Sony Alpha 7 and Sony A7R world’s first full frame mirrorless camera

If you are looking a new digital camera with advanced feature set with extensive custom options and equipped with high quality electronic viewfinder, so  you should consider Sony Alpha 7 and Sony Alpha 7R, world’s first full-frame mirrorless cameras that rocked the photographic world. The Sony A7 comes in two varieties, one with a 24.3-million-pixel sensor and one (the Sony A7R) with a higher resolution, 36.4-million-pixel sensor and no anti-aliasing filter. Both cameras  comes with very promising new features dedication to video.

Sony Alpha 7 took everyone by surprise, offering full-frame resolution in a smaller body than its competitors. Sony A7 has the technological edge here, as it has a hybrid AF system with 117 phase-detection points and 25 contrast-detection points. Sony the A7R only has contrast-detection AF with 25 points. These cameras catapulted the mirrorless market into the forefront of technology for many MILC advocates.

 

Sony Alpha 7 and Sony A7R. Image: clickblog.it

The A7 features a 24 million pixel sensor, while the more expensive A7R features a whopping 36 million pixel device and has had the anti-aliasing filter removed for better detail resolution. Sony A7 has an optical anti-aliasing filter, while the A7R doesn't, which should result in greater detail in the A7R's images. While the results from the Sony A7 are in themselves extremely impressive, viewing them at 100% magnification alongside the A7R clearly reveals just how much more detail the extra megapixels.

Autofocus worked  well on both cameras, although the a7's hybrid AF system was faster than the a7R. Both cameras' AF worked best in brighter light but I had some good experiences with AF when shooting in low light. Outdoors, though, the tracking AF seemed to be fairly accurate for both models.

Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC

The Sony A7 is also equipped  with Wi-Fi and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, which makes it easy to connect with compatible mobile device such as iPhone or an iPad. You can use the Smart Remote Control app, for example, to control the camera from your tablet or smartphone, or use direct Upload to send images directly to social media accounts such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. Sony also offers a series of apps from its Play Memories online store that can be loaded directly onto the camera.

Sony A7R compare with other cameras. Image: cameraegg.org

Sony Alpha 7 offers a full range of video options from 1920 x 1080 HD at 60p/60i or 24p in AVCHD as well as space saving MPEG 4 options. The video quality is good and  better than previous Sony NEX cameras. You'll need an external microphone for the best sound, of course, but the built in stereo microphones delivered better-than-expected audio.

Fully compatible w/ Sony’s E-mount new full-frame lenses – Any E Mount NEX lens will work in crop mode or full frame mode. Full frame adds a circle vignette. Sony also announced several FE lenses--e-mount lenses that cover the camera's full-frame sensor. These FE lenses include the kit 28-70mm, f/3.5-5.6, the Zeiss 55mm, f/1.8 and the Zeiss 35mm, f/2.8. Next up is a 24-70mm, f/4 lens due soon. But Sony and third-party adapters, such as Metabones, are available to attach a wide range of lenses.

Sony lenses ready to create fantastic photos. Image: stevehuffphoto.com

Sony A7 is smaller than a Leica M, same size as an Olympus E-M1. Overall, Sony did a great job remaining consistent with previous cameras. The Sony A7 is priced at around  US$1699 body only or US$1999 with the Sony FE 28-70mm f3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens. Despite being fractionally lighter, the A7R actually has more magnesium alloy in its build, making it feel slightly better built than the cheaper A7.

The Sony A7R is available now priced at around US$2299 body only. Note that the Sony A7R doesn't ship with a kit lens.

Sony A7R and Sony Alpha 7 are the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens cameras to feature a full-frame sensor. Full-frame means that images are better in low light, have a wide field of view, and deliver top-notch quality. The camera is impressively small, especially when you consider this camera competes with the likes of the Nikon D600 and Canon EOS 6D, both of which are much larger. 

Your only other options for compact full-frame bodies are the Leica M9, which is an unworldly US$7000 or the US$1400 Olympus OM-D E-M1 is more ergonomic. Forking over US$1700 for the Sony A7 seems like a lot, but it's around the same as the cheapest new full-frame DSLRs like the Canon EOS 6D or Nikon D600. You can compare them before you make a final decision.