The Sony A7C II is Sony's compact full frame hybrid camera, now with a 33MP sensor and the same AI autofocus as the A7RV, A6700 and A7CR. I took it to a street portrait shoot with the Sony GM 35mm f/1.4 and GM 135mm f/1.8, tested animal autofocus on my dogs, and ran video, vlogging and low light tests too.
Every photo in this post was edited with my Mountains Lightroom preset pack, which I love for street portrait shoots like this. I was using a pre-production camera without RAW support yet, so these are edited from the JPEGs straight out of camera.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Sony A7C II specs and price
| Sony A7C II | |
|---|---|
| Sensor | 33MP full frame, back-illuminated |
| Autofocus | 759 phase detection points, AI subject recognition |
| Weight | 514g |
| Fastest shutter | 1/4000s mechanical, 1/8000s electronic |
| Video | 4K 60p (S35 crop), 4K 30p full frame, 10-bit 4:2:2 |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, up to 7 stops |
| Card slot | Single SD |
| Price | US$2,199 / A$3,499 (body, at launch) |
Human and animal autofocus
With continuous AF and a wide focus area, the A7C II did such a great job following a moving subject around the frame, and it feels like responsive AF has become even more responsive. Lock-on AF also worked well at keeping focus when something passed in front of the subject. You get human, animal, bird, insect, car, train and airplane modes, and animal AF was amazing in video. In stills I got tack sharp focus on my dogs' irises most of the time, especially when they faced the camera. See the autofocus tests.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Image quality with the GM 35mm f1.4
The images are at the same quality as Sony's pro cameras like the A7RV and A7IV: incredibly sharp and clear with great colours and dynamic range. Auto white balance leaned a little cool for my taste, as I prefer warmer, more flattering skin tones, but you can adjust it to suit. Relying completely on human AF made the shoot quick and easy, with an extremely high ratio of sharp images. With the 33MP upgrade it really feels like a baby A7IV, just lighter and easier to carry every day. See the 35mm images.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Limitations
The biggest limitation for me is the fastest mechanical shutter speed of 1/4000s. As a wide open prime lens photographer, I hit that limit shooting against the pink wall in harsh sun and had to stop down to f/2.2. You can use the electronic shutter up to 1/8000s, but you might see rolling shutter with fast movement, so ND filters are worth carrying on bright days. The buffer never got in my way shooting RAW + JPEG on a V90 card. Hear about the limitations.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Camera build
It's the same size body as the A7CR at 514g, with a slightly larger grip than the original A7C, which makes it as comfortable as a super compact full frame camera can be. It now has a flip screen, a better viewfinder magnification, a dual-layered mode dial and, most importantly, a front dial, so you can control shutter, aperture and ISO even with lenses without an aperture ring. The single SD card slot would stop me using it for weddings, though. See the camera build.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Image quality with the GM 135mm f1.8
I switched to the GM 135mm f/1.8 for some headshots and dreamy compressed portraits, and the A7C II handled it beautifully. See the 135mm images.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Video and vlogging
The A7C II shoots up to 4K 60p with a Super 35 crop or 4K 30p full frame, and now in 10-bit 4:2:2, which is a big upgrade for colour grading S-Log3. Handheld with the GM 24mm f/1.4, IBIS and human AF made it easy to get smooth, sharp footage. The built-in S-Log LUT looked quite dull on my pre-production camera, but you can now load your own LUTs. For vlogging I paired it with the 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II. Watch the video tests.
Before and after with Mountains
Here are a couple of before and afters, with the unedited photo on the left and my Mountains edit on the right.
Unedited
Edited with Mountains
Unedited on the left, edited with my Mountains preset on the right.
Edited with my Mountains preset.
Unedited
Edited with Mountains
Unedited on the left, edited with my Mountains preset on the right.
Is the Sony A7C II worth it?
The A7C II is a fantastic everyday full frame camera. The 33MP files look just like my A7IV's, autofocus is excellent, and it's light enough to take everywhere. The 1/4000s mechanical shutter and single card slot mean it isn't for every professional job, but for travel, street portraits, hybrid shooters and anyone wanting a compact full frame camera, it's a great choice.
Sony A7C II FAQ
Is the Sony A7C II good for portrait photography?
Yes. Its 33MP files match the A7IV for quality, and its AI human AF is very reliable, which makes portrait shoots quick and easy.
What is the fastest shutter speed on the A7C II?
1/4000s with the mechanical shutter and 1/8000s with the electronic shutter, so you may need ND filters to shoot wide open in bright light.
Does the A7C II have dual card slots?
No. It has a single SD card slot.
How much does the Sony A7C II weigh?
It weighs 514g, the same body size as the A7CR.
What preset did you use for these photos?
All the photos were edited with my Mountains Lightroom preset pack.
All the photos in this post were edited with my Mountains Lightroom preset pack. You might also like my original Sony A7C review, my Sony A6700 review and every Sony camera explained. Browse all my packs in the Lightroom Presets for Portraits collection, and if you're stuck between a few, you can buy any 3 presets and save 10%.
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