Recommended
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| Sony A7CR (2023) |
FOR A brief period (1999 - 2002), I owned and shot the Nikon 35mm film F100. Their top "prosumer" camera, it stood just below the Flagship F5 and was often carried by working pros as their backup. For good reason. The camera was a dream. It just felt right. It had all the working parts necessary for a robust shooting experience. It auto-focused as fast and accurately as any Nikon I had ever owned. It was - perhaps until now - my all-time favorite camera. The one I have since used as a measuring stick. I loved that camera. And even though digital cameras have moved light years forward, I never really found one that felt like it lived up to the F100. Maybe until now.
I try not to engage in hyperbole here, but I have to say [the A7CR] is a joy to use
WHILE NONE of today's digital cameras are - in my view - as aesthetically elegant as many of those classic SLR bodies were, from a usability point of view, the A7CR comes close - if not matches - the F100 as far as I am concerned. I only fairly recently acquired mine, and hadn't really had a good chance to "run it through its paces," so to speak. In anticipation of an upcoming trip to Vermont to shoot its vaunted fall foliage, I spent the downtime studying everything I could about the camera. I poured through Gary Friedman's 700 plus page "Guide" to the camera (separately reviewed here). I watched You-Tube videos and reviews. I try not to engage in hyperbole here, but have to say, so far, it is a joy to use. Very intuitively set up - at least for my kind of photography.
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| NIkon F100 (1999 - 2011) |
MY IMMEDIATELY previous cameras (a Sony A7Rii, and a couple iterations of Olympus' EM series (EM-10iv and then more recently, EM-5iii), were getting "long in the tooth." In 2020, Sony released its A7c, an even smaller version of its already industry-smallest "full frame mirrorless" A7 series. The A7c body was built on the same design as their popular "a" series APS-C cameras. Putting a "full frame" sensor in such a small body was just another in a line of Sony firsts (and they have recently beat that feat, releasing their newest RX1R III tiny compact camera with a "full frame" sensor - having owned two different RX100 equivalent sized models, I can tell you these are truly pocketable cameras). The A7c had pretty good specs, in my opinion. But did not offer enough more than the A7Rii I already owned. It took a few more years, but in 2023, they released the A7C "mark II," and the A7CR. The "R" series have always had higher resolution, among other attributes I found compelling. Having originally joined Sony in their early plunge into mirrorless cameras, I had some history with the compact form of the A7C series bodies. My first Sony mirrorless camera was the Sony NEX-6 (the NEX series was the precursor to their current "a" series), so I was familiar with the body size and general layout of the A7C series cameras. The NEX-6 (another of the cameras I have owned that I think very fondly of) is an APS-C sensor camera that was the first of its kind, fun to shoot, and produced pretty nice results in a much smaller package than any existing DSLR (whether APS-C or Full Frame). When they followed that in 2013 with the A7 series - the world's first full frame mirrorless cameras - I was all in. The A7 was a 24 mp model and the A7R 36 mp. The "R" series also eschewed the anti-aliasing filter in front of most camera sensors in those days. On today's mirrorless cameras and advanced sensors, this is relatively standard, but in those days, it was considered necessary. Leaving that sensor off theoretically results in a sharper out of the camera image (which was one of my primary motivations for going with the "R" series).
The A7CR is essentially a "mini-me" A7RIV - almost across the board
THE A7C and its newer progeny, the A7CII and the A7CR, all share the same smaller footprint (very much akin to the NEX bodies). The A7CR is essentially a "mini-me" A7RIV - almost across the board. For example, it has the same "engine," same sensor, and the same "AI"-based features. But there are compromises to reach the smaller size body (and price tag - nearly $1,000 less). Instead, for example, of 2 card slots (for the sake of size savings) it only has one. The EVF is smaller and placed to the left side of the body instead of the familiar "pentaprism" style placement, with substantially lower resolution. It has one stop less (theoretical) IBIS effectiveness ( 7 vs. 8) and a slightly slower continuous drive. For my purposes, I can live with all of those differences, and the tradeoff in size and cost is worth it to me. In its favor, the A7CR has a fully articulating (versus tilting only on its "big brother") rear screen and a slightly higher flash synch speed. Some users/reviewers express a strong dislike of the A7CR viewfinder. Having shot with a similar setup (NEX-6), I find it just fine. I don't get all the angst about viewfinder resolution. I can see my image to compose just fine. I am not going to try to judge the final quality of my photographic images based on the camera viewfinder. More important to me is viewfinder coverage. Here, the viewfinders in both the A7 and A7C series are 100% coverage, which is most important to me for composition. I guess you have to decide whether those (I think, minor) differences are worth the additional cost, size and weight. For me, I am perfectly well satisfied with the A7CR (although if I could have one wish, it would be for a second card slot).
