We shoot with a Sony alfa 7 camera. Full frame without a mirror. Sony Alpha A7 camera review. Comparison of the main characteristics of the three models a7, a7R and a7S

One of the main differences Sony Alpha The A7, from its older twin sister the A7R, is all about the focusing system. The 7's sensor contains 117 phase-detection AF points in addition to 25 contrast-detection AF points. Phase focusing works for both photos and videos when using the appropriate lens. Phase focusing will work even with lenses for NEX, although the number of points will drop to 99. The increase in focusing speed compared to the RX1 is obvious, but still, in some situations the automation “thinks” for too long, especially in low light conditions. With older lenses you will have to rely only on manual focusing, but here the frame magnification of 5, 9 and 12 times will come to the rescue, as well as the focus peaking function, which is implemented perfectly in Sony cameras. But choosing the focus point is not implemented in the most convenient way in the Sony A7. The joystick in DSLRs is much better suited for these purposes than the two independent scrollers on the Sony A7.

The focal-type shutter operates at shutter speeds from 1/8000 s to 30 s, and in the fully manual exposure mode, an arbitrary Bulb shutter speed is also available. In this case, the front shutter curtain can be either electronic or mechanical. This is configured in the camera menu. When using the electronic front curtain, the camera produces a quieter clicking sound, unlike the A7R, which has a purely mechanical shutter. In addition, the electronic shutter allows you to use the flash at shutter speeds up to 1/250 sec.

Exposure metering in mirrorless cameras is carried out by the sensor itself, and not by a separate RGB sensor, like in SLR cameras. The Sony A7 has 1200 metering zones allocated for this. You cannot meter exposure at the selected focus point. A total of three classic metering types are offered - matrix, center-weighted and spot.

The camera does not differ in how fast it turns on - it takes about one and a half seconds, and turns off in just under a second. The continuous shooting rate is 2.5 frames per second with continuous autofocus and 5 frames per second with fixed on the first frame. Still, the camera should not be considered as a reporting tool. If you still have to shoot series, then you don’t have to worry about the depth of the buffer. The camera is capable of storing 30 frames in RAW in the buffer, and for JPEG it is almost endless, as long as the memory card supports high speed records.

For a camera that will likely be actively used with third-party, including old, optics, the issue of image stabilization is relevant. However, the Sony Alpha A7 does not provide sensor stabilization. The Optical Steady Shot stabilization system (OSS marking on the lens) is built into a number of branded lenses and works for both photo and video shooting.

I was able to test one of the most talked about new products of last winter - the mirrorless full-frame camera Sony Alpha 7 - for compliance with the requirements of street photography. I received the camera complete with a kit zoom lens SEL-2870 FE 3.5-5.8/28-70 mm and a fast FE 35 mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*.

The test period can be divided into two parts: shooting in cloudy, rainy St. Petersburg in early February and in warm sunny days at the end of the month in Moscow.

Autofocus and speed

Capturing a moment that will never happen again - what could be more important in street photography? In this genre, as well as in sports photography, the accuracy of autofocus, the speed of burst shooting and camera performance in general come to the fore.

Let me remind you that this camera has a hybrid focusing system (117-point autofocus with phase detection, 25-point autofocus with contrast detection). In 90% of cases, autofocus worked correctly, taking into account such a feature of shooting in an urban environment as the abundance of various constantly moving objects.

A few examples.

Autofocus works well and quickly as in the presence of details flashing in front of the lens...

So when shooting moving objects, in in this case- passers-by:

Long exposure photography

It is fundamentally important to me that the camera shows excellent results when shooting on long exposures. It is clear that street photography almost completely excludes the possibility of using a tripod; I always shoot handheld. Below are photographs from St. Petersburg. In all cases it was cloudy, even somewhat gloomy, and also windy and rainy.

