastic wildlife Photographer, would sign my passage to the next level: M mode, back button focus, silent shooting (great for wildlife photography), full RAW... It was, for my own use, the first perfect camera! In fact, the α7 III has been shaking up the SLR world ever since its release. Its only drawback, as with its predecessors: it is a little slow to wake up (1.5 seconds to activate), but as soon as it catches its target, it blows away the SLR competition... apart from Canikon's two Greatest, but given their price, it's still better for them…

Sony Alpha 7II - 2015

The α7 II marks my return to the world of full-frame cameras, and with all due respect to my Banker, the start of my migration to the E-mount system.

And with this model, for the first time, a full-frame camera has a 5-axis stabilized sensor (and suddenly, all optics become stabilized regardless of price). But it leaves a little taste of unfinished business, the most striking drawback for me being the absence of a dedicated 'joystick' for moving the autofocus collimator.

Sony Alpha 77II - 2014

Acquired before my first trip to Namibia to support the α77 - of which it is an evolution - the α77 II is equipped with a new sensor that retains the same resolution, but with improved responsiveness thanks in particular to the Bionz X microprocessor and a new autofocus module with 79 points, 15 of which being cross-type.

The result: fast and precise AF coupled with a 12-fps burst rate that puts it on a par with the professional cameras of the period, but at a quarter of the price. Put to the test on several occasions, this is the only camera I've ever had to call on Sony's after-sales service for a well-deserved overhaul…

Perhaps the most fragile model in the entire serie.

Sony Alpha 77 - 2011

The α77 marks the start of another passion, i.e. African game drives: Kenya in 2012, Namibia in 2015, back to Kenya in 2017 and finally Tanzania in 2019, the year he joins the museum after 8 years of good and loyal service (a longevity record for me).

On the technical side, it continues the momentum of DSLTs, or semi-transparent mirror digital cameras. The conventional moving mirror - a source of vibrations and noise - is replaced by a fixed semi-transparent mirror. The pentaprism viewfinder is also replaced by an electronic viewfinder.

This heralded the start of mind-blowing frame rates, with the ability to follow the subject while shooting... and perhaps the predicted decline of conventional mirror SLRs.

Sony Alpha 700 - 2007

Convinced by the Alpha 100 that Sony would follow in the footsteps of its illustrious predecessors, the purchase of the Alpha 700 quickly became an obvious choice.

This is only the second DSLR produced by Sony, the number 7 serving as a reminder of a certain... Dynax 7D. But this new opus means new Exmor CMOS sensor with optimized digital noise reduction, exposure times ranging from 1/8000 to 30 seconds, 11-collimators autofocus and pentaprism viewfinder covering 95% of the field of view. A good motivation to leave the world of amateur photography behind and move on to the next level.

It stayed with me until 2012 and now sits proudly in my Photography Museum.

Konica Minolta 7D - 2004

And here is the camera that marked my serious entry into the world of digital photography!

The first camera to emerge from the merger between Minolta and Konica in 2003, the 7D is based on the film body of Minolta's popular Dynax 7, incorporating the sensor stabilization system inaugurated on the DiMAGE A2, a 6-megapixel Sony CCD sensor, a comfortable ground-glass viewfinder (0.9x magnification) and a 2.5-inch rear screen.

Minolta Dynax 7000i - 1988

My debut into the world of photography, and what a debut it was!

Minolta adds an 'i' for 'intelligence' and the autofocus, already fast with the previous version, becomes predictive: sensors record the speed and direction of the subject's movement, and a program deduces the exact location where it will be when the shutter is released, a few milliseconds later. This calculation is made approximately 120 times per second.

The ideal camera for my first passion, airshow photography...