Sony a7C II review: small camera, little compromise: Digital Photography Review – digitalcameras.ie

Product images by Richard Butler

The Sony a7C II is the model’s second-generation compact rangefinder-style full-frame digicam. Comparable in design to Its predecessor, the a7C II makes use of the identical improbable 33MP BSI sensor from the bigger Sony a7 IV and boasts spectacular nonetheless, video and autofocus capabilities that ought to enchantment to a variety of customers.

Key Specs

• 33MP BSI CMOS full-frame sensor
• Bionz XR processor and devoted ‘AI Processing Engine’
• AF monitoring with topic recognition, 759 AF factors with 94% protection
• As much as 10 fps taking pictures with AF
• In-body stabilization rated as much as 7EV
• 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder with 0.7x magnification
• Full-width oversampled UHD 4K/30p from 7K
• 4K/60p (from 4.6K seize) in Super35 / APS-C mode
• 10-bit video or HEIF stills seize
• S-Cinetone coloration mode
• No mechanical first curtain shutter

The Sony a7C II is priced at $2199 for the physique solely. A equipment with the FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 lens will set you again $2499. The GP-X2 grip extension has an MSRP of $159.

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What’s it, what’s new?

The a7C II crams a number of spectacular specs into a fairly compact full-frame physique.

The Sony a7C II receives fairly just a few upgrades over its predecessor, together with a brand new, higher-resolution sensor, up to date processors, a better magnification viewfinder, AI-enhanced autofocus, entrance and rear management dials, and oversampled 4K/60p video. This does include a better sticker value, although.

New sensor & processors

Sporting the identical 33MP BSI CMOS sensor and Bionz XR processor as 2021’s Sony a7 IV, the a7C II additionally advantages from an extra ‘AI’ processing unit to help with topic recognition and options reminiscent of Auto Framing. This secondary processor, devoted to dealing with machine-learning-derived algorithms, first appeared within the a7R V (the a7 IV would not have one).

The extra processing energy ought to give the a7C II an autofocus benefit over each its predecessor and the a7 IV, particularly in relation to face and eye detection and subject-specific monitoring modes. The newer processor setup additionally brings the opposite options Sony has just lately added, reminiscent of focus bracketing, in-camera timelapse creation, and a number of video enhancements.

The up to date 33MP sensor, alternatively, is not going to offer any type of important picture high quality benefit over the 24MP chip discovered within the unique a7C. You may even see a bit of extra element in low ISO photographs, nevertheless it comes at the price of some dynamic vary and element in excessive ISO ones. In return, it means barely extra rolling shutter in video. Nonetheless, our impressions of picture high quality efficiency are very optimistic.

Out of digicam JPEG. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II | ISO 100 | 1/1250 sec | f/2.8 | 35mm Picture: Dan Bracaglia

Entrance management dial & EVF enhancements

Our primary design gripe with the unique a7C was the shortage of a entrance management dial. Our feeling was that for $1800, it is best to have the ability to modify publicity settings together with your thumb and index finger on the identical time. And we nonetheless really feel this fashion, which is why we’re happy to see that Sony took our suggestions (and yours) to coronary heart. Typically, it is the smallest issues that make the largest influence.

On account of this new dial, the digicam handles significantly higher.

One other improve that improves usability is Sony’s transfer from a 0.59x magnification digital viewfinder to at least one that’s 0.7x. The a7C II nonetheless makes use of a 2.36M dot panel, although, which is a bit underwhelming. With such skinny margins differentiating varied fashions in at this time’s market, a 3.69M dot panel would’ve made this digicam stand out extra from the pack.

Oversampled 4K/60p & different video enhancements

On the interior video entrance, the a7C II is a match with the a7 IV when it comes to output and functionality. You get oversampled 4K/30p video from a 7K crop, 4K/60p video in Tremendous 35 mode (APS-C crop), and Full HD seize at as much as 120 fps. Notably, 4K/30p video is now 10-bit with 4:2:2 coloration sampling, a significant step ahead from the earlier a7C, permitting extra versatile Log and correct HLG HDR video seize.

For these assured in post-production, you additionally get S-Log3 and Sony’s S-Cinetone, plus user-assignable LUTs. These LUTs can both be used to offer a corrected preview, embedded alongside the footage to be used when enhancing or burned into the footage immediately as you shoot.

Different notable video options and upgrades embrace focus respiration compensation, improved video AF topic recognition/monitoring, and Auto Framing mode. This function makes use of AI-trained algorithms to imitate the way in which a digicam operator may punch in on a topic whereas conserving them each framed and in focus, and is a useful approach to get pro-looking photographs of your self and not using a digicam operator behind the lens.

