Walking around with this camera is very comfortable - yet not as stealthy as my RX1R II. The body is solid though a little small and I find my pinky dangles in the air - so I use it to support the bottom of the body. Middle and ring fingers hold on to the small front grip (which is comfortable) and my index finger lives between the shutter release and shutter speed dial (explained a little more below). There is a slight bump-out on the rear where my thumb comfortably sits and provides quick access to the f-stop dial. It's a slightly different grip on the RX1R II which, though smaller, doesn't make it seem as small - maybe the lack of the bump-out grip in the front of the RX1R II.
I enjoy the placement of the buttons and dials on this camera. They are solid and smooth to operate - and the ones that need to click into position do so. At this time, with the camera always in manual (M) mode I have the front dial set to adjust shutter speed, the rear to adjust f-stop and a button on the rear to adjust ISO on the fly. A single click on the button brings up the ISO menu, then the thumb wheel allows me to quickly scroll to the rating I want.
The only other button programmed so far is C1 for eye detection. Obviously, only used in portraits but seems to nail it every time. I use this same setup on the RX1R II. I have been using the Exposure Comp wheel more and more to give me the exposure exactly how I want it rather than relying on post to correct that. Also been getting into relying almost solely on the histogram in the viewfinder to expose my work now.
The shutter release is smooth and pleasing (and I like the sound of it) and has the option of silent shutter, though I haven't tried that to date.
SONY A7R II - SENSOR
The A7R II has a 42.4-megapixel back-illuminated 35mm full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor powered by the BIONZ X image processing engine to support 14-bit uncompressed RAW images. Technically, getting an ISO range of 50-102,400 but realistically using ISO 100-25,600. Even more realistically for my style is ISO 100-6400.
Unlike my RX1R II, there is no optical low-pass filter on this camera.
5-AXIS IMAGE STABILIZATION
The Sony A7R II has 5-Axis Image Stabilization which has been maximized for the 42 MP sensor. This system corrects camera shake while shooting along the 5 axes of angular shake (pitch & yaw), shift shake (along the x/y axis), and rotational shake (roll). Pair this with a IS lens (like the Zeiss Batis 85 I have been using) and you can freehand some ultra-lowlight photography.
BATTERY
Battery is notoriously bad on these cameras, but there are a ton of tips and tricks out there to increase life. Best thing I suggest is tossing the camera into Airplane mode - this turns off all the Wi-Fi and searching for networks. With this off, I can shoot all day with 3 batteries at the ready. To be honest, I shoot so little on a typical day (200-300 max photos) that I seldom need to jump to a backup.
Some other things you can try are reducing the brightness in the monitor and viewfinder, having a short power-save time, turn off the "Sunny Weather" option, turn off audio signals and turn off Pre-AF.
If I am walking around between shots, I tend to switch the camera off too. Not sure how much that helps, but a habit I picked up with the RX1R II.
I also suggest having a couple battery backups and a couple chargers in the house. Right now, I have 2 Sony stock batteries and 2 off-brand ones. I haven't noticed much of a difference between the two. For the house, I have a pair of chargers, as these batteries seem to take forever to get to a full charge. At least with a pair, I am able to cut the charge time in half.
FINDER / SCREEN
There are a couple ways to compose images with the A7R II. Either the screen on the back of the camera with LiveView or via the Electronic View Finder (EVF) that's really a godsend. The camera has the intelligence to automatically only power the view you are using. If LiveView, the EVF is powered off. If you put your eye to the EVF, it fires up in an instant and the back screen powers down. Very good for a camera that's a battery whore, as mentioned above.
With either of these views, you can increase or decrease the resolution, though they both look really good at standard. Very bright and quite responsive. Nearly identical to what I said about the RX1R II and not like the LiveView of the past (where my last experience was with a laggy Sony NEX-3). I keep the rear screen fairly dim, so I like to use the finder as my review of images when needed.
The eye cup for the A7R II finder is much better than the RX1R II, by the way. The former is a proper viewfinder with a rubberized eye cup (see rear image of A7R II below in the My Defaults section) while the later is a pop-up EVF and does not offer eye relief at all.
Both screens offer a slew of data from shutter speed, ISO, f-stop to digital levels, histograms and so on. I won't bore you with all the goodies, but there is a plethora of stuff that can be added to or removed from either screen.
The rear screen tilts up and down which is nice to hold over your head or at your feet to frame a decent shot. I don't use the screen often, but really enjoy the ability when I need it to compost a shot this way. I find this can be a stealthy way of composing a shot without those around aware of what you're doing - if stealth is your motive.
AUTOFOCUS
The Sony A7II offers up 25 contrast detection points and 399 phase detection points covering about half the sensor. The modes available here are Single, Continuous and Manual focus as well as AF-A and DMF modes that can be used with the native FE glass. As I don't tend to shoot moving targets, I stick to Single mode for almost all my shooting and have found it to be quite fast and really accurate.
As always, you can also switch the focus areas between Wide Area, Zone Area, Center Area (my preference), Flexible Spot, Expand Flexible Spot, Lock-on AF Expand Flexible Spot, Lock-on AF, Eye AF (which I mapped to C1), and Face Detection.