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| Sony A7RV |
THE A7CR (and A7CII) share the new menu system which was brought out in the A1 mark II. Personally, I have always thought all the chatter about this menu system and that menu system is the proverbial "much ado about nothing." For me, it has always been a matter of learning the parts of a system that I need to know. No big deal for me. Comparing "big brother" A7Rv and the A7CR camera body functions, the settings and layout are remarkably similar. The A7Rv adds an additional programmable function button on top and a joystick on the back. They are otherwise pretty much identical. For assistance with learning the camera, I used Gary Friedman's "Guide to Sony's A7CII and A7CR." I have reviewed (and recommended) that book here on the blog, also.
Some Settings (good and bad)
Folder system. Don't mess with it! I thought the feature to tell the camera to create a new folder every time you shot a new focus stacking sequence would be a great way to identify stacks. Instead, it created a nightmare. Nearly impossible to "manage" images both in-camera and in post-processing/archiving. I made a huge amount of additional work for myself. I have set things back to the default and there they will stay.
Don't mess with it
Marker Frame! To me, this is one of the coolest new features (not sure when it was added to the menu, but is probably present in other, newer, Sony cameras too). I discovered it just recently. I had been prepared to go back to the old standby method of making a frame of my finger pointing at the beginning and the end of the sequence. Inelegant, but effective. But as I dug deeper into the workings of the newest Sony cameras (and in particular, this one), I discovered a really cool new item Sony has added to its functionality. Buried in the menu is feature that will add a "marker" frame. You have to assign a custom button to this feature to enable it, so it will take up one of your assignable buttons. My own "KISS" principle approach to my camera means that I don't have much need for custom buttons. I had one extra one and it was a snap to set this up (for some reason I could not get this to work on my C2 button - it would show as being assigned, but wouldn't actually execute - which would have been my preference. Instead, I assigned it to C1 and it is working just fine there. I know I have "wished" for a feature like this long enough that it is worth "expending" one of the programmable ones to me. At this point, there is only one choice, as shown below. The arrow cannot be reversed or the marker changed (to the best of my knowledge). But in the scheme of things that is a very minor issue.
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| Sony's (new) Marker Frame |
Button Assignments. This is an area where camera makers have excelled in recent years. Taking a function you often use and assigning it to a specific button is really useful and convenient. I purchased the A7CR for use primarily as a landscape camera. As such, my general, default settings involve things one would do when set up on a tripod. I have the IBIS ("steady - shot" in Sony nomenclature) off most of the time. At this point, I have never shot any video and in order to avoid accidentally doing so, I have had the video button disabled on every digital camera I have ever owned. In recent years, since assigning other functions to that button has been allowed, On the A7CR, I have it set as a "toggle" to turn steady shot on and off. If, at some point, I get geeked about video, I will have to re-think that (though I would more than likely personally take advantage of the ability to assign the shutter button to start/stop video function).
I have been using "back button focusing" for my landscape shooting for a few years now and it has become ingrained. Some of the "higher end" cameras actually have separate, dedicated BBF buttons (which in most cases are also assignable to other functions if desired). None of mine have had, but the A7CR has an "AF-on" button which I have assigned to BBF - basically by turning off "shutter activated AF" in the menu). It works great. I need to get used to when and how to turn that feature back on, though, for when I move into a more active shooting mode.
Memory Settings. Closely related to button assignments on this camera is the ability to create a "set" of settings you would use for a particular type of shooting. The A7CR has 3 (it is actually 9) postions on the exposure dial dedicated to these memory "banks" (1, 2 and 3). I said it is really 9. That is because there is another settings lever on the stack below the exposure dial that switches shooting modes from still, to video, to a slow-motion time lapse video feature. It is possible to store any group of settings in each of the 1, 2 and 3 positions in any of the 3 banks (so 1-2-3 X 3).