On the exterior video entrance, the a7C II can now stream 4K/30p through USB-C utilizing the UVC/UAC protocols (that means it simply acts as a USB webcam: no want for drivers or specialist software program).

Up to date menus

The principle menu in stills mode	The taking pictures tab within the menu. Observe the 2 separate file format choices at proper.

The A7C II gives the brand new and improved model of Sony’s menu system. Whereas it is nonetheless a really lengthy checklist of choices, not all of them are well-named, the hierarchy is improved, and you’ll race by objects rapidly. There are completely different choices for stills and video modes, and each the primary and performance (shortcut) menus are designed particularly for photograph or film taking pictures, and every thing is customizable. That goes for the digicam controls on the entire, as effectively.

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The way it compares

The a7C II has quite a bit going for it. However competitors within the fanatic full-frame mirrorless market is stiff.

In a number of methods, the a7C II overshadows each its predecessor, which ought to come as no shock and the Sony a7 IV. In actual fact, the one notable benefits the a7 IV gives over its smaller, lower-priced cousin are a greater EVF and twin card slots.

The Panasonic S5 II is one other equally priced physique that offers the a7C II an actual run for the cash in nearly each regard, besides measurement, weight, and battery life.

One other digicam value evaluating the a7C II to – although pricier (and never within the desk above) – is the Canon EOS R6 II, which has a quicker burst fee (12 fps mechanical), higher-rated IBIS (8.0EV), full-width 4K/60p, a nicer viewfinder and twin card slots. That stated, we count on the a7C II to outperform the Canon within the autofocus and topic monitoring division by a good margin, notably in video mode.

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Physique & dealing with

The brand new entrance dial is positioned just under the shutter launch for simple entry.

The Sony a7C II appears to be like quite a bit like an a7C with some minor modifications, probably the most notable being the inclusion of a entrance management dial. Measurement-wise, the a7C II is similar peak and width as its predecessor, although it’s 4mm (0.16″) thicker and 5g (0.2oz) heavier (in different phrases, nearly zero). And whereas it is actually not probably the most ingenious or thrilling digicam when it comes to design, it does deal with effectively. Then once more, we have all the time felt that Sony is a bit more targeted on perform than type.

The chassis is constructed of magnesium alloy, and Sony says the physique is constructed in a way that makes it proof against each mud and moisture. In hand, the digicam sits comfortably with a strong, reassuring really feel to it. Additionally, the brand new entrance dial feels well-placed, just under the shutter launch.

A completely articulated touchscreen permits for selfies and vlogging.

The rear of the a7C II can be largely unchanged from its predecessor, although you do get one extra customized perform button between the decrease rear management dial and the menu button. The rear show, at 1.04M dots, sounds prefer it’s a barely larger decision than its predecessor (0.92M), however the distinction is that it is a barely wider display screen with 720 x 480 pixel decision, slightly than 640 x 480. In use, the contact interface could be very responsive.

The highest of the digicam additionally appears to be like fairly much like the a7C, however there are some small modifications. What was as soon as a devoted publicity compensation dial is now a clean customized dial. Sony additionally added a three-way selector, much like the one discovered on the a7 IV, that permits customers to simply soar from stills to video to ‘S&Q’ (Gradual & Fast) mode. You will discover it tucked just under the mode dial across the again.

The a7C II could be charged through USB-C. The port additionally permits for picture and video switch in addition to reside streaming.

The EVF sees its magnification elevated to 0.70x, however the panel stays a 2.36M dot affair, which some people could discover disappointing, with the person pixels being seen. There’s nonetheless no AF joystick, which can dissuade different customers (although you should utilize the rear display screen to realize touchpad AF, when the digicam is held as much as your eye). However these are our two most sensible criticisms of the design, alongside what we see as an absence of appeal.

Alongside the non-grip aspect of the a7C II, you may discover the lone UHS-II SD slot (the closed door within the picture above). The hatch above it (opened) hides the microphone and USB-C port, whereas a decrease hatch retains the micro-HDMI and headphone ports secure. Observe that each the headphone and microphone sockets are normal 3.5mm.

The digicam makes use of Sony’s highest-capacity Z-battery; battery life is passable.

The a7C II makes use of the Sony’s “Z-battery,” the NP-FZ100. Nonetheless, battery life is rated noticeably decrease than the a7C – 25% decrease when utilizing the viewfinder. This may seemingly be chalked as much as the brand new secondary AI processor and better decision sensor.