Like with the Sony RX1R II, the files spoil me. There is a great deal of latitude in them and so much shadow detail. The IQ is really nice to work with and I am getting the hang of how they behave with my one-click edits.
Conclusions
It is very early on with this camera to have any firm conclusions, but I have to tell you, I was secretly hoping to not love this one. I have my film cameras that I am more than happy with, and my Sony RX1R II that I figured was all I wanted. I wanted to shoot this, get it out of my system, then return it. Well, it's not going back. As soon as I strapped on the Zeiss Batis 85 and walked around with the Sony A7R II I was smitten. This camera is really offering everything I currently want in a digital setup. Gorgeous files with the colors I enjoy, great speed and a joy to walk around with. I read complaints about the menu system, but really, once you set it up once, you don't need to dig in there much and it truly isn't that bad.
This is a fine compliment to my film work and will also be a great compliment to the Sony RX1R II - so yes, they are both staying. I plan to get a ton of use out of this throughout the year and re-touch this review with future thoughts, uses, issues or what have you.
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Sony Alpha 7R III Mirrorless Camera with 42.4MP Full-Frame High Resolution Sensor, Camera with Front End LSI Image Processor, 4K HDR Video and 3" LCD Screen Black
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This Item  Sony a7R II Full-Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera, Body Only (Black) (ILCE7RM2/B), Base, Base |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $759.00 | -8% $2,298.00 List: $2,499.99 | -10% $3,498.00 List: $3,899.99 | -12% $2,198.00 List: $2,499.99 | -7% $3,259.95 New Price: $3,498.00 | -6% $6,099.99 New Price: $6,499.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 25 | Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 25 | Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 25 | Get it as soon as Tomorrow, Apr 20 | Get it Apr 30 - May 7 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Picture quality | ||||||
| Auto focus | ||||||
| Image stabilization | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | Camera West / Leica Store SF | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | 6ave | BUYDIRECT & SAVE, USA |
| display type | LCD | LCD | OLED | LCD | OLED | LCD |
| display size | 3 inches | 3 inches | — | 3 inches | 3.2 inches | 3 inches |
| lens type | body-only | Wide Angle | Telephoto | Wide Angle | Telephoto | Prime |
| shooting modes | AUTO (Auto), Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M), Movie (Programmed AE (P) / Aperture priority (A) / Shutter-speed priority (S) / Manual (M)) | Auto, Programmed, Aperture, Shutter speed, Manual, Movie | Movie,Automatic,Shutter Priority,Manual,Sports | Automatic | — | Automatic |
| connectivity tech | NFC, HDMI, USB | HDMI, USB | x | Wi-Fi | x | HDMI, Micro USB, NFC, Bluetooth |
| video resolution | 4K UHD 2160p | 4320p | 4K UHD 2160p | 2160p | 2160p | 4320p |
| optical zoom | 40 multiplier x | 8 multiplier x | 0 multiplier x | — | 0 multiplier x | — |
From the manufacturer
Sony α7R II Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera
Realism meets resolution and sensitivity - with the first (1) back-illuminated 35 millimeter full-frame CMOS image sensor. The α7R II increases image quality with 42.4MP resolution, up to ISO 102,400 sensitivity and speedy response with 5fps and a Fast Hybrid AF system (399 AF points).
Features
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First (1) Full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor with 42.4 MPThe newly developed 35mm Exmor R CMOS sensor is the very first full-frame sensor with back-illuminated structure. The structure combines gapless on-chip lens design and AR (anti-reflective) coating on the surface of the sensor's glass seal - with no low-pass filter - to dramatically improve light collection efficiency, even though the pixels are smaller than the ones in the α7R. Moreover, the wiring layer now uses copper (instead of aluminum) wiring for faster transmission speed (2). The results are truly remarkable – with incredibly detailed 42.4 megapixel stills and 4k video with high sensitivity - up to ISO 102,400 (3), low-noise performance and wide dynamic range that are superior to previous models. |
5-axis in-body image stabilization optimized for 42.4MP full-frameThe 5-axis SteadyShot INSIDE image stabilization system is fine-tuned for high-resolution image sensors. It accurately compensates for blur caused by camera shake from five different directions—vertical, horizontal, pitch, yaw and roll—as opposed to only two in previous systems. The 5-axis image stabilizing system excels during video recording and even compensates for blur caused by the photographer walking or running. It’s a true marvel of engineering. You can even monitor the stabilizing effects of camera shake compensation in the viewfinder or LCD screen while shooting still images by pressing the shutter button halfway or magnifying the image, and while shooting movies by entering movie mode. |
4K movie recording (5) with full pixel readout and no pixel binningThe α7R II is the world’s first (1) camera to offer 4K movie recording (5) to internal media in the full-frame format. It also provides you the option of shooting 4k in the super 35mm format. Enjoy the expansive power that the full-frame image sensor can express in 4k with direct pixel readout and no line skipping. In super-35 format, the α7R II employs oversampling with full pixel readout and no line skipping or pixel binning - resulting in images that exhibit higher resolution and less moiré and jaggies than typical 4K movies. Fast hybrid AF with 399 phase detection AF points and 5-axis image stabilization take movie making to a new level. |
