On the still images side, the Sony Alpha A7 II supports uncompressed 14-Bit raw image capture. Between programmable overlays and physical controls, the Alpha 7 II allows you to set almost all of its functions to suit your particular shooting style. The Leica M is a bit smaller, but heavier, although it's a purely manual focus camera that uses a fixed optical viewfinder. The number of phase detect pixels and their placement hasn't changed, but the tracking method is now similar to what we see on the Alpha 6000 ($548.00 at Amazon) . In the end, Sony’s A7 Mark II is a notable upgrade over its predecessor. Keep an eye on your inbox! Aside from the lens release button, controls are absent from the front plate. The stabilization effect is optimised, but not cumulative, as one or the other system is used, not both. Exposure accuracy was pretty good, though I noticed that in auto white balance for indoor shooting, such as with basketball/gym lighting, that the camera leaned somew… The camera does all the processing and stitching and even successfully compensates for moving subjects. Sony has one of those in its full-frame mirrorless lineup. The Fn button brings up an on-screen menu of shooting settings, and there are the standard playback and delete buttons; delete doubles as the programmable C4 button when shooting. A flat command dial with a center button rounds out the controls. Score. The highest quality is XAVC S, which requires you to use a Class 10 SDXC memory card in order to keep up with its 50Mbps bitrate. To its right you'll find a standard mode dial, an EV compensation dial that can be set in third-stop increments from -3 to +3, and programmable C1 and C2 button. Sony a7 II Review: A Camera That's Still Got It in 2020 Join a Community of +2.7M … 11 November 2015 . In addition to headphone and microphone ports, the Alpha 7 II sports a micro HDMI video output and a micro USB port. The camera can sync with a flash at speeds as short as 1/250-second. Sony A7R II vs iPhone vs Canon vs Fuji at 12MP and 35mm! It takes everything that we loved about the original A7 and improves upon it. This full frame … This limits critical sharpness, but also counteracts color moiré effects that can appear when capturing images with certain repeating patterns and video. Sony A7S II Review 11 March 2016. But the firmware update really improves the in-body stabilization. It's the first Alpha 7 family member to undergo a serious change in body design—a deeper handgrip and a refined control layout go a long way to make the camera more comfortable with which to shoot. 7. High bitrate 1080p video. 5fps burst shooting. That broadens the appeal of the camera to those who value top-end optics, but don't want to spend a fortune on a camera body. Adds 3-axis stabilization to adapted lenses. There are also adaptors available to allow Canon and Nikon lenses to be used. The Sony A7 range has … If the battery life was better that wouldn't be a huge issue. Sony caused a major stir in the photographic world when it introduced the 24MP Alpha A7 and 36MP Alpha A7R, because they were the first mirrorless cameras to have full-frame sensors – the same size as a 35mm film frame. That makes the Alpha 7 II our Editors' Choice in the full-frame mirrorless category. There's a number of improvements on the new model, with an all-new sensor and highly sophisticated 693-point AF system, while handling and performance has been improved also. Now Sony has created new waves of excitement by introducing an update to the A7 in the guise of the Alpha A7 II. … By Sean Captain, Cherlynn Low 09 January 2015. It’s a little slow to start up, it has a very long and deep menu system that is more complex than it needs to be and there are distinct bugs in its operation like the fact that it will not enter power saving mode if the viewfinder is obscured. This means that these full-frame cameras can accept both full-frame and APS-C format E-mount lenses, but the image size is reduced when APS-C lenses are used. But that does mean that if you opt to use a vertical shooting grip, you'll have to buy a new one; the grip for the A7 II is priced at $350, holds two batteries, and includes vertical shooting controls. Clean, detailed high ISO images. Your subscription has been confirmed. The camera also captures images in Raw format, which is appealing to photographers who want to apply noise reduction via software tools like Lightroom, and who want to have the flexibility to adjust color balance and exposure after capture. At ISO 12800 detail is stronger, but still compromised to a point. Like the original Alpha 7, the Alpha 7 II incorporates an optical low-pass filter as part of its image sensor design. The Sony A7 II allows you to take panoramic images very easily, by 'sweeping' with the camera while keeping the shutter release depressed. The main catch is that the resulting image is of fairly low resolution. It worked as advertised in lab tests, although we didn't see as significant an improvement over the original Alpha 7 as Sony states. There are a number of paid apps, ranging in price from $4.99 to $9.99, and Sony has continued to expand the selection. When you're using a native autofocus lens it stabilizes along 5 axes, compensating for pitch, yaw, x-axis and y-axis shift, and roll. I used Imatest to check and see how well the A7 II handles shooting at high ISO sensitivities, often used in dim conditions. You will receive a verification email shortly. There's definitely a drop-off in quality at ISO 25600, but image quality is stronger than other cameras we've seen when pushed that far. The a7II is not without its quirks. Current page: Improved ergonomics. You can find him on Instagram @jamespfisher, The Alpha 7 II ($1,699.99, body only) is