The Alpha 7 II ($1,699.99, body only) is the latest camera in Sony's full-frame mirrorless series, and it's a marked improvement over its predecessor, the Alpha 7. It takes everything that we loved about the original A7 and improves upon it. The autofocus system is a bit snappier when tracking moving targets, the grip is more substantial for comfortable handheld shooting, and there's now an in-body stabilization system that steadies any lens that's attached to the camera, even ones that aren't native to the Sony system. That makes the Alpha 7 II our Editors' Choice in the full-frame mirrorless category.
Editors' Note: This review has been updated after testing the Alpha 7 II withupdated firmware released in November 2015. The score has not changed.
Design and Features
The Alpha 7 II is the fourth camera in the family—joining the 7S, Alpha 7R, and the 7, which is remaining in production at a lower price point. It's the first Alpha 7 family member to undergo a serious change in body design—a deeper handgrip and a refined control layout go a long way to make the camera more comfortable with which to shoot. But that does mean that if you opt to use a vertical shooting grip, you'll have to buy a new one; the grip for the A7 II is priced at $350, holds two batteries, and includes vertical shooting controls.
The camera measures in at 3.8 by 5 by 2.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.2 pounds without a lens. It's thicker than the initial trio of Alpha 7 cameras, and a little bit heavier (3.75 by 5 by 1.9 inches, 1 pound); the body itself is a bit deeper due to the stabilization system and the larger handgrip. The only non-Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras out there now are high-priced models from Leica, including the M (Typ 240) andSL. The Leica M is a bit smaller, but heavier, although it's a purely manual focus camera that uses a fixed optical viewfinder. Leicarangefinder lenses can be used on the A7 II via a mechanical adapter, benefitting from the in-body stabilization in the process. That broadens the appeal of the camera to those who value top-end optics, but don't want to spend a fortune on a camera body.
Aside from the lens release button, controls are absent from the front plate. The lens mount is stainless steel, just like the one on the Alpha 7S, so you can attach big, heavy lenses to the svelte body with some confidence. Sony doesn't stuff the top plate with controls either, there are none to the left of the EVF. A multi-interface hot shoe sits above the finder, and a diopter adjustment is included so you can fine-tune it to match your eyesight. To its right you'll find a standard mode dial, an EV compensation dial that can be set in third-stop increments from -3 to +3, and programmable C1 and C2 button. The power switch and shutter releases sit on an angle in front of those two buttons, atop the handgrip. The front control wheel is on the grip as well.
The Menu button sits at an angle on the rear plate, above the LCD and just to the left of the eyecup. To its right is C3, another customizable button that acts as a magnification control when reviewing images, and a rear control wheel. The bulk of the controls are flush on the back, to the right of the LCD. The topmost can switch between automatic or manual focusing, or lock the exposure—an integrated toggle switch adjusts its function. The Fn button brings up an on-screen menu of shooting settings, and there are the standard playback and delete buttons; delete doubles as the programmable C4 button when shooting.
A flat command dial with a center button rounds out the controls. By default, spinning it adjusts the ISO, but it also has directional presses that change the drive mode, engage the self-timer, set the amount of information displayed on the EVF or rear LCD, and offer direct access to the ISO menu. The function of the rear dial, as well as most of the other buttons on the camera, can be customized via the extensive menu system. The movie record button is located on the rear thumb grip, angled against right rear. It's recessed just enough that you're unlikely to activate it by accident, but it can be disabled when in still-capture modes if you're worried about accidentally starting a video.
The overlay menu launched via the Fn button is also customizable. It's got 12 banks, each of which can be programmed. In its default state it gives quick on-screen access to the drive mode, flash output settings, flash compensation, focus mode, focus area, exposure compensation setting, ISO, metering pattern, white balance, the dynamic range optimizer, picture output settings, and the shooting mode. Between programmable overlays and physical controls, the Alpha 7 II allows you to set almost all of its functions to suit your particular shooting style.
The 3-inch rear display is mounted on a hinge so you can frame shots from above or below. It's sharp at 1,228k dots, and plenty bright. It's as sharp as a 921k-dot display, but has an extra group of "white dots" that add luminosity. It's not a touch screen like the one on the Leica SL. The EVF is the same 2,759k-dot OLED that Sony uses in many other Alpha cameras. It's one of the best out there, with excellent sharpness and contrast. The camera automatically switches between the EVF and rear LCD via an eye sensor. The sensor is a bit hyperactive—its range is a bit excessive, so it's fairly easy to fool the camera into switching to the EVF when you're actually holding it at waist level with the screen titled up. Sony would be wise to add a feature that disables the EVF entirely when the screen isn't positioned flush against the rear, as you'll have to dive into the menu and disable the EVF entirely if you want to grab a shot with the camera tight against your body at waist level.
Wi-Fi and Image Stabilization
Wi-Fi is built in. The camera works with the Sony PlayMemories Mobile app to transfer images and video to iOS and Android devices. The app also supports remote control, but there are limited controls available out of the box. You'll want to download a free update from the PlayMemories Mobile app store, and you'll have to set up an account on a Web site in order to do so. Once updated, the remote control provides full manual control over shooting. You will have to set the mode via the camera itself, however.
Sony's PlayMemories app store offers a number of programs that can be downloaded to expand the functionality of the camera, and some of them are free. Freebies include Direct Upload, which allows you to post images and MP4 video directly to select social networks, and Sync to Smartphone, which makes sure that the images on your memory card are also on your phone. There are a number of paid apps, ranging in price from $4.99 to $9.99, and Sony has continued to expand the selection. My complaint with this approach is the same with the other Alpha cameras that I've reviewed—when you're spending this much money on a camera, the apps should be free, especially ones like Lens Compensation ($9.99), which corrects optical imperfections in the company's lens lineup.
In-body stabilization is one of the huge selling points of the Alpha 7 II, and it's the real deal. When you're using a native autofocus lens it stabilizes along 5 axes, compensating for pitch, yaw, x-axis and y-axis shift, and roll. To put that in perspective, most lenses with integrated stabilization can only compensate for pitch and yaw. Sony has several lenses in its E-mount line-up with integrated stabilization—they bear an OSS designation. When used in conjunction with the A7 II the in-lens and in-body systems work in concert to steady images.
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