Sony Alpha a7S

404 reviews

Nov, 2024

Positive
performance (214)
usability (186)
portability (94)
low-light (81)
image quality (73)

Negative
contrast (3)
stabilizer (2)
zoom (2)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 404 reviews of Sony Alpha a7S. The average rating for this product is 4.4/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. Reviewers really like the low light performance and price. The portability and usability also get good views. There are some mixed opinions about the battery. Many are negative about the image stabilizer and zoom.

performance, usability, portability, price, low-light

contrast, zoom, stabilizer

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Sony Alpha a7S is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 91/100 = Excellent quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 404 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

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Features

performance
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usability
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portability
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price
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low-light
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Showing 1 - 151 of 293 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (107)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Sony Alpha a7S

alaTest has collected and analyzed 11 user reviews of Sony Alpha a7S from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.3/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. Views about the size and low light performance are generally positive. The portability and usability are also mentioned favorably. Many are negative about the flash and reliability.

performance, usability, portability, low-light, size

exposure, reliability, flash

91% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Nov, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Sony Alpha a7S

alaTest has collected and analyzed 128 user reviews of Sony Alpha a7S from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. People really like the low light performance and price. The portability and usability also get good comments. There are some critical opinions about the contrast and image stabilizer.

performance, usability, portability, price, low-light

reliability, battery, stabilizer , contrast

93% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Nov, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.ca)

Amazon.ca review summary for Sony Alpha a7S

alaTest has collected and analyzed 2 user reviews of Sony Alpha a7S from Amazon.ca. The average user rating for this product is 5.0/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.ca. Reviewers are impressed by the performance.

performance

100% of the reviews on Amazon.ca give this product a positive rating.

Nov, 2024

Expert review by : Angela Nicholson (techradar.com)

Sony A7S review

Sony's most expensive Alpha 7-series CSC has the lowest resolution and highest price – what's that all about?

4K video output via HMDI ; Lots of control over video ; Maximum sensitivity setting of ISO 409,600

Low pixel count for stills ; 4K recording only via an external recorder ; Lens range currently limited

It's a great camera but its comparatively low pixel count and high price mean it's unlikely to have wide appeal amongst enthusiast photographers. However, it will find favour with those who need to be able to shoot in near-dark conditions or want lots...

Jul, 2014

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Expert review by : Mike Lowe (pocket-lint.com)

Sony Alpha A7S review

In 2013 the Sony Alpha A7 convinced our team and a panel of tech-savvy judges that it was system camera of the year. Not because it had the most lenses available, was the fastest, nor because there weren't other great new cameras coming out, but...

Great full-frame image quality, sturdy build and small scale design, great electronic viewfinder quality, tilt-angle LCD with large view, two batteries included

Poor battery life, no wall charger means slow charge, full-frame lens range is lacking, AF-C not comparable to £2k DSLR, 4K capture off-camera only, much pricier than standard A7

Just like the original A7, the A7S is mini marvel with a massive sensor. It's the new 12-megapixel chip that's the main point of interest as image quality is the cleanest out of the current trio of A7 cameras available. That will benefit those who...

Sep, 2014

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Expert review by : Sam Kieldsen (stuff.tv)

Sony A7s review

Sony's pricey compact system camera is a low-light master, but 4K video requires extra investment

Shoots 4K video ; Excellent in low light ; Huge, bright OLED viewfinder

4K recording requires external device ; 12.2MP sensor seems limiting for stills ; Very expensive

A filmmaker’s dream – but still photographers may be better off looking lower down Sony’s range

Mar, 2015

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Expert review by (tipa.com)

Sony α7S

Sony’s strategy of using larger pixels on a full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor (12.2MP) pays dividends in a very high dynamic range (15.3 stops), excellent low-light capability (Fast Intelligent AF to -4EV and low noise) and extremely high sensitivity...

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Expert review by (which.co.uk)

Sony Alpha a7S review

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The Alpha 7S is the third entry in Sony's line of full-frame mirrorless cameras. It looks almost identical to the Alpha 7 and 7R, but specialises in low-light photography and is capable of recording 4K video. Does this premium camera live up to its...

Sep, 2014

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Expert review by : Amateur Photographer (amateurphotographer.co.uk)

Sony Alpha 7S review

If you place your main priority on AF speed or shooting rate, the A7S won't really meet your needs. Also, if you're looking for a camera that delivers huge amounts of detail thanks to a high resolution, the A7S won't really be the answer...

Aug, 2014

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Expert review by : Joshua Waller (ephotozine.com)

Sony Alpha A7S (ILCE-7S) Review

Sony Alpha A7S, full frame mirrorless camera with a 12 megapixel sensor, and 4K video recording it promises low noise photography and video.

12 megapixel files are smaller ; Impressive ISO range available for stills and video ; Very impressive noise performance up to ISO25600 / ISO51200 ; Full-frame sensor mirrorless camera ; Focus peaking / Zebra display ; 5fps continuous shooting (speed...

4K only available when recording to an external device ; 4K external recording device isn't available yet ; High price if you want to record 4K video ; Limited lens range in FE mount (plenty of adapters available) ; Flash not included / provided -...

The Sony Alpha A7S bucks the trend for more megapixels, by offering a 12 megapixel full-frame sensor, this gives it impressive light capturing abilities, with low noise right up to ISO25600 and above. The smaller file size should also let you shoot...

Jul, 2014

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Expert review by : What Digital Camera (whatdigitalcamera.com)

Sony Alpha 7S Review

Usually you would expect a camera with such a high sensitivity range to be the preserve of professional sports or wildlife photographers, or photojournalists, but since the AF speed or shooting rate is not quite fast enough for serious sports or...

Jul, 2014

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Expert review by : Richard Butler , Dale Baskin , Rishi Sanyal , Samu (dpreview.com)

Sony Alpha 7S Review

The a7S is the third model in Sony's full-frame mirrorless lineup, a 12MP camera that puts as much emphasis on its movie capture capabilities as its still image prowess. While the a7S is a capable still shooter, Sony has emphasized that its real focus...

Impressive image quality Superb, detailed, essentially moiré-free 1080p footage Outstanding 4K (UHD) video when used with external recorder Useful, high resolution electronic viewfinder Completely silent shooting available Microphone and headphone...

Limited to contrast-detect AF, while a7/II siblings have on-sensor phase-detect AF Lower dynamic range and resolution than immediate competitors Sony's Raw compression scheme can lead to posterization at high contrast edges Small battery can be...

The Sony a7S is an interesting departure for a camera company: a model where possibly more of the emphasis during the design process has been placed on video capture, rather than stills. This is made easier to see by the existence of its sibling...

Mar, 2015

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Expert review by : Jim Fisher (pcmag.com)

Sony Alpha 7S

The Sony Alpha 7S full-frame mirrorless camera offers incredible performance in low light, but you'll need an external recorder to take advantage of its 4K video support.

Amazing high ISO capability. Full-frame image sensor. 5fps burst shooting. Sharp, tilting rear LCD. Excellent OLED EVF. Great control layout. Compact, dust and moisture-resistant body. Vertical shooting grip available.

4K recording requires external recorder. No PC sync socket. No built-in flash. Limited native lens selection. Overactive EVF eye sensor.

The EVF is an OLED panel with a 2,359k-dot resolution, similar to the one found in the APS-C Alpha NEX-7. It's one of the best you'll find in a digital camera, although we give slight preference to the LCD EVF in the Olympus OM-D E-M1. The LCD tends to...

Jul, 2014

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