Name: Sony Alpha NEX-7 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body - Bundle - with Sony 20mm F2.8 Lens
Brand: Sony
SKU: ISONEX7BL2
Price: 1197.00 USD
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 4.4 (19 reviews)

Sony Alpha NEX-7 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body - Bundle - with Sony 20mm F2.8 Lens

Sony NEX-7

Sony

Sony Alpha NEX-7 Camera Body - Bundle - with Sony 20mm F2.8 Lens

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Photography

Cameras

Mirrorless Cameras

Sony Mirrorless Cameras

Sony NEX-7 

Top Rated Gear: Sony Alpha NEX-7 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body - Bundle - with Sony 20mm F2.8 Lens Camera Battery Series: Sony NP-FW50, Color: Black, Configuration: Body & Lens, Lens Mount: Sony E Mount, Memory Card Type: SDHC UHS-I, SDXC UHS-I

The Sony Alpha NEX-7 is clearly aimed at serious enthusiasts and professional photographers who demand a small, stealthy little camera that can deliver superior image quality and minimal lag time. The Sony Alpha NEX-7 is the third model to be introduced into the Sony interchangeable-lens compact camera lineup, and offers easier-to-access manual controls and a high degree of customization. You can assign functions to various dials and buttons and put the features you use most at your fingertips.  Sony Alpha NEX-7 has a solid look and feel, and the placement of the eye-level viewfinder on the upper left corner of the camera back is right where you'd expect to find the finder on a traditional rangefinder camera. For right-eyed shooters, this lets you compose in the super-sharp 2.4 million dot resolution EVF while watching the scene with your left eye, which is helpful for documentary and street photographers. The EVF has Minolta DNA: A proximity sensor automatically switches the camera from the LCD finder to EVF as you move the camera up to your eye. The problem  It will activate the EVF if the finder is close to anything-your shirt, other items in your camera bag, etc. So when not in use, turn the camera off to prevent battery drainage.  There is also a large flip-out, 3-inch, 921k-dot resolution LCD monitor, and the information it displays is not necessarily the same as what you see in the electronic viewfinder. In fact, the LCD display includes considerably more information, including tiny prompts that indicate what the camera's unmarked buttons and dials control in whatever mode you're in at the moment.  Then there were the dials, knobs and buttons. The NEX-7's features are controlled via a trio of generous-sized, easy-to-turn thumb dials at the upper left corner of the camera's back and a thumbwheel control switch, something Sony calls "triple dial control". By default, they control aperture and shutter in manual mode, although they have no labels.  The camera's minimalist top plate includes a flash hot shoe (using the proprietary design that precludes the use of generic shoe-mounted flash and accessories), a pop-up flash, two of the three control dials, the on/off switch surrounding the shutter release and a small, unmarked mystery button, the first of several to be found on the NEX-7. This button cycles through the camera'skey functions. Press it once, white balance controls appear in the LCD. Press again to control color intensity, yet again to adjust color balance, and so on. Don't like the choices of which features you can control from this button  Not to worry, you can change that.  The back of the camera has a mix of labeled and unlabeled controls. There's the aforementioned EVF, with a diopter dial for the hard-of-seeing, a flash-pop-up button, a preview button, a control that toggles between AF and manual focus (if you have the camera default set for AF, you can press the button to switch to quickly adjust manual exposure) as well as autoexposure, a "soft button" (read: unmarked) that accesses the menu, thumbwheel dial whose purpose varies depending on mode, and another soft button that functions as a delete key when in preview mode but otherwise is up for grabs.  Manual focus (when the camera is set to manual) is controlled via the focus ring on the lens, and an enlarged detail can be displayed on the EVF or LCD monitor. I found the LCD monitor to be fairly bright, although as is typical with most LCD monitors, theimage is hard to see in direct sunlight. That's when I recommend using the electronic viewfinder exclusively. I found the front gripto be comfortable and was able to easily handhold the camera for a while without tiring.  The menu interface is divided into six areas: Shoot Mode, Camera, Image Size, Brightness/Color, Playback, and Setup.   Shoot Mode  covers the settings you'd find on a traditional physical camera top dial-PASM, as well as Intelligent Auto,scene modes, anti-motion blur, sweep panorama (rotate the camera and it will shoot and stitch together a panoramic image, and 3D sweep panorama (captures 3D images viewable on a 3D compatible TV monitor).   The Camera menu  goes deeper, accessing things like Auto/Manual focus switching (I wish that particular feature didn't requireso many button presses to get to). Drive, flash mode, various autofocus modes (including object tracking and autofocus field) are controlled and adjusted here, as are Face recognition, smile shutter and numerous other features.   Image Size  adjusts image size (24, 12, or 6MP), aspect ratio (the choices are 16:9 or 3:2; surprisingly, 4:3 is not available), and image quality including RAW, RAW+JPEG, JPEG in Fine and Standard. You can also change panorama, 3D panorama and movie image size and quality settings in this menu.   Brightness/Color  controls some key features-Exposure compensation (including the ability to change the amount of increments of compenastion), ISO and White Balance. Metering mode, flash output, picture effects and other features are also adjustable here, although you can also get to most of them via the soft button atop the camera to the right of the shutter release.  The Sony Alpha NEX-7's resolution is among the highest of any APS sensor camera, while our field tests showed that autofocus is fastand responsive, and in manual focus mode the camera displayed no perceptible lag time.  The Sony Alpha NEX-7, by virtue of its nimble performance on the street and its stunning image quality, rises to the top of the heapof mirrorless interchangeable-lens compact cameras. Yes, you pay a premium for it, and yes, its interface is at first bewildering, and requires some quality time with the 200-plus page owner's manual to really get a deep understanding, but it's worth that steep learning curve to tap into this camera's flexibility, extensive range of features, and power. This is a camera that is well-suited for photojournalism, street photography, wedding candids, and other events that require a quick, stealthy camera that will deliver top-notch results in lower light. If you are OK with a electronic viewfinder, and have the requisite deep pockets, this camera is well worth considering.

