Review
The Full Frame Sony A7II is the latest and greatest mirrorless e-mount camera from Sony! In this review I will go over everything I can think of to test this bad boy out including real world photography and lab testing. I have the killer FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA lens to try out as well as my Canon EF lenses via the Metabones electronic lens adapter, and also my old school MC 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens via a passive adapter.
Sony Alpha A7 II Video Review
– The Best Mirrorless Camera from Sony Yet!
Sony A7 II – Key Features:
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Sony ILCE7M2 Detailed Specifications
| Camera Type | Interchangeable lens digital camera |
| Lens Compatibility | Sony E-mount Lenses |
| Image Sensor | 35mm full frame (35.8×23.9mm), “Exmor” CMOS sensor Number of pixels (effective): Approx. 24.3 megapixels Number of pixels (total): Approx. 24.7 megapixels Image sensor aspect ratio: 3:02 Color filter: R, G, B primary color Anti-Dust function: Yes Anti-Dust system: Charge protection coating on optical filter and image sensor shift mechanism Anti-Dust operation (auto):Cleaning Mode |
| Media Type | Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, Memory Stick XC-HG Duo, SD memory card,SDHC memory card (UHS-I compliant), SDXC memory card (UHS-I compliant) |
| Recording format | JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver.2.3, MPF Baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format) |
| Image size (pixels) [3:2] | 35mm full frame L: 6000 x 4000 (24M), M: 3936 x 2624 (10M), S: 3008 x 2000 (6.0M) APS-C L: 3936 x 2624 (10M), M: 3008 x 2000 (6.0M), S: 1968 x 1312 (2.6M) |
| Image size (pixels) [16:9] |
35mm full frame L: 6000 x 3376 (20M), M: 3936 x 2216 (8.7M), S: 3008 x 1688 (5.1M) APS-C L: 3936 x 2216 (8.7M), M: 3008 x 1688 (5.1M), S: 1968 x 1112 (2.2M) |
| Image size (pixels) [Sweep Panorama] | Wide: horizontal 12,416 x 1,856 (23M), vertical 5,536 x 2,160 (12M), Standard: horizontal 8,192 x 1,856 (15M), vertical 3,872 x 2,160 (8.4M) |
| Image quality modes | RAW – RAW & JPEG – JPEG Extra fine – JPEG Fine – JPEG Standard |
| 14bit RAW | Yes |
| Picture Effect | 13 types: Posterization (Color), Posterization (B/W), Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color (R/G/B/Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera(Normal/Cool/Warm/Green/Magenta), Soft High-key , Soft Focus(High/Mid/Low), HDR Painting(High/Mid/Low), Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature(Auto/Top/Middle(H)/Bottom/Right/Middle(V)/Left), Watercolor, Illustration(High/Mid/ Low) |
| Creative Style | Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn leaves, Black & White, Sepia,Style Box(1-6), (Contrast (-3 to +3 steps), Saturation (-3 to +3 steps), Sharpness (-3 to +3 steps)) |
| Picture Profile | Yes (Off / PP1-PP7) Parameters: Black level, Gamma (Movie, Still, Cine1-4, ITU709, ITU709 [800%], S-Log2), Black Gamma, Knee, Color Mode, Saturation, Color Phase, Color Depth, Detail, Copy, Reset |
| Dynamic Range functions | Off, Dynamic Range Optimizer (Auto/Level (1-5)), Auto High Dynamic Range (Auto Exposure Difference, Exposure Difference Level (1-6 EV, 1.0 EV step)) |
| Color space | sRGB standard (with sYCC gamut) and Adobe RGB standard compatible with TRILUMINOS Color |
| Delete | Yes |
| Recording system (movie) | XAVC S – AVCHD format Ver. 2.0 compliant – MP4 Video compression: XAVC S:MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, AVCHD: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, MP4: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Audio recording format: XAVC S:LPCM 2ch – AVCHD: Dolby Digital (AC-3) 2ch, Dolby Digital Stereo Creator – MP4: MPEG-4 AAC-LC 2ch |
| Recording system Movie – Picture Effect | Posterization (Color), Posterization (B/W), Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color (R/G/B/Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera(Normal/Cool/Warm/Green/Magenta), Soft High-key |
| Recording system Movie – Creative Style | Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn leaves, Black & White, Sepia,Style Box(1-6), (Contrast (-3 to +3 steps), Saturation (-3 to +3 steps), Sharpness (-3 to +3 steps)) |
| Recording system Movie – Picture Profile | Yes (Off / PP1-PP7) Parameters: Black level, Gamma (Movie, Still, Cine1-4, ITU709, ITU709 [800%], S-Log2), Black Gamma, Knee, Color Mode, Saturation, ColorPhase, Color Depth, Detail, Copy, Reset |
