Sony A7CR First Impressions | Best Everyday & Travel Camera? 

Obviously, throw Leica glass on it. Super small and reliable setup. And with a Voigtlander close-focus adapter, you can even get shots you couldn't with the Leica glass normally (due to focusing closer than 0.7 m rangefinder coupled).

The video is so good, I love your warm yellow lighting!

Amazing review, thank you so much for the size comparison between all this cameras!

100% agree with the psychological advantages of rangefinder designs! I just love being able to better communicate with my clients during a shoot. And at wedding receptions and the like I sometimes leave my left eye open to scan the environment and notice someone walk into the frame like I’m a sneaky street photography ninja (I suck at street photography, but don’t tell anyone).

Benj- Great review Very human And not too much camera nerd stuff. Love your observation on seeing the face of camera person - brilliant. Steve

really appreciate the thoughts on the viewfinder. great insight. thanks

Thanks for your thoughts on this release.

You've inspired me good sir... ordered👍

Thanks for an insightful sensible real-world review! :)

It's so amazing that these cameras exist. These rangefinder cameras look wonder, but when you place the grip and the huge lens, then you might as well have the big boy camera.

The nice thing about the grip is that is is removeable. For travel purposes, you could take it off when you want to travel extra light. The biggest drawback I see is that lack of Dynamic Active Stabilization. The ZV-E1 has it, so there is no reason they couldn't include it in these more expensive cameras.

I have one. I use it with Sony zooms. I don’t need two cards slots and not having a joy stick isn’t a deal breaker. I do use it for pro shots doing wildlife in the field hand held. I love it.

pretty sweet! Tempting for sure. Maybe time to get rid of my Sigma FPL and takes this cutie alongside my Q3

nice little camera, but I'm more than happy with my x pro 3. Always like looking at new gear and I've never tried a sony before so would love to try one.

Hello, thanks for the test video! From my point of view the right height of the new a7C, should be the a7C with the grip but in one piece: a beautiful compact brick! This could incorporate a large EVF of much better magnification and quality, an internal hard drive, the new flip tilt screen. a high-end RangeFinder!

Interesting title. That’s what I was wondering whether I could make a lower cost Q3 (since we can’t find them) with a lens combo.

Great one Benj. Waiting for My A7CR. One thing that throws me off a bit every time I see it, is the design of the extension grip.

I’d love a joystick…I believe you can make the directional buttons on the wheel at the bottom to move the focus square.

I don’t have an issue with the small viewfinder at all. In fact I wish Sony get rid of it all together and give us a bright OLED screen like iPhone’s. Do you know if the sensor has AA filter? Thanks for the review.

Never got around to comparing the A7cr to the Q3...

Thinking of changing from Canon R5 to Sony, should I go a7rv or this? Only shoot stills

My biggest wish is CASCADE PRESET for CAPTURE ONE. I pray 🙏 for that !

in M file size you have 26 mp fullframe! so it's better for weddings than a7iv

I'd definitely pick up the A7CII as a travel camera! How are you liking the 50mm 1.4 GM? I currently have the 1.2 GM, but I love the form factor of the 1.4 GM.

A7cii What about the talks dual iso is not working, at 3200 it is noisy?

Digggg that lens hood! Also, the size comparisons were so so helpful, best video out there to understand how tiny these bodies are

I swoped my MP and lenses for a Nikon D3 because i thought film was dead, so i thought, why keep something I soon couldn't use, film was dieing, right? DOH!!!!! And yes, I'm still kicking myself, but the sand in the Vassaline is film is about £10 a roll plus d&p, tricky one but, a one off payment, vs the operating costs that could bankrupt a medium size country in film costs and I can't afford that. 😢😢😢 Great report, I enjoyed that.

Hey Benj, thanks for this review ! Quick question , I am getting into concert photography and want to get a Sony body, which used bodies are most capable of shooting in low light situations?

I think this lenshood ist for sony 40mm. 2.8

Killer video! Would you mind sharing what Moment Cinebloom strength you've been using in your videos?

