Horizon
Sony A7C£1,900 (body only)
sony.co.uknnounced in September 2020, the
Sony A7C holds the accolade of the
world’s smallest and lightest
full-frame camera system. In
essence, Sony has blended together its top-of-
the-line APS-C model, the Sony A6600, with its
mid-range full-frame camera, the A7 III, to
create an entirely new line.
The idea behind this mix is that you get a
small and compact offering that is more likely to
appeal to younger users and those coming up
from smartphones, as compared to the (slightly)
bigger and bulkier standard A7 range.
Just like the A7 III, the A7C’s sensor is a solid
all-round performer, producing good images in
a variety of different shooting conditions.
Images are warm and vibrant, with a good
degree of detail.
Again, the A7C’s autofocus is another solid
performer, generally locking on to the subject
with ease in most conditions. It’s also pretty
good at following a moving subject, especially
if that subject is following a reasonably
predictable pattern.
Sony uses the same lens mount across its
APS-C and full-frame mirrorless models, so
if you already have a few compatible lenses
kicking about, the A7C could make sense as
a step-up model. If this is your first
interchangeable lens camera, however, the A7C
comes with a new kit lens, the 28-60mm
f/4-5.6mm retractable zoom optic, which is far
from being Sony’s sharpest and best-
A
Sony has placed full-frame tech inside
an APS-C body – but is this travel-
friendly mirrorless model any good?
Sony A7C
SMALL PACKAGES
WE’RE IMPRESSED Small and
light; kit package well-priced;
fully articulating screen.
WE’D IMPROVE Handling; low-
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not the best; single card slot.
THE LAST WORD With full-
frame tech inside an APS-C body,
the A7C’s performance matches
the A7 III, but its usability makes
it a damp squib. Unless you need
the smallest camera, it’s hard to
recommend over the A7 III.VERDICT
Find more great mirrorless
cams at: bit.ly/t3mrrlssperforming lens. Only opening up to f/4 at the
widest gives it limited scope for creating
shallow depth of field effects, or for shooting in
low light, but it’s a good lens to get you started
with for travel and everyday shooting.
Sony has created a bit of a halfway-house
when it comes to the A7C. As such, you get a
viewfinder that is shifted over to the left in a flat
rangefinder-style, rather than being centrally
housed. The viewfinder is a little on the small
side, with a lower resolution than other A7
cameras. It’s adequate, but it feels like outdated
tech in 2021 and is not overly pleasant to use.
Instead, you might prefer to compose your
images via the fully articulating touch-sensitive
screen. Although this is handy for shooting from
a variety of angles, it too is on the low side
resolution wise and doesn’t show off your shots
at their best.
If you’re in the market for a very small
full-frame interchangeable lens camera, then
what Sony has managed to do in cramming
full-frame tech into an APS-C sized body is
fairly impressive. That said, placing such tech
inside something of similar construction doesn’t
result in an overly pleasant system to use.
In the end, whether you want the A7C really
comes down to what you want in a camera. If
you’re looking for something ultra-portable,
then it’s something to consider – but for most
photographers, we’d recommend looking at the
A7 III instead, which offers the same
performance in a much better-to-use body.78 T3 MARCH 2021