| Recording system Movie – Color Space | xvYCC standard (x.v.Color when connected via HDMI cable) compatible with TRILUMINOS Color |
| Movie function | Audio Level Display – Audio Rec Level – Dual Video REC – TC/UB (TC Preset/UB Preset/TC Format/TC Run/TC Make/UB Time Rec) – Auto Slow Shutter – REC Control – HDMI Info. Display (on / OFF) – HDMI Output (1920 x 1080(60p), 1920 x 1080(60i), 1920 x 1080(24p),, YCbCr 4:2:2 8bit / RGB 8bit) |
| Noise reduction | Long exposure NR: On/Off , available at shutter speeds longer than 1 sec. High ISO NR: Normal/Low/Off |
| Multi Frame Noise Reduction | Auto/ISO 100 to 51200 |
| White balance | Auto / Daylight / Shade / Cloudy / Incandescent / Fluorescent < Warm White / Cool White / Day White / Daylight> / Flash /Underwater/ Color Temperature <2500 to 9900K> & color filter / Custom |
| AWB micro adjustment | Yes |
| Bracketing | 3 frames, H/L selectable |
| Focus System | Fast Hybrid AF(phase-detection AF/contrast-detection AF) |
| Focus sensor | “Exmor” CMOS sensor |
| Focus point | 35mm full frame: 117 points (phase-detection AF) APS-C: 99 points (phase-detection AF) / 25 points (conotrast-detection AF) |
| Sensitivity range | EV-1 to EV20 (ISO100 equivalent with F2.0 lens attached) |
| AF Mode | AF-S (Single-shot AF), AF-C ( Continuous AF), DMF (Direct Manual Focus), Manual Focus |
| Focus area | Wide (117 points (phase-detection AF), 25 points(contrast-detection AF)) / Zone / Center / Flexible Spot (S/M/L) / Lock-on AF ( Wide / Zone / Center / Flexible Spot (S/M/L)) |
| Eye-start AF | Yes (only with LA-EA2 or LA-EA4 attached(Sold separately)) |
| Lock-on AF | Yes |
| Eye AF | Yes |
| Other features | Predictive control, Focus lock |
| AF illuminator | Yes(with Built-in LED type) Range: Approx. 0.3m – approx. 3.0m (with FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS attached) |
| Metering type | 1200-zone evaluative metering |
| Metering sensor | “Exmor” CMOS sensor EV-1 to EV20 (at ISO100 equivalent with F2.0 lens attached) |
| Exposure Control | Multi-segment – Center-weighted – Spot |
| Exposure modes | AUTO(iAuto/Superior 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) ) – Sweep Panorama – Scene Selection |
| Scene Selection | Portrait – Sports Action – Macro – Landscape – Sunset – Night Scene – Hand-held Twilight – Night Portrait – Anti Motion Blur |
| Exposure compensation | +/- 5.0EV(1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps selectable) (with exposure compensation dial : +/- 3EV (1/3 EV steps)) |
| Bracketing | Bracket: Cont./Bracket: Single, With 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1.0 EV, 2.0 EV, 3.0 EV increments, 3/5 frames selectable |
| Auto Exposure Lock | Locked when shutter button is pressed halfway. Available with AE lock button. (On/Off/Auto) |
| ISO sensitivity | Still images: ISO 100-25600 equivalent (1/3 EV step), (ISO numbers up from ISO 50 can be set as expanded ISO range.), AUTO (ISO 100-6400, selectable lower limit and upper limit) Movies: ISO 200-25600 equivalent (1/3 EV step) / AUTO (ISO 200-6400, selectable lower limit and upper limit) |
| Viewfinder | Type: 1.3 cm (0.5 type) electronic viewfinder (color) Number of dots:2 359 296 dots Brightness control: Auto/Manual (5 steps between -2 and +2) Color temperature control: Manual (5 steps) Field coverage: 100% Magnification: approx. 0.71 x (with 50mm lens at infinity, -1m-1) Diopter adjustment: -4.0 to +3.0m-1 Eye point: Approx. 27mm from the eyepiece lens, 22mm from the eyepiece frame at-1m-1 (CIPA standard) |
| Viewfinder – Display Contents | Graphic Display Display All Info. No Disp. Info. Digital Level Gauge Histogram |
| LCD screen | Type: 7.5cm (3.0-type) type TFT Number of dots (total): 1,228,800 dots Brightness control: Manual (5 steps between -2 and +2), Sunny Weather mode Adjustable angle: Up by approx. 107 degrees, Down by approx. 41 degrees WhiteMagic: Yes Real-time image-adjustment display: On/Off Quick Navi: Yes Focus Check: Yes Focus Magnifier (35mm full frame: 5.9x, 11.7x – APS-C: 3.8x, 7.7x) Zebra: Yes Peaking MF; Yes Marker Display: Yes Grid Line: Yes |
| LCD Display Contents | Graphic Display – Display All Info – No Disp. Info – Digital Level Gauge – Histgram – For viewfinder – |
| Face detection | Modes: On/On (Regist. Faces)/Off Face registeration: Yes Face selection: Yes |
| Auto Object Framing | Still images |
| Other features | Smile shutter (selectable from 3 steps) – PlayMemories Camera Apps – Help guide – Clock Function,Setting – Area Setting – Shop Front Mode – Zoom Ring Rotate – Eye-Fi ready |
