Sony α7

The Sony α7, α7R and α7S (the α is sometimes spelled out as Alpha) are three closely related full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. The first two were announced on 16 October 2013[2] and the third on 6 April 2014. Externally they are identical except for the model number. They are Sony's first full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and share the E-mount with the company's smaller sensor NEX series.

For the similarly named Sony APS-C format camera, see Sony NEX-7.

Sony α7

Overview
Type	Full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera
Lens
Lens	Sony E-mount
Sensor/medium
Sensor	35.8×23.9 mm Exmor full-frame HD CMOS Sensor
Maximum resolution	6000×4000 (3:2) (24 megapixels)[1]
ASA/ISO range	Auto, 100-25600
Storage	Memory Stick Pro Duo, Pro-HG Duo, SD, SDHC, SDXC (α7R IV supports only SD family)
Focusing
Focus modes	Contrast Detect (sensor), Phase Detect, Multi-area, Center, Selective single-point, Single, Continuous, Face Detection, Live View
Exposure/metering
Exposure metering	Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot
Shutter
Shutter	Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane shutter
Shutter speed range	1/8000 - 30 sec, BULB
Continuous shooting	5 frame/s
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Built-in 2.4 million dots OLED Electronic viewfinder
General
Rear LCD monitor	3.0 in (76 mm) Tilting XtraFine LCD, 921,600 pixels
Battery	NP-FW50, InfoLITHIUM, 7.2 V, 1080 mAh, 7.7 Wh, Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery
Dimensions	127×94×48 mm
Weight	Approx. 474 g (16.7 oz) (camera body, card and battery)

Sony A7 Rear

The α7 II was announced in November 2014, and is the first in the family to revise the original body and ergonomics. The α7 series is targeted at experienced users, enthusiasts and professionals.[3] The α7R II was announced in June 2015.

The Sony α7 and α7R have the model numbers ILCE-7 and ILCE-7R respectively. In addition, the α7S, the α7 II, and the α7R II have the model numbers ILCE-7S, ILCE-7M2, and ILCE-7RM2. Sony's new model naming prefix strives to unify model names. "ILC" indicates Interchangeable Lens Camera followed by an indicator of A-mount "A" or E-mount "E".[4]

Pre-announcement rumours speculated that the new camera would be named "Sony NEX-9".[5]

Although the α7 series uses full-frame sensors and has a DSLR-shaped design, α7 cameras are smaller and weigh less than Olympus OM-D E-M1 with its small micro four thirds sensor and can also be compared with the lightest full-frame DSLR.[6] Compared to the smallest and lightest APS-C DSLR Canon EOS 100D, the α7 is 67 grams heavier and a bit larger, but the thickness is only two thirds of Canon's.[7] The α7 price is significantly lower than a comparative full-frame DSLR price, but still higher than that of a low or mid-end compact camera price.[8] Compared to the Nikon D800E, the weight of Sony α7R is only about a half and the price is about two-thirds.[9]

Variations

In 2014/2015, three new models became available forming the second generation of α7 series. They are the α7 II (ILCE-7M2), α7R II (ILCE-7RM2) and α7S II (ILCE-7SM2). Sony continues to produce the first generation models α7 and α7S, even three years after the launch, only the α7R has been discontinued in April 2019.

The basic α7 II model has 24 MP and hybrid autofocus.

The second generation common ground is the newer and improved body design as well as the world's first five-axis sensor-shift image stabilization system for a full-frame ILC. Sony claims that this can compensate a 4.5-stop equivalent of camera shake. In-body stabilization requires no special lens features, and mirrorless system cameras can typically accommodate lenses from any SLR system.[10][11] As an upgrade of the α7, the α7 II has the same 50 Mbit XAVC-S codec as the α7S but lacks 4K video, and the five-axis stabilization is less effective in video mode than that used in the Olympus OM-D E-M1.[12] However, the crop mode used in the α7 II does not incur "very much loss in image quality", unlike that of the Nikon D750.[12]

On 14 June 2015, Hasselblad announced the Lusso, a variant of the Sony α7R marketed by Hasselblad.