This is the very first long exposure shot taken with the Sony Alpha 7. Nevsky Prospekt, 7 o'clock in the morning, still completely dark. Hand-held from a cafe window:

Here I wanted to highlight the door first. The picture came out quickly, literally on the third try. According to the idea, the figures in the frame should have been more reminiscent of some kind of ghosts. The result was a photo in which the atmosphere of the “dark city on the Neva,” as one of the songs says, is, in my opinion, completely conveyed:

In this case, I also wanted to convey the dynamics of the city against the background of architecture and trees, as if frozen in anticipation of spring:

In the next frame, the conditions became somewhat more complicated: I tried to open the aperture more. And again, in low-light conditions, the camera coped with the task:

Shooting with wiring

Continuing the topic of long exposure photography, I’ll say a little about shooting with wiring. I like to photograph with wiring purely for fun, to convey, so to speak, the mood of constant urban movement. In continuous burst mode, the camera takes 5 frames per second. Autofocus works, again, perfectly. This means that you will be able to quickly take the photo you want.

Here are two frames from one serial shooting: a car enters a tunnel.

As you can see, even in the dark, autofocus does not lose sight of the subject, and the clarity is quite satisfactory:

Autofocus in remote areas

During my stay in St. Petersburg, as I already said, there was mainly cloudy weather. On the days of trips to Kronstadt and Peterhof it did not change: the white ice-covered Baltic Sea and colorless sky are a great opportunity to test the autofocus system in a more difficult conditions. But even here the autofocus accuracy did not cause any complaints.

View of the Baltic from Kronstadt beach:

Peterhof, stones near the Gulf of Finland:

Fisherman on the Gulf of Finland:

“Photo hunt” of colleagues:

Compactness and appearance

Another undeniable advantage of this camera is its compactness. Unlike bulky full frames, the Sony Alpha 7 can easily fit anywhere, and you don’t need to use a special camera bag. For me personally, the size of the camera is very important. I consider it optimal if the camera does not require a special bag, because it will occupy your hands and prevent free shooting.

In my opinion, small-format, ergonomic photographic equipment is largely the key to the success of street photography. How can one not remember the great Cartier-Bresson with his Leica! But unlike it, Sony Alpha 7 is much more affordable.

Generally, a large camera attracts attention and creates excitement. It is clear that those who understand photographic equipment will express considerable interest if they notice you shooting a Sony Alpha 7: the model is quite new, and everyone is curious whether a full-frame mirrorless camera is capable of the same. There was a rather funny incident in my test. I love taking photos on the subway. Many people, remembering the ban that was in force four years ago to film there without permission, have repeatedly asked me the question: “How do employees react? law enforcement? Until that day, no one had ever stopped me. This happened with Sony Alpha 7. I got out on Sretensky Boulevard and managed to take just a couple of shots when a police officer appeared with the words: “You can’t take pictures with a professional camera without permission.” What followed was a series of clarifying questions: for what purposes do I take photographs? Am I sure I don't have professional equipment? In the end, they found out that current rules Taking photographs on the subway is not prohibited.

Many people saw the camera and admired its retro-style design. The Sony Alpha 7 body weighs about 410 grams. And with a fixation, it is even more ergonomic and lightweight.

Returning to handheld shooting at long exposures: I must say that here excellent shots are also obtained thanks to the design of the camera. As stated by the manufacturer, the rubberized handle provides a comfortable grip.

Photosensitivity

When shooting in dark places such as arches and tunnels, the camera also performs well.

This shot, for example, was taken at ISO 4000 when shooting in Aperture Priority mode with ISO auto selection:

Another example with ISO 4000, already with Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 35 mm F/2.8:

Let me remind you that Sony Alpha 7 is equipped with Multi Frame NR noise reduction technology, which provides an ISO sensitivity range of 50 to 51,200.

High contrast black and white mode

Since I shoot primarily in monochrome mode, I was especially pleased with its saturation. Frames require minimal processing. As a rule, I always increase the contrast a little. A few examples:

The last three frames above were taken with Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 35 mm F/2.8. It probably doesn’t make sense to talk about the quality of the legendary lens German manufacturer, but I’ll still dwell on some of its advantages. In sunny weather, the shots retain the mood 100%. They are distinguished by high detail, clarity and the most accurate transmission of atmosphere. I heard comments about these photos like the following: “The light is straight on your forehead, you even want to close your eyes”:

Just for fun, here’s a “sunny” shot taken with a kit lens:

1/60s; f/22; ISO 320; 49 mm /

Only one conclusion can be drawn here: if the weather is sunny, have no doubt, Sony Alpha 7 will convey its positivity entirely!

