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Sony NEX-7 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £1129
inc VAT

All the usual NEX traits: outstanding image and video quality, lethargic autofocus, iffy focus from the kit lens. Sumptuous ergonomics only just help it to justify the high price

Specifications

23.5×15.6mm 24.0-megapixel sensor, 3.0x zoom (27-82.5mm equivalent), 544g

http://www.jessops.com
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Performance is generally excellent. We measured a shade over half a second between shots in normal use, and 1.8 seconds with the flash at full power. The 10fps burst mode lasted for around 15 frames before slowing to the speed of the card. The huge resolution meant this slowdown was sharp, though – testing with a Panasonic UHS-1 SDHC card, we achieved 1.7fps for JPEGs and 0.7fps for RAW after the initial 10fps burst. An alternative burst mode started at 3.1fps and lasted for around 25 JPEGs before slowing. Enabling continuous autofocus reduced the burst speed to around 1.4fps.

Sony NEX-7

This hints at the NEX-7’s biggest weakness – autofocus speed. As with the NEX-5N, autofocus is more in keeping with compact cameras than SLRs or the fastest CSCs. This didn’t have a huge impact in brightly lit environments but it struggled in dim lighting, especially with moving subjects and at longer focal lengths. The camera often used low light as an excuse to ignore the focus point we’d specified, focusing instead on whatever it deemed was easiest.

The video capture mode is outstanding. Recordings are in AVCHD format at 25fps or 50fps (progressive scan or interlaced), with bit rates up to 28Mbit/s ensuring minimal compression artefacts. Autofocus was smooth and silent, and the lens’s zoom ring is nicely damped to enable smooth zooms. There’s full control over exposure settings using exactly the same controls as for photos. Sensitivity for video capture goes up to ISO 3200, and noise levels at that setting were incredibly low.

The NEX-5N’s video mode matches all of these traits, and its touchscreen makes it easy to move the focus point while recording. This is possible on the NEX-7 but it’s much trickier via the navigation pad. On the upside, a Peaking function highlights areas of the frame that are in focus, which makes manual focus possible while videoing – something that’s virtually impossible on other CSCs.

Sony NEX-7

The video mode also benefits from a microphone socket. It would be even more useful if it was joined by a headphone socket, manual volume control and level metering, but it confirms the NEX-7’s standing as a serious videographer’s tool.

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Basic Specifications

Rating ****
CCD effective megapixels 24.0 megapixels
CCD size 23.5×15.6mm
Viewfinder electronic, 2.4 megapixels
Viewfinder magnification, coverage 1.07x, 100%
LCD screen size 3.0in
LCD screen resolution 921,600 pixels
Articulated screen Yes
Live view Yes
Optical zoom 3.0x
Zoom 35mm equivalent 27-82.5mm
Image stabilisation optical, in kit lens
Maximum image resolution 6,000×4,000
Maximum movie resolution 1920×1080
Movie frame rate at max quality 50fps
File formats JPEG, RAW; AVCHD, MPEG-4

Physical

Memory slot SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Mermory supplied none
Battery type Li-ion
Battery Life (tested) 335 shots
Connectivity USB, mini HDMI, microphone, hotshoe
HDMI output resolution 1080i
Body material magnesium alloy
Lens mount Sony E mount
Focal length multiplier 1.5x
Kit lens model name Sony SEL-1855
Accessories USB cable, lens hood
Weight 544g
Size 66x119x106mm

Buying Information

Warranty one year RTB
Price £1,129
Supplier http://www.jessops.com
Details www.sony.co.uk

Camera Controls

Exposure modes program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed 30 to 1/4,000 seconds
Aperture range f/3.5-22 (wide), f/5.6-32 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution) 100 to 16000
Exposure compensation +/-5 EV
White balance auto, 9 presets with fine tuning, manual, Kelvin
Additional image controls contrast, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction, dynamic range optimisation, lens compensation (peripheral shading, chromatic aberration, distortion), AF micro adjust
Manual focus Yes
Closest macro focus 25cm
Auto-focus modes multi, centre, flexible spot, face detect, tracking
Metering modes multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect
Flash auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, red-eye reduction
Drive modes single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, smile detect, HDR, panorama, 3D panorama