Sony ILCE7KB.CE Full Frame Compact System Camera (28-70 mm Zoom Lens 24.3 MP, 117 Points Hybrid Autofocus, 3 Inch Tiltable LCD, 5 FPS, XGA OLED Tru-Finder) - Black

I bought this camera for a specific purpose. I learned photography during the age of film, and consequently the idea of manually focusing and the tactile feel of using a solidly built, metal lens still appeals. I have built up a collection of quality vintage glass, and while I could use these on my Fuji-x there was always a crop factor of 1.5 involved (as in a 50mm lens behaved as a 75mm on the Fuji). This crop factor issue could be solved by using a full frame sensor, but cameras with a full frame sensor are typically much more expensive than crop cameras. The Sony appeared to offer the best value entry into full frame sensors, however I was a bit dubious as in my eyes Sony wouldn't be regarded as a camera company like Nikon or Olympus for example, but rather as an electronics company. However in the end I went for the Sony and must admit that I'm pleasantly surprised. For a full frame sensor camera it's much smaller than I expected, just slightly bigger than my crop sensor Fuji x-T1 if at all. The image quality from the full frame sensor is excellent. However what's most appealing to me is that it has both Focus Peaking and Focus Magnification, which means that manual focusing is a doddle and I can now use all my vintage lenses at the focal length for which they were intended. The price also included a 28-70mm AF kit lens with hood which appears to offer high image quality, a great addition to have for those times when I'm feeling a little lazy or looking to capture non-static subjects. I do have a few complaints though. The manual is very poor. It's a bit bigger than my Fuji manual however the Fuji manual is in English alone whereas the Sony manual is written in 12 different languages?? This means that they are trying to cram a lot of information into a small space resulting in a lot of information missing and the print being too small. Another problem is the battery, and also charging same. This camera is no slouch when it comes to using battery power, yet the battery is pretty small due to the small size of the overall camera. This is a problem because the battery must be in the camera with the supplied charger. I've never come across this before, probably because it's a stupid idea. Why? Because if you have two batteries to overcome the high battery usage, there are situations where you would have one on charge while continuing to shoot with the other battery, but you can't with this charger because you need the camera as part of the charger circuit?? However at the end of the day I still give it five stars because of the image quality, full frame sensor, price and features all packed into a compact body, and of course the added bonus of a decent quality kit lens which is virtually a free extra, not to mention the excellent manual focus capabilities of focus peaking and zoom focus. The manual shortcomings can be overcome by checking out the numerous videos online which clarify everything, and the charger problem can easily be rectified by purchasing a cheap independent charger online. I picked up an excellent double battery charger for around £15 here on Amazon. So all in all a quality camera plus lens at a great price with a few little niggles which can easily be rectified.

Coming from a Sony NEX 5N background (which I still use and rate highly) I'm loving the EVF, weather-proofing and Menus of the A7. Still to decide which flash to purchase for the camera. The only thing I miss is the touch screen on the 5N for selecting a focus point, though it takes hardly anytime on the A7. Many years ago I used to lug around a huge C*n#n T90. The A7 is tiny in comparison. In fact it is so light-though by no means cheap feeling-that taking shots single handed is not a problem with the A7. Finding the Pitch and Roll level sensors in the camera really useful too. Sony has delivered an outstanding bit of kit, and one can only hope that the A7 gains the recognition that it richly deserves for what it is; a truly remarkable camera at an unremarkable price. I'd just like to add how wonderful the camera is for using legacy and manual focus lenses. The A7 is a joy to use with focus peaking and Pentax/Asahi Takumar lenses with an inexpensive M42 to E-mount adapter. Likewise with Leica summarit lenses, great bang for your buck/pound. Have even started using old Minlota MD lenses with an adapter. Watch those fast legacy lens prices continue to rise as people embrace full-frame and MF with this camera. Update after 4 months of regular use. Another major bonus of this camera is that it can be easily customised with the designated C1 and C2 buttons, and the other buttons and dials as well. Ergonomically I have found everything to be comfortable to use-it's feather-like compared to a D700-and the recent firmware version 1.2 update has reduced the camera start-up time and increased the AF performance. It would appear that Sony are committed to the FE alpha system.

Pro’s: - Cheapest and one of the most portable full frame cameras. - Excellent low light performance. - Superb video quality, although limited to 1080p. - Camera body and lens design is gorgeous, purely aesthetic but it feels and looks lovely. - While it lacks a touchscreen you’ll quickly get used to using the dials, which is far easier to use in the poor weather conditions, did I mention it’s weather sealed too? - Nothing beats a full frame camera with a 50mm 1.8 lens. Cons: - Poor battery life, carry at least 3 if you plan on a full day of use. - Frame rate locked to 30fps when shooting MP4, everything you want is only available shooting AVCHD, this will be a problem if you use Apple products.

I've had the camera about three weeks now, and am bowled over by it. It exudes quality, feels great in my (rather large) hands and most importantly takes fantastic photos (well, I take the photos,of course, but it really seems to be on my side!). I bought this, with the kit lens, rather than the 36 mp R version because...it's much cheaper (I've never spent anywhere near this much on a camera before) and the 36mp isn't as proven and I'm not sure about all the discussions to do with more pixels in the same size sensor and so on, let alone the 'low pass filter' that they've taken out on the 36. I've taken a lot of shots, mainly outdoors and the results in terms of colour, sharpness and detail are stunning, though I've no idea how they would compare to the 'bigger brother', and I'm absolutely not a 'pixel peeker' - seems to me to be completely the wrong way to judge a photograph. Anyway, I'm a huge convert to Nex, as I travel widely, and this is the icing on the cake for me. It feels solid, even rugged (and has weather sealing, which is a godsend for me) and all the buttons and controls fall perfectly to hand. The exposure comp wheel is wonderful and all the customisation available is plentiful but intuitive. The menus are ok, though the guide does not explain everything in them - I was puzzled by the 6 style boxes, which seemed to replicate the actual style choices in the same menu section - there was a reference to them in the guide, but no explanation. Luckily I tracked down an American guide which explained them enough for me to understand the idea. But seriously, at this price you'd think Sony could do better on the guide front, surely?) So, not cheap, but definitely worth it for me - feels like, and performs with, real quality; an absolute pleasure to work with.

