Sony A7CR Has Too Many MEGApixels?

[@izzatIHH55]

i dunno why, but you have been my go-to channel for camera review

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks so much.

[@rfriday9532]

I'm happy with 16mp on my Pentax. Uploading speed of 16mp isn't fast 61mp would take longer to download than the photo walk itself. I wish manufacturers would focus on quality analog switches and knobs and balance of cameras. I want to enjoy walking with the camera in my hand. For me it's the experience of shooting and capturing the composition and the moment I don't care about a little noise and super sharp if it's a good image it's a good image. Most of the best photos I have seen in books are not perfect but the moment and composition is. Hang on I just started ranting oops. I enjoyed the vid 👍

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. No problem and I agree with your rant😀 Great photos are not about sharpness.

[@FierceSleepingDog]

Amen

[@alma175w]

Great overview - impressed to here the viewfinder is a better experience on the new models, that kept me away from the first generation, I may have to look more into this new one.

[@mattisulanto]

Take a trip to your local camera dealer and have a look.

[@alma175w]

@@mattisulanto I definitely will when they are released. It seems it would pair well with the older Loxia lenses, Sigmas Contemporary prime series or the newer Sony G primes.

[@bsuthe]

That 50mm/f1.2 is "relatively" big? To me, it looks absolutely enormous! 😆

[@BJJgurl]

It's all glass too; dense.

[@DieHardEddieEdwards]

It’s the smallest modern 1.2 by far.

[@bala1000mina]

Thank you so much Matti for the helpful and informative review! God bless and good luck!

[@mattisulanto]

My pleasure!

[@blueanthias]

Thank you again Matti. 🙏

[@mattisulanto]

Always welcome!

[@Tech_Stuff_and_Other_Stuff]

feels like it launched just a few months ago... but 1 year already passed wow

[@NetvoTV]

If money wasn't a consideration and you want to document your life and use it for personal work and best experience but you don't want too many camera and prefer SOOC output as much as possible, would you pick: Hasselblad X2D with single 28mm F4 lens for photo Sony A7Cii/R with single 20 - 70mm F4 lens or Leica Q3 for both photo and video? I will get Sony Xperia 1 V as pocketable camera and entertainment and the upcoming iPhone 15 for iOS as well. If X2D, how will you setup your videography gear? And do you think it make any sense to get A7C series because it still won't be pocketable and might as well get better grip of the full size A7 series to get better experience?

[@mattisulanto]

I'm not sure I understand your options correctly. However, if I was only taking photos, I'd take the Q3. If I was taking both photo and video, I'd take the A7CII or the A7CR with the zoom. I'd shoot RAW in any case, regardless of the camera. I think the A7C series makes sense for anyone looking for a small FF camera.

[@NetvoTV]

@@mattisulanto sorry for my English, just I want to take photos and videos from time to time, but do you think is it worth to get Hasselblad X2D with the 28mm F4 and pair with another camera or phone to take video? Or just A7CR and 20 - 70mm F4 to do it all? I prefer Hasselblad X2D color and it's menu, for the A7C series, is the smaller body make sense at all if you pair with that 20 - 70mm F4 lens which is not pancake and you will lose all the bigger EVF and the handling from the bigger A7 camera, A7C is smaller but not pocketable smaller, is there any practical reason to get it at all from my use case? Full size A7 is not much bigger but with better handling, it does heavier tho

[@mattisulanto]

@@NetvoTV I can't really decide anything for you. You have to decide what is your first priority, because there is no 100% perfect camera.

[@cameraprepper7938]

No, I love my Sony Cameras with 61 megapixels, excellent for Landscape and more, plus you have two Cameras in one Camera when you use the APSC crop mode. But the A7cR has too small an EVF, it needs a EVF with larger magnification and resolution, it also need a joystick to move the focus point. I am looking forward to the full frame Sony sensor with 93 megapixels, then I do not need a larger format Camera. 🤣 That extra grip make the camera a bit too large. I like the design with the EVF in the corner, I just wish the had made either the camera a bit taller or the back screen a bit smaller, so there was space for a larger and better EVF !

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. I know you like pixels😀 I'd love to see that 93Mp camera and hopefully it'll be real at some point.

[@cameraprepper7938]

@@mattisulanto Yes, I think Sony is holding the 93 megapixels Camera back, maybe because of processor and software for the Camera has to be developed further. I was thinking of a Fuji or Hasselblad with larger sensor, but I do not like the size and weight of those Cameras, I wanna go light.

