Sony alpha a7 body

Sony Камера α7 с байонетом Е и полнокадровой матрицей

Полнокадровая компактная α7: портативность и функциональность. Полнокадровая 35-мм матрица 24,3 МП в корпусе в 2 раза меньше по сравнению с ведущими DSLR-камерами, — это потрясающее достижение.

Камера α7 оснащена 24,3-мегапиксельной полнокадровой 35-мм матрицей Exmor®, которая по своим характеристикам не уступает ведущим цифровым зеркальным камерам. А благодаря новому процессору BIONZ X от Sony и усовершенствованной системе автофокусировки камера α7 позволяет добиться потрясающей детализации и качества изображения даже в самых сложных условиях съемки. С этой камерой вы сможете достичь новых высот в фотографии.

Автофокус Sony α7 — быстрое определение фазы и точное определение контраста. Алгоритм обнаружения для сверхбыстрой фокусировки. А также: четкое распознавание глаз, фиксация объектов и настройка области АФ.

100%-ный охват, разрешение 1024x768, высокая контрастность, обновление параметров в реальном времени, точная передача боке, видоискатель XGA OLED Tru-Finder™ является аксессуаром не для составления композиции, а для ее улучшения. Профессиональные функции включают 5 режимов просмотра, цветовую температуру и настройку яркости.

Объективы с байонетом E для новой линейки полнокадровых камер. Владельцы камер α предыдущего поколения могут использовать все виды объективов с байонетом E или A с адаптером для набора из 50+ объективов.

α7 поддерживает 2 варианта беспроводной передачи: NFC в одно касание позволяет передавать фото одним движением на смартфон, планшет или ноутбук. Wi-Fi обеспечивает быструю загрузку из множества источников.

Приложения Imaging Edge™ Remote, Viewer и Edit

Технические характеристики и функции

Полнокадровая CMOS-матрица Exmor® 24,3 МП
Процессор BIONZ X для отличной детализации и снижения шума
Система съемной оптики с байонетом E
Высококонтрастный видоискатель XGA OLED Tru-Finder™ с высоким разрешением
Удобство передачи файлов и управления с подключением по Wi-Fi или NFC в одно касание

Совместимость с объективамиОбъективы Sony с байонетом EТип матрицыПолнокадровая 35-мм матрица Exmor™ CMOS (35,8×23,9 мм)Количество пикселей (эффективных)Примерно 24,3 МПЧувствительность ISO (рекомендованный индекс экспозиции)Фильмы: ISO 200-25600 эквивалент, AUTO (ISO 200-6400 эквивалент), Фотографии: ISO 100-25600 (чувствительность ISO до ISO 50 может быть установлена как расширенный диапазон ISO), AUTO (ISO 100-6400, с выбором верхнего и нижнего предела)Время работы от аккумулятора (фотография)Примерно 270 кадров (видоискатель) / примерно 340 кадров (ЖК-экран) (стандарт CIPA)Тип видоискателяXGA OLED, 1,3 см (тип 0.5) электронный видоискатель (цвет)Тип экранаВкл./Выкл.

Изображение Камера α7 с байонетом Е и полнокадровой матрицей

www.sony.ru

Неделя с экспертом: Sony Alpha A7 и Alpha A7R

Дата публикации: 30.12.2013

Немногим более пяти лет прошло с того момента, как была анонсирована первая компактная системная цифровая камера. За эти пять лет первоначальный скепсис по отношению к “беззеркалкам” успел смениться осторожным недоверием, первыми восторгами и, наконец, перерасти в понимание того, что именно за такими фотоаппаратами — компактными и функциональными — будущее. Последним рубежом сопротивления скептиков до недавних пор оставался размер матрицы. На рынке не было ни одной беззеркалки с полной матрицей (здесь мы умышленно не берем в расчет дальномерные модели от Leica, ведь это камеры совсем другого класса, назначения, с другим функционалом). Но и этот рубеж оказался по зубам разработчикам. Осенью 2013 года компания Sony представила сразу две полнокадровые беззеркалки — Alpha A7 и A7R, внешне похожие как две капли воды.

К нам на тест попали обе эти модели. Но в каждой из них реализовано такое количество интересных функций, особенностей и новых технологий, что в рамках простого теста обо всем и не рассказать. Так что две новых “семерки” мы будем тестировать в уже ставшем привычным для наших читателей формате “недели с экспертом”. В течение нескольких дней мы будем публиковать новые главы теста, делясь впечатлениями от съемки на Sony Alpha A7 и Sony Alpha A7R.

Основные особенности моделей:

матрицы формата 24х36 мм — 24 МП у Alpha A7 и 36 МП без низкочастотного фильтра у Alpha 7r;
байонет Sony E с возможностью установки объективов E, FE и A (через адаптер LA-EA3, LA-EA4);
гибридная система фокусировки со 117 датчиками фазовой детекции на матрице у модели Sony A7;
3-дюймовый наклонный дисплей с разрешением 921 600 точек;
электронный видоискатель с разрешением 2 400 000 точек;
скорость серийной съемки 5 и 4 кадра/с для A7 и A7R соответственно;
съемка Full HD видео с частотой до 60 кадров/с;
интерфейсы Wi-Fi и NFC;
возможность установки приложений в камеру.

Магия цифр или Преемственность поколений

Цифра семь, сначала для Minolta, а потом и для поглотившей этот легендарный фотобренд Sony всегда была особенной. Она использовалась в названиях тех моделей, которые были по-настоящему революционными. Так было и с пленочной Minolta Dynax 7, и с опередившей свое время первой цифровой зеркалкой со встроенным стабилизатором KonicaMinolta Dynax 7D, и с до сих пор актуальной Sony NEX-7. В линейке камер с литерой A эта цифра долгое время оставалась незадействованной: было очевидно, что маркетологи берегут ее для чего-то действительно удивительного. Поэтому когда в сети появились первые слухи о новом полнокадровом флагмане Sony, его название уже можно было угадать. Интрига была в другом: что будем с байонетом? С какой оптикой будет работать камера? Неужели будет создана еще одна линейка объективов к двум имеющимся — E и A?

Камеры имеют матрицу такого же размера, как и полнокадровые зеркалки

Да, так и произошло: чудес не бывает, и неполнокадровые объективы NEX не могут спроецировать изображение на большую матрицу. При этом можно перевести камеру в APS-C режим и использовать лишь часть матрицы. Также были представлены несколько новых объективов с байонетом FE (формально этот тот же байонет E, но объектив способен покрыть полный кадр). И самое интересное — любые объективы с байонетом A могут быть установлены на новые камеры через новый переходник Sony LA-EA4 с сохранением полного функционала автофокуса и привода диафрагмы. Работе с ним мы посвятим отдельный день нашего большого теста, испытав его не только с объективами Sony, но и с Minolta 25-летней давности. С более дешевым переходником Sony LA-EA3 автофокус будет работать лишь с SAM- и SSM-объективами, оснащенными встроенным мотором.

Sony A7 и A7r совместимы с оптикой с байонетом A, E и FE

Что в коробке

Sony A7 попала к нам на тест в китовой комплектации с объективом FE 3.5-5.6/28-70 OSS, да еще и в нераспакованной фирменной коробке. Отличная возможность познакомиться с комплектацией поставки. Вторая камера — Sony Alpha A7R — здесь выступает моим помощником: на нее я делаю эти снимки. Фоном мне служит кусок белой бумаги, освещение — пара мощных галогеновых ламп.

ILCE-7R УСТАНОВКИ: ISO 800, F7.1, 1/60 с, 50.0 мм экв.

Обратите внимание, что фирменная коробка всегда запечатана серебристым стикером. Не повредив его, коробку не открыть. Поэтому в магазине всегда проверяйте его целостность — он гарантирует то, что камеру до вас из коробки не вынимали.

ILCE-7R УСТАНОВКИ: ISO 100, F2.2, 1/80 с, 50.0 мм экв.

Чтобы извлечь камеру, сначала придется столкнуться с инструкцией. И это не простая случайность: разобраться со всем функционалом “семерки” без инструкции вряд ли удастся. Следующим слоем в коробке лежит сам фотоаппарат, китовый объектив и плечевой ремень. Но чтобы начать съемку, этого недостаточно.

ILCE-7R УСТАНОВКИ: ISO 100, F2.2, 1/60 с, 50.0 мм экв.

Спускаемся еще на один слой картона ниже и находим аккумулятор NP-FW50 емкостью 1020 мА/ч, точно такой же, как в камерах NEX. Зарядного устройства для аккумулятора в комплекте нет, зато есть USB-кабель и адаптер с 220 вольт на USB-выход. Аккумулятор предстоит заряжать прямо в камере с помощью USB-шнура. Впрочем, дополнительное зарядное устройство для таких аккумуляторов всегда можно докупить.

ILCE-7R УСТАНОВКИ: ISO 1000, F4, 1/60 с, 50.0 мм экв.

Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZAОбъектив с почти классическим фокусным расстоянием и легендарным качеством ZEISS. Обладает одновременно высокой резкостью по всему полю кадра, живописным боке и красивым объёмным рисунком. Оптимальное соотношение цены и качества.Купить
Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar FE T* 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSSДобротный штатный зум среднего класса в пыле- и влагозащищённом металлическом корпусе. Подойдёт для любых задач. Обеспечивает высокую резкость уже на открытой диафрагме, имеет эффективный стабилизатор изображения. Удачный баланс между размером и характеристиками.Купить
Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSSПрекрасный телеобъектив с высокой скоростью фокусировки и очень эффективным встроенным стабилизатором изображения. Даёт резкую картинку на открытой диафрагме в любом положении зума. Отличается очень приятным и пластичным боке, привлекательной ценой.Купить

Sony FE 85mm f/1.8Портретный объектив с высокой светосилой и привлекательной ценой. Резок уже на открытой диафрагме, имеет достаточную детализацию и эффектное боке. Подходит для съёмки событий, в том числе динамичных. Оптимальное соотношение цены и качества.Купить
Sony HVL-F45RMПервая и единственная вспышка Sony с дистанционным управлением не только по оптическому каналу, но и по радиоканалу. Способна работать в качестве ведущей (как радиопередатчик) для 15 вспышек в 5 группах, поддерживает высокоскоростную синхронизацию.Купить

Удлинитель рукоятки Sony GP-X1EMУдлинитель рукоятки для фотоаппарата, который увеличивает её высоту и делает хват камеры более комфортным. Сделана из алюминия, что положительно сказывается на её весе. Крепится к гнезду для штатива.Купить
Вертикальная ручка Sony VG-C2EMВертикальная батарейная ручка, которая делает съёмку более удобной в любом положении камеры. Вмещает две батареи NP-FW50, что позволяет увеличить время автономной работы. Имеет три настраиваемые кнопки.Купить
Sony LCS-SC21Надёжная наплечная фотосумка. Легко вмещает камеру с установленным на ней объективом, два–три дополнительных объектива, вспышку или батарейную ручку. Имеет дополнительные карманы сбоку и спереди для небольших аксессуаров.Купить

Sony LCS-ELCCМягкий чехол премиум-класса из натуральной кожи для фотокамеры с объективом. Идеально подходит по размеру. Не препятствует установлению NFC-соединения, смене аккумулятора или карты памяти, подключению через USB-разъём.Купить
Адаптер для объективов Sony LA-EA4Адаптер с полупрозрачным зеркалом и фазовым датчиком автофокуса для объективов Sony, Konica Minolta и Minolta с байонетом А. Обеспечивает прекрасное качество изображения и полную работоспособность любой совместимой автофокусной оптики на беззеркалках Sony.Купить

Page 2

Дата публикации: 30.12.2013

	Корпус обеих “семерок” хоть и имеет не совсем карманные габариты, все равно значительно меньше, чем у любой другой современной полнокадровой камеры, кроме разве что Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX1.
	Корпус Sony A7R изготовлен из магниевого сплава. У ее младшей сестры Sony A7 металла чуть меньше: передняя панель сделана из композитных материалов.
	Верхняя панель предельно лаконична: диск выбора режимов съемки, диск экспокоррекции, кнопка спуска с селектором включения и программируемая кнопка C1.
	Над выступом видоискателя находится горячий башмак. Это башмак ISO 518 с дополнительными контактами Multi Interface Shoe. С прошлого года это стандарт для камер Sony. Старые вспышки и аксессуары могут работать с этим башмаком с помощью переходника.
	Не в пример верхней панели, задняя буквально усеяна различными органами управления. Сверху — программируемая кнопка C2. Справа от нее выступает широкое ребристое колесо управления. Чуть ниже селектор и кнопка блокировки фокуса и экспозиции. Под ним — кнопка Fn, вызывающая быстрое экранное меню.
	Навипэд у Sony традиционно многофункциональный. Мало того, то в режиме съемки его кнопки задействуют дополнительные функции (вверх — отображение информации, влево — режим работы затвора, вправо — баланс белого), навипэд совмещен с управляющим кольцом. По умолчанию оно устанавливает ISO. Под навипэдом находятся кнопки просмотра и удаления (последняя — также программируемая).
	Еще одна небольшая кнопка притаилась на самом ребре камеры. Это кнопка записи видео. Она утоплена в резиновую накладку таким образом, чтобы ее нельзя было нажать случайно — удобное решение.
	Видоискатель камеры поражает своим разрешением и размером. Впрочем, обладателям SLT-A99 он хорошо знаком — он разрабатывался с таким расчетом, чтобы заменить обычный оптический в топовых камерах Sony. Справа от видоискателя находится колесико диоптрийной коррекции, слева — кнопка MENU, сверху — глазок датчика поднесения камеры к лицу.
	Трехдюймовый дисплей обеих “семерок” может похвастаться не только высоким разрешением 921 600 точек, но и наклонным механизмом, прекрасно себя зарекомендовавшим в ряде других фотоаппаратов.
	Все немногочисленные разъемы у A7 и A7R скрыты за двумя дверцами на левом боку: разъем подключения микрофона, наушников (важно для видеографов), многофункциональный micro USB и micro HDMI.
	Матрица у камеры настолько большая, что иногда кажется, будто она не помещается за байонетом. Но спокойно: мы проверили, виньетирования с полнокадровыми объективами не возникает.
	Под указательным пальцем находится переднее управляющее колесо. Оно точно такое же, как на задней панели: металлическое, с умеренно тугим ходом и четко фиксируемым ступенчатым ходом. Рядом с ним — глазок подсветки автофокуса. На рукоятке — ИК датчик для дистанционного пульта.
	Sony A7 и A7R имеют один слот для карт памяти, в котором могут использоваться как карты формата SD, так и фирменного формата Memory Stick Duo.

Ну а сейчас мы ставим Sony Aplha A7 на зарядку, завтра мы отправимся фотографировать на этот фотоаппарат в авторежиме. Посмотрим, на что способна полнокадровая “семерка”.

Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZAОбъектив с почти классическим фокусным расстоянием и легендарным качеством ZEISS. Обладает одновременно высокой резкостью по всему полю кадра, живописным боке и красивым объёмным рисунком. Оптимальное соотношение цены и качества.Купить
Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar FE T* 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSSДобротный штатный зум среднего класса в пыле- и влагозащищённом металлическом корпусе. Подойдёт для любых задач. Обеспечивает высокую резкость уже на открытой диафрагме, имеет эффективный стабилизатор изображения. Удачный баланс между размером и характеристиками.Купить
Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSSПрекрасный телеобъектив с высокой скоростью фокусировки и очень эффективным встроенным стабилизатором изображения. Даёт резкую картинку на открытой диафрагме в любом положении зума. Отличается очень приятным и пластичным боке, привлекательной ценой.Купить

Sony FE 85mm f/1.8Портретный объектив с высокой светосилой и привлекательной ценой. Резок уже на открытой диафрагме, имеет достаточную детализацию и эффектное боке. Подходит для съёмки событий, в том числе динамичных. Оптимальное соотношение цены и качества.Купить
Sony HVL-F45RMПервая и единственная вспышка Sony с дистанционным управлением не только по оптическому каналу, но и по радиоканалу. Способна работать в качестве ведущей (как радиопередатчик) для 15 вспышек в 5 группах, поддерживает высокоскоростную синхронизацию.Купить

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Sony Alpha A7 and A7R review

Every once in a while, a product comes along that changes the dynamic of an entire industry. The iPhone did it in 2007, the Mustang did it in 1964, and Converse did it with the All Star sneaker way back in 1917. Now, Sony is poised to upend the camera industry with the new Alpha A7 and A7R mirrorless cameras.

The A7s are the most advanced and expensive mirrorless cameras Sony has ever produced. They may look similar to the company’s line of NEX cameras, but the A7s have one significant difference: a *much* larger image sensor. Bigger sensors simply produce better pictures, and the full-frame sensor in the A7s is one of the biggest you can get in a consumer-level camera.

Of course, these aren’t the first full-frame cameras out there. But most cameras with big sensors are big and heavy and destined to spend most of their time at home. Sony’s earlier fixed-lens RX1 shifted this notion a bit: it’s a remarkably small camera with a great big sensor stuffed inside. But with a fixed lens and a price tag nearing $3,000, the RX1 made little sense for most buyers.

The new A7 and A7R are still expensive ($1,699.99 and $2,299.99, respectively) but they are significantly cheaper than the RX1. And they let you change lenses. They’re directly comparable to a full-frame DSLR such as a $1,899.99 Canon 6D or a $1,999.95 Nikon D610 — and the A7s are smaller, more portable, and much more approachable for photographers serious and amateur alike.

Most people take pictures with their smartphone (just look at the top three cameras on Flickr), but not because they take the best pictures — it’s because they’re small and portable and always with us. What if you could have a camera that has all of the flexibility and picture quality of a professional DSLR, but can fit in almost any shoulder bag? With the A7s, Sony offers just that.

Video review

Also available on YouTube.

Hardware / design

The Alpha A7s are virtual twins from the outside — their name badges are their only cosmetic difference. The cameras look a lot like Sony’s NEX-7, but they’re slightly larger and have a viewfinder in the middle as opposed to on the far right. Both are solid and well built, with metal materials and big rubber grips; they feel worth their price tags. The A7 has more plastic panels than the A7R, which relies more on metal, but I didn’t notice any handling difference between the two. At just over a pound, the A7s aren’t super lightweight, but they are significantly lighter than a Canon 6D or Nikon D610 (26.7oz and 30oz, respectively). Compared to the Canon and Nikon, the A7’s 5 x 3.75 x 1.94-inch footprint is tiny. It's much easier to carry around all day, and much less intimidating to your subjects when you’re actually taking photos.