Probably the best purchase ive done in a while. I upgraded from a nikon D3200 and the full frame sure makes a difference. Especially being sony these cameras are incredible at low light. I have been using it for almost 5 months and it is amazing. its very strongly built and sturdy and doesn't feel cheap at all. its very rare to see a full frame camera at this price as other competitors full frame cameras from nikon and canon are very expensive compared to this sony A7 and worse and older. I think this is the best budget full frame camera out on the market. Although the camera is from 2013, it doesn't feel outdated. the camera has plenty of features at this price point including smart remote functionality which is very useful for long exposures and landscape photography. the full frame also helps out with the portraits as it gives a very clean and sharp image with a beautiful bokeh when used with f2.8 or lower lenses. If you are doubtful on which one to buy between the A7ii and this one it completely depends on the purpose as there isn't much difference between the two for photography they almost perfectly similar. Although the A7ii is very good for video as it shoots SLog2 which is great for post production, it also has 5 axis stabilisation built in which helps when using old lenses. But the price difference is too much to consider as its almost double for very little upgrade. For pure photography this is a highly recommended camera and for amateurs its a brilliant camera to go professional with.

For years I have been searching for that single piece of kit that will shoot perfect stills and perfect video. In the Sony a7 that quest is finally at an end. It was with some anxiety that I decided to upgrade from my sony Nex7 to this full frame camera. The Nex7 is a superb camera in every way but the lure of a full frame camera was just too strong....and boy has the a7 delivered. The photographs are insanely gorgeous even using basic automatic mode and JPEG. The detail, the colour, the bokeh, Wow! Trust me, this takes photography to a whole new world. However, when it comes to video PLEASE, PLEASE read this caveat first..... If you take video footage then you simply have to change the settings from PAL to NTSC. Video taken at HD 1080 50p produces hideous shimmer and jello effect; whereas video taken at HD 1080 60p is rock solid. Seriously - to avoid disappointment you absolutely must switch from PAL to the NTSC format. Consider yourself warned!! Two other vital five star awards for this camera:- 1) The menu structure and custom buttons are brilliant. I adore having a zebra pattern to avoid burn out in bright sunlight; and a manual focus zoom assist for pin point accuracy in tricky low light situations. 2) Excellent post sales customer service by Sony. They solved the video problem within 48 hours of me emailing them; sending me a comprehensive and easy to follow check list of what I could try to sort the problem. Thank you Sony. Your advice was first rate xx I have no negative comments so far for the camera, but two minor requests. A built in ND filter would have been wonderful and a greater selection of optional lenses available now. The kit lens is great, but I would just like a larger zoom range, say 18-135mm rather than the 28-70mm offered. Ok! So I'm greedy lol.....but if you don't ask you don't get. In summary: if you are thinking of migrating to a FF camera then the Sony a7 MUST be on your short list. It won't disappoint.

Had mine for about 18 months now and still blown away by the picture quality with the right lens. Mine came in at just £619 with the kit lens on prime day. I don't think the kit lens is good enough for the sensor though but I kept mine just for shooting stabilised video, lens sharpness being less of an issue for moving footage. I use mine mostly with the excellent FE 28mm F2 lens, a sharp, fast and compact prime that really compliments the A7's small size making a great discreet carry all day outfit. I also use the very compact Samyang AF 35mm F2.8 lens which is equally sharp and a bargain price. One of the great advantages of full frame mirror-less is the ability to adapt older 35mm lenses at their native focal length, I've a bunch of manual Nikkor lenses from pre digital days that work perfectly using a Metabones adapter (much cheaper adapters are available). Focusing these old lenses is easy with peaking and 2x magnification assigned to a button. I have an Sony A6000 too and have to say I prefer my A7 in nearly all areas. The viewfinder is far superior, the buttons and dials are more abundant and fall to the fingers better.....and really there is not a lot of difference in size and weight apart from the raised viewfinder. The A7 produces much cleaner images at all ISO's than the A6000 and the auto white balance does a far better job. Plus there is no getting away from the lovely depth of field effects only a full frame provides. Also like the ease of access to the SD card slot on the side, no fiddling in the underside battery compartment to remove it (particularly useful on a tripod). Just to note the FE 28mm F2 works very well on the A6000 which is a big bonus of Sony maintaining it mount from APSC to full frame. Where the A6000 scores over the A7 is in speed of AF and frame rate, the A7 is not a high speed action camera. That said the AF is a lot better than I was led to believe from reviews, I don't miss shots, it works just fine for me but then I don't shoot sports. The A6000 also has a much quieter shutter. The two things that I like least about the A7 are the poor battery life and the noisy shutter. The good thing is compatible batteries are super cheap (RAVPower work well for me, with the 2 battery kit and dual charger). The A7 still has no peers at it's uber low price point when it's on offer. The price, the compactness, the light weight, the glorious full frame......what's not to love?

I bought this camera as it was a great deal with 150 cashback, but when I claim for a cashback with sony they just declined my request by saying that the reciept dosen't have my name on it but in fact it has my name in front of the company name I work for, this is extremely dissappointing, there is nothing wrong with the camera but sony customer service is always been bad.