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Mirrorless camera test Sony a7: you can’t miss with full frame and interchangeable optics

In September 2013, Sony introduced the first compact full-frame autofocus system with an E. We have announced two mirrorless cameras Sony ILC-E A7 and Sony ILC-E A7R, and 5 lenses for them: Zeiss FE 24-70mm f/4.0 OSS, Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS, Zeiss FE 35mm f/2.8, Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8, the Sony FE 70-200mm f/4.0 G OSS lens in development . This system is designed for advanced amateurs and professionals who are tired of carrying around large and heavy full-frame DSLRs, but are not ready to give up the high image quality and rich camera functionality. The uniqueness of this system is that it combines compactness, extensive functionality and high image quality.

Sony ILC-E A7 mirrorless camera

Sony ILC-E A7 and A7R cameras are positioned as junior and senior models respectively, with a noticeable difference in price. In some respects the A7 is not only as good as the more expensive A7R, but it’s even better. Let’s talk about the characteristics of cameras in more detail.

Main technical specifications

Sensor

The A7 features a 24 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor. This sensor is similar to the one used in the Sony SLT-A99, it has an AA filter that suppresses moiré. For those who want maximum image quality and for whom 24 MP is not enough, Sony has equipped the camera A7R full frame sensor with 36 MP resolution without AA filter similar to the sensor in Nikon D800e . This sensor allows you to take pictures with the highest resolution currently available for full-frame DSLRs. Only medium format can give a better image. Sensor difference is the first and foremost difference between the reviewed cameras.

AF system

The basis of the autofocus system in these cameras is the contrast AF system, which is implemented by the sensor. The autofocus speed has been significantly improved, the manufacturer promises a speed increase of up to 35% compared to the NEX-7, and this is a very good indicator, as the NEX-7 focuses faster than all other cameras in the NEX line. The new cameras also have an adjustable focus point size, which practically eliminates the problem of AF blunders that used to occur with the NEX series because the contrast focusing system “captures” the background instead of the subject.

Face recognition has also been improved, resulting in recognition of faces much faster. And along with Face Detection, it makes sure the focus is on your loved one’s face and not somewhere else. Also, the A7 and A7R cameras are equipped with an eye-focusing function, with which you don’t have to worry about focusing in the wrong place with the high-aperture, high-quality optics. In addition the A7 has phase AF sensors located on the sensor. Hybrid focus system on the A7 enables faster focusing and better tracking of subjects in tracking AF.

It’s worth mentioning the A7 and A7R’s contour highlighting function peaking . It doesn’t apply to the autofocus system, but it really helps to focus manually and when working with manual lenses. The idea is that the camera renders the outlines that are in the DOF when the camera focuses manually. Adding the focus magnifier to this function makes it impossible to miss when focusing manually.

Photo equipment

The shutter

Both cameras are equipped with high-quality shutter, working the shutter speed in the range of 30-1/8000 sec, which corresponds to the characteristics of professional DSLR cameras. In addition the A7 has an electronic front curtain function, turning it on can reduce shutter lag and increase shutter life. The shutter life under warranty for both cameras is 150,000 operations. The flash sync speeds are different for the cameras: 1/250 seconds for the A7 and 1/160 seconds for the A7R.

Ergonomics

The design and ergonomics of the A7/A7R are borrowed, in part, from classic SLR cameras such as the Olympus OM-1. There are pros and cons to this. On the one hand cameras pay tribute to the currently fashionable retro style, on the other hand – after a long time of using Sony Alpha and NEX cameras it takes time to get used to the changed ergonomics. For instance, the first two or three days I had to put my finger on the front wheel instead of the shutter button and couldn’t get the C1 button to work at all. But then I did not experience any inconvenience in using the camera. Let’s look at ergonomics in more detail.

A fundamental thing in any camera’s ergonomics is its grip. On the A7/A7R it’s pretty good, but you have to pay attention to the fact that it’s pretty good for a camera of this size and weight. Since these cameras can be used with fairly heavy lenses, including for professional photography, which can take a long time, Sony gives the opportunity to increase the grip of these cameras with the optional battery grip VG-C1EM – and at the same time increase the camera run time due to additional batteries.