[@jukeboxjohnnie]

I want this camera, it makes sense with something like the 20-70mm or smaller, for travel/family, its pointless with larger lenses

[@mattisulanto]

Yeah, works better with compact lenses.

[@lpark8]

Thanks!

[@mattisulanto]

Thank You!

[@blazin420copscantcatchme]

Very nice review, you are doing an amazing job!

[@juliegreller9242]

My Canon R8’s body weighs less than the A7cii. That surprised me.

[@mattisulanto]

The R8 has no IBIS and the battery is tiny. Those can explain the 53g weight advance. Not to say the R8 wouldn't be an excellent camera though.

[@maurylol1345]

Can a G master fit in there?

[@mattisulanto]

But of course😀

[@ruuddirks5565]

I think 61 MP is overkill for 99% of the people. The handling features are much more important. But the sales pitch will be its resolution.

[@mattisulanto]

You got that right, thanks.

[@BoxxyFan]

Its specifically designed for resolution, hence the R in the name. How is it possible to have too many megapixels??

[@mattisulanto]

Megapixels are lovely, of course, but having them just for the sake of having them doesn't make sense to everyone. They are expensive too.

[@BoxxyFan]

@@mattisulanto its not having them for no reason, it's a high resolution specific model. If you dont want megapixels, dont buy a model thats specifically for high resolution. Why would they make a high resolution model without high resolution?

[@TungstenOvergaard]

61 megapixels in the size of a M4/3. That’s a serious thing.

[@mattisulanto]

Yep, same size as the Lumix GX9, the body, that is.

[@mawavoy]

The Sony A7CR is APS-C not m4/3., and they’re not the same dimensions.

[@henakos]

​@@mawavoy Sony A7CR is Full frame btw.

[@mattisulanto]

​@@mawavoy The A7CR is a full frame camera. It's not EXACTLY the same size as the GX9, but close enough to say they are the same size. The A7CR is 65g heavier with battery and card) and 16mm thicker because of the generous grip, so not a huge difference.

[@erichstocker8358]

I don't do any video. I find video features on cameras a pain. I wish manufacturers would provide an option that allowed users to totally eliminate video from processor and convert any video buttons and control to use with photography. This would alleviate the processor from wasting space on video commands when not needed. They could provide an update that allowed more photography features to be added.

[@mattisulanto]

You can just ignore the video features and never use them. You can also buy the Leica M11, if you'd rather not touch any camera that has video😀

[@erichstocker8358]

@@mattisulanto Can not really ignore them. They take up processor memory. They take up controls on some cameras. They clutter up menus, etc. So. unless they are removed, you can try not to use them accidentally but you can not ignore them. I would love to buy an M11 but there is a bit of a price difference between a Sony a7RV. It would take only a special update for Sony to make video stuff disappear

[@mattisulanto]

@@erichstocker8358 Video is here to stay and you just have to live with that. If I stay in the photo mode with my A7IV or A6700 I never see the video menu and I can program all the controls for photo as well. Photo only camera would be a low volume special edition that would cost more than the regular model. I don't think many would be willing to pay more for basically the same camera that has less features. You could of course buy an older camera that has no video at all or maybe a used Leica M10. Anyway, I don't see any major manufacturer producing a camera without video any time soon.

[@GallicGarlic]

M4/3 and APS-C - at least recent bodies - have completely lost the size argument Well done 👍🏻 Sony and that’s from a Canon FF and Panasonic M4/3 user 😅 Canon: I want an EOS R6 Mk ii in an EOS M body (M6 Mk ii) 😎 Panasonic: I want a GM5 Mk ii 😅

[@mattisulanto]

That's partly true, the A7CR is the same size as the Lumix GX9. Some FF lenses are large, but some are not.

[@GallicGarlic]

Thank you Matti for the kind reply .. the video and sharing these nice Nordic landscapes 😊

[@AguilaDeOnix85]

Maybe on bodies, but long telephoto lenses and primes, I don't think so. And really some of the smaller primes I don't know that that's true. To be clear, that's a hell of an achievement for that sensor to be in that body, but an A7IV would be much better ergonomically for longer lenses.

[@mattisulanto]

​@@AguilaDeOnix85 Not everyone is using long telephoto lenses, but of course, if you mainly use long lenses, you'd choose another body.

[@AguilaDeOnix85]

@@mattisulanto I agree. For most photography, this camera looks great. You won't get any arguments from me otherwise. It's cool to have another look to a camera with that kind of power, too. I hope Panasonic does something similar with their S series and look at some of the GX series designs and apply them to FF one day.