| Clear Image Zoom | Approx. 2x |
| Digital zoom | Smart zoom (Still images): 35mm full frame: M:approx 1.5x, S:approx 2x – APS-C: M:approx 1.3x, S:approx 2x Digital zoom (Still images): 35mm full frame: L:approx 4x, M:approx 6.1x, S:approx 8x – APS-C: L:approx 4x, M:approx 5.2x, S:approx 8x Digital zoom (Movie): 35mm full frame: approx 4x – APS-C: approx 4x |
| Shutter | Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type Shutter speed: Still images:1/8000 to 30 sec, Bulb, Movies: 1/8000 to 1/4(1/3 steps) up to 1/60 in AUTO mode (up to 1/30 in Auto slow shutter mode) Flash sync. speed: 1/250 sec. Electronic Front Curtaion Shutter: Yes(ON/OFF) |
| SteadyShot INSIDE (image stabilization) | Image Sensor-Shift mechanism with 5-axis compensation (Compensation depends on lens specifications) Compensation effect: 4.5 steps (based on CIPA standard. Pitch/yaw shake only. With Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA lens mounted. Long exposure NR off.) |
| Flash | Control: Pre-flash TTL Flash compensation: +/- 3.0 EV (switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps) Flash bracketing: 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 EV steps, 3/5 frames selectable |
| Flash modes | Flash off – Autoflash – Fill-flash – Slow Sync. – Rear Sync. – Red-eye reduction (on/off selectable) – Wireless Hi-speed sync. |
| External flash | Sony a System Flash compatible with Multi Interface Shoe, attach the shoe adaptor for flash compatible with Auto-lock accessory shoe |
| FE level lock | Yes |
| Drive modes | Single Shooting – Continuous shooting (Hi/Lo selectable) – Self-timer (10/2 sec delay selectable) – Self-timer (Cont.) (with 10 sec delay 3/5 frames selectable) – Bracket: Single – Bracket: Cont. – White Balance – DRO bracket – Continuous shooting: Hi: max. 5 fps, Lo: max. 2.5 fps |
| Playback Modes | Single (with or without shooting information Y RGB histogram & highlight/shadow warning) – 9/25-frame index view – Enlarged display mode (L: 18.8x, M: 12.3x, S: 9.4x, Panorama (Standard): 25.6x, Panorama (Wide): 38.8x) – Auto Review (10/5/2 sec,Off) – Image orientation (Auto/Manual/Off selectable) – Slideshow – Panorama scrolling – Folder selection (Date/ Still/ MP4/ AVCHD/XAVC S)- Forward/Rewind (movie) – Delete – Protect |
| Wi-Fi | View on Smartphone – Send to Computer – View on TV – One-touch remote – One-touch sharing |
| NFC | One-touch remote – One-touch sharing |
| Flash Type | PC interfaceernal flash – Multi / Micro USB Terminal – NFC – Sync. Terminal – Wireless LAN(built-in) – HD output – (HDMI micro connector (Type-D) / BRAVIA Sync(Control for HDMI) / PhotoTV HD / 4K Still Image PB) – Multi Interface Shoe – 3.5 mm Stereo Mic minijack – Remote Control – Headphone Terminal – Vertical Grip Connector – PC Remote |
| Audio | Built-in stereo microphone or XLR-K2M/ECM-XYST1M(sold separately) Built-in,monaural Speaker |
| Exif Print, Print Image Matching III, DPOF setting | |
| Custom function | Custom key settings Programmable Setting (Body 2 sets /memory card 4 sets) |
| Lens compensation | Peripheral Shading, Chromatic Aberration, Distortion |
| Battery | One rechargeable battery pack NP-FW50 Approx. 270 shots (Viewfinder) / approx. 350 shots (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) Movies (actual recording) Approx. 60 min (Viewfinder) / Approx. 65 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) |
| Internal battery charge | Yes |
| External power | AC Adaptor AC-PW20 (sold separately) |
| Power consumption | With Viewfinder: Still images: approx. 3.5W(with FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens attached), Movies: approx4.2W(with FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens attached) With LCD screen: Still images: approx. 2.6W(with FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens attached), Movies: approx4.2W(with FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens attached) |
| Weight | With battery and Memory Stick PRO Duo included Approx.:21.1 oz / 599 g With battery and Memory Stick PRO Duo included: approx. 1 lb 5.1 oz |
| Dimensions | mm (WxHxD) excluding protrusions Approx. 126.9mm x 95.7mm x 59.7mm inch (WxHxD) excluding protrusions Approx. 5 x 3 7/8 x 2 3/8 inches |
The Full Frame Sony A7 II
So here is the Sony A7 II full frame mirrorless camera with the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens mounted so you can see the size/ scale.