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Fast Hybrid AF with 399 focal plane phase-detection AF ptsYour shots of action can look clearer than ever, thanks to a new full-frame image sensor that assures the world’s highest number of focal plane phase-detection AF points, at 399, and the widest coverage, of 45% of the image area (1). With its accelerated readout and an advanced algorithm to anticipate subject movement, the sensor also makes it possible for the Fast Hybrid AF system with additional 25-point contrast-detection AF points to raise speed, accuracy, and tracking performance to incredible heights, even when shooting at up to 5fps at 42.4MP. Faster readout thanks to the back-illuminated structure of the image sensor improved AF response so dramatically that the AF system of the α7R II instantly captures even fast-moving subjects with razor-sharp clarity. |
2.4-million dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder w/ ZEISS T* coatingSee every detail in every scene with the XGA OLED Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder. The new four-lens optical system with double-sided aspherical elements provides views of cutting-edge clarity and contrast throughout the entire width and length of the display. Better yet, ZEISS T* coating ensures absolutely minimal surface reflection. You’ll enjoy rich tonal gradations and high-end features like 100% frame coverage, and the world's highest (1) magnification in a full-frame camera with EVF at 0.78x7. View every scene in rich detail as the viewfinder faithfully displays what will appear in your recording, including the effects of your camera settings, so you can accurately monitor the results. |
Simple connectivity to smartphones via Wi-Fi/NFCThanks to built-in Wi-Fi, you can easily connect to a compatible iOS or Android smartphone or tablet with the free PlayMemories Mobile App. From there you can control your camera, preview and frame using your mobile device and trigger the camera shutter or movie button. Then instantly transfer a photo or MP4 movie to your device. NFC (Near Field Communication) provides 'one-touch connection' convenience to Android smartphones and tablets with NFC. Simply touch devices to connect. Setting up your mobile device is as simple as downloading a free PlayMemories Mobile app. |
Personalize your camera with PlayMemories Camera Apps (9)Add new features to your α7R II with PlayMemories Camera Apps (9). Find apps to fit your shooting style - with everything from time lapse, motion shot and more. Use apps that shoot, share and save photos to your smartphone using Wi-Fi, making it easy to post photos directly to your favorite social media site or backup images to the cloud without connecting to a computer. |
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Focal plane phase-detection AF with A-mount lenses (10)The α7R II offers focal plane phase-detection AF with A-mount lenses, (10) so you can take advantage of the wide AF coverage of 399 focal plane phase-detection AF points, high-speed response, high tracking capability and high optical performance of A-mount lenses. This is only possible with A-mount lenses mounted using a LA-E3 or LA-EA1 (APS C format with LA-EA1) lens mount adaptor and that have a SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) or SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor). |
Durable reduced-vibration shutterThe new shutter's braking mechanism cuts mechanical front/rear curtain vibration by about 50% (2). Also, use the electronic front curtain for even less vibration. This not only minimizes camera shake that can blur details in 42.4-megapixel images — it makes the shutter durable enough to have been tested to 500,000 cycles (4). |
Tough magnesium alloy body and robust lens mountDesigned for solid reliability and steady handling, the α7R II's compact body is built to withstand the rigors of shooting in the field, thanks to an internal structure and top, front, and rear covers all made of strong, rigid magnesium alloy. Furthermore, the α7R II features a robust lens mount with the strength and rigidity to match the body – this is especially good for mounting large, heavy lenses such as super telephoto lenses and those preferred for movie shooting. |
3" LCD screen tilts up & down for high & low-angle framingThe tiltable 3 inch (1,229k dots) Xtra Fine LCD Display makes it easy to photograph over crowds, or objects close to the ground or maybe you just want to get a different perspective. The screen can swivel up approx. 107 degree and down approximately 41 degree. The large display delivers brilliant-quality still images and movies thanks to WhiteMagic technology that nearly doubles the brightness of the display through a unique RGBW pixel structure for easier checking of the focus and image details. |
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| SEL-2470GM | SEL-2470Z | SEL-1635Z | SEL-70200G | SEL-55F18Z | SEL-90M28G | |
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| Price | $1,598.00 | $698.00 | $998.00 | $1,098.00 | $898.00 | $998.00 |
| E mount Lens | FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM | Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70 mm F4 ZA OSS | Vario-Tessar T* FE 16–35 mm F4 ZA OSS | FE 70-200 mm F4 G OSS | Sonnar T* FE 55 mm F1.8 ZA | FE 90 mm F2.8 Macro G OSS |
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| NP-FW50 | BC-TRW | ECM-XYST1M | ECM-AW4 | RM-TDSLR2 | HVL-F45RM | |
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| Price | $59.95 | $48.00 | $138.00 | $178.00 | $28.49 | $378.00 |
| Accessory Type | Battery | Battery charger | Microphone | Microphone | Remote Commander | Flash |
| Product name | W-series Rechargeable Battery Pack | Travel charger for W-series battery | Stereo Mic For Multi-Interface Shoe | Wireless Microphone | Wireless Remote Commander | External Flash with Wireless Radio Control |
Videos
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Reviews with images
A Wonderful Powerhouse