[@FierceSleepingDog]

How big are the image files? I struggle with 48MP images. I can handle 16-24MP images just fine.

[@mattisulanto]

Losslessly compressed are between 70-90MB. Not so bad considering the iPhone 14 Pro main camera RAW files are around 60-80MB.

[@puppet_master]

One great thing about this is that it's effectively both an APSC camera and full frame R Sony. It's got small ergonomics and the pixel density will be the same, pretty cool stuff. If it wasn't out of my price range I'd get it. But a6700 for me (once the second hand market gets going)

[@tzj21]

While you are right, I think the a7cii is very awkward in the market. You can get a like new used a7c for $1000 vs $2300. No amount of new features makes the a7cii worth it. A7cii also does not offer significant weight advantage. Yes it’s light but it’s not THAT light. The m11 still smashes it, as does q3 for anyone that’s not price conscious. The a7iv is also significantly cheaper. The a6700 is very competitive because it’s also going to drop to about $1000 new used. The a7cii will never achieve this. It’s fine, but for the price and weight it’s meh. If it were 450g over 515, then it would be a game changer.

[@bondgabebond4907]

@mipmipmipmipmip Actually, the best sweet spot was on the A7R3, 42mp. It distanced itself more from the 24mp sensor, producing images that can be cropped with very little loss in image quality. BTW, love your online name.

[@bondgabebond4907]

Sounds like fun at the Sony camp. If you are wondering if the new cameras (a6700, A7CII and A7CR) are better than the A74, yes, they are. I love the new improved focusing system to include insects and a few other things. I love to shoot small objects like insects that don't move. But when it comes to honeybees and their erratic behavior, my A74 fails compared to my a6700, a mini A7R5 in a matchbox size body. I don't think you realize just how much these new cameras have improved over the older models, like the A7C and the A74. Getting away from models, stills of building and get with tiny moving objects and you will see the magic. It's a whole new world. Just have to realize the A74 is good, the new cameras are great.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. I'm so happy to hear you have found the new AF revolutionary for your work.

[@SPDTDL]

This with the 40mm 2.5G, slips into my 'man bag'. No more backpacks or slings for travel! 40mm not tight enough, use the MP's to crop. 2.5 not enough BOKEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH? Use lens blur in LR. 2.5 not enough for nights? Get the 50mm 1.4Gangsta and use the extra grip for these occasions. My fav Sony cam EVER for travel.

[@philmtx3fr]

For me 24 or 32 mpix are far sufficient to me. 60mpix just fill my HD more quickly, slow my computer and is useless for my prints. The A7c2 is better I think and the number of pictures that will take advantage of the 60mpix sensor doesn t worth the money.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing.

[@aviatorman8]

Two more things: when I saw the Sony’s announcement my heart dropped seeing the A7CR in black, then I rejoiced learning it’s coming in silver too 😅. The other thing I want to say, in your vlog I see a lot of happy faces and smiles, it seems people in Sweden are happy ones! 😊

[@mattisulanto]

There were people from all Nordic countries and they were happy, because they were shooting on Sony gear😀 Who would not😅

[@aviatorman8]

@@mattisulanto love it! 🤣

[@momchilyordanov8190]

The number of pixels is fine. The price is a murder...

[@yotuberudy85]

Progress is unstoppable, no problem to make from 60mpx less if needed. Problem is that hobby became too pricely.

[@mattisulanto]

Yes, you can't stop megapixel race.

[@borderlands6606]

No problem if you computer downloads and edits at the same speed, and there are no technical compromises in terms of dynamic range and buffering.

[@Chris-ey7zy]

Who shoots at 1/8000? Honestly do we all live in the desert and shoot with 1.2 lenses and can’t buy an ND filter ? A7Cii rocks

[@mattisulanto]

Maybe you never need 1/8000, but for some it can be important.

[@CZOV]

Bloody overpriced shite, Canon R8 beats both new Sony's with its size, weight and performance.

[@whiteeagle470]

Suomi tekstit olis ihan bueno

[@mattisulanto]

KZbinssa voi valita automaattisen tekstityksen haluamallaan kielellä. Tässä yksi lyhyt video aiheesta: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnjcfYuLbMdpY5I

[@RyanREAX]

A7R4 also has the same sensor*

[@mattisulanto]

Indeed.

[@AprilClayton]

Does the EVF on Sony A7C II allow for a silicone eyecup to slide on? I know the original did not.