Sony A7II and FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens
Build quality feels great and I like the slightly textured finish as apposed to the smooth finish of the previous generation. The larger grip is excellent as expected, and the new shutter position is a huge improvement ergonomically as well.
The A7II full frame mirrorless camera is heavier than the previous generation for sure! I noticed this immediately when I took it out of the box and was surprised honestly. Clearly the larger form factor, and full magnesium chassis added some heft to this camera and it is worth noting.
Sony A7II and FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens
Loving the new larger grip, shutter, and built-in dial. It’s pointer finger heaven and better than the previous generation in my opinion.
Sony A7II and FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens
New port doors on the cameras left side open down and are rubberized plastic. It is definitely easier to get the usb cable in with this design, but the doors don’t feel as good as the metal ones. A trade-off I suppose and they are otherwise working great so far with no accidental openings! Having an easier time getting the usb cable in and out might seam like no big deal ,but it’s actually huge in my opinion considering how my times you have to do it.
Sony A7r vs Sony A7II – Port Side w/ doors open
The new slimmer front and rear control dials work really well and have nice amount of dampening and space between notches. It’s easier to go from one notch to the next without going three clicks for example. I often go further than I want when using the A7r dials, but these don’t have that problem. They are closer to the actually camera body though, so if wearing gloves they may be a bit harder to use.
Front and Rear Control Dials
From the top you can clearly see the new shutter placement and thinner deeper grip design. Also note the SteadyShot INSIDE text and new custom button added to the top right side.
From the Top View
The bottom of the camera has been completely re-designed and is much better! The bottom flat area of the camera is almost 1/2 of an inch thicker front to back. This is a huge improvement and means your tri-pod plate will get full contact on the bottom of the camera. My Gitzo quick release plate hangs over the back a lot on my A7r. Basically, this means you can mount a heavier lens on with more confidence without the camera chassis flexing or anything. I would estimate the mount point is about 50% stronger with this new design based on how my tri-pod plate fits and how it feels when mounted. Awesome job Sony and thanks for addressing this “weak” point for lack of a better word.
A7 Vs A7 II – Bottom
As you can see the Sony A7II has some serious upgrades going on for it in the camera body design and ergonomics department specifically. The increased weight and size is also significant. It feels great though in my hands and the extra weight is not bad at all honestly. With extended carrying I would notice the extra weight though I’m sure.
Sample Photos
These images are a combination of Jpeg and Raw quality saved out for the web via Lightroom 5 @ ~1000px, 75% Quality, Sharpening for web standard. 100% Crops of the center area are also provided on some images for easier per pixel detail inspection. See the info just below photos in the caption for details.
Sony Alpha A7II (ILCEA7M2), FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens, FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Lens
Click Images for Higher Resolution Versions!
I had the camera on a tri-pod and used manual mode, ISO 400, 30seconds, f/8 and here is the result:
Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/8, 30seconds, ISO 400, Jpeg
Bones is getting big already! This is from today 01/09/15
Sony A7II w/ FE 35mm f/2.8 Lens @ f/2.8, 1/1250sec, ISO 100, Raw Quality
Resolving power is quite good on the 24mp A7II with the Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 Lens wide open in harsh lighting.
100% Crop – Sony A7II w/ FE 35mm f/2.8 Lens @ f/2.8, 1/1250sec, ISO 100, Raw Quality
My boy Jase is just about 5 Months old already! I know, tome flies…. I did enhance the eye a little on this photo with an adjustment brush using a little brightness and clarity. If you would like to learn more about enhancing your photos in Lightroom, check this thread out on the forums >>
Sony A7II w/ FE 35mm f/2.8 Lens @ f/2.8, 1/60sec, ISO 500, Raw Quality
100% Crop – Sony A7II w/ FE 35mm f/2.8 Lens @ f/2.8, 1/60sec, ISO 500, Raw Qaulity
Another sample photo via the very sharp Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Lens, raw quality.
