Sony A7R II Review

September 8, 2015Angela Nicholson

Sony A7R II review: Sony brings serious competition to the full-frame market with it’s highest resolution CSC yet, the Sony A7R II – price tag £2,599/$3,198 body only. Find out how it delivers in our full Sony A7R II Review.

In the past couple of years we’ve seen a fair amount of activity from Sony, which is somewhat overdue since the purchase of Konica Minolta’s camera business back in 2006.

Despite big plans to shake up the market we didn’t see much activity until Sony’s release in September 2013, the RXI. This came in the shape of a small compact camera with an impressive full-frame sensor, sparking much anticipated interest.

A year later followed the Alpha range, the 7 and 7R, the world’s first compact system cameras, small in size, yet big on delivery with their full-frame sensors delivering high quality images.

The 24 million pixel Alpha 7 came the go-to camera for general photographers, while the 7R attracted landscape and still-life photographers with its 36 million pixel count. Shortly after we saw the arrival of a 12Mp camera designed especially for video and low light shooting, the Alpha 7S.

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With the recent update to the Alpha 7 model, the 7II, it was time to see what Sony was going to do to improve its highest resolution model. Cue the Sony Alpha 7R II, as well as ramping up the resolution from 36 million pixels to 42.4 million, Sony has increased the native ISO sensitivity range of 100-25,600, which can be expanded to 50-102,400 thanks to Sony’s Bionz X processor.

Furthermore the A7R II has the world’s first full-frame backside illuminated (BSI) sensor, which enables the photo receptors (pixels) to be much bigger. Boosted further by the omission of an optical low-pass filter, detail resolution is even better.

In addition to this Sony has replaced aluminium wiring on the sensor with copper to help increase the sensor’s readout speed, 3.5x faster than it’s predecessor enabling you to shoot at 5 frames per second.

Not only does this speed up image transfer times, autofocus speed will be increased, making a big impact on video mode, relaying information much quicker that will help to combat rolling shutter effect.

The Sony A7R II also comes equipped with a hybrid AF system combining contrast and phase detection with a total of 399 points covering 45% of the imaging area, a vast improvement on the original A7R, which has a contrast detection autofocus system with just 25 points.

With the Sony A7R II’s new improved sensor design and new algorithms to improve motion tracking, Sony claims the autofocusing system to be 40% faster than its predecessor.

The revamp to the AF system doesn’t stop here, there are additional focus modes to choose from, including Flexible Spot and Lock-on AF – Wide, Zone, Centre and Flexible Spot (large, medium and small, plus Expand Flexible Spot options) to help track moving subjects. The AF points also generate data regarding object distance in relation to moving subjects and location of objects in the scene to send back to the camera’s processor.

Other exciting new features include a 5-axis in-body image stabilisation system, which is beneficial in both still and video mode to correct signs of movement for blur free images and smooth footage.

The Sony A7R II also comes with a new shutter unit to reduce vibration and has a 500,000-cycle life. In addition to this, the 0.5-inch 2,359,296-dot electronic viewfinder has been upgraded to an OLED.

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Sony A7R II Review: Video

Despite the Sony A7S being the designated video shooting camera in Sony’s Alpha lineup, the A7R II will attract many serious videographers with its 4K movie recording, which has two recording modes.

Enabling the Super 35mm option will produce the best quality as there’s no line skipping or pixel binning, however, this does reduce the width of the video frame compared to shooting stills. To utilise the entire imaging area you can disable the Super 35mm mode but chances are you’ll end up with pixel binning, which will reduce the quality.

A whole host of other features to the A7R II include the addition of Picture Profiles giving users more control over Black Level, Gamma and Knee (highlight compression) values and Detail and Color adjustment (Color Mode/Level/Phase and Depth).

Sony also claims its S-Log2 setting in the Gamma settings will increase dynamic range by up to 1300% preserving even more shadow and highlight detail to produce flat footage optimal for post-capture grading.

The Sony A7R II allows users to shoot movies in XAVC S format with MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression or AVCHD with MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression. The highest quality option in NTSC is XAVC S format at 4K and 30p/100Mbps and in PAL is XAVC S 4K at 25p/100Mbps.

Shooting in full HD it’s possible to shoot frame rates up to 60p at 50Mbps (NTSC) or 50p at 50Mbps (PAL). It’s also possible to sync footage from several cameras with the inclusion of Time code to help with with scene identification.

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Sony A7R II Review: Build and handling

The A7R II features the same retro design that we’ve seen in the rest of A7-series along with the solid magnesium alloy construction and weather seals. Improvements can be seen in the general handling of the Sony A7R II, similar to the tweaks we’ve seen in the A7 II.

After minor criticism, the front grip feels far more substantial and secure and the shutter release button is now positioned on the top of the grip for better handling and operation, freeing up space for an additional custom button on the top plate.

That said, the front grip does creak ever so slightly if held tightly when a heavier lens such as the FE16-35mm f/4 or 70-200mm f/4 is mounted for example.

To prevent the mode dial being knocked and adjusted there’s now a lock that has to be pressed when rotating the dial, not our preferred ‘lock-and-unlock’ type unfortunately.

The easy access barrel-like dial located above the thumbrest has also had a makeover with a slimmer design, which I must say is rather awkward to reach when holding the camera in one hand.

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What’s also impressive is the amount of customisable options you have with the Sony A7R II. The control wheel on the back of the camera can adjust one of 6 features, there’s also the four Custom buttons that can have one of 62 functions assigned.

In addition to this, you can gain access to 12 of 34 functions via the Function menu and shortcuts to features can also be assigned to the centre button on the back of the camera and three of the navigation buttons.

