In summary
Like its siblings, the α7R is designed for experienced photographers and its price tag dictates that most potential purchasers will be well-heeled enthusiasts and professional photographers who are attracted by the compact body size, high resolution and large image sensor. Interestingly, the α7R is 23 grams heavier and slightly wider and taller than with the lightest DSLR camera, Canon’s EOS 100D. But, compared with a ‘full frame’ DSLR, it is significantly smaller and lighter.
Lens options are the real issue potential buyers must consider as these cameras are designed for Sony’s E-mount system. When this review was published there were eight prime lenses, 11 zoom lenses and two add-on ‘converter’ lenses listed on Sony’s website. Eight were priced above AU$1000, among them 24mm and 55mm f/1.8 prime lenses, an 18-200mm f.3.5-6.3 convenience zoom lens and a 70-200mm f/4G OSS lens.
Samyang has produced a f/6.3 300mm ED UMC CS Reflex mirror lens that is available with an E-mount and sells for around AU$490. But that appears to be the longest lens available for the system and Sony’s published roadmap doesn’t contain any lenses longer than 200mm. This will limit the range of subjects for the α7 cameras as a group.
Full review
When Sony announced its Alpha α7 cameras in mid-October 2013, we were loaned a pre-production α7 model to produce a detailed First Look at the most affordable member of the series. It’s taken a while to get our hands on an α7R, the highest-resolution model in the series but it’s been supplied with the Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens, one of the fast standard zoom lenses bearing the Carl Zeiss logo.
The α7R, shown with the Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens used for this review. (Source: Sony.)
Externally, there’s not much difference between the α7 and α7R bodies and, although we’ve not seen the α7S (which was recently added to the series) yet, published photographs show it to be very similar. The main differences between it and its siblings lie in its extended sensitivity range and support for 4K video recording. The main differences between the three models are highlighted in the table below.
|
|
α7R |
α7 |
α7S |
|
Sensor dimensions |
35.9 x 24.0 mm |
35.8 x 23.9 mm |
35.8 x 23.9 mm |
|
Effective resolution |
36.4 megapixels |
24.3 megapixels |
12.2 megapixels |
|
Max. image size |
7360 x 4912 pixels |
6000 x 4000 pixels |
4240 x 2832 pixels |
|
Body materials |
Magnesium alloy |
Magnesium alloy and polycarbonate |
Magnesium alloy |
|
Autofocusing |
25-point contrast detection |
25-point contrast detection plus 117-point phase detection |
25-point contrast detection |
|
Predictive AF tracking |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Full ISO range – stills / movies |
50-25600 / 200-25600 |
50-409600 / 200- 409600 |
|
|
Flash synch speed |
1/160 second |
1/250 second |
|
|
Max. continuous shooting speed |
4.0 fps |
5.0 fps |
|
|
Max video resolution |
1920 x 1080 pixels |
3840 x 2160 pixels |
|
|
Max clip length |
29 minutes (XAVC S & AVCHD), 20 minutes (MP4) |
||
|
Dimensions (wxhxd) |
126.9 x 94.4 x 48.2 mm |
||
|
Weight (body only) |
407 grams |
416 grams |
446 grams |
|
RRP (AU$) body only |
$2499 |
$1999 |
$2799 |
All three cameras have the same LCD monitors and EVFs and use the same 1200-zone evaluative light metering system. Sony’s Multi Interface Shoe is common to all models and they also provide nine customisable buttons that access 45 programmable functions.
They also include built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, enabling instant connection with Android smart devices. Connected devices can support easy uploading to social networks and remote control of the camera from the smart device’s screen. All three cameras have single card slots that accept the various ‘flavours’ of Memory Stick PRO Duo and Secure Digital cards.
Who’s it for?
