Sony Alpha 7C II vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A290
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyAlpha 7C II | SonyAlpha DSLR-A290 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | September 2023 | July 2010 |
| Image and sensor | ||
| Camera type | Mirrorless | DSLR |
| Sensor format | Full frame | APS-C |
| Sensor type | Back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor dimensions | 35.9 × 23.9 mm | 23.5 × 15.7 mm |
| Effective resolution | 33 MP | 14.2 MP |
| Largest image | 7008 × 4672 | 4592 × 3056 |
| RAW recording | Yes | Yes |
| Standard ISO range | 100–51200 | 100–3200 |
| Sensor detail | Approximately 34.1 million total pixels; optical low-pass filter; maker maximum movie effective resolution 27.6 MP | Approximately 14.9 million total pixels; RGB primary-colour filter; anti-static coating and image-sensor-shift dust reduction |
| Image formats | JPEG, HEIF and RAW (Sony ARW 5.0); 14-bit RAW output; compressed, lossless-compressed and uncompressed RAW options; XAVC S, XAVC S-I and XAVC HS movies | JPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG; Sony ARW 2.1; 3:2 and 16:9; sRGB and Adobe RGB |
| ISO detail | Standard still-image and movie ISO 100–51200; still-image extension ISO 50–204800; movie extension reaches ISO 102400. Photography Blog lists a lower extended maximum; Sony’s explicit specification is used. | – |
| Image processor | BIONZ XR and dedicated AI processing unit | BIONZ (Sony launch announcement) |
| Lens and shooting | ||
| Lens mount | Sony E-mount | Sony A-mount |
| Stabilisation | Sensor shift | Sensor shift |
| Maximum continuous burst | 10 fps | 2.5 fps |
| Lens detail | Interchangeable E-mount; body-only and FE 28–60 mm f/4–5.6 kit offered; the photo shows both body colours with this optional kit lens | – |
| Autofocus | Fast Hybrid AF; up to 759 phase-detection points for stills or 627 for movies; EV -4 to 20 at ISO 100 with an f/2 lens; current maker subjects include automatic selection, humans, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains and aircraft | Nine-point TTL phase detection with central cross sensor; EV 0–18 at ISO 100; single, automatic and continuous AF plus manual focus; Eye-start AF and flash AF illumination |
| Shutter | Electronic first-curtain mechanical shutter up to 1/4000 second; silent electronic shutter up to 1/8000 second; 30-second exposures and Bulb; flash sync 1/160 second full-frame or 1/200 second APS-C with Sony flash | Electronically controlled focal-plane shutter; 30 seconds to 1/4000 second and Bulb; flash sync 1/160 second |
| Burst detail | Up to 10 fps Hi+; maker buffer approximately 44 compressed RAW, 27 lossless-compressed RAW or 18 uncompressed RAW images; over 1,000 Fine JPEGs. Amateur Photographer notes 10 fps requires compressed RAW and gives 8 fps live-view continuous or 6 fps with lossless-compressed RAW. | Maximum approximately 2.5 fps at full resolution using the optical viewfinder; maker specifies Fine JPEG until card fills, six RAW or three RAW+JPEG frames, depending on card and conditions |
| Stabilisation detail | Five-axis sensor shift; maker claim 7 stops under CIPA pitch/yaw testing with the FE 50 mm f/1.2 GM lens and long-exposure noise reduction off; current maker movie modes include Dynamic Active and Active electronic correction | SteadyShot INSIDE sensor shift; approximately 2.5–3.5 shutter-speed steps depending on lens and shooting conditions |
| Flash | No built-in flash; Multi Interface Shoe supports compatible external flash | Pop-up flash, guide number 10 m at ISO 100; ADI and pre-flash TTL; Sony Alpha accessory shoe; wireless flash with compatible optional external flash |
| Exposure controls | 1200-zone evaluative metering; exposure compensation ±5 EV | P/A/S/M and scene modes; 40-segment honeycomb SPC metering; ±2 EV in 0.3 EV steps; three-frame exposure bracketing at 0.3 or 0.7 EV; Dynamic Range Optimizer Off, Standard and Advanced |
| Video | ||
| Highest video resolution | 3840 × 2160 at 60 fps | – |
