The Sony A7II – First Look and Video!

188 Comments

1. Nice youtube channel and nice web site, would you recommend the first a7 as a first FF???

   • Well, no question that the new A7II, A7RII and A7S are better than the originals, but if you get a good price the 1st A7 is still great. It will be a tad slow in AF compared to todays versions, it will not have the 5 AXIS IS but it is still a great camera. If you want full frame and do not want a DSLR or to spend a fortune, it may just be your best bet.

2. Put my M6 Leica 28mm on the 7II and shot away. Seems to be working just great. But how should I set the camera to focus easier? My 86 year old eyesite need a break.

3. What about leica M lenses on A7II VS A7S? Because leica or zeiss ZM were really better on A7S vs A7 or A7R.

4. This Sounds Great, like all of the Sony A7 line of Full Frame. I own a few old Nikon lenses and several from my old Olympus OM-4 camera. What is a decent, affordable adapter that I could use to enable use on A7 Cameras? I do not need Auto Focus, just a good quality adapter under $60 each. Thanks for this review, when I buy it from B&H, I will use the Links on your site.

   • I also have a few old Nikon lenses. What I’m trying to get is just which of my lenses will work with the A7II.
     I have mostly 35mms, including a Zeiss ZM 2.8 and a Nikkor F2, then several 50mms including Sonnar and Planar Zeiss Zm, a Nikkor F1.2 and a Hyper Prime SLR Magic. I also have however, a 24mm Nikkor 2.8 and it’s this one that I feel might not work well with the A7II. Can anyone confirm that the 35s and 50s will work well, but also how about the 24mm?
     As it is I’m leaning towards getting the A7s, because of the silent mode, smaller file sizes and reportedly better performance with other maker lenses, especially wide angles 28mm and wider.
     Needless to say, Im a) not happy about the price, and b) will be seriously peed off if within weeks or even days of buying an A7s, Sony release an improved model with say, a 16 megapixel sensor, vastly improved focus tracking, speed and also the 5-Axis IS.

     • If you’re going to be peed off at Sony for releasing yet-another-camera 6 months from now, fair warning, check out the rumors on the upcoming Sony A9 Pro.

       • Yes, I’ve heard about this camera, it seems to be a sort of ‘pro’ version aimed at taking more market share from Nikon and Canon’s pro -orientated market. It might also be larger and heavier than the A7II I imagine it will have 36 plus mega pixel sensor too, so It won’t suit me.
         Granted, no matter when we make our carefully considered purchase, the latest camera with the kind of bells and whistles that seem best suited to our needs will rapidly be superseded by a new model that perhaps addresses the shortcomings of previous models. Such is life.

     • Thanks for keeping this thread going. I think most of us that have been making photographs for years have a drawer full of lenses from other systems that we love. This type of information, would help many of us to make the jump to a full frame mirrorless Sony. There are too few lenses available from Sony and they are priced above many of our budgets. I wish they had a lens like the Olympus Micro FourThirds 17mm f/1.8 for under $500 for these A7 cameras.

5. Is tethering supported in lightroom 5.7.1?

   • Not sure about Lightroom, but Capture One Pro posted an update in which it is.

6. Steve,

   I forgot asking one important thing about manual focus lenses on the A7. At my 5d2 the viewfinder gets darker if i change the aperture from the largest to the smallest value. Is it the same with the Sonys? I hope i don’t ask too dumb:)

   Thanks

7. There is already a work-around, see this thread and post # 125: http://www.getdpi.com/forum/sony/52880-ibis-issue-a7ii-3.html

   • I tested mine and if I turn off the camera, take off my OSS lens and put on say a Leica M lens, I still get IS working. Not sure what I am doing wrong to get it to stop working…lol.

     • Haha, right, you must be doing something wrong. I will test mine this evening.

       • Unfortunately my camera does have this bug. Just finished testing it. When I go from the Sony 55mm FE lens to a Rokinon 85mm IBIS works fine, but when I go from the 16-35 or the 24-70 to the Rokinon, IBIS is definitely not working with the 85, even though the camera says it is on.
         Somebody on the DPR forum suggested it may only affect European versions, so maybe that is the case Steve if yours works fine.

         • Well I m in Canada and I do have this bug … 🙁

           Also ibis appears more efficient on legacy primes than with adapted canon zoom (commlite adaptor). And IBIS seems to don t like/be incompatible with Canon IS, when the later is activated with the switch on the lens. I have to further test.

         • Sorry to hear it. They say that if you change the lens while leaving camera power on, you don’t have the problem. Could be a temporary workaround.

8. I own the a7 II as well now after selling my A7 which I already liked very much.
   One other new feature that I haven’t seen mentioned yet, is that you can now autobracket 5 shots up to 3 ev’s apart! Quite an improvement for those who do HDR with it. Excuse the blasphemy for those that despise that word, but I really like that change.
   Also as a negative there seems to be a bug in the ibis, when using a third party lens after a native OSS lens. Extensively discussed on dpreview forum.

   • I havent found any issues with IBIS and 3rd party Leica M glass. Set the focal length in the menu and it works, for me at least.

     • I still have to try it on mine, but appearantly multiple users experience it. This is the link to the discussion. http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3772711

     • Correction, wrong thread, this is the correct one http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/54952857

       • Thanks!

       • I will test this today, seems that if it is a bug it is easily fixable with a quick FW update.

9. Hi Steve bought the a7 ii a week ago and though I wasn’t so impressed at first, esp in comparison to the a7s and em1, I am now attached to it and will end up keeping it. what changed my mind was putting my Contax g lenses with the tech art autofocus adapter onto the a7 ii – WOW!! The 90 mm stabilized and the autofocus seems to work MUCH better on this body than the a7s. The eagle brand adapter which is roughly $300 seems to work 70-80% only on the a7s – forcing reboot or freezing every few minutes- very annoying. This constant crashing and freezing ruined the magic of the contax g’s and even though manual focus is a breeze, none of the manual adapters for the contax g lenses seems to feel right in my hands. Now the 90 is pure magic and the 28,35, and 45 all have operated flawlessly as well! The 90 really fills a gap in the Sony lineup and now that it focuses and is stabilized – AMAZING! The pictures are full of color and 3d pop. I recommend anyone with the contax g’s and the techart version 111 who put them in a closet after the a7 because of the imperfect implementation to retry them on this body. This is now my favorite lens- body combination and I pretty much try everything.
   Thanks again !!

10. Reading throughout the post here I got impression that the only reason you (many of you, not all) are excited about cameras is endless opportunity to PP process. Few of you only noticed how badly the marketing strategies distracted you from the most important activity to any photographer, at any level, which is taking pictures. Since quite a few years there so many great cameras available for everyone. The choice essentially is now possible per subjective “needs” of a person (which is personal liking of a camera) and not real technical advantage of a particular equipment.