Like its siblings, the α7R is designed for experienced photographers and its price tag dictates that most potential purchasers will be well-heeled enthusiasts and professional photographers who are attracted by the compact body size, high resolution and large image sensor. Interestingly, the α7R is 23 grams heavier and slightly wider and taller than with the lightest DSLR camera, Canon’s EOS 100D. But, compared with a ‘full frame’ DSLR, it is significantly smaller and lighter.
Lens options are the real issue potential buyers must consider as these cameras are designed for Sony’s E-mount system. When this review was published there were eight prime lenses, 11 zoom lenses and two add-on ‘converter’ lenses listed on Sony’s website. Eight were priced above AU$1000, among them 24mm and 55mm f/1.8 prime lenses, an 18-200mm f.3.5-6.3 convenience zoom lens and a 70-200mm f/4G OSS lens.
Samyang has produced a f/6.3 300mm ED UMC CS Reflex mirror lens that is available with an E-mount and sells for around AU$490. But that appears to be the longest lens available for the system and Sony’s published roadmap doesn’t contain any lenses longer than 200mm. This will limit the range of subjects for the α7 cameras as a group.
Build and Ergonomics
We’ve covered these aspects of the α7 cameras in our detailed ‘First Look’ at the ILCE-α7, which was published in October 2013. Aside from having more magnesium alloy in its body composition, there’s no real difference between the α7R and α7. They are both made in the Sony factory in Ayutthaya, just north of Bangkok in Thailand. Front, back and top views of the α7R body without a lens are reproduced below.
Front view of the α7R. (Source: Sony.)
Back view of the α7R. (Source: Sony.)
Top view of the α7R. (Source: Sony.)
Sensor and Image Processing
The sensor in the α7R is a different Exmor CMOS chip from the one used in the α7 and offers higher resolution. It has approximately 36.8 million photosites, which produce 36.4-megapixel images. Unlike the α7, the α7R has no optical low-pass filter and it lacks on-chip phase-detection AF sensors.
Both cameras have the same BIONZ X image processor, which delivers 16-bit processing and 14-bit ARW.RAW files. Large scale integration of data supports high-speed processing, while area-specific noise reduction applies differing levels of adjustments to different areas, based on edges, patterns and tonal uniformity. Like the α7, the α7R supports sensitivities from ISO 50 to ISO 25600, with the Auto modes limited to ISO 100-6400.
Both cameras also enable users to choose between ‘full frame’ and APS-C sizes for image capture. In each case there are two aspect ratio options: 3:2 and 16:9 aspect ratios with three image sizes available for each.
Three compression ratios are available for JPEG files and ARW.RAW files can be recorded with or without a JPEG. When recording raw files, the maximum image size is selected automatically for both raw and associated JPEG files.
Sony’s Sweep Panorama function is supported with image sizes depending on the panorama direction setting. Typical file sizes for the ‘full frame’ setting are shown in the table below.
|
Aspect ratio |
Pixels |
File size |
|||
|
Raw |
JPEG Super-fine |
JPEG Fine |
JPEG Standard |
||
|
3:2 |
7360 x 4912 |
40MB |
25.6MB |
13.8MB |
9.3MB |
|
4800 x 3200 |
n.a. |
12.5MB |
7.0MB |
4.9MB |
|
|
3680 x 2456 |
8.6MB |
5.0MB |
3.7MB |
||
|
16:9 |
7360 x 4144 |
|
22.2MB |
11.5MB |
7.9MB |
|
4800 x 2704 |
n.a. |
11.0MB |
6.2MB |
4.5MB |
|
|
3680 x 2072 |
7.6MB |
4.6MB |
3.4MB |
||
|
Sweep Panorama horizontal |
8192 x 1856 |
n.a. |
4.8MB |
||
|
12416 x 1856 |
6.9MB |
||||
|
Sweep Panorama vertical |
3872 x 2160 |
3.5MB |
|||
|
5536 x 2160 |
4.2MB |
||||
Like the α7, the α7R has limited battery capacity, with a CIPA rating of only 340 shots/charge. This is about half the capacity of a typical entry-level DSLR. To complicate matters, the battery is charged in the camera via a USB cable, which ties up the camera while it’s being recharged.
