Sony A7CII + 40mm f2.5 G, my dream casual setup for street and travelling..

The A7C is the best Sony camera I own because it's a joy to use. I own the A7RV and it's amazing but the A7C always in my bag

some of the more interesting places around the world are places that you don't want to take a $6k camera.

I'm so glad I bought the 40mm this week, I was deliberating a long time over it and the 35mm 1.4 and I concluded I couldn't imagine feeling comfortable carrying such a huge lens in that 35mm. I'm now pretty much sold on getting next the 24mm 2.8 as well, and then finally, maybe oneday, an A7cii :) (I currently own an A7RIV).

i went for the old zeiss 35mm 2.8 to pair with my a7c

You can't completely imitate the feel of a leica, but I like the message of this video. I have a Leica Q2 (bought used) and a SL2-S but I don't buy many lenses or other stuff. I have a minimalistic approach. 2 years ago I had a Sony and I was quitting photography because of low self esteem and lack of inspiration. But I had to make photographs because of my job. I've always longed for a fuji for many years, so I bought a Fuji x pro3 and entered the inspiring world of fuji ... but also the world of leica with Journalism Photography (Magnum), the photographers of the Oscar Barnack Award, the interesting history and also the community. This opend a new world for me, a world that not just made me do regurarly photographs, but a world that made me question the story behind a photo. But it's important to know that you don't need a Leica to experience all of this but it's also important to respect, that for some people a Leica started this beautiful adventure. It's funny but since I have a Leica I've started to be more grounded and modest with my photography and this helps to let go my ego and be more confident, because I've learned it's not about me. But I'm sure not every Leica user has this mindset. With Leica I don't care having the fastest autofocus or other things, because it's not the point of making a good picture. But you can make a good picture with a Sony, Canon, Panasonic and every other camera ... I would suggest, if you want the Leica-feeling than you have to leave the surface and dig deeper. Learn about history, read books and thing about the deeper story. Whats the point of my long comment? Every photographer has a personal story and a reason to choose a Leica or not. For me a Leica is a tool not a symbol of status. I was concerned about the red dot at the beginning but now I see the Leica as a tool of choice that started a lovely adventure for me.

If you’re looking for Leica experience, try the Voightlander 40 mm f/1.2 for E Mount. It’s comparable to the size of the 40mm you’re using, but has all metal construction. It is manual focus only, but it feels so good you won’t miss the autofocus motors - at least I don’t. I only ever use manual primes.

Love the setup. I am always down for a compact setup that fits in my shoulder bag. I have a Sony a6400, Sigma 16, 30 f1.4, Sony 55-210, Viltrox 56 f1.4. They all fit in my shoulder bag and cover pretty much all focal lengths I need.

I was looking at the Leica for street as it is a non-evasive camera. However I am a Canon shooter, so I took my EOS R full frame 30 megapixel, with the RF 35mm f1.8 macro. Small and light. Did some amazing shots, So I would expect the same for Sony users, being blown away with what can be achieved without the expense and lack of flexibility you get with Leica.

Hey Matt, just bought the A7C after watching tons of videos. It's my first full frame, coming from an 6400 and ZV-E10s. I purchased the 40mm based off of your recommendations as well! I'll be heading out to Montreal soon and I'm looking forward to getting some good street photos with this kit! Thanks for your videos!

Bought this camera for video mostly but enjoying shooting stills with it even more. Thank you for the inspiration.

I have owned a Leica Q3. This setup beats it in focal length. (You've got to invade people's space to get a good photo of them at 28mm.) It beats it in camera reliability. (Leicas are famous for not being terribly reliable and for requiring more frequent service -- which takes months.) BUT, there's the Leica look. To duplicate that, I'm going to need to experiment a lot and establish a preset. But . . . at the end of the day, I have ordered a Sony a7cii and an EF 40mm f/2.5. Looking forward to giving it a trial!

