A7Rii Review - An Amazing Camera, but think twice if you're a full time wedding Photographer 

Disclaimer : 2:00 Build Quality : 3:08 Ergonomics : 5:35 Performance : 10:25 Image Quality : 17:38 Video Quality : 19:02 Quality of Results : 22:03 Value : 25:28 Quirks : 28:20 Conclusion : 30:17 Easier navigation . . .

When wedding photographers were using the 5DMarkII, one slot did not seem to be an issue...

Thank you sir. You cleared up some of my own concerns about the camera, especially pertaining to wedding photography.

Not a Sony Fan Boy, but here is a tip for anyone who wants more battery life in any of the A7 series of cameras.... Put the camera into airplane mode. Battery life is greatly extended; How so many people reviewing their (Sony) cameras miss this or never think of it is confusing.

One of the very well made camera reviews I have come across.... Thank you... Keep it up Darren.

I sold my A7rmk2 for the reasons you mention plus more. Fantastic image quality, but auto focus and slow wake up from sleep caused me to miss shots at a football game while sideline . For 3200 dollars, I felt like i had bought int the hype. 1 sd card slot and and really expensive "body" was all i had to show for it. I sold it and my sony glass, cut my losses and bought d750 + 70-2002.8vr2 and 85.18g and never looked backed. Now I can stop worrying about my gear and focus on what's important .... photography

Extremely well thought out and presented review. Thank you for your time doing it, I like it very much, very helpful. There must have been a memo other folks received that I did not that read: rather than utilize use we will utilize utilize.

A very honest review. Loved the segment with the results of your findings .. Good stuff. I'm subscribing to the channel.

This guy works great in front of the camera, great voice work. good review also

I always light up when I see a review from your channel popping up in my news feed. Thanks a lot, Darren! Please keep up your fantastic reviews! Anders from Denmark

Another great review Darren! Thanks for taking the time to put together such an informative video.

good job, pink man!

amazing review! thanks for sharing!!

Use the Case Relay from Tether Tools, attach a 20,000mAh - adds over 70,000 shots to one charge. I use the A7RII for backup to my A99

Great unbiased review, thanks! At the moment I'm sticking with my Canon 5DIII for portraits and events but considering the Sony A7RII for taking landscapes and interiors.

great review and awesome soundtrack

Thank you very much. Have you seen the Feiyu Tech MG?

Thanks for a very good review.

Great review, thank you.

Great review Darren. Are you planning to do a review of the Panasonic GX8? I would like to see it if possible. Thanks

Good Review. Could Please you recommend a camera for function Photography and Portrait ? Which is best for photography Sony A7 II or Sony A7r II? Thank you .

Great Review! What camera and lens did you shoot this with?

Excellent informative review, the very best review for the A7Rii out there. Own and use the Sony A7 and Olympus OMD-EM1, mostly still photography.

Glad to know there is a Tom Brady fan living outside of New England. Go Patriots! Seriously though. I think a very fair and balanced review. I bought one. Been using Sony for a year now as my travel cameras after swapping out the Fuji for it. I still shoot Canon though for events, sports, and wildlife. Would also be interested in what you think of the 5DSR for landscape and portraits. Thanks for your time.

that was a fantastic reviw!!! thank you!!

great review thank you

Hello Darren, I always enjoy your excellent reviews! Thanks! I currently have the Sony A7r MARK II and it is a fantastic camera. We have done a few weddings already but more into product and landscapes but I have a thought about the 2 card slots. I wonder if Sony could make a battery grip with an extra card slot in it?? I think that would be a great idea while helping partially the short battery life. . Bill

Thanks man. great video. You helped me so much ( I'm a wedding photographer). Still think about buying it but for weddings I will use it as a backup (5D mark3 as a main by now) And a question- do you know how it works with canon lens ?

This is by far the best review I've ever seen for this camera, thank you so much for this review.

great video and i appreciate the honesty. one question: i tried searching for the song for your montage based on the name you gave and couldn't find it. where can i get it?

Probably, the most valuable presentation on the subject. Thank you, Miles.

Very well done! Thanks ;)

Very honest and amazing review, one of the best I ever seen before!!

Great honest Review as always!!

