Both reviews praised the constant-aperture lens, image quality, video controls and viewfinder, while noting substantial bulk and cost. Photography Blog found slow powered zooming and an easily nudged aperture click switch frustrating. Expert Reviews liked handling and sharp video, but found autofocus updates during continuous shooting slow.
1.0-type optical format; physical dimensions 13.2 × 8.8 mm
Image formats
JPEG and RAW (Sony ARW 2.3); AVCHD 2.0 and MP4 movies at launch; XAVC S added in firmware 2.00
ISO detail
Standard single-frame ISO 125–12800; extended ISO 80/100; multi-shot noise reduction reaches ISO 25600. UK support's combined ISO range does not distinguish multi-shot mode; launch specification does.
Image processor
BIONZ X
Lens and shooting
Built-in lens
24–200 mm equivalent
Maximum aperture
f/2.8
Optical zoom
8.3×
Stabilisation
Optical lens stabilisation
Maximum continuous burst
10 fps
Lens detail
ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T*; actual 8.8–73.3 mm; 24–200 mm equivalent for 3:2 stills; three-stop ND filter and 62 mm filter thread
Autofocus
Single-shot AF, continuous AF, direct manual focus and manual focus; Eye AF and Lock-on AF
Shutter
Manual mode permits Bulb and 30 seconds to 1/3200 second at f/8 or smaller; maximum speed at f/2.8 is 1/1600 second
Burst detail
Maker specifies up to 10 fps for up to ten shots. Speed Priority Continuous fixes focus and exposure at the first frame (Photography Blog).
Flash
Manually raised built-in flash; Multi Interface Shoe for compatible accessories
Video
Highest video resolution
1920 × 1080 at 50 fps
Video detail
PAL Full HD up to 1920 × 1080 at 50p; NTSC up to 60p. Firmware 2.00 released 28 August 2014 adds XAVC S including Full HD 50/60p and 1280 × 720 at 100/120p; Class 10 SDXC required. No 4K movie recording.
Audio
Stereo recording, adjustable audio level, microphone input and headphone monitoring
Screen and viewfinder
Viewfinder
Electronic
Screen size
3″
Touchscreen
No
Tilting screen
Yes
Display detail
Tilting 3-inch LCD without touch input (Photography Blog); Sony Japan launch specification states approximately 1.229 million LCD dots, while UK support lists 1.44 million. Dot count omitted from main row because these maker records conflict.
Viewfinder detail
0.39-type OLED with 1,440,000 dots, 100% coverage and approximately 0.70× equivalent magnification (Sony Japan); Expert Reviews' higher finder resolution conflicts with the maker
Connections and design
Wi-Fi
Yes
Battery life (maker's claim)
340 photographs
Body weight
755 g
Release detail
Sony Korea states preorder shipments begin 13 November 2013; Sony Japan specifies 15 November retail availability. Preorder opening on 6 November is not the release date.
Recording media
SD, SDHC, SDXC and Memory Stick variants
Ports
Multi/Micro USB with USB 2.0, Micro HDMI, Multi Interface Shoe, microphone input and headphone output
Wireless connections
Wi-Fi and NFC One-touch remote and sharing
Battery life detail
NP-FW50; Sony UK support states up to 340 CIPA photographs without identifying display mode. Photography Blog states 420 photographs; the maker support value is retained.
Charging
In-camera USB charging
Dimensions
Sony UK quotes 129 × 88.1 × 120.6 mm overall and 102.2 mm depth from lens front to monitor; Sony Japan's launch table gives the latter depth
Weight detail
Approximately 755 g body only; 813 g with battery and media (Sony). Expert Reviews quotes 834 g without defining the same weighing basis.
Colours
Black
Pros and cons
Pros
+Constant f/2.8 lens and built-in ND filter
+RAW recording and manual exposure controls
+Microphone input, headphone output and accessory shoe
