The Sony α7, α7R, α7S and α7C (the α is sometimes spelled out as Alpha) are four closely related families of full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. The first two were announced in October 2013,Sony announces α7 and α7R: first full-frame mirrorless cameras: Digital Photography Review. Dpreview.com. Retrieved on 2013-10-30. the third in April 2014 and the fourth in September 2020. The α7 series was the first full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera on the market. They share the E-mount with the company's smaller sensor NEX series.
The α7 II was announced in November 2014, and is the first in the family to revise the original body and ergonomics. The α7C introduced an even more compact form factor, being the smallest full-frame camera with in-body image stabilization. The α7 series is targeted at experienced users, enthusiasts and professionals.Sony Global - Sony Global - Digital Imaging - α7. Sony.net (2013-10-16). Retrieved on 2013-10-30.
The Sony α7 and α7R have the model numbers ILCE-7 and ILCE-7R respectively. In addition, the α7S, the α7 II, and the α7R II have the model numbers ILCE-7S, ILCE-7M2, and ILCE-7RM2. Sony's new model naming prefix strives to unify model names. "ILC" stands for Interchangeable Lens Camera, followed by an indicator of A-mount "A" or E-mount "E".
Pre-announcement rumours speculated that the new camera would be named "Sony NEX-9".
Variations
From 2014-2015, Sony released the second generation of the α7 series. The α7 II (ILCE-7M2), α7R II (ILCE-7RM2) and α7S II (ILCE-7SM2). Sony continues to produce the first generation models α7 and α7S, even three years after the launch, only the α7 has been discontinued in April 2019.
The basic α7 II model has 24 MP and has manual focus and hybrid autofocus.
The second generation common ground is the newer and improved body design as well as the world's first five-axis sensor-shift image stabilization system for a full-frame ILC. Sony claims that this can compensate a 4.5-stop equivalent of camera shake. In-body stabilization requires no special lens features, and mirrorless system cameras can typically accommodate lenses from any SLR system. As an upgrade of the α7, the α7 II has the same 50 Mbit XAVC-S codec as the α7S but lacks 4K video, and the five-axis stabilization is less effective in video mode than that used in the Olympus OM-D E-M1. However, the crop mode used in the α7 II does not incur "very much loss in image quality", unlike that of the Nikon D750.
On 14 June 2015, Hasselblad announced the Lusso, a variant of the Sony α7R marketed by Hasselblad.
The third generation started in 2017, and the fourth was announced in July 2019.
Model differences
Model α7 α7R α7S α7 II α7R II α7S II α7R III (A) α7 III α7R IV (A) α7S III α7C α7 IV α7R V α7C II α7CR α7 Vα7R VI Product standing Basic High Resolution High Sensitivity Basic Mark II High Resolution Mark II High Sensitivity Mark II High Resolution Mark III Basic Mark III High Resolution Mark IV High Sensitivity Mark III Compact Basic Mark IV High Resolution Mark V Compact Mark II High Resolution Compact Basic Mark V High Resolution Mark VI Announced16 Oct 2013 6 Apr 2014 20 Nov 2014 10 June 2015 11 Sept 2015 25 Oct 2017 26 Feb 2018 16 Jul 2019 28 Jul 2020 15 Sep 2020 21 Oct 2021 26 Oct 2022 29 Aug 2023 02 Dec 2025Jun 2026 Sensor resolution at Full Format 24.3 MP Exmor CMOS6000 × 4000 pixels 36.4 MP Exmor CMOS7360 × 4912 pixels 12.2 MP Exmor CMOS4240 × 2832 pixels 24.3 MP Exmor CMOS6000 × 4000 pixels 42.4 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS7952 × 5304 pixels 12.2 MP Exmor CMOS4240 × 2832 pixels 42.4 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS7952 × 5304 pixels 24.2 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor6000 × 4000 pixels 61.0 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor9504 × 6336 pixels 12.1 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor4240 × 2832 pixels 24.2 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor6000 × 4000 pixels 33.0 