Darren, as always very honest review, the detail and work you put behind the scenes of these reviews must be very lengthy. I'm an owner of two Sony's an A7R and an A7II. My best work although comes from my stall of Nikon Cameras, they still are the best. I have been debating on letting go of the Sony's

Hello Darren First of all thank you for all the hard work you put into giving us all these videos, any working professional would know that its hard to balance professional work and social media activity. I just wanted to ask you regarding the inconsistency in color rendering in this video ? whats going on ? I recently got the A7Rii, i am still trying to find the closest color profile that could give me Canon colors. whats your take on that ? All the best !

Excellent review, explains well that the suitability of the camera depends on the genre of photography undertaken. The experience I make with it in relation to landscapes and portraits confirm it is a camera hard to beat. Following an event through an optical viewfinder certainly takes less power, but I rather have the flexibility to have a small core system that I can expand with a battery grip or an external USB source, than start with a non flexible system that is bulked up in relation to event/sports coverage with fewest battery changes. The main debate is however about the auto focus system, if I understand the core of the argument being about predictability. Essentially the expectation is to emulate the behavior of a DSLR focus point pre-selection on the A7RM2. I can confirm, the Sony has definitely a more "auto" feel. I would however debate what is the better method? The pre-select and point methods works, if there is indeed a point available in that location, for dymamic situation our pre-diction is correct (luck and experience), we have time to make this selection, and you can control the camera such that you can line this up precisely, for most DSLRs you need to do this by looking through the viewfinder to achieve precision. The auto mode "eye detect" can work for you even on a stretched out arm with you just squinting to get the framing right, provided you could still push all the buttons it would take to activate it, otherwise only face detect. So the chance here is to get perhaps a very good unusual angle, but at the risk of the "auto" failing you in case the image is not recogniced. Eye detect can give a chance to get something extraordinary, up to each of us to decide what we rather have, looking at failures of auto, or not doing it at all. If it is all to critical, you still have "all manual" with focus peaking, just like you have manual and auto exposure. We have also automatic dynamic range features. This is an old debate, there are arguments for and against automation. Face registration and programmable ranking is an example where we can customise the behavior, for instance the ability to chose a focus spot small, medium and large, cannot find this on a DSLR. Perhaps customisation or predictability of "auto" is the key here in all this debate. If you subscribe to the point of instant gratification, then the perfect "auto" would be based on mind reading, ie the creative/wishful thinking of an operator. This camera has not been invented yet. The card risk: I'm no wedding photographer, but landscape shots are also pretty unique, often associated with large investments of time and travel costs. Do I worry about card failure? Yes it is one risk that could be eliminated, but I'm not sure I would like to trade this for increased power consumption, increased camera complexity or a larger body. I have not had a single corrupted frame in over 160000 shots, but use only trusted cards. Dual card recording does not protect you from camera electronics failure, I imagine best risk mitigation strategy would be to use smaller capacity cards, use them in the mid life (not brand new - not too old), two cameras (at least you have saved wide angle or tele coverage) and above all, the most expensive one, using a second shooter.

I always enjoy watching your videos. You are a very knowledgeable person.

Back in the days I have a D70s with the 18-70mm kit lens, as a back for my two 645 pentaxs and a Nikon with the nifty 50 and a sweet 24.Thank you for the review-video, "is full of awesomeness", love to try it by renting one but not buying one for the sake of try it.Also I love to do street portraits and for that I have a Nikon D750 a Tamron 70-200 VC and a 200mm f/2 VR.But I seem to me this Sony with an 85mm of some sort it will make a good sidekick to play with as I do with my little RX100 ll

Great review Darren! What camera/lens did you use to shoot the first couple of segments of it?

I just subscribed to your channel and I love it. Would it be fairer for Sony if you pick the A7S ii since it is renown for low light indoor like wedding photography better than its R version ?.. I watch you indirectly touting the GH4 for video in Olympus EM5 ii. Could you have any recommendation of all must have lens to go with the GH4 ? I travel quite a bit and I love to shoot videos of my trips, particular 4K video.

That music during the montage is absolutely beautiful - is it available anywhere online for purchase?

Darren I agree as a news photographer I wish the dials could be swapped . The wheel sucks. I menu I love ....But I also am use to using Sony video cameras . No GPS that bites. All that aside I still love my A7S II I use it for shooting video in TV News the low light lol it see's in the dark

Darren, you can add the summary (the one that you used at the start of the video) in the description, it will become clickable. much easier to jump to the desired part :) about the second card slot, they should have added it in an optional battery grip that does not replace the internal battery, as it would solve or at least soften your two biggest issues.

