Sony A7C R review

Trade in Sony A7C R

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

In recent years, Sony has continuously challenged the limits of performance achievable in compact camera designs. The Alpha 7 series, in particular, has been revolutionary for its compactness and remains the go-to choice for those seeking conveniently-sized full-frame cameras.

Sony’s venture into creating exceptionally small full-frame cameras commenced a few years ago with the introduction of the A7C, where they managed to squeeze a full-frame sensor into an even smaller body. Following this breakthrough, Sony presented a similar experience with the ZV-E1, offering a compact design scarcely larger than their super-compact ZV-series vlogger cameras.

However, both of these examples had their limitations, primarily concerning video performance and resolution, which were not at the highest end. This is where the new A7C series, specifically the A7C R, comes into play this year. This ‘R’ concept camera boasts an astonishing 61MP sensor. I had the privilege of putting it to the test, and it truly stands out as something extraordinary.

Design

• Dimensions (body only): 124 x 71 x 63.4mm
• Weight (body only): 438g

The primary draw of Sony’s newest A7C models, much like the initial series, continues to be their compact design. In the case of the A7CR, this attribute is an immensely compelling factor. As I will elaborate on later, owning a small camera like this, coupled with the impressive resolution it offers, eliminates the need for carrying a bulky zoom lens. With one compact lens and a diminutive camera, you can embark on your travels with minimal weight and hassle.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

For every shot captured in this review, the lens of choice was the 50mm prime f/1.4 G Master lens—no zoom, just a sleek portrait lens for all scenarios. This lens choice transformed the camera into a travel-friendly companion, taking up minimal space in my bag and remaining remarkably lightweight.

Despite its petite dimensions, the camera doesn’t compromise on control options, offering a range of features you’d typically find on a full-sized camera. With two rear dials conveniently located for easy access by the thumb and an additional one positioned at the top of the grip for quick adjustments using your index finger, you can swiftly fine-tune settings like aperture and exposure compensation without delving into menus.

Sony has succeeded in maintaining an uncluttered top panel design, featuring only two accessible buttons—the standard shutter button and the red movie button for video recording. Simple and intuitive.

To maintain a clean layout on the back, the ‘display’ and ‘ISO’ buttons are cleverly integrated into the rotating dial surrounding the central ‘select’ button. Additionally, the camera offers customizable function buttons, along with the standard zoom/AF button, ensuring a streamlined user experience. That’s about it in terms of rear controls.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

The generous grip on the front of the A7CR is a feature that I particularly adore. It provides a substantial and comfortable hold, making it effortless to carry during a photo session. When coupled with its lightweight build, it ensures that extended periods of movement during a shoot are not tiresome. However, it’s worth noting that if you attach a large, heavy lens to the front, the balance may shift forward, potentially making it more challenging to hold. But with a smaller lens, the camera maintains a superb balance and remains lightweight.

This compact and well-balanced design opens up various niche and professional applications. You can easily mount the camera in a range of setups, whether it’s affixing it to a professional drone, extending it on a pole for elevated shots, using a monopod, or employing a compact gimbal for stabilized footage.

What’s it like to use?

• Fully articulated million-dot LCD touchscreen
• Single SD card slot
• USB-C (with Power Delivery) – 3.5mm audio in – 3.5mm audio out
• Digital multi-interface shoe – micro HDMI

Sony’s dedication to decluttering the touchscreen user interface in the ZV-series has proven to be a significant benefit for Alpha-series users as well. In the past, adjusting elements like ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and aperture could be a bit fiddly, but the latest camera user interface is straightforward and user-friendly.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

The camera’s screen now features frequently needed controls right on the display, with the added convenience of easily swiping to access the rest of the settings if necessary. Among these settings is the ability to swiftly switch between human, animal, insect, car, and plane/train recognition, directly from the main screen. Previously, such transitions required navigating the main settings menu, which could prove challenging. Now, you can effortlessly transition from capturing a portrait of a person to photographing a bee or butterfly with just a few taps on the touchscreen—a truly brilliant enhancement.

Sony has also heeded the lessons learned from focusing on the content creator and vlogger market, recognizing the demand for a fully articulating and maneuverable touchscreen that can be adjusted to face any direction. The new A7C series models feature such screens, allowing you to capture video of yourself by rotating the screen to face you or positioning it parallel to the ground for low-angle shots. This flexibility caters to a wide range of creative shooting scenarios.

Within the main settings menu, you’ll find Sony’s most recent user interface, which has undergone a redesign in recent years to enhance navigation ease. This updated interface employs a color-coded system and dedicates separate sections to autofocus and tracking settings, ensuring a more user-friendly experience. This proves especially useful when making adjustments such as switching eye detection from left to right, among various other settings.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach and enjoy looking through the viewfinder, the camera features a new XGA OLED viewfinder with 2.36 million dots.

However, the smaller body does come with certain limitations, such as the absence of a second SD card slot. Unlike many larger models that offer a dual-slot setup, this camera has only one card slot. This limitation means that with a full SD card, you’ll need to either offload footage or delete files to continue shooting or ensure you have spare cards on hand for quick swaps.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

The camera offers an abundance of flexibility to cater to various usage scenarios. It’s equipped with USB-C, allowing for both charging and data transfer, with support for Power Delivery fast charging. Furthermore, there are two 3.5mm ports—one for connecting a microphone and the other for headphones, enabling comprehensive audio control.

At the top, you’ll find the digital multi-interface shoe, which provides a versatile platform for attaching advanced multichannel audio interfaces, camera flashes, or external microphones, enhancing your creative possibilities.