Compared to full-frame Canon or Nikons, the a7s' footprints are tiny

Most importantly, the A7s feel good to shoot with. The rubber on the grip is easy to hang on to, even if you have sweaty hands, and there's an abundance of dials, buttons, and switches at your fingertips. I’ve criticized Sony in the past for not putting enough physical buttons and switches on its cameras, but that is not at all a problem here.

The only real design issue I have with the cameras is the electronic viewfinder. The hump atop the camera’s center adds another inch or so of height, and looks like a throwback to cameras of yesteryear. I wish the A7s had the more integrated and modern viewfinder design of the NEX-6 or NEX-7, which is tucked away neatly in the corner, leaving a flat top. Fortunately, the A7’s viewfinder is an absolute gem, with a big, bright, high-resolution display. Many traditional photographers take issue with electronic viewfinders (and rightfully so, since most have been utter crap for years), but the A7’s half-inch XGA OLED viewfinder is just as good as a traditional viewfinder to my eyes.

Sony's only real design misstep is the large viewfinder hump

If you don’t want to shoot with the viewfinder, the A7 has a 3-inch, articulating display you can feast your eyes on. It’s sharp, it’s crisp, it has great color accuracy and viewing angles, and its tiltable design makes getting pictures from unique perspectives much easier. Despite those qualities, I still found myself shooting with the viewfinder more often than not just because it is so nice to look at (especially outdoors in bright light, where it can be difficult to see the rear LCD). Call me a traditionalist, but nothing beats taking pictures through a proper viewfinder.

The A7s aren’t as retro-inspired as Fujifilm’s X-Series, but they are handsome cameras that straddle the line between modern design and nostalgic qualities well. They don’t rewrite what it means to be a camera, and that’s probably a good thing, since their design makes it easy for anyone that’s used a camera before to pick them up and go take pictures.

Performance

Using the A7 is a joy thanks to the intuitive control layout of its dials and switches — it didn’t take me long to learn the system and make exposure adjustments just by feel. I’m pretty familiar with Sony’s control schemes by now because I shoot regularly with Sony cameras, but the A7s are still the most intuitive ones I’ve used yet. I really like how the three-wheel setup of the NEX-7 has been reworked, with one in front and two in the back of the A7, making it much easier to switch things on the fly.

There are also two custom settings on the main mode dial that let you set up the cameras for specific shooting needs and quickly access those setups again. The mode dial features a set of fully automatic and special scene modes, including Sony’s intelligent Superior Auto mode, but the A7s perform their best in the various manual modes, and the abundance of physical controls rewards manual shooting. It’s also much more satisfying to take a fantastic picture when you’ve controlled the camera yourself instead of letting it do the work. (You can call me a traditionalist here, too.)

The A7s are fast thanks to a new processor and I didn’t experience any wait times or lag when the camera was writing data to its SD card, or when turning the camera on from sleep mode. Scrolling through images I had already taken was fast and snappy as well. Both cameras are quite loud in operation, which makes them less than ideal for taking pictures in quiet environments. The A7R’s shutter is significantly louder and more obnoxious than the A7’s, and sounds it as if it’s breaking apart inside the camera every time you snap a frame. It’s not a comforting feeling to get from a $2,300 camera. Also, carrying a spare battery is almost a necessity since the battery dies after only a few hundred shots. As with other recent Sony cameras, the A7s require that you charge them through the Micro USB port, which is slow and not very convenient when I want to use the camera and charge a second battery at the same time.

The 24-megapixel A7 is ever so slightly faster in burst mode than the 36-megapixel A7R, but their 5-frames-per second and 4-frames-per-second maximum burst speeds won’t impress any sports photographers. Neither will their pokey autofocus, which is the most disappointing part of both cameras. The A7 features a hybrid contrast- and phase-detect autofocus system, while the A7R relies solely on a contrast-detection system. That makes the A7 faster to focus, but neither is exactly quick; most modern DSLRs will run circles around them. I also noticed that the autofocus systems tended to miss focus quite often, forcing me to take a series of shots in hopes that at least one of them would be in focus. Fortunately, Sony has an excellent manual focus system with peaking features (the areas in focus blink in the viewfinder) that’s very easy to use.

I like that the A7s have built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, and can be paired to Android and iOS smartphones. Sony has apps available that let you wirelessly transfer images from the camera directly to your smartphone or use your smartphone as a remote viewfinder. I love being able to quickly transfer images to my phone for instant sharing with friends and family and the bragging rights that come with posting a photo to Instagram that just can’t possibly be from a smartphone.

Lens ecosystem

The defining thing that separates the A7 and A7R from the earlier RX1 is the ability to change lenses. The A7s use a version of Sony’s E-mount, which accepts the new FE full-frame compatible lenses as well as the older E-mount lenses designed for Sony’s smaller-sensor NEX cameras. Unfortunately, the selection of FE lenses is extremely limited right now, though Sony says that it will be rapidly expanding it.

Lens options are extremely limited (and expensive) right now

I tested the 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS zoom, the Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2.8, and the Carl Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 lenses on both cameras. The zoom is available for purchase in a kit with the A7 for $300 more than the body alone (or on its own for $499.99), and it’s not nearly as impressive as the camera itself. It’s not particularly bright, it takes forever to focus, it’s all plastic, it’s massive, and the zoom ring isn’t very smooth. On the upside, it does have image stabilization and the pictures it produces do look pretty good (the ones that are in focus, that is). If you are considering the A7 at all, you should probably get the kit with the lens.

While the zoom lens is acceptable, the A7s really come alive when they have a fast prime lens attached. The 35mm lens, which sells for $799.99, is remarkably compact and is sharp even when the aperture is opened all the way up. It’s also much quicker to focus than the zoom and has a much nicer feel thanks to its all-metal build.

Likewise, the 55mm lens ($999.99) is bright (it lets in even more light), quick to focus, and produces great images in difficult light. It’s about twice as long physically as the 35mm, however, so it makes it more difficult to just throw the camera in my shoulder bag on my way out the door. I also prefer the wider field of view of a 35mm lens, which lets me capture both my daughter playing in front of our Christmas tree and the tree itself. The tighter 55mm lens is usable for portraits, though dedicated portrait photographers will likely want something even longer.

Sony has a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f/4 OSS lens planned for early next year (it sounds promising but won’t be cheap at $1,199.99), but the system is still lacking any sort of long telephoto lens. That pretty much rules the A7 cameras out for sports and wildlife photography. It is possible to mount Sony’s NEX lenses on the A7 cameras, but you lose a significant amount of resolution when you do (the A7 cuts down to 10-megapixels, while the A7R goes down to 15 megapixels with an NEX lens). Sony also offers $199.99 (manual focus) and $349.99 (autofocus) adapters to mount Alpha DSLR lenses to the A7s, but those add a significant amount of bulk to the package.

Note: A Sony representative reached out to me after this review was published to let me know that a Sony G 70-200 f/4 OSS zoom lens is also planned for the A7 and A7R, which addresses the lack of a long telephoto lens. It will be available next March for $1,499.99.

Image quality

The full-frame sensors on the A7 and A7R are able to capture so much more light than smaller sensors, I found myself blown away time and again. Both cameras can shoot up to ISO 25,600 when necessary and images up to ISO 6400 are virtually free of noise and grain. Dynamic range is incredible, and the depth-of-field control offered by the bigger sensor is something I wish my smaller-sensor mirrorless camera could match. It’s incredibly easy to separate your subject from the background with the A7s and a fast lens, and that can even be accomplished with the slower zoom lens. The A7s produce the kind of image quality you used to need a heavy, bulky pro DSLR and expensive lenses to obtain, all in a package that can easily fit in my bag.

The 24-megapixel A7 is ever so slightly better at high ISOs than the higher megapixel A7R, but I found it hard tell the difference between the two. The A7 does tend to over-process high ISO images, leaving behind ugly JPEG artifacts that are noticeable if you look closely. They aren’t a problem in many situations and are completely a non-issue if you shoot RAW. The 36-megapixel images from the A7R do offer a bit more room for cropping after the fact, but the A7’s 24 megapixels are more than enough for me and most other non-pro shooters. Studio pros will want to pony up the extra money for the A7R, but the rest of us can put the $600 saved towards adding another lens to our collection.

The a7s produce the kind of image quality you used to need a heavy, bulky pro DSLR and expensive lenses to obtain

The A7s also shoot smooth 1080p video at either 60 or 24 frames per second that rivals comparably priced DSLRs. Pro videographers will appreciate the uncompressed HDMI output option to record to external drives as well as the built-in headphone and external microphone jacks.

At the end of the day, the A7s give you confidence. Confidence that you can get the picture you want even in difficult lighting. Confidence that you can carry around with you everywhere and not leave at home because it’s just too big and heavy. Confidence that you won’t miss those golden photo opportunities because your phone just can’t cut it.

A taste of tomorrow's photography, today

At the end of my review of the Sony RX1, I said all that we need now was a full-frame mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses and the DSLR could be left behind. The a7 and a7R are those cameras, and for most people and most uses, they easily replace a DSLR.

Like the RX1, the a7s aren’t without their faults, namely a poor autofocus system, poor battery life, still fairly high price tag, and very limited lens options. But they are just the start, the first of a breed of camera that is sure to be the nail in the DSLR’s reflex mirror. Many photographers might hesitate to jump ship right away — the a7s aren’t ideal for sports photography and other specific disciplines — but once Sony builds out the lens options and improves the autofocus, it’ll be all but over.

Just like the first iPhone that didn’t have copy and paste, the first Mustang that didn’t have basics such as reverse lights, and the first Converse All Stars that didn’t even have Chuck Taylor’s signature on them, the first full-frame interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras are by no means perfect. But they are so much more advanced in both design and performance than other cameras that they already belong in the conversation.

The original goal for Micro Four Thirds cameras was to take the DSLR’s crown and provide a more portable interchangeable lens camera with the best image quality. In effect, Sony has taken up that mantle, taken the concept even further, and aimed right at the big players in the photography industry, much in the same way the iPhone went right after the incumbent smartphone makers of 2007. It might be a few years before we realize it, but when the DSLR is relegated to a niche status among specialty photographers and full-frame mirrorless cameras dominate the market, we’ll have the a7s to thank as the cameras that started it all.

A taste of tomorrow's photography, today

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Sony Alpha A7r review -

The Sony Alpha A7r is a mirrorless system camera with a full-frame sensor. Announced in October 2013 alongside the more affordable A7, they are the World’s smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless system cameras; note Leica has long offered its M series with full-frame sensors and interchangeable lenses, but they’re larger, heavier and manual focus only. Sony also has its own full-frame RX1 and RX1r compacts, but while they’re mirrorless, they don’t have interchangeable lenses.

The A7r and A7 are externally almost identical, with the only major difference being the sensor within: the more affordable A7 is equipped with a 24.3 Megapixel full-frame sensor with embedded phase-detect AF, while the more expensive A7r sports a 36.4 Megapixel full-frame sensor with the low pass filter removed (for potentially crisper results) but no phase-detect AF points. The full-frame sensors on both models are considerably larger than the APS-C and Micro Four Thirds sensors found in most mirrorless system cameras, allowing shallower depth of field effects at the same apertures and potentially superior noise and dynamic range performance. Like the NEX models though, there’s no built-in stabilisation, with the cameras instead relying on optically stabilised lenses to iron-out any wobbles.

Beyond their sensors, both models are virtually identical. The compact bodies look not dissimilar to the Olympus OMD models and offer a choice of a large XGA OLED viewfinder (roughly the same image size as the OMD EM1) or 3in tilting (non-touch) screen for composition, dust and moisture resistance, Wifi and NFC, the chance to download apps to expand the functionality, 1080p video at 24p / 25p, 60i / 50i or 60p / 50p, and up to 4k TV output over HDMI or Wifi. Bracketing is limited to three or five frames at up to 3EV or 2/3EV repsectively (but could be upgraded via a downloadable app), the maximum shutter is 1/8000, there’s microphone and headphone jacks, and focus peaking. With the promise of D800e quality in a considerably smaller and lighter package, the Alpha A7r has justifiably got a lot of people very excited, but can it live up to expectations? Find out in my Alpha A7r review where I’ll share in-depth comaprisons with the A7, Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e!

Sony Alpha A7 / A7r overview video

At the official Sony press launch, I got my hands on an Alpha A7 and A7r and made this video to guide you through the new features! This video was filmed as a preview, but hopefully remains useful as a guide to the basics before you delve into my full review below and over the following pages!

Sony Alpha A7 / A7r preview

Sony Alpha A7r build quality and handling

The Sony Alpha A7r is styled like a mini DSLR with a combination of curves and flat angular surfaces which at first glance may look a little severe to some, but over time I became quite fond of the style.

Measuring 127x94x48.2mm and weighing 465g with battery and card, it’s surprisingly small and light especially when you consider the full-frame sensor within. Indeed it’s actually roughly the same size and weight as the Olympus OMD EM1 (130x94x63mm / 496g), although the EM1 is a little thicker thanks to a slightly a chunkier grip. Another revealing comparison is against the Olympus OMD EM5 which measures 121x90x42mm and weighs 425g with battery. Do remember though all Olympus bodies include built-in stabilisation which works with any lens you attach, whereas the Sony A7r does not. Here’s how it looks next to the older Olympus OMD EM5.

Place it next to a higher-end DSLR and the difference is dramatic. I hired Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e bodies from BorrowLenses.com in the US primarily for image quality comparisons with the A7r and A7, but was shocked to compare their size and weight against the new Alphas. The 5D3 measures 152x116x76mm and weighs 950g with battery, making it 3.1cm wider, 2.6cm taller and 3.4cm thicker, not to mention double the weight without a lens. Meanwhile the Nikon D800e measures 145x122x81mm and weighs-in at 1Kg with battery, making it 2.4cm wider, 3.2cm taller and around twice the thickness and weight. These two traditional DSLRs literally dwarf the A7r and A7 – you can get an impression of this in the comparisons below where I’ve pictured the A7r against the D800e.

Of course Sony’s no stranger to producing small bodies and the most important measurement is what you end up with when you mount a lens. As I’ll discuss later, there’s not a huge amount of native FE lenses to measure-up, but the two Zeiss primes which are most likely to end up on the A7r are well-proportioned with the body. The 35mm f2.8 adds little to the thickness and brings the weight to 773g. The 35mm is a particularly good match for the A7r. I really enjoyed shooting with this combination and loved how it could easily fit into my small camera bag – indeed I could be very happy with it and the 55mm as a light and classy twin lens kit, although the pair add the best part of two grand (USD) to the system price. Also remember the A7r does not have built-in stabilisation and neither do either of these prime lenses, so that’s a key advantage of the Olympus bodies to weigh-up. But the fact you can compare the size and weight of the A7r and A7 to higher-end Micro Four Thirds bodies when fitted with certain primes remains amazing. Place them next to a Canon or Nikon DSLR of this class with a similar lens and the difference is literally huge.

The A7r’s grip may be fairly small, but if you’re coming from another mirrorless camera you’ll find it just fine. I most commonly shoot with the slightly smaller Olympus OMD EM5, so found the grip on the A7r actually gave me more to hold onto. But again these are very compact bodies compared to traditional DSLRs, especially if you’re coming from a semi-pro model. If you’re down-sizing from something like a Canon EOS 5D Mark III or Nikon D800e you may prefer to fit the A7r with its optional battery grip which certainly gives you much more to hold onto, while still remaining smaller overall than the DSLRs.

At this point I should however note there’s pros and cons to having a small camera body. I love the portability of the A7r, but there’s no denying the sheer heft of a larger body can be easier to hold steady when shooting and can’t help but make you think more about your stance and technique.

Once again I was shocked to remind myself just how big and heavy the 5D3 and D800 are, especially compared to the A7r, but again their size does encourage serious handling. Conversely I found when shooting with the A7r it was easy to fall into a more casual style, and while you can get away with that on smaller formats with stabilisation, there’s much less margin for error when shooting unstabilised with full-frame. Many of my more casual handheld snaps with the A7r were lacking sharpness either due to slightly missing the focus or wobbling a little from camera-shake, and I know under the same conditions I’d have nailed the shot with, say, an Olympus EM5 or EM1. The combination of a very high resolution sensor and unstabilised primes with a shallow depth of field means you should shoot carefully for the best results. The A7r body may look like an OMD EM5, but inside you’ve got something akin to the Nikon D800e and from my experience with that camera I only ever got the full 36 Megapixel goodness from it when shooting on a tripod. Of course you may be steadier or have better technique, I just wanted to point out this is not a casual camera.

The Alpha A7r may be small and light, but it feels very well built and confident in your hands. The shell is built from magnesium alloy and the entire camera is weather-proofed. To what degree neither Sony nor I can say, but I did use it with the (also weather-sealed) Zeiss 55mm f1.8 out in a steady shower with no ill effects.

Interestingly while the Alpha A7r and the A7 look and feel virtually identical, there are minor differences in their construction. The A7 shell for example isn’t entirely made from magnesium alloy, instead employing an enhanced plastic front panel to reduce the cost a little; strangely this actually makes the A7 a tad heavier too. Look really closely and you may also notice the mode and exposure compensation dials on the top of the A7r are furnished from solid aluminium with a slightly different texture compared to aluminium plating on the A7. But to be honest I couldn’t tell any difference between the way they felt once they were in my hands. I did several blind tests, and at no point could I or anyone else I asked tell the difference between the cameras by look or touch alone.

Both cameras share the same control system which works very well. Separate finger and thumb dials fall easily to hand, and there’s an additional rear wheel which means you can adjust the shutter, aperture and ISO quickly and easily. Suffice it to say you can also customize the dials and some of the buttons too. There’s also a separate exposure compensation dial which again gives you quick and easy access.

Also personal – but I’m sure to be appreciated by everyone – is the new menu system, finally laying the bizarre approach of the NEX models to rest. In their place is a tabbed non-scrolling set of pages not dissimilar to Canon’s menu system which is so much better than what Sony previously offered. It’s easy to overlook this on reviews which concentrate on the specifications, but in use the new user interface makes a massive difference to the handling experience.