| Video detail | Internal 3840 × 2160 up to 60p NTSC or 50p PAL, with 10-bit 4:2:2 options; 60p/50p requires Super 35 crop. Full-frame 30p is oversampled from approximately 7K; Full HD up to 120p NTSC or 100p PAL. XAVC S-I 4K reaches 600 Mbps at 60p. S-Log3, S-Cinetone, user LUT display and AI Auto Framing; HDMI output supports 10-bit 4:2:2, without RAW video output. | No movie recording (WIRED); HDMI is for still-image playback |
| Audio | Built-in stereo microphone; 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets; digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe; compatible accessories support four-channel 24-bit LPCM | – |
| Screen and viewfinder | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | Optical |
| Screen size | 3″ | 2.7″ |
| Screen dots | 1,036,800 | 230,400 |
| Touchscreen | Yes | – |
| Tilting screen | Yes | No |
| Display detail | Side-opening vari-angle touchscreen; opens approximately 176° and rotates approximately 270°; touch menu operation | Fixed Clear Photo LCD; dots count colour subpixels; no live view |
| Viewfinder detail | 0.39-type XGA OLED; 2,359,296 dots; approximately 0.70× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity; 60 or 120 fps refresh | Pentamirror optical viewfinder; approximately 95% coverage and 0.83× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity (Sony UK specifications). Shared original Asia specification sheet prints 0.74× across the model table; exact UK model table used |
| Connections and design | ||
| Wi-Fi | Yes | – |
| Bluetooth | Yes | – |
| Battery life (maker's claim) | 560 photographs | 500 photographs |
| Body weight | 429 g (better) | 456 g |
| Release detail | Sony Australia specifies retail availability from September 2023. Photography Blog reports the original Alpha 7C remained in the range alongside the II. Current maker specifications include later-supported subject recognition and movie-stabilisation features. | Sony Spain's original announcement specifies availability in the first half of July 2010; month precision retained. Sony Europe's parallel announcement states summer 2010; DPReview also reports July shipping |
| Recording media | One SD slot supporting UHS-I and UHS-II; no CFexpress support | Separate Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo/PRO-HG Duo HX and SD/SDHC card slots |
| Ports | USB-C (USB 3.2 at 5 Gbps), Micro HDMI Type D, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe | USB 2.0 Hi-Speed and mini HDMI Type C; supports BRAVIA Sync and PhotoTV HD; optional infrared remote, without wired remote-release terminal |
| Wireless connections | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4 and 5 GHz; Bluetooth 4.2; no NFC; Creators’ App remote operation and image transfer | – |
| Battery life detail | NP-FZ100; current Sony CIPA claim approximately 560 photographs with LCD or 530 with viewfinder; actual movie claim approximately 105 minutes with LCD or 100 with viewfinder. Both launch-period reviews give lower 540/510-shot figures. | NP-FH50; approximately 500 photographs under maker CIPA conditions |
| Charging | USB-C in-camera charging and power supply with USB Power Delivery; maker specifies an 18 W or higher USB PD source and 3 A cable | – |
| Dimensions | Approximately 124.0 × 71.1 × 63.4 mm; depth from grip to monitor 58.6 mm | Approximately 128.1 × 97.1 × 79.6 mm (width × height × depth, excluding protrusions) |
| Weight detail | Approximately 429 g body only; 514 g with battery and memory card; both exclude lens. Photography Blog gives 525 g labelled body only and Amateur Photographer gives 524 g; maker’s explicit figures are used. | Approximately 456 g without battery, memory card or accessories; approximately 508 g including battery and Memory Stick PRO Duo |
| Materials | Maker specifies recycled materials including SORPLAS in the body, depending on production timing | – |
| Colours | Silver/black or black | – |
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