Walking around with this camera is very comfortable - yet not as stealthy as my RX1R II. The body is solid though a little small and I find my pinky dangles in the air - so I use it to support the bottom of the body. Middle and ring fingers hold on to the small front grip (which is comfortable) and my index finger lives between the shutter release and shutter speed dial (explained a little more below). There is a slight bump-out on the rear where my thumb comfortably sits and provides quick access to the f-stop dial. It's a slightly different grip on the RX1R II which, though smaller, doesn't make it seem as small - maybe the lack of the bump-out grip in the front of the RX1R II.I enjoy the placement of the buttons and dials on this camera. They are solid and smooth to operate - and the ones that need to click into position do so. At this time, with the camera always in manual (M) mode I have the front dial set to adjust shutter speed, the rear to adjust f-stop and a button on the rear to adjust ISO on the fly. A single click on the button brings up the ISO menu, then the thumb wheel allows me to quickly scroll to the rating I want.The only other button programmed so far is C1 for eye detection. Obviously, only used in portraits but seems to nail it every time. I use this same setup on the RX1R II. I have been using the Exposure Comp wheel more and more to give me the exposure exactly how I want it rather than relying on post to correct that. Also been getting into relying almost solely on the histogram in the viewfinder to expose my work now.The shutter release is smooth and pleasing (and I like the sound of it) and has the option of silent shutter, though I haven't tried that to date.SONY A7R II - SENSORThe A7R II has a 42.4-megapixel back-illuminated 35mm full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor powered by the BIONZ X image processing engine to support 14-bit uncompressed RAW images. Technically, getting an ISO range of 50-102,400 but realistically using ISO 100-25,600. Even more realistically for my style is ISO 100-6400.Unlike my RX1R II, there is no optical low-pass filter on this camera.5-AXIS IMAGE STABILIZATIONThe Sony A7R II has 5-Axis Image Stabilization which has been maximized for the 42 MP sensor. This system corrects camera shake while shooting along the 5 axes of angular shake (pitch & yaw), shift shake (along the x/y axis), and rotational shake (roll). Pair this with a IS lens (like the Zeiss Batis 85 I have been using) and you can freehand some ultra-lowlight photography.BATTERYBattery is notoriously bad on these cameras, but there are a ton of tips and tricks out there to increase life. Best thing I suggest is tossing the camera into Airplane mode - this turns off all the Wi-Fi and searching for networks. With this off, I can shoot all day with 3 batteries at the ready. To be honest, I shoot so little on a typical day (200-300 max photos) that I seldom need to jump to a backup.Some other things you can try are reducing the brightness in the monitor and viewfinder, having a short power-save time, turn off the "Sunny Weather" option, turn off audio signals and turn off Pre-AF.If I am walking around between shots, I tend to switch the camera off too. Not sure how much that helps, but a habit I picked up with the RX1R II.I also suggest having a couple battery backups and a couple chargers in the house. Right now, I have 2 Sony stock batteries and 2 off-brand ones. I haven't noticed much of a difference between the two. For the house, I have a pair of chargers, as these batteries seem to take forever to get to a full charge. At least with a pair, I am able to cut the charge time in half.FINDER / SCREENThere are a couple ways to compose images with the A7R II. Either the screen on the back of the camera with LiveView or via the Electronic View Finder (EVF) that's really a godsend. The camera has the intelligence to automatically only power the view you are using. If LiveView, the EVF is powered off. If you put your eye to the EVF, it fires up in an instant and the back screen powers down. Very good for a camera that's a battery whore, as mentioned above.With either of these views, you can increase or decrease the resolution, though they both look really good at standard. Very bright and quite responsive. Nearly identical to what I said about the RX1R II and not like the LiveView of the past (where my last experience was with a laggy Sony NEX-3). I keep the rear screen fairly dim, so I like to use the finder as my review of images when needed.The eye cup for the A7R II finder is much better than the RX1R II, by the way. The former is a proper viewfinder with a rubberized eye cup (see rear image of A7R II below in the My Defaults section) while the later is a pop-up EVF and does not offer eye relief at all.Both screens offer a slew of data from shutter speed, ISO, f-stop to digital levels, histograms and so on. I won't bore you with all the goodies, but there is a plethora of stuff that can be added to or removed from either screen.The rear screen tilts up and down which is nice to hold over your head or at your feet to frame a decent shot. I don't use the screen often, but really enjoy the ability when I need it to compost a shot this way. I find this can be a stealthy way of composing a shot without those around aware of what you're doing - if stealth is your motive.AUTOFOCUSThe Sony A7II offers up 25 contrast detection points and 399 phase detection points covering about half the sensor. The modes available here are Single, Continuous and Manual focus as well as AF-A and DMF modes that can be used with the native FE glass. As I don't tend to shoot moving targets, I stick to Single mode for almost all my shooting and have found it to be quite fast and really accurate.As always, you can also switch the focus areas between Wide Area, Zone Area, Center Area (my preference), Flexible Spot, Expand Flexible Spot, Lock-on AF Expand Flexible