Wish Sony would make some small manual lenses to match with this camera. Being able to zone focus on a camera this powerful would make a great option for street shooters.

Camera bodies are not the issue. FF lenses, especially telephoto are huge, heavy and expensive. The question is are they worth it compared to APSC or M4/3?

We all just want a camera we can take everywhere and do what we want it to do.

Hey I have the same camera and I’ve been using your cascade presets. When I use north and export photos to instagram they look super grainy but not on my phone. This doesn’t happen on other presets or photos without them do you know why?

I will buy a plane ticket to Mexico City the day my distributor there gets one. I'm so excited about the megapixels and the AI autofocus. I just haven't been able to get myself to spend the money for an R5.

Wonder what compact lenses you’d recommend?

That a7cii looks like a fun option over the zve1 So many cameras from Sony haha

Benj after seeing your table, I'm concerned you might not have enough cameras.

Why 61mp? Is it only for cropping or is there a different aesthetic look vs 33mp. Thank you.

Sony should have made the camera a bit taller or the backside screen a bit smaller, so the EVF could have been larger and with higher resolution, if the EVF had 9.5 mega dots and larger magnification, I may have bought this camera, well there are other issues, like the electronic first curtain...

Is the small grip it comes with compatible with arca swiss mounts?

1:03 ghost camera (bottom right corner) taking a bow to the A7CR. 😮😂

Does the Haoge hood vignette / block the view on the 24mm at FF?

I’d get this over a Q3! CANON, where you at!? If Canon made a competitor to this camera they’ve have my purchase 🎉

Do you have a link to the lens hood?

On the A7 C11 DO you think it is good enough for landscape, wildlife and video or is the a7 cr the better choice?

Sony is killing smaller sensor. I mean a Full Frame that has this compact size is just incredible I know lenses are still kind of big in comparison to APSC and Micro Four Third but WOW I'm surprised because I have a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and that Sony is really small in comparison to what it offers

You need more cameras on the table, i want it covered. No table. All Cameras.

Did i miss the comparison to the Q3?

Would you say you lean towards the A7cR for the crop ability factor. I shoot with an A1 and A7iv at weddings and want a family camera . A7cii is rad but part of me just wants more mega pixels and the crop ability . Plus the full frame 4k 60 is nice for slow mo if I shoot travel vids . What’s your thought there

Wait! Now we have the Zf

Flex away!

Appreciate you disclosing that Sony sent you the camera for free, that it isn't sponsored by them and they're not seeing it before it goes live. But do they send you a list of things you can and can't say in the video? I.e. comparing it to cameras from other manufacturers? Also, don't you think you should disclose that they sent you to the Sony Kando Trip 3.0 for the launch of this camera? Was it all expenses paid? Did they give you free "gifts" while you were there?

I hear so many people talk about using eye AF instead of a joystick. But not all of us shoot people all the time. I use the joystick to set the AF point on an object when I'm shooting street/architecture/landscape or products. Without it I'd be focus and re-composing all the time. Even a wedding photographer will shoot some images of the venue, cake, rings, flowers, etc. How do you use eye AF for that...?

Leica Q2 just entered the chat (Q3 adds nothing material to me). Ricoh GR IIIX shuffles sideways to share the sofa.

They should have copied the Fuji screen from the X-E4. Best of photographer + vlogger guy. No one wants a screen precariously out to the left for low/high angle shooting.

1:05 ghoooooost

Now all Sony needs is a good 28mm prime lens to compete with q3

Sony plays with customers. They intentionally removed joystic, 8000 shutter speed, some custom buttons making people thirsty after those. So those will be included on 'a7cr ii' and people will buy them again. You just have to wait.