So far so good, but when shooting with the A7r I found myself regularly cursing Sony for not equipping it or the A7 with touch-screens. If you’ve never used a touch screen, you may wonder what the fuss is about, but when it comes to selecting a focusing point they can’t be beaten. As it stands if you want to manually position a focusing area on the A7r, you’ll need to press the Function button and choose the focus area option (or configure a custom button to take you straight there), then use the controls to reposition it as desired. Almost inevitably I’d often find myself off by a small amount and having to go through the process again just to adjust it a little, or recomposing the shot so the subject fell below the fixed area. Very frustrating when you’re used to just tapping once and getting the desired result on models like the Panasonic and Olympus bodies.

I should also mention the tilting screen which may be great if you shoot from behind the camera in the landscape orientation, but is of little use if you either shoot in the portrait orientation or take self portraits or film pieces to camera. If the screen was fully articulated, you’d be able to compose with comfort in the portrait shape and film pieces to camera which makes video blogging so much easier. To be fair none of Canon or Nikon’s full-frame cameras even have tilting screens, so it is at least a step ahead of them, but Sony fans will remember full articulation has been seen before on the SLT models.

The Alpha A7r is powered by an NP-FW50 which Sony reckons is good for around 270 images under CIPA standards. In my tests I generally found a single charge got me through a fairly heavy day, although if you’re shooting really heavily or including a lot of video, then you’ll want to carry a spare.

The A7r’s battery can be charged as normal using an optional mains-powered unit, but in what’s probably a first for a camera of its class, you can also charge the battery in-camera over a USB connection. This is something I’ve seen on plenty of smaller cameras, but not on any interchangeable lens models I can think of, let alone full-frame ones. I think it’s a brilliant feature and one I certainly exploited during my tests. After one long day of shooting I got a fully depleted battery up to 82% by connecting it to a vehicle’s USB port during a two hour drive and continued shooting when I reached my destination. It’s quite liberating being able to recharge – or at least topup – a battery over USB with a laptop or car charger adapter without the need for extra accessories. It’s a key benefit of the A7r over its rivals right now.

The A7r does not have a built-in flash, but it does have a standard hotshoe including Sony’s Multi Interface Shoe contacts to support the company’s range of accessories. The A7r is also equipped with USB and Micro HDMI ports, along with 3.5mm microphone input and headphone jacks. The A7r also sports built-in Wifi with NFC, which allows wireless transfer of images and supports the company’s selection of optional apps to expand its capabilities, more of which later. The HDMI port can be configured to output a 4k signal for compatible TVs, allowing you to view your photos at a higher resolution, but note video is still captured and played back at a maximum of 1080p. The HDMI output can also be configured to deliver a clean feed without any graphics, and in a particuarly neat move for anyone using an external recorder, the HDMI feed remains clean and unscaled even if you’re using magnified assistance on the camera’s screen; impressively the HDMI output also includes audio. Interestingly the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, while ultimately delivering video that’s bereft of moire, mirrors the HDMI output with any screen-based assistance and does not include audio on the feed either, forcing anyone with an external recorder to take a seperate audio feed. These all prove that Sony is thinking carefully about the needs of video professionals, although note my friends who are experts in these fields have commented they have not yet been able to record a 1080p feed over HDMI, only 1080i. That said, the inetrnal AVCHD encoding for 1080p looks pretty good for most requirements.

There’s an optional RM-VPR1 cable release which is also compatible with a variety of other Sony models, although you can also remote trigger the camera over Wifi using a smartphone since the Smart Remote app is permanently embedded in the A7 and A7r.

Finally there’s a single memory card slot in the right grip side, that’s compatible with SD cards (class 4 or faster) and Sony’s Memory Stick Duo. Yes, two slots would have been nice for redundancy or backup, but I guess in a camera of this size, every cubic millimeter counts.

Sony Alpha A7r viewfinder and screen

The Sony Alpha A7r is a 100% Live View camera with the choice of a screen or electronic viewfinder for composition. The viewfinder is one of the best electronic models I’ve had to pleasure of using. It employs an OLED panel with XGA resolution (1024×768 or 2.359 million dots) and a large 0.71x magnification. This places it roughly on par with the Olympus OMD EM1 in size and resolution, although the native 4:3 aspect ratio of the Olympus means its images fill the panel and appear taller.

In use the Sony viewfinder didn’t suffer from any tearing or rainbow artefacts – something I’m very sensitive to – and the image was always large, bright and very detailed. I had the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e alongside me while testing the A7r and can tell you their optical viewfinders were pretty much exactly the same size, so if you’re considering a switch you won’t lose anything in image size or coverage.

Of course there’s pros and cons to electronic viewfinders. On the downside they can’t help but become noisier or slower to refresh in very dim conditions, and the time taken to display an electronic image means they often lag in a continuous shooting environment. This makes them less desirable for very low light and fast action shots. But it’s not all one sided. The advantage of electronic composition is the ability to overlay guides, offer magnified focusing assistance and peaking, preview changes in white balance or effects, not to mention filming movies and playing back video or photos. It’s an entirely personal choice, but for me the benefits of electronic viewfinders now outweigh optical ones for my work, and again the A7r and A7 are equipped with one of the best around.

If you prefer you can compose with the 3in / 921k dot screen. As mentioned earlier the screen can tilt to face directly upwards or down at an angle making overhead or waist-height shooting more convenient. But annoyingly it’s not fully articulated, preventing the same benefits to shooters in the portrait shape. Lack of full articulation also means you can’t fold the screen back on itself for protection or towards the subject for self-portraits or filming pieces to camera.

As you’ve probably gathered by now I’m a big fan of fully articulated screens, and it frustrates me when a camera is only equipped with a tilting screen, although I should note neither the Canon EOS 5D Mark III nor Nikon D800e even have tilting screens. I was also disappointed Sony didn’t make the screen touch-sensitive either as I find this such a quick and easy way to manually position AF areas. For me this is a key advantage of other systems.

Pressing the DISP button cycles through a selection of up to five different information views, each super-imposed onto the live image: you can have up to three different views of the shooting information from detailed to none at all, along with a live histogram or a dual axis leveling gauge, although not at the same time. The DISP button menu lets you choose which of the five views you’d like enabled, and very neatly you can separately configure them for the screen and viewfinder – there’s no restrictions. The main screen also offers an extra view which replaces the live image with a page full of shooting information including both a live histogram and a leveling gauge, all on the same page – this has to be the most useful and detailed single shooting information screen I’ve seen.

While focusing in Live View with both Sonys and the two DSLRs, I also noticed the A7 / A7r image when magnified was cleaner and more detailed than the Nikon D800(e), albeit not as clean as the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. So if you’re coming from the Nikon you’ll find it easier to focus in live view when magnified, but Canon owners may notice a small drop in the magnifed live image quality.

Sony Alpha A7r lens mount

The Alpha A7r is equipped with an E-mount that’s compatible with existing E-mount lenses for NEX cameras along with a new range of FE lenses that are designed for full-frame use. The camera does not feature built-in stabilisation, so to iron-out any wobbles you’ll need optically-stabilised lenses.

Sony launched the A7r and A7 with five native FE lenses, all of which are weather-sealed and feature internal focusing for quick and quiet operation: a 28-70mm f3.5-5.6 stabilised and kit zoom, a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f4 stabilised zoom, the Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8 primes, and the 70-200mm f4 G telephoto zoom with stabilisation.

The two primes are fairly compact, as are the two general-purpose zooms – indeed the use of five aspherical elements and a shorter flange distance allow the Zeiss 24-70mm f4 to be smaller than Canon’s 24-70mm f4.

Note at the time of launch, the 28-70mm was only available in a kit with the cheaper A7, while the 24-70mm, 55mm and 70-200mm weren’t expected in significant volume until early 2014. This means the only native lens available for the A7r at launch could be the Zeiss 35mm f2.8, but luckily this is a compact and high quality lens that’s great for general-purpose use, albeit not exactly bright or cheap at around $800 USD. Sony promises up to ten new native FE lenses in 2014 including an f4 ultra wide Zeiss zoom, a fast Zeiss prime and a G-series macro.

Five native lenses is a fairly modest start, especially as a number of them aren’t available at launch, but the key benefit of the A7r and A7 are their ability to use lenses from other systems.

For starters, there’s Sony’s own E-mount lens catalogue for their NEX system. These mount on the A7r and A7 without the need for an adapter, although of course are only corrected for a smaller APS-C frame. If you mount one on the A7r, the camera defaults to a crop mode, delivering the same field-of-view as an APS-C camera with a 1.5x coverage reduction and a maximum resolution of 15 Megapixels. So if you’re upgrading from a NEX 6, you can use all your existing lenses and capture images with essentially the same resolution, although owners of the NEX 7 will have to accept a big reduction on image size with their older E-mount lenses.

In a welcome move though, you can turn off the crop mode and have the A7r capture the entire 36 Megapixel full frame area when using older E-mount lenses – there’ll be significant vignetting and softening in the corners, but the usable frame could extend beyond the APS-C area, especially if you’re into making square crops. Here’s what you’d get if you fit the Zeiss 24mm f1.8 E-mount lens to the A7r in a portrait taken by my friend DL Cade of PetaPixel – thanks for letting me use the photo!

1/60, f5, 2000 ISO, Sony Zeiss 24mm f1.8 for NEX

Photo credit: DL Cade / PetaPixel

Another popular NEX lens is the Sony 10-18mm f4 ultra wide zoom. I mounted it on the A7 and took a series of handheld photos at 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18mm. You can download the original files by clicking each picture below.


Sony 10-18mm f4 for NEX mounted on A7 body

Sony 10-18mm at 10mm f8	Sony 10-18mm at 12mm f8	Sony 10-18mm at 14mm f8


	Sony 10-18mm at 16mm f8	Sony 10-18mm at 18mm f8

At 10mm there’s significant vignetting as you’d expect, but the usable area extends well beyond the border of the APSC frame. You can make a square crop using the full height of the frame and only just dip into the first, fainter, vignette towards the edge of the imaging circle. Yes, the image gets quite soft towards the edge of the circle, but for smaller reproductions or subjects where you’re not concentrating on detail at the edges it is surprisingly usable. Note some of the softness on the left side on all the samples here is due to the depth of field, so for a fairer evaluation be sure to check the right side too.

Zoom the lens into just 12mm and the periphery of the imaging circle has virtually disappeared with just the faintest vignetting in the corners visible. Again the detail softens towards the corners, but it’s not that bad; I’ve certainly seen some so-called full-frame lenses perform similarly.

Between 13 and 15mm any evidence of the outer imaging circle edge disappears with no vignetting to comment on. There’s still softness in the extreme edges and corners, but again I’d say the usable area extends way beyond the APSC frame.

At 16mm there’s the faintest evidence of vignetting, heralding the return of the imaging circle’s edge, and by 18mm it’s become quite dark in the extreme corners once more, although not by as much as at 10mm. But I’d say the lens at 18mm performs best of all at the extreme edges, further extending the usable area.

I’d say this is an excellent result for the Sony 10-18mm lens. Mount it on a full-frame body and you’ll be capturing enormously wide fields of view, which actually manage to avoid vignetting between 13 and 15mm, and which show only minimal evidence of corner darkening at 12 and 16mm. At the extreme ends of the focal range, especially the wide-end, the imaging circle’s edge becomes quite visible, but there’s still enough clearance for a square crop.

Of course don’t expect miracles: the detail becomes progressively softer beyond the APSC area, but so long as you’re not pixel-peeping at 100% the results are surprisingly good. If you view or print at smaller sizes, or of course shoot compositions that don’t require pin-sharp detail in the corners, then it can be a fun option while we wait for the planned Zeiss ultra wide f4 zoom.

Meanwhile you could alternatively mount one of the ultra wide zooms from a third party via an adapter, such as the Canon EF 17-40mm f4L, EF 16-35mm f2.8L, Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8, or of course Sony’s own 16-35mm f2.8 A-mount lens. I have examples of the last two coming up in just a moment! But before that here’s a different view of the Sony 10-18mm at 10mm on an A7. You can view the same subject at 12mm, 14mm, 16mm and 18mm.

1/60, f4, 400 ISO, Sony 10-18mm f4 at 10mm

Click image to access original at Flickr

You can also mount any of Sony’s existing A-mount lenses via one of two adapters. The simpler LA-EA3 supports leisurely contrast-based AF only on both the A7r and the A7, while the pricier LA-EA4 includes the semi-transparent mirror technology of Sony’s SLT cameras, effectively equipping both the A7r and A7 with a small array of phase-detect AF points when using these lenses. This AF system over-rides the existing on-chip PDAF system of the A7.

These adapters open up a broader lens catalogue including a number of high quality options that are corrected for full-frame use, and the more sophisticated LA-EA4 effectively lets you use them on the A7r with phase-detect AF as well. I tried the A7r with a selection of A-mount lenses via the LA-EA4 and found it focused fairly swiftly and confidently for single AF acquisition, but I enjoyed less luck using the 70-400mm f4-5.6 G SSM telephoto zoom with Continuous AF, attempting to track hand-gliders take off and land. I admit to being a bit disappointed by my lack of success here as continuous AF should be one of the strong points of the SLT AF system.

That said, the LA-EA4 may have been a pre-production adapter and there’s also the possibility of a calibration error with the mirror in the adapter and this particular sample of the lens. Sony’s anticipated the latter and equipped both the A7r and A7 with AF micro-adjustment options, allowing you to eliminate calibration errors, although I didn’t get the chance to put these to the test during my initial time with the cameras. I hope to retest the combination of the A7r and LA-EA4 with Alpha lenses, as if it can be configured to work well, then it could eliminate one of the camera’s weaknesses: relatively slow AF that’s ineffective in a continuous environment.

8.22MB, Aperture Priority, 1/320, f8, 100 ISO, Sony 16-35mm f2.8 ZA SSM at 16mm

Click image to access original at Flickr

I should however note that while the simpler LA-EA3 passes all the light through (since it doens’t have the LA-EA4’s semi-transparent mirror), it should only be considered by those with a great deal of patience for autofocusing. I tried it with Sony’s 16-35mm f2.8 ZA SSM and 70-200mm f2.8 SSM lenses on both the A7r and A7 and found the contrast-based AF system searched back and forth for between four and seven seconds before it finally locked-on. So if you want snappier AF with Alpha lenses, you’ll definitely want to go for the LA-EA4 instead, and accept the light loss of the SLT mirror path.

But the unique combination of a full-frame sensor in a mirrorless body give the A7r and A7 many more options outside of Sony’s own lens catalogues. The short flange to sensor distance has of course been exploited by many mirrorless cameras to date to adapt lenses from multiple systems but most have cropped the image due to their smaller format sensors.

Now with a full-frame sensor the A7r and A7 can use Canon, Nikon, Leica, Contax and just about any other lens without a crop, allowing them to deliver their intended coverage. Of course you’ll need an adapter and their capabilities vary, but I had a chance to try out a variety of adapters for Nikon, Canon and Leica lenses.

Starting with Nikkor lenses, I tried the Novoflex adapter which may be completely manual but surprisingly quick in use.

I tried it with the Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 ultra wide lens and used a combination of magnified live view and focus peaking for assistance. Meanwhile a lever allows the adapter to adjust the aperture blindly, although if you keep your eye on the camera’s metering you can estimate each stop as a 1EV difference. Here’s a photo I took with the combination.

9.7MB, Manual, 2 secs, approx f8, 80 ISO, Nikkor 14-24mm at 14mm

Click image to access original at Flickr

6.5MB, Aperture Priority, 1/100, f4, 800 ISO, Canon EF 24-105mm at 105mm

Click image to access original at Flickr

Moving onto Canon lenses, I used the Metabones Smart Adapter III – this version is necessary to support full-frame coverage as earlier adapters are only suitable for cropped sensors. The Smart Adapter III is the complete opposite to the Novoflex, offering pretty much fully automatic operation with Canon EF lenses as if you were using a Canon DSLR.

You can electronically control the aperture using the camera in any exposure mode, along with exploiting autofocus and image stabilisation; all the EXIF information from the lens is also passed to the camera and stored in the images.

I took the photo opposite handheld using the 24-105mm at 105mm and the optical stabilisation allowed me to easily hold it steady at 1/100 even though the position wasn’t particuarly comfortable and I was wobbling. I have several other samples from the 24-105mm in my A7r sample images gallery and impressively the optical resolution is sufficient for the more demanding 36 Megapixels of the A7r.

Like the LA-EA3 adapter for Alpha lenses, the Smart Adapter will only let the A7r and A7 autofocus using a contrast based system, but in my tests with the EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM, it generally locked-on in three to four seconds.

This not only makes it comfortably quicker than using Alpha lenses via Sony’s own LA-EA3 adapter, but only a tad slower than focusing in Live View on Canon’s DSLRs. As such if you’re used to composing and focusing in Live View using a Canon DSLR, say for landscape or architectural shooting, you’ll find the transition to a Sony A7r or A7 very easy with the Smart Adapter III. Obviously the Canon AF is still faster when composing through the viewfinder, but again many more considered photographers compose and focus in Live View and don’t mind waiting a couple of seconds for a lock.

Next up I tried the A7 and A7r with two Leica Summicron lenses, the 35mm f2 and the 50mm f2, via a Metabones M mount adapter. Unsurprisingly you’ll be shooting lenses like these completely manually for focus and exposure, but the experience is actually surprisingly quick and enjoyable. Thanks to magnified views when composing, it’s easy to nail the focus even with the apertures wide open, and an effective technique involves getting the focus close then simply rocking a little back and forth until the subject comes into sharp focus. I borrowed the Leica lenses and adapters from Hireacamera, which is a fantastic UK-based rental firm; if you’re based in the US, I’d recommend BorrowLenses – both are great for trying out new or exotic gear before buying.

6.22MB, Manual, 1/1250, f2, 100 ISO, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

Portrait by Guy Thatcher from UK rental firm, Hireacamera. Click image to access original at Flickr

I think there’s a lot of Leica owners who adore their lenses, but perhaps are wondering what to do in terms of a body upgrade. If they’re the types who enjoy and exploit newer technologies, the Sony bodies represent an interesting option for their existing lens collections, especially the A7r which lets them capture high resolution 36 Megapixel images. I would however point out that neither of the Sony shutters could be described a quiet or discreet, so if you’re a Leica street shooter, you may still prefer your existing body. That said, I reckon the Summicrons look pretty cool mounted on a Sony body, as shown below – what do you think? I also have a selection of shots taken with the Leica lenses on my sample images page. I’ve also provided some shots for comparison between various 35mm options, and those considering the native Zeiss 35mm f2.8 may be interested to discover it out-performed the mighty (and considerably more expensive) Summicron 35mm f2 in the corners and edges on my test composition when both were set to f8. Not bad considering the Zeiss is cheaper and of course supports autofocus on the Sony bodies.



