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Features

Which One? Sony A7 or A7r?

Chris Gampat
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10/16/2013
3 Mins read

Last Updated on 10/16/2013 by Chris Gampat

Sony-a7-or-a7r

With today’s announcements of Sony’s A7 and A7r cameras, folks might surely be confused about a lot of things. For example, one has a lot of megapixels but not as advanced autofocusing as the other. One camera also costs much less than the other and is currently the most affordable full frame camera on the market. The A7 will go for $1698 while the A7r will sell for $2298.

So which one is right for you?


The Basics

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Sony A7 A7r RX10 Zeiss Lenses (15 of 31)

At the very core of the matter, one of the biggest differences between the cameras are the megapixels. The A7r boasts a 36.3MP full frame sensor at its heart while the A7 houses a 24.3MP full frame sensor. In our meeting with Sony, the company stated that one sensor is clearly aimed at the crowd that wants lots of resolution while the other wants more of an emphasis on speed and capturing the moment.

So what does this mean? Well, the A7 has a hybrid autofocusing system much like the Sony A99. That means that there is both phase detection and contrast detection due to the sensor technology present.

When you combine this with the company’s new BIONZ X processor, it’s bound to also process details and noise levels quite well. For what it’s worth though, you’ll surely get more detail from the A7r not only due to its higher megapixel count but also because the sensor doesn’t have a low pass filter. However, that doesn’t mean that the A7 won’t give you loads of resolution. We believe that it houses the same sensor as the A99, and in our review of that camera we had more than enough megapixels to work with.

Both cameras enjoy loads of similarities otherwise.

Autofocusing

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Sony A7 A7r RX10 Zeiss Lenses (3 of 31)

So what’s contrast detection vs contrast and phase detection like? If you’re shooting video it can mean quite a lot. Though many professionals don’t use autofocus when it comes to video, hobbyists sure might. That will translate into faster focusing when you’ve got phase detection.

To be more specific, the A7 has 25 contrast focusing points and 117 phase detection points in the center. For what it’s worth, it can be much easier to work with the A7 for professional work unless you have no issue dealing with the A7r’s focusing system.

Ergonomics and Build Quality

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Sony A7 A7r RX10 Zeiss Lenses (9 of 31)

 

Ergonomically speaking, these cameras are the exact same. Both have almost the same EVF as the A99, both have magnesium alloy bodies, and both have weather resistance.

You won’t be picking one over the other when it comes to ergonomics.

Image Quality

For what it’s worth, it seems like the image quality department here is the same question as asking: D800E vs A99?

When it comes to higher ISO levels, the A99 is pretty much untouched. But if you need the details, then you’ll be springing for the D800E. But in this case, it translates to the Sony A7 or A7r.

Conclusions

You’ll need to ask yourself a serious question: do I need better high ISO performance or do I want more details in my subjects? Plus do I need better autofocusing or can I live with an older system?

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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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