Spot, Lock-on AF, Eye AF (which I mapped to C1), and Face Detection.Like with the Sony RX1R II, the files spoil me. There is a great deal of latitude in them and so much shadow detail. The IQ is really nice to work with and I am getting the hang of how they behave with my one-click edits.ConclusionsIt is very early on with this camera to have any firm conclusions, but I have to tell you, I was secretly hoping to not love this one. I have my film cameras that I am more than happy with, and my Sony RX1R II that I figured was all I wanted. I wanted to shoot this, get it out of my system, then return it. Well, it's not going back. As soon as I strapped on the Zeiss Batis 85 and walked around with the Sony A7R II I was smitten. This camera is really offering everything I currently want in a digital setup. Gorgeous files with the colors I enjoy, great speed and a joy to walk around with. I read complaints about the menu system, but really, once you set it up once, you don't need to dig in there much and it truly isn't that bad.This is a fine compliment to my film work and will also be a great compliment to the Sony RX1R II - so yes, they are both staying. I plan to get a ton of use out of this throughout the year and re-touch this review with future thoughts, uses, issues or what have you.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2017
Style: BaseColor: BlackSet: BaseVerified Purchase
Walking around with this camera is very comfortable - yet not as stealthy as my RX1R II. The body is solid though a little small and I find my pinky dangles in the air - so I use it to support the bottom of the body. Middle and ring fingers hold on to the small front grip (which is comfortable) and my index finger lives between the shutter release and shutter speed dial (explained a little more below). There is a slight bump-out on the rear where my thumb comfortably sits and provides quick access to the f-stop dial. It's a slightly different grip on the RX1R II which, though smaller, doesn't make it seem as small - maybe the lack of the bump-out grip in the front of the RX1R II.
I enjoy the placement of the buttons and dials on this camera. They are solid and smooth to operate - and the ones that need to click into position do so. At this time, with the camera always in manual (M) mode I have the front dial set to adjust shutter speed, the rear to adjust f-stop and a button on the rear to adjust ISO on the fly. A single click on the button brings up the ISO menu, then the thumb wheel allows me to quickly scroll to the rating I want.
The only other button programmed so far is C1 for eye detection. Obviously, only used in portraits but seems to nail it every time. I use this same setup on the RX1R II. I have been using the Exposure Comp wheel more and more to give me the exposure exactly how I want it rather than relying on post to correct that. Also been getting into relying almost solely on the histogram in the viewfinder to expose my work now.
The shutter release is smooth and pleasing (and I like the sound of it) and has the option of silent shutter, though I haven't tried that to date.
SONY A7R II - SENSOR
The A7R II has a 42.4-megapixel back-illuminated 35mm full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor powered by the BIONZ X image processing engine to support 14-bit uncompressed RAW images. Technically, getting an ISO range of 50-102,400 but realistically using ISO 100-25,600. Even more realistically for my style is ISO 100-6400.
Unlike my RX1R II, there is no optical low-pass filter on this camera.
5-AXIS IMAGE STABILIZATION
The Sony A7R II has 5-Axis Image Stabilization which has been maximized for the 42 MP sensor. This system corrects camera shake while shooting along the 5 axes of angular shake (pitch & yaw), shift shake (along the x/y axis), and rotational shake (roll). Pair this with a IS lens (like the Zeiss Batis 85 I have been using) and you can freehand some ultra-lowlight photography.
BATTERY
Battery is notoriously bad on these cameras, but there are a ton of tips and tricks out there to increase life. Best thing I suggest is tossing the camera into Airplane mode - this turns off all the Wi-Fi and searching for networks. With this off, I can shoot all day with 3 batteries at the ready. To be honest, I shoot so little on a typical day (200-300 max photos) that I seldom need to jump to a backup.
Some other things you can try are reducing the brightness in the monitor and viewfinder, having a short power-save time, turn off the "Sunny Weather" option, turn off audio signals and turn off Pre-AF.
If I am walking around between shots, I tend to switch the camera off too. Not sure how much that helps, but a habit I picked up with the RX1R II.
I also suggest having a couple battery backups and a couple chargers in the house. Right now, I have 2 Sony stock batteries and 2 off-brand ones. I haven't noticed much of a difference between the two. For the house, I have a pair of chargers, as these batteries seem to take forever to get to a full charge. At least with a pair, I am able to cut the charge time in half.
FINDER / SCREEN
There are a couple ways to compose images with the A7R II. Either the screen on the back of the camera with LiveView or via the Electronic View Finder (EVF) that's really a godsend. The camera has the intelligence to automatically only power the view you are using. If LiveView, the EVF is powered off. If you put your eye to the EVF, it fires up in an instant and the back screen powers down. Very good for a camera that's a battery whore, as mentioned above.
With either of these views, you can increase or decrease the resolution, though they both look really good at standard. Very bright and quite responsive. Nearly identical to what I said about the RX1R II and not like the LiveView of the past (where my last experience was with a laggy Sony NEX-3). I keep the rear screen fairly dim, so I like to use the finder as my review of images when needed.