The camera has five click wheels, not every DSLR can boast. One mode wheel, a second one devoted solely to exposure compensation, front and back wheels for shutter speed and aperture, and an adjustable wheel on the back of the camera. The first four wheels are quite tight, this is to avoid accidental malfunctioning of the settings, which often happened with the NEX-7, as its wheels were very easy to turn. But unfortunately the wheel on the back is not without this drawback, and having put the ISO selection function on it, I often found that the value I set went astray because of accidental scrolling of the wheel.

Beside wheels the camera is rich with customizable buttons: three buttons C1, C2, C3 – in different places on the body, three buttons on the wheel which is on the back panel, and a two-function button with a switch which by default has AM/MF and exposure lock functions. This gives the photographer the opportunity to distribute the camera’s functions among the buttons to his liking.

Mirrorless Cameras

The Fn button menu, familiar to many Sony SLR owners, has been redesigned. Now it does not match the ones displayed at the edges of the screen. It’s less convenient, but it’s now fully customizable and you can put in any 12 settings including stabilizer on/off that you want to be able to access quickly with the Fn button. It’s more than enough. All other settings will be accessible through the main menu.

The navigation has been changed in the main menu. Now you can’t use scrolling through menus. It’s very uncomfortable at first at least for someone who is used to the old navigation . But after mastering the new navigation for a couple of days and going back to the old one, you realize that it’s less convenient and responsive.

Also of note is that the remote control inclusion has moved from the broach modes to the main menu – so Sony has fixed an obvious software flaw that prevented using the IR remote to shoot in different broach modes and use bracketing.

I can’t leave out the flip-down LCD screen. Unfortunately it only has one degree of freedom, unlike the screens on Sony DSLRs, but it also makes life a lot easier for photographers when shooting from non-standard angles. The flip down screen is commonly thought of as being useful only when using a tripod, but it isn’t. When shooting in LV mode t.e. Sony cameras don’t loose focus speed so there is no limitation. The flip-down screen is great for street photography when shooting from the hip, for shooting from the ground or floor, and for shooting over heads or other obstacles. For example, it’s very convenient to take pictures with a flip-down screen of small children crawling on the floor or playing on the floor, without having to stand in an ostrich position, as with classic DSLRs.

Viewfinder

These cameras have a top-notch electronic viewfinder EVF . many photographers cringe at the mention of EVF and refuse to accept anything but the good old optical viewfinder OVF . That’s actually an old prejudice. The modern EVF in top Sony cameras is very good and easily competes with the EVF used in top DSLRs. the viewfinder in the A7/A7R has a high resolution, it’s almost impossible to see pixelation unless you look closely enough.

The EVF covers 100% of the frame and is very informative. The image you see in the EVI not only shows you the shooting settings, but also the camera settings, and the level and histogram, and you see the image as it would appear in a shot with the selected exposure, depth of field and white balance. None of this can be provided by the EVF. Of course, the electronic viewfinder has its disadvantages, but after using it for a long time, I personally do not want to go back to the OVI.

Battery and charging

The new Sony cameras are powered by the same batteries used in the NEX cameras NP-FW50 . They were obviously chosen because of their compact size, since it would be difficult to fit a larger battery into such a small camera. Sony says that you can get 340 shots on one battery. In reality, the battery life depends not on the number of shots taken, but on the time it is on.

Because a camera with an electronic viewfinder and large LCD screen consumes a lot of power. Accordingly, if you shoot often or in bursts, you can get many more frames than it says. But if you take pictures very seldom and leave the camera on, the battery will run down quickly. There’s a power save mode to help, which puts the camera to sleep when you’re not using it. You can set the idle time from 10 seconds to 30 minutes.

One disadvantage of these cameras is that they do not come with a battery charger. That’s why you will have to charge it with the included cable with microUSB connector. This interface is used to charge tablets and phones, so you don’t have to lug around a lot of extra devices. But if you need to charge all the devices at once, you might have a problem. Not to mention the fact that mircoUSB connectors often break because of sloppy handling.

I hope Sony thought of that and made this connector in a very good way. But in general I would recommend to buy the battery pack with the camera – ACC-VW. It will especially come in handy for those who want to use an extra battery grip. Since the batteries in the grip are not charged when connected to USB, they can only be charged in the charger by inserting them into the camera one at a time.