Sony A7II w/ FE 35mm f/2.8 Lens @ f/2.8, 1/640sec, ISO 100, Raw Quality
Even with the anti-aliasing filter in front of the senor the per pixel resolving power is very good, although not as good as my 36mp Sony A7r Review Here >>
Sony A7II w/ FE 35mm f/2.8 Lens @ f/2.8, 1/640sec, ISO 100, Raw Quality
Some nice detail offered on this dog food bag at Sam’s Club @ f/4, raw quality 35mm lens again.
Sony A7II w/ FE 35mm f/2.8 Lens @ f/4, 1/60sec, ISO 500, Raw Quality
100% Crop – Sony A7II w/ FE 35mm f/2.8 Lens @ f/4, 1/60sec, ISO 500, Raw Quality
An old abandoned house that is starting to fall down finally.
Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @16mm, F/8
100% Crop – Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @16mm, F/8
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, F/4
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 16mm, f/4, 1/1600sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/4, 1/1600sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/8, 1/100sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/11, 8 seconds, ISO 200, Jpeg
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ F/4
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- Sony A7II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
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- Sony A7II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
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- 100% Crop – Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/8, 1/60sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- 100% Crop
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 16mm, f/8, 1/60sec, ISO 125, Jpeg
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/4, 1/100sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/8, 1/60sec, ISO 200, Jpeg
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/16, 1/320sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- 100% Crop
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 35mm, f/8, 1/60sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- 100% Crop
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 16mm, f/4, 1/320sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- 100% Crop
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- Sony A7II w/ FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ 16mm, f/8, 1/800sec, ISO 100, Jpeg
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- 100% Crop
Auto HDR
Auto HDR is one of the Auto features that I really enjoy using from time to time. It does not work as good as taking sperate files and working them on the computer, but for a completely automatic process the results are quite good. See below what AUTO HDR did for this scene.
Sony A7II – Auto HDR – On
Sony A7II – Auto HDR – Off
Lab Testing – High ISO
ISO – 25600 Raw Quality – First, the full scene @ 35mm, then the 100% crops below for detailed inspection!
Click Images for the full res ~1000px versions.
ilce7m2 – ISO 25600
ISO 25600 – 100% Crops
100% Crop – ilce7m2 – ISO 25600
100% Crop – ilce7m2 – ISO 25600
ISO 12800 – 100% Crops
100% Crop – ilce7m2 – ISO 12800
100% Crop – ilce7m2 – ISO 12800
ISO 6400 – 100% Crops
100% Crop – ilce7m2 – ISO 6400
100% Crop – ilce7m2 – ISO 6400
ISO 3200 – 100% Crops
100% Crop – ilce7m2 – ISO 3200
100% Crop – ilce7m2 – ISO 3200
Once at ISO 3200 the results are very clean and totally usable for most anything in my opinion. Above ISO 3200 you will begin to see the noise creep in and get steadily more noticeable. ISO 25600 is pretty noisy and really un-usable in most cases. The black areas also have a slight purple color cast that is noticeable.
DXOMark Sensor Score
DXOMark does the most detailed technical sensor testing that I know of on the web. I trust the results and it’s a great way to compare apples to apples when trying to decide what camera to buy I find. Note below how the new A7II fairs against the A7s (Reviewed here) and A7r (Reviewed Here) full frame mirrorless cameras.
As you can see the dynamic range and color bit depth on the A7r have a slight edge, but in the real world this is pretty hard to notice honestly. Basically you would get a little more room for adjusting highlights and shadows if shooting raw quality. Also a little more color information to work with in the same way. The images other than resolution would still look very similar in the end though in my opinion, because it’s relatively minor differences. The A7s High ISO abilities are just amazing though and it stands in a class of it’s own as far as that goes…
5-Axis Steady-Shot
Sony Alpha a7II 5-Axis SteadyShot
I tested the Steadyshot with my old school 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens and it works awesome now with the Firmware update >>
I have also tested the SteadyShot with the Metabones III lens adapter and it works awesome! It see the lens and I was able to get a 1/15sec shot @ 200mm with the lens IS turned OFF. Only utilizing the in camera steadyshot proved to be better than expected with such a large lens honestly. I figured I would get about 1/30sec maybe, but no much slower than that.
The SteadyShot also works great in video as you saw can see in the full video review above at the beginning of this review article.