The third generation started in 2017, and the fourth was announced in July 2019.

Model differences

See also: Sony α7 II, Sony α7R II, Sony α7S II, Sony α7R III, Sony α7 III, and Sony α7R IV

Model	α7	α7R	α7S	α7 II	α7R II	α7S II	α7R III	α7 III	α7R IV
Product standing	Balanced	High Resolution	High Sensitivity	Balanced Mark II	High Resolution Mark II	High Sensitivity Mark II	High Resolution Mark III	Balanced Mark III	High Resolution Mark IV
Sensor resolution at Full Format	24.3 Mpx Exmor CMOS 6000×4000 pixels	36.4 Mpx Exmor CMOS 7360×4912 pixels	12.2 Mpx Exmor CMOS 4240×2832 pixels	24.3 Mpx Exmor CMOS 6,000×4,000 pixels	42.4 Mpx Exmor R BSI-CMOS[13] 7952×5,304 pixels	12.2 Mpx Exmor CMOS 4,240×2,832 pixels	42.4 Mpx Exmor R BSI-CMOS[14] 7952×5304 pixels	24.2MP Mpx Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor[15] 6000 x 4000 pixels	61.0 MP Mpx Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor[16] 9504 x 6336 pixels
ISO range	Expanded ISO 50 - 25600 Multi frame NR 100 - 51200	Expanded ISO 50 - 25600 Multi frame NR 100 - 51200	Native ISO 100 - 102400 Expanded ISO 50 - 409600	Expanded ISO 50 - 25600 Multi frame NR 100 - 51200	Native ISO 100 - 25600 Expanded ISO 50 - 102400	Native ISO 100 - 102400 Expanded ISO 50 - 409600	Native ISO 100 - 32000 Expanded ISO 50 - 102400[17]	Native ISO 100-51200 Expanded ISO 50 to 204800 [18]	Native ISO 100–32000 Expanded ISO 50–102800[16]
Autofocus	25 point CD-AF w/ 117 points PD-AF	25 point CD-AF	25 point CD-AF	25 point CD-AF w/ 117 points PD-AF	25 point CD-AF w/ 399 PD-AF	169 point CD-AF	425 point CD-AF w/ 399 points PD-AF[17]	425 point CD-AF w/ 693 points PD-AF[18]	425 point CD-AF w/ 567 points PD-AF[16]
Maximum flash sync speed	1/250	1/160	1/250	1/250	1/250	1/250	1/250	1/250	1/250
Max Continuous Shooting	5 frame/s	4 frame/s	5 frame/s	5 frame/s	5 frame/s	5 frame/s	10 frame/s[17]	10 frame/s[18]	10 frame/s[16]
In-body image stabilization	No			5-axis
Flash Exposure Lock	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes	Yes
Electronic shutter mode	First-curtain only	No	First-curtain and Silent shutter	First-curtain only	First-curtain and Silent shutter	First-curtain and Silent shutter	First-curtain and Silent shutter	First-curtain and Silent shutter	First-curtain and Silent shutter
Gapless on-chip lens	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Live-view Tethered Capture	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes[19]	Yes	Yes	Yes (wired and wireless)[16]
Custom minimum shutter speed at Auto ISO	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Flexible Spot with Lock on AF	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Continuous Eye-AF	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
AF Sensitivity	0 ~ 20 EV	0 ~ 20 EV	-4 ~ 20 EV	-1 ~ 20 EV	-2 ~ 20 EV	-4 ~ 20 EV	-3 ~ 20 EV[17]	-3 ~ 20 EV	-3 ~ 20 EV[20]
Metering Sensitivity	0 ~ 20 EV	0 ~ 20 EV	-3 ~ 20 EV	-1 ~ 20 EV	-3 ~ 20 EV	-3 ~ 20 EV	-3 ~ 20 EV		-3 ~ 20 EV[20]
User Custom Buttons	3	3	3	4	4	4[21]	4		4 dedicated (10 customizable)[22]
Monitor pixels	921.6 K			1,228.8 K[23]			1,444K[17]	921.6 K[18]	1,444K [24]
Viewfinder pixels	2.4 M						3.7 M	2.4 M	5.76 M
Viewfinder Resolution	XGA (1024x768 pixels)	XGA (1024x768 pixels)	XGA (1024x768 pixels)	XGA (1024x768 pixels)	XGA (1024x768 pixels)[25]	XGA (1024x768 pixels)[26]	Quad-VGA (1280x960 pixels)[27]	XGA (1024X768 pixels)[28]	UXGA (1600x1200 pixels)[20]
Viewfinder Magnification	0.71×				0.78×
Video record format	MPEG-4, AVCHD (28 Mbit/s) 1080p		MPEG-4, AVCHD (28 Mbit/s), XAVC S (50 Mbit/s) 1080p		MPEG-4, AVCHD (28 Mbit/s), XAVC S (100 Mbit/s) 4K video
Video sampling	Line skipping	Line skipping	Full-pixel readout	Line skipping	Pixel-binning at Full Format Full-pixel readout at Super 35	Full-pixel readout[29]
Slow motion video record	No	No	Yes (720p, 120fps)	No	Yes (720p, 120fps)	Yes (1080p, 120fps)	Yes (1080p, 120fps)	Yes (1080p, 120fps)	Yes (1080p, 120fps)
HDMI Output	4K still and 1080p video	4K still and 1080p video	4K still and 4K video	4K still and 1080p video	8K still and 4K video	4K still and 4K video	8K still and 4K video	8K still and 4K video	8K still and 4K video[20]
Video Light mode	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Professional Video edit	No	No	Picture Profile w/CineGamma, Timecode, Userbit[30]
Other features	Hybrid autofocus system	No optical Low-pass filter	Full-pixel readout video at Full Format	Hybrid autofocus system	Hybrid autofocus system, No optical Low-pass filter	Full-pixel readout video at Full Format
PD-AF w/ adapted lens	Only A-mount lenses w/ LA-EA2 and LA-EA4			Yes (Firmware update)	Yes	Only w/ LA-EA2/4[31]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Operate while USB charging	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes w/ Tethering
Battery-life (CIPA standards)	340 shots	340 shots	380 shots	350 shots	340 shots	370 shots	530 shots (EVF) / 650 shots (Monitor)[17]	610 shots (EVF) / 710 shots (Monitor)[18]	530 shots (EVF) / 670 shots (Monitor)[16]
Body material	Combi. of magnesium alloy and polycarbonate	Full magnesium alloy chassis and polycarb bayonet mount.	Full magnesium alloy chassis and stainless steel bayonet mount.
Weight	416 g	407 g	446 g	556 g	582 g	584 g	657g	650g[18]	665 g[16]
Dimension	127×94×48 mm			126.9x95.7x60.3 mm			126.9x95.6x73.7 mm[18]
Announced	16 Oct 2013		6 Apr 2014	20 Nov 2014	10 June 2015	11 Sept 2015	25 Oct 2017	26 Feb 2018	16 Jul 2019
Discontinued	Dec 2019[32]