    On the subject: this looks like a great camera but since it is FF the lenses will have to be just larger, period. Perfect for some, non acceptable for me (and many who think similar way).
    And since it is Sony, it cannot ensure that I feel great, being in a specific photographic mood given me by other great cameras made by Oly and Fuji. It is non-measurable, subjective and personal. It is therefore not a subject to any criticism 🙂

    Best regards to all who still take pictures using their lovely mirror-less (and other) cameras from Olympus, Fuji, Sony, Pentax, Panasonic, Nikon and also Canon.

    Marry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    • The 35 2.8 Zeiss is small. The 55 1.8 is pretty small and very light. The Zooms are large, but there are also thousands of lenses one can use with this camera. I just picked up a sweet vintage Nikkor 50 1.4 for the S RF system. This lens is TINY yet jewel like and all metal. Feels like a Leica lens. I bought it dirt cheap and am adapting it to the Sony A7II with a cheap adapter. Amazing quality when using lenses such as this and they are a breeze to focus. You could never use any of these lenses on a DSLR. The Sony cameras are opening up so many possibilities that make photography fun, exciting, motivating and trouble free. I’d MUCH rather shoot an A7II that ANY Fuji, any day. To me, the Fuji’s are way overhyped. I still love the Olympus E-M1 of course as that is one of the best cameras out now as well but it does not beat the A7s or A7II for IQ or capabilities. Each camera has its own “thing” and it’s good that we have so many good ones to choose from.

    • I have to disagree with Kecaj. I’m a long time full frame DSLR user and for me the size what matters the most. I reached a point where it became so important being light, being discreet. I’ve got an 5d2 with the 50 Sigma Art and will sell it. No matter that the Sigma is my best and sharpest lens i ever owned. And the A7 line realised this pretty wisely that there is a huge need.
      Okay, there are a lot of mirrorless options, the fujis etc. I’ve tried the Fuji for several weeks and in my opinion it is far from the image quality of the full frame (but others will disagree). I wanted to love the XT-1 badly, but wasn’t convinced at all, so i skipped it.
      So i will also in the camp of the guys who will change for Sony.

      • Csaba, and that is a fantastic thing that you have found your camera!
        Endless arguments (essentially wars) which one has better DxO scoring is just annoying ands pointless (this scoring maybe was useful year ago, when there were huge differences between cameras in different classes…now it is (partially) obsolete, also because it does not represent actual (subjective perception) image quality.
        The Sony is great, I just do not like it, do not like the Sony’s menus at all, do not see any charm with it… (as many of you do not like Fuji, Panasonic etc.).
        These guys from The Luminous Landscape (being a pros) do like the Fuji most! (search for this webpage…I do not want to bring any link here to this Steve’s forum.

        best Regards.

        • Hey Kecaj,

          yeah, I’m happy to make the decision, now i should only sell my gear. We are all with very different approaches concerning the desired camera. I’m happy that you have also found your best one. It’s a pity that Canon, Nikon still doesn’t have mirrors FF cameras, but i’m sure they will be coming. All the best!!!

11. Ok, so I’m going to give myself an early Christmas present!! Steve, or anyone for that matter, could you please give me a pointer for my first lens?? Portraits and street are my thing.

    Thanks for you time and great reviews

12. Do you like the dials (front, rear, top …) or do they feel cheap and plastic-like? As far as I know they are not made of metal like the ones on the A7s and A7r. Thanks

13. Hi Steve, have you already done tests with rangefinders wide angles with the 7II? (specifically 28, leica or zeiss zm). Same vignetting or color cast as the 7?
    Wich 28 lenses would you reccomend to use with the 7II?
    Thank you!

    • Same as the A7..no difference as its the same exact sensor. The A7s is the one to get for wide angle M glass.

14. Hey Steve,

    I’m a Canon 5d2 user, but I’m considering the switch to the Sony A7II. After long years DSLR using i realised that weight is a huge issue for me. Tried my brothers X100s, but didn’t like files, it’s not in pair with the full frame in my opinion. So i arrived to the Sony.
    Manual focusing is really important for me. I’ve got a Carl Zeiss 50mm 1.4 CY, used with the 5d2, but getting the right focus was usually missed. My question would be: how easy is the manual focusing with the A7II? I’m using it for stills, portraits and some concerts. All the old manual lenses are fine or are there any you should avoid?

    • MUCH easier to MF old lenses on the A7 series than a DSLR for a couple of reasons. Nice big fat EVF, focus peaking and focus magnify. I never miss when using old Leica glass. Its beautiful.

      • Thanks Steve, it’s great news that it works charmly. It was good to hear your confirmation, I will make a nice change:)

15. Steve, I have a weird question: As much as I love these small cameras, I wonder how the auto-focus of the Sony A7ll compares to a DSLR, say the Nikon D750? It would be an interesting comparison. Thanks.

    • I never found the Nikon DSLR’s too quick with AF. The D800 was slower than my E-M1, the Df was much slower than my E-M1 and equivalent to my Sony A7s. The A7II is pretty snappy, but my A7s is snappier it seems. Still, it is faster than the A7 I by 30%. The issue wit most mirrorless is not AF speed but continuous AF speed, for action or sports. That is where they slow down when compared to a pro DSLR.

      • ot had an A7II but the A7s is pretty good… not Canon-quick… but that’s that.

        The a6000 IS Canon-quick usually… and locks on like a leopard on a baby impala… pretty cool when it’s functioning.

        I’m determined to screw it up and start trying to pull focus with my Zeiss Primes

      • The reason why I was wondering about auto-focus is because I work in a restaurant with low ambient light. It takes a very long time for my Fuji X100S to lock focus in these conditions, however, a customer sometimes comes into the restaurant with her Nikon D800 in tow. She uses an 85mm 1.4G lens. She is a self-professed beginner and only uses the camera in full auto mode, mostly to take pictures of her kids. So she whips out her camera in full auto mode and starts taking pictures of every subject around my bar. I was amazed at how quickly it auto-focused in these low light conditions. Even the words on the sugar packets were perfectly sharp. She let take a few photos with her camera and I was amazed with the speediness of her Nikon. Upon reviewing the photos, they all came out great. Because of this, my interest is now piqued on the Nikon D750.

        • The A7s is the best low light AF camera I have ever used, ever. The A7II will focus quicker than the X100S.

16. I finally got my wife talked into letting me buy a new camera, but which one is still a quandary. Today it would come down to the Sony A7ii or the Nikon D750, with the Fuji XT-1 and Samsung NX1 coming in close behind.

    • Skip the Fuji and Samsung…go with the A7II. It’s pretty amazing from what I have seen so far, maybe the best camera I have ever tested for full frame 35mm. Best the Fuji without question, in every way.

