In addition, the PlayMemories application also includes new features for the camera’s firmware, such as a useful time-lapse function and a color grading application. The application is restricted to photo mode only, but allows you to change the exposure, image size, and focus remotely without even touching the camera. The Wi-Fi feature on the A7 pairs with Sony’s PlayMemories application on your computer or mobile device. Even so, the fact that the A7 can also transfer images to a phone, tablet, or computer over Wi-Fi more than made up for this shortcoming. That being said, in a world of high-speed connections, we found it strange that Sony decided to use a USB 2.0 port rather than the much faster USB 3.0 standard, which would have sped up media transfers and firmware updates considerably. Showing I/O ports on the Sony Alpha 7 DSLR: Micro HDMI, Micro USB, Headphone and External MicrophoneThe A7 has a micro-USB port for charging and transferring footage, a micro HDMI port for viewing and recording images on external monitors, an 1/8-inch TRS input for external microphones, and an 1/8-inch headphone output to ensure that your audio recording sounds great. Though the A7 is as small as some point-and-shoot cameras, Sony still found a way to include all of the inputs and outputs that any cinematographer would expect while looking for quality digital imaging in a professional camera. We found that these buttons seriously cut down on the typical time we would spend thumbing through the menu system on DSLRs. These user-defined buttons can be assigned to do anything that the camera’s internal menu offers-from changing the quality of your photographs to toggling the color of the focus peaking from yellow to blue. We were surprised to find that our favorite feature on the camera turned out to be the three customizable buttons on the back and top of the A7. Though the screen doesn’t have a full 180-degree range of motion, it does have enough tilt to allow cinematographers to shoot the kind of low and high angle shots that aren't possible with most DSLRs on the market today. Tilt-out display on the Sony Alpha 7 DSLREven more surprising is that Sony also managed to fit a 3-inch tiltable TFT LCD screen on the back of the camera. This means that unlike Canon and Nikon, all of the major exposure controls on the A7 can be adjusted conveniently by independent dials found on the camera itself, a surprising bonus given the lack of real estate on the MILC’s body. There is a top front dial that adjusts your aperture, a top back dial that allows you to change your shutter speed, and a back dial which gives you control over ISO. We found one of the best features to be the three dials on the top and back of the MILC for controlling exposure. Especially when you stop to consider how much Sony was able to pack into this powerful little bundle. When it comes to digital imaging, small isn’t always a bad thing. We also found the weight of the camera often made it difficult to keep the camera steady when the optical image stabilizer was turned off.Īll of the major exposure controls on the A7 can be adjusted conveniently by independent dials found on the camera itself. As such, we found the size and limited depth of the hand grips to be comfortable, but less than ideal for shooters with larger hands. In fact, by getting rid of the mirror and prisms found in most DSLRs, the A7 is actually the smallest and lightest of such cameras on the market today. Interestingly enough, one of the best features of the standard DSLR design also doubles as one of its biggest drawbacks: the size. Now with Sony’s A7 MILC, it seems as if they finally have what they want: a fully capable, full-frame sensor camera that can mount professional lenses and still weigh in at less than a pound. For years, photographers and DSLR cinematographers have requested smaller and more capable cameras for digital imaging, which have been met with varying degrees of success. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and Sony’s Alpha 7 mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) is living proof of that.
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