Mirrorless cameras

Optics

I’ll tell you a little bit about the optics, which can be used with Sony A7/A7R cameras, because the optics is the main element of photo system. As mentioned above, Sony has introduced 5 full frame lenses for these cameras. Unfortunately, I could only get the Sony 28-70mm f/3 kit kit for the test.5-5.6 OSS, and the Zeiss was only briefly introduced at the presentation.

The Sony 28-70mm Whale is a bit pricey, but it’s worth the money, which is totally worth it. The glass is made of plastic, it has no dust and water protection, but it has stabilizer, which helps a lot in low light conditions. The sharpness and the image does not flash, but the 24-megapixel matrix Sony A7 copes with, even on the periphery of the frame with the aperture set back, “soap” is not observed. But I wouldn’t recommend using it with the A7R.

This camera is for maximum resolution, which means you have to look in the direction of the Zeiss FE 24-70/4. It’s a very high quality lens that gives you great sharpness, even if it’s not perfect around the edges of the frame. I really liked the Zeiss FE 35mm f/2.8 and Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8, made in all-metal construction with dust and moisture protection, but, unfortunately, without stabilizer. Many people think that they are expensive and also not very bright. This is partly true, but these lenses have a very good pattern and sharpness at an open aperture that their counterparts from other systems cannot boast, which makes them unique in some ways and justifies their price.

The number of native full-frame lenses for the Sony A7/A7R cameras is not enough at the moment, but Sony promises to release 5 lenses per year for them, so in two years’ time the lens lineup will have 15 lenses and there will be no problems with the choice of native lenses.

Besides full frame E-type glasses, you can also use the cropped glass tubes, which are designed for Sony NEX cameras. Whether it makes sense – everyone decides for himself. In addition to this set of optics, you can use any optics with an A mount – for this, Sony has released the LA-EA4 adapter, which provides not only mechanical compatibility, but also phase autofocus, as there is a phase autofocus module, similar to that used in the Sony A65. As a result, the entire fleet of optics for the Sony Alpha can be used on the A7/A7R cameras.

It should be noted that the owners of other systems Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Leica can also use their optics on the new cameras due to the fact that they have a very short working distance of 18 mm. There are already a huge number of full-frame adapters for the E mount. For example, the Metabones to Canon EOS adapter provides not only aperture control, but also autofocus operation. True, the quality of AF leaves much to be desired.

Videotaping

The A7 and A7R cameras are highly functional for shooting video. The user can choose in what system it will work – NTSC or PAL, to do it before you start, because when you change the system, the camera requires to format the flash card. Depending on the choice made the corresponding shooting modes 25p/50i/50p or 30p/60i/60p will be available. Video is compressed using the AVCHD codec with 1920×1080 resolution. An MP4 codec is also available, but then the video resolution is limited to 1440×1080. The cameras allow you to output uncompressed video via HDMI, which can be captured by an external device.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to evaluate uncompressed video because the cameras didn’t come with a video cable with a micro-HDMI connector. The quality of the video the camera records to the flash card is, in my opinion, absolutely sufficient for amateur and domestic use, but there is no ringing sharpness in the video – the picture is a bit loose. At the same time with the cameras A7 and A7R you can use professional accessories for video shooting, which are produced by Sony. XLR adapter XLR-K1M for professional audio recording, the CLM-V55 5″ portable monitor, HVL-LE1 video light and other accessories.

Field testing

Sony has positioned the A7 and A7R as second cameras for advanced amateurs or professionals, with which they can shoot for those moments when they are bored with heavy and cumbersome equipment, without losing in the quality of photography. In my opinion, thanks to the rich functionality of new items may well be the only one in the arsenal and an advanced amateur and professional, if their photography tasks do not impose high demands on the speed and accuracy of autofocus. That’s not to say the A7/A7R has poor autofocus, but in low light conditions it’s clearly inferior in speed and tenacity to professional-level DSLRs. For me I see this camera as a perfect tool for walking, traveling and for outdoor activities, when weight and size are important. So after getting the camera I went skiing on Zelenaya mountain in Altai region.

