Sony Alpha a7S

404 reviews

Apr, 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. People really like the low light performance and price. The portability and usability are also mentioned favorably. There are some mixed reviews about the battery, while there are some less positive reviews 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

(65% of reviews)
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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. Comments about the size and low light performance are overall positive. The portability and usability also get good feedback, but some have doubts 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.

Apr, 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. Opinions about the low light performance and price are on the whole positive. The portability and usability are also mentioned favorably, whereas the contrast and image stabilizer get negative reviews.

performance, usability, portability, price, low-light

reliability, battery, stabilizer , contrast

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

Apr, 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. People are impressed by the performance.

performance

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

Apr, 2024

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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Expert review by : Lori Grunin (cnet.com)

Sony A7S will cost $2,500 when it ships in July

Sony announced pricing and availability of its 4K-video-capable full-frame camera.

May, 2014

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Expert review by : Michael Palmer (steves-digicams.com)

Sony α7S

Joining a growing family of full-frame image sensor cameras -- including the α99, VG900, RX1, α7 and α7R -- Sony has announced the α7S, or Alpha 7S. Along with its two Alpha 7 siblings, the α7S is the world's smallest full-frame interchangeable lens...

Apr, 2014

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Expert review by : Kelly M (4k.com)

Sony Alpha a7S Compact 4k Camera Review

Last year, Sony really tried to do something different when they unveiled the first true full-frame mirrorless cameras. The A7S is a follow-up to the A7 and the A7R, a series that began with a simple principle: put a heavy pro-grade DSLR into something...

Good for 4K ; Extremely good ISO range at 100-409,600 ; Large grip ; Very good in low-light situations ; Silent and digital shutter

No way to see 4K footage well, just yet ; Menu button location ; AF misfunctions on moving subjects ; Drains battery very fast

If you are looking for a DSLR with a light weight, the A7S is your camera. It is full of a lot of features that are not on most DSLRs, and if not for that 4K external issue, it would be ideal.

Feb, 2015

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Expert review by : Ilse Jurriën (letsgodigital.org)

Sony A7s

Sony Alpha 7s Full-Frame camera : From starry night-time skies to atmospheric, candle-lit interiors: there's now a camera that opens up extraordinary creative possibilities for capturing flawless, emotionally engaging movie footage and...

There’s a growing range of A lenses to take full advantage of the camera’s near-limitless creative potential. Currently under development, a brand-new full frame E-mount power zoom 28-135mm, F4 lens appeals to quality-conscious movie-makers. In...

Jun, 2014

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Expert review by : Mark Goldstein (photographyblog.com)

Sony A7S Review

The Sony A7S is a 35mm full-frame compact system camera with a 12.2 megapixel sensor that provides an incredible ISO range of 50-409,600 and high dynamic range. Other standout highlights of the A7S include 4K movie recording (24p and 25p), XAVC S Full...

If low-light shooting is your thing, then the Sony A7S should be right at the top of your shopping list. Offering a killer combination of massive ISO range, 15-stop dynamic range, sensible 12 megapixel resolution on a full-frame sensor, truly silent...

Jul, 2014

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Expert review by : Dave Etchells (imaging-resource.com)

Sony A7S Review

With a unique 12-megapixel 35mm sensor, the Sony A7S able to shoot in very low light with impressive high ISO performance up to ISO 409,600! The sensor is tailor-made for 4K video for excellent detail, plus very wide dynamic range. XAVC S high bitrate...

Outstanding high ISO performance; excellent dynamic range; 4K video recording (via uncompressed HDMI); XAVC S option for HD video; Slightly improved battery life over A7/A7R; Built-in Wi-Fi & NFC connectivity

4K video requires expensive external recorder; Sluggish startup time; Loud shutter; Silent Shooting mode hurts image quality; Lacks a built-in, pop-up flash; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses

May, 2014

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Expert review by : Chris Brinlee Jr (gizmodo.com)

Sony A7S Adventure Tested: Ultimate Low-Light Mirrorless?

I've been dragging the Sony A7S on all of my adventures for the last few months — shooting in broad daylight and the dead of night. It's gotten dirty; even dropped. Here's how it performed.

Aug, 2015

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Expert review by : anicholson (digitalcameraworld.com)

Sony A7s review

Sony A7s review: The Sony Alpha 7s adds a slew of new professional features to the company's popular full-frame compact camera. Our head of testing put it through its paces in her latest review video.

Jul, 2014

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