Sony A7 (A7r Ii) Camera: Move Photography Dream

ve been traveling approximately the globe alongside Sony Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Sony A7 (A7R II) Camera: Travel Photography Dream — Sony A7/A7R Camera Review

Gear Review

I’ve been traveling approximately the globe alongside Sony A7 or A7R II cameras shooting locomote photography for the yesteryear 3 years. Here’s my review of this outstanding equipment.

UPDATE: Since initially writing this post service on the A7 I’ve upgraded to the newer Sony A7R II. It’s the best photographic television camera I’ve ever owned!

When I kickoff heard Sony was releasing a compact, full-frame, mirrorless camera, my initial reaction was “FINALLY!”. It was precisely what I’d been waiting for. The Sony A7 job of cameras enable you lot to practise high-end images using a small, lightweight system.

Because I alive out of a backpack working equally a professional person locomote blogger, I’m ever searching for novel ways to pack less.

I’d grown real fond of my Canon 7D over the yesteryear few years. However Sony finally raised the bar — this novel engineering scientific discipline was besides goodness to ignore. In Dec 2013 I made the switch to a Sony A7, in addition to after a twelvemonth of difficult work through ix dissimilar countries, I couldn’t live happier alongside my choice.

Many people receive got been quest me nearly the Sony A7 or A7R II, in addition to thence I wanted to portion my experience alongside you. In this article you’ll larn what I similar (and dislike) nearly these cameras along alongside sample images from my travels.

Sony A7 & A7R II Camera Review

So what’s in addition to thence special nearly the Sony A7? Well it was the kickoff fourth dimension a full-frame sensor had been squeezed into a compact mirrorless photographic television camera body. This way the sensor within the photographic television camera is big, producing high character images alongside depression noise.

Yet the photographic television camera trunk is smaller in addition to lighter than your typical full-frame cameras from Canon & Nikon. Professional character inwards a small-scale bundle — a powerful combination many locomote photographers receive got been waiting for.

Sony currently has 3 A7 models available. The Sony A7 II is the entry flat model. The Sony A7R II has to a greater extent than megapixels. The Sony A7S II is geared for video, alongside fewer megapixels but higher ISO sensitivity.

Sony A7R II Camera Specs

Camera Format: Full Frame

Pixels: 42 Megapixels

Max Resolution: 7952 x 5304

Lens Format: Sony east & FE

Memory Card: SD/SDHC/SDXC

Video Recording: 4K or 1080 inwards 60/30/24p

Viewfinder: Electronic (100% coverage)

ISO Sensitivity: 100 – 102,400

Shutter: Silent Electronic (30 – 1/8000 seconds)

Burst Rate: five FPS

Focus Points: Hybrid Focus alongside 399 points

Wireless: Wifi/NFC

Weight: 22 oz / 625 g

Small & Lightweight

One of the biggest benefits of mirrorless full-frame engineering scientific discipline is how small-scale & lite the Sony A7 job is compared to large DSLRs. Especially when paired alongside native Sony FE lenses, you’ll sometimes forget you’re carrying approximately a professional person character camera.

I can’t tell you lot how oft I’ve had to double banking concern check my handbag to build certain it was silent inwards there. As the one-time photography maxim goes, “the best photographic television camera is the 1 you lot receive got alongside you”.

I’m much to a greater extent than probable to convey my photographic television camera along alongside me for everyday activities if it’s small, ensuring I don’t immature adult woman a keen photograph opportunity. Over the yesteryear few years I’ve noticed that’s just what I’ll practise alongside my Sony A7R II.

At 22 ounces, the Sony weighs less than Canon’s 5D Mark III.

Image Quality

The ikon character produced yesteryear the Sony A7 & A7R cameras are amazing for their size. In fact the character is even rated higher than a Canon 5D Mark III yesteryear SnapSort.com.

Sony’s sensors are genuinely used inwards many other photographic television camera brands similar Nikon & Fuji, equally they are arguably the leader inwards sensor technology. The gapless design on the Sony A7 (A7R) sensor allows it to collect to a greater extent than lite than others.

The novel BIONZ X Image Processing engineering scientific discipline allows for to a greater extent than natural textures & details to live captured alongside lower noise. I’ve been real impressed alongside the character of Sony A7 (A7R) images.

Below you’ll uncovering a earlier & after processing illustration photograph:

RAW Camera File (unprocessed)

Final Image (processed)

Weather Sealing

As a locomote lensman I’m oft exterior capturing landscapes inwards all kinds of conditions. Over the lastly twelvemonth I’ve tested my Sony A7R II inwards a diversity of weather condition situations — snowstorms inwards Iceland, thunderstorms inwards Turkey, hot sandy deserts inwards Israel, in addition to salty sea spray on the coast of South Africa.

Luckily the photographic television camera is weather condition resistant. The alone number I’ve had is when I lost the tiny flash hot-shoe cover, in addition to waterfall mist created an annoying photographic television camera error. I could silent shoot photos, but the mistake would give-up the ghost on popping upwardly inwards betwixt each shot. Once dry out this was no longer a problem.

There is a fleck of disceptation nearly the weather condition resistance though, equally Sony after decided to take whatsoever references to weather condition sealing. Probably because of reports to the contrary. However inwards my experience the Sony A7 (A7R) is pretty weather condition resistant.