      • “The best camera I have ever tested for full frame 35mm.” I must agree. Got mine yesterday and except for a physical resemblance to the A7 triplets, the Mark II is in a league all it’s own. There are so many compliments to pay however one stand out feature is of course the 5 axis IS which is pin drop quiet and I’m getting candlelight low ISO hand-helds tack sharp at 1/15th…wow. I love my A7S for its high ISO capabilities but what I really love is the ability of the Mark II to take clean, low ISO shots hand held in very low light…SWEET! 🙂

        • Hi Scott, I have the A7s and really like it but have been trying to handle the A7II without luck at our local shop. I do have a return possibility on the A7s and would love to hear more of your thoughts on the A7II. It seems the that the A7II might be the better all around choice but A7s certainly for low light. I have read several posts/reviews but do not have a good feel for the IQ comparison between the two. I would really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, John.

          • Like Steve said; Sony knocked it out of the park with the Mark II. Haptics are brilliant and beckon -finally Sony made a pro grade cam that says pick me up, let’s go shooting. IQ is Sony’s best so far IMO. The Mark II is the quintessential ALL-ROUNDER.

17. Mr. Toad will be retiring early 2016, and he thinks, unless something much more fantastic comes onto the market, that this 7 II is what he’s been waiting for. In your review, Mr. Toad will be looking for a couple lens recommendations. If you’ve checked his website, http://www.TheArtfultoad.com, you see that he is a street shooter, and has little use for any telephoto. What would be a couple recommendations for a prime? Zeiss? What would a Leica prime cost, and would it fit on the mount? On rare occasions, a telephoto, but not a giant one. Mr. Toad told me he’d appreciate some guidance on the the lens, and he guaranteed me (as his translator), he’d buy from this wonderful site.

18. Hi Steve

    Micheal Reichmann of “The Luminous Landscape” wrote “With the Sony A7s we see that Megapixel count isn’t the be-all and end-all either. There is something to the look of A7s files that reminds me of medium format”.

    Is the image quality at low ISO (100-800) better on the A7II or on the A7s (independent of the resolution). IQ at those ISO values is what is the most important to me (I don’t do video). I mean skin tones, color dept,….

    I would love to see my Summilux ASPH 35 mm preFLE lens be stabilized but if IQ is better on the A7S (even if its only 12 MP) than I will buy the A7S.

    • have an A7s and an a6000

      Could not be happier…! Each unit has it niche, and the bodes are so small that it’s no big deal to lug them both. Reall expands my lens quiver too…!

      Tried the A7R and shutter slap, noise and such real ruined a high def camera There is no room in my stable till an A7RII comes out, which I will add in a heart beat when it’s available. I think Sony saw how popular the Nikon 800 series was and rushed a product…

      Really sad about the current “R”. I don’t often criticize but his is pro Engineering. For Go’d sake if any camera needs 5-axis it’s the 38MPx one for sure…

    • Sorry, forgot

      The 35mm with the A7s is killer. But it will be a bit weaker than the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 ZF EF-mount through a Metabones IV or one of the newer ones

      The Big Funnel is just less affected by the AA-filter and the very short Leica gets angle-locked a bit.

19. Hi Steve,
    very nice first look!! Thanks, but I’m now even more craving to receive my A7II 😉

    I use old manual lens 95% of the time on my A7 which I love.
    It seems only the 3 axis stabilization will work with these lens on the A7II, is it true ?
    Also, does 3 axis stabilization means x/y/z or pitch/yaw/roll ?
    And finally, how does stabilization eat battery ?

    It would be nice and very helpfull if you could clarify these aspect in your review.

20. Hi Steve, can you finally set a minimum shutter speed when using auto ISO? Seems like such a basic, but important function. And do you still have to press a button before you can select the focus point?

    • This would be very nice indeed.
      On the A7, you can overcome this limitation with adapted lenses by using manual mode et setting the iso to auto.

21. Thanks for that Video! Looking forward to your real world review.
    One question: Did they improve the battery door?

22. Hi Steve,

    Thanks for the quick preview I really enjoyed. I got an E-M5 and RX1 after checking your reviews so thanks for that.

    I was wondering that you mention that is so hefty and feels good in the hand. To me the RX1 and Leica M6 are the best cameras one can feel in the hand. So here is the question: How does the A7II compare to the RX1 or Leica M6?

    thanks,
    Rhawi Dantas

    • I never considered the RX1 to be one of the greats for ergonomics or holding in the hand. I have always loved Leica’s and to me they feel exceptional. The A7II feels like an E-M1 style camera in the hand. The grip makes you think DSLR but the camera is much smaller than any full frame DSLR made.

      • I dind’t mean ergonomics wise but build quality. Both the RX1 and the Leicas don’t feel hollow or “too light” as the A7r, which feels almost like it is a toy camera.

        So I guess the question still stands: did you feel the camera to be as hefty as a Leica/RX1? They feel like they are made like a brick.

        Thanks man 🙂

        • More hefty than an RX1, and about the same as a Leica M. I mentioned this in the video and stressed about how much heftier it is. Even the A7s feels more solid than any Fuji which are the hollowest feeling cameras I have used to date.

23. Steve, you are THE BEST salesman I have ever known. I in NO way mean that sarcastically. It’s a real compliment. You do such a great job in showing your real world photos, describing your real world shooting experiences of what you test and more. Your excitement of this new gear (Whatever camera it may be) becomes very contagious you get your readers EXCITED and THEY and ME tend to buy!. 🙂 Because of you I have actually bought several cameras cause you sort of pushed me over the edge if you would,..too bad my wallet is also over the edge now too 🙂
    Anyway…
    However I must ask you, I seem to recall you wrote 12 megapixels are plenty, re: the A7S and as to printing or whatever I seem to recall you saying “12 megapixels is all most people really need.” I do own an A7S and LOVE it!! Here in your PRE-review you say your A7S will not be going anywhere, that it will remain your body for low light, high iso, plus has the silent shutter which I use a lot, it’s actually a valuable tool at times.
    I had pre-ordred this A7II but cancelled it a few days ago. I thought NO, the A7II, would be my camera to use in low light cause you won’t NEED the better high iso capabilities of the A7S most of the time, just for an example usining in a very dimly lit museum or restaurant. With the A7II you can keep your shutter speed down to who knows 1/10 1/20 say, using the FE55 JUST as an example. In good light you NO need the 5 axis..at all, it’s LOW LIGHT where you will use/need this great feature. So what’s the point of the 5 axis (Except video where it will blow away a shaky A7S)…I am torn here. I can’t see buying the A7II for day light pictures? and then using the A7S as my low light camera. In truth, maybe the A7II may be the better all around camera EXCEPT no silent shutter. The A7S also costs about $800 more or so. Haha I’m not even sure what my point is here, but I think you will end up using the A7II in low light too because you CAN. I’d like an A7II, but then I think Id stop using my A7S, so what’s the point of having BOTH Sony bodies tough decision if you already own an A7S I feel.

    • I’ll use the A7II for most daylight situations, or both, each with a different lens attached for ease of use..and my A7s will be for low or no light scenarios, not the A7II. Sure, I can use the A7s for day or night but the 5-Axis does wonders for video, which I use personally every week. So for me it will be A7II for video and daylight and A7s for low and no light.