Just stumbled onto this review Darren, very well done. I bought and returned this camera, twice, last September. I wanted to love it. At the time, using with adapted canon glass brought out those autofocus quirks in spades. I've been thinking about trying it again, with native lenses, but the lack of consistency in autofocus, crappy battery capacity, it being terrible for sports, and that goofy menu system is holding me back. Nice work on this.

Thanks for one of the more truthful reviews on this camera.

Thank you very much for this review, it does clarify a lot of my doubts. i totally agree with you, this is not the best for wedding photographer. but it is great for portraits. how great would this camera be if i use an adapter for canon lenses?? since i am a canon user i would switch to this, but the 3,100 dollar price is just for the sony A7rii body, that doesn't includes lense. i would love to know if i would get the same result using an adapter for canon lenses.

This is such a great, intelligent, fair and critical review. Without fear of hyperbole, I say that it's one of the best reviews I've ever seen. Other reviewers should watch it and weep.

very good and complete report Darren!!!!, congratulations!!!! I have de A7 and A7R and thy both are fantastic cameras. I moved from canon 5dm2 and i am sooooo pleased with the sony cameras. This new models sounds TERRIFIC, and a very honest review from you, which is greatly appreciated. Thank you very very much and congratulations, greetings from México city!!!! :D

Hi Darren, amazing review, question: what lens should i buy? I"m not a pro, i'm a traveller, will take 4k videos and high def stills, need a good optical zoom, minimum 10x. I'm intending to buy only one do it all lens. Thanks!

I also had the issue of my A7R forgetting custom button functions. There's just one button I set so it's not a big deal and it's only happened once in six months but I can imagine being annoyed if I had several set and it forgot the settings just before or during a shoot.

Darren, i have the a7rii and i agree with you 100%. awesome review! man... i'm still waiting for Sony to release a constant f2.8 zoom lens

Darren, what lens are you using at 3:40? Amazing bokeh, also are you using the 5D3 in this video and what do you think the 5D4 specs will be, will it come out this year? Low Noise, Better Dynamic Range?

Nice review. You make some good points.

I am living in India and and its too hot weather in here about 38C so can camera goes overheat? its ok with the issue ? should I buy here in india ? Please can you explain me ?

Excellent review overall, and you articulate really well. One point I'd raise is that the example you show a few times to demonstrate the issues with flexible spot (the one on the window in the background) is failing because the point is directly over the window itself. I've found that the point that you select is a lot smaller than the ones in my 5D. This has disadvantages (as you highlight) but also advantages as you can ensure that you are focusing on a pupil rather than eyelashes, for example. Thanks again, and subscribed.

Hi Darren What is your thoughts on low light performance of A7RII?

I see your point about weddings and agree. As a fashion photographer, however it's an amazing tool. I'm using my Canon lenses 24-70 2.8 II and 70-200 2.8 II with a metabones adapter and autofocusing is quick and accurate in studio and outdoors. For my needs it's the perfect camera but for weddings I would think twice and probably opt for the 5dsr or d810 as my main.

Can you please do a gopro5 review when they are out?

Awesome review !

I currently shoot real estate with a 7D MK II. I am looking to upgrade. My three options are the GH5, a6500 or the A7R II. The GH5 and a6500 would be cheaper options however I really want the ability to utilize tilt shift lenses when needed. I also believe that the GH5 is just too far out right now for it to be a viable option for me. Would it behoove me to just upgrade to the A7R II over the a6500? I'm looking to do both stills and video (4K).

Really really a great review, well done.

Hi Darren, I know its been a while since this review. I think you make some very good points. In the last few years, Sony has listened to many of the issues and have addressed some of your points. Really looking forward to your review of the A7RIII as I have always valued your reviews and have my eye on that camera.

You're gonna ruffle the fur of the SONY FANBOY's with this video. That kind of dissent will not be tolerated by the Playstation/Sony cult. Insert crazy insane laughter at the "SYSTEM ERROR" (which I myself have experienced as well) screen

It'd be nice to see a follow-up review on the new 3.0 firmware update. I've been hearing that the over-heating issue has been resolved. But through firmware?! Chroma has been improved. ... and a few more incremental improvements.