[@mattisulanto]

I was using a Sony demo camera that had no cup on the VF, but I thought the cup is a standard accessory. However, I'm not 100% sure if you can slide a cup on the VF.

[@cryptofitnessandgaming-cfg]

Excellent review!

[@mattisulanto]

Thank you kindly!

[@chas1878]

I find compact full frame bodies to be a very niche product category. Once you put large glass on it the ergonomics are terrible. Even sony themselves made a body extension. Its good hardware but packaged weirdly. The better ergonomics and viewfinder on a A7r5 would definitely outweigh the ≈20% investment increase in the long run for some professional photographers. Maybe the A7C line offers features that are catered towards literally a few specific kinds of photographers. Perhaps a landscape photographer that never takes the camera off his tripod? An elitist that will only ever shoot with a 35mm prime? Lol Edit: this was a good and informative video, thanks

[@cameraprepper7938]

I am a Landscape photographer, I will not get the A7cR because of the too small EVF and lack og a joystick. But to save money, get the Sony A7RIVA !

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing your insights and happy to hear you liked the video.

[@TheArtist441]

Or perhaps any photographer who hikes, climbs, does street photography, doesn’t want their subjects to be spooked by a massive A7RV? The A7RV is a big boy, many would not want to lug that around all day long. There are a couple of tack sharp small Sony lenses that make the A7CR a tiny and lightweight setup

[@collodionpositive554]

I went with the CR over the bigger bodies because will be hiking with it, only using small lenses, likely on a tripod and used the ~$1000 saved on a lens instead 🤷‍♂️

[@TheArtist441]

@@collodionpositive554 great idea, nobody want's to lug an R5 on a hike. I'm hoping the CR is nicely weather sealed and can take a bit of a punch outdoors

[@18yearsoldnot]

I remember you saying the separate settings for photo and video was one of the main reasons why you sent the previous version back! This is my dream camera but I’m now too invested in L mount to switch, and I haven’t seen any compact zeiss lenses for Sony for a while 🤨. What’s the point in the A7c without a compact lens from zeiss or GM?!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. I get your problem regarding switching brands, but if you are happy with the L mount stuff, then all is good😀 There are excellent compact Sony G and Sigma Contemporary lenses for the A7C series. I think Zeiss is kind of fading out from consumer camera market, other than licensing their name to some phone camera lenses.

[@cameraprepper7938]

I agree Sony need to make compact GM Lenses ! Zeiss do have the Loxia series, I have the excellent Zeiss Loxia Distagon 21mm 2.8 which I highly can recommend ! But Zeiss need to upgrade the Loxia series.

[@mawavoy]

Correct me if I’m incorrect, Some of Sony’s lens size is due to larger maximum aperture size and the motors used to produce Sony’s superior focus speeds.

[@mattisulanto]

@@cameraprepper7938 I think their compact series is the G, not the GM. I'm a big fan of Loxia too, but I doubt we'll ever see another Loxia lens.

[@cameraprepper7938]

@@mattisulanto I know that Sony´s compact series is (some of) the G Lenses, but I will like to see compact GM (or another name) Lenses that can stand for the higher resolution for Landscape photography and very large printing. I doo hope that we will see more Zeiss Loxia Lenses, but I will also like to see more Voigtländer APO-Lanthar Lenses.

[@philmtx3fr]

Very funny you need to make a special effort to remember all the reference with these f… mkx that Sony loves :). On my side the A7cii is probably sufficient for me and may probably have a better high iso quality even if Sony makes now miracle on this side and last point , putting a 50mm f1.2 GM on this small body seems a little irrelevant for me : The old but excellent 55mm f1.8 is probably better and more balanced… but if Sony offered it to you keep it !!! :)

[@mattisulanto]

Unfortunately I was not offered to keep the camera or the lens😀 The manufacturers do not hand out stuff just like that. I wanted to try out the 50mm, because I had never before had chance.

[@philmtx3fr]

@@mattisulanto try with viltrox :)… but it won t be a GM :((

[@87solarsky]

The Fuji X-H2 has 40MP on APS-C, the Sony A7RC has 60MP on full frame. It's perfectly fine, resolution-wise.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

[@collodionpositive554]

X-H2 doesn’t compare with even the A7 IV (that’s coming from someone with both), nor has Fuji fixed the focus issues on wide lenses which makes it very frustrating for landscape shooters (who aren’t always using manual focus)

[@crimlarksSteve]

Thanks! Always like your videos, Matti!