Portraits by Guy Thatcher from UK rental firm, Hireacamera

So while the native FE lens catalogue at launch is limited, there are loads of opportunities to fit the A7r and A7 with legacy and third party lenses via a wealth of adapters, and again its lack of sensor crop gives them a unique advantage in the market. Imagine if Sony had also managed to include built-in IS in the A7r and A7, allowing them to not only enjoy uncropped access to such lenses, but with stabilisation too. We can but hope for future generations.

Note if you intend to use the A7r or A7 with specific third party lenses via an adapter, I’d strongly recommend trying to find someone online who’s already tested them for compatibility or issues. I can tell you about the specific combinations above, but if you’re wondering about other options – partiuclarly if they’re very wide or bright primes – you should search to see if anyone else has used them.

Sony Alpha A7r focusing

The Sony Alpha A7r employs a 100% contrast-based autofocusing system. This is one of the major differences between it and the cheaper A7 which additionally offers embedded phase-detect AF points for subjects in a central frame, falling back to a contrast-based system for the border around it. Interestingly the 100% contrast-based system of the A7r makes it fairly unusual in the current mirrorless world as most cameras apart from Micro Four Thirds models (the Olympus EM1 excluded) offer a hybrid system with phase-detect AF assistance.

The A7r splits most of the frame into 25 areas which can be automatically selected in the Multi Point mode. Zone and Center-weighted options are also available, as is the opportunity to manually place an AF area almost anywhere on-screen using the rocker controls; this Flexible Spot mode also allows you to resize the AF area as Small, medium or Large. The AF system works down to 0EV light levels.

As a full-time Live View system, the A7r can support technologies like face detection, which Sony now complements with optional eye detection. Like Olympus bodies before it, this allows the camera to first frame a face before then locking-onto the closest eye. The implementation is a little different between them though, and despite their recent investment in Olympus, Sony engineers assured me this was their own developed technology. So on the A7r the eye isn’t selected automatically – instead you’ll need to press and hold the button in the middle of the rear wheel to fire-up the system, after which a small AF area is placed over the nearest eye on the primary detected face. I found the Olympus system quicker as when enabled it simply locks onto the eye without additional button presses, but I still appreciate the its presence on the A7r as it makes casual portrait shots much easier.

There’s the choice of Single Shot AF, Continuous AF, Direct Manual Focus, or Manual Focus modes, and magnified assistance at 7.2x and 14.4x, the latter roughly offering a 1:1 view on-screen. The A7r also offers focus peaking with three level settings and the choice of white, red or yellow fringing to indicate sharp focus. It is possible to use focus peaking while filming video.

I initially tried the Alpha A7r with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 and Zeiss 55mm f1.8 lenses. In Single Shot AF under good light, the A7r fitted with either lens took about half a second to lock-onto the subject and in dimmer conditions around one second. Sometimes under dimmer conditions or with a smaller focusing area size there was visible hunting, not always resulting in a successful lock. For example in the composition I used for my low light high ISO tests, the A7r consistently failed to lock perfectly onto the subject, forcing me to shoot in manual focus.

In Continuous AF mode the A7r also struggled to stay locked on a moving subject. I tried at first with moving vehicles, then simply with a friend walking purposefully towards me over a distance of about 10-2m, but in either case the A7r delivered less than a 30% success rate.

For comparison I performed the same tests with the Alpha A7. If the subject were outside the phase-detect AF area, the performance was essentially the same as the A7r. If the subject were within the phase detect area though, the A7 felt faster and more confident in good light, but again in dimmer conditions took as long as a second to confirm focus.

In a Continuous AF environment the A7 unsurprisingly performed better so long as the subject was within the phase-detect AF area. Under those conditions the hit rate increased over the A7r, but it was still far from the kind of success you’d expect from shooting with the optical viewfinder on a DSLR. And once again if the subject fell in the border outside the phase-detect area, the A7’s performance was effectively the same as the A7r.

I had high hopes for the AF with A-mount lenses fitted via the LA-EA4 as this effectively bypasses the camera’s own AF system in favour of the adapter’s built-in SLT system – this uses a semi-transparent mirror to drive a traditional phase-detect AF system and should therefore allow the A7r and A7 to focus as well as Sony’s SLT cameras.

As discussed in the lens section above though, I didn’t enjoy a great deal of success shooting with the Sony 70-400mm SSM G lens on the A7r via the LA-EA4 adapter in Continuous AF mode. Most of my shots of moving subjects were slightly out of focus, although this could have been down to a pre-production adapter or a calibration error with the lens and adapter. Sony offers AF Microadjustment just for this purpose and once I have the camera back for testing at a later date I’d like to try these tests again.

But in my tests so far I’d say autofocus is the most disappointing aspect of the A7r. It’s a little quicker than, say, most older Canon or Nikon DSLRs in Live View, but compared to the EOS 70D or most mirrorless cameras, it feels slow and lacking in confidence. I had an Olympus OMD EM5 with me while testing the A7r and A7 and in Single AF mode it would lock onto subjects almost instantly, and also operated more confidently in lower light too. The latest Panasonic mirrorless cameras are even better still in low light, confidently focusing in much dimmer conditions down to -3EV. Now to be fair, they have smaller sensors with lower resolutions and lenses with larger inherent depth-of-fields which all make focusing much easier than a 36 Megapixel full-framer – but when you’re taking photos of a subject in less than perfect conditions you don’t really care about the format, only the response and result.

I should also mention that most mirrorless cameras have failed to impress me so far when it comes to continuous AF. Some do it better than others, but the fact is none offer anywhere near the speed and confidence of the phase-detect AF systems in the optical viewfinders of traditional DSLRs. So while the A7 is definitely better than the A7r in terms of speed and continuous AF, at least in the area covered by the PDAF points, I’d say neither camera is suited to action photography where the subject is moving towards or away from you. They’re not sports cameras, and the A7r’s AF system in my tests only ever felt truly happy given a static subject in good light with loads of detail to lock onto.

On a more positive note there’s lots of assistance if you prefer to shoot in manual focus, or are using third party lenses via an adapter. You can magnify the view by 7.2 or 14.4x, the latter delivering around a 1:1 / 100% view on-screen. In side-by-side tests with the A7r / A7, Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e, I found the Canon still delivered the cleanest, most detailed image in magnified Live View, but the Sonys weren’t too far behind and all of then were much more usable than the noisy and low detail of the magnified Live View image on the Nikon D800e.

There’s also focus peaking at a choice of three levels and in three colours. In my tests I had lots of opportunity to try out focus peaking, both with native FE mount lenses and third party options via adapters, but I found a coloured fringe didn’t always correspond to a pin-sharp subject. Indeed I frequently had to make minor adjustments to the focus to completely nail the result, despite peaking assuring me all was well. This particularly applies if you’re viewing the whole image on-screen and not a magnified view.

I wonder whether focus peaking is something that works best on the more forgiving resolution of video? Maybe the precision demanded by 36 Megapixel full-frame and a very shallow depth of field is a step too far for it. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate its inclusion on the A7r, but while it proved useful in my tests it was more a guide than a 100% reliable technique. Again this is based on my tests so far and further evaluation may reveal better results – watch this space.

Sony Alpha A7r shooting modes

The Sony Alpha A7r’s mode dial offers the usual PASM shooting modes, along with AUTO (actually two Autos via an on-screen option), SCN (accessing nine presets via an on-screen menu), Sweep Panorama, two custom memory presets and the Movie mode. You can start filming video in any shooting mode, but by first turning the dial to the Movie position you can frame in the selected video format (such as 16:9 for HD) and also adjust more settings.

The camera has access to shutter speeds between 1/8000 and 30 seconds with a Bulb option. The flash sync is 1/160, compared to 1/250 on the A7. Fairly basic bracketing is available with three frames at increments between 1/3 and 3EV or five frames in increments of 1/3 to 2/3EV. The A7r is also compatible with Sony’s optional downloadable apps which can extend its capabilities. At the time of writing Sony reckoned only Smart Remote Control (already embedded in the camera) and Direct Upload (for posting direct to social networks) were compatible, but I’d expect the others to be updated where necessary including the Bracket Pro app. As far as I understand this doesn’t offer any deeper exposure bracketing yet, but the fact you can install apps to expand the capabilities of the camera is very cool, especially now the API is open for third party developers.

At this point I’d like to mention the sound of the shutter – something I rarely discuss in reviews, but something that lots of folk have been asking about. The Alpha A7r’s shutter isn’t particularly loud, but it is an unusually long drawn-out sound compared to other models, including the Alpha A7. Unlike the A7r, the A7 actually employs an electronic first-curtain, so while the shutter volume is similar to the A7r, the sound is shorter in two parts like a ‘ther-clik’. In contrast the A7r shutter is mechanical on both curtains so can’t help being longer. Sadly neither camera has a silent 100% electronic shutter option. I know electronic shutters can have issues with rolling shutter artefacts, but unless the effect is horrendous I still like to have the option for situations like weddings or in galleries.

I had the Canon 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e on hand while testing the A7 and A7r, so had a chance to compare their respective shutter sounds. Both of these traditional DSLRs were actually a bit louder, with the Canon also sounding sharper and the Nikon a little lower pitched. But crucially they were both much faster sounds, which gave them the impression of being faster, more responsive cameras, almost hungry for the shot, whereas the Sonys, especially the A7r, sounded much more leisurely almost like they were lolloping along.

Now this is entirely personal and you may disagree or even laugh at my description above, but while testing the A7 and A7r with a group of photographers, most of us commented on their shutter sounds, so if you’re sensitive about this you’ll definitely want to check them out first.

I’ll continue discussing the other shooting modes and effects in part two of this review coming soon! Time now to discuss other aspects of the camera.

Sony Alpha A7r movie mode

The Sony Alpha A7r is equipped with very capable movie recording facilities. It can record Full HD 1080 video at 60p / 50p, 60i / 50i or 24p / 25p, there’s full manual control over exposures, it can continuously autofocus while filming, there’s active focus peaking while recording, adjustable audio level meters, jacks for an external microphone and headphones, uncompressed (and clean) HDMI output, and of course as a full-time Live View system you can compose, film and playback using the screen or electronic the viewfinder.

Set the A7r to 60p / 50p (depending on region) and it’ll encode at a high rate of 28Mbit/s. Set it to 60i / 50i (depending on region) and you have the choice of encoding at 24 or 17Mbit/s. Set it to 24p / 25p (depending on region) and you can choose between 24 and 17Mbit/s. Unlike Canon and Nikon’s DSLRs, the frame rates are regionally-dependent, so PAL regions won’t have access to 60p, 60i or 24p, while NTSC regions won’t have access to 50p, 50i or 25p – I do hope Sony addresses this in a firmware update. All of the modes above are encoded using AVCHD, but you can alternatively choose MP4 at either 1440×1080 at 12Mbit/s (stretched for playback into 1080p) or VGA at 3Mbit/s. The maximum recording time is approximately 29 minutes, but a 2GB file limit for MP4 means you’ll need to be shooting in AVCHD for longer clips.

The HDMI output can also be configured to deliver a clean feed without any graphics, and in a particuarly neat move for anyone using an external recorder, the HDMI feed remains clean and unscaled even if you’re using magnified assistance on the camera’s screen; impressively the HDMI output also includes audio. Interestingly the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, while ultimately delivering video that’s bereft of moire, mirrors the HDMI output with any screen-based assistance and does not include audio on the feed either, forcing anyone with an external recorder to take a seperate audio feed. These all prove that Sony is thinking carefully about the needs of video professionals, although note my friends who are experts in these fields have commented they have not yet been able to record a 1080p feed over HDMI, only 1080i. That said, the inetrnal AVCHD encoding for 1080p looks pretty good for most requirements.

I’m working on further tests for video on the A7r for an update to this review soon, along with preparing many more samples but right now I wanted to share a small selection of clips which give you an idea of the quality and features in practice. In my tests so far I’m finding the A7r delivers fairly clean results, albeit with some visible moire at times. Many speculated the A7 would be better at video than the A7r, but in my tests below it’s roughly the same in terms of noise and detail, although at times moire is actually more visible on the A7 video than the A7r; conversely the A7 does enjoy an advantage in a continuous AF environment thanks to its embedded phase detect AF points. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III remains the quality leader with cleaner and crisper video, suffering from zero moire in all of my samples. Meanwhile the Nikon D800e is the worst of the four, suffering from similar levels of moire as the two Sonys, but with worse noise and lower detail.

Sony Alpha A7r sample video at 60p: outdoors with 35mm f2.8

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This clip shows the A7r’s video under ideal conditions with bright light and fixed focus. I used the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens at f8, and set the video quality to 1080 / 60p

Sony Alpha A7r sample video at 60p: continuous AF (pulling) with 55mm f1.8

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This clip demonstrates the continuous focusing capabilities of the Alpha A7r. I fitted it with the Zeiss 55mm f1.8 and opened the aperture fully. I then set the focus to continuous and pointed it between a nearby tree and the forest beyond, waiting for the focus to catch up with each adjustment; apologies for the wobbly footage as this was handheld without stabilisation. Normally continuous AF proves to be a challenge for 100% contrast based AF systems, but while the A7r can hardly be described as swift or quick off the block in this regard, it does at least refocus on the desired areas smoothly, quietly and with minimal hunting. I’d say this is a fair result. I should however note that the A7 under the same conditions was noticeably more confident with quicker response and less hunting, so long as the subject fell within its phase-detect AF area.

Sony Alpha A7r sample video at 50p: manual focus pulling with Leica Summicron 35mm f2

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In this clip I mounted a Leica Summicron 35mm f2, set the aperture to f2, then manually pulled-focus between the foreground and background, using a magnified view for assistance.

Sony Alpha A7r sample video at 24p: low light at 1600 ISO

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To test the low light video capabilities of the A7r I filmed a series of clips in dim conditions between 800 and 25600 ISO using the Zeiss 35mm lens and a tripod. For comparison I filmed the same scene with the same lens with the A7 moments later, followed by the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800, the latter pair fitted with 35mm f1.4 lenses from each company. In each case the lenses were stopped to f2.8 unless otherwise stated and all clips were filmed in 1080 / 24p. The clip here was filmed at 1600 ISO, but I also have versions at 800 ISO, 3200 ISO, 6400 ISO, 12800 ISO and 25600 ISO.

Sony Alpha A7 sample video at 24p: low light at 1600 ISO

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Here’s my version of the low light scene filmed with the Alpha A7. Some speculated it would deliver superior quality to the A7r, but judging from these clips I’d say there’s little to nothing in it. Both share similar noise levels, similar degrees of detail and also similar amounts of moire suggesting that one isn’t superior at scaling than the other. The clip here was filmed at 1600 ISO, but I also have versions at 800 ISO, 3200 ISO, 6400 ISO, 12800 ISO and 25600 ISO.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III sample video at 24p: low light at 1600 ISO

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Here’s my version of the same scene filmed with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. This is the camera to beat for video and, well, the Alpha A7r doesn’t. The EOS 5D Mark III is consistently cleaner, crisper, and thanks to its exact down-sampling suffers from no moire either. So while the A7r and indeed the A7 outperform its still photo quality, the 5D3 remains the video camera to of choice, especially coupled with its silent control options; if only Canon would equip it with a fully-articulated touchscreen too. The clip here was filmed at 1600 ISO, but I also have versions at 800 ISO, 3200 ISO, 6400 ISO, 12800 ISO and 25600 ISO.

Nikon D800e sample video at 24p: low light at 1600 ISO

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Here’s how the Nikon D800e handles the same scene, and as expected it performs worse than the Canon EOS 5D Mark III in terms of noise, detail and moire. How about against the two Sonys? I’d say all three suffer from moire to roughly the same extent, but the Sony A7r and A7 enjoy a little more detail and lower noise. So of the foursome the D800e is the least good for HD video. The clip here was filmed at 1600 ISO, but I also have versions at 800 ISO, 3200 ISO, 6400 ISO, 12800 ISO and 25600 ISO.

Sony Alpha A7r continuous shooting

The Sony Alpha A7r offers two continuous shooting options, continuous at 1.5fps and Speed Priority at 4fps. The Alpha A7 shoots at 2.5fps or 5fps in the same modes. To put them to the test I fitted each with a freshly-formatted Sony 32GB UHS-1 card and set them to 1/500 in Shutter Priority with a 400 ISO sensitivity. In each case I used Speed Priority and their maximum respective resolutions, 36 Megapixels for the A7r and 24 Megapixels for the A7.

Set to Large Fine JPEG, the A7r fired-off 23 frames in 5.54 seconds, corresponding to a speed of 4.15fps, after which it reduced to around 2fps. Set to RAW only the A7r captured 17 frames in 4.13 seconds, corresponding to a speed of 4.11fps. And finally when set to RAW+JPEG Fine it captured 15 frames in 3.49 seconds, corresponding to a rate of 4.29fps. So in each case the A7r essentially met or slightly exceeded its maximum quoted speed of 4fps regardless of the image format, although for bursts limited to 15-23 frames.

Set to Large Fine JPEG, the A7 fired-off 94 frames in 18.69 seconds, corresponding to a speed of 5.02fps, and seemed happy to keep shooting until I ran out of memory. Set to RAW only the A7 captured 30 frames in 5.89 seconds, corresponding to a speed of 5.09fps. And finally when set to RAW+JPEG Fine it captured 25 frames in 4.78 seconds, corresponding to a rate of 5.23fps. So in each case the A7 essentially met or slightly exceeded its maximum quoted speed of 5fps regardless of the image format and thanks to its smaller image size could shoot for longer bursts, especially for JPEG only.

Compare these speeds to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800(e) which in my tests delivered just over 6fps and just over 4fps respectively, the latter set to capture the full image size. So in terms of continuous shooting the A7r roughly matches the D800(e) while the A7 is only slightly out-performed by the EOS 5D Mark III by about 1fps which doesn’t make a huge difference in practice. Of course none of these cameras are designed for sports or action and all of the manufacturers offer faster models if that’s your thing. It’s also worth noting the Olympus OMD EM1 offers 10fps without AF or 6.5fps with AF, although of course it’s shifting much smaller 16 Megapixel files.

