Sony A7II Review

Sony’s updated image-stabilized full-frame mirrorless camera

Sony Alpha A7II is the fourth member of Sony’s A7-series line-up and the follow up of the original A7.

Just as the rest of the A7 series, A7II uses the same Bionz X processor and the same 24 MP sensor. However, there are some improvements that start in the form of the 5-axis sensor-based image stabilization and improved Auto Focus performance.

This in-body image stabilization allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds without risking having blurriness from camera shake, but it still won’t freeze subject movement. It will just enable you to shoot pictures of a still subject in lower light situations at slower shutter speed without the effect of camera shake.

The body itself is similar to the A7 but larger and heavier than the original, controls are laid out similarly, but command dials and shutter have been completely redesigned.

The A7ii uses a hybrid AF system with 117 phase-detect and 25 contrast points, but it has been improved by about 30% compared to its predecessor while the tracking has been improved by about 1.5x.

Sony A7II Specifications

Overall, the Sony A7II is a solid performer in the 24MP market.

Sensor	24.3 MP
ISO	100 – 25.600
Optical Image Stabilization	Yes
LCD Resolution	1.228.800 dots
LCD Screen	3’’ tilting
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 60p
Built-in Viewfinder	EVF / LCD
Shutter Speed	1/8000 30s
Continuous Shooting	5.0 fps
Face Detection Focusing	Yes
Built-in Wi-Fi	Yes
NFC Connectivity	Yes
Batteries	Lithium-ion (350 shots)
Manual Focusing	Yes
Weight	930g
Size	127 x 96 x 60 mm

Check the Price of the Sony A7II on Amazon.

Build and Design

At first sight, A7II looks a lot like its predecessor A7. However, the newer model is significantly larger and heavier and the shooting experience between these two cameras is pretty different too.

Since the grip on the A7II has been enlarged the shutter button has been moved to the angled point of the grip. There are also some other buttons that have been added, moved, and redesigned over the past design standard.

Body

With a full magnesium alloy body and stainless steel mount, A7II is a very well constructed camera that feels solid in hand and with the matte black finish, it looks very sophisticated compared to the other Sony cameras with a glossy finish. What I like the most when it comes to the camera body is a simple and smart design.

Ergonomics

Once I realized that there is a smart ergonomic detail on the body of the A7II, I started to like it even more. On the backside of the body, you can find an accented flange for your thumb to hold against which will make the carrying a lot easier but still with a feeling of control.

The button layout is quite nice and it allows quick access to many different options, but there are about 20 control buttons at your fingertips and that can be somewhat confusing.

The menu with long lists and icons that actually don’t help you narrow things down is also confusing. However, all of those buttons can be customized and you can choose the controls you want to have at your fingertips which will save you from using the menu system.

Image Stabilization

The image stabilization The biggest feature everyone is talking about is the five-axis sensor-shift built-in image stabilization. This certainly isn’t the first mirrorless camera to include the technology but it is the first one to have the image sensor “floating” within the camera body. If you don’t know why this is so great you will be excited about this feature in a moment.

The floating image sensor basically means that any lens ever made has now, with the right adapter, upgraded to have image stabilization and this technology can compensate 4.5-stops worth with stabilization.

However, you have to be aware that this isn’t a true substitute for a good low-light ISO performance. It does allow you to take some good shots at a less available light, but you have to be aware of its limitations.

Performance

One of the greatest things is how great the manual focusing works with any kind of lens and with the image stabilization you will be able to pinpoint a really sharp focus even faster because you won’t have much camera shake while hand-holding it. The autofocus works quite well too. Not as fast as on DSLR cameras but not bad either, especially with fair lightning.

Video

When it comes to video, A7II is capable of recording 1080p video at 60fps, but it lacks the 4K recording capabilities. However, Sony added the XAVC S codes to this camera to make it capable of recording at 50mb/s but that kind of recording requires a faster SDXC memory card with at least 64GB storage capacity.

Image Quality

When it comes to overall image quality I am extremely impressed. A7II uses the same sensor and process engine as its predecessor so even before reviewing this section I knew that it would perform well. It produces high-quality images and it is capable of capturing a lot of details in many conditions.

The noise is very well controlled in different sensitivity settings. When the noise reduction is turned off there is quite a bit of noise visible in RAW files when viewed at 100%, by ISO 6400. However, the same files captured in JPEG files with the camera’s default noise reduction turn out to look very good.

When you set up to ISO 12800 or 25600, even with the noise reduction turned on, JPEG files start to lose details, but the RAW files give you the option to fine-tune the noise reduction and find tolerable mid-ground. Some noise will still be visible, but you will have a usable image. Anyway, I suggest avoiding the top sensitivity setting if you don’t really need it.

Auto White Balance

The auto white balance performs very well too. you can rely on it through a wide range of lighting conditions, but it struggles a little under unnatural lighting. However, you can set a custom white balance easily.

What type of photography is Sony Alpha A7II good for?

