Customer reviews from Sony.com.au
Sony - Alpha a7 Full Frame Mirrorless Camera (Body Only) - Black
Average customer rating
4.6
(8 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 8 reviews
5 Stars
6
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Star
0
88%of customers recommend this product.
(
7 out of
8)
Customer Reviews for Sony - Alpha a7 Full Frame Mirrorless Camera (Body Only) - Black
Customer Rating
5
I made the right decision!
on October 10, 2014
Posted by: Julz01
from Australia - Melbourne
Having been into photography for several years now and heavily invested in another platform, I wasn't too sure whether I made the right decision to sell off all my camera gear and make the switch to Sony's new mirrorless full-frame camera system with the Sony A7. I had four lenses and two flash units which I would have to give up if I made the leap over to Sony but the temptation of being able to upgrade to a full-frame camera body from a crop-body at an affordable price was too great to resist. The attractive retro-styling of the A7 along with its abundance of buttons, switches and dials that would give me instantaneous manual control over the camera settings was another huge drawcard. So after about a month of having the camera, what do I think? Did I make the right move? I've listed some of my highlights of the A7 in further detail below.
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Design and Controls
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Design and Controls
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The Sony A7 houses itself in a relatively compact body which is impressive given it's housing a full-frame 35mm camera sensor. Even though I made the move from a cropped-body 'compact' digital SLR to the A7, I still noticed a significant reduction in weight and size due to its light-weight and compact body. This is great as it means that it's less of a burden to carry a proper high quality camera around everywhere instead of relying on my mobile phone camera. I'm also looking forward to being able to take my Sony A7 on holidays with me as I've found that in the past being able to capture beautiful holiday snaps meant sore and tired shoulders lugging around a heavy camera.
Dials galore is probably the best way to describe the A7's controls. I love how Sony have put careful thought into how a photographer uses their camera and have included a dial that can be used to change the aperture, another dial that can be used to set the shutter speed, another dial that can be used to set exposure compensation and yet another dial that can be used to set the ISO levels. For someone who shoots in full manual mode, aperture priority or shutter priority this is a godsend! It allows me to focus on capturing the moment instead of having to fumble around different menus and options trying to change settings. Having a physical dial to adjust ISO and exposure compensation is fantastic as these are two of the things that I change most frequently behind adjusting aperture settings - something I previously had to dig into menu settings to adjust on my old camera.
Given that the Sony A7 is a mirrorless camera, it has an electronic viewfinder instead of an optical-through-the-lens viewfinder. This is something I haven't experienced before and takes some time to get used to. The viewfinder isn't quite as clear or bright as the one you'd find on a DSLR but it has the added benefits of being able to show you things like configurable composition grids and level indicators to help you compose the perfect shot.
Dials galore is probably the best way to describe the A7's controls. I love how Sony have put careful thought into how a photographer uses their camera and have included a dial that can be used to change the aperture, another dial that can be used to set the shutter speed, another dial that can be used to set exposure compensation and yet another dial that can be used to set the ISO levels. For someone who shoots in full manual mode, aperture priority or shutter priority this is a godsend! It allows me to focus on capturing the moment instead of having to fumble around different menus and options trying to change settings. Having a physical dial to adjust ISO and exposure compensation is fantastic as these are two of the things that I change most frequently behind adjusting aperture settings - something I previously had to dig into menu settings to adjust on my old camera.
Given that the Sony A7 is a mirrorless camera, it has an electronic viewfinder instead of an optical-through-the-lens viewfinder. This is something I haven't experienced before and takes some time to get used to. The viewfinder isn't quite as clear or bright as the one you'd find on a DSLR but it has the added benefits of being able to show you things like configurable composition grids and level indicators to help you compose the perfect shot.
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Image Quality
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Image Quality
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The Sony A7 has a very nice 24MP full-frame sensor that really delivers excellent quality images. It was a noticeable step up from my old camera's 16MP cropped sensor as the larger sensor provides lower noise at high ISO settings whilst the jump in resolution gives me the flexibility to either print large copies of my photos or crop them down as part of my post-processing to 'zoom' in on a particular subject. The added bonus with the Sony A7 is its wonderful ability to capture higher dynamic range than my old camera due to its superior sensor technology. This really helps bring more life to my photos.
