Sony Alpha 7

Sony Alpha 7 was announced in 2014 and is a Full Frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) Mirrorless camera with 24.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 50 to 25,600. The camera has a Tilting 3.0" screen with 1,230k dot resolution and built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,359k dot resolution.

Sony Alpha 7 can capture video up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Here is the Sony Alpha 7 series lineup, where you can view and compare the main specifications of the cameras within the same series.

Sony Alpha 7 series lineup

	Model	Date	Sensor	Native ISO	Screen	Price
	Sony a7 IV Compare	October 2021	33.0 MP Full Frame	100 - 51,200	Articulated 3.0" 1,440k dot Touchscreen	amazon B&H
	Sony a7 III Compare	February 2018	24.2 MP Full Frame	100 - 51,200	Tilting 3.0" 922k dot Touchscreen	amazon B&H
	Sony a7 II Compare	November 2014	24.3 MP Full Frame	100 - 25,600	Tilting 3.0" 1,230k dot	amazon B&H
	Sony a7	January 2014	24.3 MP Full Frame	50 - 25,600	Tilting 3.0" 1,230k dot	amazon B&H

You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Sony Alpha 7 IV vs Alpha 7 III vs Alpha 7 II vs Alpha 7.

In this section we present pros and cons of Sony Alpha 7.

In 2014 Sony Alpha 7 was replaced by Sony Alpha 7 II. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Sony Alpha 7 and its successor.

For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Sony Alpha 7 vs Alpha 7 II.

Tilting screen

Sony Alpha 7 has a 3.0" Tilting screen with 1,230k dot resolution. Tilting screen makes this camera very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting.

Electronic Viewfinder

Camera has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,359k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 0.71x magnification.

Sony Alpha 7 features a 24.3 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.8 x 23.9 mm and a total area of 855.6 mm². Its native ISO range is 50 - 25,600.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Sony Alpha 7's Full Frame sensor compares with other types of sensors:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	35.8 x 23.9 mm	855.6 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Camera is equipped with BIONZ X processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 6000 x 3376, 3936 x 2624, 3936 x 2216, 3008 x 1688, 3008 x 2000 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Sony Alpha 7 has Sony E lens mount. Due to Full Frame sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 1x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.

No In-Body Image Stabilization

The camera does not have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) so it needs lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction.

Built-in Wi-Fi

Camera has a built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC

Sony Alpha 7 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Input and HDMI Output

Sony Alpha 7 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Sony Alpha 7 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 340 shots.

External Storage Slots

The camera has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot.

Shutter

Sony Alpha 7 has Electronically controlled Vertical-traverse Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps.

Focusing

Sony Alpha 7 has Fast Hybrid AF (Phase-detection / Contrast-detection) system with 117 (25 cross-type) focusing points There is also face detection feature which automatically finds and focuses on faces.

Flash

Sony Alpha 7 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec.

Sony Alpha 7 has dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89"). It weighs 474 g (1.04 lb / 16.72 oz), so it is a lightweight camera.

127 mm (5")

94 mm (3.7")

94 mm (3.7")

48 mm (1.89")