Is The Sony A7CR & 40mm f/2.5 G My Forever Camera?
I sold my Fujifilm X-Pro3 for a Sony A7CR and a Sony 40mm F2.5 G lens, perhaps the last camera I will need. I know, it’s a bold statement.
The X-Pro3 wasn’t enough… I wanted more and I know I shouldn’t. More megapixels, image stabilisation, more bits in my files, more pixels in my pixels. I know how you feel, Anakin Skywalker.
I’ve been susceptible to the alure of new gear through my entire photographic career. First a Canon 50D, then the 5D Mark II, then the venerable Leica M Typ 240, numerous beautiful film cameras including a Rolleiflex (twice), and most recently the Fujifilm X-Pro3, which I held onto for a respectable three years.
Let’s get to the point, but while you’re here, have a look at my digital framing app for iOS, as featured on PetaPixel. Here’s my concise review of the Sony A7CR.
Sony A7CR full frame 61mp camera with Sony 40mm F2.5 G prime lens.
My trek along the Tasmanian Overland Track was approaching and I felt that I would prefer to do the seven day alpine trek with a higher resolution full-frame camera, so I traded out my entire Fujifilm X-Pro3 kit for the Sony A7CR camera and the compact Sony 40mm F2.5 G lens.
Likely thanks in part to James Popsys where he shoots with the sharp and compact Sony 40mm f/2.5 G prime lens. This combo had to be my gateway to high resolution yet lightweight goodness. The a7CR and a compact prime was the perfect size and weight to carry with a 16kg backpack for 7-8 days.
The truth is that I had been eyeing off the Sony A7C series for quite some time, but it never presented a good enough improvement over the Fujifilm setup I already had. Then I discovered that Sony had released an AC7R version.
Was this the camera I had always been waiting for? Yes, I think so.
61 pixel-perfect megapixels for the taking, 7-stop IBIS, even 4K HDR 10-bit video capability, all in a compact package smaller than my Fujifilm camera. This is what I’m talking about!
The ICLE7CR Specs
Full-Frame 61MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor
Advanced AI-driven autofocus and subject recognition
New 8x faster BIONZ XR processor
In-body crop and pixel shift multi shooting
6.2K oversampled video (4K HDR 10-bit capture)
Paddy’s Nut & Mount Pelion West on the Tasmanian Overland Track. Sony a7CR with Sony 40mm F2.5 G lens.
Compact Rangefinder Style For Backpacking
The test was 8 days in the Tasmanian wilderness with nothing but a tiny Sirui Traveler 5C Carbon Fibre tripod, the ultra-light photography tripod I had been wanting to find for a long time. I didn’t use it all that often, but when I needed it, it was up to the task.
Similar to the Leica M series, the Fujifilm X-Pro3 and X100 series, the a7CR’s form factor is that of a rangefinder-style left-eye placement. This is my favourite camera design, is often more compact, is more comfortable with your eye and nose and something less talked about, it sits against your stomach without the eye-piece jutting into you, which is especially nice for long hikes. This was my personal gripe with the SLR-style Sony A7 cameras.
The Sony A7CR is impressive to say the least. My initial battery life scepticism was moot when they kept giving the juice for days of moderate photography. I didn’t need the third one I bought, although I did charge up the camera once or twice through the USB-C port.
Sensor & Stabilisation (IBIS)
The image resolution and dynamic range is amazing with 61mp raw files that zoom in to the finest details, perfect for huge prints, and have headroom and shadow detail for even the most dim lurking cave trolls to reappear in, with up to 15 stops of dynamic range.
The 7-stop IBIS (in-body image stabilisation) blew my socks off. Without my tripod at the time, I shot this waterfall photograph below handheld at ISO 100 at F/10 for 0.4 seconds and it is tack-sharp.
100% zoom on a handheld shot at 1/2.5 seconds at ISO 100.
EVF & Body Ergonomics
The EVF display and the external monitor are not amazing, being lower resolution than the best Sony A7 models, but it’s something you quickly disregard after shooting images. Also, I wear glasses 24/7 and I have no issues looking into the EVF’s small window. You'll be fine.
The small but chunky design and grip fits in my hand quite nicely and the shutter has a nice clonk to it that is satisfying. I had nothing but a good experience with it in my short time with the Sony A7CR in Tasmania, so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who loves the design of rangefinder style cameras who is A) not a millionaire and can’t afford a Leica M10R or M11, and B) wants the high resolution and the video capabilities of a full-frame Sony alpha camera without breaking the bank too much.
Go on and run to the camera store and regret your decisions in another life.
One of the most compact full-frame high-resolution cameras I’ve had the pleasure of shooting with. The lenses can get large though, but some of them are tiny like the 40mm F2.5 G.
The Sony a7CR specifications can be found here at DP Review.
The Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 G lens specifications can be found here at DP Review.
The 40mm f/2.5 G lens provides a close focus of 28cm, perfect for photos like this.
Highlights and shadow detail are well captured in the original raw file. All of these files are processed with VSCO Film 01 Standard - Kodak Portra 160 preset.
Bokeh from the f/2.5 at some meters away isn’t super shallow but it’s soft and in my eyes, a good amount for such an environmental portrait.
On-the-fly handheld environmental portraits benefit from the IBIS (in-body image stabilisation) in lower light conditions.
IBIS also allows you to capture interesting motion blurred shots while keeping the rest of the environment sharp and still.