Like having a bonus macro

• 61MP – Exmor R CMOS full-frame sensor
• In-body 7-step stabilisation
• 100-32000 ISO range for stills/movie – expandable to 50-102400 in stills
• Up to 8fps continuous shooting

Beyond its compact size and effortless portability, the true standout feature of this camera is its 61-megapixel sensor. As previously mentioned, this sensor’s remarkable capabilities render the need for carrying an array of lenses for various purposes obsolete.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

While a wider lens might have come in handy for my close-up product photography and videography work, especially for our YouTube videos, when it comes to still photography in natural settings, the 50mm portrait lens truly excels. Even with the limitation of using just a single lens for photos, I discovered that I could crop in post-processing to achieve extreme close-ups without sacrificing detail.

To provide you with a clearer understanding of what I mean, I’ve included full images that I captured, along with 100% crops of the same images, using our standard 1600 x 1067 3:2 site template. Among the most remarkable examples were simple shots of wild grasses, thistles, and flowers, where the 50mm lens’s capabilities truly shone.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

Upon closer examination of these cropped images, what was initially a standard grass shot transforms into a stunning, highly detailed close-up of a butterfly or a bee. These images reveal the intricate patterns of their wings and the captivating detail in the compound eyes.

Likewise, the thistle’s “fluff” unveils its tiny strands of fur, showcasing a level of detail that is truly remarkable. The lens’s ability to capture such intricate details at full resolution is staggering, giving you the impression of carrying a macro lens with you at all times, even when you’re not. With each shot, you receive an unexpected bonus—a free macro shot that brings the world of small details to life.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

The pixel-dense sensor, while providing incredible resolution, does exhibit a minor downside when shooting at its full-sensor resolution in low-light conditions. In such scenarios, there may be a touch of noise present, particularly noticeable when pushing the ISO up to 12,800, as I did during dusk and sunset photography. However, it’s important to highlight that the resulting images still appear great, and the noise only becomes more noticeable when closely scrutinizing shadow areas after cropping.

It’s worth mentioning that the camera’s ISO sensitivity extends even higher if needed. By default, it goes up to 32,800 for both video and still photography, but this range can be expanded further to an impressive 102,400 for stills, offering versatility in challenging lighting situations.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

As one would anticipate from a high-quality Exmor R CMOS sensor, the overall image quality is nothing short of superb. Colors, shadows, highlights, depth of field, and dynamic range all shine in their splendor, resulting in images that are rich in detail and vitality—fulfilling every photographer’s expectations.

Video chops

• 4K/60p 1.2x crop – 10-bit – 4:2:2
• 4K/30p – 6.2K oversampling in Super 35
• Real-time tracking, subject recognition, fast focus

While the ‘R’ model of the A7C is evidently geared more towards photography, it still packs a considerable punch in the realm of video performance. It’s well-equipped to meet the requirements of users who aren’t chasing extremely high resolutions and frame rates.

With this camera, you can record in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, albeit with a slight 1.2x crop. Alternatively, you have the option to shoot in 4K Super 35 mode, delivering a supersampled 6.2k video at up to 30fps, catering to a range of video shooting needs.

For the professional videographer and color grader, the A7CR offers advanced features such as preloaded LUTs and the capability to shoot in S-Log modes. However, for everyone else, the camera provides the convenience of shooting in the standard picture profile, ensuring that the final colors closely match what you see with your own eyes.

What impressed me the most were the natural, well-balanced colors (far from dull) and the lifelike skin textures. Detail is exceptional, and the image quality excels in terms of minimal noise and distortion. It’s a fantastic video camera, even though Sony offers models more geared towards videography in its lineup.

Equally important to the overall experience is the real-time tracking and subject recognition capabilities. With these features, I was able to seamlessly shoot a video of my daughter addressing the camera, demonstrating cartwheel skills, and returning to the camera—all without losing focus, even when her face was momentarily out of view during mid-cartwheel.

(Image credit: Pocket-Lint)

Sony has incorporated its AI-powered Bionz image processor into several of its cameras, and this innovation has proven to be a game-changer. The processor not only identifies human faces and eyes but also comprehends their positioning in relation to the shoulders, knees, and hips. This advanced capability ensures that the subject remains in focus, even if their face is partially obscured or turned away. Moreover, the processor’s focus remains pinpointed on the iris of the eye, avoiding distractions caused by eyelashes. This precision is especially valuable when shooting with an exceptionally shallow depth of field.

Connectivity and battery life

• USB-C with Power Delivery
• 540 shots from a full battery

As expected from a contemporary Sony camera, it comes equipped with onboard Bluetooth for effortless smartphone pairing. Utilizing the Sony mobile app, you can access files, seamlessly transfer them to your phone, and instantly share them on your favorite social media platforms.

In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, there’s a USB-C port for speedy data transfer to your laptop or desktop computer. This port also serves as a quick charging solution via Power Delivery, providing a valuable backup option when you’re on the go and concerned about battery drain. With a power bank, you can rapidly recharge the camera to a suitable level in a short amount of time.

However, battery life is generally not a major concern. The camera utilizes the same battery as most of Sony’s other high-end consumer cameras, offering a substantial capacity of up to 540 shots on a full charge. This robust battery performance ensures that you can comfortably tackle an extended session of shooting without interruptions.

Verdict

There’s no such thing as a perfect product, but if you’re in the market for a super-compact full-frame camera, with a detailed sensor, great video performance and flawless object tracking and autofocus, there’s not much out there that comes close to the new A7CmR. You’ll need to pay a hefty sum to get hold of one, but it may well just be a price worth paying.

Source: Techradar