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Sony A7

 
Sony Alpha A7 front
 
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 50 - 25600
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 474g - 127 x 94 x 48mm
  • Announced January 2014
  • New Model is Sony A7 II
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
78
Imaging
70
Features
80
Overall
74

Sony A7 overview

Sony A7 is Sony's Pro Mirrorless digital camera initially introduced on January of 2014. It has got a 24 MegaPixel, CMOS Full frame sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 6000 x 4000.

Sony introduced the updated Sony A7 II (Read Full Comparison) to upgrade this model.

The A7 comes in at #49 out of 70 in Pro Mirrorless cameras & all around #117 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can try our Advanced camera filter to find camera ratings based on your custom criteria.

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The following is a diagram of multiple criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony A7 history

The Sony A7 has a history of related cameras. Listed below, you can see all earlier and new models along with main features.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-Alpha-A7R-V front thumbnailSony A7R V
A7 vs A7R V
61MPFull frame10.0 fps2022
Sony-Alpha-A7-IV front thumbnailSony A7 IV
A7 vs A7 IV
33MPFull frame10.0 fps2021
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Sony-Alpha-a1 front thumbnailSony a1
A7 vs a1
50MPFull frame30.0 fps2021
Sony-Alpha-A7S-III front thumbnailSony A7S III
A7 vs A7S III
12MPFull frame10.0 fps2020
Sony-Alpha-A9-Mark-II front thumbnailSony A9 II
A7 vs A9 II
24MPFull frame20.0 fps2019
Sony-Alpha-A7R-IV front thumbnailSony A7R IV
A7 vs A7R IV
61MPFull frame10.0 fps2019
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Sony-Alpha-A7-III front thumbnailSony A7 III
A7 vs A7 III
24MPFull frame10.0 fps2018
Sony-Alpha-A7R-III front thumbnailSony A7R III
A7 vs A7R III
42MPFull frame10.0 fps2017
Sony-Alpha-A9 front thumbnailSony A9
A7 vs A9
24MPFull frame20.0 fps2017
Sony-Alpha-A7S-II front thumbnailSony A7S II
A7 vs A7S II
12MPFull frame5.0 fps2015
Sony-Alpha-A7R-II front thumbnailSony A7R II
A7 vs A7R II
42MPFull frame5.0 fps2015
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Sony-Alpha-A7-II front thumbnailSony A7 II
A7 vs A7 II
24MPFull frame5.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7S front thumbnailSony A7S
A7 vs A7S
12MPFull frame5.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7R front thumbnailSony A7R
A7 vs A7R
36MPFull frame4.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7 front thumbnailSony A724MPFull frame5.0 fps2014

Sony A7 Pros and Cons

Below is a selection of pluses and minuses of the Sony A7 based on criterias which are generally seen as essential in a digital camera.

change lenses (Sony E mount)
exports RAW files
focusing manually
great ISO range (25,600)
great min ISO (50)
has HDMI out
has headphone support
has microphone support
has phase detect auto focus
high resolution screen (1,230 thousand dots)
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than average in class (474g)
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
NFC support
nice screen size (3")
offers face detect focus
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
tilting screen
weather proofing
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
slow fps (5.0 fps)
terrible battery power (340 CIPA)
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Sony A7 Sensor specifications

The Sony A7 is run by the Bionz X processor. The size of the sensor on the Sony A7 is 35.8mm x 23.9mm (Full frame). The 856 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 6000 x 4000 pixels at aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.

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The CMOS sensor has 24 megapixels and provides a standard ISO range of 50 to 25600. RAW photos are saved which means that the user has wider room to maneuver in post.

The graphic underneath displays the A7's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The A7 sensor has a crop factor of 1 and is displayed in green.

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To get an idea of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony A7 dimensions

Sony A7 weighs 1.04 pounds (474g / 16.72 ounces) & the sizing of the camera is 127mm x 94mm x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9"). The weight of general Pro Mirrorless camera is 722g and the Sony A7 is lighter when compared with other rivals.

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Down below is a picture of the Sony A7 alongside a softdrink to help you get a sense of its scale.

Sony Alpha A7 dimensions scale

The top view underneath will provide the button design on the A7.

Sony Alpha A7 topview buttons dials

Sony A7 Lens specifications

The A7 fits the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses on sale. Below is a small number of the lenses we have in our collection which will fit the A7.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Sony-E-35mm-F1.8-OSS lensSony E 35mm F1.8 OSS35mmf/1.8 155g
Tamron-18-300mm-F3.5-6.3-Di-III-A-VC-VXD-Sony-E lensTamron 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD18-300mmf/3.5-6.3 620g
Photography Glossary
Sony-FE-85mm-F1.4-GM lensSony FE 85mm F1.4 GM85mmf/1.4 820g
Samyang-8mm-F2.8-UMC-Fisheye-Sony-E-NEX lensSamyang 8mm F2.8 UMC Fisheye8mmf/2.8 265g
Sony-E-PZ-18-200mm-F3.5-6.3-OSS lensSony E PZ 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS18-200mmf/3.5-6.3 649g
Zeiss-Loxia-25mm-F2.4-Sony-FE lensZeiss Loxia 25mm F2.425mmf/2.4393g
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Sigma-24mm-F2-DG-DN-C-FE-Mount lensSigma 24mm F2 DG DN C24mmf/2 365g
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Sony A7 Connectivity

The A7 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras that incorporate NFC or Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You can transfer images and usually adjust camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly to the camera.

Some applications even stream a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI port, it can be connected to an external monitor. Almost all cameras enable you to recharge the battery using the USB port.