[@mattisulanto]

Many thanks for your support.

[@WildlifeVeterans]

Yeah those SONY names are so stupid! Just like Olympus.

[@exurban5207]

I'm not sure if I want to pay the price for a 61MP camera and the lenses that offer the required resolution.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing.

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

Same pixel size on sensor as the apsc cameras. Most modern full frame lenses are still sharp on those apsc cameras.

[@angeloplayforone]

Becoming a Sony Ambassodor? Hahaha. Got the camera very fast.

[@mattisulanto]

I have no ambitions to become a brand ambassador. I had the camera on loan for about a day😀

[@angeloplayforone]

@@mattisulanto Anyway nice footage of summer in Finland. Very high shutterspeed when using this fast lens.

[@DonaldHawk]

Would like to get close to Leica Q3 by using A7CR and lens for compactness. What lens do you recommend?

[@mattisulanto]

For compact size I'd recommend the Sony 40mm F2.5 G, which is very sharp and compact, but not comparable to the 28mm F1.7 Leica Q lens, of course. Different focal length and max aperture. There is no good compact AF 28mm prime option for Sony in my opinion. Sigma Contemporary line up has some really nice primes too, worth a look.

[@DonaldHawk]

@@mattisulanto I was thinking about Sigma 24mm f/2

[@mattisulanto]

@@DonaldHawk Why not, if you like 24mm. It's an excellent lens.

[@NeekoAquinoPhoto]

Samyang 24 f1.8. Lens is not expensive but image quality is amazing. Think it will get you as close to Q3 size and image quality. Have a Q2 and A7Rv and been considering selling both and just getting the a7cR and just have them combined. Hard to let go of the Q2 though as my edc camera just because it’s so inspiring to go shoot. I just know if I really want to make sure I get the shot I always bring the a7Rv out. Decisions…decisions…

[@aviatorman8]

No, 61 MP isn’t too much because this is a 2-in-1 camera. With an APS-C lens you get 26 MP. This is the best compact camera ever made! 👍🏻

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. The best compact camera...😀 Well said.

[@FierceSleepingDog]

Best ever made? Really?

[@aviatorman8]

@@FierceSleepingDog yup, get over it! 🙂

[@FierceSleepingDog]

Then buy as many as you can. They will be in demand. You can make a fortune selling "the best ever" at a premium.

[@aviatorman8]

@@FierceSleepingDog haha someone sounds irritated and helpless 🤣

[@BenSussmanpro]

Thanks for this review. I have the A7RIV and for me that’s small enough, especially compared to my previous Canon DSLRs. For those complaining about the high megapixel slowing down upload & processing I don’t have that problem with my M1 macbook. However, in my experiments the cropping does not provide proportional image quality. For example, if I crop (in post) to 26 mp, the quality is far worse than the same image shot with the A7c (original). I think we’ve been sold a bill of goods with these high mp sensors but no reviewers here acknowledge that.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing. Of course the image quality gets worse the more you crop, because the effective sensor area also gets smaller at the same. If you crop from FF to APS-C area the quality is roughly the same as you would get from an APS-C camera, for example.

[@therealdeal4492]

I have the A7CII and was thinking of switching to the A7CR..but you have made me think twice on that move with cropping to 26mp and it looking worse than an actual 26mp camera 🤔

[@DonaldHawk]

Thanks!

[@mattisulanto]

Thank You!

[@bamsemh1]

I would say anything above 24MP is overkill, unless it's medium format.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! To each their own😀

[@chrispatmore8944]

Why not make the body bigger to start with if it’s just including a grip extension that doesn’t hold a battery or buttons for vertical shooting? It’s like saying, “Look , we can make a really small “full-frame” body, but it’s ergonomically unusable for most adults”. Same with the resolution, it’s like they’re showing off what they can technically achieve, but not actually considering the whole design or what people actually want to use. I guess that’s what happens when a consumer electronics company builds a camera, rather than an optical/photographic company. It seems all head and no heart.

[@mattisulanto]

There is the A7IV and the A7RV for those who want something bigger. I'm sure many will buy these cameras and happily use them. There are also many other camera brands to choose from, if Sony is not your thing😀

[@shinelun]

I am the target audience, I think. I want something compact. My style is run and gun and 90% of the time I will use my large aps-c lens collection. I lile small and discreet. On occasion I want to do some studio pix where I can take my time and do a portrait with amazing detail. I plan to have 2-3 full frame lenses for this and that's all.

[@andreasklos9031]

Danke!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks, much appreciated.