IMO Sony can streamline their product range in order to focus on delivering greater customer satisfaction. The line is carrying bloat from when they first started out competing with Canon/Nikon DSLRs: • Kill the A7S line; bring it entirely into the FX line. Have one camera with a shutter or enable fast readout like A9, A1 (shouldn’t be impossible if they can’t already do it on higher megapixel sensors I suppose) - A1 as the pro level flagship + A7/A9 as the lower tier (abit like the 1D and 5D segmentation). This will keep the current A7 SLR like body design language. It’s possible to just have two models but an A7, A9, A1 in increasing order of spec could be ok. Though the numbers, models need a rename. It makes no sense and it’s confusing. - Fold the A7R line into the A7CR line. Launch in 2025 for USD 3298 a A7CR II with the design enhancements of the A7RV (display hinge, dual cards, full mechanical shutter etc.) and upgrade it further (new sensor, upgraded EVF, buffer, FPS, higher flash sync, reduced rolling shutter for electronic shutter, tethering etc). This will be the photographer centric line. Continue to include capable video features as they did with the A7RV/A7CR but it’s not the main focus. Relax on following the A6000-series design. Hire someone in to design a beautiful camera if they must. There’s a lot of potential to keep things compact but explore evolving the design. That the Sony logo is squashed into the corner on the A7CR/A7CII cameras is horrid. Why not make a design silhouette that is almost unmistakably A7C rather than need to slap on the brand logo in the corner? Think about the A7C line with its own considerations; right now it’s just kinda squished in with the main SLR like cameras (the grip accessory says as much and is really just a band aid on the “problem”). Maybe “C” or “SE” versions of select popular lenses that shave off certain specs for a more compact lens body (E.g. declick, aperture ring) - Keep the A7C line as an affordable, accessible, yet capable model. For younger customers, and as a trump card if the competition undercuts (like the A73 was) drop in massive specs trickled down to fend off. So it will all look like: - A1 flagship - A9 and/or A7 (if just one model, rename “A3”?) - A7CR (needs a rename) - A7C - FX line - RX line if they want in on the compact camera hype of X100, GR - Kill the Z series Company promise to maintain firmware parity across models and better app dev to go along with the refresh. While Sony has saved money by reusing the same chassis, parts etc. I think streamlining the range, operations, inventory etc. may introduce savings that perhaps is equivalent. Video and Cine customer: FX Stills: A7CR Pro fast action, 50-50 hybrid: A1, A7/A9 Entry level, “content creator”, “vlogger”: A7C

the flippy screen is a sin on a camera obviously partially targeted at the street photo crowd

As an avid Leica Q2 user, these new cameras are so interesting to see from Sony! I am definitely interested in adding a Sony A7CII to my everyday kit as I think it’s a great companion to my Leica.

Someone needs to make a 24mm f2 pancake lens for the C line Sony cameras

This is a legitimate Leica Q3 competitor.

false advertising, hasn't even mentioned Q3...

flip out screens work for everything, i hate the pop up screen, wtf are you on about dude... people have been using flip outs for way longer then popup screens and the flip out screen works far more better then the other in ever scenario especially low to the ground vertical photo, get a grip dude. the flip out does everything and more by itself the pop up screen was literally originally designed for vloggers in mind NOT THE FLIP OUT SCREEN WHICH IS A PHOTOGRAPHERS SCCREEN

The viewfinder looks as tragic as before. I don’t think people realize how BAD that viewfinder is… I tried it at the store and I just had to put the camera down. It was the most awful crap cheap viewfinder I have ever experienced. Having said that man…. You got WAY too many cameras! 😅 Anyway. Back to my M10R. All this spec talk is way too complicated for me. I just want to take a picture. 😀

To me the design of this camera is really dull, it’s nowhere near the Leica Q, any of the Leicas you mention in fact or the X100V. I’ve had a look at the A7C and the viewfinder was appalling, presume this is similar. Once you put the grip on it’s just like a slightly smaller A7 - I don’t get it.

Sony is leaving the competition on the dust

1 card slot? I’m out… come on, are they trying to sell this as a serious camera with one card slot? 🤦‍♂️

Come on Benj - clickbait? Really?

I really never liked this A7C body... Ugly, feels bad in my hands and the screen and viewfinder are garbage... Really doesn't match for me. 🙃

Sony,Canon and Nikon are disposable cameras people use them like phones. They can’t wait for the new model to come out every 1 or 2 years. They go to the landfill faster.

The shooting experience on these Sony's look SO uninspired.

Actually not in the same league as Leica.