      • I fully agree with Sol O’Riley. I own a A7s and a Fuji XT1 a Hasselblad Stellar (thanks to Steve I got one at B&H and I am happy with it) plus an A6000 and a Fuji x100. How many cameras do you take on vacation? One for low light, one for daytime use? Was it not the original point of view against heavy DSLR equipment to travel light? If you go to a museum and only have the XT1 with you, you will not be happy, if you want to make great outdoor pics and have only the A7s with you ,you will also not be really happy. So, my question is how many cameras do you take with you, when you walk around? As you can see I follow your recommendations and love your tests. Keep on doing your good work.Thanks. (this is the first time I write a blog)

24. what it this camera for when there are NO LENSES without OIS from Sony !!??……………….

    • it is a joke… I am waiting for the Olympus OM-D EM 5 Mk II

      • Anyone who says it is a joke is just a troll or fanboy for another brand. This is the best camera to come out in 2014 along with the A7s. I’ve used them all. NO joke, it is using Olympus’s 5 Axis technology and is full frame and can mount any lens one wants to use. It’s pretty amazing actually.

    • For the thousands of other lenses one can mount and the lenses from Sony that do not have OIS. Besides, the in body IS will be better than the lens OIS so yo would use the body instead of the lens. I use my A7s with 90% NON Sony E mount lenses and now the A7II will stabilize them all.

      • I’ve tried now the APS-C SIGMA 2,8/60mm E-Mount on my Sony A7 with the automatic switch, so that I get an full image view in the EVF! I must say, that I am really surprised about the 10MP results of this tiny fairly cheap AF lens! For normal use, more than sufficient!

25. Steve, how does the A7II compares to the E-M1 in terms of IQ?
    I have two E-M1 and thinking of selling one E-M1 + PanaLeica 25mm f/1.4 to get the A7II + 55mm f/1.8 just for (much) more IQ. Is it worth it?

    According to DxO the 55mm has 29P-Mpix (mounted on a A7r) and the 25mm has 11P-Mpix (mounted on a E-M1).
    Here’s the link:
    http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/Side-by-side/Panasonic-Leica-Summilux-DG-25mm-F14-on-Olympus-OM-D-E-M1-versus-Sony-FE-Carl-Zeiss-Sonnar-T-STAR-55mm-F18___450_909_1252_0

    Thanks.

    • Beats the E-M1 handily for IQ. Most full frame cameras do but not really any APS-C cameras that can beat it.

    • I own and use boths. IMO the biggest difference is you have more flexibility to play with shallow DOF when using the FF A7-series. The images seem also to show more depth.
      On the other side I personally find the EM1 to have near perfect color (IMO better than A7) and also some of the m43 lenses seem even better than the A7 lenses (Oly 12-40/2.8 beats Zeis24-70 in regards of sharpness over the frame and in regards of distorsion).
      My opinion is I prefer Oly color but overall I preffer a full frame camera.

26. Hi Steve,

    Just a quick question. On the A7II when you manually key in the focal length of a manual lens, does it then appear in exif data for the photo?

    My only slight frustration when using my current A7 is not having any exif from the lens, so in Lightroom I can’t just sort by lens shot with. I’m not too worried about it recording the aperture, because you can usually tell just from looking at the photo if it was shot wide open or not.

    Many thanks,
    Rob

    • Hi, this would be nice!
      FYI, there is the pluggin lenstagger to add exif in lightroom, however, you have to remember which lens you use (I tagged 10000+ pics like that). Having the focal lens recorded would help a lot.

27. Hi Steve,

    Big thanks for all the hard work you put into the site (loved the recent piece on street). Im purely and enthusiast from UK who enjoys Street, candid portraits and the odd landscape. I’ve been tempted by the A7S since your original review, but the new A7II has thrown me a little ($850 difference here). Currently shoot the X100 and would like an upgrade. Like the sound of 4k but doubt ill use it! Is there a size difference in the 2? Any advice would be appreciated, decisions decisions.

    Gav

    • The A&II is thicker, much more solid feeling in the hand. It’s slightly larger about the same size as an Olympus E-M1 but again, very solid and pro feeling body.

28. In your list of A5 goodies, you’re missing out ‘also without a full frame sensor.’
    If that’s not a problem for you then fine, but I have a raft of lenses from my fine art / cultural studies college days in the 70s (Nikkor 24mm to 85,mm with my my 50 mm F1.2 as a special favourite for it’s splintery bokeh), More recent purchases include ZM Zeiss, Sonnar, Planar, Biogon. and a couple of SLR Magic lenses that are crying out for a decent full-frame sensor camera. I’m too cheap for Leica Rangefinders, especially as WYSIWYdon’t always G rangefinder focusing problems might be an issue.
    I”m only really interested in one of these new-fangled smallish mirrorless digital cameras that can take all of these lenses, so currently this only leaves me with the Sony A7 range. I tried a Sony NEX 7, but I soon found the cropped image, and other issues to be unacceptable. So now I”m maybe going to get an A7II, or suck up the greater expense of an A7s, but I’m hoping for an improved A7s that addresses the apparent slow focusing issues and maybe tweaks the sensor up to 16 megapixels because this I feel might be the magic sweet spot number of pixels to offer good low -light focusing with good image quality.

29. How Sony pushes the boundaries of technology deserves respect. I had the NEX5, 5N, , A7, A7r and the A7s which I still have. With all of these cameras it felt that Sony was holding important pieces of improvements (not even innovation) of product refinement back, maybe because of product cost or marketing considerations. And it seems the same with this iteration of the A7. Same dismal battery, no touch screen, same clunky shutter, compressed raw files, all things which are not so much about innovation but rather about bringing a product to a different level of refinement. By the way has the lens mount wobble, which both, my A7 and A7r had, now been successfully eliminated?

30. We are headed for the golden age of full frame cameras 🙂 I think the A7s and A7ii are only the beginning. 🙂

31. hello steve,

    Thank you for your great video review on sonyA7II
    how is Canon IS L lens (Lens IS) compatibility with 5-Axis Stabilization (Body IS) system?

    • I have not used a Canon IS lens in a long time but the 5 Axis in the Olympus E-M1 is the best I have ever used, hands down. The A7II 5 Axis seems just about the same to me. Very impressive.

32. Kind of disappointed that there’s no silent shutter. Looks like a great camera though. I wish they had done some of the ergonomic changes on the A7S.

33. Silent shutter mode like theA7S? Thanks!

34. Steve, I love your work and have taken your recommendations and used your links to purchase my A6000 and all of my lens choices. The best decision I’ve ever made in my novice, but improving photography endeavors is buying the Mitakon 50mm f/.095 Speedmaster Pro “Dark Night”. Please use the Mitakon 50mm f/.095 in your review of the A7II. This will help me to decide it it’s my next body in my growing kit. Thanks Steve.

