Its pretty much perfect for content creators who like to travel light.
Wind the clock back to October 2020 and the originalSonyA7C launched as one of the worlds smallest full-frame cameras.
Read on to find out why.
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
Sony stole a big lead over other leading brands in the full-frame mirrorless market.
Missing an amazing shot or video because Ive left my big, heavy camera at home isnt an issue.
Going super-skinny, I also tried the camera with a Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 FE pancake lens.
It makes the camera genuinely small enough to fit in a spare pocket.
Some slimline mirrorless cameras like the Lumix S9 have no viewfinder.
The A7C II obliges with a rangefinder-style electronic viewfinder, positioned on the top left of the rear panel.
For shooting video, the 3-inch touchscreen comes to the fore.
The controls are sufficiently wide-ranging to enable creative adjustments to shooting parameters, in double-quick time.
The placement of the card slot is at least in a good place.
Theres yet more connectivity up top, in the shape of the MI (Multi Interface) hot-shoe.
This enables the fitment of Sony-dedicated flashguns and other accessories.
For wireless connectivity, the A7C II sports built-in Wi-Fi andBluetooth that almost goes without saying these days.
Alternative subject options include Animal, Bird, Insect, Car/Train and Airplane.
Autofocus works down to a light level of -4EV, which equates to a moonlit nighttime landscape scene.
In the first shot above, I used the People option in the Recognition Target menu.
The camera also nailed autofocus by constantly and accurately tracking him as he moved around the cranes cabin.
I guess it bears a close enough resemblance to some kind of vehicle to qualify.
Again, autofocus was extremely quick to recognize the subject and to lock onto it.
Sony A7C II review: Image quality
For any camera, image quality is the bottom line.
Dynamic range is impressive throughout the ISO range.
Shot in RAW mode, the face of John Cabot in the statue below is in very dark shadow.
The trade-off of greater megapixel counts is that high-ISO image noise is generally worse.
7 stops down from this takes you into long-exposure territory, with a shutter speed of 4 seconds.
The following shot was taken with a 1 second shutter speed.
A wide range of preset and user defined picture profiles are available, which is further good news.
Maximum frame rates for video are 4K30p, rising to 4K60p in Super 35 format and FHD120p.
4K30p footage utilizes the full width of the image sensor and is oversampled from 7K.
The 25fps frame rate typically makes the background look a bit jerky when panning.
Again, the clip was shot handheld using Active SteadyShot stabilization.
Both cameras are powered by Sonys NP-FZ100 Li-ion battery.
Even so, stamina is very good compared with many mirrorless cameras.
The camera is supplied with no external battery charger.
For me the answer is yes, absolutely.
Performance is similarly impressive when it comes to dynamic range and high-ISO noise reduction.
The camera certainly isnt a speed demon but is easily quick enough for my needs.
As a camera aimed at hybrid photographers, video performance is every bit as important as for stills.
Here again, the A7C II impresses with plentiful video features that deliver excellent results.
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Richards)