Just don’t accept your Sony A7 (A7R) out for extended sessions inwards pouring pelting or drib it inwards a lake. Extremely mutual coldness weather condition tin also live an number for the small-scale batteries, which drain pretty fast.

LCD Screen & Viewfinder

Sony’s articulating LCD enshroud has been a pleasant surprise, I uncovering myself using it to a greater extent than than I idea I would. It tilts upwardly in addition to downwards in addition to thence you lot tin acquire shots from upwardly high or downwards depression in addition to silent run across what you’re shooting on the LCD.

It does non all the same rotate plenty for selfies, which would receive got been nice. Especially when trying to shoot video of yourself. Both the LCD enshroud in addition to electronic viewfinder receive got keen resolution.

Sony A7 (A7R) Lenses

If you’ve invested a fortune inwards lenses from Nikon or Canon, you lot don’t receive got to sell them all in addition to buy novel ones to work the Sony A7 (A7R). There are Metabones adapters that allow you lot to work drinking glass from other manufacturers on the Sony.

But if you lot genuinely desire to reap the benefits of a smaller photographic television camera body, I’d recommend like shooting fish in a barrel updating your kit alongside Sony’s FE lenses specifically designed for the A7 line. No extra adapter to lug around, in addition to smaller lenses.

I alone locomote alongside 2 lenses at the moment. The Zeiss FE 16-35mm F4 in addition to the Sony FE 70-200mm F4.

Menus & Ease Of Use

The Sony A7 (A7R) camera’s carte organization is pleasantly user-friendly. Most buttons are fully customizable to practise pretty much anything you lot desire — you lot tin completely alter their functions inwards the carte settings, including 3 custom role buttons.

Apart from the oddly placed video recording push on the correct side of the grip, the balance of the camera’s functions are quick, intuitive, in addition to like shooting fish in a barrel to alter on the fly.

There are also 2 custom modes on the camera’s dial — allowing you lot to relieve your most used photographic television camera settings for like shooting fish in a barrel access on the fly.

Sony A7 (A7R) Video

With the mightiness to tape high character 1080 video at 60p (for deadening motion), the Sony A7 (A7R) is real capable for full general video applications. The A7R in addition to A7S both shoot 4K video too. The cameras include external 3.5mm microphone in addition to headphone jacks specifically for video.

The Sony A7R II has a continuous autofocus fashion which is real handy. While non equally fast or accurate equally a dedicated video camera, it’s pretty good.

With the realize of the 2nd generation A7 job of cameras, they also characteristic 5-axis internal stabilization for the sensor, resulting inwards super shine video clips piece moving or reducing photographic television camera shake.

Other video highlights include fully manual exposure control, active sound levels, in addition to full-time alive persuasion of what you’re recording on the LCD screen.

Video tin live recorded inwards MP4 or AVCHD formats. While AVCHD (MTS files) are higher quality, they’re a fleck clumsy to displace approximately or preview 1 time downloaded off the camera. I work Acrok MTS Converter for Mac to batch-convert clips into to a greater extent than manageable ProRes 422 files.

Battery Life

Another number I’ve had alongside the Sony A7 (A7R) is brusque battery life. For such a small-scale photographic television camera trunk at that spot merely isn’t plenty room for a large battery. These smaller batteries don’t lastly real long.

I pack 3 batteries inwards my photographic television camera bag, in addition to tin sometimes acquire through all of them on a genuinely sum 24-hour interval of heavy shooting. Especially inwards mutual coldness weather. However draining through ii is to a greater extent than common, leaving me alongside the third equally a spare.

But you’ll almost ever desire to recharge them all overnight.

Sony In-Camera Apps

You tin download photographic television camera apps to work alongside your Sony A7 (A7R) through Sony’s website. I work the Smart Remote Control which allows you lot command the photographic television camera alongside your smartphone (great for selfies or grouping shots).

I’ve also used the Time Lapse App for shooting fourth dimension lapse photography. It’s non the most user-friendly app, but it works. However these days I prefer to work a wireless intervalometer described below…

Sony A7 & A7R II Accessories

These are some useful accessories for the Sony A7 that I highly recommend.

Wasabi Batteries & Wall Charger

Peak Design Camera Strap

Sony 43M Flash & LED Video Light

Vello Wireless Shutterboss II

Sony A7 & A7R II Tips

Turn off WiFi when non inwards work to meliorate battery life.

Turn on “steady shot” when hand-holding the photographic television camera if your lens is compatible. Turn it off when using a tripod.

Focus peaking is fantabulous for chop-chop achieving focus inwards manual focus mode, alongside yellowish lines helping to display what’s inwards focus. Great for video.

Conclusion

Could the Sony A7 (A7R) cameras live improved? Of class they can. But their benefits far outweigh the few issues, similar brusque battery life. At the 2nd I recollect it’s likely the best photographic television camera out at that spot for locomote photography — specially if you’re looking for the smallest in addition to lightest kit possible.

While the photographic television camera is small, it silent feels well-built in addition to confident inwards your hands. I’m amazed they managed to cram a full-frame sensor into that tiny body. It’s a powerful tool at a reasonable toll that I’ve been real happy with.

The Sony A7R II is definitely my favorite photographic television camera for locomote photography. ★