Sony A7 Reviewed at dpreview (80% Silver Awards)

Sony A7 with 28 70mm lens hand

Sony Alpah A7 is one of the best mirrorless cameras released in late 2013. dpreview now just reviewed the A7, and give it as 80% silver awards.

Read full review from dpreview:

Conclusion – Pros
  • Smallest and least expensive full-frame body
  • Very good image quality when shooting Raw
  • Solid build quality
  • Compatible with a huge range of legacy 35mm camera lenses with no field-of-view crop
  • Large, high resolution electronic viewfinder
  • Tilting LCD offers good detail and outdoor visibility
  • Useful tools, such as focus peaking and zebra pattern (work well with native lenses)
  • Very good video quality
  • Strong video features: manual controls, audio level adjustment, and uncompressed HDMI output
  • Well-implemented dual-axis electronic level
  • Solid Wi-Fi system allows for remote shooting, easy photo sharing; NFC a plus
  • Charging via USB can be convenient
  • Classic Sony features (HDR, Sweep Panorama) work well
  • Exposure compensation dial makes Auto ISO usable in manual mode
  • Microphone and headphone ports
  • Optional battery grip
Conclusion – Cons
  • JPEG quality disappointing compared to peers – crude sharpening, over-aggressive processing and occasional posterization
  • Autofocus can be hesitant, especially in low light; AF improves when assist lamp is turned off
  • Auto ISO tends to keep shutter speed at 1/60 sec, often resulting in blurry photos
  • Limited selection of FE lenses, which are expensive compared to competition
  • Tools for shooting with third party lenses need improvement
  • Longer-than-average startup times
  • Camera ‘locks up’ while buffer is clearing after continuous shooting
  • Overly sensitive eye sensor (also stays active when screen is tilted)
  • Lacks a built-in flash
  • Limited battery life
  • Exposure compensation and rear scroll wheel too easy to accidentally bumped
  • Menu arrangement poor and navigation a bit clunky (requires a lot of button-pressing)
  • No in-camera Raw conversion
  • No external charger included for rapid charging or keeping a spare battery topped-up
  • Included remote capture software lacks live preview

Final Words:

The Alpha 7 twins are arguably the most ambitious cameras Sony has ever made. By putting a full-frame sensor into a body nearly the same size as the Olympus OM-D E-M1, Sony has created a huge buzz around the a7 and its more expensive sibling, the a7R (which we’ll cover in a future review). But, while it has done a remarkable job creating these two cameras, we feel that some refinements are necessary in order to make them more competitive with the likes of the Canon EOS 6D and Nikon D610.

The areas that need the most improvement are related to JPEG image quality. While we recognize that some a7 shooters will be using Raw exclusively, those who are shooting JPEGs will see smudged details and strange artifacts, which are amplified if you edit and re-save them. Regardless of the file format you’re using, the Auto ISO feature needs to be more intelligent, to avoid blurry photos due to the camera’s love for the 1/60 sec shutter speed. Startup time, buffer clearing, and battery life were also a bit disappointing. We’re hoping that a firmware upgrade can address at least some of these issues.

Ultimately, the Alpha 7 is a nice step-up for current NEX owners, and will certainly tempt those who want something smaller than conventional full-frame cameras. However, while Sony has done many things right with the a7, the issues raised in this review are significant enough to keep it from getting our top award.

Sony A7/A7R buy links:

In Unite States:
Sony A7 Body Only Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buyebay
Sony A7 w/ 28-70mm lens Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buyebay
Sony A7R Body Only Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buyebay
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buyebay
Sony 24-70mm f/4 FE ZA OSS Lens Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buy | ebay
Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Lens Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buy | ebay
Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Lens Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buy | ebay
A-Mount to E-Mount Lens Adapter Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buy | ebay
A to E-Mount Lens Adapter w/ Mirror Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buy | ebay
Sony Vertical Battery Grip Amazon | B&H | Adorama | Sony.com | Best Buy | ebay
In Unite Kingdom:
Sony A7 Body Only WEX | Jessops | Amazon.co.uk | Sony.co.uk
Sony A7 w/ 28-70mm lens WEX | Jessops | Amazon.co.uk | Sony.co.uk
Sony A7R Body Only WEX | Jessops | Amazon.co.uk | Sony.co.uk
Sony DSC-RX10 WEX | Jessops | Amazon.co.uk | Sony.co.uk
In Germany:
Sony A7 Body Only WEX DE | Amazon.de | Sony.de
Sony A7 w/ 28-70mm lens WEX DE | Amazon.de | Sony.de
Sony A7R Body Only WEX DE | Amazon.de | Sony.de
Sony DSC-RX10 WEX DE | Amazon.de | Sony.de
In Spain:
Sony A7 Body Only Amazon.es | Sony.es
Sony A7 w/ 28-70mm lens Amazon.es | Sony.es
Sony A7R Body Only Amazon.es | Sony.es
Sony DSC-RX10 Amazon.es | Sony.es
In Canada:
Sony A7 Body Only Amazon.ca | Sony.ca
Sony A7 w/ 28-70mm lens Amazon.ca | Sony.ca
Sony A7R Body Only Amazon.ca | Sony.ca
Cyber Monday Kindle Fire HDX Amazon.ca | Sony.ca
In France:
Sony A7 Body Only Amazon.fr | Sony.fr
Sony A7 w/ 28-70mm lens Amazon.fr | Sony.fr
Sony A7R Body Only Amazon.fr | Sony.fr
Sony DSC-RX10 Amazon.fr | Sony.fr
In Japan:
Sony A7 Body Only Amazon
Sony A7 w/ 28-70mm lens Amazon
Sony A7R Body Only Amazon
Sony DSC-RX10 Amazon