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor7008 × 4672 pixels 61.0 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor9504 × 6336 pixels 33.0 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor7008 × 4672 pixels 61.0 MP Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor9504 × 6336 pixels 33.0 MP Exmor RS BSI-CMOS sensor7008 × 4672 pixels 66.8 MP Exmor RS BSI-CMOS sensor9984 × 6656 pixels Processor BIONZ X BIONZ XR BIONZ X BIONZ XR BIONZ XR2 ISO range Expanded ISO 50-25600Multi frame NR 100-51200 Expanded ISO 50-25600Multi frame NR 100-51200 Native ISO 100-102400Expanded ISO 50-409600 Expanded ISO 50-25600Multi frame NR 100-51200 Native ISO 100-25600Expanded ISO 50-102400 Native ISO 100-102400Expanded ISO 50-409600 Native ISO 100-32000Expanded ISO 50-102400 Native ISO 100-51200Expanded ISO 50-204800 Native ISO 100-32000Expanded ISO 50-102400 Native ISO 80-102400Expanded ISO 40-409600 Native ISO 100-51200 Expanded ISO 50-204800 Native ISO 100-32000Expanded ISO 50-102400 Native ISO 100-51200Expanded ISO 50-204800 (Stills), 100-102400 (Video) Native ISO 100-32000Expanded ISO 50-102400 (Stills), None (Video) Native ISO 100-51200Expanded ISO 50-204800Native ISO 100-32000Expanded ISO 50-102400 Autofocus 25 points CD-AFw/ 117 points PD-AF 25 points CD-AF 25 points CD-AFw/ 117 points PD-AF 25 points CD-AFw/ 399 points PD-AF 169 points CD-AF425 points CD-AFw/ 399 points PD-AF 425 points CD-AFw/ 693 points PD-AF 425 points CD-AFw/ 567 points PD-AF 425 points CD-AFw/ 759 points PD-AF 425 points CD-AFw/ 693 points PD-AF 425 points CD-AFw/ 759 points PD-AF 425 points CD-AFw/ 693 points PD-AF Stills: 759 points hybridVideo: 627 points hybrid Stills & Video: 693 points hybrid Unknown points CD-AFw/ 759 points PD-AFUnknown points CD-AFw/ 759 points PD-AF Maximum flash sync speed 1/250 1/160 1/250 1/160 1/250 1/160 (full frame)1/200 (APS-C) 1/2501/320 s (APS-C) Max Continuous Shooting 5 frame/s 4 frame/s 5 frame/s 10 frame/s 8 frame/s 30 frame/s In-body image stabilization No 5-axis Flash Exposure Lock No Yes Shutter Speed 1/8000 – 30s 1/4000 – 30 s e-Front Curtain only (1/8000 electronic) 1/8000 – 30 s 1/4000 – 30 s e-Front Curtain only (1/8000 electronic) 1/8000 – 30 s (1/16000 electronic) Electronic shutter mode First-curtain only No First-curtain, silent shutter First-curtain only First-curtain, silent shutter Gapless on-chip lens No Yes No Yes Live-view Tethered Capture No Yes Yes (wired and wireless)Custom minimum shutter speed at Auto ISO No Yes Flexible Spot with Lock on AF Continuous Eye-AF Yes Yes (real-time tracking) AF Sensitivity 0 ~ 20 EV -4 ~ 20 EV-1 ~ 20 EV -2 ~ 20 EV -4 ~ 20 EV -3 ~ 20 EV -6 ~ 20 EV -4 ~ 20 EV Metering Sensitivity -3 ~ 20 EV -3 ~ 20 EV User Custom Buttons 3 4 1 4+DialProgrammable settings No Yes Monitor pixels 921.6 K 1,228.8 K 1,444 K2,359.2K(A7RM3A) 921.6 K 1,444 K2,359.2K(A7RM4A) 1,444 K 921.6 K 1,036 K 2,095 K 1,036 K 2,095 K Touch Panel No Yes Yes (fully touch menu system) Yes Yes (fully touch menu system) Viewfinder dots 2.4 M 3.68 M 2.4 M 5.76 M 9.43 M 2.4 M 3.68 M 9.43 M 2.4 M 3.68 M 9.43 M Viewfinder Resolution XGA(1024 × 768 pixels) Quad-VGA(1280 × 960 pixels) XGA(1024 × 768 pixels) UXGA(1600 × 1200 pixels) Quad-XGA(2048 × 1536 pixels) XGA(1024 × 768 pixels) Quad-VGA(1280 × 960 pixels) Quad-XGA(2048 × 1536 pixels) XGA(1024 × 768 pixels) Quad-VGA(1280 × 960 pixels) Quad-XGA(2048 × 1536 pixels) Viewfinder Magnification 0.71× 0.78× 0.90× 0.59× 0.78× 0.90× 0.70× 0.78× Memory card slot 1 (Memory Stick Duo/SD) 2 (slot 1: SD; slot 2: Memory Stick Duo/SD) 2 (both slots: SD/CFexpress Type A) 1 (SD only) 2 (slot 1: SD/CFexpress Type A; slot 2: SD) 2 (both slots: SD/CFexpress Type A) 1 (SD only) 2 (slot 1: SD/CFexpress Type A; slot 2: SD) 2 (both slots: SD/CFexpress Type A) Video record format MPEG-4, AVCHD (28 Mbit/s)1080p MPEG-4, AVCHD (28 Mbit/s),XAVC S (50 Mbit/s) 1080p MPEG-4, AVCHD (28 Mbit/s),XAVC S (100 Mbit/s) 4K video MPEG-4, XAVC S, H.265 (280 Mbit/s), MPEG-4, XAVC S, H.264 (100 Mbit/s) 4K video MPEG-4, AVCHD (28 Mbit/s),XAVC S (100 Mbit/s) 4K video XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-I Video sampling Line skipping Full-pixel readout Line skipping Pixel-binning at Full FormatFull-pixel readout at Super 35Full-pixel readout Slow motion video record No Yes (720p, 120fps) No Yes (720p, 120fps) Yes (1080p, 120fps) Yes (4K, 120fps) Yes (1080p, 120fps)Yes (1080p@240fps, 4K@60fps)Yes (1080p@240fps, 4K@60fps) HDMI Output 4K still and 1080p video 4K still and 4K video 4K still and 1080p video 8K still and 4K video 4K still and 4K video 8K still and 4K video 4K still and 4K video 8K still and 4K video 4K still and 4K video 8K still and 4K video Video Light mode No Yes No Yes Professional Video edit Picture Profile w/CineGamma,Timecode, Userbit Other features Hybrid autofocus system No optical Low-pass filter Full-pixel readout video at Full Format Hybrid autofocus system Hybrid autofocus system, No optical Low-pass filter Full-pixel readout video at Full Format Lossless RAW No (11+7 bit lossy RAW) Yes, uncompressed (2.0 firmware update) Yes, uncompressed Yes, compressed or uncompressed Yes, compressed Yes, compressed or uncompressed Star Eater Only in Bulb mode Only at 4s and above after Fw2.10, upgraded algorithm after Fw4.0, not present in continuous shooting mode Only at 4s and above, upgraded algorithm PD-AF w/ adapted lens Only A-mount lenses w/ LA-EA2 and LA-EA4 Yes (Firmware update) Yes Only w/ LA-EA2/4 Yes Operate while USB charging No Yes Yes w/ Tethering Battery Life(CIPA standards) 340 shots 340 shots 380 shots 350 shots 340 shots 370 shots 530 shots (EVF) / 650 shots (Monitor)640 shots (Monitor on A7RM3A) 610 shots (EVF) / 710 shots (Monitor) 530 shots (EVF) / 670 shots (Monitor)660 shots (Monitor on A7RM4A) 510 shots (EVF) / 600 shots (Monitor) 680 shots (EVF) / 740 shots (Monitor) Stills: 530 shots (EVF) / 560 shots (Monitor)Continuous video recording: 165 minutes (EVF or monitor) Stills: 490 shots (EVF) / 530 shots (Monitor)Continuous video recording: 155 minutes (EVF or monitor) Stills: 630 shots (EVF) / 750 shots (Monitor)Continuous video recording: 210 minutes (EVF or monitor)Stills: 600 shots (EVF) / 710 shots (Monitor)Continuous video recording: 210 minutes (EVF or monitor) Body material Combi. of magnesium alloyand polycarbonate Full magnesium alloy chassis and polycarb bayonet mount. Full magnesium alloy chassis and stainless steel bayonet mount. Magnesium alloy used for the top, front, and rear covers Weight(w/ battery and media) 416 g(474 g)407 g(465 g) 446 g(489 g) 556 g(599 g) 582 g(625 g) 584 g(627 g) 572 g(657 g) 565 g(650 g) 578 g(665 g) 614 g(699 g)424 g(509 g) 573 g(658 g) (723 g) 429 g(514 g) 430 g(515 g) 610 g(695 g) 622 g(713 g) Dimension 126.9 × 94.4 × 54.8 mm 126.9 × 95.7 × 59.7 mm 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3 mm 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7 mm 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5 mm 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8 mm 124 × 71.1 × 59.7 mm 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8 mm 131.3 x 96.9 x 82.4 mm 124.0 x 71.1 x 63.4 mm 130.3 x 96.4 x 82.4 mm 132.7 × 96.9 × 82.9 mm Discontinued Dec 2019
BIONZ BIONZ is a line of image processors used in Sony digital cameras. It is currently used in many Sony α DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Image processing in the camera converts the raw data from a CCD or CMOS image sensor into the format that is stored on the memory card. This processing is one of the bottlenecks in digital camera speed, so manufacturers put much effort into making, and marketing, the fastest processors for this step that they can.
Sony designs the circuitry of the processor in-house, and outsources the manufacturing to semiconductor foundries such as MegaChips and (mostly) GlobalFoundries, as they currently do not own any fabrication plant capable of producing a system on a chip (SoC). Sony also sources DRAM chips from various manufacturers namely Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron Technology.