Sony

Taken with a flip down screen. Sony 50mm f/1 lens.4 ZA through LA-EA4 adapter, ISO 320, f/5.6, 1/60th c

Sony

Taken with flip down screen and tripod. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 SSM through LA-EA4, ISO 100, f/5.6, 6s

Sony

Sony 50mm f/1 Lens.4 with adapter from A-mount to E-mount, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec

I would like to mention the high quality of the camera and lenses. The camera was in my backpack through the woods and mountain bumps for a few days in a regular camera bag without any protection, and nothing happened to it during this time, even though I fell down many times. In addition, cameras and lenses except “kit” Sony 28-70 mm are dustproof, so they can be used in light rain or wet snow.

The device worked perfectly in the freezing cold -20 … -30 degrees. The only problem I encountered was the batteries discharging in the cold. Unfortunately, this is a feature of all lithium batteries. That’s why I recommend you to have 1-2 batteries in your warm pocket if you need to shoot in freezing temperatures for a long time. By the way, a frozen battery recovers its charge after it gets warm.

Mirrorless Cameras

Sony FE 28-70mm f/3 lens.5-5.6 OSS, 30 mm, f/8, ISO 100, 1/500 s. Outdoors at -25 °C.

The wheels on the camera turned out to be very handy to control the camera even when wearing ski gloves, I couldn’t use the buttons, but the wheels were enough for me to switch modes and select camera settings.

The cameras have a panorama function, and the direction of the camera is automatically set to the front wheel, which was not the case with previous cameras had to go into the menu . It took some time before I was able to shoot a panorama, because I had to learn how to move the camera with the right speed first. But what you have to do, you understand quite quickly. I’m sure this feature will please beginner amateurs, as advanced amateurs and professionals wouldn’t trust such an important thing as panorama assembly to the camera’s automation anyway.

Photo equipment

A panorama of 40 frames. Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS, 28mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/800 s

During shooting I hardly used the exposure wheel, which shows how well the exposure metering works. Not surprising as the camera uses the whole sensor to estimate exposure, not a limited number of sensors like on a DSLR. It’s also worth mentioning the wide dynamic range of the Sony sensors used in the A7/A7R: even shooting against the bright sun on the snow it is enough to render the details in the shadows correctly.

Photo equipment

Shooting against the sun. Sony FE 28-70mm f/3 lens.5-5.6 OSS, 32mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/1000s

Mirrorless Cameras

Wide DD allows not to lose details in the sets and shadows, all the half-tones of the snow are perfectly reproduced. Minolta MD Rokkor 35/1.8 via adapter from MD to E-mount, ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/3200 s

Separately, we should note the cameras performance in low light conditions. Noticeable drop in AF speed and tracking performance. Of course, such a problem occurs not only with cameras with contrast AF, but also with DSLRs with phase AF. But if you compare a similar price point, the DSLRs have at least one center sensor that has two pairs of cross-phase sensors, which provides confident focusing even in low light. Unfortunately, the A7/A7R aren’t able to focus well in low light, but they do have AF-assist illumination, which brightens the situation up a bit. But with contrasting subjects in the frame, you can confidently focus on them even at night.

The main topic of discussion in photoforums is camera noise at high ISO. In my opinion, in such cases all modern full frame cameras have about the same results. The A7/A7R allows you to set the AUTO ISO range from 100 to 25,600, but I wouldn’t do it. A comfortable level for noise is between 100 and 3200 ISO, but you can get good results even at ISO 6400 if you expose the frame properly.

Photo equipment

Shooting at night in the rain. Sony FE 28-70mm f/3 lens.5-5.6 OSS, 38 mm, ISO 6400, f/5.6, 1/30 s.

Sony

Night scene. Sony FE 28-70mm f/3 lens.5-5.6 OSS, 28 mm, ISO 6400, f/5.6, 1/30 s

The A7/A7R has three noise reduction modes: “Off.”, “Low” and “Normal. I’m a bit surprised by the menu titles, but the point is clear. You can see the difference in the performance of these modes in the photo.

Mirrorless Cameras

Low

Photo equipment

normal

Photo equipment

Off

Night Scene. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA SSM through LA-EA4 adapter, 35mm, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/8s

Using the “Off” mode.”I would not recommend this mode because the picture is very noisy. Of the other two I preferred the “Low” mode: even though the Sony cameras use intelligent noise reduction, the picture in the “Normal” mode seemed to me a bit “plastic” at high ISO settings.