It’s convenient because you can recharge the battery from a laptop or car charger while you’re on the go. Some photographers will appreciate this; others won’t. A separate battery charger is available but you’ll pay an additional AU$119 for it.
‘Creative’ functions
The α7R includes the same standard Sony ‘Creative’ shooting functions as the α7, with 13 Creative Style settings and 13 Picture Effects. The former are user-adjustable and include Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn leaves, Black & White, Sepia, most of which are shown in the illustration below.
Creative Style settings, from left: Top row: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear; Middle row: Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape; Bottom row: Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn Leaves, Sepia. (A B/W setting is also provided for monochrome photography.)
The Picture Effect modes represent a pretty standard set of digital filters and include Posterisation, Pop Colour, Retro Photo, Rich Tone Monochrome, Miniature, Watercolour and Illustration. Sony’s D-range Optimiser (DRO) is a single-frame mode that can analyse and correct images to improve details in highlights and shadows.
Also available is an HDR mode that records three frames when the shutter is released and composites the best details from the highlights, mid-tones and shadows. As well as an Auto HDR setting, users can select manual settings that cover between 1EV and 6EV brightness ranges.
Video
Like the α7, the α7R gives users the choice of AVCHD and MP4 movie recording formats. With the former, Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) recording is supported in the following modes: 50p at 28Mbps, 50i at 24Mbps, 50i at 17Mbps, 25p at 24Mbps, 25p at 17Mbps. Two resolutions are available for MP4 movies: 1440 x 1080 at 25 fps, 640 x 480 at 25 fps.
Users can shoot movies in the P, A, S and M shooting modes and gain the advantages of aperture and shutter speed adjustments to control depth-of-focus and how movement is recorded. Shutter speeds are limited to a minimum of 1/25 second in Auto Slow Shutter mode. The lowest sensitivity in movie mode is ISO 200.
The Clear Image Zoom function has been enhanced for video recording, enabling users to frame subjects more closely without sacrificing pixel count. Pro-style movie features include an audio recording level control and display.
The provision of microphone and headphone jacks gives users professional sound production capabilities. An optional XLR adaptor kit adds the ability to use professional microphones and inline connection for soundtrack recording. Separate control of the left and right channel inputs is available via this adaptor.
The HDMI terminal makes it easy to transfer Full HD movie signals to an external monitor or large-screen display. Uncompressed movie recording is also supported via this interface and it also enables users to view still images at large size and in high resolution on wide-screen 4K compatible TV sets, equipped with TRILUMINOUS colour displays.
Wi-Fi
Using the built-in Wi-Fi functions is easy on Android devices with Near Field Communication (NFC). You must first install the free PlayMemories Mobile app on the smart device. Once that’s done, you simply touch the smart device to the camera and select the application you want from the screen. The camera must be in shooting mode to make the connection.
If your smart device isn’t NFC enabled you must install and launch PlayMemories Mobile and then select the camera from the list of product displayed. A password will be displayed on the camera’s monitor; copying it to the smart device establishes the connection.
In playback mode, images can be transferred from the camera to the smart device via NFC connection (It takes a couple of seconds to set up the link). Without NFC, you must select the Send to Smartphone function in the camera’s menu and press the Fn button just above the arrow pad to initiate the transfer.
The camera can transfer both still images and MP4 movie clips (but not AVCHD movies). For stills, you can choose between original size, 2M and VGA sizes. Raw files are converted into JPEGs as they are sent.
The Wireless pages in the camera’s menu also enable you to transfer files from the camera to a computer that is connected to a wireless access point or wireless broadband router. Sony’s PlayMemories Home software must be installed on the computer beforehand. Similarly, you can also view still images (but not movies) on a network-enabled TV set.