35. When a A7s II will be on the market, I will make the swap from my A7and combine it with a Mitakon 50mm 0.95……

    • As stated, Dec 9th. Just a few days away.

36. I was ready to buy the A7 as my first FF camera but now I’m unsure if I should jump directly to the A7II. The A7II would currently cost me 700€ (approx. 860$) more (and maybe the A7 gets cheaper in the coming weeks/months?). Money that could be spent on lenses. So is the A7 still a good “entry” into the FF world or will I be “handicapped” coming from a OM-D E-M5 and it’s IBIS and therefore should directly invest into the A7II?

    • A7 price from here on out is $1299 US. That’s it until it’s gone. $398 US dollars more for the A7II. I always say you should go with what you really want first to avoid regret, upgrade costs, etc.

37. Hi Steve,

    thanks for keeping world neutral – far from Canikon sposored dpreview sites (which recently deliberately screwed A7 samples by heavy LR editing).

    which Voigtlander, 35mm or 40mm?

    I’m comming from 43 world and micro format last years (last 2 using EM-5 exclusively with dust on all my other cameras) and planning to sell all 43 kit (E5, elite EM 5 version, normal version, 2 pens (one mini) etc.) including all lenses and get this beauty. Will the size/weight be a big shock?

    Unfortunatelly micro43 lost it for me in lenses department laterly – they lost touch with reality what used to be cheap and small (I entered micro with GF-1). Making amazing lenses these days (75mm F1.8, Noctiron 42.5mm, Oly24-70 F2.8 Pro) which but became as big as the lenses for this boy, and much expensive (Noctiron, I see what you did there).

    So I want to switch system and did a research for focal lenght comparison and what is better out of these two to match my loved Panasonic 20mm F1.8 on m43 system? (roughtly 39 mm full in 35eq by my last measurement)

    Voigtlander 40mm F1.4 (I just see it everythwere with this camera so quite popular) or its 35mm brother?
    I haven’t shot much with 35mm FOV as I consider it too wide for general use and prefer 28mm instead, but would still take better of these two lenses. 40mm is closer to Panasonic FOV but I heard of 70cm minimum focus distance (which sucks), 35mm Voigtlander is having focus shift issues in exchange. Decisions…..

    I won’t be buying Zeiss 35mm as F2.8 is too slow and image quality isn’t exceptional like the one on 55mm F1.8 (my first lens on my list)

    Any other lenses advise? Like best portrait around 90-130mm focal lenght? Is manual focus painful or is it possible to get used to?

    Will miss touchscreen but will definitely gain more I guess – spend too much on m43 kit lately and it haven’t become wise looking to future (ISO 3200 is max I can go with in good light, at night is ISO 2000 at most)

    • The OMD E-M1 still is the more complete camera and smaller, lighter and silent in comparison. Don’t hurry. I made some IQ comparison and found no such difference to dump a system while I really like the A7II. Battery life of the A7II? The Sony does not provide my preferred focal lengths with qualityglass either. The 1.8 55mm might be the only attractive lens from the Sony line so far to me. There still is some work to do for Sony, but I see light at the horizon.

      • Not true.

        According to DxO the 55mm has 29P-Mpix (mounted on a A7r) and the 25mm has 11P-Mpix (mounted on a E-M1).
        Here’s the link:
        http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/Side-by-side/Panasonic-Leica-Summilux-DG-25mm-F14-on-Olympus-OM-D-E-M1-versus-Sony-FE-Carl-Zeiss-Sonnar-T-STAR-55mm-F18___450_909_1252_0

    • Hi Charles. I was in the same boat as you. The Panasonic 20/1.7 is one of my favorite lenses and one year ago I switched to an A7 system.

      The Sony Zeiss FE 35mm f/2.8 is the closest match to the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7. I did a little comparison on my blog together with the new 35mm Loxia: http://www.backgroundblur.com/#!/articles/5486bdb7e2939c1336dcbfab

      The Panasonic 20mm is closer to a full frame 35mm than a 40mm due to the difference in aspect ratio. The Sony Zeiss FE 35mm f/2.8 is a very good lens and if you shop around a bit you can find it for around $500 which is a steal.

      Or go for ultimate IQ and get a manual focus lens. Manual focus on the A7 is AWESOME. Not painful at all.

38. Thanks for the video Steve!!

39. Thank you for the first look ! I have a precise question though; do you still need to push the button two times for the magnified view in manual focus mode ? Or can you assign a custom button to do that in one shot, for faster manual operation ? Thanks !

    • Same as before..two button press.

40. Nice toy ,really nice , Steeve do you know if jpgs are highly tweakable ? I mean i never PP and till know i only found Olympus to have great jpgs(colors and right amount of contrast) and fuji in a lesser way. I could jump from m43 to 35mm. What about lenses ? I use the 1.8s trio 12mm,25mm,45mm with olympus. Will Sony complement the 55mm 1.8 with a 24mm 1.8 and a 85mm 1.8 soon ? And btw anyone interested to see sony(or another mirrorless camera maker) make some leaf shutter lenses ?

41. My A7S for third party M wides and shooting in the dark and this bad boy for everything else. Good times! BOOYAH!

    • Agree!

      • The A7S might be the high ISO shooter to beat, but the A7MKII might just be the low light/hand held shooter to beat: this guy took a shot at 1/8th of a sec and ISO 100 -the image is super clean (I mean RX1 clean) and very sharp. Scroll down to the Dewar’s Scotch shot. SWEET!

        https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fphoto.yodobashi.com%2Fgear%2Fsony%2Fcameras%2Fa7ii%2Findex.html&edit-text=&act=url

        • Well yea, ISO 100 is clean. But I shoot the A7s in saturation when I need ISO 40k and 1/30th s. The A7II can in no way beat that, ever.

          • Agreed! 🙂

42. Awesome preview, Steve. Very exciting stuff. How do you feel about the lens mount being raised by 5 mm compared to the original A7?

    I’m really looking forward what we will see when the A9 is announced…

    • Lens mount does not bother me in the slightest, and it should not bother anyone. They added a much stronger mount to this one.

43. Thanks, for the video, informative as always! Just one tip: Don’t push the camera / lens around on the table. The constant scratching noises are really distracting. Looking forward to the next one!

    • I do what I do and always will..thanks for watching.

44. Does anyone know if the LCD can be turned off fully whilst shooting on the A7II, to preserve battery life etc? As I prefer just to shoot with the EVF only.

45. Hey Steve – How about a picture of the A7II next to the Olympus EM1 for size comparison?

    • http://camerasize.com/compare/#579,482

46. Do you have any idea if the sensor still has the low pass filter? I know the sensor itself is the same, but with mk. 2, and rumors of an A9 series, my guess would be that the A9’s could replace the A7s/R; leaving no reason to keep the low pass filter in the A7 II. Artificially making the A7 less competitive with the R was probably the main reason for including the low pass filter in the first place anyway! Without it, the A7 II could benefit from the full 24mp resolution.

