Tuesday night, under the cover of darkness, Sony announced the upcoming December release of their new Alpha A7 and A7R full-frame and mirrorless DSLRs.
Except for the label the two cameras look identical. They both feature a pentaprism-like EVF housing, large grip and full manual controls. The differences are internal – sporting a 36 megapixel sensor, the A7R has no optical low-pass filter and is limited to contrast-detect autofocus, while the less expensive A7 has a 24 megapixel sensor with a low-pass filter and on-chip phase detection.
Both bodies are designed around the Sony E-mount, though new ‘FE’ lenses are needed to take advantage of the larger sensor. They both sport the new BIONZ X processor, XGA OLED ‘Tru-finder’, 3-inch LCD, Wi-Fi connectivity with NFC, and 60p video recording.
Existing lenses for Sony’s NEX range of APS-C mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras will mount and work as expected, though the scene will be cropped (though Sony gives you the option not to do so if you can live with some inevitable vignetting). For Canon user, this is the same as Canon’s EF and EF-S. If you use the EF-S on a 5D Mark II, III or 6D there will be vignetting as they were specifically designed for a cropped sensor.
Sony Alpha lenses can also be mounted via either the LA-EA3 or LA-EA4, the latter of which includes SLT autofocus technology.
Check out the video from Sony featuring Olivia from oliviatech.com. WTF..?
Pricing and Availability
The Sony A7R and A7 full-frame interchangeable lens cameras will be available for purchase this December.
The A7R camera will be offered as a body-only for about $2300.
The Sony A7 compact system camera will be offered with a 28-70mm F3.5 – F5.6 full-frame lens (model SEL2870) for about $2000. It will also be offered as a body-only for about $1700.
The versatile new LA-EA3 and LA-EA4 mount adapters will be available in December for about $200 and $350, respectively.
The new VG-C1EM vertical grip and LCS-ELCA premium case will also be available in December for about $300 and $ 140, respectively.
The new camera and all compatible accessories will be available at Sony retail stores (www.store.sony.com) and other authorized dealers nationwide.
Please visit www.blog.sony.com for a full video preview of the new Sony A7R and A7 full-frame cameras and follow #SonyAlpha on twitter for the latest A camera news.
Here are the specifications for the A7:
| Lens Compatibility | Sony E-mount Full Frame, operation with Minolta/Konica Minolta Maxxum A-mount lenses confirmed via optional LA-EA3/LA-EA4 adaptor |
| Lens Mount | Sony E-mount Full Frame |
| Camera Type | Interchangeable Lens Digital SLR camera |
| Sensor | Imaging Sensor: Exmor CMOS sensor (35.8 X 23.9mm) Processor: BIONZ X image processor Anti Dust: Charge protection coating on optical filter and ultrasonic vibration mechanism Pixel Gross: 24.7M pixels (approx.) Effective Picture Resolution: 24.3M pixels (approx.) Color Filter System: RGB primary color filters |
| 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) |
| Color Space | sRGB standard (with sYCC gamut) and Adobe RGB standard compatible with TRILUMINOS Color Movie: xvYCC standard (x.v.Color when connected via HDMI cable) compatible with TRILUMINOS color |
| Still Image Mode | RAW, RAW JPEG, JPEG Extra fine, JPEG Fine, JPEG Standard |
| Still Image Max Effective Resolution | 24.3 Megapixels |
| Still Image Size 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) |
| Still Image Size 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) |
| Panorama Still Image Size | Horizontal Wide: 12,416 x 1,856 (23M) Horizontal Std.: 8,192 x 1,856 (15M) Vertical Wide: 2,160 x 5,536 (12M) Vertical Std.: 2,160 x 3,872 (8.4M) |
| Video Mode | AVCHD / MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)) |
| Video Resolution AVCHD | AVCHD: PS – 1920 x 1080/60p@28Mbps FX – 1920 x 1080/60i@24Mbps FH – 1920 x 1080/60i@17Mbps FX – 1920 x 1080/24p@24Mbps FH – 1920 x 1080/24p@17Mbps |
| Video Resolution MP4 | HD – 1440 x 1080/ 30p@12Mbps VGA – 640 x 480/ 30p@3Mbps |
| Video Signal | NTSC color, EIA standards |
| Audio Format | Dolby Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC |
| Microphone/Speaker | Built-in stereo microphone or ECM-CG50 / XLR-K1M (sold separately)/ Built-in monaural speaker; volume settings in 8 steps between 0 and 7 |
| Still Image File Format | JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver.2.3, MPF Baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format) |
| Lens | Mount: Sony E-mount Full Frame Digital Zoom: Yes, approx. 4x Direct Manual Focus: Yes Exterior Finish: Black EV Compensation: +/-5.0 EV (in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps), with exposure compensation dial: +/-3.0 EV (in 1/3 EV step |
| Viewfinder | Type: 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) color electronic viewfinder Diopter Adjustment: -4.0 m-1 ~ +3.5 m-1 (diopter) Field of View: 100% Magnification: Approx. 0.7x with 50 mm lens at infinity, -1 m-1 (diopter) |
| LCD Type | 3.0″ (7.5cm) TFT LCD (921,600 dots) with tiltable design |
| Brightness Control | Manual (5 steps between -2 to +2), Sunny Weather mode |
| Coverage | 100% |
| Live View | Continuous Live View |
| Real-time image adjustment display | Yes (On/Off) |
| Histogram | Yes (On/off) |
| Peaking | Yes (Level setting: High/Mid/Low/Off, Color: White/Red/Yellow) |
| Grid Display | Graphic Display / Display All Info. / No Disp. Info. / Histogram / Digital Level Gauge / Shooting information for viewfinder mode |