It would be good to separate custom functions for video and stills by having an additional Function menu, but you can’t have everything!

The default set-up the Sony A7R II provides is great if you want to get out and start shooting immediately but for the optimum set-up I’d recommend experimenting with the other options available.

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In terms of how everything is arranged in the main menu, stills photographers will find it easy to navigate through, however, this isn’t the case for videographers. Various modes and settings are spread throughout the menu rather than being sensibly placed in one area.

For example, you’ll find the video quality settings in the Camera settings section and five screens away in the Camera Settings area you’ll find the Picture Profile options, to set values such as Gamma for video (and stills).

In order to enable the Super 35mm mode for video, you’ll need to delve into the Custom section. So considering the amount of customisation available elsewhere, it’s a shame there isn’t a customisation screen in the main menu.

Ideally we need to see video and stills functions and settings streamlined into separate sections.

In comparison to the A7 II’s electronic viewfinder (EVF), which portrays rather dull looking scenes, the A7R II’s 2,359,296-dot OLED EVF gives a much more vibrant result.

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Composing is a dream with clear visibility and plenty of detail. The preview is perhaps a little more vibrant than what you see through the viewfinder but the captured image is very similar to what you see on your monitor.

Accurate focusing in good light is made easy thanks to the magnified view on the tilting 3-inch screen or in the viewfinder. It does however become a little trickier in low light conditions with the introduction of a small amount noise – not that it would be any easier with an optical viewfinder.

Depending on the scene you’re shooting and the amount of contrast, focus peaking is a great tool to use too.

I was pleased to hear a much quieter sounding shutter on the Sony A7R II, unlike the clattering noise that’s created when firing the shutter on the A7 II. It’s by no means silent but far more discreet.

When shooting video handheld don’t be surprised to find some wobble in your footage at the beginning and end of a section as you try reach the record button. It’s awkwardly placed on the back of the camera.

Although not far from the thumb ridge, if you have slightly smaller hands you’ll find yourself having to readjust your grip. Simple solution is to place your camera on a tripod but we know that’s not always a possible option.

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Sony A7R II Review: Performance

As you’d expect from a sensor with 42 million pixels, a very high amount of detail (especially at the lowest sensitivity settings) can be captured, which we saw in both real world shooting and lab tests. We had some interesting results when it came to processing raw files.

We struggled to match the in-camera processing on JPEG files despite using the supplied software and we were surprised to see the JPEG files revealing slightly more detail. Despite just reaching the maximum score in our lab resolution tests, the Sony A7R II doesn’t out-resolve the chart.

It does however capture more detail outperforming the 36MP A7R and Nikon D810 but still has a way to go to beat Canon’s 50MP 5DS.

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When examining JPEGs at 100% on-screen we could see that images shot at mid-range levels of sensitivity had a subtle painterly effect. When sensitivity levels were pushed higher this became much more evident and edges looked a little harsh.

Despite the over-processed appearance at this level of magnification, it was much more acceptable when viewed at normal size. It is possible to create far more natural looking images, even at 100%, by processing Raw files.

This is because they present more granular noise. Overall we found that images shot within the native sensitivity range (ISO100-25,600) produced acceptable levels of noise.

This isn’t the case when using the high expansion settings (maximum ISO 102,400). Unless being able to capture a shot is more important than quality I would avoid it.

As well as the high resolution this 42Mp camera offers to pros and enthusiasts wanting to capture a high level of detail, the A7R II’s autofocus (AF) system is also something to shout about.

In low light conditions if there’s a reasonable amount of contrast it can easily track and capture moving subjects sharp.

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However, it’s not so reliable indoors with light levels dropping even lower. The precise point of focus may not be entirely accurate when using Lock-on AF mode, despite this it does track subjects reasonably well as I found out when shooting in the photographer’s pit at Fairport’s Cropredy Festival.

Despite tracking the performers well on stage, in Lock-on AF mode its point of focus was often a few inches off, locking on to the neck of the guitar or their hand instead. I also put it to the test by shooting a runner moving quickly towards the camera and the same problem occurred.

Although it tracked the subject well, the point of focus was a little off. Depending on how and what size this image is displayed at, this may not be too much of a problem as it is acceptably sharp.

When testing the continuous autofocus system I found that with stationary subjects it was a bit twitchy, and went in and out of focus before latching back on.

With that said, when shooting video manual focus is the best option. In comparison to the autofocus system of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 II, the A7R II wasn’t as accurate.

Although the lens choice does play a part in this, I was using a 70-200mm with a maximum aperture of f/4 on the Sony, whereas the Olympus had a an M. Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens mounted to it.

I was pleased to see how well the new stabilisation system worked. The improvement was visible in the viewfinder and in the final shot.

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Nearly half of the images I shot at 1/15 sec at the furthest point on the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lens were pretty sharp when viewed at 100%. This also made a marked difference when shooting video, removing small wobbles for much smoother footage.

That said, it can’t correct big movements such as walking with the camera handheld so you do need to keep the camera as fully supported as possible.

Overall the video quality is very impressive. A greater range of tones can be recorded thanks to Sony’s S-Log2 setting and improvements to correcting rolling shutter effect when panning the camera quickly can be seen.

I did find however that the A7R II overheated during prolonged shooting. Having shot continuous footage for the maximum length of time of 29 minutes and 59 seconds without any problem, this wasn’t the case shooting the second half hour of footage.

It cut out half-way though, confirming reports I’d heard about the A7R II overheating while recording 4K footage to an SDXC card to be correct.

PAGE 1 – Sony A7R II Review
PAGE 2 – Sony A7R II sample photos and verdict

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