There’s always a risk in going to those vendor-sponsored events. I went to one by Sony in March 2023. Before the meat of the content, the presenter featured some notable Sony gear, and one piqued my interest — the Sony A7C, a compact full-frame camera. As you know, I’ve been shooting with Fujifilm, which I featured in my just-completed Las Vegas series. For my everyday camera, I used the Fuji X-S10 with an APS-C sensor and the medium format Fuji GFX 50S II for the ultimate image quality.

Notice, however, that I wasn’t using a full-frame camera. I had one, the Canon 6D, but I no longer use that older full-frame DSLR. I had bought into mirrorless cameras over a decade ago, and DSLRs felt archaic and cumbersome. The Sony A7C seemed intriguing, a small full-frame mirrorless camera that offered possibilities.

I’ve always strived for the best quality image capture in the smallest possible device. That’s how I started with Olympus many years ago. When the APS-C Fujifilm offered better quality in a similar size, I switched systems. However, I still noticed high ISO limitations during my Las Vegas trip. Images at ISO 6400 were noisier than I had hoped. Conversely, the Fuji GFX offered ultimate image quality in a chunky package with comparably slow focusing. Would Sony address the limitations I was experiencing?

Conveniently, Sony has another event a week later at Q2 Stadium, home of Austin’s professional soccer team. This paid event featured three models and loads of Sony gear that I could test. I paired the Sony A7C with the inexpensive but excellent 85mm f1.8 and their pricy 50mm f1.2 GM lens. While I shot the smoke and color-filled portrait above with the 85mm, I used the 50mm at f1.2 for the rest. I was going for maximum shallow depth of field.

Notice the wonderfully out-of-focus bar lights behind Anthony. An f1.2 at 50mm has a shallower depth of field than I can achieve with the Fuji GFX and X systems.

I shot Sarah by the window at f1.2 and opted to create a high-key look. Beyond Sony’s lens selection, the system offered incredible face and eye tracking. It is much faster, understandably than the Fuji GFX but also significantly more capable than the Fuji X system.

Here’s Katie again without the green and black Austin FC fan shirt. I shot a closeup and tested Sony’s eye tracking. Even at f1.2, the eyes were almost always tack sharp — rarely missing focus.

As a test, I also brought my Fuji GFX 50S II with the 63mm f2.8 and the Fuji X-S10 with the 50mm f1.0. While the Fujis produced fantastic images, they required more effort and had a significantly lower hit rate. The Sony’s focus system made shooting portraits a breeze.

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