Wow that is a nice build you made! What i like is you used your a7c as a 😅cheaper kind Leica setup !! I say use whatever camera body you have just add new lenses,accessories and nice strap and Viola!!! You have a Leica killer!!

I Leica It. 😉This is my build thanks to you. Picked up a 7Cii, waiting on my 40mm G, and the lens hood. I’ve added the small rig base plate which looks really nice as well.

Thanks. Beautiful camera with those accessories you chose

My a7c walkabout set up is a Techart LM EA9 autofocus adapter and Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 pre asph. Vintage lens with closer focus distance, fast, characterful, autofocus. And yet a smaller set up than what you have.

i use the sigma 35mm f2 for my a7c casual shoot set up🤘🏻

Great video! I am a Sony shooter with an a6400. I also wanted that certain vibe/quality/character for street/landscape and I found it in e-mount Voigtlander lenses! They are amazing. I love manually shooting so it was a great fit for me. When it came time for a FF camera, I wanted the a7c badly but ultimately I didn't do it because of the EVF. As a manual shooter, I am heavily dependent on focus zooming and the many comments on the EVF scared me off. So I bought a used a7r ii for a great price and I do like it very much. It has a certain magic. If they upgrade the EVF on the a7c v2, I will be tempted to get it.

I concur with you! Own both the Q3 (BVefore Q2) and Ac7 and its a great camera with great capabilities. And I pair mine with either the 24mm or 40mm f2.5 and we are which are smaller than the Summilux 28mm on the Q3 (Which is more like a 24-26mm) Can't go wrong with the A7C. It's also better for night photography due to the less denser MP count.

VERY NOICEE! I just purchased the a7c too! Been trying to find the perfect square hood for my tamron 20-40mm 2.8! Your video answered all of my concerns for the Haoge hood! NOICEE VIDEO

good! i'll wait until A7C mark ii comes out and maybe i'll do a 24mm G lens. thanks for the idea!

This is the exact set up I want and waiting for A7c ii. Nice video, thanks for posting.

My perfect little travel kit A7C, Sony 24, 40mm and the sigma 90 mm

Thank you so much. I was also looking for a street photography lens since I found my 24-70gm to be too long and too heavy for everyday carry. I saw this vid and agreed with your point of view about the lens and the build. Also I was most definitely influenced by the Leica trend and want that aesthetic lens hood. I cannot believe there are alternatives out there like that. I am really lucky that the hood you recommended is available in my region. The lightweight lens and the premium built quality as well as the hood seem like the answer to me now. I cannot thank you enough for making this amazing video that covers your genuine thoughts and recommendations. All the best to you

Excellent. I'm a Sony a7c owner, so this is just the thing! Thanks!

Consider the little trinity Tamrons 20, 24, 35 F2.8. Sooooo tiny and small, fits this minimal setup perfectly, and all of them are super sharp and cheap!

Bro I have an M10-M, had an M10-R, sold my Q2, and still own a GFX 50-R. And my A7CR is hands down my every day camera (sorry my XPro 3). So, it is hella inspiring and I am using 40mm F2.5 G its THE LENS.

Nice review of a great camera. Now we have the A7CII and A7CR. Getting better. Hard to argue with a Leica owner but they can be had by stating that Nikon blew them out of the water with their F an F2 mechanical cameras. Not that Nikon invented the prism finder, motor drive or accessories, but they made a platform Leica could not compete with. The model F went to war, it went to the newsrooms, it went to the professionals, and it went to the studios. And yet, today the F/F2 is regarded as the best mechanical cameras ever made. It changed everything.

The amazon link photo shows the haoge hood with a uv lens mounted to the lens and then the hood being attached

Another vote for the Zeiss 35mm 2.8 if you're looking for the best street setup on the A7C (forgetting video). I do lust after that 40mm G though, it's a tasty looking lens and a great focal length.

Glad you are back Matt

That setup does look sick! The 28mm f/2 or the Samyang 45mm 1.8 are also great smaller yet good lenses. I dont think I would ever buy a Q2, but I owned a Sony RX1 R and the A7C blows it out of the water.