Sony Alpha A7r Wifi and NFC

The Sony Alpha A7r is equipped with Wifi, allowing it to transfer images wirelessly to smartphones, tablets, computers or compatible TVs. You can also use Wifi to remote control the camera with your smartphone or tablet, and unique to Sony so far, download and install optional apps to extend its capabilities.

The A7r is also equipped with NFC, or Near Field Communications, allowing the initial Wifi negotiation to be simplified to a single tap with compatible handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4, the Google NEXUS 4, 7 and 10, or Sony’s latest phones.

While testing the A7r I regularly used the Wifi to transfer images to my Galaxy S4, and then send them on for sharing. It was also nice to be able to take photos of other people and use the Wifi to get the images on their own phones straightaway – I found myself doing this more than I expected. I haven’t had a chance to try copying images to a computer or TV over Wifi with the A7r yet, but believe it requires both the camera and the device to be connected to the same wireless access point. If you want a peer-to-peer connection directly between the camera and a device it’ll have to be an iOS or Android device.

The A7r also follows the NEX 5R, 5T and 6 to support downloadable apps to extend its capabilities. Sony offers a number of apps on its Play Memories service, some free, some costing a few dollars, and recently opened the API to allow third party development. At the time of writing, there were 17 apps available on the Play Memories Camera Apps page, but only three were compatible with the A7r: Smart Remote Control (which lets you control the camera with your smartphone), Direct Upload (for sharing images direct to certain social networks) and Flickr-add on (for uploading images direct to Flickr); all three of these are free of charge and the Smart Remote Control already comes pre-installed in the camera.

I’m hoping the remaining apps, which include more advanced bracketing and timelapse facilities, can be made compatible soon as the A7r is lacking in some of these capabilities compared to rival cameras. Either way the ability to extend the feature-set in this way is very welcome and remains unique in the market.

I’ll expand this section when I get a chance to try out more of the apps on the camera.

Sony Alpha A7r sensor

There’s a lot that’s remarkable about the Sony A7r, but its headline feature is without a doubt squeezing a high-resolution full-frame sensor into a compact mirrorless body. The sensor is also one of the main differences between the A7r and the cheaper A7.

The Alpha A7r is equipped with a 35.9x24mm full-frame sensor with 36.8 Megapixels, delivering images with a maximum resolution of 7360×4912 pixels. The Alpha A7 is equipped with a full-frame sensor measuring 35.8×23.9mm with 24.7 Megapixels, delivering images with a maximum resolution of 6000×4000 pixels. When output at 300dpi, the A7r and A7 can make prints measuring 24.5×16.4in and 20×13.3in respectively. Both cameras offer a sensitivity range of 100-25600 ISO, expandable at the low end to include 50, 64 and 80 ISO options.

The A7r’s resolution matches that of the Nikon D800(e) exactly, while the A7 slightly out-resolves the Canon EOS 5D Mark III at least on numbers. The 5D3 offers 22.3 Megapixel files measuring 5760×3840 pixels which can be reproduced at 19.2×12.8in. So there’s not much between the A7 and 5D Mark III in pixel count.

Have we seen the A7r and A7 sensors before, perhaps in the D800e and Alpha A99 respectively? No, say the Sony engineers I quizzed, the A7r and A7 both employ brand new sensors.

There’s more differences between the A7r and A7 beyond just resolution though. The A7r dispenses with the optical low pass filter for potentially crisper results (albeit with potential moire you’d need to manage yourself), while the A7 sports embedded phase-detect AF points in a central frame to aid focusing, especially in a continuous environment.

Both the A7r and A7 sensors employ offset microlenses towards the corners to help compensate for the angle of light coming from wide lenses mounted at such a shallow flange distance, but in an additional difference the A7r also employs gapless microlenses, whereas the A7 does not.

Sony also notes both cameras employ adaptive sharpening to compensate for diffraction and more faithful reproduction especially on edges thanks to the new BIONZ X image processor.

That’s a boatload of technology and differences I’ve provided you with, but the as always the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so without further ado, let’s check out some results. I’ve compared the quality, detail and noise of the A7r against the A7 and to see if they can really hold their own against their biggest full-frame rivals, I’ve also provided full comparative results against the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e. I think you’ll be impressed.

Check out my Sony A7r vs A7 quality, Sony A7r vs A7 noise, Sony A7r vs Canon 5D Mark III noise, Sony A7r vs Nikon D800e noise, my Sony A7r sample images, or skip straight to my verdict!

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Sony Alpha A7r vs Alpha A7 Quality JPEG

To compare real-life performance I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7r and Alpha A7, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings; my RAW results will follow once support is available in ACR.

Both cameras were fitted in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens, set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. The White Balance was set manually.

Both cameras were focused on the building in the middle using their central AF areas. The test was repeated several times to eliminate the chance of error.

My first quality comparison is between the Sony Alpha A7r and it’s more affordable counterpart, the A7. I fitted each camera in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode, so what you’re looking at below is a direct comparison between their sensors and image processing strategies.

As a reminder the A7r has a higher resolution 36 Megapixel sensor without an optical low pass filter, whereas the A7 has a lower resolution 24 Megapixel sensor with an optical low pass filter; the A7 also has phase-detect AF points embedded in the sensor which the camera must interpolate around to generate an uninterrupted image. In theory the higher resolution and lack of low pass filter on the A7r should allow it to deliver crisper, more detailed results at lower sensitivities, but the larger pixel pitch of the A7 could give it an advantage in noise at higher sensitivities. I’ll be looking at the noise in low light at higher sensitivities on the following pages – see index above left – but on this page I’m starting with a shot in bright daylight at the base sensitivity of 100 ISO. I’m comparing out-of-camera JPEGs on this page, but I shot the scene in RAW+JPEG and will add a RAW comparison as soon as both cameras are fully supported in Adobe Camera RAW.

In a lot of camera comparisons these days we’re used to seeing minimal differences, but I think it’s fair to say there’s a significant difference between the A7r and the A7 below. Just glancing at the crops below it’s clear the A7r is delivering much crisper images with visibly finer details. Whether it’s grills, overhead cables, tree foliage, printed text or brickwork, the Alpha A7r is noticeably superior to the A7.

Indeed when comparing images side-by-side the A7 looks soft, and in this example you’d be forgiven for thinking there was a slight focusing error. But let me assure you, I repeated this test several times, trying autofocus and manual focus with magnified assistance, and in each case the result from the A7 was the same. Both cameras were correctly focused on exactly the same area using exactly the same lens set to the same aperture, with the samples taken moments apart. I’m absolutely confident the results below are representative of each model.

So is the A7 delivering poor results? No, on the contrary, its results are very good indeed. Open A7 images and pixel-peep them at 100% and you’ll be delighted by the detail – check out my page of Sony A7 sample images for many examples. Indeed when viewing this particular image alone I was impressed by the A7’s output. It only looks soft when compared to a 36 Megapixel model which has the optical low pass filter removed. It’s no different from my earlier comparisons between the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and D800, and especially the D800e. Viewed in isolation, or indeed against most cameras, the 5D Mark III images look fantastic, but next to the D800 and especially the D800e they can’t help but look soft. Taking it one step further, I found a D800 looked soft when compared side to side against an 80 Megapixel Phase One medium format camera. It’s all about what you’re comparing them against. Although remember on this page I’m comparing out-of-camera JPEGs.

As you’ll see in my other tests, the A7 compares very well against the Canon EOS 5D Mark III – indeed in my tests with both cameras fitted with high quality 35mm lenses, the out-of-camera JPEGs from the A7 looked comfortably superior to the 5D3. In the 20-24 Megapixel class, I’d say the A7 is an excellent performer.

But place it next to a camera with 50% more Megapixels and the low pass filter removed and it can’t help but look soft in comparison. So please take these results in context: the A7 delivers some of the best images in the 20-24 Megapixel class, but if you’re after the most detailed results, the A7r will comfortably out-perform it, no question. Indeed as you’ll see over the following pages, the A7r even manages to slightly out-perform the mighty D800e, making it arguably the best quality camera without going to medium format – a fantastic result from such a small and relatively affordably-priced camera.

You can find out how all these cameras compare in low light at higher sensitivities in my Sony A7r vs A7 noise, Sony A7r vs Canon 5D Mark III noise and Sony A7r vs Nikon D800e noise results pages, or if you’d like to see more real-life shots, check out my Sony A7r sample images. If you’ve seen enough, skip straight to my verdict!

Sony Alpha A7r vs Alpha A7 Noise RAW

To compare RAW noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7r and Alpha A7, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings.

Both cameras were fitted in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens, set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. DRO was disabled as it can introduce noise. The White Balance was set manually.

I also have JPEG and RAW comparisons with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e taken moments later – see the index above left.

I processed the RAW files from both cameras in Adobe Camera RAW using identical settings: Sharpening at 70 / 0.5 / 36 / 10, Luminance and Colour Noise Reduction both set to zero, and the Process to 2012 with the Adobe Standard profile. These settings were chosen to reveal the differences in sensor quality and isolate them from in-camera processing. The high degree of sharpening with a small radius enhances the finest details without causing undesirable artefacts, while the zero noise reduction unveils what’s really going on behind the scenes – as such the visible noise levels at higher ISOs will be much greater than you’re used to seeing in many comparisons, but again it’s an approach that’s designed to show the actual detail that’s being recorded before you start work on processing and cleaning it up if desired.

If you’re comparing the RAW results with those from my earlier JPEG comparison, the first thing you’ll notice is how well Sony’s JPEG engine is working on the A7 and A7r. Some cameras seem to put little effort into their JPEGs, but Sony’s engine clearly understands the capabilities of each sensor, applying enough sharpening and noise reduction for clean and crisp results without artefacts from either.

Look closely and you’ll see the high degree of sharpening on my processed RAW files below has definitely unveiled additional fine detail, particularly visible in the creases on the petals. The A7r is still recording finer details, but the A7 RAW crops reveal a visible improvement over their JPEG versions.

But the boost in sharpening and zero noise reduction understandably means noise speckles appear sooner rather than later. There’s the faintest sign of them at 100 ISO, and most will see them at 200 and 400 ISO. Beyond here there’s a decent sprinking of noise speckles to contend with, although as you’ll discover on the following pages, they’re in a similar ball park to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e when both are processed using the same settings.

As for whether the A7 has less noise to start with, I’d say it enjoys a small benefit at 6400 ISO and above, but as noted on my JPEG comparison, much of that is eroded by simply down-sampling the A7r files to the same resolution. I certainly wouldn’t say the A7 offers decisively lower noise levels and is the one to go for if you want better high ISO performance.

Ultimately I’d say careful processing of the A7 and A7r RAW files will definitely unveil some finer details and is well worth doing if you want to coax the best out of each model, but unless you’re shooting at the lowest sensitivities, you’ll want to combine it with careful noise reduction. In the meantime, this page again illustrates how good the Sony JPEGs are using their default settings.

Now let’s see how the A7r compares against one of the most popular full-frame DSLRs around, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. I have comparisons in both JPEG and RAW, and you can find them in my Sony A7r vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III JPEG and Sony A7r vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III RAW noise results. Alternatively check out my Sony A7r vs Nikon D800e noise comparisons again in JPEG or RAW, or head over to my Sony A7r sample images!

Sony Alpha A7r vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III Noise RAW

To compare RAW noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7r and Canon EOS 5D Mark III, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings.

The Alpha A7r was fitted with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens and the Canon 5D Mark III with the EF 35mm f1.4 lens, both set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. DRO and other contrast enhancers were disabled as they can introduce noise. The White Balance was set manually.

I also have JPEG and RAW comparisons with the Nikon D800e taken moments later – see the index above left.

I rented the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e from BorrowLenses.com – a great service for evaluating gear in the US!

As I noted on my previous comparison, Canon’s default approach to in-camera JPEGs results in soft-looking images out of the EOS 5D Mark III. So in that comparison it was no surprise to find the higher resolution and crisp processing of the Sony A7r comfortably beating it. But like most photographers I know you can unlock a great deal of fine detail from the 5D Mark III’s RAW files, so on this page we’ll get to see how they compare when both share the same processing settings.

As we’ve seen on previous comparisons, the EOS 5D Mark III jumps into life when you sharpen its RAW files. The softness of the in-camera JPEG processing is lifted and a wealth of fine detail unveiled. The resulting crisp images look great, but the Alpha A7r still manages to out-resolve them as you’d expect. Again the giveaways are in the petals and the vase, where the Sony is recording finer detail, although it may be closer than you’d think given the 50% higher pixel count of the A7r.

As the ISO is increased, the noise levels become ever-visible, but I’d say the Canon’s noise patterns are finer than the Sonys, particularly at higher sensitivities. You can of course down-sample the A7r files to the same size and reduce the impact of its noise, but to my eyes the EOS 5D Mark III’s noise remains a little finer and allows it to enjoy a small advantage at 6400 ISO and above, which gradually becomes as much as a stop – even after downsampling. This is however pixel-peeping.

So I’d say the Canon EOS 5D Mark III greatly benefits from sharpening in RAW and enjoys a minor lead in noise levels above 6400 ISO, but the Sony A7r resolves finer details at 800 ISO and below. As always, buy the camera which best suits your needs.

But what about the Nikon D800e which shares the same 36 Megapixel resolution and absence of an optical low pass filter? Find out how they compare for both JPEG and RAW files in my Sony A7r vs Nikon D800e JPEG and Sony A7r vs Nikon D800e RAW results pages, or if you’ve seen enough, skip to my Sony A7r sample images.

		Canon EOS 5D Mark III RAW

Sony Alpha A7r vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III Noise RAW

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7r and Nikon D800e, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings; my RAW results will follow once support is available in ACR.

The Alpha A7r was fitted with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens and the D800e with the Nikkor AF-S 35mm f1.4G lens, both set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. DRO and other contrast enhancers were disabled as they can introduce noise. The White Balance was set manually.

I also have JPEG and RAW comparisons with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III taken moments earlier – see the index above left.

I rented the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e from BorrowLenses.com – a great service for evaluating gear in the US!

In my earlier JPEG comparison, the level of detail recorded by both cameras was similar, but the A7r’s results were a little crisper and also exhibited lower noise levels at higher sensitivities. By processing the RAW files from each camera using the same settings though, it’s apparent both cameras can deliver very similar results at lower sensitivities: similar detail, similar crispness, similar noise. There are certainly some visible differences if you pixel-peep, but these can be balanced by making minor adjustments to the processing settings; I’d say there’s little to choose between them here, at least at lower sensitivities.

But interestingly as the ISO is increased and the noise becomes more visible, I’d say the D800e enjoys a slightly finer texture; it’s subtle, but the A7r’s noise looks a little coarser to me and the chroma arefacts arrive a little sooner too.

The difference however is minor and not enough to describe the D800e as having lower noise levels. Certainly by the time you apply some noise reduction and a little less sharpening, there’s effectively nothing between the two.

Ultimately I’d say this proves the Alpha A7r and D800e share essentially the same image quality, so you certainly wouldn’t switch from one to the other for an upgrade in this respect. Instead it’s all about choosing which form factor and approach works better for you. But it’s still a fantastic result for the A7r to match the quality of the highest-performing DSLR, and another respectful nod to Sony’s in-camera JPEG processing which using the default settings can out-perform its DSLR rivals.

Want to see more images from the A7r in a variety of conditions? Check out my Sony A7r sample images page!

Sony Alpha A7r vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III Noise RAW

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7r and Alpha A7, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings. On this page I’m comparing their JPEG quality; alternatively see my A7r vs A7 RAW results.

Both cameras were fitted in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens, set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. DRO was disabled as it can introduce noise. The White Balance was set manually.

I also have RAW and JPEG comparisons with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e taken moments later – see the index above left.

My first noise comparison is between the Sony Alpha A7r and it’s more affordable counterpart, the A7. I fitted each camera in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode, so what you’re looking at below is a direct comparison between their sensors and image processing strategies. As a reminder the A7r has a higher resolution 36 Megapixel sensor without an optical low pass filter, whereas the A7 has a lower resolution 24 Megapixel sensor with an optical low pass filter; the A7 also has phase-detect AF points embedded in the sensor which the camera must interpolate around to generate an uninterrupted image.

In theory the higher resolution and lack of low pass filter on the A7r should allow it to deliver crisper, more detailed results at lower sensitivities, but the larger pixel pitch of the A7 could give it an advantage in noise at higher sensitivities.

I’d say at up to 400 ISO, both cameras are fairly evenly matched in terms of noise levels, but the A7r enjoys visibly superior detail – this is particularly apparent in the creases on the central petal, along with the patterns on the vase in the lower left. That’s not to say the A7 looks bad at all, on the contrary, it’s capturing loads of fine detail, but the A7r is definitely doing better in this regard.

At 800 ISO both cameras exhibit some softening of ultimate detail and viewed at 100% the A7 may be a fraction cleaner, but remember you could always down-sample the A7r image to 24 Megapixels and enjoy much the same result.

1600 ISO is where both cameras begin to visibly suffer from noise artefacts – those nice crisp creases in the petals are being wiped-out along with the fine details in the vase. Again I’d say the A7r is suffering a little more than the A7 at this point, but once down-sampled there’s not much in it.

At 3200 ISO there’s another noticeable decrease in quality with the A7r exhibiting more noise than the A7, but arguably retaining more detail in the vase. At 6400 ISO up to the maximum 25600 ISO both cameras go steadily downhill with more noise and less detail. You could argue the A7 crops may contain fractionally sharper details, but we’re in the realms of serious pixel peeping here and I don’t think there’s a great deal in it, especially if you down-sample the A7r or output them at the same size.

In my view I’d say the A7r is the winner here, capturing finer details at the lower sensitivities and only barely falling behind at higher ISOs – an advantage which is effectively eroded if you down-sample the A7r images or print them the same size. I hoped the A7 might fight back with decisively lower noise at high ISOs, but it’s not obvious in my tests below. So if the highest quality is your priority, the A7r should be your top choice, but for the best results, shoot below 400 ISO.