In accordance with CIPA requirements, you may count on 510 photographs per cost when utilizing the rear show and 540 when utilizing the EVF. After all, these numbers are conservative, and reaching double the rated quantity will not be unusual relying on the way you shoot and the way typically you assessment photos. A ranking north of 500 photographs per cost is unlikely to current an inconvenience for a number of days of pretty frequent taking pictures (although video and Wi-Fi use will chip into this extra aggressively).

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Autofocus

Anybody who has adopted digital images during the last decade is aware of that Sony has been on the forefront of autofocus monitoring. The a7C II continues that custom, and it appears like the corporate has made it a bit simpler to get monitoring up and operating. Simply throw the digicam into AF-C mode (accessible through the Fn menu), level it at your topic, halfway-press the shutter launch, and the digicam will be certain that your topic stays in focus nonetheless it (or the digicam) strikes. If you wish to select your individual goal, swap to the aptly named ‘Monitoring: Spot’ focus space, the place you may choose your goal by level the AF level at your goal, tapping on the display screen or utilizing the four-way controller.

The A7C II latched onto our topic’s eye nearly instantly and caught to it as he crawled across the tunnel. FE 20-70mm F4 G @ 70mm | ISO 6400 | 1/320 sec | F4 Picture: Jeff Keller

One function that basically impressed us is the a7C II’s topic recognition. Select from people, animals, birds, animals and birds, bugs, vehicles/trains, and plane. A detected individual can look away, flip round, stroll, or disappear for a second; the digicam hardly ever loses them (there is a monitoring sensitivity setting within the menu if you need the digicam to re-focus on different, nearer faces, slightly than sticking to your unique topic). If the digicam has detected a number of faces, it’s going to deal with the one nearest your AF level, alternatively you may swap between them with the touchscreen or urgent a customized button and scrolling the management dial, in case you have the time to spare.

The a7C II constantly tracked Nala as she ran across the room with out lacking a beat. Even whereas persevering with to chase her tail, Nala’s face continues to be sharp. FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 @ 60mm | ISO 800 | 1/60 sec | F5.6 Picture: Jeff Keller

We discovered that animal detection works simply as effectively. One in every of our reviewer’s cats determined to begin operating round, chasing her tail, as cats do. The a7C II had already locked onto her eye and stayed glued to her as she ran round like an uncontrolled missile, laid on her again attempting to catch her tail, did just a few rolls after which took a break for a shower.

You may drill right down to this stage of customization for every sort of topic (animals and birds, on this case). Urgent the trash can button on the again of the digicam provides a (very) transient clarification of what every choice does.

A complete part of this assessment might be written concerning the AF choices for stills and video (a lot of that are saved separate from each other), however suffice to say that there are a lot of. They embrace AF monitoring sensitivity (persistence, mainly), AF space registration, what eye the digicam targets, and rather more. You may even choose what elements of a topic are acknowledged, as proven within the screenshot above.

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Picture high quality

Studio scene

Our take a look at scene is designed to simulate a wide range of textures, colours, and element varieties you may encounter in the actual world. It additionally has two illumination modes, full even gentle and low directional gentle, to see the impact of various lighting circumstances.

Observe that the Sony a7 IV is serving as a proxy for the a7C II on this take a look at. The 2 cameras share the identical sensor and picture processor, and we count on picture high quality to be almost similar.

The A7C II captures loads of element, although it has a noticeable quantity of moiré, so one might infer that it has an anti-aliasing filter, it is not terribly robust. Compared on the identical picture peak, the a7C II’s noise is comparable to its friends (and the a7C) at mid-ISOs. At larger sensitivities the a7C II is only a bit noisier than different cameras in its class, however not considerably so.

JPEG coloration is interesting. The a7C II’s colours are saturated however not too saturated, as is the case with the Canon EOS R8. The digicam’s sharpening algorithm does a pleasant job, and moiré is generally – however not fully – eradicated. At center sensitivities noise discount is saved pretty low, leaving loads of element intact. The identical is true once you cross into five-figure ISOs: there’s loads of element to work with, and noise is well-controlled.

Digital shutter

One situation you may run into in silent mode, or in the event you manually choose to make use of totally digital shutter is rolling shutter, the results of the digicam ending its publicity by (comparatively) slowly studying out its sensor. This causes some nasty distortion when panning the digicam or if a fast-moving topic goes by, as a result of the completely different elements of the photograph had been taken at barely completely different occasions. This is an instance of panning in a high-speed burst:

A panning shot taken with digital shutter exhibits rolling shutter in motion. Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 | F5.6 | 1/125 sec | ISO 3200 Picture: Jeff Keller

Additionally, you will encounter this when capturing 4K video, so it is one thing to contemplate in the event you’re transferring the digicam or capturing topics that transfer quickly throughout the body. It is rather more seen in stills mode, the place the sensor is studying out its full 14-bit precision, which takes 67.6ms (round 1/fifteenth of a second). Video is captured from a narrower area of the sensor and in 12-bit readout, so the impact is way much less pronounced, nevertheless it’s extra seemingly that you’re going to be transferring the digicam as you shoot.