Testing Steady-Shot
Testing the steadyshot hand-held at very low shutter speeds was not only fun, it was a first for me! My A7r does not allow this type of shooting due to camera shake. First the full test scene then the 100% crops for sharpness inspection!
Full Scene @ 1/15th sec hand held
sony a7II – Steadyshot Test – MC 50mm f/1.4 @ 1/15 second
100% Crop – 1/15th sec
100% Crop – Sony a7II – Steadyshot Test – MC 50mm f/1.4 @ 1/15 second
100% Crop – 1/8th sec
100% Crop – Sony a7II – Steadyshot Test – MC 50mm f/1.4 @ 1/8 second
100% Crop – 1/6th sec
100% Crop – Sony a7II – Steadyshot Test – MC 50mm f/1.4 @ 1/6 second
100% Crop – 1/4 sec
100% Crop – Sony a7II – Steadyshot Test – MC 50mm f/1.4 @ 1/4 second
Using Lens Adapters
I really enjoy using alternative lenses on the Sony E-Mount cameras, and now with full frame and SteadyShot, it’s way more fun and easy to get sharp shots! Here are some shots I got with the 50mm on Christmas Eve at family’s house with killer decorations everywhere! Auto WB and Jpeg mode was used here for these images.
You can pick up the Minolta MC Rokkor-X PG 50 F/1.4 Lens for ~$20 – $60 US on Ebay (Click Here) The Cheap Lens adapter I’m using only cost ~$17 US, and you can get it @ Amazon (Click Here)
Sony A7 II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
Sony A7 II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
Sony A7 II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
Sony A7 II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
Sony A7 II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
This next abstract style photo was taken on the kitchen table looking thru a glass with the Christmas tree in the background. The results look like deep space to me 😉
Sony A7 II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
Bones sleeping 🙂
Sony A7 II w/ 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens
Here is another of Chubs shot with the Metabones III and EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS Lens and and I used the on camera steadyshot only. It worked awesome!
Sony A7II w/ Metabones and EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS L Lens
Sony A7II w/ Metabones and EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS L Lens
Conclusions
The Sony A7 II delivers in my opinion and besides the few nit-picks I pointed out in the video review, it’s fantastic. The firmware update addressed the only real issue with the camera and now the IBIS works flawlessly with my favorite old school lenses! 1/6th of a second sharp shots no problem and that can’t be done on my Sony A7r. Any want my Sony A7r, so I can buy this new A7 II? Seriously, offers are welcomed 😉
The FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens is a must have lens in my opinion! Killer at both 16mm and 35mm, plus rich color and great contrast. I also really enjoyed using the FE 35mm f/.8 ZA lens and the built in SteadyShot really helped with the low light situations. With the much heavier Old School Minolta 50mm f/1.4 Rokkor-X Lens the on camera stabilization was very noticeable and extremely helpful I found.
The A7II IQ is very good, but about the same as the original A7 as far as I can tell. Real world image quality is excellent and I recommend shooting Raw so you can get the most out of your photos in the digital lab so to speak. This does take time though, so using the built in picture effects and other creative modes are fun and the results are really good using jpeg quality. In Jpeg mode the noise reduction, saturation, and sharpening are fairly heavy. At times the images are a bit sharper than I would like which is why I prefer shooting Raw and enhancing more selectively myself. The Sony cameras so many options nowadays, that I highly recommend you check out my RX100 III How-To Use video. That video will show you how all the newer Sony cameras work for the most part in a variety of ways. All the menus systems and basic functions are the same for the most part as you will see.
Auto focus during video is not as good as the A6000 which I reviewed most recently (Click Here) It will not stay on what the flexible spot is set to for example and goes back into Auto AF mode when recording. This makes it difficult to record at the minimum focus distance for example as the camera will go into auto and loose the focus point when the record button is pressed. You can press the shutter which will force the camera to focus while recording, but once you let go it will float back to average auto again. It doesn’t seam to matter what settings you have enabled for AF either. One way to fight this is by simple using manual focus when you need to and then switching to AF when applicable. I also would use the focus lock and just edit the video accordingly knowing I had to do that of course…
Notes for Sony:
Overall the camera is a fantastic next generation unit, but a few things could be improved in my opinion:
- Menu Button really needs to be moved over to the right side of the camera
- Memory card door should snap shut more aggressively, so it doesn’t open accidentally when hand holding occasionally.