Selecting the Smart Remote Embedded function in the Application List section of the camera’s menu lets you use a connected smart device as a remote controller for the camera. Functions available are pretty limited. You can view the subject on the smart device’s screen, adjust EV compensation, the self-timer and trigger the shutter. Shots can also be reviewed on the smart device’s screen.
Performance
With the Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens, the review camera produced images that were highly detailed and colour rich but rather contrasty in bright sunlight, indicating the camera’s image processor had been set up for Northern Hemisphere conditions, rather than ‘down under’. Interestingly, Imatest showed saturation to be well controlled and slightly below average in JPEGs but only just above average for ARW.RAW files converted into JPEGs with Adobe Camera Raw. (No additional tweaking of files was carried out during raw file conversion.)
Straight out of the camera shots were marginally soft but responded well to post-capture unsharp masking. Plenty of in-camera settings are provided for sharpening JPEGs and adjusting colour rendition and dynamic range. The camera also supports in-camera HDR processing involving multi-shot capture with five levels of dynamic range bracketing.
Exposure metering was generally accurate, regardless of the metering pattern selected. The camera includes a handy Zebra setting that overlays stripes on areas that may be over-exposed and it’s easy to reach the EV compensation dial to make compensatory adjustments.
Imatest also showed the camera-plus-lens combination to be capable of just meeting expectations for JPEG files and slightly exceeding them with raw files. This is no mean feat for a camera with 36-megapixel resolution.
Resolution remained high for both file types across the camera’s sensitivity range, with only the highest settings (ISO 6400 and above), showing a significant ““ albeit gradual ““ falling off. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest tests.
Low light performance was also good, particularly for long exposures at lower sensitivity settings. Plenty of detail was captured in 30-second exposures at ISO 50 and ISO 100 and colours were rich and natural-looking. Once sensitivity was raised above ISO 6400, images became progressively softer and flatter although, interestingly, there was very little loss of colour at the highest sensitivity setting.
White balance performance was generally very good. The auto setting delivered almost neutral colour rendition under fluorescent lighting and removed almost all of the warm cast imparted by incandescent lights. Both presets over-corrected slightly, the various fluorescent lighting settings imparting slightly different colour casts. Manual measurement produced neutral colour rendition.
Autofocusing performance was varied with the 24-70mm f/4 lens. The lens locked on quickly in bright outdoor lighting but was a little slow in low light levels and with low-contrast subjects. Manual focusing can be aided by a peaking display that outlines in-focus areas in a selected colour (red, yellow or white). Peaking levels can be set to High, Mid or Low.
Movie quality was generally very good. We couldn’t see much difference in the quality of any of the clips recorded in the AVCHD format, which is restricted to 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution. The amount of data captured in each frame varied according to the different settings, with the 50p at 28Mbps (PS) setting producing the largest frames. But a close examination of frames showed the amount of detail in them was virtually the same, regardless of the record setting.
The EVF worked very well for recording movies in bright conditions and was much easier to use than the monitor screen. The review camera was able to adjust focusing reasonably quickly when the subject distance changed and when the zoom was used. On a few occasions it took a frame or two to achieve focus, although most clips were recorded smoothly.
Although recording levels can be adjusted in the camera’s menu and a wind suppression filter is provided, the camera’s microphones tended to be sensitive to wind noise in moderately breezy conditions. They could also pick up noises produced when the lens is focused or zoomed.
You can switch off audio recording to prevent both problems and the camera has a jack that accepts external microphones, which are mounted on the hot-shoe. (We were unable to test performance with an external microphone.)
Our timing tests were carried out with an 8GB SanDisk Ultra SDHC U1 memory card, which claims a transfer speed of 30 MB/second. The review camera took just under two seconds to power-up ready for the first shot.
Average capture lag was 0.2 seconds, which was eliminated by pre-focusing. Shot-to-shot times averaged 0.9 seconds. On average, it took 4.7 seconds to process each Large/Super Fine JPEG, 5.2 seconds for each ARW.RAW file and 5.9 seconds for each RAW+JPEG pair.