I love my a7C. I have the M9 and an MP. If I need to shoot quickly or on a job, the a7C comes with me.

I like this a lot. I wish Sony would put a higher resolution evf in the a7c form factor, and then it'd be a real beast.

Thanks for the support, Matt! Love your setup here! 🙌

I rock a used a9 with the 28mm f2 for street photos. Might pick this 40mm up, looks classy!

I love this idea for a video. And I agree that there's been a flood of the Leica promotional videos from a lot of KZfaqrs who clearly were all sent samples about the same time to push the idea of buying that camera. Also I think it's a GREAT idea to point out that you can do something even better by buying the A7c and the 40mm and it's a super combination with fantastic quality at a fraction of the price!

I have been using the A7 III with this 40 and the Z55. It's a great compact setup. Coming from the A6400, the a7 III isn't all that humongous.

I don't have one but I tried Sony a7c and loved it. Absolutely fantasic..

Agree with your findings, I have all three G lenses. Waiting on the A7c II and hopefully Sony improves the EVF, that's what kept me from picking it up.

thanks for the vid, just picked an A7C and it s a joy to use ! I paired it with 55mm F1.8 zeiss for street photography , slightly similar in terms of volume to what you ve shown !

I use my a7c with the Zeiss Batis 18mm, 40mm, and 85mm. They are so light wt and Zeiss.

The Sony kit lens that came with the a7 is great

I have the a7RIII and a6600 (for travel). I am waiting for the a7C II to build a light FF travel kit as well like yours. Already have the Sony 24mmG lens and thinking of the 40mmG lens!

Great video! I am also heavily invested in the Sony ecosystem and already owned an a7C as a daily carry camera but almost got sucked into the Q2 hype but could not justify it’s price tag just for the “Leica look” and picked up the 40mm last year to create the same setup you show here and have been really happy with it. Side note, I also use the same lens hood and can fit my filters under it to have a mist filter on with it if I want.

My former primary camera was A7C. After changing the primary camera, I wanted to buy a new camera for street photography. I don't have to find X-100V or Ricoh anymore because I already have a Leica-level camera :) Thank you for your recommendation. I rarely write a reply, but I wanted to say thank you.

I have my m6 and my Sony A7IV , it all depends what I feel like shooting with that day, but like the small lenses you’re showing, on the Sony I use the sigma 35 art lens and it’s a hefty boy compared to the Leica lenses I use

In photography it's the image that is all. So if you take a photo on a cheap camera and it's breath taking. That's all that matters

The most important part of photography is the 8” behind the viewfinder.

Hey, love the video. I am also a Sony A7C user and faced the same question regarding the lens. I also prefer a small, unobtrusive setup, but couldn't decide between focal lengths. In the end, it became the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8. Granted, It's a little bigger and a little heavier, but I have flexibility with the focal length.

Rumors have it a7cII will be out soon. Wonder if it gets the 33MP sensor from the a7IV ... 😊 My goto street combo is the ZVE10+Sony 35mmF1.8. Super compact and stealthy.

Really helpful video Matt!

Great Video! We're interested in changing from canon to sony environment for our travel projects

Nice video Matt! Build looks great :)

Good review, I would use the sony stock lenshood any day, Sony is classic in its own right

I use my A7RV and various lenses when I want to do a lot of different things without any one thing in mind. But I use my Leica M10 and 35mm Summilux when I specifically want to enjoy the art of photography.

Thanks to you, I have this same camera (except vesion ii) lens and lens hood set-up!

awesome video matt

Two more lenses for you to try, which I loved: Sony Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 and Samyang 45mm f/1.8. The 35mm is the most compact lens I know for Sony FE and has a very clever lens hood design which allows a filter, too. The Samyang is also very small and very light for the large aperture, performs very well in terms of sharpness and autofocus in real life and renders bokeh with some character. Both not as prestigous as your choice, but highly recommended for a compact and capable setup which saves another 400 $ if you get the lens second hand.

now that the A7C2 and A7CR is out, i'm sold.