Consider the dynamics of noise increase with increasing ISO sensitivity. This picture was shot as a JPEG with noise reduction “Low”. As you can see in this image, there is no visible decrease in details or increase in noise in the ISO range of 100-3200. Only at ISO 6400 can you see the already noticeable drop in detail due to noise reduction. But if you shoot in RAW format with further conversion in a program that gently handles noise, you can get good results that are suitable for printing on large formats as well.

I wouldn’t recommend using ISO in the 12,800-25,600 range because of image choppiness. Please note that we shot with the LA-EA4 adapter, because we didn’t have the original optics for the test. This adapter loses 1/3 stop of the light flux due to its use of a translucent mirror. The camera automatically changes the ISO marking: for example, instead of ISO 800, the actual value is set to ISO 1200 to compensate for loss on the adapter. So with native optics, there will be a little less noise.

Mirror-less cameras

ISO 100

Our mirrorless cameras

ISO 200

Mirrorless Cameras

ISO 400

Sony

ISO 800

Sony

ISO 1600

Photo equipment

ISO 3200

Sony

ISO 6400

No mirrorless cameras

ISO 12800

Mirrorless Cameras

ISO 25600

Conclusions

The Sony A7 and A7R full frame compact cameras are currently unique and unparalleled in their price range: no other compact camera can boast a full frame sensor that guarantees excellent image quality. Wide range of optics of different systems allows photographer to realize any preferences on optics, as it gives an opportunity to use legendary glasses of different systems.

Wide functionality that combines not only wide camera settings, but also automatic shooting modes will please not only advanced amateurs and professionals, but also beginner photographers. These are great cameras for those who don’t want to compromise on photo quality and compactness.

Main technical specifications of cameras:

Model

Sony ILC-E A7

Sony ILC-E A7R

Sensor

CMOS, 35.8×23.9 mm, 24 MP, 6000×4000 pixels

CMOS, 35.8×23.9 mm, 36MP, 7360×4912 pixels

Lens

Interchangeable, E mount, A mount lenses can be used with LA-EA type adapters

Image stabilization

not available in camera some E lenses have optical stabilization

Dust protection on the sensor

Electrostatic charge build-up protection coating on optical filter and ultrasonic vibration mechanism

Viewfinder

Built-in electronic XGA OLED, 2.4 million. pix.

Display

3″, 1230k. points, up to 75 degrees up and down

Focus

Hybrid focus system, phase and contrast. Does not work with all lenses

contrast focusing system

Touch control on the display

no

Shutter speed ranges

30-1/8000sec, long handheld, flash sync 1/250sec

30-1/8000 s, long by hand, flash sync 1/160 s

Shooting modes

P, A, S, M, 2 smart modes, video, panorama, scene

Exposure metering

Multi-segment, center-weighted, spot. Exposure compensation ± 3 EV

Flash

External Sony flashes can be connected via new multi interface or wireless, no built-in flash

Sensitivity

ISO 100-25 600, ISO Auto 100-25 600, AutoISO customizable range

Photo formats

RAW, RAW+JPG, JPG, JPG panorama

Memory cards

SD, Memory Stick PRO Duo

Stretch modes

Single, burst, continuous , self-timer with delay, bracketing up to 5 frames

Continuous Shooting

5 fps

4 fps

Video Shooting

Full HD with auto or manual focus, AVCHD, MP4

Interfaces

USB micro B, HDMI mini C, support for Wi-Fi connection

Power

NP-FM50-H Battery, 7.2 V, 1080 mAh

Sizes

127×94×48 mm body

Weight

474g without lens, with battery

465g without lens, with rechargeable battery

Approximate price

60 000 Dollars.

85,000 Dollars.

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John Techno

Greetings, everyone! I am John Techno, and my expedition in the realm of household appliances has been a thrilling adventure spanning over 30 years. What began as a curiosity about the mechanics of these everyday marvels transformed into a fulfilling career journey.

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Comments: 1
  1. Aiden Turner

    What are the key advantages of using a mirrorless camera like the Sony a7 with full frame and interchangeable optics, and how does it compare to traditional DSLRs in terms of image quality and versatility?

    Reply
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