Clarity and detail

When viewing the finished frames, I could not help but notice the high clarity and detail of the image. Conclusion: The full-size 24.3 MP Exmor CMOS sensor really delivers excellent results. Such photographs can be printed in the form of one and a half meter paintings and enjoy every detail.

The detail and clarity are especially noticeable in areas of asphalt illuminated sunlight. Here are a few examples with magnification:

A few more advantages

Battery

One day I was filming in frosty temperatures of about -10 0C. In this weather, the battery, charged at 70%, was enough for more than 300 frames in RAW and JPEG saving mode. The manufacturer guarantees 270 frames.

This means you can shoot for about 6 hours a day and most likely won't need an extra battery.

Shooting indoors

With Sony Alpha 7 you can take photos in artificial light. For example, this shot was taken at the “Silver Camera” exhibition, where the halls are quite dark:

WiFi

Thanks to the built-in Wi-Fi module you can instantly transfer photos to any mobile devices and share them with friends on in social networks. Nowadays, this function is no longer an addition, but rather a taken-for-granted option.

Shutter click

This is purely my personal opinion, but there is something very... professional about the click, on a purely intuitive level. So to speak, with Sony Alpha 7 you won’t be clicking everything, the shooting process will become more deliberate and conscious.

Conclusions and one small minus

I did notice one drawback of the camera during testing; it concerns the speed of switching the viewfinder to the display. It seemed to me that the camera thinks for quite a long time: when you want to shoot using the display, it mistakes a piece of clothing for an eye and switches to Live View mode.

And only one conclusion can be drawn from the test: Sony Alpha 7 - optimal choice for street photography. Compact, lightweight, it won’t take up much space, but will provide you with confidence and excellent results. Showing up in public with this camera will put you in the spotlight as a professional who keeps a close eye on the most exciting new products. Bulky full-frame cameras are no comparison to the Sony Alpha 7, as ergonomics and lightness are becoming increasingly important factors when choosing photographic equipment.

More photos from Sony Alpha 7

Main technical characteristics of Sony Alpha 7

Frame
Available colors
Material	magnesium alloy
Embedded devices	microphone
Photosensitive element
Number of pixels
Number of effective pixels
CPU
Lens
Lens type
Compatible Lenses
Viewfinder/Screen
Viewfinder type	electronic (EVF)
Viewfinder resolution	2359000 pixels
Viewfinder diopter adjustment (min.)
Viewfinder diopter adjustment (max.)
Viewfinder frame field
Screen diagonal size
Screen resolution	921600 pixels
Display frame field
Focusing
	manual focus; autofocus
Setting the Exposure
	multipoint; center-weighted
Exposure compensation	+/- 5 EV, in 1/2 stop increments; +/- 5 EV, in 1/3 stop increments
Light sensitivity (ISO)	auto; 100 ; 200 ; 400 ; 800 ; 1600 ; 3200 ; 6400 ; 12800 ; 25600
Gate
Shutter speed range (maximum value)
Shutter speed range ( minimum value)
X-sync speed
External flash	there is a connector
Self-timer
Self-timer
Delay	2 sec; 10 sec
Shooting/Playback
Media type	SD ; SDXC ; SDHC ; Memory Stick PRO Duo
Format support	JPEG ; EXIF 2.2 ; RAW
Maximum resolution
Permission	6000×3376, 3936×2624, 3936×2216, 3008×1688, 3008×2000
Continuous shooting (frequency)	2.5 fps
Exposure mode	automatic (P) ; shutter priority auto (S); aperture priority automatic (A) ; manual (M)
Story programs	portrait; sport; night landscape; scenery
White balance	under the water; auto; daylight; cloudiness; shadow; fluorescent lamp; incandescent lamp; manual installation
Video shooting
Permission
Frame frequency	60 fps
Format support
Interfaces
Interfaces	USB 2.0; NFC; HDMI output; WiFi
Nutrition
Power type	accumulator battery
Batteries
Number of batteries
Dimensions and weight

A little over a year has passed since the first full-frame mirrorless camera, which was the Sony Alpha 7, was released. Then it was something truly new. Sony has begun to prepare the market for the fact that a small camera can provide top-level quality and large DSLRs will no longer be mandatory for a professional.

Now the second version of this camera has been released - Alpha 7 II (or Mark II). What did Sony decide to improve? Should owners of the first version upgrade? We will try to answer these questions in this review.

