The first of Sony’s “new concept” compact mirrorless cameras, the Sony a7C features a full-frame sensor and performance that is similar to the a7III and a body style that’s similar to the a6600.
It’s also being touted by Sony as the World’s smallest and lightest full-frame system.
As mentioned above, the a7C features similar specs as the a7III including sensor size (24.2-megapixel), ISO range (100-51200), 4K video recording 4K 30p/100mbps) and auto-focus capabilities.
It also boasts the same fully-articulating screen as the recently announced a7SIII.
So, you might be asking yourself, if the specs are basically the same as the a7III, why would I want to buy this camera?
Well, if you are a vlogger or content creator, the biggest reason size.
Full-Frame Sensor in an APS-C Sensor Sized Camera Body
Somehow, Sony has managed to stick a full-frame sensor in a body that is only slightly larger and heavier than their compact ASP-C sensor a6600 camera and quite a bit smaller and lighter than the a7III.
Take a look at the comparison below.
Size and Weight Comparison
- a7III Dimensions: L – 5.0” x W – 3.8” x H – 3.0” (126.9 x 95.6 x 73.7 mm) | Weight: 650g (1.43 lbs) with memory card and battery
- a7C Dimensions: L – 4.88” x W – 2.35” x H – 2.79” (124 x 59.7 x 71.1 mm) | Weight: 509g (1.12 lbs) with memory card and battery
- a6600 Dimensions: L – 4.7″ x W – 2.6″ x H – 2.7″ (120 x 66.9 x 69.3 mm) | Weight: 503g (1.11 lbs) with memory card and battery
As you can see, it’s 141g (0.31 lbs) lighter than the a7III which, when you are holding a camera and gimbal in your hand for prolonged periods, can really help to reduce fatigue.
Exterior Features
Other notable exterior features include a 3″ fully-articulating LCD touchscreen and 2.3million dot, OLED electronic viewfinder in the upper left hand corner.
There is also a single SD UHS-I/II memory card slot, USB-C port, HDMI micro (Type-D) port as well as a microphone and headphone terminal located on the left hand side.
Image Stabilization
The a7C also boasts SteadyShot INSIDE (sensor-shift) 5-Axis stabilization offering up to 5 stops of compensation when shooting stills.
Auto-Focus
The fast-hybrid, phase/contrast detection auto-focus system, features 693 phase-detection and 493 contrast-detection auto-focus points with a sensitivity range of EV-4 to EV20.
Eye AF (right/left eye select) is also available for for both human and animal subjects when shooting stills.
Shooting Stills
Continuous shooting of up to 10fps with both the mechanical and electronic shutters for up to 223 shots.
A silent shooting mode is also available for those times when stealth is needed.
There are also 8 different in camera picture effects (and 15 different creative styles) that can be applied, including:
- Toy Camera (Normal / Cool / Warm / Green / Magenta)
- Pop Colour
- Posterization (Colour, B/W)
- Retro Photo
- Soft High-key
- Partial Colour (R/G/B/Y)
- High Contrast Monochrome
- Rich-tone Monochrome
Movie Recording
The Sony a7C records full frame in 6K down-sampled to 4K with full pixel readout. It can shoot 8-bit 4:2:0 4K 24p/30p or up to 120 fps in Full HD.
Sony’s Slow & Quick mode (5x slower or 60x faster than real-time) is also available.
It can also capture S-Log 3/2 and HLG/HDR with 14 stops of dynamic range and Real-Time Eye AF is also available with 7 adjustable focus transition speeds and 5 tracking sensitivity levels.
Thankfully, Sony has also gotten rid of the half-hour recording limit.
Other features
Rounding out the features is a Multi Interface hot shoe that allows for direct, wireless connection to compatible audio accessories such as the ECM-B1M shotgun microphone.
The a7C is also compatible with Sony’s GPVPT2BT Wireless Shooting Grip w/ Tripod making it even easier to shoot footage one handed.
Finally, 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi, FTP file transfer via wired/wireless LAN, and USB tethering with both computers and smartphones is also available.
The Sony a7C is available in black or silver finishes as a body only, or as a kit bundled with the new Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 lens.
Sony a7C Mirrorless Kit Silver w/ FE 28-60mm f/4.0-5.6 Lens – Vistek Canada
The α7C achieves uncompromising full-frame quality with the world’s smallest and lightest camera and lens system. Compact in size but meeting high expectations for image quality, AF and speed, it’s truly an all-round performer, ready to enhance your creativity wherever you go.
Sony a7C Mirrorless Body – Vistek Canada
The α7C achieves uncompromising full-frame quality with the world’s smallest and lightest camera and lens system. Compact in size but meeting high expectations for image quality, AF and speed, it’s truly an all-round performer, ready to enhance your creativity wherever you go.
Originally published on September 14, 2020. Updated with new video on October 23, 2020