How much noise is behind the scenes? Find out in my Sony A7r vs A7 RAW comparison. Alternatively if you want to see how they compare to their two full-frame DSLR rivals, check out my Sony A7r vs Canon 5D Mark III noise and Sony A7r vs Nikon D800e noise comparisons (both in JPEG and RAW), or head over to my Sony A7r sample images!

Sony Alpha A7r vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III Noise RAW

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7r and Canon EOS 5D Mark III, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings. On this page I’m comparing their JPEG quality; alternatively see my A7r vs 5D3 RAW results.

I also have RAW and JPEG comparisons with the Nikon D800e taken moments later – see the index above left.

I rented the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e from BorrowLenses.com – a great service for evaluating gear in the US!

My second noise comparison is between the Sony Alpha A7r and Canon’s EOS 5D Mark III. I fitted the A7r with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens and the 5D Mark III with the EF 35mm f1.4 lens, both set to f8 in Aperture Priority. What you’re looking at below is a 36 Megapixel model without an optical low pass filter versus a 22 Megapixel model with an optical low pass filter. In theory the higher resolution and lack of low pass filter on the A7r should allow it to deliver crisper, more detailed results at lower sensitivities, but the larger pixel pitch of the 5D Mark III could give it an advantage in noise at higher sensitivities.

Up to 400 ISO both models deliver very clean results, but there’s no doubt the Alpha A7r is much crisper with visibly finer details throughout the image – this is particularly evident in the creases on the middle petal and on the vase in the lower left.

At 800 ISO some noise has become visible on the A7r compared to a smooth result on the 5D Mark III, but the Sony still enjoys comfortably more detail. As the sensitivities increase though the noise on the Sony A7r becomes more obvious than the 5D Mark III and by 3200 ISO I’d say they’re delivering similar levels of detail, albeit with more visible noise on the Sony. Beyond here the A7r loses detail more quickly, leaving the 5D Mark III with a small but visible advantage in detail and noise.

So if we’re dealing with JPEGs from both cameras and the lenses selected, then the A7r enjoys a clear benefit up to 1600 ISO, but particularly so at 800 ISO and below. Above 3200 ISO though, the A7r suffers from more noise, giving the Canon an advantage.

In my tests with Canon DSLRs before, I’ve found the in-camera JPEGs with the default settings are often a little soft and can benefit from additional sharpening – I’d certainly expect the crops below to look much better when converted from their RAW originals, and you can see how they compare in my Sony A7r vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III RAW results page.

ALternatively if you want to find out what happens when you compare the A7r to a camera with another 36 Megapixel full-frame sensor without an optical low pass filter, check out on my Sony A7r vs Nikon D800e noise results page, or if you’ve seen enough, skip to my Sony A7r sample images.

		Canon EOS 5D Mark III JPEG

Sony Alpha A7r vs Nikon D800e Noise JPEG

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7r and Nikon D800e, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings. On this page I’m comparing their JPEG quality; alternatively see my A7r vs D800e RAW results.

I also have RAW and JPEG comparisons with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III taken moments earlier – see the index above left.

I rented the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e from BorrowLenses.com – a great service for evaluating gear in the US!

My third noise comparison is between the Sony Alpha A7r and Nikon’s D800e. This is arguably the most interesting of all as both share very similar sensor specifications with full-frame coverage, 36 Megapixel resolution and no optical low pass filters (or at least the effect cancelled-out on the Nikon). I fitted the A7r with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens and the D800e with the Nikkor AF-S 35mm f1.4G lens, both set to f8 in Aperture Priority. So once again, what you’re looking at below are two 36 Megapixel models without optical low pass filters, so in theory the results should be fairly similar. Do note though these cameras do not have the same actual sensor.

An interesting side note to mention before going any further is the D800e crops show a slightly smaller area than the A7r crops. This is because the 35mm lens selected for the D800e is actually a fraction less wide than the 35mm Zeiss on the A7r. I decided to maintain my shooting position though.

Starting at the lowest sensitivities, both cameras are capturing similar levels of detail, but the A7r is noticeably sharper. Is this down to the image processing, the optics, or a superior sensor? By comparing RAW results and using the same lens on both cameras in future tests I’ll be better able to judge, but the bottom line is the A7r in-camera JPEGs are crisper without suffering from over-sharpening artefacts.

At 400 ISO there’s slight evidence of increased noise levels and colour shift on the D800e, which becomes more obvious at 800 ISO. At this point the A7r is definitely enjoying a superior result. At 1600 ISO and especially 3200 ISO the noise levels on the D800e become even more apparent, and at 6400 ISO there’s a clear difference between the two cameras. Some may prefer the D800e’s image at 25,600 ISO, but really it’s game over for both cameras before this point.

So I’d say this is a great result for the A7r, at least when comparing JPEGs using the default settings. The Sony A7r enjoys crisper results at lower ISOs without undesirable sharpening artefacts and cleaner results at higher ISOs. The crisper results could be down to a superior lens, and I hope to perform more comparisons in the future when both are fitted with the same lens, but there’s no doubt the A7r and Zeiss 35mm combination are capable of delivering highly detailed images which, from the results below, are visibly superior to the Nikon D800e and Nikkor 35mm f1.4 lens. Even taking lenses out of the equation, the A7r’s JPEGs also enjoy lower noise at mid to high sensitivities. So this is great news for anyone wanting to match or beat the quality of the D800e with the benefit of a much smaller and lighter combination. Just remember to enjoy these kind of results with the A7r though, you must shoot as carefully as you would with the D800e, or even a medium format camera – that is to say ideally from a tripod with very carefully focusing.

Now check out my Sony A7r vs Nikon D800e RAW comparison, or head over to my Sony A7r sample images page!

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Sony Alpha A7 III review

The Alpha A7 III sits on the bottom rung of Sony's full-frame mirrorless camera range, and is designed to appeal to both keen enthusiast photographers and professionals.

In the past the A7 series of cameras have always felt like poor relations to the A7R and A7S series. While the latter two ranges have tended to capture the limelight with their high pixel counts and advanced video capabilities, the A7 cameras have always been regarded as the basic models, sporting a solid but unremarkable set of features.

That looks like it could all change with this third-generation A7 camera. Borrowing many features from the top-of-the-range Alpha A9, as well as the Alpha A7R III, the Alpha A7 III looks anything but basic.

Features

All-new 24.2MP back-illuminated sensor
5-axis image stabilization offers 5-stop compensation
4K video capture using full width of the sensor

Sensor: 24.2MP full-frame back-illuminated CMOS

Lens mount: Sony FE

Screen: 3.0-inch tilt-angle touchscreen, 921,000 dots

Burst shooting: 10fps

Autofocus: 693-point AF

Video: 4K

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth

Battery life: 710 shots

Weight: 650g

Sony hasn't been tempted to increase the resolution of the Alpha A7 III, so it stays at 24.2MP, like the Alpha A7 II. However, the sensor is completely new and features a back-illuminated design which, combined with the latest BIONZ X image processor, sees the sensitivity range greatly improved over the older model – with an extended ISO ceiling of 204,800 (the same as the Alpha A9), it's three stops better than the A7 II's 25,600 limit. Sony also reckons it's managed to achieve a dynamic range of 15 stops with 14-bit raw files.

While the electronic viewfinder (EVF) doesn't get a bump in resolution to match the A7R III's 3.8 million dots, the 2.3 million-dot EVF on the Alpha A7 III gets a slightly higher magnification factor than the older model, up from 0.71x to 0.78x.

As we've seen with other recently announced Sony cameras, the rear 3.0-inch tilt-angle display is now touch-sensitive, enabling you to set the focus point and browse through images quickly, although it doesn't allow for quick navigation of the camera's menu.

The 5-axis in-body image stabilization system in the Alpha A7 III has also been tweaked, and now provides five stops of stabilization, improving slightly on its predecessor's 4.5 stops.

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It's no surprise to see 4K video capture on the Alpha A7 III. Recording in 24p, the full full width of the sensor is used, with full pixel readout and without pixel binning. This sees around 6K of data collected (2.4x the amount of data required), before the footage is then oversampled to produce what Sony says will be 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth. If you want to shoot at 30p, there's a 1.2x crop option that uses roughly 5K of the sensor.

As we've seen with the Alpha A7R III, the Alpha A7 III offers a new HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) profile that supports an Instant HDR workflow, allowing HDR (HLG)-compatible TVs to play back 4K HDR footage.

As well as this, both S-Log2 and S-Log3 are available for increased color grading, while if you want to shoot Full HD footage you can do so at up to 120fps.

The Alpha A7 III sports two SD card slots, but, again like the Alpha A7R III, only one of these supports faster UHS-II cards. There's also Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity to enable you to transfer images, but no Bluetooth (which can provide a low-powered, constant connection between the camera and smart device to make image transfer that bit more seamless).

The 10 best mirrorless cameras you can buy right now

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Sony Alpha A7 review -

The Sony Alpha A7 is a mirrorless system camera with a full-frame sensor. Announced in October 2013 alongside the higher-end A7r, they are the World’s smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless system cameras; note Leica has long offered its M series with full-frame sensors and interchangeable lenses, but they’re larger, heavier and manual focus only. Sony also has its own full-frame RX1 and RX1r compacts, but while they’re mirrorless, they don’t have interchangeable lenses.

The A7 and A7r are externally identical, with the only difference being the sensor within: the more affordable A7 is equipped with a 24.3 Megapixel full-frame sensor with embedded phase-detect AF, while the more expensive A7r sports a 36.4 Megapixel full-frame sensor with the low pass filter removed (for potentially crisper results) but no phase-detect AF points. The full-frame sensors on both models are considerably larger than the APS-C and Micro Four Thirds sensors found in most mirrorless system cameras, allowing shallower depth of field effects at the same apertures and potentially superior noise and dynamic range performance. Like the NEX models though, there’s no built-in stabilisation, with the cameras instead relying on optically stabilised lenses to iron-out any wobbles.

Beyond their sensors, both models are virtually identical. The compact bodies look not dissimilar to the Olympus OMD models and offer a choice of a large XGA OLED viewfinder (roughly the same image size as the OMD EM1) or 3in tilting (non-touch) screen for composition, dust and moisture resistance, Wifi and NFC, the chance to download apps to expand the functionality, 1080p video at 24p / 25p, 60i / 50i or 60p / 50p, and slideshows output up to 4k over HDMI or Wifi. Bracketing is limited to three or five frames at up to 3EV or 2/3EV repsectively (but could be upgraded via a downloadable app), the maximum shutter is 1/8000, there’s microphone and headphone jacks, and focus peaking. With the promise of full-frame quality that could beat the Canon EOS 5D Mark III in a smaller, lighter and cheaper package, the Alpha A7 could end up being the preferred choice for those who don’t need the ultimate resolution of the flagship A7r, while also enjoying quicker AF to boot. But how well does it work in practice? Find out in my Alpha A7 review where I’ll share in-depth comaprisons with the A7r, Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e! Note I’ve re-used parts of my A7r review where both cameras are identical.

Sony Alpha A7 / A7r overview video

Sony Alpha A7 / A7r overview

Sony Alpha A7 build quality and handling

The Sony Alpha A7 is styled like a mini DSLR with a combination of curves and flat angular surfaces which at first glance may look a little severe to some, but over time I became quite fond of the style.

Measuring 127x94x48.2mm and weighing 474g with battery and card, it’s surprisingly small and light especially when you consider the full-frame sensor within; note the A7r is the same size, but 9g lighter due to slightly different materials. Indeed the A7 and A7r are actually roughly the same size and weight as the Olympus OMD EM1 (130x94x63mm / 496g), although the EM1 is a little thicker thanks to a slightly a chunkier grip. Another revealing comparison is against the Olympus OMD EM5 which measures 121x90x42mm and weighs 425g with battery. Do remember though all Olympus bodies include built-in stabilisation which works with any lens you attach, whereas the Sony A7 does not. Here’s how the A7r looks next to the older Olympus OMD EM5.

Place it next to a higher-end DSLR and the difference is dramatic. I hired Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e bodies from BorrowLenses.com in the US primarily for image quality comparisons with the A7r and A7, but was shocked to compare their size and weight against the new Alphas. The 5D3 measures 152x116x76mm and weighs 950g with battery, making it 3.1cm wider, 2.6cm taller and 3.4cm thicker, not to mention double the weight without a lens. Meanwhile the Nikon D800e measures 145x122x81mm and weighs-in at 1Kg with battery, making it 2.4cm wider, 3.2cm taller and around twice the thickness and weight. These two traditional DSLRs literally dwarf the A7 and A7r – you can get an impression of this in the comparisons below where I’ve pictured the A7r against the D800e.

Of course Sony’s no stranger to producing small bodies and the most important measurement is what you end up with when you mount a lens. As I’ll discuss later, there’s not a huge amount of native FE lenses to measure-up, but the 28-70mm f3.5-5.6 kit zoom looks and feels well-proportioned with the body, adding 295g to the weight and 83mm to the length.

It’s interesting to compare this to, say, the kit lens for the full-frame Nikon D610, the DX 24-85mm f3.5-5.6. Both share roughly the same length, the same focal ratio and feature optical stabilisation, but the Nikkor zooms wider and a bit longer for a 3.5x range compared to 2.5x on the Sony, but at 465g the Nikkor lens weighs around 50% more.

Meanwhile Canon’s EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 6D are most commonly bundled with the EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM, the classiest full-frame ‘kit’ lens of them all, albeit the heaviest and most expensive too. It also starts wider than the Sony, but ends longer than either it or the Nikkor with a 4.3x range. Like the others it’s optically stabilised, although only it and the Sony sport weather-sealing; meanwhile the Canon is the only one of the three to feature a constant f4 aperture. The price you pay is a lens which at 670g approaches the A7+28-70mm total weight, measures 107mm in length and takes the 6D’s total kit price to around $2500 USD. This is roughly the same as the kit price for the D610, which makes both around 25% higher than the A7 kit at $1999 USD as of late 2013 – and lest we forget, the A7 hasn’t been out for as long, so I’m comparing discounted prices for the Canon and Nikon, but recommended retail for the Sony. So unless Canon and Nikon get more agressive with their pricing, the gap will widen further in the near future.

So the Sony A7 kit is cheaper and lighter, but suffers from the shortest optical zoom range compared to its immediate rivals. Is this a big deal? Only you can say. Personally speaking I’d be happy to forgive the modest 70mm longest focal length had the Sony kit lens started at 24mm rather than 28mm, but as it stands it’s a fairly unremarkable range. That said, I used it quite happily during the test period and found it was a perfectly usable general-purpose option. Clearly Sony’s engineers and marketing decided to go for this specification to keep the weight and cost down, and I think both are important for the A7. After all had the kit lens weighed as much as the Nikkor or Canon it would have felt very front heavy, which while acceptable for a longer or brighter lens, isn’t that comfortable for a general-purpose walkaround zoom. Meanwhile the price makes the kit look competitive against its rivals.

If you really want to leverage the A7’s compact body size though you’ll want to equip it with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 sooner rather than later. This adds little to the body thickness and brings the weight to 782g. For me it’s the preferred general-purpose lens, as it’s brighter, better quality and much much smaller. It transforms the A7 and A7r into truly compact cameras which you can use quickly and discreetly, although there’s no stabilisation with this combination, an advantage the Olympus bodies enjoy with any lens.

The A7’s grip may be fairly small, but if you’re coming from another mirrorless camera you’ll find it just fine. I most commonly shoot with the slightly smaller Olympus OMD EM5, so found the grip on the A7 actually gave me more to hold onto. But again these are very compact bodies compared to traditional DSLRs, especially if you’re coming from a semi-pro model. If you’re down-sizing from something like a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 6D or Nikon D800(e) or D610 you may prefer to fit the A7 with its optional battery grip which certainly gives you much more to hold onto, while still remaining smaller overall than the DSLRs.

At this point I should however note there’s pros and cons to having a small camera body. I love the portability of the A7, but there’s no denying the sheer heft of a larger body can be easier to hold steady when shooting and can’t help but make you think more about your stance and technique.

Once again I was shocked to remind myself just how big and heavy the 5D3 and D800(e) are, especially compared to the A7, but again their size does encourage serious handling. Conversely I found when shooting with the A7 and A7r it was easy to fall into a more casual style, and while you can get away with that on smaller formats with stabilisation, there’s much less margin for error when shooting unstabilised with full-frame. Many of my more casual handheld snaps with the A7 and especially the higher resolution A7r were lacking sharpness when viewed at 100% either due to slightly missing the focus or wobbling a little from camera-shake, and I know under the same conditions I’d have nailed the shot with, say, an Olympus EM5 or EM1. The combination of a very high resolution sensor in a small and light body, fitted with unstabilised primes delivering a shallow depth of field means you should shoot very carefully for the best results. Of course you may be steadier or have better technique, I just wanted to point out the Sonys are not casual cameras.

The Alpha A7 may be small and light, but feels very well built and confident in your hands. All but the front panel is built from magnesium alloy and the entire camera is weather-proofed. To what degree neither Sony nor I can say, but I did use it with the (also weather-sealed) Zeiss 55mm f1.8 out in a steady shower with no ill effects.

Interestingly while the Alpha A7 and the A7r look and feel virtually identical, there are minor differences in their construction. The A7 shell for example isn’t entirely made from magnesium alloy, instead employing an enhanced plastic front panel to reduce the cost a little; strangely this actually makes the A7 nine grams heavier too. Look really closely and you may also notice the mode and exposure compensation dials on the top of the A7r are furnished from solid aluminium with a slightly different texture compared to aluminium plating on the A7. But to be honest I couldn’t tell any difference between the way they felt once they were in my hands. I did several blind tests, and at no point could I or anyone else I asked tell the difference between the cameras by look or touch alone.

So far so good, but when shooting with the A7 I found myself regularly cursing Sony for not equipping it or the A7r with touch-screens. If you’ve never used a touch screen, you may wonder what the fuss is about, but when it comes to selecting a focusing point they can’t be beaten. As it stands if you want to manually position a focusing area on either camera, you’ll need to press the Function button and choose the focus area option (or configure a custom button to take you straight there), then use the controls to reposition it as desired. Almost inevitably I’d often find myself off by a small amount and having to go through the process again just to adjust it a little, or recomposing the shot so the subject fell below the fixed area. Very frustrating when you’re used to just tapping once and getting the desired result on models like the Panasonic and Olympus bodies.

