Sony caused a major stir in the photographic world when it introduced the 24Mp Alpha 7 and 36Mp Alpha 7R because they were the first compact system cameras to have full-frame sensors. This is something that has still yet to be done by any other manufacturer.
What's more, these two cameras (subsequently joined by the 12Mp Sony A7S) are incredibly small for full-frame cameras and are not too dissimilar in size to the Micro Four Thirds Olympus OM-D E-M1.
Now Sony has created new waves of excitement by introducing an update to the A7 in the guise of the A7 II. However, some may feel that changes are rather small. Like the vast majority of the new camera's components, for example, the sensor is the same 24Mp device used in the original A7.
Steady on
There is a change to how this sensor is mounted in the A7II, however, as it can now move to correct for accidental camera movements during the exposure. This 5-axis in-camera image stabilization is unlikely to tempt existing A7 users to upgrade, but it does make the new camera more attractive than the older model to new buyers.
The stabilization corrects X and Y axis movements as well as pitch, roll and yaw for both still and movie recording. When a stabilised Sony lens is used on the camera the two systems combine to give optimised performance choosing the best one to use for the focal length and each type of correction. The stabilization effect is optimised but not cumulative, as one or the other system is used, not both.
• Sony A7 II 5-axis image stabilization: how it works
Helpfully, those using older (or third party) lenses that cannot communicate with the camera can input the focal length manually to use the in-camera stabilization system.
Faster focus
Sony also claims that new focusing algorithms enable a 30% increase in AF speed, with faster and longer high-speed drive as well as better Lock-on AF and a 1.5x improvement in AF Tracking performance.
The tracking AF performance has been improved by using technology from the Sony A6000 and A77 II. This means that the camera uses data about object distance from all of the AF points to inform the processor about the location of the subject, whether it is moving in relation to the background and the location of other objects in the scene.
This enables the camera to continue to track the subject after another nearby object has interrupted the view. There's also improved motion detection to help identify the subject and distinguish it from the background.
It will be interesting to see whether Sony passes any of the algorithm-based improvement onto the A7 with a firmware upgrade. Sony UK was unable to comment upon this point.
Sony has also given the A7 II some of the video features of the A7S. For example, it can now record in the XAVC S, AVCHD or MP4 format. There's also simultaneous dual format recording in MP4 and XAVC S or MP4 and AVCHD format to provide an easy format for sharing along with data-rich footage for editing.
In addition, Picture Profiles offer the ability set the Gamma to Sony's S-Log2 for greater dynamic range and the Time Code feature helps with scene identification and footage syncing from multiple cameras. You can also attach an XLR microphone via an adaptor.
Finally, start-up time is also claimed to be improved by 40%.
Build and handling
Sony has made a few fairly subtle changes to the design of the A7 for the Mark II version, and some of them are apparent as soon as you pick up the camera. The grip is deeper front to back, but narrower, and the texture of the covering it has been changed to give better purchase. It makes the camera comfortable to hold and it feels very secure.
The shutter button diamter has also been increased (by about 2mm) and moved further forward. To accommodate this change the front dial has been dropped down a little so it sits near the top of the grip. We're also told that there's now greater difference between the pressure required to half-press and a full-press of the shutter release than with the A7.
Shifting the shutter release off the top-plate has made room for a second custom button, giving greater opportunity to customise the camera.
Meanwhile, the back of the camera looks almost identical to the original A7, apart from the fact that the C2 (custom) button has been relabelled C3. The screen has also changed and although it's still 3-inches across the diagonal, it's now a RGBW device with 1.23 million dots ( the A7 has a 921,000-dot screen), which should make it brighter and better in bright light.
Sony says the sensor housing has been made stronger in the A7 II with more magnesium alloy. This, combined with the camera's moisture and dust sealing, should make the camera pretty durable, although Sony UK cannot give a rating for the level of weatherpoofing.
Early verdict
The handling changes, the introduction of image stablization and enhanced video capability offer a significant improvement, and while it's very unlikely that anyone with an A7 will upgrade, the A7 II is now a very attractive full-frame camera. With its 24-million-pixel sensor it sits in the half-way position between the 12Mp A7S and the 36Mp A7R. Because it offers greater resolution than the A7S and better autofocus performance than the A7R it is more of an 'all-rounder' than the other two cameras.
The A7 II has the same sensor as the A7 so we might reasonably expect the new camera to produce the same quality images. However, according to Sony UK, the signal processing has changed and this could lead to better/different noise handling and slightly changed image quality. We'll have to wait until we get a review sample in for testing to find out more.
See also: Sony A7 review, latest camera reviews and news
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