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| Sony A7CR - Top Dial and Memory setup |
I think that is complicated. I look for simplicity in my tools as much as I can. I doubt I will use more than the 3 banks (if that). There is also another type of storage called M1, M2, M3 and M4, that will also store entire sets of settings. But with a caveat: these banks do not store the settings in the camera. Instead, they only store them on the card that was in the camera when the banks were stored. I am not sure that, for my purposes, that has any utility whatsoever, and doubt I will use them.
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| Soiny A7RV - Top Dial and Memory Settings |
Anyway, in my own case, as the camera has settings for shooting people and wildlife which I have never had before, and because this camera will now also be my primary travel and street shooting setup, I have my default settings all set on position 1 and a more active setup on position 2. In a "pinch" I can shift back and forth with a turn of a single dial. I do like that.
Rear Dial Settings. For the most part, I am am happy with the default settings the way Sony has set it up. The dedicated "function" (Fn) button brings up a 12-item, customizable menu of the items you use and/or are likely to change most often. At this point, I don't even have all 12 spaces configured. Did I say I like simplicity? That works fine for me and I cannot conceive of a reason I would want to change that function at this point.
The actual rear dial is just below the function button. It is really a combination rocker/dial button. In its default configuration, it allows for rapid scrolling through choices, as opposed to the one-step-at-a-time rocker function (I generally don't find the "need for speed" that compelling). Pressing the top rocker pages through the different informational-viewing screens available on the back LCD or in the viewfinder, depending on which is active. This is similar to the behavior of my other Sony cameras, and I am acclimated to it, so I have left it. The left rocker brings up the drive modes screen giving quick access to change from single shot to muliple shot (and variations on the multiple shot, including the camera's various bracketing features). Pressing the rocker on the right, brings up the ISO menu. These features make it really easy to change those features which otherwise might in some cases be deep in the menu. Changing via these default settings has been very convenient and intuitive for me and I haven't made many changes, in spite of the cameras substantial customization choices. The down rocker brings up the camera's main menu. Personally, I don't find that useful, and I have programmed the down rocker to toggle Sony's "Zebra" function on and off, enabling you to see where the camera thinks bright objects will be blown out. I have used it a bit, but haven't done any testing to see how much latitude there is within those flashing zebra stripes. I think most people realize that what is on the camera's rear screen is based on the jpg image the camera creates and is not a 100% accurate method to measure raw file results. With the rear-screen histogram, for example, I have always considered that I had some latitude beyond the limits shown on the screen. I would expect the zebra (akin to Nikon's "blinkies") would be similar.
I . . . like that they have done away with all the goofy "point and shooter" program modes on the mode dial
The actual center button on the rear dial serves a couple functions. First, pressing it after making a change accepts the changes and readies the camera/buttons for additional action. But I also have it configured so that an independent press of it activates the moveable focus spot. A lot of my shooting involves repositioning the camera and changing from horizontal to vertical orientation, so I am moving the focus point around a lot. This feature turns it on and converts the rocker dial to give me a quasi-joystick feature. A second press confirms the placement and readies the dial for its other primary functions. Again, I have found it intuitive and convenient to use.
Top Dial. Sony has trended toward a much simpler, higher utility approach for the top of the camera. I really like that (I also like that they have done away with all the goofy "point and shooter" program modes on the mode dial. After all, this is a serious camera, which in my mind presupposes that its users have moved well beyond the "let the camera do your thinking" phase of their craft. All those "modes" are still in there, they are just down in the menus somewhere and for my purposes, out of the way and out of mind). The top dial is clear and simple on the A7Cii and A7CR bodies. It has in my mind - just the things you need and not a bunch of unnecessary settings on the dial.
Human and Animal Recognition. I haven't done much wildlife shooting for years. The last time I did any serious shooting, and had equipment to do so, I was still shooting film. What the camera makers have done with the cameras' ability to "recognize," acquire and focus on animate objects is nothing less than astounding to me. The A7CR has settings for humans - eye recognition and acquisition (including a small "memory bank" where you can load in certain faces for recognition). It also has animal eye-recognition, which has been now broken down into birds, other animals, and things like trains, planes and automobiles. I currently have mine set to a hybrid animal/bird recognition setting, but there are separate (presumably more discerning) settings for each. There is even a right-eye/left-eye preference setting. These are game changing items, and it will be important in an ongoing way, to have the camera configured to take best advantage of these features.
