Sony Alpha a7R II Review
Full Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera
- BIONZ X Image Processor
- 3.0" 1,228.8k-Dot Tilting LCD Monitor
- 0.5" 2.36M-Dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder EVF
- Durable Reduced-Vibration Shutter Design
- 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization
- Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity with NFC
- ISO 102,400 and Silent Shutter Mode
- 399 Phase-Detect AF Points & 5 fps Burst
- 42MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor
- Internal UHD 4K Video & S-Log2 Gamma
Introduction
In this article, we delve into a detailed analysis of 14,220 user reviews from various languages worldwide to examine the Sony Alpha a7R II. This analysis is performed by the RR artificial intelligence and updated daily with newly submitted reviews. The RR AI utilizes a complex algorithm to first scrutinize user reviews for credibility, filtering out unreliable ones. It then proceeds to dissect and evaluate the valuable insights within these reviews, providing users with ratings regarding the features of this product. Based on these assessments, users can make informed decisions about whether this product is suitable for them or not.
Ratings Based on Features
These results are a summary of user reviews of the Sony Alpha a7R II. For example, 96% of 993 users who have commented on the Picture quality of the Sony Alpha a7R II have given positive feedback.
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 101 to 120 of 517 Reviews
Awesome Camera.
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by L4 on B&H Photo Video
With only a week to work with the A7RII we have put it to work from Day 1. Literally, as soon as the batteries were charged it was on the job. The images are excellent. The focusing system using the Sony lens is extremely fast and sharp. The Eye Auto Focus is incredible. No reason to keep the 5D body. Impressed with the Electronic View finder. The DSLR required a lot of thought and pre planning. Now we shoot intuitively focusing on composition. The menu system is not good but with some study it will not be a problem.
Wow!
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Perspectives on B&H Photo Video
I've moved up from point-and-shoots and am never going back! This camera is amazing. I think I have years of practice before I can really use it well, but it's going to be fun getting there. A warning to others considering this camera as a significant step up that its amazing abilities can also make it difficult to use. There are a lot of menu items and inter-related options to learn, but even more so, its ability to capture amazing images also gives it a lot of power to capture user shortcomings/mistakes. 42MP doesn't give you many places to hide! Setting up all of the custom keys and memory settings has been a great help and timesaver for me. The range of lenses, even without adapters, is getting better and better, so there's plenty of variety when it comes to primes or zooms at this point, at least for me. The camera's relatively small size and weight are what attracted me in the first place and they haven't disappointed. It's great for keeping hiking weight down without making sacrifices, and when used with a smaller lens it isn't too intrusive on the street or in social situations. I've only used video a couple of times and would say the same holds true as with still images - excellent quality that takes some learning to master. A lifetime of fun with amazing capabilities. It's so easy to just pick it up and go shooting or take along for spur of the moment opportunities. At the same time, you sure can load it up with accessories and lenses as desired, too! ... More
Wonderful Camera
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Jamesv on B&H Photo Video
This is a great Camera, I have had a number of Nikon cameras for years but when a Media client of mine purchased the Alpha a 7R11 for their Studio for Video and Still work. I needed to try it. I liked it so much I purchased one. The Idea of a Mirrorless ,Compact, Pro Camera was very appealing. I travel a lot and this lightweight Camera give me more room to carry on luggage. Set up takes some time and you really need to study the menus which seem to be never ending . I testing the Camera in a low light environment with a Sony 55m F 1.8 Sonnar lense . The pictures came out spectacular. I only wish it had a build in flash but I guess to get the Camera compact they decided to omit the flash. In my test trial, I was surprised how fast I went through batteries . I suggest that you can buy a number of spares . I congratulate Sony for changing the paradigm of Digital Cameras by coming out with a Mirrorless- Full- Frame -42.4 Megapixel Camera. I can't wait to take it on my next trip. Jimmy P. Huntington Beach, Ca ... More
Slightly dissappointed
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by John on B&H Photo Video
I am a canon user, and I bought the metabones IV ad parter for my lenses. The AF wasn't as quick as I've seen on videos, and it's bad at AF in lowlight. I am fine that feature not being up to par as I thought. (Not sony's fault) But here's what I was mainly disappointed in is long exposures! I thought it would be better than my Canon 5D mkiii, but that's not the case. The A7rii has more hot pixels than most cameras, and I thought I would've been able to shoot 30sec - 5 min exposures (astrophotographery). Canon's 5Dr is actually better at long exposures also! The A7rii is still an amazing camera, but I am not sure it's the tool I was looking for. Really debating on return the product. ... More
I am in love with this camera
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Jaunted Productions on B&H Photo Video
I don't think there is a camera in the price range that even comes close to this quality. I have a RED camera and I find myself shooting more with this camera because of the stunning quality and how light and flexible the camera is to use. We use it on Jibs, Ronin-m and slider. It isn't as great in low light as the A7s but it has amazing low light features. Also, it is AMAZING for stills as well. It is a total package.
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Please do a better job with the manual!!!
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Dean on B&H Photo Video
I've had the camera for a week or two and I'm finding that it has an incredibly deep set of options. But the manual is very poor at explain in detail what each function/feature does or how to control it. I can tell now that it is going to take me a long time to get to be a functional operator of this camera.
