Sony A7 & A7R Hands-On Field Test

We've been hoping for someone besides Leica to make a full frame, interchangeable lens mirrorless camera, and Sony has finally produced the cameras we've been waiting for! In this episode The Camera Store TV's Chris Niccolls checks out the new Sony A7 and A7R, full frame mirrorless cameras with killer specs for the price. See if they live up to the huge promise they offer.

Also, Jordan Drake takes a look at the video functionality.

Shot and Edited by Jordan Drake
Filmed on the Sony A7 & A7R

[kohala]

Here I am in 2022, and this video is making me feel good about my A7, purchased in 2019. Even better, all of my many Canon FD and Nikkor AIS lenses are beautiful on the A7, for which I am very grateful, both creatively and financially.

[TheCameraStoreTV]

Thank you for your comment. I do certainly know how to pronounce Nikon properly due to my Japanese heritage. That being said, we are a Canadian show and I choose to pronounce it the way I always have here in Canada. I would never expect Japanese people to pronounce English words as I do, and would never feel disrespected by their accents. Nor do I feel that our Japanese viewers are offended by my choice either. Still... thank you so much for your insightful comment.

Chris @ The Camera Store TV

[TheCameraStoreTV]

Thank you very much for your kind words. We're glad you enjoyed the video. This particular beautiful location was west Bragg Creek. A small hamlet just west of Calgary.

Chris @ The Camera Store TV

[AgnostosGnostos]

It wasn't obvious then but this Sony full frame e-mount cameras started in 2013 the beginning of the end for the dSLR technology. The Sony a7 lasted for six years. The Sony a7 was introduced in late 2013 and discontinued by Sony in late 2019. Very impressive and quite unique for a Sony digital Camera. The initial price of Sony a7 camera body was 1700€ in 2013. After two years in 2015 it dropped around 1000€ and became the first full frame digital camera that broke the limit of 1000€. That has boosted the popularity of the Sony a7. During 2018-2019 it could be found during the Black Fridays at around 750€. Very impressive for a full frame digital camera at a price of a digital APS-C camera.
The Sony a7R discontinued some years before the Sony a7.
Keep in mind that both the a7 and a7R were introduced in 2013 with the Sony Zeiss FE 35mm f/2.8 T* ZA lens which is still in 2020 the smallest and lightest Sony full frame e-mount lens ever produced. Sony with this lens wanted to emphasize the small and light full frame camera body. The Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens was introduced a little later. Also the Sony Zeiss FE 35mm f/2.8 T* ZA lens is one of the few and maybe the only Sony e-mount lens that is made in Japan instead of Thailand or China.

[TheCameraStoreTV]

The first curtain shutter improves responsiveness, but does nothing to dampen the noise. The native ISO of these cameras is 200, you have the option of going lower but you sacrifice dynamic range in the shadows.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[TheCameraStoreTV]

Some small adjustments were made to exposure and colour, but no serious grading. All video was AVCHD, recorded internally.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[TheCameraStoreTV]

I'm not crazy about the footage, even shooting a flat profile, I found the skin tones oversaturated. The image isn't terribly sharp, and I did have some moire issues. The good news is that these are all processing issues, so they may be resolved when production cameras arrive.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[BoilDog]

Without a doubt, he does the best reviews on YouTube. Completely unbiased, honest, and not boring!

[TheCameraStoreTV]

Actually we did use external microphones in the form of our favorite Sony lavalier UWP 130s. They give a warm rich tone and have excellent range. The other significant point to note is that we ran them through the A7s built in mic port and used the built in pre-amp to control levels. Its excellent sound capability surprised us.

Chris @ The Camera Store TV

[TheCameraStoreTV]

The A7 is a much better stills camera in pretty much all regards. The GH3 does shoot nicer video, however. If stills is 70% of what you do, I'd go with the A7 or A7R.

Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[TheCameraStoreTV]

I wasn't able to test the A7R for video too much, we only had the cameras for a few hours. There was some moire on the A7R footage, but I was unable to do a side by side comparison to see if it was worse than the A7. I'll have some more time with these cameras next week, I'll keep you posted Philip!

-Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[artofwishing]

Omg he aged so well, still cutie then and until now

[TheCameraStoreTV]

'Peaking' adds a coloured outline to the sharp subjects in a frame, making focus much easier without having to magnify the image. 'Zebra' puts wavy lines over any overexposed area while you are capturing stills and video, so you can see that highlights are clipping before you record stills or video.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[TheCameraStoreTV]

It is fully compatible, that's the adaptor we used in this video.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[TheCameraStoreTV]

That refers to the still capture. While this camera will send out a clean signal, there is no RAW video recording.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV

[Chrismzeller]

You are the best camera reviewer on the web. Excellent blend of the practical and the technical.

[Madmohawkfilms]

I'm loving my A7 and A5100 and think that making a trip up to Alberta is in my future. My partner and love shooting scenery and I think she'll find it as beautiful as I do

[iSOBigD]

I hope so. I really don't find the bulkiness necessary in this day and age where cell phones can pack in so many features. I'm not used to this shape and size for cameras, but I'll gladly put up with it to save some room and have a small, light, full-frame camera.

[markeugen]

The video itself was shot using A7? Darn beautiful!

[johnfurious]

You guys do a very in depth and informative comparative review.... Thanks and keep up the good work.