The eye cup for the A7R II finder is much better than the RX1R II, by the way. The former is a proper viewfinder with a rubberized eye cup (see rear image of A7R II below in the My Defaults section) while the later is a pop-up EVF and does not offer eye relief at all.
Both screens offer a slew of data from shutter speed, ISO, f-stop to digital levels, histograms and so on. I won't bore you with all the goodies, but there is a plethora of stuff that can be added to or removed from either screen.
The rear screen tilts up and down which is nice to hold over your head or at your feet to frame a decent shot. I don't use the screen often, but really enjoy the ability when I need it to compost a shot this way. I find this can be a stealthy way of composing a shot without those around aware of what you're doing - if stealth is your motive.
AUTOFOCUS
The Sony A7II offers up 25 contrast detection points and 399 phase detection points covering about half the sensor. The modes available here are Single, Continuous and Manual focus as well as AF-A and DMF modes that can be used with the native FE glass. As I don't tend to shoot moving targets, I stick to Single mode for almost all my shooting and have found it to be quite fast and really accurate.
As always, you can also switch the focus areas between Wide Area, Zone Area, Center Area (my preference), Flexible Spot, Expand Flexible Spot, Lock-on AF Expand Flexible Spot, Lock-on AF, Eye AF (which I mapped to C1), and Face Detection.
Like with the Sony RX1R II, the files spoil me. There is a great deal of latitude in them and so much shadow detail. The IQ is really nice to work with and I am getting the hang of how they behave with my one-click edits.
Conclusions
It is very early on with this camera to have any firm conclusions, but I have to tell you, I was secretly hoping to not love this one. I have my film cameras that I am more than happy with, and my Sony RX1R II that I figured was all I wanted. I wanted to shoot this, get it out of my system, then return it. Well, it's not going back. As soon as I strapped on the Zeiss Batis 85 and walked around with the Sony A7R II I was smitten. This camera is really offering everything I currently want in a digital setup. Gorgeous files with the colors I enjoy, great speed and a joy to walk around with. I read complaints about the menu system, but really, once you set it up once, you don't need to dig in there much and it truly isn't that bad.
This is a fine compliment to my film work and will also be a great compliment to the Sony RX1R II - so yes, they are both staying. I plan to get a ton of use out of this throughout the year and re-touch this review with future thoughts, uses, issues or what have you.
I enjoy the placement of the buttons and dials on this camera. They are solid and smooth to operate - and the ones that need to click into position do so. At this time, with the camera always in manual (M) mode I have the front dial set to adjust shutter speed, the rear to adjust f-stop and a button on the rear to adjust ISO on the fly. A single click on the button brings up the ISO menu, then the thumb wheel allows me to quickly scroll to the rating I want.
The only other button programmed so far is C1 for eye detection. Obviously, only used in portraits but seems to nail it every time. I use this same setup on the RX1R II. I have been using the Exposure Comp wheel more and more to give me the exposure exactly how I want it rather than relying on post to correct that. Also been getting into relying almost solely on the histogram in the viewfinder to expose my work now.
The shutter release is smooth and pleasing (and I like the sound of it) and has the option of silent shutter, though I haven't tried that to date.
SONY A7R II - SENSOR
The A7R II has a 42.4-megapixel back-illuminated 35mm full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor powered by the BIONZ X image processing engine to support 14-bit uncompressed RAW images. Technically, getting an ISO range of 50-102,400 but realistically using ISO 100-25,600. Even more realistically for my style is ISO 100-6400.
Unlike my RX1R II, there is no optical low-pass filter on this camera.
5-AXIS IMAGE STABILIZATION
The Sony A7R II has 5-Axis Image Stabilization which has been maximized for the 42 MP sensor. This system corrects camera shake while shooting along the 5 axes of angular shake (pitch & yaw), shift shake (along the x/y axis), and rotational shake (roll). Pair this with a IS lens (like the Zeiss Batis 85 I have been using) and you can freehand some ultra-lowlight photography.
BATTERY
Battery is notoriously bad on these cameras, but there are a ton of tips and tricks out there to increase life. Best thing I suggest is tossing the camera into Airplane mode - this turns off all the Wi-Fi and searching for networks. With this off, I can shoot all day with 3 batteries at the ready. To be honest, I shoot so little on a typical day (200-300 max photos) that I seldom need to jump to a backup.
Some other things you can try are reducing the brightness in the monitor and viewfinder, having a short power-save time, turn off the "Sunny Weather" option, turn off audio signals and turn off Pre-AF.
If I am walking around between shots, I tend to switch the camera off too. Not sure how much that helps, but a habit I picked up with the RX1R II.
I also suggest having a couple battery backups and a couple chargers in the house. Right now, I have 2 Sony stock batteries and 2 off-brand ones. I haven't noticed much of a difference between the two. For the house, I have a pair of chargers, as these batteries seem to take forever to get to a full charge. At least with a pair, I am able to cut the charge time in half.
FINDER / SCREEN
There are a couple ways to compose images with the A7R II. Either the screen on the back of the camera with LiveView or via the Electronic View Finder (EVF) that's really a godsend. The camera has the intelligence to automatically only power the view you are using. If LiveView, the EVF is powered off. If you put your eye to the EVF, it fires up in an instant and the back screen powers down. Very good for a camera that's a battery whore, as mentioned above.