| Customization | Grid, Histogram display, Digital Level Gauge, Grid Line, Magnified display for playback |
| Focus System | Fast Hybrid AF (phase-detection AF/contrast-detection AF) |
| Focus Points | 117 points (phase-detection AF), 25 points (contrast-detection AF) |
| AF Modes | Single-shot AF (AF-S), Continuous AF (AF-C), Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus |
| Focus Area | Multi Point (25 points) / Center-weighted / Flexible Spot (S/M/L) / Zone |
| Focus Sensitivity | EV 0 to 20 EV (at ISO100 equivalent, with F2.8 lens attached) |
| Manual Focus Assist | 35mm full frame: 7.2x, 14.4x APS-C: 4.7x, 9.4x |
| Focus Features | Lock-on AF, Eye AF, Focus lock, Eye-start AF (only available with optional LA-EA2 or LA-EA4 attached), AF illuminator (built-in, LED type, range: Approx. 0.30-3m), AF micro adjustment, AF ON |
| AF Illuminator | Yes (with built-in LED type) |
| Picture Effect(s) | 13 modes: Posterization (Color, B/W), Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color (R, G, B, Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera, Soft High-key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature, Watercolor, Illustration |
| Auto Exposure Lock | Available with AE lock button. Locked when shutter button is pressed halfway. Can be disabled from the Menu |
| Color Temperature | 2500 9900K with 15-step each Magenta/Green compensation (G7 to M7), Amber/Blue (A7 to B7), Custom |
| Creative Style | Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn Leaves, Black White, Sepia (Contrast -3 to +3 steps, Saturation -3 to +3 steps, Sharpness -3 to +3 steps) |
| D-Range Optimizer | Off, Dynamic Range Optimizer (Auto/Level (1-5)), Auto High Dynamic Range: Auto Exposure Difference, Exposure Difference Level (1.0-6.0 EV, 1.0 EV step) |
| Exposure Compensation | +/-5.0 EV (in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps), with exposure compensation dial: +/-3.0 EV (in 1/3 EV steps) |
| Exposure Settings | AUTO (iAUTO, Superior Auto), Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M), Scene Selection, Sweep Panorama, Movie |
| ISO | Still images: ISO 100-25600 (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, AUTO (ISO 200-6400 equivalent) |
| Metering | Advanced 1200-zone evaluative metering |
| Metering Modes | Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot |
| Metering Sensitivity | EV 0 to 20 EV (at ISO100 equivalent, with F2.8 lens attached) |
| Noise Reduction | Long exposure NR: On/Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 sec., High ISO NR: Normal/ Low/Off selectable |
| Scene Mode(s) | Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports Action, Sunset, Night Portrait, Night Scene, Hand-held Twilight, Anti Motion Blur |
| White Balance Mode | Auto WB / Daylight / Shade / Cloudy / Incandescent / Fluorescent (Warm White / Cool White / Day White / Daylight) / Flash / Color Temperature (2500 to 9900K) Color Filter (G7 to M7: 15 steps, A7 to B7: 15 steps) / Custom / Underwater |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | Continuous shooting: Max. 2.5fps, Speed Priority Continuous shooting: Max. 5.0fps |
| Drive Mode | Single shooting, Continuous shooting, Speed Priority Continuous shooting, Self-timer (10/2 sec delay selectable), Self-timer (Cont.) (10 sec. delay; 3/5 exposures selectable), Bracketing (Cont., Single, White Balance, DRO) |
| Self-timer | 2-sec. or 10-sec. delay |
| Shutter Speeds | 1/8000 to 30 seconds, bulb |
| Shutter Type | Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane shutter |
| Flash Bracketing | With optional external flash: 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1, 2, 3 EV steps, 3/5 frames (1.0/2.0/3.0 EV: only 3 frames) selectable |
| Flash Compensation | With optional external flash: ±3.0 EV (switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps) |
| Flash Coverage | 16 mm (focal length printed on lens body) |
| Flash Metering System | Pre-flash TTL |
| Flash Modes | With optional external flash: Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction (On/Off selectable), Hi-speed sync, Wireless |
| Flash Type | Optional external flash |
| Convenience Features | Self Timer Red-Eye Reduction Erase/Protect Media/Battery Media/Battery Indicator Power Save Mode Video Playback Options: Forward/Rewind (Movie) Multiple Language Display |
| Advanced Features | Face Detection: On, Off, Face Registration, Face Selection; maximum eight faces detected Smile Shutter technology: Smile shutter (selectable from 3 steps) Image Stabilization Intelligent Auto Superior Auto Anti Motion Blur Auto High Dynamic Range Priority Setting (for Face Detection) Shooting Tips Sweep Panorama |
| Interface | Headphone Jack Microphone Input Remote Commander via optional RM-VPR1 Accessory Shoe PictBridge Compatible A/V Remote Terminal via Multi Terminal interface BRAVIA® Sync Yes, via HDMI® with compatible BRAVIA HDTV (link menu) DC IN via optional AC-PW20AM (sold separately) HD Output HDMI® Type D micro connector NFC PhotoTV HD Yes, with BRAVIA Sync enabled HDTV and HDMI® cable Tripod Mount USB 2.0 |
| Dimensions (Approx.) | Approx. 5 × 3-3/4 × 1-15/16″ (126.9 x 94.4 x 48.2 mm) (W/H/D) excluding protrusions |
| Weight (Approx.) | With battery and Memory Stick PRO Duo Approx. 1 lb. 0.7 oz. (474 g) Weight(Approx) (Main unit only) Approx. 14.7 oz. (416 g) |
| Battery Type | InfoLITHIUM® NP-FW50 (7.2V) |
| Battery Capacity | 1080 mAh |
| Number of Still Images | Approx. 340 images with LCD monitor (CIPA standard) |
| Power Requirements | One rechargeable battery pack (NP-FW50) |