Bought at Focus NEC in 2012 I have thoroughly enjoyed this amazing camera. Landscapes using the LA EA1 adapter plus my Sigma 10-20 f3.5 are a breeze when focusing using the focus peaking feature of the NEX7. E fit lens are lightweight, compact and great quality.
I'm also a proud owner of a A7r full frame bought this year. Interchangeable lens between the two I chose the FE 28mm f2 as a FF starter - great images!
Congratulations to Sony...keep it up!

Still loving it!

I have had this camera for a couple of years and has performed faultlessly, iso up to 1600 is clean but my a 6000 has better sensitivity. Usually the first camera I pick up.

Peaking focus

Take too much waiting times between first to next picture

low weight, small size but high quality. Ability to use old lenses. For me it is very important.

Very good product.

I have been looking for a small camera to carry with me and in car also. This little hight power camera DOES IT ALL. I also have a Nikon D600 and this camera rivals the D600 with its fantastic picture quality. I mostly shoot scenery and at time wild life when  driving.
Menu system takes a bit to get used to and is sensitive to touch on the wheel for making adjustments,  but I am getting used to it.
All in all THIS IS A GREAT POWERFUL CAMERA FOR ALL AROUND USE PEOPLE GROUPS ( breakfasts, meetings etc.) AND SCENERY.

Amazing small camera

I decided that I needed a top quality system camera that would be a lot smaller and lighter than my DSLR. The NEX-7 is very different to use, but its small size and light weight mean that the DSLR hasn't seen much action recently. For all its light weight the NEX-7 feels like a very solid, high quality product. Picture quality is excellent at low ISO settings, still good at higher settings and even at the highest settings reasonable detail and dynamic range is evident. In fact, it has exceeded my expectations in this area. I sometimes find that the contrast detection autofocus struggles in low light and with low contrast scenes, but in reasonable light it is generally quick and accurate and copes with almost all of the varied subjects I poin it at. I have also developed a habit of shooting with the camera held at waist level with the screen tilted, much like using some medium format film cameras, which gives a perspective that I like. I find a very comfortable way of working.

Great quality in a small package

I bought this last year traded in my SLR much easier to carry around smaller but produces great pictures. Love it to bits

Sharp focus brilliant panorama great pictures

For times when I want great photo, but not a large camera to deal with.

Great small camera

This is my second NEX-7, I liked my  first one enough that I bought a second to keep as backup. When they first came out, there was an issue of the number of quality lenses for it, now from ultra wide-angle to long telephoto, there are enough quality lenses to satisfy most anyone. I use mine a lot for macro photography - pictures of bugs and small animals mostly. The camera is very well built, sturdy, but it has one shortcoming in that it's not water resistant. But, I have dropped it down a hillside, cleaned the mud and smears off of it and it kept on going. I tend to use this camera in the same situations that I use my Pentax K-5, on shoots out in the rain forests of Central America. When it starts raining, I put it away and continue with the Pentax. With adapters, my old M and A Pentax lenses can be used on the NEX-7, which has saved me a great deal of money. Even though they are manual focus lenses, with the NEX-7's focus peaking, accurate focusing is achieved very quickly. At first I wondered how a camera that small, built by a company that's not one of the "Big Four", could cost so much. Now, after much use, and some abuse, I know why... Sony has built a superior product. For the advanced amateur, or the semi-pro, this camera would be a welcome addition to the camera bag.

