Spring isn't just the time when the natural world comes alive – it's also the time of year when seemingly all of Japan undergoes construction.
A7r + FE 55/1,8
The reasons are obvious (e.g. spending as much of last year's fiscal budget as possible), but the end result is the same – inconvenience, and unsightly construction equipment everywhere.
A7r + Voigtländer 20/3.7 (Canon EF)
The worst thing, though, has to be being woken up at 7:30 am on Saturday morning by a bunch of guys operating a pneumatic drill outside the window. I was not a happy bunny.
RX1. Please excuse the poor framing – I was operating the camera with only one eye open
This is Japan, though. Well, at the very least, it's Tokyo. This couldn't happen in the UK – someone would either shout out of the window, or call the police. Not here – the police station (koban) is about 10m down the road. It's made worse by the fact that dustbin men and construction workers alike, cannot seemingly reverse their trucks without shouting "はぉ〜い、はぉ〜い！" (hai, hai) over and over again, whilst the van beeps or plays music. I suppose most people think that making loads of noise at 7:30 on a Saturday morning is "fair game"?
Not I.
A7r + Voigtländer 20/3.7 (Canon EF)
Anyway, enough ranting. I already feel like Victor Meldrew most days!
A7r + FE 55/1,8
Where was I? Oh yes, it's hard to avoid the noise and the blue sheets, but it is possible.
A7r + FE 55/1,8
In terms of cameras, all of the shots in this post (with the exception of the builders outside our window) were taken with the A7r. Though I'm enjoying my time with the A7r immensely, there's not the same relaxation that comes in using a one-lens camera system. I've written about this in more detail, in my A7r vs RX1 article.
A7r + FE 55/1,8
I'm not sure that I would flat-out recommend either camera to anyone wanting to get a new camera, unless I was fully aware of their intentions and capabilities. For instance, if you want to take photos of your kids, or dogs, then I would not recommend the RX1. I may recommend the A7(R) cameras, but probably only with a lens or two from the alpha-lens mount series, which would allow faster autofocus.
A7r + FE 55/1,8
Either camera is, though, extremely capable. For example, I was simply stunned by the ~100% crop shown above, of the moon. The detail and clarity is simply breathtaking. The new A7S – though it looks like a very exciting camera – does not leave me with any buyer's remorse whatsoever.
We pays our money and we makes our choice.