Digital first curtain shutter

As with the a7C and Canon’s EOS R8, the A7C II lacks a mechanical first curtain shutter, relying as an alternative of an digital first curtain (EFCS). This implies the publicity is began electronically however completed with a mechanical shutter.

In nearly all conditions, the outcomes are indistinguishable from utilizing mechanical blades to begin and finish the publicity. The one draw back is that in the event you use a really vivid aperture lens and shoot at very excessive shutter speeds, the blurred ‘bokeh’ within the background will probably be much less clean than it must be. Level gentle sources that must be rendered as engaging circles could have their decrease edge reduce off. However this solely occurs in very particular circumstances.

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Video

We coated the a7C II’s video specs earlier within the assessment and are going to deal with options and usefulness right here. One factor’s for positive: potential rolling shutter apart, 4K high quality is superb.

The a7 IV photos had been shot with a zoom, so would not seem as sharp as the opposite photos inside the take a look at scene, nevertheless it’s clear that there is loads of element available from the Sony. The identical is true for the a7C II, which makes use of the identical sensor and major processor. The 4K/30p and 4K/24p footage is take from the full-width of the sensor and makes use of all 7008 pixels to ship its UHD (3840 x 2160) 4K footage. This delivers a number of element however comes at a value of rolling shutter: it takes round 27.4ms to learn out every body. This is sufficient to make sudden digicam actions or quick motion throughout the scene distort in an off-putting method. This is not a horrible end result nevertheless it’s over 20% worse than the digicam’s speedy friends and greater than 60% slower readout than the perfect of its rivals.

Video autofocus

The a7C II focuses simply as confidently in video because it does for stills. The topic recognition once more shines, with each cats and plane reliably monitoring topics (even with planes within the background within the second scenario). There are quite a few AF-related settings, together with transition velocity, topic shift sensitivity, and lots of the identical topic recognition choices which can be out there for stills.

Video instruments

Video is accessed utilizing a taking pictures mode swap that sits beneath the publicity mode dial on the highest of the digicam. An choice within the settings menu enables you to resolve which settings carry over from stills to video taking pictures and which do not. This manner you may be certain that you do not by chance shoot jerky video with very excessive shutter speeds or blurry images with very low ones, as you soar between modes. It additionally enables you to shoot completely different coloration profiles for every mode, as you deem applicable.

The Focus Map exhibits the entrance (reds) and again (blues) targeted areas across the watch on the heart of the body.

There are much more settings on the a7C II in addition to video file format, bit depth, body fee, and Log profile for capturing extra dynamic vary to protect flexibility when enhancing the colour and tone of the ultimate footage. Just like the a7 IV, the a7C II can seize Log footage in 10-bit coloration depth, which encodes extra tonal details about the scene, offering rather more malleable footage that is much less seemingly so present banding in the event you make large coloration or brightness/distinction changes.

The digicam shows audio recording ranges, that are adjustable, and a software program wind filter could be turned on manually or robotically. Along with focus peaking and zebra sample choices, there is a useful ‘focus map’ that exhibits the areas across the focus level which can be both entrance or back-focused.

Video stabilization

The a7C II gives common and “Lively” SteadyShot stabilization in video mode, the latter of which provides digital stabilization. Whereas normal mode is simply okay, Lively mode is superb. It is not fairly gimbal high quality, nevertheless it’s an enormous enchancment. There’s a 1.15x crop added when utilizing energetic mode, so maintain that in thoughts, particularly in the event you’re already coping with the 1.5x crop when taking pictures 4K/60p footage.

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Conclusion

By Jeff Keller

What we like	What we do not
Glorious picture high quality High-notch topic recognition and autofocus monitoring In-body picture stabilization Refined grip and second management dial are large enhancements over unique mannequin Excessive-quality oversampled 4K/60p video (cropped) Captures 10-bit 4:2:2 footage S-Log3 and S-Cinetone video profiles Excellent battery life in comparison with friends	Vulnerable to rolling shutter when panning digicam in video or with e-shutter No AF joystick 1.5x crop when capturing 4K/60p footage EVF and LCD decision on the low aspect Costlier than friends Large drop in battery life in comparison with unique mannequin

Sony has taken the entry-level, full-frame a7C to new heights with the a7C II. Including a second management dial, a bigger EVF, and a better decision sensor locations it amongst the perfect cameras in its class. It is costly for its in contrast with its friends, nevertheless it has quite a bit to supply.