I just have bought this camera and love it.  
The NEX7 handles easily and is compact, small light camera with excellent image quality. 

Not so good: The dials for manual control easily change on me, but I hope to get used to that.  The video recording button gets easily pressed by accident.

I would buy this product again

Surprisingly light...can hike all day with 55-210 lens and not notice it around my neck

Nex-7 lightweight supercamera

good handling; lots of E mount lenses available; great image quality; 

great for travel, events, family & still object photography; better as a camera than a video recorder.

needs 2+ backup batteries for extended shooting; a learning curve to understand all the features;

A used REX 7 in good condition

I do a lot of backpacking and this is a great lightweight full featured camera.  Most of my photography is with macro and therefore manual controls are key.  The camera has the functionality of a full DSLR (I am switching over from the Nikon D90), plus many more features.  The focus peaking is really helpful when doing macro work.  The viewfinder is really nice especially since it has all your information right in the screen.  Live DOF and exposure plus histogram.  

Cons:  24 mp images are great, but they are really large and slow down your computer when you are working with them.  Plan on getting some larger memory cards!  Battery life is not great compared to a DSLR.  If you accidentally leave on the camera you will find yourself with a dead battery pretty quick.  You will need extra batteries if you normally are out for more then a day at a time.  Native lenses are not that high of quality yet.  Sure the Zeiss lenses are, but they are way too expensive for me.  Most lenses are very soft in the corners.  I really hope they pick up the lens game soon.  These sensors deserve better!  

Overall I love the camera and I think that my Nikon will be collecting dust now.

Amazing detail!

I use the NEX-7 to stand in for my SLR when I don't want the bulk and weight of the bigger camera. If does the job perfectly. Shutter and viewfinder lag make it not suitable for wildlife photography.

I like the 10 frames per second shooting when getting images of golfers on the course to analyze the swing. The editing is easier than doing the same thing with video for me.

Sony Alpha NEX-7

I wanted a lighter, less pretentious camera than an DSLR for travel. This is it.

Ready for more lenses!

Easy access to controls separates this mirror-less camera from the others I have considered. I frequently do manual settings and that makes the NEX 7 ideal for me.  I like the 24 megapixel resolution also.  I have four lenses and two NEX 7 bodis, the Nex7 has become my primary camera system.

Excellent Camera, Excellent Results

I ow a NEX-7 and am amazed by the picture quality. Being an ancient photographer used to the mid format boxes and manual work, i rediscovered my pleasure with this little marvel. Allows the use of Leica lenses and some of my old Jupiter Russian lenses that are in some cases better then Leica glass. With adapter it takes my Minolta lens park. The black side is the bad quality of the grip rubber that deatches. So, buy a tube of super glue with the camera.

amazing camera

I took this camera on safari in Kenya.  Slow autofocus made this camera suboptimal for this purpose or any fast action events.  Manual focus aids work well when sharp focus is critical but difficult to utilize with fast moving subjects.  Camera often frequently locks up forcing me to "reboot" the camera (by turning it off than on again).  I suspect this is due to immature firmware and should be fixed eventually, hopefully.  Tri-Navi controls are great and are what make this camera worthwhile.  Using the camera as an ENG device is a pleasure.  Shooting candids are also great as the small size of the camera makes it very inconspicuous.  You can also shoot at waist level utilizing the articulating LCD and so subjects are often unaware their photo is being taken.

Still an immature product

bought this to replace my Fuji X100.  While I've only had it a week I can say it seems very well made, nice compact body, nice viewfinder, responds nicely.  My two bigest compaints to date are the confusing menus, buttons and knobs,  and poor lens choices.  

The camera responds much quicker than my Fuj  (start up time and shutter lag are very good) I am finding the controls less than intuitive and the kit lens is not on par with the high resolution of the sensor.  

The viewfinder, while high res, lack  tonal acurac and there are limited ways to adjust it. The flash can only be adjusted through the menu system, the Minolta dedicated hot shoe is a pain. 

I hope some of the issues can be fixed with a firmware update and if they ever get some decent lenses this could be a great compact camera.

Sony Alpha NEX-7 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body - Bundle - with Sony 20mm F2.8 Lens

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