- Audio and USB/ HDMI port doors are a little flimsy compared to the older metal doors. I feel they could also snap in better or be more rubberized for a tighter seal. It is easier to get the usb cable in though which is very nice
- Battery door still does not snap closed without having to slide the little lock lever over. This should be spring loaded so a simple door closing will lock! Very easy and I can’t believe this is still not fixed after all this time. In the real world it’s only once and while when changing the battery, so it’s not the biggest deal really. It was worse on the Nex-6, because the memory card is in under the same door and required more frequent open and closing.
- The menu system is pretty good, but could be better. Please allow for a favorites area or something that can be custom programmed. So we can put whatever the most commonly used features we need. For myself, format, Custom WB set, and a few other things would be in there…
- Self Timer and Bracketing should be in a different function menus so one can be used with the other. As it is now you need a remote, shutter release cable, or smart phone w/ Apps to get Bracket shots without touching the camera. Almost all other manufactures allow for this and it seams like a software fix can resolve this know frustrating issue. Particularly HDR Photographers complain about this mostly coming from Canon and/or Nikon.
Final Words:
I hope you got what you were looking for in this review and please feel free to ask questions or comment below. Using the support links below and elsewhere, helps keep things a float, so I really appreciate it you taking the time to use them when making purchases.
Jay
Support Links:
Sony Alpha A7II @ BHPhoto
Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS ZA Lens @ BHPhoto
Sony FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Lens @ BHPHoto
Don’t forget to check out the E-Mount lens Guide Over Here for all the lenses currently available!
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Thanks,
Jay
About the Author
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Hey Jay,
Happy New Year, and great review. Re the steady-shot and legacy lenses, do you mean you leave the camera on after mounting the E-series lens and while mounting the legacy lens with the passive adapter?
Thanks,
Lynne
Thanks Lynne,
Happy New Year, and it does not seam to matter if you turn the camera on or off. I left mine on and tried it with the camera off. Not everybody is having these same exact results though apparently, so give it go a see what happens!
Thanks again,
Jay
Curious how you feel about the auto focus with adapters bringing in other lenses? eg: a canon L series lens and/or a sony A mount lens – does the auto focus lose accuracy and/or speed to the point that it’s frustrating? (thinking for photographing people)
Hi Tim,
With the Sony electronic lens adapters like the LA-EA4, the AF is awesome and DSLR in nature. With the LA-EA3 it’s contrast AF only and fairly slow. Can be frustrating. With the Metabones electronic lens adapter for the Canon EF L lenses it’s frustrating and slow for sure. It’s worse than the contrast AF only of the LA-EA3 lens adapter in my opinion. Fo a closer look, I recently reviewed the 135mm f/1.8 A-Mount lens with the LA-EA4 and my A7r over here >>
Therefore, Sony A-Mount lenses are more usable than Canon EF for sure in the real world. LA-EA4 and Sony A-Mount is the best option for fast AF performance. Having the EF lenses makes using the Metabones nice for aperture control and AF when time is no issue. Moving kids or people though, forget it. Landscapes it works fine though!
I hope that helps,
Jay
One of the best reviews on this product and in on a camera product in general! To the point, crisp and perfectly paced (not slow not fast) yet covering all commonly sought after things we look for! Very well done!!!
I wanted to know how easy it is to get the AF-S working with a single button click. This has been my pet peeve with all Sony mirrorless cameras. You go through several clicks before you can select the simplest things that you want to do. I am Nikon user but Canon, Fuji and Olympus do that so well as well. Not sure if Sony has made this easier now. I have Sony NEX-3N and it’s frustrating to use that mode.
Thank you very much for the kind words and question Vipul 😉 Yes you can get to the AF-S option through the custom button 3, by default. Basucally you press that button and then you have to select which mode you want. You can program this to several different spots if you like as well.
I hope that helps,
Jay
Since I am not as young as I used to be, the weight of full frame camera’s and their quality lenses has been starting to become an issue, so when Sony came out with the A7 series cameras last year I was excited and was an early user of the A7r and the A7. However, for the A7r there were two issues which forced me to stay with my Nikon Bodies, the lack of the first curtain electronic shutter and their 11 bit file compression. (Please see RawDigger’s web site for a discussion on the artifact issue.) Even given the file compression issue, I did purchase and use the Sony a6000. It is a great small camera that takes excellent pictures. So, when Sony announced the A7 II, I checked all the web sites for news on their file handling and all claimed it was a 14 bit camera. So when I received my A7II over the Christmas season, I put it through a bunch of tests with my D810, D600 and a6000. Let me say, that I wanted to love the A7II. Sony has done a great job of improving the weight and feel of this camera although I was a little disappointed with the resolution of the monitor. However, I was “really” disappointed to see that Sony had done nothing to fix their file compression issue and the file is still an 11 bit file (one ready claims this is really 11 bits plus 7, whatever that means.) The bottom line was that Sony throws away about 1/4 of the information coming from this full frame sensor, completely negating the advantage this body has over the a6000. The resulting file is the same seize and same quality as the a6000. Why spend all that money for this camera and lenses when the result is the same as the a6000? So I sent the A7II back. It’s wonderful that Sony is making some real progress on these mirror-less cameras, but they will not be true Pro quality cameras until they do something with the file management. We need the pressure of individuals like you to call Sony out on this issue. There is supposed to be a new larger FE Sony camera coming out in February. I sincerely hope it is a true 14bit camera and not another pretend.