Portrait Photography

Image Stabilization

Sensor resolution 24.3 MP

Ergonomic & Handling

35.80mm x 23.90mm Sensor size

RAW shooting

External flash shoe

Built-in viewfinder

Manual focus mode

Manual exposure mode

Image Stabilization diminishes the impacts of camera shake at long exposures and long focal lengths in this way guaranteeing sharper images which is great for portraits. The sensor resolution of 24.3 MP assures large prints of your portrait shots.

Good handling with a camera is really important during portrait shooting, just as good placement of the physical controls on the camera body making A7II even more suitable for portrait photography.

The sensor is big enough to achieve that shallow depth of field and blurry background (bokeh) that you absolutely need for portraits. For a great portrait shot, you really need to nail the focus perfectly which is even easier with manual focus mode available on this camera.

For portrait photography, the Sony Alpha A7II is an EXCELLENT candidate.

Street photography

Live-view

Face-Detection Focusing

Tilting LCD Screen

Image Stabilization

23 mm wide-angle coverage

Large body

Built-in viewfinder

Manual focus mode

RAW shooting

35.80mm x 23.90mm sensor size

Face detection is a very helpful feature for street photography because it allows you to focus on framing and other settings while the camera focuses perfectly for you. However, if you aren’t satisfied with how your camera focuses on its own you can always focus manually.

With manual focusing available you can also play with one of the most popular techniques amongst street photography – Zone focusing. A7II has a large body and that is one of the flaws when it comes to street photography, but with the larger body comes larger sensor and that means that this camera doesn’t struggle much in low light situations.

Although the JPEG files are more attractive out of the camera, RAW files contain much more color information and it is great to have both shooting capabilities available. RAW also gives you space for post preparing without huge quality loss and those files provide more extensive dynamic range and option to recover shadow and highlight cut-out to some degree.

One of the most important things is how the camera handles various light situations and that depends on the sensor. Luckily, the sensor is big enough not to struggle in low light situations.

In the end, all of that makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Sports Photography

5.0 fps continuous shooting

1/8000 – 30s Shutter speed

Battery life 350 shots

Built-in Wi-Fi

Image Stabilization

Ergonomics & Handling

Environmental Sealings

Manual exposure mode

Manual focus mode

Built-in viewfinder

External flash shoe

RAW shooting

When it comes to sports photography, one of the most important things is how fast your camera is. With an average continuous shooting of 55.0fps and a fast shutter speed of 1/8000 – 30s, A7II is certainly suitable because it is fast enough to freeze sports action.

Since all of the subjects are moving you will be happy that you have built-in image stabilization that will reduce any kind of camera shake while you are tracking your subject.

The body itself is good enough for most of the conditions you might find yourself in, but the lack of environmental sealing might be a problem. A lot of sports events are held outdoors in all weather conditions, and you would need your camera to be ready for some bad conditions because exposure to dust and water is very common in this photography category.

Based on the table, Sony Alpha A7II proved to be an AVERAGE candidate in this photography category.

Daily Photography

Large body

Weight 930g

35.80mm x 23.90mm Sensor size

RAW shooting

When it comes to daily photography it actually means that this would be the only camera you would use during the day. With its large body and weight of 930g, A7II certainly isn’t the most practical camera for this type of photography.

If this is what you need the camera for it is only fair to stop you now and tell you that A7II is a POOR candidate for this type of photography.

Landscape photography

Sensor resolution 24.3 MP

Manual exposure mode

Manual focus mode

RAW shooting capability

35.80mm x 23.90mm Sensor size

No environmental sealing

A key feature typically required for landscape photography is wide-angle coverage. This isn’t really a wide-angle camera but with many lenses available you won’t have a problem with A7II when it comes to this. The large sensor resolution is another must for this category because you can achieve large prints with good framing with it.

For a landscape, the shot is very important to have a correct exposure and most of the time auto exposure can do a pretty good job, but it may still fail in some difficult conditions, that’s why it is important to have manual exposure mode available like you do with A7II. Also, without manual exposure available you would have a lot of shadows and highlight clipping. Autofocus doesn’t always give us the best result.

With manual focus available we can minimize the areas that are out of focus which is another great thing. Lack of environmental sealing, however, can be a problem here. Since landscape photography is obviously done outside, you would need your camera to be ready for some bad conditions because exposure to dust and water is very common in this photography category.

That little flaw, unfortunately, puts A7II into a category of AVERAGE cameras for this type of photography.

Conclusion

The Alpha 7 II keeps on pushing Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras into the momentous region. Being the first mirrorless camera that has an in-body image stabilization system that performs excellently, A7II sets the new ground for other cameras of this type.

This is a great camera that delivers a lot of awesome features and well-rounded performance that both amateur and professional photographers will be happy about. It proved to be a great candidate for most of the photography categories that we revived which means that it can satisfy most users’ needs.

Thinking of switching to mirrorless? Check out our guide.

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