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Other Features
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Other Features
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One of the other things I really like about the A7 is its ability to connect to a smart phone via NFC and WiFi. By using the Sony Play Memories app on your phone you can quickly download a copy of the photos you've just taken and instantly share them via email or instant messenger from your phone. This helps to overcome the need to sacrifice image quality by using your phone's camera instead of your proper camera just because you want to share the photo online. I can now rely on my Sony A7 to be my main camera and social media camera due to the convenience of being able to send photos across to my phone.
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Conclusion
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Conclusion
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The Sony A7 is packed full of features and takes great photos. Although I've made the change to a new camera system, I've found that the A7 has been easy to use and adjust to. The placement and use of the controls are where you'd expect them to be and provide new but familiar access to all the things you need to access when taking photos. At first I wasn't sure whether I made the right decision to swap over to Sony but I'm glad I did. The A7 has been a pleasure to use and allows me to focus on taking photos rather than being buried in changing camera settings. I have no regrets changing to Sony and look forward to really making the most of my new camera.
Pros: Ease of Use, Quality, Value for Money, Design, Durability, Features
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au
Customer Rating
5
Fantastic for Astrophotography
on January 30, 2015
Posted by: snmoxham
from Sydney
I'm an amateur photographer, who has always used Sony cameras. I love Astrophotography and consider myself an amateur astrophotographer, therefore I needed a great camera!
I upgraded from the then E-Mount NEX 5 (which was brilliant).
The A7 is perfect for the work I do and an awesome little upgrade. The features and benefits such as:
-sensor sensitivity
-colour accuracy
-full frame sensor
-Weightlessness
Really make this camera easy and fun to carry around and use.
Wouldn't change brands ever, and certainly won't be upgrading for a while as this camera has just blown my mind! Thank Sony :)
I upgraded from the then E-Mount NEX 5 (which was brilliant).
The A7 is perfect for the work I do and an awesome little upgrade. The features and benefits such as:
-sensor sensitivity
-colour accuracy
-full frame sensor
-Weightlessness
Really make this camera easy and fun to carry around and use.
Wouldn't change brands ever, and certainly won't be upgrading for a while as this camera has just blown my mind! Thank Sony :)
Pros: Ease of Use, Quality, Value for Money, Design, Features
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au
Customer Rating
5
on August 28, 2014
Posted by: Schmak
from Australia: QLD
Sony have done it. Take the full frame capabilities and performance of the A99 and and mated it to the mirrorless sensations of the e-mount series of cameras.
The build quality of the A7 is very sturdy, but light enough that it isn't a strain to handle. The screen is of decent quality, though some horizontal movement wouldn't have been a bad addition.
The software user experience is generally very good, and the choice of enabling the NEX style menu is welcome. Settings are laid out in a logical order, but there sheer number of them may be a little daunting at first.
Also it has to be noted you should enable the electronic shutter option as it speeds up the shooting time a little and cuts down on the shutter noise.
The photo quality is excellent, but is dependent on the lens in use. Resolved detail is excellent and it's low light shooting is a marked improvement over a mirror box camera. This may actually be the future of cameras.
Sony have a few applications available for the camera. I have used the sky trail and time lapse apps, and the results are excellent. Hopefully Sony continues to encourage this little ecosystem for the future.
Battery life has been a criticism in all reviews I read for the device, and while it may not be class leading it isn't lacking. I've managed three to four timelapse sessions of about an hour each before the need to change a battery. If you're planning on going snap happy or away from a power source for a few days definitely invest in a spare battery or two, but the device can be charged via USB.
If you are moving from an Alpha mount camera or a competitor to this camera, there are lens adaptors which are very good. I moved from an Alpha and the adaptor is pretty well featured, and the legacy support from the camera is pretty good.
I'm glad I invested in this camera. The results are stunning, and it really embraces whatever challenge you can throw at it.