With either of these views, you can increase or decrease the resolution, though they both look really good at standard. Very bright and quite responsive. Nearly identical to what I said about the RX1R II and not like the LiveView of the past (where my last experience was with a laggy Sony NEX-3). I keep the rear screen fairly dim, so I like to use the finder as my review of images when needed.
The eye cup for the A7R II finder is much better than the RX1R II, by the way. The former is a proper viewfinder with a rubberized eye cup (see rear image of A7R II below in the My Defaults section) while the later is a pop-up EVF and does not offer eye relief at all.
Both screens offer a slew of data from shutter speed, ISO, f-stop to digital levels, histograms and so on. I won't bore you with all the goodies, but there is a plethora of stuff that can be added to or removed from either screen.
The rear screen tilts up and down which is nice to hold over your head or at your feet to frame a decent shot. I don't use the screen often, but really enjoy the ability when I need it to compost a shot this way. I find this can be a stealthy way of composing a shot without those around aware of what you're doing - if stealth is your motive.
AUTOFOCUS
The Sony A7II offers up 25 contrast detection points and 399 phase detection points covering about half the sensor. The modes available here are Single, Continuous and Manual focus as well as AF-A and DMF modes that can be used with the native FE glass. As I don't tend to shoot moving targets, I stick to Single mode for almost all my shooting and have found it to be quite fast and really accurate.
As always, you can also switch the focus areas between Wide Area, Zone Area, Center Area (my preference), Flexible Spot, Expand Flexible Spot, Lock-on AF Expand Flexible Spot, Lock-on AF, Eye AF (which I mapped to C1), and Face Detection.
Like with the Sony RX1R II, the files spoil me. There is a great deal of latitude in them and so much shadow detail. The IQ is really nice to work with and I am getting the hang of how they behave with my one-click edits.
Conclusions
It is very early on with this camera to have any firm conclusions, but I have to tell you, I was secretly hoping to not love this one. I have my film cameras that I am more than happy with, and my Sony RX1R II that I figured was all I wanted. I wanted to shoot this, get it out of my system, then return it. Well, it's not going back. As soon as I strapped on the Zeiss Batis 85 and walked around with the Sony A7R II I was smitten. This camera is really offering everything I currently want in a digital setup. Gorgeous files with the colors I enjoy, great speed and a joy to walk around with. I read complaints about the menu system, but really, once you set it up once, you don't need to dig in there much and it truly isn't that bad.
This is a fine compliment to my film work and will also be a great compliment to the Sony RX1R II - so yes, they are both staying. I plan to get a ton of use out of this throughout the year and re-touch this review with future thoughts, uses, issues or what have you.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2017
Here are the pros and cons as I see them to owning the SonyA7rII:
Pros:
Amazing image quality - the best I've ever seen - and I did a lot of side by side with the D850. When dealing with high end camera's that occupy very top of the DxoMark scale, it really comes down to specific needs and personal preference.
The EVF is absolutely fantastic to use. It's clear, the colors are wonderfully vibrant and true to life, and the ability to zoom in on far away objects from the viewfinder for perfect focus is a great benefit worth the extra demand on the battery.
Silent mode which uses an electric front shutter is great and now (after upgrading to the latest firmware version) appears to work when uncompressed RAW is selected
Though small, this camera feels solid and, with the grip, fits my large hands comfortably
Though Sony doesn't have a large lens selection, the lenses they do have are insanely sharp and bar none among the best I've ever owned, particularly their Zeiss lenses and new Sony "G" lenses. To give some perspective - the best lens for Nikon ends at a 36 sharpness rating, Sony's lens lineup almost starts where Nikon leaves off and goes up to an insane 46 rating (per DxoMark).
I can use this camera with ALL of my vintage glass including Nikkor AI and NAI MF lenses, Helios, Pentacon, Zeiss, and INDUSTAR, etc. All that's needed is a simple adapter and each of every one of theses lenses benefits from Sony's 5-axis in-body image stabilization. the shallow depth of the camera body ensures it's compatible with virtually every 35mm camera lens ever made - something that I ran into trouble with on my D810 because Nikon actually has the widest body of all camera makes. My M42 mount lenses (for example) would have to be mounted slightly inside of the D810 body to get the right magnification and infinite focus. And that's not even an option because doing this risks destroying the mirror. Even vintage Nikkor AI and NAI lenses can't be used without fairly major modification which also ruins the lens value.
A lot of people seem to really dislike the A7 line UI. I personally kind of like the interface. Maybe it’s because I work with a lot of technology, but I find it pretty simple to use and after owning my camera for a few weeks have the placement of everything committed to my long-term memory. It also looks more modern than Nikon or Cannon’s UI. It might seem a little segmented at first, but in the end, everything kind of makes sense as a whole so I’m counting it as a pro.
Love that Sony included two batteries and a charger. This really makes me feel like I bought a high-end camera. If they’d throw in a screen protector (see my grumble below), I’d be completely happy with the included accessories.