Transformed to style from Uncooked FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 @ 40mm | ISO 100 | 1/200 sec | F8 Picture: Jeff Keller

Among the largest beefs we had with the unique a7C was its tiny viewfinder, single management dial, and lack of an AF joystick. The Mark II addresses two out of the three, with no joystick in sight, although it is exhausting to picture the place it could go. Whereas the EVF is bigger, the decision feels too low for a digicam this costly.

The a7C II now sports activities the identical 33 Megapixel full-frame BSI CMOS sensor discovered within the a7 IV. Picture high quality is superb, although there’s some impossible-to-miss rolling shutter that exhibits up once you quickly pan within the digicam in bursts or 4K taking pictures.

Transformed to style from Uncooked FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 @ 48mm | ISO 250 | 1/100 sec | F5.6 Picture: Jeff Keller

Sony has lengthy been the chief in autofocus acquisition and monitoring, and the a7C II is ridiculously good. Whether or not it is folks, sprinting cats, or airplanes, the main target factors follow the topic like superglue. After tweaking just a few settings to get every thing arrange, that wonderful topic monitoring turns into point-and-shoot.

FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM2 @ 29mm | ISO 160 | 1/1250 sec | F2.8 Picture: Dan Bracaglia

The a7C II is a succesful moviemaker, as effectively. It captures 4K footage utilizing the complete width of the sensor (there is no crop at 30p and under), or 4K/60p with a 1.5x crop. Videophiles will respect the power to seize 10-bit 4:2:2 footage utilizing S-Log3 or S-Cinetone. Except for the danger of rolling shutter, video high quality could be very spectacular.

FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM2 @ 16mm | ISO 100 | 1/2000 sec | F2.8 Picture: Dan Bracaglia

At $2199 for the physique solely, the a7C II is not an enormous cut price in comparison with the likes Canon EOS R8, Nikon Z6 II, and Panasonic S5 II however a part of what you are paying for is its compactness. And for that cash, you might be getting a digicam that can stay aggressive for years to come back. Whether or not you are already within the Sony ecosystem or simply on the lookout for a compact, well-built full-frame digicam, the a7C II is effectively value your consideration.

Scoring

Scoring is relative solely to the opposite cameras in the identical class. Click on right here to study what these numbers imply.

In comparison with its friends

The EOS R8 is one among two Canons that compete with the a7C II. When you take a look at the specs, they’re fairly related; their EVFs have the identical magnification and backbone, neither have AF joysticks, and every can report oversampled 4K/60p footage (uncropped within the case of the R8). Considerably, the R8 lacks picture stabilization and its battery life is worst-in-class, whereas the Sony’s is slightly good. The Canon falls behind in construct high quality (it’s considerably cheaper, although), and whereas autofocus monitoring is superb, the a7C II’s is best. The Canon’s ergonomics are slightly extra snug however the Sony wins on lens selection.

The opposite Canon mannequin is the EOS R6 Mark II, a bigger digicam with significantly better construct high quality. Just like the R8, it has a 24MP full-frame sensor and Canon’s Twin Pixel AF system, nevertheless it additionally has in-body picture stabilization. With a claimed 8 stops of shake discount, it is a bit of higher than Sony’s 7 stops. The R6 II gives uncropped 4K/60p video, super-fast burst taking pictures, twin card slots, and a bigger and better decision EVF. Battery life is aggressive when taking pictures with the viewfinder (however not the EVF) however the large distinction is that we want the Canon’s ergonomics.

The Nikon Z6 II is one other cheaper choice. This 24MP digicam gives quicker burst speeds and twin card slots, and the viewfinder is significantly bigger and extra detailed. It has in-body picture stabilization, nevertheless it’s solely rated at 5 stops. Just like the a7C II, it may possibly seize 4K/60p with a 1.5x crop, with help for Nikon’s N-Log format. The Z6 II’s autofocus monitoring lags considerably behind Sony’s, and battery life is about 20% decrease than the a7C II. Once more, it has the ergonomic edge over the Sony, and never simply due to the availability of an AF joystick.

Final however not least is the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II, a a lot bigger digicam with in-body picture stabilization (rated to six.5 stops) and a 24MP sensor. The S5 II is a bit of stronger at video; it may possibly seize 4K/60p footage with no overheat restrict, which is completed with the assistance of a built-in cooling fan, it additionally displays much less rolling shutter. It has a big, excessive res EVF, twin SD card slots, a handheld high-res taking pictures mode, and Panasonic’s first hybrid AF system, bringing it nearer in efficiency to the Sony.

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