47. The a7s in a revamped version, with higher resolution (20+MP), silent shutter, high colour, long programmable bulb counting up until release, better UI (speed dial), better and much more compact Tele lenses, a longer service support for the product… Then I may buy it.
    Until then a larger nikon d810, d4s, d610, d750, or Leica M 240 series is what I prefer.

48. The only thing that actually matters – have they fixed the $hitty af in lowlight from the original A7? No af assist from a sony flash was the deal breaker. Sold my A7 kit regardless of my utter love for the ZA 55 can’t handle waiting 4-6 sec for a bright orange beam to blind my subjects as I wait for the camera to maybe focus.

    Just wondering if you have tested this ?

    • There are always whingers! I bet you walk around with one of those silly D750’s!

      • 🙂 the ones that can focus in low light you mean? What’s so silly about that…?

      • Legit issues equate to whining? As a Sony fan, don’t you want their products to be better?

49. Steve would you recommend A7ii or A7s for strictly Leica M lenses?

    • If shooting wides like a 15, 21 or 28 then the A7s. If doing 35, 50 and up, the A7II.

50. Thanks for the first look Steve. If I hadn’t just bought an A7 I’d be all over this one, but I got the A7 at a steal so I’m totally ok with it.

    I am however really looking forward to the possibility of Sony releasing the A7S II. I’m going to hold off buying the A7S until then since I have a DF for really low light, but when the A7S II hits I very well may leave Nikon behind altogether.

51. Thanks!! Can’t wait for the full review.

52. Just curious Steve, what is the slowest shutter speed (now that you have the 5-axis IS), that you’re comfortable with?

    • I just did some tests here in my house at night, was able to do 1/5th of a second, handheld with the 55 1.8. But if I were out and shooting I would be comfy with 1/20th s with the 55 1.8

      • Did you take any picture at outside a night with light sources in the photos? My A7 has awful ghosting from the sensor and I was wondering if there is any improvement with the A7II?

53. Great first look Steve! Can’t wait for the full review.

54. All kidding aside, when you test it can you see if it still suffers from sensor reflections from light sources in frame? I like to shoot like that and the A7 model (A7r does not seem so affected) has issues there.

55. Does the camera finally lets you use the flash autofocus light when a sony flash fl-43m or fl-60 are used?
    Did you notice 5 axis mico jitter in video mode or your copy doesn´t have this?
    Is the autofocus available to shoot in less light than a7 (0EV vs -1EV) or its just marketing trick?
    THanks.

56. SteveH Rocks !
    I just looked at sample Pics posted by dpreview.com for the A7ii and was about to cancel my pre-order as the jpegs samples they have are really mediocre. But then saw Steve’s first impression and sample pics and decided not to pass judgement and cancel yet. Thanks Steve !

    • It truly is a remarkable camera. After one day with it I am really excited about it and I did order one after using it for a bit. Superb IQ, superb build and feel, faster AF, 5 Axis and it just seems to do what I want it to do. I am looking forward to really doing some serious work with it over the next two weeks.

57. Steve – Great “first look”! I agree… That camera, along with the A7S in the same well made body, will be a great pair and like you said, “Game Over!” Well, game over for a long time to come I think. As always, thank you!

58. Thanks once again for your excellent video review. Through your informative sight, now purchasing a camera for me has become a much easier task, thanks!
    Steve would really appreciate it if you can also try Leica 50mm Apo on this camera. Pls give your opinion as to whether it performs The same or better on The Sony A7s.

59. Thanks for posting your first impressions of the A7ii. I’m looking forward to your full review in the next few weeks. Based on how much I have liked the A7s, I pre-ordered the A7ii via your links. Your first impression comments suggest I’ll like this new camera every bit as much as the A7s.

    With some trepidation, I recently left the DSLR world behind. Now I’m having more fun and I’m very happy with the picture quality as well. A year ago, I would never have predicted that Sony would become my primary camera system. Your reviews have been very helpful.

60. For me the loud shutter and less capable compatibility with other maker’s lenses especially wide angles is a probable deal breaker.
    However, as far as I know, they are now on sale in Japan, so I’ll have a hands on soon and find out how loud the shutter is and also, if I can, I’ll try the lenses I hope will work with this camera.

    • Shutter is not bad at all. Same as the A7s and that has never ever given me an issue doing street, clubs, private events, portraits, etc.

      • Thanks! as ever Steve, your prompt and honest responses are helpful.
        I hope to have a hands on tomorrow, and if the shutter is non too loud and there’s no discernible vignetting with my Zeiss Sonnar, 35mm Biogon and Nikkor 55 F1.2 lenses, then I might be bringing one back home.
        Meanwhile back at another website that I won’t name, 7 months on, and they still haven’t got round to reviewing the A7s and their “10 things you need to know about the Sony Alpha 7II didn’t give me any useful information whatsoever.

    • I had this A7II in my hands today and it is very impressive. Very well built, comparable to a Nikon or Canon Pro Camera. The shutter is not silent, nor loud, not as loud as the A7r or the Nikon D4s, not as silent as the shutter of the Nikon D810 or the Canon 5DIII. Exactly one year ago I made some harsh comments about the A7 here, toy camera, half baken. This has gone, it is a mature camera. Now we need more lenses. While there is the small 2.8/35mm, I really would like to see a f2.0 version. I am not so convinced of the manual-focus aids because the view of composition gets lost in magnification mode and peaking in full view did not seem to be too reliable. Sony is getting strong, I wonder when and how Canon and Nikon will follow. Looking at the latter is like looking backwards. It’s a pity.

      • Sony never enters a market to be number 2 or 3. They will continue with all of the financial resources that they have. When they purchased Minolta, they obviously intended to take a large share of the market. They can built very solid quality cameras. My A850 is an extremely well built camera, very solid.

        • I miss my A850. Beautiful camera and built like a tank.

        • They might not aim to be 2 or 3, but by my count, this is the 4th A7 body yet we’re still awaiting good walk around zooms. The kit is blah, the Zeiss 24-70mm is waaay overpriced vis a vis its image quality. Perhaps this camera is really just aimed at prime shooters, as their zooms have disappointed. Very nice primes are available.

          • The 16-35 is superb, one of the best wide angle zooms I have ever used. I will not buy it due to the large size though, but it is an excellent lens.

61. ” I have yet to use a camera this year that feels as good, looks as nice”

    Is this also the best smelling camera ever?

    • Nope..but it did not come to me as a new in box untouched review unit 😉 I will have to reserve that opinion until I get mine. Lol

      • Sony should make them smell like new cars. Nothing like the smell of a new car.

      • 😉

        Is there any truth to the rumour that Chuck Norris was involved in the design?

62. Has Sony fixed the lossy compression scheme yet ?

    http://www.rawdigger.com/howtouse/sony-craw-arw2-posterization-detection

    • No clue as that has zero effect on 99% of shooting. I have never ever noticed anything lossy with any of the A7 cameras, 99% of users wouldn’t. That is something for EXTREME pixel peepers who usually never print a thing.