Hello Earl and thanks for the detailed comments in regards to the raw output quality/ compression. I have not looked into this with such detail as you did, however the fact remains the the Nikon cameras are using Sony sensors, and Nikon is able to get better quality out of them due to this compression issue. Sony is clearly aware of this and I have no idea why they chose to do this. The results in the real world are honestly very minimal in my experience and compared to my Canon 5d mark II for example. I don’t have anything that is better than the A7r to compare with unfortunate, so I rely on DXOMark for that. They totally agree with what you are saying as due the scores. It’s only a few points though in the end?
Now that does not make the A6000 the same as the A7II in quality though?
Calling the camera pretend is a bit unfair I would say. It sounds like you are a Nikon guy and just need to wait for them to come out with a similar camera if the few points on the sensor score/ raw file matter that much. I did look at the website you mentioned and the compression is a factor based on the testing they did, no question. In the real world I do not find this compression to be an issue at all. That is based on what I do though. Perhaps If I was used to the D610 and never had to deal with these artifacts, then suddenly did like yourself, I would be frustrated. The artifacts have never been an issue for my style of photography or in any of the testing I have ever done. The Rawdiggers website seams to specialize in that sort of thing though.
Sorry I really can’t help you with your situation, but perhaps Sony will listen and change the compression format on the raw files sooner than later. All it takes is a firmware update, but my guess is a higher end camera will come out with better bit-depth someday. Sony will then charge a premium for that camera most likely….
Thanks again,
Jay
Hello Jay, thanks for this great review and give us a chance to send some feedback to the sony tech. My biggest frustration with these sony cameras ( i have used the nex6 and now a7) compare to my canon gears is: when you shoot in speed priority, if there is not enough light at the widest aperture, there is an option on my 5dmk2 so the speed will decrease automatically till enough light. I couldn’t find such an option on the sony mirrorless and it is really really missing ( hello mister sony) So many of my street photos are…. Under exposed Also I wish i could have more control over the auto iso like the nikon bodys…
good review of a camera I’m considering. Does it still overheat after a few minutes of video, like other Sony mirrorless cameras?
Hi Jay
Wonderful review . Many thanks
I am lifelong Nikon User , i just bought my Sony Alpha ii & just graduating in making the move ( am not sure yet , still feel comfortable with Nikon) . I have the Sony A 7ii + Vario Tessar FE 4/24-70 ZA OSS . However i seem to have an front focussing issue with the lens . The A7ii has a AF micro adjust menu , but the “Amount” option is greyed out. When i refer to the manual its says it works only when using an A-mount lens with the Mount Adaptor LA-EA2 or LA-EA4 . How do i solve this issue- Can you help
Hi,
Could you comment on the A7ii performance for tracking auto-focus, and specifically in comparison to the A6000?
Great review. I currently have both and trying to decide whether to keep one or both
Love the doggie’s pics, he’s very cute. Thanks for the review, I’m thinking to change my 7r for the 7II, it looks interesting.
Thanks Luis 😉 I’m thinking of doing the same thing, but can’t seem to bare the loss of the A7r just yet. It’s the Best IQ I have ever had, and I don’t want to let it go or dwwngrsde to the A7II although it is better in every other way. Brutal decision for sure!
Best of luck,
Jay
I am curious if the USB ports on the A7RII and A7R are the same? They appear to be reversed but hopefully the JJC intervalometer I have for the A7R will fit.
Thank you
Paul Caldwell
I recently bought the 85mm batis for my A6000 and im thinking of getting the 55mm ziess aswell but would I get much sharper images if I was to invest and upgrade the body from A6000 to A7ii, as i have noticed that the A6000 isn’t always that sharp even with eye focus on my portraits, would the A7ii be worth the costly upgrade in terms of IQ/sharpness
Great question and sorry for the delayed reply! I don’t think you would get that much sharper images with the A7r II. Are you using a flash? The images should be tack sharp with the Batis lens, but perhaps you are getting some subject movement, or camera movement? What kind of shutter speeds are you using and what kind of subject matter? Moving or still?
Jay