In the speed priority continuous shooting mode, the camera could record a burst of 16 Large/Super Fine JPEGs, 14 ARW.RAW files or 12 RAW+JPEG pairs before capture rates slowed. With the normal continuous shooting mode, we were able to record 18 Large/Super Fine JPEGs, 16 ARW.RAW files or about 14 RAW+JPEG pairs before the buffer filled. It took approximately one minute to transfer files to the memory card and clear the buffer. (A similar amount of time was required to format the memory card.)
Conclusion
When they were first announced, Sony’s α7 cameras generated considerable excitement among professional photographers and serious enthusiasts, largely because they packed a lot of potential performance and functionality into relatively small camera bodies. Time has diluted that excitement a little but the reasons for it remain valid.
The α7R provides the highest-resolution currently available in the most compact camera body. Other manufacturers have yet to meet Sony’s challenge. (It will be interesting to see what new products are announced at Photokina in September.)
But a ‘full frame’ sensor with 36 megapixels doesn’t come cheaply and the asking price of the α7R will be a hurdle too high for many photographers to accept ““ regardless of where the camera is purchased. The big challenge for Sony remains to expand its range of lenses. Relying on adaptors just doesn’t cut it for a camera with the α7R’s capabilities.
SPECS
Image sensor: 35.9 x 24.0 mm”Exmor” CMOS sensor with approx. 36.8 million photosites (36.4 megapixels effective)
Image processor: BIONZ X
Lens mount: Sony E-mount
Focal length crop factor: 1x
Image formats: Stills JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver.2.3, MPF Baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format), RAW+JPEG; Movies ““ AVCHD format Ver. 2.0 compliant, MP4 with MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) compression
Image Sizes: Stills ““ 3:2 aspect: 7360 x 4912, 4800 x 3200, 3680 x 2456; 16:9 aspect: 7360 x 4144, 4800 x 2704, 3680 x 2072; Movies: in AVCHD format – 1920 x 1080 / 50p at 28Mbps, 50i at 24Mbps, 50i at 17Mbps, 25p at 24Mbps, 25p at 17Mbps. MP4 format – 1440 x 1080 at 25 fps, 640×480 at 25 fps.
Image Stabilisation: Lens based
Dust removal: Charge protection coating on optical filter and ultrasonic vibration mechanism
Shutter type: Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane shutter
Shutter speed range: Still images:1/8000 to 30 sec, Bulb, Movies: 1/8000 to 1/4(1/3 steps) up to 1/50 in AUTO mode (up to 1/25 in Auto slow shutter mode)
Exposure Compensation: Still images: +/- 5.0EV(0.3 EV, 0.5 EV steps selectable)
Exposure bracketing: With 0.3 EV, 0.5 EV, 0.7 EV, 1.0 EV, 2.0 EV, 3.0 EV increments, 3/5 frames (2.0 EV, 3.0 EV: only 3 frames) selectable
Self-timer: 2 or 10 seconds delay plus 10 sec delay 3/5 exposures selectable
Focus system: 25-point contrast-detection AF with Zone, Centre-weighted and Flexible Spot (S/M/L) patterns
Focus modes: AF-S (Single-shot AF), AF-C ( Continuous AF), DMF (Direct Manual Focus), Manual Focus
Exposure metering: 1200-zone evaluative metering with Multi-segment, Centre-weighted, Spot patterns
Shooting modes: iAUTO, Superior Auto, Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M), Sweep Panorama, Scene Selection (Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait, Night scene, Hand-held Twilight, Anti Motion Blur)
Creative Styles: 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 Effects: Posterisation (Colour, B/W), Pop Colour, Retro Photo, Partial Colour (R,G,B,Y), High Contrast Mono, Toy Camera, Soft High-key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Mono, Miniature, Watercolour, Illustration
Colour space options: sRGB standard (with sYCC gamut) and Adobe RGB standard compatible with TRILUMINOSâ„¢ Colour
