The Camera is Here. Now What?

Christmas in March. The camera arrived.

I’ve flirted with Sony over the years, but Canon will always have my heart.
That said… I’m trying Sony again.

Why?

Form factor.

That’s it. Well… maybe not entirely, but mostly.

If Canon made cameras the same size as Sony with the same quality, I’d never leave.

My first impression after opening the box?
Honestly, it was a little bigger than I expected—but still much smaller than my Canon R8 with a big f/2.8 lens attached. Especially when you pair it with the 35mm f/1.8. The difference is pretty incredible.

Just look at this.

Canon R8 vs Sony A7Cii. Same idea. Very different size.

Second impression?

This thing is beautiful.

The ergonomics are great too. I was a little nervous about that, but it feels really good in the hand.

The unexpected surprise?

The shutter sound.

Wait… what?

Let me explain.

I’m a nerd when it comes to cameras. I’ve said this before. I geek out over every part of them. For me, a camera hits almost all five senses.

The look.
The feel.
The smell. Yes, even the smell.

But the sound…

The sound gets me.

A good sounding camera makes me want to use it.

My favorite shutter sound of all time? The Nikon D7100. It just sounds so mechanical. Almost like you're pumping a round into a shotgun. I love it.

I used that camera for a long time, and subconsciously, the sound probably played a role in that.

This Sony A7Cii has a great shutter sound too. The first shot put a huge smile on my face when I heard it.

What about the lens?

Well, it’s a 35mm. As I mentioned before, I’m not a huge fan… yet.

It’s going to take some getting used to, but that’s part of the process. It’s fun to stretch yourself and get out of your comfort zone. That’s how you grow.

Image quality?

I’m impressed. Really impressed.

This combo is sharp as a tack.

Overall first impressions? So far, so good. I’m excited to start using it.

The first day I had it, I carried it with me while taking the dog for a walk. It didn’t get in the way. It wasn’t too heavy. Ultimately, it wasn’t a burden to have slung over my shoulder.

Normally I don’t like putting straps on my cameras, but I had to make an exception if I want this thing with me all the time.

I picked up a simple rope strap. Nothing huge like the ones that usually come with cameras. The goal is to make this as easy and unobtrusive as possible.

So what are the next steps?

I need a plan to keep this going.

I need another experiment.

I think the next step is simple: the camera comes with me everywhere.

The goal isn’t even to take photos.

But if something presents itself, I’ll be ready.

This week’s experiment is simply carrying the camera around with me. Getting used to having a camera on me again.

I want to find out what works.

Is the rope strap the answer?

Is a bag too much?

If it’s in a bag, will I ever take it out?

Do I keep the camera turned on all the time or switch it off? Will the battery survive?

These are all things I get to play with this week.

I’m learning that this process is fun.

Thoughts.
Experiment.
Progress.
Reflect.
Adapt.
Repeat.

I guess that’s what happens when you build something called Summit Lab.

You start running experiments.

And apparently… I’m the rat.

A happy rat though.