The Alpha A7 is powered by an NP-FW50 which Sony reckons is good for around 270 images under CIPA standards. In my tests I generally found a single charge got me through a fairly heavy day, although if you’re shooting really heavily or including a lot of video, then you’ll want to carry a spare.

The A7’s battery can be charged as normal using an optional mains-powered unit, but in what’s probably a first for a camera of its class, you can also charge the battery in-camera over a USB connection. This is something I’ve seen on plenty of smaller cameras, but not on any interchangeable lens models I can think of, let alone full-frame ones. I think it’s a brilliant feature and one I certainly exploited during my tests. After one long day of shooting I brought a fully depleted battery up to 82% by connecting it to a vehicle’s USB port during a two hour drive and continued shooting when I reached my destination. It’s quite liberating being able to recharge – or at least topup – a battery over USB with a laptop or car charger adapter without the need for extra accessories. It’s a key benefit of the A7 over its rivals right now.

The A7 does not have a built-in flash, but it does have a standard hotshoe including Sony’s Multi Interface Shoe contacts to support the company’s range of accessories. The A7 is also equipped with USB and Micro HDMI ports, along with 3.5mm microphone input and headphone jacks. The A7 also sports built-in Wifi with NFC, which allows wireless transfer of images and supports the company’s selection of optional apps to expand its capabilities, more of which later. The HDMI port can be configured to output a 4k signal for compatible TVs, allowing you to view your photos at a higher resolution, but note video is still captured and played back at a maximum of 1080p.

Sony Alpha A7 viewfinder and screen

The Sony Alpha A7 is a 100% Live View camera with the choice of a screen or electronic viewfinder for composition. The viewfinder is one of the best electronic models I’ve had to pleasure of using. It employs an OLED panel with XGA resolution (1024×768 or 2.359 million dots) and a large 0.71x magnification. This places it roughly on par with the Olympus OMD EM1 in size and resolution, although the native 4:3 aspect ratio of the Olympus means its images fill the panel and appear taller.

In use the Sony viewfinder didn’t suffer from any tearing or rainbow artefacts – something I’m very sensitive to – and the image was always large, bright and very detailed. I had the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e alongside me while testing the A7 and A7r and I can tell you their optical viewfinders were pretty much exactly the same size, so if you’re considering a switch you won’t lose anything in image size or coverage.

Sony Alpha A7 lens mount

The Alpha A7 is equipped with an E-mount that’s compatible with existing E-mount lenses for NEX cameras along with a new range of FE lenses that are designed for full-frame use. The camera does not feature built-in stabilisation, so to iron-out any wobbles you’ll need optically-stabilised lenses.

Sony launched the A7 and A7r with five native FE lenses, all of which are weather-sealed and feature internal focusing for quick and quiet operation: a 28-70mm f3.5-5.6 stabilised zoom (also the A7 kit lens), a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f4 stabilised zoom, the Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8 primes, and the 70-200mm f4 G telephoto zoom with stabilisation.

Note at the time of launch, the 28-70mm was only available in a kit with the A7, while the 24-70mm, 55mm and 70-200mm weren’t expected in significant volume until early 2014. This means the only native lenses available for the A7 at launch could be the 28-70mm kit zoom and the Zeiss 35mm f2.8. Sony promises up to ten new native FE lenses in 2014 including an f4 ultra wide Zeiss zoom, a fast Zeiss prime and a G-series macro.

Five native lenses is a fairly modest start, especially as a number of them aren’t available at launch, but the key benefit of the A7 and A7r are their ability to use lenses from other systems.

For starters, there’s Sony’s own E-mount lens catalogue for their NEX system. These mount on the A7 and A7r without the need for an adapter, although of course are only corrected for a smaller APS-C frame. If you mount one on the A7, the camera defaults to a crop mode, delivering the same field-of-view as an APS-C camera with a 1.5x coverage reduction and a maximum resolution of 10 Megapixels (or 15 on the A7r). So if you’re upgrading from a NEX 6, you can use all your existing lenses and capture images with a slightly lower resolution, although owners of the NEX 7 will have to accept a big reduction on image size with their older E-mount lenses.

In a welcome move though, you can turn off the crop mode and have the A7 capture the entire 24 Megapixel full frame area when using older E-mount lenses – there’ll be significant vignetting and softening in the corners, but the usable frame could extend beyond the APS-C area, especially if you’re into making square crops. Here’s what you’d get if you fit the Zeiss 24mm f1.8 E-mount lens to the A7r in a portrait taken by my friend DL Cade of PetaPixel – thanks for letting me use the photo!

1/60, f5, 2000 ISO, Sony Zeiss 24mm f1.8 for NEX

Photo credit: DL Cade / PetaPixel


Sony 10-18mm f4 for NEX mounted on A7 body

Sony 10-18mm at 10mm f8	Sony 10-18mm at 12mm f8	Sony 10-18mm at 14mm f8


	Sony 10-18mm at 16mm f8	Sony 10-18mm at 18mm f8

1/60, f4, 400 ISO, Sony 10-18mm f4 at 10mm

Click image to access original at Flickr

You can also mount any of Sony’s existing A-mount lenses via one of two adapters. The simpler LA-EA3 supports leisurely contrast-based AF only on both the A7 and the A7r, while the pricier LA-EA4 includes the semi-transparent mirror technology of Sony’s SLT cameras, effectively equipping both the A7 and A7r with a small array of phase-detect AF points when using these lenses. This AF system over-rides the existing on-chip PDAF system of the A7.

These adapters open up a broader lens catalogue including a number of high quality options that are corrected for full-frame use, and the more sophisticated LA-EA4 effectively lets you use them on the A7r with phase-detect AF as well. I tried the A7 and A7r with a selection of A-mount lenses via the LA-EA4 and found they focused fairly swiftly and confidently for single AF acquisition, but I enjoyed less luck using the 70-400mm f4-5.6 G SSM telephoto zoom with Continuous AF, attempting to track hand-gliders take off and land. I admit to being a bit disappointed by my lack of success here as continuous AF should be one of the strong points of the SLT AF system.

That said, the LA-EA4 may have been a pre-production adapter and there’s also the possibility of a calibration error with the mirror in the adapter and this particular sample of the lens. Sony’s anticipated the latter and equipped both the A7 and A7r with AF micro-adjustment options, allowing you to eliminate calibration errors, although I didn’t get the chance to put these to the test during my initial time with the cameras. I hope to retest the combination of the A7 and LA-EA4 with Alpha lenses, as if it can be configured to work well, then it could eliminate one of the camera’s weaknesses: relatively slow AF that’s ineffective in a continuous environment.

8.22MB, Aperture Priority, 1/320, f8, 100 ISO, Sony 16-35mm f2.8 ZA SSM at 16mm

Click image to access original at Flickr

Starting with Nikkor lenses, I tried the Novoflex adapter which may be completely manual but surprisingly quick in use.

9.7MB, Manual, 2 secs, approx f8, 80 ISO, Nikkor 14-24mm at 14mm

Click image to access original at Flickr

6.5MB, Aperture Priority, 1/100, f4, 800 ISO, Canon EF 24-105mm at 105mm

Click image to access original at Flickr

4.06MB, Manual, 1/1250, f2, 100 ISO, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

Portrait by Guy Thatcher from UK rental firm, Hireacamera. Click image to access original at Flickr



Portraits by Guy Thatcher from UK rental firm, Hireacamera

Sony Alpha A7 focusing

The Sony Alpha A7 employs a hybrid AF system which uses a combination of contrast-based and embedded phase detect points; this is a major difference between it and the higher-end A7r which lacks the embedded phase-detect points and is contrast-based only. Note the phase detect AF points on the A7 only work when the camera is fitted with native FE mount lenses or compatible E-mount lenses (I’m confirming the latter in practice though so watch this space). If you mount Alpha lenses via the LA-EA3 adapter, the AF on the A7 becomes completely contrast-based, and if you use the LA-EA4, the adapter’s own built-in phase-detect system over-rides the AF system in the camera.

The contrast-based AF system on both the A7 and A7r splits most of the frame into 25 areas which can be automatically selected in the Multi Point mode. Zone and Center-weighted options are also available, as is the opportunity to manually place an AF area almost anywhere on-screen using the rocker controls; this Flexible Spot mode also allows you to resize the AF area as Small, medium or Large. The AF system works down to 0EV light levels.

The A7’s phase-detect points are concentrated in an area in the middle of the frame; there’s 117 of them in all, and while they won’t illuminate when active, you can enable an option which super-imposes guides to indicate their coverage – see screengrab. There’s no way to manually switch between phase-detect and contrast based AF systems on the A7 when shooting with native FE lenses, the camera does it for you: if the subject is within the region of embedded phase detect sensors, it’ll use them, or otherwise it falls back on the contrast-based technique for the bordering area.

As a full-time Live View system, the A7 can support technologies like face detection, which Sony now complements with optional eye detection. Like Olympus bodies before it, this allows the camera to first frame a face before then locking-onto the closest eye. The implementation is a little different between them though, and despite their recent investment in Olympus, Sony engineers assured me this was their own developed technology. So on the A7 the eye isn’t selected automatically – instead you’ll need to press and hold the button in the middle of the rear wheel to fire-up the system, after which a small AF area is placed over the nearest eye on the primary detected face. I found the Olympus system quicker as when enabled it simply locks onto the eye without additional button presses, but I still appreciate the its presence on the A7 as it makes casual portrait shots much easier.

There’s the choice of Single Shot AF, Continuous AF, Direct Manual Focus, or Manual Focus modes, and magnified assistance at 5.9 and 11.7x, the latter roughly offering a 1:1 view on-screen. The A7 also offers focus peaking with three level settings and the choice of white, red or yellow fringing to indicate sharp focus. It is possible to use focus peaking while filming video, as well as magnified assistance, although the latter falls to 4x as this corresponds to a 1:1 view for the lower resolution frame of 1080p.

I tried the 28-70mm kit zoom and Zeiss 35mm f2.8 and 55mm f1.8 lenses with the A7 and A7r. In Single Shot AF under good light, the A7 focused quicker and more confidently than the A7r, so long as the subject fell within the phase detect area. The A7 wasn’t quite as quick as the best Micro Four Thirds cameras under similar conditions, but it was still very usable.

If the subject were outside of the phase detect frame though, the Single AF speed fell and at times felt less confident with more hunting. In this respect the A7 felt similar to the A7r regardless of where the latter’s AF point was located. In these situations, the Micro Four Thirds cameras felt noticeably quicker.

When I took the A7 into dimmer conditions, its AF performance fell further and took a second or even longer to lock-on. In these situations there didn’t seem to be any benefit to the embedded phase-detect points for speed or sensitivity, and the A7 ended up feeling almost exactly the same as the A7r. Revealingly the best Micro Four Thirds cameras comfortably out-performed the Sonys in dim conditions thanks to models like the Olympus OMD EM1 and Panasonic GX7 operating down to -3EV. Indeed there were times when doing very low light tests that both Sonys refused to lock-onto the subject at all, when it wasn’t a problem for the Olympus and Panasonic. Of course to be fair the Micro Four Thirds bodies have smaller and lower resolution sensors with lens combinations that deliver a more forgiving depth of field, but to me it doesn’t matter how big or clean an image is if the camera struggles to focus.

I then moved onto Continuous AF tests and as you’d expect the Alpha A7 was more confident at tracking than the A7r when the subject was placed within the phase-detect AF area. Place the subject outside the phase detect area and the A7 felt no different to the A7r or indeed other mirrorless cameras which rely on contrast-based AF – that is to say not particularly successful with moving subjects.

I wasn’t using demanding subjects either – simply a friend striding towards me from a distance of about 10m to 2m. With this test the A7 managed about a 50-60% hit rate when the AF area was within the phase-detect region, and around 30% when it was outside. As I noted above, the A7r delivered about the same 30% hit rate regardless of where the AF area was positioned.

To be fair, continuous AF is something which continues to challenge most mirrorless cameras, but the Sonys have a trump card to play in the form of the LA-EA4 adapter. This allows you to use older Alpha lenses, but with the benefit of the company’s SLT focusing system built-into the adapter. This over-rides the focusing systems of both the A7 and A7r and effectively transforms them into SLT cameras, which in previous tests have performed well for continuous focusing.

As discussed in the lens section above though, I didn’t enjoy a great deal of success shooting with the Sony 70-400mm SSM G lens on the A7 via the LA-EA4 adapter in Continuous AF mode. The Single AF was quick, but most of my shots of moving subjects were slightly out of focus, although this could have been down to a pre-production adapter or a calibration error with the lens and adapter. Sony offers AF Microadjustment just for this purpose and once I have the camera back for testing at a later date I’d like to try these tests again.

But in my tests so far I’d say autofocus is the Achilles’ Heel for the A7 and especially the A7r. In decent light with a native lens and the AF area within the phase detect region, the A7 certainly feels quite snappy, but even under these ideal conditions falls behind the best of its rivals. Reduce the light or move the AF area outside the phase detect region and the speed and confidence take a big hit.

But like all tests, it all depends on your expectations and what you’re used to. I’ve spoken to some people who feel the AF speed on the A7 is perfectly good, and indeed it’s quicker than the Live View AF on most DSLRs. But if you’re used to shooting with smaller mirrorless formats, like the Micro Four Thirds models, or using the viewfinder on a traditional DSLR, you will find the A7 and especially the A7r slower.

So while the A7 is definitely better than the A7r in terms of speed and continuous AF, at least in the area covered by the PDAF points, I’d say neither camera is suited to action photography where the subject is moving towards or away from you. They’re not sports cameras by any stretch, and in my time with them they felt most comfortable shooting mostly static subjects in good light with loads of detail to lock onto. I hope further testing with the LA-EA4 and older Alpha lenses proves more successful and opens up action photography to these cameras.

Once again though there’s lots of assistance if you prefer to shoot in manual focus, or are using third party lenses via an adapter. You can magnify the view by 5.9 and 11.7x the latter delivering around a 1:1 / 100% view on-screen. There’s also focus peaking at a choice of three levels and in three colours.

In my tests I had lots of opportunity to try out focus peaking, both with native FE mount lenses and third party options via adapters, but I found a coloured fringe didn’t always correspond to a pin-sharp subject. Indeed I frequently had to make minor adjustments to the focus to completely nail the result, despite peaking assuring me all was well. This particularly applies if you’re viewing the whole image on-screen and not a magnified view.

I wonder whether focus peaking is something that works best on the more forgiving resolution of video? Maybe the precision demanded by 24 and especially 36 Megapixel full-frame sensors combined with a very shallow depth of field is a step too far for it. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate its inclusion on the A7 and A7r, but while it proved useful in my tests it was more a guide than a 100% reliable technique.

Ultimately if you’re into manual focusing I found the 100% magnified assistance to be the most useful, allowing me to confidently nail the focus, and you can see some examples taken with third party lenses on my sample images page. As I noted earlier, the magnified view is also much cleaner and more detailed than the magnified Live View on Nikon DSLRs, although Canon’s DSLRs remain the cleanest of all in this regard.

Sony Alpha A7 shooting modes

The Sony Alpha A7’s mode dial offers the usual PASM shooting modes, along with AUTO (actually two Autos via an on-screen option), SCN (accessing nine presets via an on-screen menu), Sweep Panorama, two custom memory presets and the Movie mode. You can start filming video in any shooting mode, but by first turning the dial to the Movie position you can frame in the selected video format (such as 16:9 for HD) and also adjust more settings.

The camera has access to shutter speeds between 1/8000 and 30 seconds with a Bulb option. The flash sync is 1/250 compared to 1/160 on the A7r. Fairly basic bracketing is available with three frames at increments between 1/3 and 3EV or five frames in increments of 1/3 to 2/3EV. The A7 is also compatible with Sony’s optional downloadable apps which can extend its capabilities. At the time of writing Sony reckoned only Smart Remote Control (already embedded in the camera) and Direct Upload (for posting direct to social networks) were compatible, but I’d expect the others to be updated where necessary including the Bracket Pro app. As far as I understand this doesn’t offer any deeper exposure bracketing yet, but the fact you can install apps to expand the capabilities of the camera is very cool, especially now the API is open for third party developers.

At this point I’d like to mention the sound of the shutter – something I rarely discuss in reviews, but something that lots of folk have been asking about. Unlike the A7r, the A7 actually employs an electronic first-curtain, so while the shutter volume is similar to the A7r, the sound is shorter in two parts like a ‘ther-clik’. In contrast the A7r shutter is mechanical on both curtains so can’t help being longer and sounding more clunky. Sadly neither camera has a silent 100% electronic shutter option. I know electronic shutters can have issues with rolling shutter artefacts, but unless the effect is horrendous I still like to have the option for situations like weddings or in galleries.

I had the Canon 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e on hand while testing the A7 and A7r, so had a chance to compare their respective shutter sounds. Both of these traditional DSLRs were actually a bit louder than both Sonys, with the Canon also sounding sharper and the Nikon a little lower pitched. But crucially they were both much faster sounds, which gave them the impression of being faster, more responsive cameras, almost hungry for the shot, whereas the Sonys, especially the A7r, sounded much more leisurely almost like they were lolloping along.

I’ll continue discussing the other shooting modes and effects in part two of this review coming soon! Time now to discuss other aspects of the camera.

Sony Alpha A7 movie mode

The Sony Alpha A7 is equipped with very capable movie recording facilities. It can record Full HD 1080 video at 60p / 50p, 60i / 50i or 24p / 25p, there’s full manual control over exposures, it can continuously autofocus while filming, there’s active focus peaking while recording, adjustable audio level meters, jacks for an external microphone and headphones, uncompressed (and clean) HDMI output, and of course as a full-time Live View system you can compose, film and playback using the screen or electronic the viewfinder.

Set the A7 to 60p / 50p (depending on region) and it’ll encode at a high rate of 28Mbit/s. Set it to 60i / 50i (depending on region) and you have the choice of encoding at 24 or 17Mbit/s. Set it to 24p / 25p (depending on region) and you can choose between 24 and 17Mbit/s. Unlike Canon and Nikon’s DSLRs, the frame rates are regionally-dependent, so PAL regions won’t have access to 60p, 60i or 24p, while NTSC regions won’t have access to 50p, 50i or 25p – I do hope Sony addresses this in a firmware update. All of the modes above are encoded using AVCHD, but you can alternatively choose MP4 at either 1440×1080 at 12Mbit/s (stretched for playback into 1080p) or VGA at 3Mbit/s. The maximum recording time is approximately 29 minutes, but a 2GB file limit for MP4 means you’ll need to be shooting in AVCHD for longer clips.