Video review of Sony Alpha 7 II:

Appearance

Externally a new version significantly different from the first model. It is thicker and heavier. The new product has more buttons for fine-tuning control. In general, the ergonomics of the A7 II does not raise any questions for a photographer who is accustomed to traditional DSLR controls.

The handle has become noticeably larger. It makes it very comfortable to hold the camera with one hand. Every control is easy to reach. Previously a small camera with large glasses looked like a toy, the balance was off. The shutter button is now slightly forward, rather than on the top end. I think this is a great improvement, it has become much more comfortable to shoot. It feels like the buttons are now exactly where they should have been originally.

Both adjustment wheels are also very convenient and positioned like a dslr. They are unlikely to spin spontaneously. The case is made with high quality, everything is metal, perfectly assembled. The remaining elements remained the same or with minor changes. This is a serious device that you can use year after year, and not just a toy. The only question that may raise questions is the connector covers, which do not fold out like in previous version, but are picked out. The strap makes it difficult to open and close these covers. When viewing photos, controlling the zoom is not very convenient; apparently, the engineers couldn’t come up with something better. But I'm probably being picky. The camera has become heavier by 125 grams - 599 g versus 474 g in the first version. This is important for those who chose the A7 for its compactness and lightness. Now the camera weighs only 160 grams lighter than the Canon EOS 6D, which is now cheaper.

What is inside

It seemed to me that the A7 II is still more geared towards photography. The camera inherited the 24-megapixel full-frame sensor from the first version + Bionz X image processing processor. You don’t have to worry about photo quality at all. On the other hand, you expect something more from the second version.

The electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels allows you to see the actual exposure at all times. This is especially convenient when outside bright sun and nothing can be seen on the main display. You can also clearly see how the background is blurred taking into account the set aperture and what is exactly in focus. The optical viewfinder is not always so clear. The A7 II's viewfinder is excellent in size and detail. It may not be better than the Fuji X-T1, but it is definitely one of the best on the market. The aspect ratio can be set to either 3:2 or 16:9.

The 3-inch screen with a resolution of 1.23 million pixels has decent viewing angles, there are no complaints about color reproduction, it fades in the sun, but remains readable. There is no touch coating, but in vain - selecting the focus point by touching your finger has never bothered anyone. Rotates along one axis, which is quite enough for most professional tasks, although you can’t take a selfie anymore.

Autofocus is something that many people criticized the first version for. Still, since we have set our sights on the professional segment, we must live up to the title. From the original model, the Sony A7 II inherited a hybrid autofocus system (117 phase sensors and 25 contrast sensors). At the same time, its performance has been significantly improved: autofocus uses predictive algorithms and object recognition technology to capture every movement more clearly and quickly. Now autofocus is very similar to that installed in the fast A6000, and, according to Sony, it has become 30% faster compared to the first seven. This figure is difficult to verify in practice; under normal conditions, the camera feels quite nimble and tenacious. It seems to me that those who complain most often do not even try to understand the autofocus settings.

It took me a couple of days to study and configure the keys in the menu if I wanted to figure it out. A lot of different situations I didn’t have time to check, but as a result it’s worth saying that Sony programmers have made certain improvements. But the number of frames per second is still small - 5 fps. This is comparable to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III (6 fps) and Nikon D810 (7 fps). It’s better to forget about any serious reporting feats - this camera is designed for a calm style of work. When manually focusing, assistance is activated - image zooming (5, 9 and 11 times) and focus peaking. For a camera that will often be used with non-autofocus optics (due to its short flange distance), these are very useful options.

Since I was shooting on a sunny day, high ISO and stub were of little use to me. I enjoyed the photography process and enjoyed the benefits of the camera's light weight and compact size. But I could get all this with the first version.

The impressions are pleasant, there are no critical complaints. The camera is responsive, especially when you get used to the controls and do everything intuitively, without being distracted from the shooting process. From the outside, the device looks stylish, although it does not guarantee you appearance a sophisticated photographer. But you will definitely pass for a person with taste. It's really easy to shoot with the Sony A7 II for pleasure.

