Alpha 7

Released November 2013

The original Sony Alpha 7 is a 24.3 MP full-frame E-mount mirrorless camera with hybrid autofocus, an OLED viewfinder and Full HD video.

Type: Mirrorless
Sensor: Full frame
Megapixels: 24.3
Lens: Sony E-mount
Video: 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
Body weight: 416 g

What reviewers say

Photography Blog and Digital Camera World praise the image quality, compact body and extensive controls, while finding battery life weak. Photography Blog criticises the loud shutter and focusing speed compared with the fastest rivals. Digital Camera World finds daylight autofocus effective but reports hunting in poor light and awkward focus-point selection; its review revisits the original model years after launch.

From photographyblog.com and digitalcameraworld.com

Specifications

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Image and sensor

Camera type: Mirrorless
Sensor format: Full frame
Sensor type: Exmor CMOS
Sensor dimensions: 35.8 × 23.9 mm
Effective resolution: 24.3 MP
Largest image: 6000 × 4000
RAW recording: Yes
Standard ISO range: 100–25600
Sensor detail: Approximately 24.7 million total pixels; 3:2 sensor; anti-static coating and ultrasonic dust reduction
Image formats: JPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG; Sony ARW 2.3; 14-bit RAW output
ISO detail: Standard still-image ISO 100–25600; expanded ISO 50. Multi Frame NR offers ISO 51200 by combining images, rather than extending the standard single-image range.
Image processor: BIONZ X

Lens and shooting

Lens mount: Sony E-mount
Stabilisation: Optical lens stabilisation
Maximum continuous burst: 5 fps
Lens detail: Interchangeable E-mount; full-frame FE lenses use the whole sensor, while APS-C lenses use a crop. ILCE-7K includes FE 28–70mm F3.5–5.6 OSS; the photograph shows this kit.
Autofocus: Fast Hybrid AF; 117 phase-detection and 25 contrast-detection points in full-frame mode; single AF, continuous AF, direct manual focus and manual focus; Eye AF and Lock-on AF
Shutter: Electronically controlled focal-plane shutter; 30 seconds to 1/8000 second plus Bulb; flash sync 1/250 second
Burst detail: Approximately 5 fps Speed Priority Continuous or 2.5 fps normal continuous shooting. Sony's original ILCE-7/7R Help Guide states that speed-priority focus normally fixes at the first image, but specifically permits phase-detection AF with Continuous AF on the ILCE-7; exposure behaviour depends on AEL-with-shutter settings. Speed and tracking depend on shooting conditions and lens compatibility. Sony specifies a speed-priority buffer of 25 RAW or 23 RAW+JPEG photographs.
Stabilisation detail: No sensor-shift stabilisation; optical correction requires a compatible OSS lens
Flash: No built-in flash; external flash uses the Multi Interface Shoe
Exposure controls: Program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual; Intelligent Auto, Superior Auto, scene modes, Sweep Panorama, DRO and Auto HDR

Video

Highest video resolution: 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
Video detail: AVCHD Full HD 60p/24p on the Japanese model; PAL versions offer 50p/25p. Interlaced 60i/50i modes are separate from progressive frame rates. MP4 recording also available. HDMI 4K output is for still-image playback, not 4K movie recording.
Audio: Built-in stereo microphone; 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets; recording-level adjustment and audio-level display

Screen and viewfinder

Viewfinder: Electronic
Screen size: 3″
Screen dots: 921,600
Touchscreen: No
Tilting screen: Yes
Display detail: TFT screen tilts approximately 90° up or 45° down; dots count colour subpixels
Viewfinder detail: 0.5-inch XGA OLED Tru-Finder; 2,359,296 dots; 100% coverage; approximately 0.71× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity

Connections and design

Wi-Fi: Yes
Battery life (maker's claim): 340 photographs
Body weight: 416 g
Release detail: Sony Japan specifies 15 November 2013 for the original ILCE-7 body and ILCE-7K kit, following its 16 October announcement. This is not the higher-resolution Alpha 7R or a later Alpha 7 generation.
Recording media: SD, SDHC and SDXC including UHS-I; Memory Stick PRO Duo, PRO-HG Duo and XC-HG Duo
Ports: Multi/Micro USB, Micro HDMI, microphone and headphone sockets, Multi Interface Shoe
Wireless connections: Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC
Battery life detail: NP-FW50; Sony Japan claims approximately 340 photographs using the monitor or 270 using the viewfinder under CIPA conditions
Charging: USB charging in the camera
Dimensions: Approximately 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2 mm (width × height × depth) in Sony's launch table; the Japanese specification also gives 54.8 mm from grip to viewfinder, versus 48.2 mm from grip to monitor
Weight detail: Approximately 416 g body only; 474 g including battery and Memory Stick PRO Duo; both exclude the lens
Materials: Magnesium-alloy top cover and internal structure; dust- and moisture-resistant design, not a waterproof rating

Pros and cons

Pros

Full-frame sensor with RAW recording
Electronic viewfinder and tilting screen
Microphone and headphone sockets

Cons

No sensor-shift stabilisation
Screen does not support touch input
No built-in flash

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Sensor	Megapixels	Lens	Video	Body weight	Released
SonyAlpha 7R	Mirrorless	Full frame	36.4	Sony E-mount	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	407 g	Nov 2013
SonyAlpha 7 II	Mirrorless	Full frame	24.3	Sony E-mount	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	556 g	Dec 2014
SonyAlpha 7S	Mirrorless	Full frame	12.2	Sony E-mount	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	446 g	Jun 2014

Sources

Photo: sony.jp

Sony Alpha 7 and Alpha 7R, shared supplied composition showing the Alpha 7 front view and Alpha 7R three-quarter view with lenses: Sony, official Japan launch press composition shared by Alpha 7 and Alpha 7R; complete supplied canvas retained. Mounted lenses are separate from body specifications.
Sony Alpha 7, rear three-quarter view with optional vertical grip and lens: Sony, official exact-model Japan product feature photograph; camera shown with optional VG-C1EM vertical grip and lens, sold separately; shared rear-body photograph explicitly published for Alpha 7 and Alpha 7R

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