ISO range: Auto (ISO 100 to 6400); manual ISO 50 to 51200 (with Multi-Frame Noise Reduction)
White balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent (Warm White / Cool White / Day White / Daylight), Flash, colour temperature & colour filter , Custom, Underwater
Flash: Hot-shoe for external flashguns
Flash modes: Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync, Rear Sync, red-eye reduction is available
Flash exposure adjustment: +/- 3EV in 1/3 or 1/2EV increments
Sequence shooting: Max. approx. 4 shots/sec. for up to 14 RAW files or 18 standard JPEGs
Storage Media: Single slot for Memory Stick Duo or SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards; UHS-1 compatible
Viewfinder: 1.3 cm EVF with 2,359,296 dots, approx. 0.71x magnification
LCD monitor: Tiltable 3-inch wide type TFT with 921,600 dots
Playback functions: Single image (with or without shooting information RGB histogram & highlight/shadow warning), 9/25-frame index view, enlarged display mode (L: 23x, M: 15x, S: 11.5x, Panorama Standard: 25.6x, Panorama Wide: 38.8x), auto/manual orientation, slideshow
Interface terminals: USB 2.0 Mass-storage, MTP, PC remote, HDMI micro connector, BRAVIA Sync (link menu), PhotoTV HD, 4K still image PB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) with NFC (Forum Type 3 Tag compatible); Smart Remote Control in camera supports wireless control of exposure and shutter release
Power supply: NP-FW50 rechargeable lithium-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 340 shots/charge
Dimensions (wxhxd): Approx. 126.9 x 94.4 x 48.2 mm
Weight: Approx. 407 grams (body only); 465 grams (with battery and memory card)
TESTS
Based on JPEG files.
Based on ARW.RAW files processed with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
30-second exposure at ISO 50; 45mm focal length, f/4.
30-second exposure at ISO 100; 45mm focal length, f/4.5.
13-second exposure at ISO 800; 45mm focal length, f/4.5.
8-second exposure at ISO 3200; 45mm focal length, f/9.
5-second exposure at ISO 12800; 45mm focal length, f/11.
3.2-second exposure at ISO 25600; 45mm focal length, f/11.
Sweep Panorama mode, Standard setting; 36mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/200 second at f/13.
Sweep Panorama mode, Wide setting; 36mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/200 second at f/13.
70mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/160 second at f/14.
70mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/80 second at f/4.5.
Dynamic Range Optimiser switched off; 50mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f/11.
HDR mode with 1.0EV range; 24mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/125 second at f/11.
HDR mode with 6.0EV range; 24mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/125 second at f/11.
24mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/30 second at f/5.6.
70mm focal length, ISO 500, 1/60 second at f/5.
70mm focal length, ISO 1600, 1/80 second at f/4.
50mm focal length, ISO 320, 1/30 second at f/5.6.
High-contrast subject; 70mm focal length, ISO 50, 1/250 second at f/8.
Backlighting; 52mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/100 second at f/8.
Still frame from AVCHD video clip; 50i at 24Mbps.
Still frame from AVCHD video clip; 50i at 17Mbps.
Still frame from AVCHD video clip; 50p at 28Mbps.
Still frame from AVCHD video clip; 25p at 24Mbps.
Still frame from AVCHD video clip; 25p at 17Mbps.
Still frame from MP4 video clip; 1440 x 1080 at 25 fps.
Still frame from MP4 video clip; 640 x 480 at 25 fps.
Additional image samples can be found with our review of the Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens.
Rating
RRP: AU$2499; US$2300
- Build: 9.0
- Ease of use: 8.5
- Autofocusing: 8.5
- Still image quality JPEG: 8.8
- Still image quality RAW: 9.0
- Video quality: 8.8