A7 II is the world's first full-frame camera with a 5-axis matrix stabilization system (IBIS - In Body Image Stab). The manufacturer claims a fantastic figure - up to 4.5 stops of exposure compensation. Other full frame manufacturers use only optical stubs in their lenses. The benefits of 5-axis image stabilization are clear - it's the first system that allows you to get stabilization with any lens you can attach to the A7 II directly or via an adapter. Your favorite lenses, even Soviet ones, will now be stabilized. Photographers who shoot in daylight or in the dark, as well as lovers of retro optics, should simply rejoice with happiness. Sony lenses that feature optical stabilization (OSS) work in conjunction with matrix stabilization to improve the overall performance of the system.

But it's worth being objective. How often do you need stabilization? You don't need it if you shoot during daylight hours, if you shoot from a tripod, if you shoot in a studio, if you need to freeze motion on short exposures, which eliminates the advantages of stabilization in principle. Basically, as long as you can shoot without moving, you don't need a stub. When it comes to telephoto cameras, matrix stabilization is generally less effective than optical stabilization due to the limited sensor shift distance, so the benefits for pro reporters are lost, especially for those filming large sporting events from a long distance. Stabilization is activated when the shutter button is pressed halfway. The choice of the desired “axis” is determined automatically by the camera.

Shooting video does not cause any difficulties, you even start to play around when you test the stabilization. The picture in S-Log has an excellent dynamic range; on the screen it looks like a picture from RED cameras. Then the euphoria subsides when you realize that this is still not a RAW file and you can’t squeeze everything you want out of it. However, it will be very easy to achieve a cinematic picture here. The video is recorded in Full HD with the progressive codec XAVC S and S-Log2 Gamma. To record video in XAVS S, you need to purchase a card SDXC memory(UHS-1) or Memory Stick HG with a capacity of 64 GB or more. The video quality has improved greatly. The XAVC-S codec produces a very nice and detailed picture with accurate colors. The AVCHD Progressive codec is also accessible and the shooting quality when using it is very good.

The Sony A7 Mark II ISO ranges from 50 to 25,600 in very small increments. Noise and color shift at 25,600, of course, exist in large quantities, but already at 6,400, and sometimes at 10,000, the picture is quite normal, if you do not enlarge it by 100%.

Pros:

• Design
• Metal body
• Weather protection
• Good ergonomics.
• 5-axis matrix stabilization
• Great extra stabilization if you have OSS glass
• Still light weight
• Availability of all necessary connectors
• Built-in NFC, Wi-Fi modules

Minuses:

• Shutter sound
• Charging via camera
• Switching autofocus points
• Switching speed
• No built-in flash
• Increased weight relative to other Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras
• Battery for 300 shots

Gallery of test photos in large size:

Alternative

Surprisingly, main competitor The Alpha 7 II model is its predecessor, the Alpha 7. It has the same sensor, the viewfinder and display are identical, there is no built-in 5-axis stabilization, but the price tag of about $1200 should attract many. After all, for this and a larger amount, many top-end mirrorless cameras from competitors with a much smaller sensor in physical size (1.5x and 2x) are currently offered. So there is something to think about when choosing.

The Sony Alpha 7R model offers a sensor of the same physical size, but with a higher resolution of 36 MP. For studio and landscape photography, this may be more important than the Alpha 7 II's benefits. You will have to sacrifice only contrast focusing versus the hybrid one of the A7 II and 5-axis stabilization. On the other hand, the price of the A7R has now dropped significantly - approximately to the level of the starting price of the A7 II.

Sony Alpha 7S is now the top camera in the Alpha 7 line, primarily due to its incredible video capabilities and ultra-sensitive low-resolution sensor. If you need unparalleled video and photo quality in any environment, but aren't looking for fancy megapixel numbers, this camera will be a great partner in your work or hobby. You will also have to pay significantly more for such pleasure than for the A7 II - about $2200.

The Canon EOS 6D is a direct competitor to the hero of our review among DSLRs. Currently it costs about $1500, which is a very tempting offer. Some will also be attracted by the optical viewfinder versus the electronic viewfinder of the A7 II and a rich set of proprietary optics. But you will have to sacrifice a lot - bitrate, supported codecs and maximum framerates of FullHD video, a rotating display, the advantages of an electronic viewfinder and the capabilities of the sensor at high ISOs.