      • Hi Steve,

        I print. It’s part of the fun of photography for me. From the film days and printing to Agfa microcontrast fibre paper to modern Barytta photo rag and digital prints. I’m hard wired that the screen is never my end goal when I take my camera out.
        I realize that most people are not of the same opinion and prefer to share on the internet. I respect different publishing outputs. Certainly for screen, the a7 output is not necessary at all. In fact any camera available today has vastly more coverage than you could reasonably wish for and has been that way for years.
        However I tend to agree with the other poster. For very very large prints (30X40 and up) it is very possible to genuinely tell an obvious difference in tonality between a 12bit and 14bit raw (without pixel peeping) or pushing your nose to the paper. On good fibre quality paper a print made from an A7 series with compressed 12bit raw files versus a true 14bit raw output is quite noticeable in subtle skin tones.
        I happen to think that the A7 series are some of the greatest cameras made available. This just appears to me to be a silly limitation. Please Sony give us the option of enabling true 14bit raws! Steve you have a lot of clout and influence with the industry. Please could you speak to your contacts and request them to consider adding proper 14bit output to their cameras. Yes we would get much bigger files. Yes not everybody needs this. But for those of us who do notice this difference at large prints , it would be nice to at least have the option since the cameras themselves natively support 14bit from the sensor. I can’t think of one good reason NOT to provide it at least as an option in the menu’s. If you disagree I’d love to hear your opinion on why it would be a bad idea to provide it as an option to users?

        BTW thank you so much for sharing your opinions with us so far and providing a really great and safe place for us all to share our opinions. I really appreciate all that you do for photography.

        Best wishes to you and your family this festive season,
        Tom.

        • Thank you Tom!!

        • Sony do very clearly claim that the RAW is output in 14 bit (all their FF cameras do). They make a big point out of it in fact (on their own site). What some have found is that the compression of these RAWs are compressed with a loss. The question is if that is because of the RAW converters or not.

          Essentially there is no proof that tonal range is affected (maybe because the best full frame cameras can only produce a range of 10 bits – according to DXOMark numbers).

          The only artifact that seem to be present are with star trails (or where the difference is more than 4eV between adjacent areas in a picture can show up these artefacts, that are easily removed in PP) – but this has no measurable/known impact on tonal ranges, DR or colour depth.

          I guess there will always be people heavily invested in other brands who will make a big fuss out of it 🙂

63. Oh man I want one of these. Problem is that I am now heavily invested in Nikon glass for my Df (agree with Steve, love the Df).

    So, how well do Nikon autofocus lenses work on the A7 series? Is AF preserved? Can G lenses be used with in-camera aperture control? I own and love the 58mm f/1.4G, and any switch from the Df to the A7II will depend on being able to continue using this marvelous lens.

    • I would doubt very much that G lenses or any other autofocus F lenses will autofocus on a Sony camera. You will need to use an adapter for Nikon F lenses and the lenses will not be communicating with the camera. They will be focused manually and the apertures will be selected manually via an adapter manual ring. Forget using them with in camera aperture control. The camera will adjust your exposure based on your stopped down aperture. Hold on to your DF if you want to continue using G lenses with AF and in body aperture control. P.S. I also own a DF and would never part with it, but the Sony looks very interesting and can be used as I mentioned above, with lenses from different companies, but only manually.

    • The DF & 58mm 1.4 combo is magic. And the 14bit raw data of the Nikon produces superior subtle tonal transition (skin) when compared with compressed 11bit raw files of the Sony. This is why the “Nikonized” Sony sensors in the Nikon 810 and 750 beat the file quality of the Sony A7 (r).

      • That is just a fanboy argument. Point us to an example that supports your claim about inferior tonal range. Head over to DXOMark and see that the A7r and D810 RAWs performs VERY similar. Tonal range is essentially the same! If you want to be obsessed about uncompressed Vs compressed RAW, fine, suit yourself. I would much rather have manageable file sizes without any meaningful compromise of image quality.

        • Sorry, but I have to agree with retow. I’ve owned the A7 and A7r and couldn’t get on with them. They did do nice skintones, but the tonality of results was weaker than the D600 I previously owned and the D750 I now own. I bought a D750 to replace my A7 and I’m very happy with it.

      • Retow, most people here aren’t interested in subtle nuances of rendering between different cameras and lenses. They do like to gush about the next big thing though.

      • I used the Df with 58 1.4 and was not so impressed. In fact, I get better IQ from the A7s than I did the Df, and the A7II is a step up from that in the IQ dept. I was browsing my over 1800 Df images last night and in comparison to my A7s and A7Ii images, well, I much prefer the images coming from the A7II in color, depth, detail, etc and the A7II is smaller, better built, just as fast and much less expensive. I see much better tonality from the Sony than the Df.

        • The 58/1.4G is a very special lens. Its rendering cannot be appreciated through sheer numbers counting. It has more haters than lovers; there seems to be no middle ground. I love that lens (currently on my D800E), and will not part with it, even if there are “sharper” lenses.

        • That`s how preferences differ. My personal and subjective IQ ranking is: DP2/3 Merrill & DP2 Quattro, R1r, Df, A7r (sold), M9. The A7s which I still have does not impress me as much as the others as far as IQ is concerned. Though the only one which always delivers without a sweat is the Df.

        • Did you calibrate your Df for accurate focus with the 58/1.4? Mine was off slightly, adjusted to +5 and now nails perfect focus every time at f/1.4 in the center point. The lens is actually very sharp in the center even at f/1.4.

        • Steve, I could take that referencing the Df vs the A7S because I’ve seen some nice results from the A7S (though if I’m honest I’ve never seen anything to match output from from the Df or D4 series) but I’ve never have anything like as good colour from the A7 or A7R vs the Nikons that use the same sensor. I understand Sony uses a stronger CFA that ought to translate into better tonality but that’s handicapped by the lossy RAW compression. The trouble with that is the stronger CFA also creates noise at lower ISOs. There’s absolutely no contest in high ISO noise handling between the D750 and the old A7 for example.

64. I shall buy the A7s II

65. Steve, thanks for another great video review. I have a question that i hope you can answer. I have previously found the A7s a better camera than the A7 for focus peaking. The 7s seems to be more sensitive to low contrast subjects when the lens is wide open. I could often achieve critical focus with manual lenses on 7s without having to activate the magnifier, but couldn’t do it with the A7 with the same success rate. Do you see the same in A7s vs A7 ii ?

    • I used it a few times today and nailed it easily just as I do with the A7s..but when I do my full review I will talk about it in detail after I get more experience with it. Thanks!

      • steve
        I heard many times you said A7S is your favorite camera and yet I saw you bought back the M240 P. Why?
        I have both A7S and M240 but I always feel the M is a camera that I really enjoy taking pictures even though the A7S may even give me better IQ.
        I will buy the next version of A7S while keep the M.