I am planning on getting the Leica s2, but I wanted more information, before I get my hands on.

Matt Granger was also having trouble with this A7R II locking up for no apparent reason during a big trip. Good thing I'm waiting longer before going back to mirrorless for my primary camera. For now I'm a D750 shooter (mostly), but I do want to go all mirrorless in the future. Sony has some nice cameras but I just hope they get all the bugs worked out before it's time for me to buy again.

such a great review :) its pretty much everything i had experienced with the a7r2 - the thing i loved the most is the buffer and just knowing u can fire away before the action starts and get it all the way through to the end - yes u mentioned the reset of the custom functions- so annoying i actually thought i was doing something wrong or didnt save it or something - also a downer for weddings would be the ergonomics .... while the 70-200 f4 is a bit awkward on the a7r2 its still relatively comfortable ..... but imagine a 70-200 f2.8 on the a7r2

Ive put alot of thought into this. I love my nikon but im gonna be switching to a mirrorless camera in the not too distant future. Bottom line is mirrorless cameras are where all the innovation is. The beauty of mirrorless cameras is that they are ever changing. Samsung releases update for its nx1 every few weeks and after a year of updates its pretty much a new camera. Mirrorless cameras are just so much sleeker, smoother, and they dont attract the same kind of attention a dslr does. No mirror means you can see the shot before you take it. It means you can review your shots in the view finder or change settings without taking your eye off the subject. The in camera app store is revolutionary too imo because it turns your camera into an ecosystem that can communicate with your other things like your phone and you can even stream content to your tv on the nx1.

Superb review!

can you please do a review on the Leica S2 , thankx

Yes the boeing airbus comparison really is something we all can relate to :) My airbus refuses to fly backward making it really hard to park. You are being very generous with your points

Great and honest review. Agree the memory card slot would be nice to have, but, is not a deal breaker for me personally. Certainly not a perfect camera.. and the AF takes some getting used to but is great overall. I manage to get over 1,000 images at a wedding per battery. I do turn it off when not in use though.

Excellent video. Thought your ratings were a bit high, but still done very well.

beautiful music, wayne. thx. it helps a lot. j.

first time seeing your video Miles, I swaer you could be a great English teacher!

You also need to set your Stabilization Mode to the lens you use. inside the menu.....Then you can walk around and your image is stable.

Thanks for your review. I've been watching your vids for long but it's my first comment!My first camera was Olympus E-pl1 and it was my love. Then I changed to Canon 70D and started to seriously learn photography lately. However it's really heavy and it just doesn't feel "right". I'm thinking about buying an olympus ( between e-pl7 and e-m10 II ) again, or a Sony A7.You've been taken great pics with M4/3 cams but I'm afraid it's too "amateur" since I want to be professional in the future. Especially seeing the pictures you took by FE 35mm f1.4. But I just love Olympus so much !! What do you say about it ? Between Olympus and Sony ? Do they really differ that much ?

If yu want feedback on the PP used to shoot the video, from the value segment on it's a striking difference, I don't know if it's all light (the shot seems mostly in the shade) or something else but it just look better, something tells me it's Slog but I can't be sure, nice and honest review darren, well done and thanks for sharing

RISC spotty performance and resets? my em-1 does this as well, lol. j.

Very good review I gree with you for wedding is not ideal, and for sports, action, wild life is not good either

Do you use the A7RII for real estate Photography? I'm currently using the Canon 6D for real estate Photos and video interviews, and want to upgrade. But I cannot decide between the 5D Mark IV or the Sony A7R II.

I totally agree with you we can not use this camera for wedding photography or commercial events. The video quality of it is just amazing. I have Nikon D750 for still and having this camera for video will be great. Thanks for the amazing review, you covered all important points.

whos composing the songs for you? it's so moving and it's really great. great song for great review

Best review on RU-vid - A7r Mark II - Thanks!

hey ! thanks for review . i decided to by a mirrorless camera ! but im so confused now . should i buy which one ? sony a7r ii or fuji xt2?

Regarding wedding photography I'm surprised you didn't review A7RII performance with a dedicated Sony flash, e.g. TTL accuracy, wireless TTL abilities, bounce capabilities, etc.