Nikon's analogue, model D610, is slightly newer than Canon's 6, but costs the same $1,500, has a similar 24-megapixel sensor as the Sony A7 II, and has faster autofocus than the Canon EOS 6D. Otherwise, there are the same disadvantages that were mentioned above about the EOS 6D.

Results

All the advantages of the new camera have been announced and generally boil down to the appearance of 5-axis stabilization, as well as several other non-revolutionary improvements. Therefore, if you are the owner of the first version of the A7, you need to seriously consider whether to upgrade. It all depends on your shooting style and how much stabilization you need. But if you don't have Sony cameras and just choosing an FF camera for yourself, it will be no less difficult for you to choose whether to buy the A7 II, which is slightly cheaper than the FF cameras from Canon and Nikon, or even take the first version with a very attractive price tag.

The recommended price is $1,700 for the body, the same as the first version of the A7 at the start of sales. This is good because we get a camera with new technologies at the same price. But at the same time, the A7 at the time of review costs $1,300 with a case and a memory card in addition. This is the cheapest FF camera available today. Even some micro 4/3 cameras are more expensive than this one with FF.

But you will have to think quickly, because, according to rumors, Sony is preparing a top camera for the A9, which will be in the line above the A7.

Video review of Sony Alpha 7 II:

in Sony Ukraine there is only 1 certified or official service center EPC for brand Vovchka 18a in Kyiv. The rest of their service providers deal only with monolens point-and-shoot cameras.

I called the EPC repairman (he’s been the only one there for 13 years) and agreed that I’m going to Kiev, I’ll bring the camera, so that he can do everything while I’m in Kyiv. I took the camera because it was adjusting the autofocus; the minolta 85 1.4 d + LA4 had front focus. On the phone the repairman said it would be done in 5 minutes. I brought the camera - when received by the completely wooden staff, the camera lay with the matrix on top for 30 minutes (a lot of dust was poured in), but that’s not the point. This means that the repairman’s conclusion is that the adjustment could not be done because the USB port is not connected, for this reason he disassembled the camera to find out the reason, it turned out that there was simply a glitch in the camera. He offered to replace the entire board, I agreed, but I had to wait 2 weeks, and at that time I had a wedding shoot in 4 days, and Arkady with Sony a7p)). I had to refuse and just take the camera. Of course, I had to pay for everything, but when I picked up the camera, it turned out that the plugs were falling out where the USB cable was. I called the technician and said that this is the case on all series 7 cameras, I argued with him for a long time that this had never happened, etc…. In the end, he went to disassemble the camera again and came out with the words “and it’s true, it turns out that these plugs can be tightened on these cameras.” He handed over the camera, turned around and left. Of course I was shocked... But it's all bullshit. When we went to take photographs at night on the same day, it turned out that the aperture wheel was not working. On the trail. day it was not possible to show up at the service station, since it was a holiday, Constitution Day, and the departure of the train. I waited until a business day and sent them the camera to fix this problem. I was terribly shitted by a repairman over the phone, supposedly I came up with all this. But that’s all) The camera arrived to me on the 18th of this month, with the damage fixed, but with a crack on the body where the bolts were spinning and, of course, scratches. And a piece of paper)) that when receiving the camera, a crack was already discovered on the body)) The crack is under the bolts. I wasn’t exactly shocked... They told me that it could be the Thurman Express service (their full-time delivery employee) to whom they asked to send the camera, but the service is absolutely not responsible for what’s in the box. I wrote and called support service in Sony - they don't give a damn about the service.
And SERVICE is not responsible, since they are supervised by the Sony company.
It has been 1 month since my last visit to Kyiv, and there are still disputes with the Sony company, which does not want to do anything.
They don't have a direct number to call
EPC service says - we can’t do anything without Sony Ukraine
and Sony says, well, the crack was made before the visit to the server, that’s all)) ...
Of course, I’m trying to convey to them that the crack is exactly where the USB and bolts were spinning.
There's just such a place that it's simply impossible to break it up on purpose.
SO NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FROM SONYA) my advice
I took the camera to Kyiv)) just for adjustments)))

A little over five years have passed since the first compact system was announced. digital camera. Over these five years, initial skepticism towards “mirrorless” cameras managed to give way to cautious distrust, first delight and, finally, develop into an understanding that the future lies with such cameras - compact and functional. The last frontier Until recently, the resistance of skeptics remained the size of the matrix. There was not a single mirrorless camera on the market with a full matrix (here we deliberately do not take into account rangefinder models from Leica, because these are cameras of a completely different class, purpose, with different functionality). But this milestone was too tough for the developers. Autumn 2013 Sony company introduced two full-frame mirrorless cameras at once - Alpha A7 and A7R, outwardly similar as two peas in a pod.

