Sony is releasing compact Alpha 7C full-frame camera for 2,100 euros

The Sony Alpha 7C, or A7C, is a full-frame camera in an aps-c package for a price of 2,100 euros. The camera is available separately or in a kit with a foldable 28-60mm f / 4-5.6 lens and a small external flash.

According to Sony, the A7C is the world’s smallest and lightest full-frame camera. It weighs 509 grams, which is a fraction more than the 503 gram A6600 aps-c camera. The design is also clearly based on this line, with a viewfinder on the back left of the body and a flash foot on top. Just like the recently announced A7S III, which recently appeared in a video review, the A7C has a fold-out and tiltable LCD. With other A7-series cameras, the screen can only tilt up and down and with the A6600 also protrude above the body. With the A7C, it folds to the side, which is much more convenient in most cases, because you can keep a view of the screen in every situation.

The camera is equipped with a 24.2 megapixel bsi sensor, a Bionz X image processor and contains 5-axis in-body stabilization (ibis), which would be good for preventing 5 stops of motion blur. The sensor can handle 100 to 51,200 ISO and is expandable to 50-204800 ISO. The large NP-FZ100 battery of the A7 series and A6600 can also be found in the A7C and would be good for 680 photos on a charge with EVF and 740 with only the LCD.

It is possible to capture up to 10 photos per second with autofocus and light metering, but there is also an 8fps mode with minimal lag in the viewfinder and on the LCD screen, which should make tracking fast-moving subjects easier. The buffer memory is large enough for 223 jpeg, 115 compressed raw and 45 uncompressed raw photos.

There are 693 phase and 425 contrast autofocus points available that, according to Sony, are able to recognize subjects thanks to artificial intelligence and continue to follow them when the shutter button is pressed halfway or the AF-on button is used. Face and eye recognition is also available for tracking, including pets. If touch tracking is activated, it is also possible to track subjects that are tapped on the touch-sensitive screen. The af-system should also continue to work reliably in the dark up to -4 EV.

The A7C can film in 4k and uses 6k source material that is reduced to 4k by means of oversampling without pixel binning, which should yield more detailed images. The camera supports hlg for hdr and s-log and can film in 1080p with 120fps. In 4k, that is a maximum of 30fps.

A newly developed 28-60mm F4-5.6 lens is optionally included with the A7C, which is dust and water resistant. It uses a linear autofocus motor and an internal focus design where the lens does not extend when focusing. It is a lens with a collapsible lens design, which must be mechanically unlocked. The minimum focus distance is 30cm in the wide-angle position and 45cm in the 60mm position. The lens weighs 167g.

Apart from the camera and the lens, a new flash has also been announced. The HVL-F28RM is 12 percent smaller and 7 percent lighter than the F32M, as well as weather resistant. The flash can be tilted at an angle of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 120 degrees and has a built-in radio trigger. This allows the flash to control 15 flashes or receivers in five groups within a radius of 35 meters.

The kit with the A7C and the 28-60 mm lens will be on the market in October for a suggested retail price of 2400 euros. Separately, the body costs 2,100 euros and the 26-60mm kit lens costs 500 euros. The HVL-F28RM flash is expected in November for a suggested retail price of 280 euros.