I loved the Q2 when I had it but my thought processes was the same. The 6K could be well spent instead on a street setup alone, though I loved the contrast and the sharpness of the Summilux built into the Q2. I'm exploring the A7 C with 35 GM or the 40 G for a walkabout setup, considering Sony doesn't seem to be releasing an update to the RX1R II anytime soon. Excellent and a very helpful video, thank you.

Thanks for sharing that setup looks fantastic! I’m currently using m43, very light weight setup around 600-700g. The only reason left I can’t switch to a7c is the telephoto size is still too large for me. As I take pics for kids activity I sometimes still need a 80-300 zoom, there is no equivalent option for the price, size and weight. If I only set up a 40 prime I will def consider this setup it looks so great!

I like my 9 year old Sony Zeiss 35/2.8. it would be perfect for the a7C as well.

The Leica is great. Look and feel are extraordinary but my A7C with the Sony 35/1.8 you get an affordable camera with much more possibilities and it weighs less! And it has nearly same size. .. and the Leica look is something you can easily copy with Lightroom. So Leica Q2 you are awesome but Sony is the better choice.

As someone that owned the Q2 for several months, as well as a few other Leica’s, the thing that most people miss with stuff like this is the user experience. It’s unparalleled on Leica. And I say all this as someone that also has purged all Leica’s from my kit. I couldn’t justify the equity in owning any of them anymore because image quality with new cameras is pretty even across the board. Sure, Leica has their own pleasant color science and it’s nice to have that right out of camera, but any decent photo editor levels that playing field as well. The thing that isn’t repeatable is the user experience. The UI on modern Leica cameras is for lack of a better description - beautifully minimal and powerful. It never gets in the way. Leica applied their same aspirations to perfect mechanical design to the software side as well. Which is something not a single other manufacturer has attempted yet. Everything feels like a bloated mess compared to how Leica has built its UX; even when you’re comfortable in the bloated mess. So if your goal is to replicate the general feel (camera shape) and image quality of Leica, it’s certainly possible to get close and maybe even surpass, but there is a level of intuitive minimal and powerful design from top to bottom that you can really never accomplish with anything but a Leica right now. I hate to say it, but it’s just true. Leica’s , for all their quirks, get out of the way. And they make it feel good. Is that worth the premium price? I dunno. For most it’s not, and in the long run, it wasn’t for me either. But I recognize that what they uniquely do still exists and in many respects isn’t something that can currently be fully recreated by anything else that currently exists.

Hey Matt, I completely agree with all this... Great video! You were one of the first channels I followed when I first got my A7C! The only camera for me that can top it is not the Q2, but the upcoming A7Cii... Until then, the A7C is the best value compact camera for me, but I pair it with Rokinon's 24 f1.8, yet the 40 is the perfect size!

I waited forever for the A7CII - got the A7III - great deal. Leica Q small size, like Sony 6600/A7C. Small rig Q w/easy fast menus, small lens is appealing. I love my A7III wow but its cumbersome when walking around. I have 2 lenses: Sigma 24-70 (huge lens) and Viltrox 13mm. It’s big, heavy all around. Downsized to mirrorless from 5D3. Your video really helped - excellent content. Might look at A7CII (better menus & EVF). The Q3 reviews are all pos (no IBIS, no int storage, no mic). Thanks Matt. Sub’d 👍

Leica is luxury. Although for me, this compact full-frame Sony would be an absolute luxury too.

Just a fantastic review 😮 from Canon fan boy. And yes you are right this is by far better then Q2 the only thing you loosing is the leaf shutter sync flash

Thank you for this really cool video, any sort of idea when the A7C Mark II is coming out ?