Features (universal for α7-series)

• Exmor CMOS full-frame sensor (with different megapixels depending on camera version)
• TruBlack XtraFine LCD screen (3 inch/7.5 cm) with tilt functionality
• 1.3 cm (0.5 inch) electronic viewfinder
• 1200-zone evaluative light metering
• Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC
• LED-auto focus illuminator
• Multi Interface Shoe (α7R IV adds digital audio interface)
• 9+1 customizable buttons (10+1 starting with second generation) / 45+ assignable functions

Reception

The cameras received a positive reception from critics. DxOMark crowned the α7R as the highest ranking full-frame mirrorless camera, with a score of 95 (the same score as the Nikon D800, but one point behind the Nikon D800E).[33] The α7 achieved a score of 90, higher than the Nikon Df and Nikon D4 professional DSLR cameras, as well as the Sony SLT-A99.[34] The Verge rated the cameras 8.3 out of 10, commenting that "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 α7's to thank as the cameras that started it all."[35] EPhotozine which rated the α7 5 stars, meanwhile praised the α7 series' price point for making them "the cheapest full-frame digital cameras currently available" while being lighter and smaller than comparable cameras.[36] It awarded the α7 "Camera of the Year."[37] The α7R was awarded by Imaging Resource as the "Camera of the Year".[38]

