B (142)

march 2015 Better PhotograPhy

37

Noise Test

A bit of noise can be seen even in images shot at

ISO 400 but images still remain useable up to ISO

3200. Use ISO 6400 only in dire circumstances.
      JPEGs created by the Sony A7M2 show aggressive
      noise reduction and softening of images too.

iso 6400

iso 12,800

iso 25,600

F I N A L R A T I N G S

Features

5-axis stabilisation, deeper grip, WiFi with NFC

12/15

Performance

Good image quality, AF not quick enough,

decent buffer

40/45

Build Quality

Standard weather resistance, magnesium

alloy body and mount,

17/20

Ergonomics

Tilting screen, EVF, better grip, awkwardly

position video button

12/15

Warranty & support

Wide service network, two-year warranty

3/5

Value for money

Who should buy it? Anyone looking for a full frame

camera but don’t need extreme low light capabilites or 4k video.

Why? For its size, the inclusion of IS and its overall

performance and image quality make it quite a competent

camera for most uses.

oVEraLL

84%

test

sPECiFiCaTions

model name Sony Alpha A7M2

mrP Rs. 1,34,990 (Body only)

Rs. 1,54,990 (with a FE 28–70mm

f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens)

Effective   pixels                   24MP, 6000 x 4000

sensor size, type 35.8 x 23.9mm, Full frame

Aspect  ratio   (w:h)               3:2 / 16:9

Processor Bionz X

Focusing type; modesHybrid AF system (phase detect

and contrast AF);

Multi-area, Center, Single,

Continuous, Face Detection,

Live View AF

aF points 117 Phase-detect AF points,

25 Contrast detect AF points

Focal length multiplier1x

metering Multi, Spot, Center-weighted

shutterspeed range 30sec–1/8000sec

Exp.    compensation                            -/+3 EV (at 1/3 EV steps)

Iso 100–25600

White Balance Auto WB, 10 Presets, Custom

Drive   modes Single, Continuous: Hi,

Continuous: Low, Bracketing

Built-in flash No

LCD 3-inch, 1.23 million dots

Viewfinder Ye s

Image   stabilisation                   Yes, 5-axis stabilisation up to

4.5 stops

storage types SD, SDHC, SDXC

Wireless No

Formats Image: JPEG, RAW;

Video: MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S

Video 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440

x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p),

Battery NP-FW50 lithium-ion

Dimensions, Weight 127 x 96 x 60 mm, 599g

•    Improved   design

•    In-body    IS

•    Price

PLus

•    No pop-up  flash

•    Lacks  4K  video

minus

similar to its predecessor. The company

claims that by tweaking the algorithms it

has managed to make it 30% faster with a 1.5

times better tracking capabilities than the A7.

That may be, but I found it to be slower

than what I would have wanted, especially

in low light where it hunts. There were times

when the camera confirmed focus even

though the subject was completely blurred.

What was rather upsetting was that the

camera lacked the fast 4D Focus technology

seen in the A6000 and A5100, cameras that

were released long before the A7M2.

Conclusion

Writing this review for the Alpha A7M2,

is thus bitter-sweet. The inclusion of in-

built IS, a first for full frame cameras and

significantly improved handling make for

a worthy update. However, the camera

also shows a plateauing in the A7 series

lineup and was less exciting than the first

generation of the cameras. The lack of a fast

enough AF-system was a definite downer.

There is also the dilemma of too many

options in the Sony lineup. The low light

and 4k video monster, the A7S is available

for Rs. 1,54,990. Alternatively, the resolution

chomper, the 36MP A7R can be bought

for Rs. 1,24,990. The original A7 is also still

being sold at Rs. 94,990. So, is the inclusion

of IS and improved handling in the A7M2

worth the additional Rs. 40,000?

The JPEg engine of

the sony a7m2 shows

improvement over its

predecessor, but is still

not good enough for a

camera of its price.

Exposure: 1/320sec at f/5.6

(ISO 100)