Bracketing. Electronic cameras (both digital and film) all had some pretty impressive bracketing capabilities. I have to say though, over time, I have only rarely taken advantage of them. In the film days, it was mostly a matter of exposure bracketing and it only really mattered, IMO, if you were shooting color transparency (slide) film, where the nuances of even a 1/3 stop difference would show. I got pretty good at getting the exposure technically correct and would sometimes bracket, but only to get some "choices" to look at later. For that, I was selective and generally manually bracketed. For one thing, routinely bracketing 1/3 over and 1/3 under used a lot of film. Film was expensive, required planning for long shoots or trips, and was expensive to develop.
Moving to digital, those concerns mostly went away, as we could have almost "unlimited" film simply by having enough (or large enough memory cards in the camera). Developing was, of course, no longer an issue. I still have never routinely bracketed. For one thing, even the earliest of sensors (mine was a 6MP nikon) had substantially more exposure latitude than slide film. The process of recording digital images was also enough different that I never felt the need to bracket routinely. When I did bracket (usually by indivual choice, and manually) I rarely saw enough difference between shots to warrant it. If is was a particularly light sensitive or contrasty scene, I would plan for that, doing my own selective "bracketing").
Today, though, a different spin on bracketing has become (as they say) "all the rage:" so-called "focus stacking." The A7CR doesn't technically do that. But in order to stack images effectively, you need a series of graphically identical images. The point of "stacking" them is to get maximum depth of field from absolute front to back. The way the A7CR (and a few other cameras) accomplish that is to take a series of images, moving the focus point from front to back. That is done in the camera for you. What results is a series of images. You have to do the stacking in capable post-processing software. I actually have a separate blog on this in the qeue to be posted soon. To foreshadow, it will be largely skeptical. 😏
The good news is that focus bracketing is easy to set up on the camera and has some versatility. Just go to the drive mode menu (default is left rocker on the rear dial) and scroll down to that feature. Press the center button on the rear dial to "accept," and you are all set. There are, of course other ways to set it up and if you are doing it a lot, you could set up one of the memory banks. Using is was a new experience for me, and I waited until I was in a spot I thought it made sense and where I had the time to do some experimenting with it. It takes a minute to get the hang of what you are trying to accomplish. Theoretically, you set the aperture at the lens' sweet spot (I didn't appreciate this at first). Obviously, it works best with a non moving target (alternatively, if you cannot achieve that, a fast shutter speed). This means that if anything is moving in the image, the bracket is probably not going to work. The camera does all the work with the focusing part. It is a bit unnerving at first when you use it. The camera decides (within a range you can set) how many focus points. Some of that depends on what it can see. So, for example, I tried a shots at f8 and f16, and in some cases the camera could "see" detail better at the wider aperture. The result was it might take a series of 5 shots at f16 and when you moved it to f8 only one or two! Again, for me, the jury is still out on the utility of this feature, other than for macro shooting.
Handling
Coming from several prior Sony cameras, this one is familiar and comfortable to me. It is smaller than other full frame cameras, but large enough to feel substantial, with a nice, deep, right hand grip. The controls are basically in familiar places for a Sony user. I do have one - what I think is (in my mind the only) a problem to report. The on-off switch is oddly positioned and more difficult to operate by feel. What's more, I have already found a way to inadvertently switch it on while in the bag a couple times, arriving at my shooting location with an exhausted battery. I have to be very careful loading it in and out of the bag. It it is an issue I will have to live with. But I do give it a small "demerit" for that.
Grip. In the box, the A7CR comes with a custom, screw-on bottom grip. For those with large hands, this is a thoughtful addition. I left mine in the box. For me, a primary reason for choosing the A7CR over its "big brother" A7Rv, was size. The last thing I want to do is add something for additional size. In my case, my hands aren't tiny, but the camera feels fine in my hands.The grip is only that. No extra battery room. No vertical shutter button. It is very light, and would be easily packable as a separate item. If, when out using it handheld, I feel that I need some extra grip, I can alway screw it back on. But I can foresee one problem for me. I shoot mostly from a tripod. I did some searching to find a compatible Arca Swiss compatible dovetail plate for the camera (and ultimately discovered and settled on the "I" bracket discussed here). I don't think it would fit on the extra grip and I don't necessarily want to be fooling around, changing it back and forth. Time will tell on that one, though.