I have an almost IDENTICAL setup but I think everyone is sleeping on the sigma lineup. I run it with a 35mm f2 from sigma with the haoge and it’s only slightly larger than Sony’s 40mm. Without sounding like an infomercial, it gives it that same vintage feel with the aperture ring and metal construction but at that nice 35mm…

Would also suggest the Sony Zeiss 35mm f2.8 for a compact setup. I love the character of it. Have owned many other lenses, including the 24GM and the 24-70GMII... and the little 35 is still my alltime favorite.

Not only are you cropping in on megapixels with the Q2 crop modes, you keep the characteristics of a 28mm lens. It won't suddenly create more compression because you are on the 50mm crop mode.

The Leica Q 28mm lens has focus breathing, they had to save cost somewhere so there it is.

I've never used a Leica camera but I do understand that Leica is very niche camera. The Leica Q2 or Q3 has a custom lens specially designed for that body. Also the color rendering is different so I think the comparison would apples and oranges yes.

Hate sony cameras, am totally a canon user but just got my Leica q2 ghost edition. What a badass camera

I've honestly been considering selling my Leicas for this setup. There are some Leica lenses that are too unique to get rid of, but that's why there are adapters :)

I so wish that was a 35mm. I opted for the old 35mm Zeiss instead. But I want that aperture ring! Maybe they’ll release one soon

Cool vid bro! Also have an A7C and just love it! I use it with any lens ... currently a 200-600 ;)

My Fuji X100V is the perfect travel and everyday camera for me.

i use normaly my a7rIII, but 2 weeks ago i got a 7c and i love this little cam with a sony 35mm 1.8, .. you can do top photographs with it, and some nice vids. I bought the cam new for € 1.499,-- and € 569,-- for the sony 35mm and for a beautiful handmade camera strap € 51,-- 😀... greets BM

Have you tested the Sigma 35/2 + A7c?

Fuji XPro1 for night color photography or Q2M all-around. Magic. Real camera companies. I use both.

I was so close to buying a7c but in the end went for Fujifilm Xpro3 cause of the small lens sizes But I agree leica isn't the only good looking camera out there

Let’s hope Haoge does a similar lens hood for the sigma 50mm f/2

How about using the Sony SEL35F28Z Zeiss Sonnar? Yes you give up on the aperture but that lens is even smaller. I use it on my A7iii and the assembly doesn't even look that big anymore.

Have you considered the Carl Zeiss Sonnar FE 35mm F2.8 ZA?

Great Video

It’s like this video was made exactly for my current dilemma 😮

Just bought an A7C. Setting up the camera. Lots of menus to dive into. Looking for the features I use all the time. Some of the features are called something different than Fuji. Also looking for a lens. Bought the A7C for two reasons. Never used a full frame sensor. Want to see if I can tell the difference between APSC and full frame. Also want to experience Sony autofocus. Hope this was a good decision. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

did you consider the rx1r? more resolution, more compact and f2🎉

A weather sealed full frame Lumix GX9 would do it for me. With a couple of pancake size primes

Matt thank you so much for your video. I have couple question how is the viewfinder in A7C or if you have A7CII? also do you recommend a 50mm lens?

Have had the q2 monochrome and q2 reporter, i hardly used them. They are a piece of art but very heavy, big lens and poor battery and they dont have that fun motivation factor! I sold both. Am thinking about the a7c, are the photos pin sharp?

Hope you all like the build! Nothing but love for Leica :) SORRY about the loud background music! Edited this using my Macbook speakers...and it seemed fine. Lesson learned. I appreciate everyone who was able to power through the video despite the annoying music! lol I'll get better :)

Gorgeous setup. I love your style. Would this lens hood work on the sony 24mm f2.8, or would the fact it's an "innie" rather than an "outie" hood cause vignetting?

Great video, I have the same setup now after watching this video, can I ask what grade of black mist pro you use ?I see the they come in, in 1/8, 1/4 etc

Would love to hear your thoughts on the a7c2 if you can get your hands on it

Look very nice.

nice build, it's a good idea and who cares what people say about it. It's a sweet setup.