See also

• List of Sony E-mount cameras
• Sony α7II
• Sony α6000

References

1. Jeff Keller (February 2014). "Sony α7R Review: Digital Photography Review". Dpreview.com. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
2. Sony announces α7 and α7R: first full-frame mirrorless cameras: Digital Photography Review. Dpreview.com. Retrieved on 2013-10-30.
3. Sony Global - Sony Global - Digital Imaging - α7. Sony.net (2013-10-16). Retrieved on 2013-10-30.
4. "Your α7 and α7R Questions Answered". blog.sony.com. 2013-10-17. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
5. DL Cade (October 3, 2013). "Sony NEX Full-Frame Rumor Roundup". PetaPixel. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
6. "2013 High-End Mirrorless Camera Comparison Guide". November 23, 2013.
7. "Canon EOS 100D / Rebel SL1 specifications". Retrieved 2014-01-09.
8. "Mirrorless cameras offer glimmer of hope to makers". Retrieved 2013-12-31.
9. "Sony Alpha α7R verdict". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
10. William Browley. "Sony α7 II Review". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
11. "The New Sony α7 Mark II". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
12. Andrew Reid. "Sony α7 II review – 5 axis stabilization in video mode". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
13. Zimmerman, Steven (12 October 2016). "Sony IMX378: Comprehensive Breakdown of the Google Pixel's Sensor and its Features". XDA Developers. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
14. "Sony α7R III 35mm full-frame camera with autofocus". Sony.
15. "Sony α7 III with 35-mm full-frame image sensor". Sony.
16. "Sony introduces the a7R IV with 61 Megapixel full-frame sensor". Digital Photography Review. July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
17. "Sony α7R III 35mm full-frame camera with autofocus". Sony.
18. "Sony α7 III with 35-mm full-frame image sensor". Sony.
19. "Supported Sony cameras for Capture One (for Sony)". Phase One. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
20. "Sony α7R IV 35 mm full-frame camera with 61.0 MP". Sony. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
21. "First Impressions of the New Sony a7SII | Fstoppers". Fstoppers. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
22. "Sony α7R IV Online Help Guide - Assigning frequently used functions to buttons". Sony. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
23. "ILCE-7RM2 Specifications". Sony.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
24. "Sony a7R IV: Digital Photography Review". Digital Photography Review. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
25. "Sony α7R II with back-illuminated full-frame image sensor". Sony. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
26. "Sony α7S II E-mount Camera with Full-Frame Sensor". Sony. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
27. "Sony α7R III 35 mm full-frame camera with autofocus". Sony. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
28. "Sony α7 III with 35-mm full-frame image sensor". Sony. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
29. "Sony A7S II Review". Imaging Resource.
30. "ILCE-7SM2 Specifications". sony.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
31. "Compatibility Information - ILCE-7SM2". support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
32. "The day has come: Sony A7 marked as discontinued at BHphoto and Adorama!". sonyalpharumors. 2019-12-27. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
33. Sony Alpha 7R review: Highest ever full-frame image quality? - DxOMark By Kevin Carter - Thursday October 31, 2013
34. "Camera Sensor Ratings by DxOMark". Retrieved 2013-12-22.
35. Sony Alpha α7 and α7R review, The Verge, By Dan Seifert on December 16, 2013
36. Sony Alpha 7 ILCE-7 Full Review ePHOTOzine 3 Dec 2013 by Joshua Waller
37. ePHOTOzine's Best Cameras Of The Year Awards 2013 Posted: 6 Dec 2013 by ePHOTOzine
38. Top 13 for 2013: The Best Cameras, Lenses and Technologies of the Year by Dave Etchells, Imaging Resource posted December 11, 2013