the latest, Editors' Note: This review has been updated after testing the Alpha 7 II with, How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Find Free Tools to Optimize Your Small Business, How to Get Started With Project Management, The Best DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras for 2020, The Best Point-and-Shoot Cameras for 2020, Amazon's Panorama Makes Any Surveillance Camera Intelligent, How to Use Your Digital Camera as a Webcam, DJI Targets Vloggers With Pocket 2 Camera, Fujifilm X-S10 Puts IBIS Into Compact, Affordable Body, Nikon Z 6 II and Z 7 II: Dual Card Slots Have Arrived, Voigtlander Nokton 21mm F1.4 Aspherical Review. It's as sharp as a 921k-dot display, but has an extra group of "white dots" that add luminosity. LEICA 21mm + Sony A7R II versus Canon 20mm USM + 5DS R Comparison 01 October 2015 . To put that in perspective, most lenses with integrated stabilization can only compensate for pitch and yaw. The Alpha 7 II captures detailed Raw images with very little noise through ISO 1600. By default, spinning it adjusts the ISO, but it also has directional presses that change the drive mode, engage the self-timer, set the amount of information displayed on the EVF or rear LCD, and offer direct access to the ISO menu. This feature was first seen in the Alpha 7R II ($1,198.00 at Amazon) . There's more noise at ISO 3200 and 6400, but detail is strong. Some of the fine lines in our test scene have smudged together, and very fine detail has been washed away, but you can still get away with that setting if shooting for Web output. Sony put some major upgrades into its latest full-frame mirrorless camera, the Alpha A7 Mark II. But how well does the stabilization work? Sony a7 II Review Packing 5-axis, in-body image stabilization and a full-frame sensor in a petite, sexy body, the Sony Alpha a7 II has a lot to offer. The A7 II supports video at 1080p24, 1080p30, or 1080p60 quality in a variety of recording formats. If you plan on shooting all day you'll want to pick up at least one additional battery ($49.99) and an external charger ($39.99) so you can charge one battery in-camera and the second in the charger simultaneously. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, Best full-frame camera: 10 advanced DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, How to get an Nvidia RTX 3080, 3070 or a 3090 even though they're all sold out, The new Xbox Series X update makes things feel a bit more next-gen, Where to buy Xbox Series X: the latest restock updates for Cyber Week, Where to buy PS5: Amazon UK restock is now available, PS5 storage could be worryingly expensive, if this 2TB NVMe SSD is anything to go by, This UK retailer will have Xbox Series X stock before Christmas – here's how to get one, Antivirus alone is no longer enough to keep your devices protected. Read honest and unbiased product reviews … If you buy an A7 II and don't bother to update the firmware, you may find it a bit underwhelming; out of the box I was able to handhold a 135mm lens at about 1/60-second with acceptable results. It's one of the best out there, with excellent sharpness and contrast. The autofocus system is a bit snappier when tracking moving targets, the grip is more substantial for comfortable handheld shooting, and there's now an in-body stabilization system that steadies any lens that's attached to the camera, even ones that aren't native to the Sony system. Design and FeaturesThe Alpha 7 II ($898.00 at Amazon)  is the fourth camera in the family—joining the 7S ($2,498.00 at Amazon) , Alpha 7R ($1,099.00 at Amazon) , and the 7, which is remaining in production at a lower price point. It’s the fourth member of the Sony A7-series line-up, as Sony continues their path of creating specialized cameras with unique virtues that other cameras cannot realize – even other Sony … A multi-interface hot shoe sits above the finder, and a diopter adjustment is included so you can fine-tune it to match your eyesight. Jim Fisher is our lead analyst for cameras, drones, and digital imaging. The Sony a7 II might be five years old, but it still has features and specs that are well worth the price in 2020. There was a problem. If you're really serious about shooting action, you'll still do better with a camera with a dedicated phase detect sensor that supports predictive tracking. Adds 3-axis stabilization to adapted lenses. It's not a touch screen like the one on the Leica SL. Video is crisp and full of detail, with quick autofocus. When he’s not out with his camera, Jim enjoys watching bad and good television, playing video games (poorly), and reading. You can choose to shoot in a compressed Raw format, which saves space on your memory card, or an uncompressed format for the highest quality image. Noise comes on strong at ISO 12800, but Raw output is crisper than the comparable JPG output. But the Alpha 7 II's affordable price tag, excellent image quality, and full-frame image sensor make it our Editors' Choice. The app also supports remote control, but there are limited controls available out of the box. The biggest news about the Alpha A7 II is that it's Sony's first full-frame compact system camera to feature in-body stabilisation. Sony Alpha A7 II (with 28-70mm lens) isoa7m2k $998.00. Introduction and key features. AVCHD is also available as a file format option, with bitrates up to 28Mbps, and MP4 is an option if you want to be able to copy low-bitrate footage directly to your smartphone over Wi-Fi. Using an old manual focus Pentax 85mm lens this time, I was able to get tack sharp results at handheld speeds as low as 1/25-second, and reasonably sharp images at 1/15-second—and that's with stabilization along just three axes. Here's why. The only real downside