Four Stars but I still Love It!
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Joe on B&H Photo Video
Why the 4 stars? Mainly because of Sony Menu System (note: this is an older Mark II version....but still, Sony really lacks when it comes to menu, quick menu, customizing buttons and dials, and more. Thankfully, we can do some customizing and it's improved over the Mark I), still no My Menu (that would be Mark III versions) and lacking a ton of features that we Canon and Nikon shooters have enjoyed for many years (camera industry vs. electronic industry). Okay, rant over. What do I love? The image quality, the colors, even the jpegs are great straight out of the camera (and I shoot raw....but still....those jpegs look great), the small size and weight....OMG! It's quiet shutter (and even silent shutter if you need). And yes, once you get used to the Sony navigation system and customize it as best you can, it works very well in the field. It really is a sophisticated camera that works well for my type of photography (landscape, travel, cityscape, night-time photography, street photography, and more). As for the auto-focus, it is much better than the Sony A7 (MK I). If you want the best AF, then MK III and beyond may be for you. I can get by with the MK II AF just fine......I use some vintage manual focus lenses sometimes with the Sony full frame cameras as well as the new Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 manual focus lens (for Sony) in addition to a couple of Sony and Zeiss/Sony AF lenses.....so the AF is good enough for me (but would not have been my choice when I shot weddings). With the sale price....it is a Five Star Winner!!!! Fantastic image maker in a little package! ... More
Happy buyer!
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Joss photog on B&H Photo Video
I am happy to far by the A7r2. Pros : - The weather sealing looks better than on my A7r/A7s - Focus is really really fast on Canon mount lenses (Tamron 15-30mm, Sigma 35mm ART). - 4k is ok for my uses - I never shoot more than 8 minutes. For those who are worried about the weather sealing, I have to say : you have nothing to worry about this model. I have been traveling to Iceland, NewZealand, Australia, Canada, etc. on the past year with my A7r/A7s and used the camera in extreme condition. Camera went through acid rains (who removed the coating of my 1740mm :( ), geyser steam, snow, heavy rain etc. They all fully functional. This model look even more sturdier, so :) One thing I just check : noise at long exposure and I am happy so far. I DO see some noise at +5EV, but no banding. The A7r exhibit noise, banding. This makes the A7rII a valuable camera, especially while pushing shadows and highlights ... More
I did buy this product again!
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by David on B&H Photo Video
A few weeks back I flipped my kayak and fell into frigid river water. On that fateful day I had taken my Sony A7RII and SEL24-240mm lens along for shooting wildlife along the river. In a year, I had not rolled my kayak once. Though they were in a waterproof bag, when the kayak went over the camera went overboard and into the fast running and deep river. Totally unrecoverable. So I researched all the camera offerings out there and arrived at the simple conclusion that the Sony A7RII is still the best camera, greatest features and exceptional quality that I have experienced. It was a no brainer to get the same one again. Thanks to B&H for the ease of re-ordering. Mad respect to those guys. ... More
My favorite camera of all time
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by William on B&H Photo Video
I have been a Nikon and Canon shooter for 30 years and have no regrets moving to this camera. I am using the Zeiss 16-35 F4 and the 90mm macro G lens. The combination of this sensor and this glass blows me away - incredibly sharp and great contrast. I used to shot a lot of HDR's with my A77M2 but have found I don't have to any more. The sensor has a 14 F stop dynamic range so I don't loose any part of my image. The resolution is amazing. I can crop an image to 20% of its size and it still works!! The electronic viewfinder brings this camera into the 21st century. The image you see is the image period. All data is available and I use focus peaking a lot for macro - super fast. I don't think I've taken 1 picture that is not sharp and motion free. I could go on but I'll leave it at that. LOVE LOVE this camera. ... More
...superb
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Mike on B&H Photo Video
excellent with both sony and canon lenses. Autofocus with Canon lenses works great using the metabones adapter (mark iv).