        • I always had an M 240 – The A7s and now A7II surpass the M though for IQ, ability, and features (useful features such as 5 Axis, low light capabilities, etc) and the A7II feels just as well made as the M 240. The A7II easily beats the M for IQ in any and all light. $1698 vs $7-8k. Leica needs to really step it up for the next M otherwise they may be in trouble. There were average photo Joe;s buying the M9 in droves, some of them bought the M 240 (but not as many as the M9, which at the time stood out above most digital cameras for IQ and uniqueness) – now with the new Sony offerings (and more on the way in the next few months) Leica will need to have a superstar sensor or else there will be even less buying the next M.

          The new Mark II Sony is a steal at $1695. Beautifully made, beautiful IQ, super capable, 5-Axis IS in body, nice EVF, fast AF, can mount almost any lens ever made and is a breeze to manually focus. Within 2 hours of getting the review unit I placed my pre order at Amazon. To me, it’s head and shoulders above the A7 and A7r in every area but does not compete with the A7s for low light or high ISO.

          • I don’t think Leica gets it yet. They use inferior processors and LCDs and produce buggy software and hardware and charge a premium price. That works for a while but sooner or later people wake up to the fact that they are not getting what they are paying for. The luxury high end market demands high quality. I will pay for a Luis Vitton purse because I know it is made of the best quality materials and will last long past my wife’s interest and still look beautiful. Leica is getting the price they are getting because people think they are getting that same kind of craftsmanship and quality Leica used to deliver with mechanical cameras. In today’s world of the internet bad quality becomes obvious and soon your clientele is just the die hards living the fantasy rather than the reality. Quality in cameras is processors, sensors and software. No matter how nice a package you put it into, if these things aren’t there it is a failure and won’t sell. Cutting corners by using slower inferior electronics and not learning how to produce quality software with minimum bugs is not conducive to a high end value proposition.

            In general, I like their designs (or whoever the use to do their designs) but I can’t stand their electronics and their poor performance. Granted they are smaller and lack the R&D budget of a Sony; however, they have the advantages that small size brings in being nimble and being able to quickly adopt and change (or they should have). License Fuji’s hybrid viewfinder but improve it optically and with additional innovations such as making ti work well with variable focal lengths, Design and build new fast focusing small lenses using their expertise in lens design, hire a new software development team that understand how to write quality firmware and produce it quickly and when bugs are found (there will always be some) get the fixes out quickly. Add new features to older products to keep them relevant and show that they are not forgotten and for god’s sake improve your service turn around time. The goal should be less than ten days door-to-door.

        • To all LEICA users, you can keep your M-Body as substitutes now furthermore nice and warm! SONY eats not Leica’s lunch, but the dinner too!

66. I was hoping for a silent shutter option but am nonetheless eager to receive the A7II I pre-ordered. The A7s is, for my low light and non-intrusive shooting requirements, the best camera I’ve ever owned but there are occasions when I’m thankful for the the extra megapixels of my A7 — and now the A7II. Also, I gotta say, I’ve had great luck with the A6000 and its 11 fps, fast-action autofocus capabilities. I have become an ardent Sony fan.

67. The A7s II will just be the best camera of all times!

    • but when a camera already does so well in low lighting/high ISOs, is having IBIS even a factor?

      • Of course it would be a factor. Not only for photos but to help smooth out video, which it does amazingly well.

        • Perhaps for video, I’m not into video personally, but for photos i just don’t see any actual real life situations needing all those stops

68. Why did you review it with voigtlander lens instead of showing us how good / bad the A7II focusing was?

    • I guess I got to go somewhere else to find out.

      • Stop whining.

    • I didn’t as I have yet to review this camera! Where did you see a review by me of the A7II? This post and video is a FIRST LOOK – I clearly state that my review will come in 2-3 weeks. In my review I will go over all of the stuff you want to know, so when the review is published just check back. The AF (as mentioned in the video) is faster, and I believe Sony’s 30% faster claim.

      • What Steve means is he is stretching the review out so he can keep the A7 II and play with it over the holidays 🙂

        • 2-3 weeks, which is how long it always takes me to review a camera once it arrives. I am not one of these guys who gets it, takes a few shots of some nonsense and then writes up a review within a day or two. Those guys are just out for traffic, views, and popularity trying to pump out loads of stuff quickly. I take my time and there have been times it has taken me 2 months with a camera to judge it. My personal A7II will get here next week as I ordered on immediately after seeing and using this one. Knew I had to have one. But the review will be up by the end of the month 🙂 I will not be the 1st review up but should be pretty thorough in the real world way I review. Same as my A7s review style. Thanks!

          • Steve, your reviews are the best. You sold me on the A7s and now it’s my go to camera over both Leica M and MM. I’d be curious how you feel the A7 II + native glass compares to the Leica M with M glass. In particular, how is A7 II + 16-35 compared to say, the 21mm SEM on the M. If you have a 70-200 F4, I’d be curious how the IBIS works with long lenses…

69. How’s the shutter sound compared to the A7/A7S? Please! 🙂

70. steve do you know if the new a7ll has improved weather sealing over the a7 a7r? thank you

    • I believe it does but will verify for my review..

      • Thanks Steve!

71. Steve, can you provide more info on auto focus performance? How does it compare to A7s?

    • I will do so in my review, when I review it 😉 It’s faster than the A7 and I believe Sony’s claims of 30% faster. The A7s was about 30% faster as well so..

      • Would love to know how it compares to the A6000 as well.

72. Ok. now I’m waiting for the A7r II or the A7s II 😉

    • I’m just waiting for an A5 (basically the same as the A7 II, but without a view finder, the 5 axis and $250 less, I hope they make it) not because of the lower price, but because I want it more compact to carry with me at all times.

      • +1

      • +1

    • Yeah, me too! Sadly I bought the a7 a couple of months ago. I’ll have to sell it quickly and I’ll lose some money in the process. Maybe someone still wants the old a7, but I think it will be hard to sell it for a decent price, especially with the current discounts. Typically Sony if you ask me. Well, better than staying asleep like Canon and Nikon.

    • Hi I am moving to the Sony A7 No one can tell me for certain and I get “should” or “maybe” answers. I have a AF-S Nikon 105mm 1:2.8G SWM VR ED Micro IF 1:1 and if I get a G mount adaptor will this work on the A7. I know that I will lose the AF but I have also been told that I will have the aperture frozen as well. Could someone help out please – thanks Garry

      • What would you do if the Nikon 105 will not work? Sell it I guess. So what’s the risk? If you’re moving to Sony anyway, take the Sony and the Nikon lens to the camera store and ask them to try the G-mount adaptor on you combo. If it doesn’t work, you don’t need to buy it and you can still sell your Nikon.
        Otherwise, order the G-mount and try it out at home, if it doesn’t work send it back.

        But the people in the store are there to help you. It seems these days people forgot there are physical stores as well or they are afraid to go in or something..

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