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Sony A7 Video specifications

The highest video resolution on the Sony A7 is 1920 x 1080 and you can capture in MPEG-4 and AVCHD file format. 1080p resolution offers a decent balance between video quality vs file sizes but FULL HD is not going to give you any room to downsample. The body does feature both headphone and microphone support making it very valuable while capturing audio.

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Sony A7 Weather Sealing

Sony A7 comes with weather sealing making it a fantastic option for use during rough locations. This can be particularly handy any time you are unsure about the elements you might face during outdoor photography.

Sony A7 Screen and Viewfinder

The Sony A7 has got a 3 inch tilting display boasting a resolution of 1,230 thousand dots.

Sadly the display isn't a touch screen.

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The View Finder details for Sony A7 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • ViewFinder Resolution 2,359 thousand dots
  • ViewFinder Coverage 100%
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.71x

Viewfinders can be very beneficial during sunny outdoor situations which can make the camera screen washed out and hard to see.

Sony A7 Shutter specifications

Sony A7 has the ability to shoot continuously at 5.0 fps. The max shutter speed is 1/8000 seconds.

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Sony A7 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Sony A7 features external flash ability but does not include inbuilt flash. The maximum flash sync is 1/250 seconds.

Sony A7 Autofocus specifications

Sony A7 features both Phase Detect AF as well as Contrast Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more snappier & accurate when compared with Contrast Detect focusing. The camera has got Face detection making it helpful for people photography.

It has got 117 focus points to pick from. Sony A7 features manual focus when needed during low light conditions or you need more accurate focus control.

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Sony A7 Battery life

The battery power (NP-FW50) on the Sony A7 is built to last for 340 photos according to the CIPA standards which is less compared to it's rivals. The typical Pro Mirrorless camera battery life is 460. Olympus E-M1X offers the highest (870) battery life within this category of cameras.

Listed below is a number of Pro Mirrorless cameras with the best battery life:

Sony A7 for specific styles of photography

The following chart displays a overview of the Sony A7 for specific styles of photography. To check out more, check out the specific section underneath.

Sony A7 Portrait photography info

The Sony A7 receives a points tally of 82 which is superb, meaning that it is a great option to use for portrait photography. Taking portrait photos leans heavily to sensor specs, support for RAW photos in addition to the potential to work with off-camera flash.

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focusing manually
good megapixels (24MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
includes face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats

Sony A7 Street photography details

Having a exceptional points total of 79, the Sony A7 is a outstanding pick for street photography. A decent street photography camera has a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

Photography Glossary
screen tilts up and down
sensor size is big (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
environment sealing
lighter than competitors in class (474g)
above average ISO range (25,600)
does not have image stabilization

Sony A7 as a Sports photography camera

A very good sports photography score of 66 suggests the Sony A7 is a respectable fit for shooting sports. A camera should have very good autofocus plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
MP count good (24MP)
big sensor size (Full frame)
environment proofing
comes with phase detect AF
slow fps (5.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery power (340 per charge)

Sony A7 Travel photography factors

Weight is extremely critical when selecting a travel camera. All things considered, the Sony A7 gets a nice 69 as a travel camera which is a good option to purchase for your travels.

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lighter than competition in class (474 grams)
weather sealing
MP count good (24 megapixels)
terrible battery (340 CIPA)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display

Sony A7 as a Landscape photography camera

In case you're planning to choose a camera for landscape photographs, the most critical aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Sony A7 and it's above average grade of 75 for a landscape camera is a very decent fit in the current market.

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focusing manually
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
good megapixels (24 megapixels)
great sensor size (Full frame)
very good high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW formats
weather proofing
does not have image stabilization
low battery power (340 per charge)

Sony A7 Vlogging information

A vlogging camera should come with a moving display, mic port and ideally IBIS. Taking all things into account, the Sony A7 is just not very good as a vlog camera as it comes to a really bad rating of 35.

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supports face detection focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
includes external microphone jack
lighter than others in class (474 grams)
screen isn't selfie friendly
no image stabilization

Sony A7 Alternatives

If you are in the market for replacements to the A7, here is a number of the highest rated cameras which fall under the category of Pro Mirrorless.

The diagram underneath will give you an overview of the A7 vs it's highest ranked rivals shown earlier.

Here are a few more cameras you might look into as alternative options. To see a detailed comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Sony
Model
Sony Alpha A7
Category
Pro Mirrorless
Announced
2014-01-22
Physical type
SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Processor Chip
Bionz X
Sensor size
Full frame
Sensor measurements
35.8 x 23.9mm
Sensor surface area
855.6mm²
Sensor resolution
24MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution
6000 x 4000
RAW images
Max native ISO
25600
Minimum native ISO
50
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points
117
Cross focus points
25
Lens
Lens mounting type
Sony E
Total lenses
121
Crop factor
1
Screen
Screen type
Tilting
Screen diagonal
3"
Resolution of screen
1,230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech
Xtra Fine LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
2,359 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage
100%
Viewfinder magnification
0.71x
DXO scores
DXO All around score
90
DXO Color Depth score
24.8
DXO Dynamic range score
14.2
DXO Low light score
2248
Features
Lowest shutter speed
30 secs
Highest shutter speed
1/8000 secs
Continuous shooting rate
5.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range
no built-in flash
Flash options
no built-in flash
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash synchronize
1/250 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
474g (1.04 lbs)
Dimensions
127 x 94 x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9")
Other
Battery life
340 pictures
Battery style
Battery Pack
Battery model
NP-FW50
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse feature
With downloadable app
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots
Single
Launch pricing
$798