Darren, Very nice even handed smooth review! Were you using Lock on AF expandable spot?

great review

Realy good review. I newer use memory 1 slot camera too!!!, Even all was using 5D MarkII, I was used 1d Mark III only for that reason. And before that I was using Laptop to made backup any time I have had free minute in wedding's. It is all ok then you can reshot or refilm the object but in some live events like weddings Ohh if you have it lost OMG I would change the country even continent. :)O

Not to mention all the Nikon and Canon shooters who jump aboard, thinking their native glass will transfer over with one of many adapters, when in fact, they don't work as well as native Sony glass, esp. with the new focusing features, sony has implemented into their new 7 series bodies. I was a long time Canon shooter but have had Sony's for the past 2-3 years and have loved them but after shooting 1 time this past August with the a7RII, at a wedding, I couldn't agree more. I've been thinking about considering Nikon D810 or D750 for the wedding work I do and plan to do more of. Sure Sony is great in many ways but for a Pro photographer, Sony needs more time to get to that level, a Pro wedding shooter needs! I'm just wondering if I should be more patient, as they work on these issues and build better glass, or pull the trigger and spend more $$ on Nikon? You've certainly helped me, sway more toward Nikon, as an investment in my Wedding photography career. Thanks for the in depth video! Too many hyper Sony cross over enthusiasts, touting why they switched. If you can afford both Sony and Nikon, what a dream!!!!!

I found that airplane reference quite helpful. I know when I'm flying an Airbus jet, I appreciate those automatic features vs. when I'm flying a Bowing 767, I can enjoy manual flying. It's nice that someone finally used an analogy to which the average Joe can relate....sarcasm aside, this was a fantastic review. I really love your clear explanations. Thank you!

Great review, but with the two new Sony cameras (A7RIII and A7III) do you still have certain concerns?

great review as always - I think that battery life is nice - but I think most make a bit to much of having to change batteries few times on a 6-8 hour wedding day - I would rather change batteries few times than lugging around a much heavier and larger body - and with the A7xxx body one can have an extra body hanging around the neck no problem to avoid having to change lenses - just my feeling - yes of course I would love to run all day without changing a lens or a battery - or a SD card - but it is all a trade off - I suppose there will be grips coming soon - but I would not opt to get one - If I was doing a lot of video yes battery might be a concern and a battery grip worth getting - but for stills - my opinion is that few battery changes in a long day is not a huge problem given the benefits in size and weight - I do agree that most of Sony's A7 bodies and the NEX and A6000 are not that impressive in low light focus - I do not have the A7s but assume it is much better - I have bunch of M43 Lumix gear and they just blow the Sony's out of the water in low light focus - Something Sony will work on I am sure - I just think having having 2 bodies with you is a very nice thing especially if you are the only shooter - changing lenses constantly during a wedding is just old school - and how many good shoots can be missed - Carrying a D4s or a Canon 5Dm3 with a battery grip and a heavy lens - and due to weight and size only being able to carry one body vs changing a battery which takes 15 seconds - I would say that although Sony has many good lenses like you said the 55mm F1.8 for example - they still have no match for the Canon 70-200mm F2.8 - so I could justify the heavier and larger body for that - so a mix of two A7m2 or A7rm2 and a Canon with the 70-200mm F2.8 might be an option :) But many are strong and healthy and weight and size not an issue

i subscribed u because u sounded painstakingly honest. keep this attitude of calling a spade a spade

Superb review

Great review, Darren. I like your lens reviews, but you have a knack for camera reviews as well. I don't care how long they are when they are this good. By the way, you should try that Samsung NX1 sometime. Keep up the good work. :-)

I already own a fair number of very good Canon L prime and zoom lenses. Should I upgrade from my Canon 5D first generation to the 5D Mark IV, or just skip to the Sony A7RII? I love Canon glass. I think Canon has the best glass quality, selection, and price. I'm mainly into landscape photography, and secondly portrait. I think Sony is still very weak in terms of lenses. What would you do if you're in my situation?

Thanks for the video. I find that many people (Sony fanboys, I guess) try to exaggerate the advantages or the Sony, hide the disadvantages - at the same time exaggerate the disadvantages of DSLR's and hide their advantages. Your balanced review is refreshingly different.

Why it`s so magenty? Colourgrade?