I’m working on further tests for video on the A7 for an update to this review soon, along with preparing many more samples but right now I wanted to share a small selection of clips which give you an idea of the quality and features in practice. In my tests so far I’m finding the A7 delivers fairly clean results, albeit with some visible moire at times. Many speculated the A7 would be better at video than the A7r, but in my tests below it’s roughly the same in terms of noise and detail, although at times moire is actually more visible on the A7 video than the A7r; conversely it does enjoy an advantage in a continuous AF environment thanks to its embedded phase detect AF points. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III remains the quality leader with cleaner and crisper video, suffering from zero moire in all of my samples thanks, I’m assuming, to having a sensor resolution that’s evenly divisble by 1920. Meanwhile the Nikon D800e is the worst of the four, suffering from similar levels of moire as the two Sonys, but with worse noise and lower detail.

Sony Alpha A7 sample video at 60p: handheld pan with 28-70mm lens

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This clip shows a handheld pan made with the Alpha A7 fitted with the 28-70mm kit lens at 28mm. This lens has optical stabilisation which has certainly reduced the visible shake, but to my eyes it’s not as smooth and ‘floaty’ as other stabilised systems I’ve filmed with. You’ll also noitce a wobble at the beginning and end of this and most of my video clips – this is due to pressing the indented video record button which is located part-way round the grip. Sony’s been clever to locate it somewhere it won’t be pressed by accident, but equally it’s quite hard to press it even deliberately without jabbing the camera.

Sony Alpha A7 sample video at 50p: tripod clip with Zeiss 35mm f2.8

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For this clip I mounted the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens onto the A7 and fitted the camera to a tripod. The static subject allows you to evaluate the quality of the video at 1080 / 50p.

Sony Alpha A7 sample video at 60p: continuous AF (moving away and towards subject) with 55mm f1.8

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In this video I fitted the Alpha A7 with the Zeiss 55mm f1.8 and opened the aperture to f1.8. This delivers a very shallow depth of field which is going to represent a significant challenge when it comes to keeping the subject in focus in a moving environment. Apologies in advance for the wobbles in this unstabilised footage. In the clip I start close to the leafs, then back away before moving closer again. I was careful to keep the subject within the A7’s phase detect AF area on the sensor. As you can see the camera does a fair job at adjusting the focus – it’s far from the fluid adjustment of the Canon EOS 70D, but it’s still smooth and keeps the subject in focus most of the time without any visible hunting. Not a bad result for the camera considering the challenging lens and conditions.

Sony Alpha A7 sample video at 60p: continuous AF (pulling) with 55mm f1.8

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For my second continuous focusing test with the A7, I kept it fitted with the 55mm f1.8, still opened to f1.8, but this time stood still and panned between a nearby and a distant subject; again apologies for the wobbling in this handheld unstabilised clip. This doesn’t test true continuous autofocusing – it’s more like auto focus-pulling – but it remains an interesting test none-the-less. In this clip the A7 smoothly refocuses between subjects with only minimal delay and no visible hunting. It’s a noticeably more confident performance than the A7r which doesn’t sport phase-detect AF points on its sensor, and as a consequence is more hesitant and suffers from more hunting in similar conditions.

Sony Alpha A7 sample video at 24p: low light at 1600 ISO

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To test the low light video capabilities of the A7 I filmed a series of clips in dim conditions between 800 and 25600 ISO using the Zeiss 35mm lens and a tripod. For comparison I filmed the same scene with the same lens with the A7r moments later, followed by the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800, the latter pair fitted with 35mm f1.4 lenses from each company. In each case the lenses were stopped to f2.8 unless otherwise stated and all clips were filmed in 1080 / 24p. The clip here was filmed at 1600 ISO, but I also have versions at 800 ISO, 3200 ISO, 6400 ISO, 12800 ISO and 25600 ISO.

Sony Alpha A7r sample video at 24p: low light at 1600 ISO

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Here’s my version of the low light scene filmed with the Alpha A7r. Some speculated the A7 would be better at video than the A7r, but in my tests below it’s roughly the same in terms of noise and detail, although at times moire is actually more visible on the A7 video than the A7r; conversely it does enjoy an advantage in a continuous AF environment thanks to its embedded phase detect AF points. The clip here was filmed at 1600 ISO, but I also have versions at 800 ISO, 3200 ISO, 6400 ISO, 12800 ISO and 25600 ISO.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III sample video at 24p: low light at 1600 ISO

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Here’s my version of the same scene filmed with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. This is the camera to beat for video and, well, the Alpha A7 doesn’t. The EOS 5D Mark III is consistently cleaner, crisper, and thanks to its exact down-sampling suffers from no moire either. So while the A7 and indeed the A7 outperform its still photo quality, the 5D3 remains the video camera to of choice, especially coupled with its silent control options; if only Canon would equip it with a fully-articulated touchscreen too. The clip here was filmed at 1600 ISO, but I also have versions at 800 ISO, 3200 ISO, 6400 ISO, 12800 ISO and 25600 ISO.

Nikon D800e sample video at 24p: low light at 1600 ISO

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Sony Alpha A7 continuous shooting

The Sony Alpha A7 offers two continuous shooting options, continuous at 2.5fps and Speed Priority at 5fps. The Alpha A7r shoots at 1.5fps or 4fps in the same modes. To put them to the test I fitted each with a freshly-formatted Sony 32GB UHS-1 card and set them to 1/500 in Shutter Priority with a 400 ISO sensitivity. In each case I used Speed Priority and their maximum respective resolutions, 36 Megapixels for the A7r and 24 Megapixels for the A7.

Sony Alpha A7 Wifi and NFC

The Sony Alpha A7 is equipped with Wifi, allowing it to transfer images wirelessly to smartphones, tablets, computers or compatible TVs. You can also use Wifi to remote control the camera with your smartphone or tablet, and unique to Sony so far, download and install optional apps to extend its capabilities.

The A7 is also equipped with NFC, or Near Field Communications, allowing the initial Wifi negotiation to be simplified to a single tap with compatible handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4, the Google NEXUS 4, 7 and 10, or Sony’s latest phones.

While testing the A7 I regularly used the Wifi to transfer images to my Galaxy S4, and then send them on for sharing. It was also nice to be able to take photos of other people and use the Wifi to get the images on their own phones straightaway – I found myself doing this more than I expected. I haven’t had a chance to try copying images to a computer or TV over Wifi with the A7 yet, but believe it requires both the camera and the device to be connected to the same wireless access point. If you want a peer-to-peer connection directly between the camera and a device it’ll have to be an iOS or Android device.

The A7 also follows the NEX 5R, 5T and 6 to support downloadable apps to extend its capabilities. Sony offers a number of apps on its Play Memories service, some free, some costing a few dollars, and recently opened the API to allow third party development. At the time of writing, there were 17 apps available on the Play Memories Camera Apps page, but only three were compatible with the A7: Smart Remote Control (which lets you control the camera with your smartphone), Direct Upload (for sharing images direct to certain social networks) and Flickr-add on (for uploading images direct to Flickr); all three of these are free of charge and the Smart Remote Control already comes pre-installed in the camera.

I’m hoping the remaining apps, which include more advanced bracketing and timelapse facilities, can be made compatible soon as the A7 is lacking in some of these capabilities compared to rival cameras. Either way the ability to extend the feature-set in this way is very welcome and remains unique in the market.

I’ll expand this section when I get a chance to try out more of the apps on the camera.

Sony Alpha A7 sensor

There’s a lot that’s remarkable about the Sony A7, but its headline feature is without a doubt squeezing a full-frame sensor into a compact mirrorless body. The sensor is also one of the main differences between the A7 and the pricier A7r.

The Alpha A7 is equipped with a full-frame sensor measuring 35.8×23.9mm with 24.7 Megapixels, delivering images with a maximum resolution of 6000×4000 pixels. The Alpha A7r is equipped with a 35.9x24mm full-frame sensor with 36.8 Megapixels, delivering images with a maximum resolution of 7360×4912 pixels. When output at 300dpi, the A7r and A7 can make prints measuring 24.5×16.4in and 20×13.3in respectively. Both cameras offer a sensitivity range of 100-25600 ISO, expandable at the low end to include 50, 64 and 80 ISO options.

Have we seen the A7r and A7 sensors before, perhaps in the D800e and Alpha A99 respectively? No, say the Sony engineers I quizzed, the A7r and A7 both employ brand new sensors.

Sony also notes both cameras employ adaptive sharpening to compensate for diffraction and more faithful reproduction especially on edges thanks to the new BIONZ X image processor.

That’s a boatload of technology and differences I’ve provided you with, but the as always the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so without further ado, let’s check out some results. I’ve compared the quality, detail and noise of the A7 against the A7r and to see if they can really hold their own against their biggest full-frame rivals, I’ve also provided full comparative results against the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e. I think you’ll be impressed.

Check out my Sony A7 vs A7r quality, Sony A7 vs A7r noise, Sony A7 vs Canon 5D Mark III noise, Sony Ar vs Nikon D800e noise, my Sony A7 sample images, or skip straight to my verdict!

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Sony Alpha A7 vs Alpha A7r Quality JPEG

To compare real-life performance I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7 and Alpha A7r, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings; my RAW results will follow once support is available in ACR.

Both cameras were fitted in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens, set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. The White Balance was set manually.

Both cameras were focused on the building in the middle using their central AF areas. The test was repeated several times to eliminate the chance of error.

My first quality comparison is between the Sony Alpha A7 and it’s more higher-end counterpart, the A7r. I fitted each camera in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode, so what you’re looking at below is a direct comparison between their sensors and image processing strategies.

As you’ll see in my other tests, the A7 compares well against the Canon EOS 5D Mark III – indeed in my tests with both cameras fitted with high quality 35mm lenses, the out-of-camera JPEGs from the A7 looked superior to the 5D3, at lower sensitivities anyway. In the 20-24 Megapixel class, I’d say the A7 is an excellent performer.

But place it next to a camera with 50% more Megapixels and the low pass filter removed and it can’t help but look soft in comparison. So please take these results in context: the A7 delivers some of the best images in the 20-24 Megapixel class, but if you’re after the most detailed results, the A7r will comfortably out-perform it, no question. Indeed as you’ll see in my Sony A7r review, it even manages to slightly out-perform the mighty D800e, making it arguably the best quality camera without going to medium format – a fantastic result from such a small and relatively affordably-priced camera.

You can find out how all these cameras compare in low light at higher sensitivities in my Sony A7 vs A7r noise, Sony A7 vs Canon 5D Mark III noise and Sony A7 vs Nikon D800e noise results pages, or if you’d like to see more real-life shots, check out my Sony A7 sample images. If you’ve seen enough, skip straight to my verdict!

Sony Alpha A7 vs Alpha A7r Quality JPEG

To compare RAW noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7 and Alpha A7r, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings.

Both cameras were fitted in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens, set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. DRO was disabled as it can introduce noise. The White Balance was set manually.

I also have comparisons with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e taken moments later – see the index above left.

Now let’s see how the A7 compares against one of the most popular full-frame DSLRs around, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III – find out in my Sony A7 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III noise results. Alternatively check out my Sony A7 vs Nikon D800e noise comparisons, or head over to my Sony A7 sample images!

Sony Alpha A7 vs Alpha A7r Quality JPEG

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7 and Alpha A7r, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings; my RAW results will follow once support is available in ACR.

Both cameras were fitted in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens, set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. DRO was disabled as it can introduce noise. The White Balance was set manually.

I also have comparisons with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e taken moments later – see the index above left.

My first noise comparison is between the Sony Alpha A7 and it’s higher resolution counterpart, the A7r. I fitted each camera in turn with the same Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode, so what you’re looking at below is a direct comparison between their sensors and image processing strategies. As a reminder the A7r has a higher resolution 36 Megapixel sensor without an optical low pass filter, whereas the A7 has a lower resolution 24 Megapixel sensor with an optical low pass filter; the A7 also has phase-detect AF points embedded in the sensor which the camera must interpolate around to generate an uninterrupted image.

How much noise is behind the scenes? I’ll have to wait for support from Adobe Camera RAW to really be able to say, but for now I can offer you additional JPEG noise comparisons with their two main full-frame rivals. So check out my Sony A7 vs Canon 5D Mark III noise and Sony A7 vs Nikon D800e noise comparisons, or head over to my Sony A7 sample images!

Sony Alpha A7 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III Noise JPEG

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings; my RAW results will follow once support is available in ACR.

The Alpha A7 was fitted with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens and the Canon 5D Mark III with the EF 35mm f1.4 lens, both set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. DRO and other contrast enhancers were disabled as they can introduce noise. The White Balance was set manually.

I also have comparisons with the Nikon D800e taken moments later – see the index above left.

I rented the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e from BorrowLenses.com – a great service for evaluating gear in the US! If you’re in the UK, I’d recommend renting gear from Hireacamera!

My second noise comparison is between the Sony Alpha A7 and Canon’s EOS 5D Mark III. I fitted the A7 with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens and the 5D Mark III with the EF 35mm f1.4 lens, both set to f8 in Aperture Priority. What you’re looking at below is a 24 Megapixel model versus a 22 Megapixel model, both with optical low pass filters.

At first glance the Sony A7 looks superior thanks to crisper image processing by default on its JPEGs. In comparison the Canon 5D Mark III looks a little soft. But look closely and you’ll see both sets of crops share essentially the same amount of detail, with the main difference simply being the amount of sharpening and noise reduction applied by default for out-of-camera JPEGs.

Beyond 6400 ISO the Canon appears enjoys an advantage, but this may again be down to processing more than a better sensor. But below 6400 ISO I’d say they’re actually very evenly matched, with any differences again being down to processing strategies.

I personally feel Canon is a being a bit restrained on its DSLRs, applying modest sharpening and arguably a little too much noise reduction at higher sensitivities. This gives their default JPEGs a softer look. Meanwhile I think Sony has struck the balance just about right – at least to my tastes – on its default JPEGs with sufficient sharpening to bring out the details without suffering from unwanted artefacts.

Ultimately though it’s pretty much just image processing strategies you’re comparing below, and it is of course possible to boost the sharpening on the Canon or indeed turn it down on the Sony if preferred. I’m very familiar with Canon’s files and know the 5D3 images respond very well to a boost in sharpening, especially applied to RAW files and that’s just what I’ll do when the Sony cameras are fully supported in Adobe Camera RAW.

But for now I’d say the Alpha A7 and 5D Mark III share very similar levels of detail and noise across most of their sensitivity ranges.

But what happens when you compare the A7 to another 36 Megapixel full-frame sensor without an optical low pass filter? Find out on my Sony A7 vs Nikon D800e noise results page, or if you’ve seen enough, skip to my Sony A7 sample images.

		Canon EOS 5D Mark III JPEG

Sony Alpha A7 vs Nikon D800e Noise JPEG

To compare noise levels under real-life conditions, I shot this scene with the Sony Alpha A7 and Nikon D800e, within a few moments of each other using their RAW+JPEG settings at each of their ISO sensitivity settings; my RAW results will follow once support is available in ACR.

The Alpha A7 was fitted with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens and the D800e with the Nikkor AF-S 35mm f1.4G lens, both set to f8 in Aperture Priority mode. DRO and other contrast enhancers were disabled as they can introduce noise. The White Balance was set manually.

I also have comparisons with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III taken moments earlier – see the index above left.

I rented the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800e from BorrowLenses.com – a great service for evaluating gear in the US! If you’re in the UK, I’d recommend renting gear from Hireacamera!

My third noise comparison is between the Sony Alpha A7 and Nikon’s D800e. Here we’re comparing a 24 Megapixel sensor with an optical low pass filter against a 36 Megapixel sensor without an optical low pass filter. As such we’d expect to see the D800e out-resolving the A7 at lower sensitivities, but perhaps suffering from a little more noise at higher ISOs. I fitted the A7 with the Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens and the D800e with the Nikkor AF-S 35mm f1.4G lens, both set to f8 in Aperture Priority.

Like the EOS 5D Mark III, the D800e applies fairly modest sharpening to its JPEGs by default and this means you don’t get to see all the potential detail in the crops below – indeed the A7 actually looks quite close thanks to a punchier processing style by default. I certainly wouldnt say the D800e enjoys much of an advantage here, if any.

As expected the D800e begins to suffer from visible noise sooner than the A7, and even as low as 1600 ISO I’d say it’s losing detail due to noise. At 3200 and 6400 ISO I reckon the A7 contains greater detail.

It’s an interesting comparison as it proves out-of-camera JPEGs can really vary in usability. Most enthusiasts and pros would immediately discount them and start processing RAW files – and I can tell you this is where the D800e really shines – but I think some credit is due to Sony for generating such good looking JPEGs out of camera with the default settings. But again I’m in no doubt the D800e will comfortably out-resolve the A7 at lower sensitivities when I get a chance to compare RAW files.

I now have a bunch of A7 sample images under a variety of conditions, or you can skip straight to my verdict!

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Sony alpha a7 body

Sony Камера α7 с байонетом Е и полнокадровой матрицей

Неделя с экспертом: Sony Alpha A7 и Alpha A7R

Магия цифр или Преемственность поколений

Что в коробке

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Sony Alpha A7 and A7R review

Sony Alpha A7r review -

Sony Alpha A7 / A7r overview video

Sony Alpha A7r build quality and handling

Sony Alpha A7r viewfinder and screen

Sony Alpha A7r lens mount

Sony Alpha A7r focusing

Sony Alpha A7r shooting modes

Sony Alpha A7r movie mode

Sony Alpha A7r continuous shooting

Sony Alpha A7r Wifi and NFC

Sony Alpha A7r sensor

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Sony Alpha A7 III review

Features

Sony Alpha A7 review -

Sony Alpha A7 / A7r overview video

Sony Alpha A7 build quality and handling

Sony Alpha A7 viewfinder and screen

Sony Alpha A7 lens mount

Sony Alpha A7 focusing

Sony Alpha A7 shooting modes

Sony Alpha A7 movie mode

Sony Alpha A7 continuous shooting

Sony Alpha A7 Wifi and NFC

Sony Alpha A7 sensor

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