11.22.2016

The Ghost of Jacob Marley and Scrooge. On Stage at Zach.

©2016 Kirk Tuck. All Rights Reserved.

Photograph taken at rehearsal on Sunday. Camera: Sony A7ii. Lens: 70-200mm f4.0 G. Raspberry flavored SD memory card. Human tripod. 

A few months ago I wanted to buy a battery grip for my old, used, Sony A7ii. I went to Amazon and looked at the official Sony accessory. I am sure it's made from very rare plastic only grown in the plastic orchards of Fiji but I found the purchase price --- breathtaking. 

A little more research uncovered a generic product from Vello. The price was well short on $100 and, with Prime, the delivery was free. I ordered one that did not arrive on time. I called Amazon. They sent out a replacement. In the meantime the first one arrived.  DOA.  My hopes of finding a low cost alternative were temporarily shattered. I sent it back and the second one arrived. I pulled it out of the box and installed batteries then screwed it onto the the base of the camera. The device has worked flawlessly for over 10,000 exposures. 

I am thankful that the USPS mis-delivered and then re-delivered the first drive. Had it arrived disfunctional but right on schedule I would have sent it back and decided that all such cheap substitutes were without value. 

The combination of the A7ii and the Vello battery grip makes for a perfect ergnomic pair for me. I find the camera to be pretty much perfect with one tiny exception (certainly NOT a deal killer...) and that is my wish for the silent shutter options shared by the a6300 and the A7Rii. Every other aspect of the camera (with grip) is exactly what I want in a daily shooter. So much photographic happiness for < $1,000. 

Tonight I go back to photograph the full dress rehearsal and I'm very excited to see Zach's version of "A Christmas Carol" again. They have re-invented a hoary classic and made it accessible and fun, all without diluting the wonderful message of hope and re-birth that runs through the play. Tonight I get to see it with different cameras and with Belinda by my side. Nice working conditions. Thankful for good clients. 

6 comments:

Wolfgang Lonien said...

Hmmm, if I could find one of these for under 1k€, I'd be in as well. Just to mount my Zuiko 50mm/1.4 lens onto a digiback which uses it at its native angle of view. Using it in my OM-2n with Tri-X is all well and nice, but you can't always (especially not after using a half roll) push that to ISO 1600...

Very nice photo by the way - love the actors' expressions! Just at the right moment...

Don Karner said...

Great pictures as usual.
But man, where did you get an A7ii and grip for less than a grand? I've got my plastic out right now!

Dodge Baena said...

I sold my a7II after over a year of use as a wedding/events backup (30K actuations) for one reason alone: the shutter was too loud.

Kirk, Photographer/Writer said...

Don, Look for a used one with a little wear and tear on it. They are out there....

Dodge, Use the A7rii or a6300 in silent mode for wedding ceremonies, pull out the A7ii for pre-wedding and reception. Easy-Peasy.

Fred said...

This is a great photograph. Very "natural" skin tones on the guy on the right. Was that the camera or the Raspberry flavored SD memory card?

Kirk, Photographer/Writer said...

Most definitely the raspberry flavored SD card. Delicious skin tones.

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