Hello! This is Chobokkang. Today, I've prepared a camera review for all of you who are interested in cameras. It's already been 8 months since I purchased the a7CR, and although I didn't upload an unboxing video, I've tested it in various environments, including travel photography, vlogging, and general photos. In this session, I'll summarize my thoughts. There were many satisfying aspects, and of course, some disappointing ones too. Today, I'll honestly share my experiences based on the camera's features and actual usage. Is the a7CR the right camera for you? Let's find out together! Please watch until the end, and if this video was helpful, please subscribe, like, and turn on notifications! 😊
Why Did I Choose the a7CR? 🤔
Like many of you, I often felt a sense of regret during my travels because the fatigue from heavy camera gear prevented me from fully appreciating my surroundings. So, I was looking for a lightweight camera capable of high-quality shooting. Initially, I considered the a7C, but I gave up on it because it used the same sensor and almost identical UI as the a7M3. Even when the a7C2 was released, I hesitated but eventually chose the a7CR. You might not know it just by looking at it, but this camera, with its smaller body than the existing a7 series and a 61-megapixel high-resolution sensor, boasts an optimized size and weight for travel photography. Thanks to its compact body while retaining a full-frame sensor, the burden of weight during long trips or vlogging has significantly reduced. Moreover, I liked that it maintained the a7 series' aesthetic while featuring a practical design. Adding just a lightweight 35mm f1.8 lens makes it a perfect combination for travel.
The a7CR boasts a full-frame sensor and 61-megapixel high resolution while maintaining a compact body, making it an optimized model for travel and vlogging.
a7CR, 8-Month Review: Satisfying Aspects 📊
Now, I'll share my experiences after using it for 8 months, one by one.
1. Lightweight and Portable: Enhancing Travel Quality ✈️
You know how it feels when your camera gear is too heavy during a trip, right? I used to carry full-frame cameras like the a7M3 and a7S3, separating my photo and video shoots, but the problem was always the weight. Carrying the body plus the lens weight easily fatigued my wrists and shoulders during long shoots. The burden would be even greater on trips requiring long walks.
However, the a7CR impressed me most with its significant weight reduction compared to the a7M3. It felt much lighter in my bag, and I experienced less fatigue even after carrying it for long periods. While traveling, I thought, 'With this weight, I can continue shooting without burden.' Especially thanks to the lightweight body, I could shoot for long periods with just a camera strap instead of a tripod. In the past, I couldn't fully enjoy the scenery because of carrying heavy cameras, but now I can enjoy my travels more comfortably. I was so satisfied that I thought, 'This is truly a travel camera.'
2. Overwhelming Detail and Shooting Freedom with 61MP 🖼️
They say, "Once you use a high-resolution camera, it's hard to go back to a low-resolution one." Have you heard that? I truly experienced it with the a7CR. Thanks to its 61-megapixel sensor, cropping captured photos was never an issue. Whether I shot distant subjects during my travels or quickly took a photo without perfect composition, the ability to crop later to create the desired frame was a huge advantage.
In particular, the freedom in composition has dramatically increased. Normally, achieving perfect composition requires time, but with the a7CR, you have some leeway when composing. The ability to utilize various parts of a single photo as different cuts, creating multiple feelings from the same image, was truly great. Honestly, I shouldn't think this way, but I even found myself thinking, 'I can just shoot roughly and crop it later.'
Ultimately, I believe the biggest advantage of high resolution is 'flexibility.' Even if you make a slight mistake during shooting, you can cover it with post-processing, and you can maintain sufficient detail even when cropping only the desired part. Once you experience this, it's really hard to go back to a low-resolution camera.
3. Perfect Synergy of BIONZ XR Processor and AI Unit ✨
Furthermore, thanks to the latest BIONZ XR processor and AI processing unit, the high-resolution image processing speed is incredibly fast. Photo rendering after shooting is quick, allowing for instant previews with almost no delay even during continuous shooting, which makes the workflow much smoother.
Also, thanks to the AI processing unit, the AF speed is much faster and more accurate. Its ability to quickly recognize and track subjects, whether people or animals, is outstanding, allowing for sharp focus even in spontaneous shots. Especially when shooting fast-moving people or animals in travel destinations, the AF's immediate and unhesitating response was very impressive. With my a7M3, I sometimes experienced AF instability or slow speeds, but with the a7CR, such issues were almost nonexistent, allowing me to press the shutter with confidence. Even in night or indoor shooting, it rarely lost focus on subjects, making shooting much easier. The combination of the BIONZ XR processor and the AI processing unit not only improved convenience but also significantly enhanced the quality of the results.