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| Sony A7CR - Viewfinder and Rear Dial setup |
Viewfinder. My first 35mm camera had a "rangefinder"-style viewfinder (which meant it didn't really match up with what the lens saw - a condition known as "parallax" - and was therefore only marginally useful for critical composition. It did have a waist-level finder that did give true TTL viewing. But boy, when I got my first pentaprism viewer based SLR (a Canon TX), I was geeked! I have always favored a viewfinder, and purchasing a camera without one was (and at this point, continues to be) a non-starter for me. When I first switched from DSLR to Mirrorless, I had trepidation over the electronic viewfinders. In the past, they just weren't very good, at first having a grainy, black and white image viewing. Today, though they have (in my view) leapfrogged the conventional SLR viewfinders (even the best and the brightest of them). They are (or approach) true WYSIWYG today. Once they began to show "real time" adjustments for things like exposure compensation, I never looked back or missed the mirrored mechanisms.
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| Sony A7RV - Viewfinder and Rear Dial Setup |
A lot of reviewers really don't like the A7CR's electronic viewfinder (EVF). Indeed a number of people I have read have cited it as one of the primary reasons they chose the A7Riv over the this one. There have been two complaints. First is the placement. In the interest of space and compact design, the A7CR finder is flush with the camera body top plate, and placed on the left side of the body, as opposed to the more traditional placement above the top plate and centered, mimicking the placement, shape (and size!) of traditional pentaprism style SLR cameras. I get that. There is something about holding and shooting an SLR - like body. But as a practical matter, to me these cameras are all just a box holding a very small, but very sophisticated computer. And size - for me - does matter! The A7C layout definitely does save on size! The second complaint is resolution. I am not sure I get that one. The A7Riv EVF resolution is specced at 9,440,000 pixels. The A7CR is only 2,359,296 pixels. I am not sure how meaningful that is. I don't have any problem seeing through it. To me, the specification that has always been the most important is viewfinder coverage. Both the A7CR and the A7Riv' viewfinders are 100% coverage.
Card Slots and Cards. The A7CR uses the same SD cards that its predecessors all used. At 62mp and relatively fast continuing shooting speeds, these things are going to be all about the buffer and write speed. I have shot non-moving subjects for years. I still do, and I get by just fine with the same cards I was using for my A7Rii for still shots. Your mileage will certainly vary, depending on the demands placed on the cards. Sony has moved the card slot away from the bottom of the camera (where it was on my A7rii, sharing the same door as the battery) to the side, where it has its own access door, as does the battery. I am not sure when they made that change, but I suspect it had to do with including dual card slots in newer iterations of the A7 and A7R series. I would have liked to see dual card slots in the A7Cii and A7CR. My best uneducated guess is that there were two major factors in this decision: keeping the body size down, and keeping the price tag down. Not a deal breaker. I haven't ever had a dual card slot camera. I still don't. 😆
Negatives. There are a couple really minor negatives. One is the On/Off button which I mentioned briefly above. While placed in basically the same spot as on other Sony Mirrorless cameras, there is just something (excuse the pun) "off" about it. It doesn't have a positive tactile feel, and doesn't seem to reach the finger comfortably. Perhaps more concerning is that it appears to be too easy to switch it. In the first several days, I opened my camera bag only to find it had been switched on and the battery completely completed a couple times. I know I could just pull the battery when I know I am traveling or am not going to get it out for a while. But really, on a $3,000 camera, I shouldn't need to worry about that.
A second issue, which would go a long way toward assuaging those critics of the viewfinder, would be if they had made a way to attach an eye-cup. The only way currently is to purchase an aftermarket, "rube goldberg" arrangement. One of them occupies the hot shoe. That's not good. I don't use one, but I know many folks do and that seems like a small design flaw, but perhaps a major faux pa by Sony?
. . . for the foreseeable future there are going to continue to be circumstances that demand the use of a tripod. And because there will continue to be those of us who use one, Why wouldn't camera manufacturers design cameras to facilitate that use?