Cons:
The battery life could be better
I'd love to see the build quality be just a bit more robust. I.e. I wouldn't take this on out in sub zero weather, do a photo-shoot in a sand storm, or bring it with me white water rafting. Even decent weather sealing would be a nice gesture.
This one is probably on the top of my list - I'd love to see dedicated controls for all major settings that I use every day. I can set the aperture from the back dial and the exposure from the front dial, but it would be great to have a control for the ISO. I virtually always shoot in full manual mode and having to right click on the wheel to bring up an ISO dialogue before selecting the ISO is just the tiniest bit annoying.
The camera should come with a snap on screen protector like Nikon provides. When you spend this much on a camera and don't get basic protective equipment, you feel like Sony is being a tad on the penny pinching/apathetic side.
Some tips:
Knowing how short the battery life would be I loaded on six batteries and bought a grip for the camera so I can use two at a time. With the grip I can shoot about half of what I used to get away with using my D810, which is workable
Get a good protective carrying case/backpack for this camera to keep it safe.
My final verdict:
It's overall the best camera I've ever owned. While it is quirky in some way, some of the quirks are starting to grow on me. Now we'll see about longevity. The shutter is rated at 500,000 actuations, so I'm hopeful.
Style: BaseColor: BlackSet: BaseVerified Purchase
Best Camera I've Ever Owned
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2017
I decided to move to Sony's platform from shooting Nikon's D810 and I'm really glad I did. While the controls might not be quite as intuitive as my Nikon D810 and this camera definitely wouldn't work well as a weapon in a pinch, the image quality is so perfect and amazing that it's forgivable.Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2017
Here are the pros and cons as I see them to owning the SonyA7rII:
Pros:
Amazing image quality - the best I've ever seen - and I did a lot of side by side with the D850. When dealing with high end camera's that occupy very top of the DxoMark scale, it really comes down to specific needs and personal preference.
The EVF is absolutely fantastic to use. It's clear, the colors are wonderfully vibrant and true to life, and the ability to zoom in on far away objects from the viewfinder for perfect focus is a great benefit worth the extra demand on the battery.
Silent mode which uses an electric front shutter is great and now (after upgrading to the latest firmware version) appears to work when uncompressed RAW is selected
Though small, this camera feels solid and, with the grip, fits my large hands comfortably
Though Sony doesn't have a large lens selection, the lenses they do have are insanely sharp and bar none among the best I've ever owned, particularly their Zeiss lenses and new Sony "G" lenses. To give some perspective - the best lens for Nikon ends at a 36 sharpness rating, Sony's lens lineup almost starts where Nikon leaves off and goes up to an insane 46 rating (per DxoMark).
I can use this camera with ALL of my vintage glass including Nikkor AI and NAI MF lenses, Helios, Pentacon, Zeiss, and INDUSTAR, etc. All that's needed is a simple adapter and each of every one of theses lenses benefits from Sony's 5-axis in-body image stabilization. the shallow depth of the camera body ensures it's compatible with virtually every 35mm camera lens ever made - something that I ran into trouble with on my D810 because Nikon actually has the widest body of all camera makes. My M42 mount lenses (for example) would have to be mounted slightly inside of the D810 body to get the right magnification and infinite focus. And that's not even an option because doing this risks destroying the mirror. Even vintage Nikkor AI and NAI lenses can't be used without fairly major modification which also ruins the lens value.
A lot of people seem to really dislike the A7 line UI. I personally kind of like the interface. Maybe it’s because I work with a lot of technology, but I find it pretty simple to use and after owning my camera for a few weeks have the placement of everything committed to my long-term memory. It also looks more modern than Nikon or Cannon’s UI. It might seem a little segmented at first, but in the end, everything kind of makes sense as a whole so I’m counting it as a pro.
Love that Sony included two batteries and a charger. This really makes me feel like I bought a high-end camera. If they’d throw in a screen protector (see my grumble below), I’d be completely happy with the included accessories.
Cons:
The battery life could be better
I'd love to see the build quality be just a bit more robust. I.e. I wouldn't take this on out in sub zero weather, do a photo-shoot in a sand storm, or bring it with me white water rafting. Even decent weather sealing would be a nice gesture.
This one is probably on the top of my list - I'd love to see dedicated controls for all major settings that I use every day. I can set the aperture from the back dial and the exposure from the front dial, but it would be great to have a control for the ISO. I virtually always shoot in full manual mode and having to right click on the wheel to bring up an ISO dialogue before selecting the ISO is just the tiniest bit annoying.
The camera should come with a snap on screen protector like Nikon provides. When you spend this much on a camera and don't get basic protective equipment, you feel like Sony is being a tad on the penny pinching/apathetic side.
Some tips:
Knowing how short the battery life would be I loaded on six batteries and bought a grip for the camera so I can use two at a time. With the grip I can shoot about half of what I used to get away with using my D810, which is workable
Get a good protective carrying case/backpack for this camera to keep it safe.
My final verdict:
It's overall the best camera I've ever owned. While it is quirky in some way, some of the quirks are starting to grow on me. Now we'll see about longevity. The shutter is rated at 500,000 actuations, so I'm hopeful.
Images in this review
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