Sony A7R II review

I was impressed by the A7R II when it first came out, but it was an expensive camera back then. It had one of the highest resolution full frame sensors on the market and it could shoot 4K video, albeit in Super35 mode. I would have bought one, but I couldn’t justify the expense.

Five years on, Sony had launched not one but two replacements. The A7R II was still on sale, though, and at hugely discounted prices. I finally bit the bullet and bought one, at just £1,200 UK price (about $1,460). Yes, its 5fps burst rate was down on the 10fps of the A7R III and the resolution was surpassed by the 61MP A7R IV, but nowhere else could you get 42.4 million pixels for that price – and unless something crazy happens to the A7R III’s price, I don’t think we will see that again.

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The A7R II is not perfect. It’s not even my favorite camera. But I bought it for its full frame sensor, its 42.4 million pixel image quality and as a route into the Sony mirrorless camera system. And I’ve not been disappointed.

The still image quality is stellar, and I don’t think either the Sony A1 or A7R IV exceeds it by any margin large enough that I would worry about it (and I have reviewed both). I rarely use it for video, but it’s there if I need it (I have other cameras I would prefer for filming).

I’m impressed by the lenses too. I bought it with the Sony E 24-105mm f/4, which I think is the best 24-105mm lens I’ve tested, and I also invested in the Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 – not as good as the Sony G Master, but smaller and lighter and a better match, size-wise for the A7R II body.

So here’s the first thing I would say about the Sony full frame mirrorless system – and it’s not just Sony. The bodies are small, but the lenses are at least as big as their old DSLR equivalent, if not bigger. The Zeiss lens isn’t too bad, but the 24-105mm is just too big and heavy to have hanging off the front of the A7R II. In fact I bought a battery grip for this camera just so that it gave a better hold with these big lenses.

The battery grip solved another problem – battery life. Sony upgraded the batteries for later models, but the A7R II uses Sony’s older NP-FW50 batteries, and these give a life of just 200-300 shots – at best. My camera was supplied with a second battery as standard, and I can see why. I always take a spare, or fit the grip, which carries two. Even with the grip, I only get 400-500 shots, which is half what I’m used to with a DSLR.

Otherwise, the A7R II is really very good for a seven-year-old design. The tilting touchscreen is fine for video and most stills (except vertical shots) so not having a vari-angle screen isn’t a big disadvantage for me. And while the EVF isn’t as good as Sony’s latest, it’s big, clear and crisp enough for me – given this camera’s price.

Even the AF is good. Sony has released a seemingly endless succession of AF upgrades since the A7R II came out, but I don’t think it suffers much by comparison. It’s fast, its coverage is good and its focus acquisition is easily fast enough for my needs.

This is another camera I deliberately bought at the end of its life. I’m not a fan of buying used, but I’m very happy to wait until prices have reached their final, lowest level before I buy, particular if I think it’s a camera that still has what it takes – or, to be precise, does what I need it to do.

I would never have bought a Sony A7R II at its original price, and even now there are aspects of its design and handling that I don’t like much, but at the price I finally got it for, I do think it’s one of the best cameras I ever bought.