Finally - and this is a pet peeve of mine with all camera designs today - I hate that no real attention is being given to the mechanics of connecting the camera to a tripod or other secure base. This isn't really a Sony thing, or even necessarily and A7CII/R issue (but it is relevant because they are just as guilty with this model as with others). I get that I am in some ways being "quixotic" about my stubborn insistance that a tripod is still a necessary piece of equipment. I get that over time, the instances of need for a tripod have been reduced (though I believe that in many instances, the perceived benefits of IS have been inappropriately relied upon and often used as an excuse for being just plain too lazy to lug the tripod around and set it up). An argument, I suppose, for another day.
It is worth pointing out that the A7CR bodies ship with an add-on bottom grip (the A7CII does not, though you can purchase one for just under $200 - they fit the same on both bodies). I wonder about the thought process involved there. In the past, add-on battery grips served multiple functions, like extra battery storage capacity, a second shutter release in the right-hand first finger position. Those made some sense to me. They also add additional grip space which is nice for those with larger hands, or who just prefer a larger body while shooting. But with the A7C series, it seems to me that the primary rationale for the body design at all, is to produce something smaller and lighter which provides the "utility" of the larger models. Adding the grip to the A7C series feels to me like it goes against that goal. It adds size and bulk to the camera. If you want that, why not just go ahead and get the A7/A7R full sized body? The only justification I can see is the $1,000 difference in the price tag (and I certainly get that that is substantial). The selling hype boasts that it adds "balance," and that it has a tripod mount. Whelp, so does the primary body (which is what you screw the grip into - duh!). And its rather unique space essentially negates the possibility of any kind of "L" or "I" plate. In a way, that should be intuitive as the only really gain I see to adding the grip is for when you are hand-holding the camera. For me, it just isn't worth it. Mine is in the box on a shelf (and if some A7CII owner wants one, make me an offer).😉
Just this week, while reading a book I plan to review here soon, I learned that Sony does indeed offer an electronic, wired remote for its ILCE (A7 family) cameras. Oops. Mea culpa!
For the foreseeable future there are going to continue to be circumstances that demand the use of a tripod. And because there will continue to be those of us who use one, Why wouldn't they design cameras to facilitate that use? One manufacturer that I am aware of (Olympus) has had some instances on a couple models where the leverage created by screwing a camera onto a bracket or tripod head has resulted in the tripod socket and parts of the camera tearing out. But my bigger gripe in most instances, is that in the rush to add technical "do-dadds" to the camera (mostly by placing plugs, memory storage and battery compartments into places on the camera that make the use of something like a now conventional "L-bracket" unfeasible. I have spent more time and money researching and finding usable solutions for this problem and any other are of camera accessories. There is an reasonably new PC saying out there: "do better!' For those who are curious about my solution for the problem for the A7C series, I did a separate blog about the "I" bracket I purchased from Slik, here. Having used it for a 2-week outing in Vermont recently, I can report that it worked flawlessly for me and has a wonderful, ultra low profile utility. The wired remote appears to plug into the bottom plug socket on the left side of the camera - right behind where any and every L-Bracket (or "I" bracket in my cases) attaches! Doesn't make any sense to me. If I am going to be triggering my camera with a remote release, it is likely because it is mounted on a tripod or other brace. So what Sony designers are telling me is that I can only use their wired remote for shots in the landscape orientation!
Remote Capability
Remote triggering of the shutter is a topic I have touched on often here when reviewing cameras and gear. I am surely a tripod zealot. I shoot mostly still landscape images and I only very rarely do so without my camera being mounted on a sturdy tripod. As long as the subject isn't moving, I cannot see any reason not to take advantage of the absolute lack of motion afforded by a rock solid tripod. I also like it for composing, and for those instances (very slow shutter speeds and night photography) when you just cannot shoot handheld. But if you are going to use a tripod, it seems to go hand-in-hand to me that you must have a way to trigger the camera without touching it.