4. The Magic of 10-bit Video, S-Cinetone, and Creative Look 🎬
One of the most satisfying aspects of video shooting was its support for 10-bit video recording. Compared to traditional 8-bit video, color reproduction is much richer, and issues like color breaking or banding during color grading are significantly reduced. Especially when actively using color correction in video editing, 8-bit video often lacked sufficient color information, making it difficult to achieve the desired tone accurately. However, with 10-bit, colors connect smoothly even in bright and dark areas, allowing for much greater freedom in post-production adjustments.
Another point I'd like to mention is how useful S-Cinetone and Creative Look felt. Usually, you need to post-process photos or videos to achieve the desired color, but with S-Cinetone and Creative Look, you can create high-quality colors right from the moment of shooting. S-Cinetone provides natural and soft tones, which I found particularly beautiful for skin tones in portrait photography. Since I could achieve artistic colors without separate color correction, it was very useful when I needed to edit quickly after shooting.
Creative Look offers various color options, making it easy to change styles to suit the shooting environment. It can give a more artistic feel than standard colors, so I frequently used it for travel photography, vlogging, and creating social media content. Especially when I had no time for post-processing, applying Creative Look to both photos and videos allowed me to get ready-to-use results, significantly improving my workflow efficiency. I felt this feature was truly powerful when I had no time for correction or needed to create content quickly.
a7CR, 8-Month Review: Disappointing Aspects ⚠️
However, the a7CR also had a few drawbacks.
1. Limitations of the Display System 👎
I believe the biggest drawback of the a7CR is its display system. For a camera in this price range, the viewfinder's resolution and field of view, as well as the LCD screen, should be excellent, but their clarity and color reproduction fell short of my expectations. Additionally, the absence of the viewfinder eyecup, which was present on the a7M3, makes it quite uncomfortable to shoot outdoors as light enters the eye. I don't understand why they designed it this way when making an eyecup shouldn't be difficult. I wish they had made the LCD screen and viewfinder more visible for outdoor use, especially since it's marketed as a travel camera. This part is truly disappointing.
2. Disappointment with the Extension Grip ➖
Another point I'd like to mention is the extension grip. I only attached it once for testing and have kept it stored ever since. The reason I chose the a7CR was its lightweight, but the extension grip turned out to be surprisingly heavy. Attaching this grip actually increased the weight, making it feel like it lost its original advantage. While it does improve the grip feel, I managed to use the a7CR without significant issues even with the slightly uncomfortable grip. For travel photography, reducing weight was more important, so the added weight was a burden. I felt that attaching a cage was more practical than the extension grip. For video, a cage allows for various accessories and provides basic protection, making it much more versatile. Instead of adding an extension grip, if they had used that cost to improve the quality of the LCD or viewfinder, or to lower the overall price, the a7CR's competitiveness would have been even higher.
3. High Price and Single SD Card Slot 💰
This camera is a powerful tool that allows for easy capture of high-quality photos and videos, thanks to its 61-megapixel resolution and AI-based shooting features. However, its rather high price makes it difficult to purchase, which is a shame. It's necessary to consider whether this level of specification is truly needed for your shooting purposes. Especially if high-resolution images aren't essential, opting for the a7C2, which is more reasonably priced, might be a better choice. As you know, the a7C2 offers decent resolution and sufficient performance, making it a great value-for-money option, and its lower price burden makes it a more suitable alternative for users who want a versatile camera. In any case, while the a7CR's performance is indeed excellent, the fact that it's not a product easily accessible to everyone is somewhat disappointing.
Since the a7CR is equipped with a high-resolution sensor, it has sufficient performance to be utilized for commercial shooting. However, the fact that it only has one SD card slot is quite disappointing. High-resolution image files are large, so storage space can be quickly depleted during shooting, and without dual slots, relying on a single card without backup creates instability in terms of reliability. Especially considering the price range, dual slots should have been included as standard, and this is a point of regret compared to competing models. While it seems the a7CR shares its body design with the a7C2, this is undoubtedly a drawback for professional users or those considering commercial shooting.
Despite its high performance, the a7CR's high price and single SD card slot are major drawbacks to consider before purchasing.
Conclusion: Is the a7CR the Right Camera for You? 📝
The a7CR is a lightweight camera offering excellent image quality, making it a suitable model for users who consider both photography and videography. Thanks to its high-resolution sensor and powerful processor, cropping and color correction are flexible, and it delivers sufficient performance in video shooting. However, there are still some regrets regarding the viewfinder, expandability, and price. Ultimately, whether this camera is right for you depends on your shooting style and budget. I am confident that for those who, like me, desire a lightweight camera with high image quality, it will be a thoroughly satisfying choice.
So far, I've honestly shared my thoughts on using the a7CR. A camera is equipment whose satisfaction varies not just by specs, but by actual usage environment and purpose, so it's important to choose carefully according to your shooting style.
I hope you compare thoroughly and find the equipment that best suits you. I'll return with more useful videos next time, so don't forget to subscribe, like, and turn on notifications. See you in the next video. Have a great day. Thank you! 😊
a7CR Key Summary
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