Awesome Tool for Film Making Despite Some Issues
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Dave Goodman on B&H Photo Video
If you shoot non-narrative video such as interviews and events, this is not the camera for you. If you shoot narrative fiction or other planned film making projects, this camera is awesome as long as you don't require extreme low light performance. If the latter is the case, get the A7SII. This camera is not primary for video. It is primary for photos hence the 42MP sensor. The A7SII is only 12MP (on purpose) to prevent pixel binning at full frame. So the A7SII is primary for video. Know your camera models and pick the one that suits your purpose. But please don't give it 1 star just because it doesn't suit your needs. ... More
This is it
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Egill Bjarki on B&H Photo Video
Quick addition/update on my previous review. I have now totally converted to Sony. Sold my D810 and for the first time ever, operation completely without a DSLR. After shooting at a large aperture with the aid of facial recognition, I truly realised the power of the A7RII. The amount of keepers is a HUGE improvement to what I was used to. Previously resorting to shooting a huge number of images when there was danger of imperfect focusing, unnecessary with this camera! What got me to completely switch was the recent introduction of true 14bit RAW via firmware. The files will be significantly larger in that setting (why no lossless option Sony?), in most cases a complete overkill. But in some, a very welcome addition to this tool of the future! ... More
Not good with Leica M lenses
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
The quality of the images is amazing, it is a great camera, but if you are planning to change it for an M9, as I did, to keep using all your Leica lenses it just doesnt works well. Dont do it. I am using a Novoflex adapter. The quality is incredibly good at the center of the image only, but near the corners, and not so near with a 24 elmarit is all blurry, even in f11. Color peaking is useless. You have to zoom in (three clicks) to focus, but before this you have to open the aperture to the maximun to be precise, so if you open the aperture you might need to change to a faster speed as well so the image is not too bright when focusing. So for a precise focusing these are the steps: open aperture+faster shutter speed until image is not too bright+three clicks to zoom in+ focusing+ going back to desired exposure (aperture and shutter). Is very slow, but precise at least. With a 35mm f2 results are better than the 24, with a 90 is perfect. I can tell it is a great sensor, but it has to be used with the lenses made for this camera. Personally as a photojournalist I need strong well protected lenses, and I am not sure if Sony lenses are. About color peaking is not precise at all. Also, how can you shoot with all those weird lines in your image? Is not just awful but it hides the details, for example I couldnt tell if the person I was portraying was smiling or not or if he was looking at me or somewhere else.. The noiseless feature is awesome ... More
Remarkable!
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Quite possibly the best camera on the market. I've used a Canon 5D Mark III for years and decided to get a second body for weddings. I figured I'd try mirrorless and read everything about the Sony a7R II, and I'm so glad I got it.
Great Camera!!!
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by PSVN on B&H Photo Video
I had the A6300 but it doesn't feel right in my hand. The feel of A7RII is good, the size and weight are perfect for me. It performs great in low light without flash with the same lens comparing to the a6300. The image quality is great with my 55mm/f1.8. It extremely scary sharp :) I love this camera and would recommend to anyone thinking about it!
Simply amazing camera that does it all
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Armin on B&H Photo Video
I was initially from between this camera and the a7sii. After doing a lot of research I decided the a7sii was the right choice for me, seeing as how video was a priority for me at the time. After using the a7sii for about 6 months I realized that the 12 megapixels it had were just not enough for the work I did on the photography side of things. So I decided to sell that and ultimately made the decision to purchase the a7rii. I haven't looked back since. This camera really does it all. The 4K recording internally is still just as amazing (with the exception of not being able to shoot 128fps in HD). The massive spike in megapixels has been amazing. I can now crop into my photos with no problems whatsoever. In addition, I now have no worries using my camera to shoot large banners and posters. Finally the lenses hat Sony is putting out are just incredible and the fact that with a simple adaptor you can throw on Leica lenses and caputre stunning photos is enough to seal the deal on its own. Love my a7rii! ... More
Never Looking Back
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by An Honest Reviewer on B&H Photo Video
I have been using this camera for all of my commercial photoshoots, weddings, and personal use, as well as for short films and wedding videographer. I received the camera with the latest firmware update (3.0.0 I believe) which solved the overheating issue with 4K video. I have experienced absolutely no problems with any of the functionality of the camera. The only downside: the battery life. During photoshoots with solid breaks in between shots, the battery life is fine. But quick succession photos and any long term video shooting in 4K (HD is not as much of a problem) will drain the battery faster than a normal rate. Easy fix: battery grip and plenty of extra batteries. Overall, switching to Sony was the best decision I've made so far. ... More
WOW ! Amazing camera
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I moved from a canon DSLR with multiple L lenses to the Sony A7RII primarily for improved size and weight considerations. But wow, what I fantastic camera, small, light, Image Quality is well beyond my expectations. I thought I would miss the L glass (I decided not to go with the metabones adapter), but the sony Zeiss lenses are capable in most instances. Yes, the battery life is a bit short, but spend the extra $50 bucks , but a couple of batteries and you are good to go... The OSS in the body is an excellent feature, high ISO shots are very clean ! You will NOT be disappointed in the gem, even in auto mode, the camera is right on with respect to metering, ISO, etc. I am not a professional, just an advanced photo enthusiast and the camera has increased my keeper shot immensely ! ... More
Sony Alpha a7R Mark II
Sony Alpha a7R II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body Professional Kit
Reviewed by Charles C on B&H Photo Video
I am a Sony user and this is the first ever digital camera I have ever purchased. Months of research on this camera pushed me to take the plunge. As a photography enthusiast with two Sony Alpha 900's I am thoroughly pleased at this point (one month using/learning the camera). The camera's menu system is very extensive and it will take some time to learn. I was successful in shooting with the camera once I studied and understand the approximate 139 menu settings and the combinations. The camera produces very clear and detailed raw images. In my opinion this camera would be great for portraiture and landscape photography. I have included a test picture shot with this camera (reformatted as a Jpeg) for your review. I have also combined the Sony A-Mount to E-Mount adapter to the body which allows me to successfully use all of my existing glass. I can not give the camera five stars only because of the cameras' battery life limitations. In that I do not shoot video; shooting stills I strongly recommend the Sony vertical battery grip (houses two batteries). ... More