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| Sony's standard RMTDSLR2 bluetooth wireless remote has been around since the NEX first hit the scene and pairs with virtually all the Sony Mirrorless cameras ($30). It works, but not optimally |
Dedicated Remotes. Over the years, I have owned a few different remotes. Everything from very old school mechanical cables, to electronic cables, to wireless. I have lamented manufacturers disregard of a reliable, wired, remote shutter triggering system in their race to the best IBIS. For the past few years, I have been lamenting the industry's "abandonment" of the wired remote - including consistently complaining about (and even indirectly, to) Sony. Then, just this week, while reading a book I plan to review here soon, I learned that Sony does indeed offer an electronic, wired remote for its ILCE (A7 family) cameras (the Sony RM VPR1). There also appear to be several third-party copies (OEM is about $80; copies about $30). Oops. Mea culpa! I have certainly searched over the years. How have I missed it? Not sure. Maybe a more direct approach (just asking Sony) might have been more productive? But here is the thing. The wired remote appears to plug into the bottom plug socket on the left side of the camera - right behind where any and every L-Bracket (or "I" bracket in my cases) attaches! Doesn't make any sense to me. If I am going to be triggering my camera with a remote release, it is likely because it is mounted on a tripod or other brace. So what Sony designers are telling me is that I can only use their wired remote for shots in the landscape orientation! Curious, I looked it up to see what kind of Amazon reviews it got. There were enough of them complaining about its lack of durability that I know I wouldn't be going there, even if the bracket thing wasn't an issue. I've moved on. 😏
For the most part, all camera manufacturers have moved away from wired remotes and virtually all of them provide for remote release via wireless connections (like bluetooth). Great. When it works. One would think that not having the remote tethered to and hanging from the camera would be freeing. My problem has been that every one of them I have tried (including Sony's own RMTDSLR2 wireless remote release which is compatible with a wide range of cameras, including all the A7 series) are sluggish and have very short range. I constantly have had to hold the remote up next to the front of the camera on its right side (where the sensor apparently is) just to get it to trigger. Annoying. Until now.
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| Sony's RM VPR1 Wired Remote Commander |
I am not sure when they released it, but more recently, Sony offered their RMT-P1BT Professional Wireless Remote Commander. Having read the reviews (they all get mixed reviews, but the branded model seemed to get the best ones) I decided to take a flyer on it. At more than twice the price tag of the aforementioned Sony Remote that I already have, I determined that it had better perform better, or back it would go. I have to say, it performed flawlessly. The triggering is instant and sure, and it appeared to work very well no matter where I held it in proximity to the camera. I didn't do any extensive testing, but I was able to back a few steps away from my setup without any interruption in its capability. I appreciate its relatively simple layout. While it does have an AF on button and a "C1" button (I assume it triggers whatever you have programmed to the C1 button on your camera, all I really want is the middle button to trip the shutter. No fumbling or trying to quickly remember (muscle memory) which button to press. The older model I have is much too complex an interface and I found it easy to push the wrong button. This is the first wireless remote for my digital cameras that has ever worked for me. And it worked very well!
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| Sony RMT-P1B Professional Wireless Remote Commander ($78) |
I used the term, "liked" in the past tense. There is one negative that seems to plague me personally with these small, physically disconnected devices. With my wired remotes, I could usually just leave them connected while shooting and when I picked things up to move, it was always there (on a leash, so to speak). The wireless required pockets (or at least I thought they did). Even with a vest and pants with multiple pockets, I found this cumbersome, and often was fumbling around trying to remember which pocket I had last put it in. Then I came up with a genious idea. Why not strap a holder to the tripod. A little searching and I found one. It worked just great! But have you ever had one of those premonitions? I remember telling my buddy from Vermont that I liked the holder, but it would be just my luck to forget it was in there, hoist my tripod up on my shoulder and have it fall out without my knowing it. About the 4th day in, I did exactly that. Didn't discover it until long afterward. 😏 And, only then, did I realize that (1) my "genious" solution wasn't so good and; (2) there was a far simpler one: a lanyard. If I do replace it, I will get a lanyard to keep it hanging around my neck. As far as I can see, you cannot (reasonably - they have it listed: $1,200!! Gotta be a mistake) buy one of these on Amazon, so getting one overnight was not in the cards. B&H was not going to get it there in time for me to use it - especially during their holiday closures. $80.00 though, on B&H and in my mind, worth every penny if you want a solid, reliable remote trigger.