to this is that the A7 II does not add that focal length to the recorded EXIF data, so if you like to track which lens a shot is captured with, you'll need to take notes. Its innovative in-body image stabilization works with a five-axis system to compensate for movement. If you don't mind a very grainy image, ISO 25600 is a viable option when shooting Raw as well. by William Brawley, Jeremy Gray, and Zig WeidelichOverview originally posted: 09/11/2015 Updates: 10/14/2015: Gallery Images added 10/20/2015: First Shots posted 11/23/2015: Performance test results posted 12/11/2015: Field Test posted 02/29/2016: Image Quality Comparison, Print Quality Analysis and Review Conclusionposted --- Special update: The Sony A7S II was named Best Low Light Camera in our 2015 Came… It covers the center third of the frame, where the Alpha 7R II has phase detect points covering most of the image sensor. Sony's PlayMemories app store offers a number of programs that can be downloaded to expand the functionality of the camera, and some of them are free. The 3-inch rear display is mounted on a hinge so you can frame shots from above or below. The bulk of the controls are flush on the back, to the right of the LCD. If you're using a non-native lens, or even a native manual focus lens like the Zeiss Loxia 2/50 ($806.00 at Amazon) , it's stabilized along three axes—yaw, pitch, and roll. The Alpha 7 II represents a solid upgrade to the original Alpha 7, and despite not having a large number of peers, is worthy of an excellent rating. Visit our corporate site. However, some may feel that changes are rather small as, like the vast majority of the new camera's components, the sensor is the same full-frame (35.8 x 23.9mm) 24MP Exmor CMOS device as is used in the original Alpha A7. With stabilization enabled the footage was stable, although sudden, jarring movements were still jarring. Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! However, when Sony announced the second iteration of the A7-series, the A7 II, I immediately requested a review unit for evaluation. The Alpha 7 II's in-body OIS won't replace a steadicam for serious video work, but it's a helpful addition for casual clips or cinema verité-style projects. It's thicker than the initial trio of Alpha 7 cameras, and a little bit heavier (3.75 by 5 by 1.9 inches, 1 pound); the body itself is a bit deeper due to the stabilization system and the larger handgrip. Sony … Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. The 12-megapixel Alpha 7S does require an external video recorder to capture 4K footage, but is quickly becoming a favorite among videographers who want to get the full-frame look from moving images. In order to compensate along the x and y axes, the camera needs to know the distance to the subject, which requires electronic communication of the focal distance from the lens to the body. Sony A7R II vs A6000 vs Canon 5DS R Comparison 18 September 2015 . The Sony A7 II has been superseded by the newer Sony A7 III, but Sony's policy of keeping older models on sale means you can now get it at seriously low prices. This is a first-generation implementation, and I expect the technology to improve in future models. It's probably worth reminding ourselves at this point that the Sony A7 series uses Sony's E-mount. The IS system in the a7 II works by compensating … And Sony makes another specialized camera using this body design, the 12-megapixel Alpha 7S II ($1,998.00 at Amazon) , which offers the best 4K video of the bunch and is excellent when shooting at extreme ISO settings. I've also included crops from our ISO test sequence, converted from Raw using default settings in Lightroom 5.7.1, in the slideshow, so you can judge for yourself. The movie record button is located on the rear thumb grip, angled against right rear. Top Sample Images Intro Lenses & Adapters Specifications USA Version Performance Compared Usage Recommendations More Overall The Sony A7 II is a great camera. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Canon 5DSR vs. Sony A7R II 17 October 2015. Sony Alpha 7 II Review – Features. Please refresh the page and try again. © The camera provides the depth of field control that full-frame photographers adore, and it focuses quickly and accurately in all types of situations. I took a close look at images from our ISO test scene on a calibrated NEC MultiSync PA271W( at Amazon) display to see how detail holds up at high sensitivities. Screen: 3.0-inch tilt-angle, 1,228,000 dots. The Sony A7 II is the world's first 35mm full-frame compact system camera with 5-axis optical image stabilization, providing up to 4.5 steps faster shutter speed of correction. There aren't a lot of full-frame mirrorless models on the market—and the affordable ones are all made by Sony. The Review Sony a7 II. Editors' Note: This review has been updated after testing the Alpha 7 II with updated firmware released in November 2015. Alpha mount optics made for Sony's DSLRs and SLT cameras can be used via an adaptor. To compensate for the other three axes, the only data that needs to be transmitted is the focal length of the lens. [Update: the Alpha A7 II has since been replaced by the Alpha A7 III - one of our favorite cameras right now. Sony has several lenses in its E-mount line-up with integrated stabilization—they bear an OSS designation. The in-body stabilization works well for stills and video alike, and the short distance between the lens mount and sensor allows you to use virtually any lens with the camera, as long as the proper adapter is available. When used in conjunction with the A7 II the in-lens and in-body systems work in concert to steady images. 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2020 sony a7 ii review