The build quality of the A7 is very sturdy, but light enough that it isn't a strain to handle. The screen is of decent quality, though some horizontal movement wouldn't have been a bad addition.
The software user experience is generally very good, and the choice of enabling the NEX style menu is welcome. Settings are laid out in a logical order, but there sheer number of them may be a little daunting at first.
Also it has to be noted you should enable the electronic shutter option as it speeds up the shooting time a little and cuts down on the shutter noise.
The photo quality is excellent, but is dependent on the lens in use. Resolved detail is excellent and it's low light shooting is a marked improvement over a mirror box camera. This may actually be the future of cameras.
Sony have a few applications available for the camera. I have used the sky trail and time lapse apps, and the results are excellent. Hopefully Sony continues to encourage this little ecosystem for the future.
Battery life has been a criticism in all reviews I read for the device, and while it may not be class leading it isn't lacking. I've managed three to four timelapse sessions of about an hour each before the need to change a battery. If you're planning on going snap happy or away from a power source for a few days definitely invest in a spare battery or two, but the device can be charged via USB.
If you are moving from an Alpha mount camera or a competitor to this camera, there are lens adaptors which are very good. I moved from an Alpha and the adaptor is pretty well featured, and the legacy support from the camera is pretty good.
I'm glad I invested in this camera. The results are stunning, and it really embraces whatever challenge you can throw at it.
Pros: Quality, Design, Durability, Features
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au
Customer Rating
4
Light & Easy
on August 28, 2014
Posted by: PurplePhotographer
from The Oaks
I got the A7 after my arm was damaged and I needed a lighter professional camera.
Using it for the past few months I am totally in love with it and how it handles.
I added the battery pack hand grip and it is still light.
Some tweaking is needed, but a great light camera.
Only thing I would change is lower F stop lens and shutter not being so loud, keeps waking up my newborn babies.
Using it for the past few months I am totally in love with it and how it handles.
I added the battery pack hand grip and it is still light.
Some tweaking is needed, but a great light camera.
Only thing I would change is lower F stop lens and shutter not being so loud, keeps waking up my newborn babies.
Pros: Ease of Use, Quality, Value for Money, Features
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au
Customer Rating
5
This made me switch to Full Frame
on October 19, 2014
Posted by: Gerard
from Sydney
The introduction of the A7 was a game changer to the industry. It was what made me switch to Full Frame.
The price was right with all the features you need. The kit lens was above average but you need to get the Zeiss glass to unleash the full potential of this camera.
Build quality is excellent and ergonomics are near perfect. My only gripe is the position of the Menu button being placed all by itself at the top left of the camera.
Pros: Quality, Value for Money, Design, Features
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au
Customer Rating
5
Best Camera I've own
on December 20, 2015
Posted by: tngo
from Brisbane
I changed so many cameras as they didn't fulfill what I wish for : a Full Frame but lightweight camera. This is a versatile product that can be used for any type of shooting, from studio portrait, commercial photography to street life style. It's so durable, no issue when there is a bit of rain drops on it, easy to control with lots of customized buttons, wireless ability. It's cheapest fullframe camera option in the market, and you won't believe in its quality until you own it and explore its potential. Thank you so much Sony, for this amazing invention.
Pros: Ease of Use, Quality, Durability, Value for Money, Features, Design
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au
Customer Rating
3
Few things missings
on November 7, 2015
Posted by: HARLOCK
This camera is missing the uncompressed Raw file, I am wondering if Sony will also update the firmware as they did to the A7II and A7RII.
Pros: Ease of Use, Value for Money
Cons: Quality
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au
Customer Rating
5
Amazing camera
on December 28, 2020
Posted by: thundercats
from sydney
Gender:Male
I have this camera for 5 months and i can say that the quality, the sensor and with everything i am very satisfied.
very good camera i use it mostly for astrophotography i connect it with my telescope and with tripod very good image clear pictures etc i would rather to have a touch screen but it is what it is.
very good camera i use it mostly for astrophotography i connect it with my telescope and with tripod very good image clear pictures etc i would rather to have a touch screen but it is what it is.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Sony.com.au