Because I was in the field, and felt I needed a solution right away, I had to go to proverbial "plan B." There were two choices. The obvious one, it seems, is to use the 2-second delay on the shutter. I think the majority of people who use tripods these days use that method instead of a remote. Saves a lot of problems, including loss (or forgotten) remote, dead battery, and just one less thing to carry around. And I absolutely hate it. I want my shutter to trigger when I press the release. Not two seconds later. Not any seconds later.
The Sony Creator's App - Smart Phone App. So I looked at the other alternative: using Sony's "Creator's App" software app with my smartphone. I have to say that up until now, I have been wary of this approach. Their prior software had a reputation of being kludgy and inconsistent. I never really paid attention to the newer, Creator's App. But wanting a remote release before I could get home and re-acquire the Sony remote motivated me to at least give it a try. Free download. Pretty easy pairing (if you have - and if you live in this century, you probably have - paired bluetooth devices before). And it works! Again, like the pro commander remote, the triggering was very sure and quick and continued to work well when stepping a reasonable distance away from the camera. I used it the rest of the trip and since I usually have the phone in my pocket anyway, it worked well.
The Sony Creator's App Works!
The Creator's app interface is reasonably simple and straightforward. On the page that comes up after you initially set it up (perhaps obviously, you have to have your camera on and its bluetooth radio enabled), there is a box very near the top labelled "Operate your camera." Touching that brings up a second screen that has your paired camera (or cameras) pictured. Just below that is another box that says "Remote Shooting." Touch that one and you get another screen giving you a choice between Wi-Fi or a physical cable. Tap the Wi-Fi option and you are in! This all happens really quickly by the way (tap tap tap and you are good). The working screen is actually pretty cool. Looks alot like your smartphone camera. You get an image on the screen that mirrors what your lens is seeing. Exposure duration, f-stop, ISO and +/- Exposure Compensation is given. There is a focusing spot that shows where you have yours set on your camera (I learned wholely by accident, btw, that you can touch and move the focusing spot on your phone (even if you have touch operations disabled on your phone)!. You can also change the previously mentioned settings on the phone screen (that has both positive and negative connotations like accidental presses, but I assume there are settings that will solve those issues) And most importantly, there is that round "button" at the bottom which triggers the shutter. There is also a deeper menu. I liked it and it may well be what I use from now on.
However, there is no panacea. There are a couple negatives. First, when the phone or camera "sleeps" the app and phone disconnect. You have to go through that "tap tap tap" sequence again. In practice that never seemed to take long (just a couple seconds), but still an annoyance (now that I have some time, I will do a bit of research to see if there is a workaround for that). Hopefully, some settings will remedy that. Second, don't expect to rely on your phone screen for judging image quality or exposure. There may be a way to calibrate and syncronize them. But for now, I quickly realized I could really only use the phone screen image for composition (it is significantly larger and these old eyes appreciate that) and confirmation.
But wait. There's more. 😊 When I am in the field or on a trip, I often want to post a scene on one of my FB pages, for informational purposes more than anything. I have never messed with the capability of the camera to connect and send images to an online source. There is already plenty going on with the camera and shooting circumstances without that one more headache. The last thing I need is more "gadget" complications when I am shooting. When I remember, I will try to shoot the scene separately with my phone, which gives me the ability to send a jpg (I have no illustion that - in most cases - the phone shot will have anywhere near the image quality my camera does, but the point is more informational - especially when I am trying to show current conditions, the potential of a spot, or just post a quick one to social media). I had read that you could send camera images to your phone for later sending or posting, but didn't realize the app could do that automatically with each shot. I somehow configured that without realizing it, and suddently, there is a (albeit very small jpg) mirror copy of every shot being populated on my phone. I no longer have to remember to take the shot with the phone. After my session, I can just delete them from my phone if I don't like them taking up the space. Cool!
This app deserves some further research and exploration, and - quite likely - its own blog. I will be doing the research soon.
THIS REVIEW of the A7CR is certainly not completely comprehensive. It mostly covers the features I have traditionally used in my photography and a few of the new features that I will probably use. I don't do video, so that who aspect of the camera is not covered. But I do hope that maybe readers will find something in the reviewed that is useful to them. I will undoubtedly discover some new features and bells and whistles as I continue to shoot with this camera. At this point, I can wholeheartedly say it is the best digital camera I have owned or shot, and tops the list for my favorite ever camera. Would love to hear your comments, pro or con.
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