We got both of these models for testing. But each of them implements so many interesting functions, features and new technologies that within simple test I can’t tell you everything. So we will test two new “sevens” in the “week with an expert” format that has already become familiar to our readers. Over the course of several days, we will be publishing new chapters of the test, sharing our impressions of shooting on the Sony Alpha A7 and Sony Alpha A7R.

Main features of the models:

• 24x36 mm format matrices - 24 MP for Alpha A7 and 36 MP without low-pass filter for Alpha 7r;
• Sony E mount with the ability to install E, FE and A lenses (via adapter LA-EA3, LA-EA4);
• hybrid focusing system with 117 phase detection sensors on the matrix for the Sony A7 model;
• 3-inch tilting display with a resolution of 921,600 dots;
• electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2,400,000 dots;
• continuous shooting speed of 5 and 4 fps for the A7 and A7R, respectively;
• Full HD video recording at up to 60 fps;
• Wi-Fi and NFC interfaces;
• ability to install applications in the camera.

The magic of numbers or continuity of generations

The number seven, first for Minolta, and then for Sony, which absorbed this legendary photo brand, has always been special. It was used in the names of those models that were truly revolutionary. This happened with the film Minolta Dynax 7, and with the first digital SLR with a built-in stabilizer, the KonicaMinolta Dynax 7D, which was ahead of its time, and with the still relevant Sony NEX-7. In the line of cameras with the letter A, this figure for a long time remained unused: it was obvious that marketers were saving it for something truly amazing. Therefore, when the first rumors about Sony’s new full-frame flagship appeared on the Internet, its name could already be guessed. The intrigue was different: what will happen to the bayonet mount? What optics will the camera work with? Will another line of lenses be created to complement the existing two - E and A?

Yes, that's what happened: miracles don't happen, and NEX's partial-frame lenses can't project an image onto a large sensor. In this case, you can switch the camera to APS-C mode and use only part of the matrix. Several new lenses with the FE mount were also presented (formally this is the same E mount, but the lens is capable of covering a full frame). And the most interesting thing is that any A-mount lenses can be installed on new cameras via the new Sony LA-EA4 adapter while maintaining the full functionality of autofocus and aperture drive. We will devote a separate day of our big test to working with it, testing it not only with Sony lenses, but also with a 25-year-old Minolta. With the cheaper Sony LA-EA3 adapter, autofocus will only work with SAM and SSM lenses equipped with a built-in motor.

What is in the box

The Sony A7 came to us for testing in a kit package with an FE 3.5-5.6/28-70 OSS lens, and even in an unopened branded box. A great opportunity get acquainted with the delivery package. The second camera - Sony Alpha A7R - acts as my assistant here: I take these pictures with it. The background is a piece of white paper, the lighting is a pair of powerful halogen lamps.

ILCE-7R SETTINGS: ISO 800, F7.1, 1/60 sec, 50.0 mm eq.

Please note that the branded box is always sealed with a silver sticker. The box cannot be opened without damaging it. Therefore, in the store, always check its integrity - it guarantees that the camera has not been removed from the box before you.

ILCE-7R SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2.2, 1/80 sec., 50.0 mm eq.

To remove the camera, you will first have to deal with the instructions. And this is not a simple coincidence: it is unlikely that you will be able to understand all the functionality of the “seven” without instructions. The next layer in the box is the camera itself, the kit lens and the shoulder strap. But this is not enough to start shooting.

ILCE-7R SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2.2, 1/60 sec., 50.0 mm eq.

We go down another layer of cardboard and find an NP-FW50 battery with a capacity of 1020 mAh, exactly the same as in the NEX cameras. There is no charger for the battery included, but there is a USB cable and an adapter from 220 volts to a USB output. The battery must be charged directly in the camera using a USB cable. However, additional Charger For such batteries you can always buy more.

ILCE-7R SETTINGS: ISO 1000, F4, 1/60 sec, 50.0 mm eq.