We Review the Sony a7cR: Compact But Full Featured

Today Sony has announced three new products: The Sony a7CII, the 16-35mm F2.8 GM II, and last but not least, the Sony a7cR. And unfortunately, I have not been able to use the first two products I mentioned, but, I have been able to use the A7cR quite a bit. In total, I’ve taken about 10,000 images with it so far. So let's talk about it.

Now, this camera is pretty interesting. It’s essentially a Sony a7rV in a smaller, lighter, and less expensive package. It has the same sensor and the same processor, and it still has a dedicated AI processor. This means you get access to all the crazy good autofocus tracking that has been in all of the latest Sony cameras since the release of the a7r5. But, because this camera is newer, you also get access to some of the things not available in the a7R5. things like AI-based auto framing and better active stabilization for video. But I don't really do much video s o for me, these features aren't really on my list of needs and wants. But I find it interesting that you can get a smaller, lighter, and cheaper camera that essentially has more functionality. So if you like the resolution of the a7r5 but want the best video features, this may actually be a better buy for you.  

But where the comparison starts to diverge is obviously with a less expensive camera, you have to expect to lose some features. So while this camera has the same or better software-type features, it in turn has some lower-end physical features. Things like a lower-end flip-out LCD and EVF than what you might find in some of the higher-end cameras. But in real-world use, this didn't really bother me. Is more resolution better? For sure. But after taking photos for a bit, I got used to what I was seeing and it didn’t really affect the shooting experience for me. But if you currently take photos with a camera that has higher resolution offerings, it may take you longer to get used. 

Speaking of the LCD, Sony also decided to only give this camera a flip-out LCD instead of the combo tilting and flip LCD found on the a7R5. This decision has puzzled me with every new camera release since the a7R5. Sony has this amazing combo screen that gives users the best of both worlds, but so far Sony has decided to only have this amazing screen setup be available on one single camera. And I know I’d happily pay an extra bit of money to have a better screen mechanism, so I’m not sure why the latest cameras have excluded the feature. 

From here, another couple of things you lose in comparison to the a7R5 is this camera will not take video in 8k and it has a max shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second as well as a max of 8fps. And while I don't have an official answer from Sony as to why, I'm guessing this camera has a different shutter mechanism in order to fit within the smaller-sized body and this different mechanism will only allow for the 1/4000th shutter speed at 8fps in comparison to the 1/8000th shutter speed and 10fps found on the a7r5. And as for the 8k video, we obviously know the sensor and processor pair can handle the ability, but I'm guessing the smaller body doesn't allow for the required heat dissipation needed to make the feature even usable. 

Lastly, the big missing feature for me, and I know for most professionals, is this camera only has a single card slot. This could be because of the size, or it could be because Sony just doesn’t want the camera to compete with the a7R5 in the professional market. Which makes sense, If I was in the market for a high-resolution, professional camera right now, the easy choice for me would be the a7cR. I can get past the lower shutter speed, and then all the other missing features don't mean much to me. But the single card slot would give me hesitation. I used the camera at two weddings, and I obviously didn't run into any issues, but even still, there is a certain peace of mind you get when you know your images are on two cards. But as an everyday carry, non-work type camera, the single card slot doesn't bother me.  

Now, one other thing I want to talk about is the size. I know some people will not love how small it is. But for me, I absolutely adore it. Paired with my Sony 24mm GM, I carried this camera all over the place to take family documentary images. From a fishing trip on the White River to using it in my Outex Underwater housing to document the last couple of days of my kid's summer break, the smaller size definitely made it more enjoyable to take with me everywhere I went. So if you generally use smaller prime lenses, then I think you’ll really enjoy the compact size.

But where the camera felt a bit too small, was when I paired it with a larger and heavier lens setup. For example on one of my weddings, I used the Tamron 35-150 for most of the day, and without the extra grip attached, the camera would have been miserable to hold for an entire 10-hour day. Thankfully, Sony actually includes the extra grip with the purchase of the a7cR. So it's not an accessory you have to decide to buy or not. You simply get it and can use it when needed. The grip also conveniently folds open so you can change batteries while using it without having to take it off, and the grip also doesn't add any significant weight to the setup. Though I’m not a huge fan of how it looks, it functionally works really well. 

From here, we don't really need to dive to deep into things like image quality, autofocus, AI tracking, and all these other features because they are all as good or better when compared to the past few cameras Sony has released. The sensor is the same one found in the Sony a7r4 and Sony a7r5 so we know it's amazing with 61MP and 15 stops dynamic range and all the good things you'd expect from a tried and true masterful sensor.  And the autofocus is still among the fastest and most accurate I have ever used. If you happen to have never heard of the AI-based autofocus that Sony offers, you absolutely should look more into it because it is the best I have ever used.

What I Liked

• Small and compact.
• Flagship features at a cheaper price.
• Amazing image quality.
• Ai autofocus and video capability is game-changing.
• Extra grip included.

What I Didn't Like

• Lower quality EVF and LCD.
• Flip out LCD screen instead of the combo flip/tilt screen.
• One single and lonely card slot. 

Closing things out I think it’s worth sort of talking about who I think this camera is for. While the smaller and lighter form factor makes it amazing for documentary work, the single card slot would cause me to limit the use to personal work and work that isn't once in a lifetime. If something happened to a card for a family or high school senior session, it would majorly suck, but worst case you could do those types of sessions over again. But for things like weddings or big events, I personally just want that added peace of mind a second card slot gives you. So I classify this as an everyday carry-type camera or even as a great travel camera. Or if you are a hobbyist and want flagship features in a smaller and less expensive package, then this is for you! And If the single card slot doesn't bother you, I would actually prefer this camera over the a7r5. For me, I’d happily forfeit a few features for a more compact setup. Especially if they are things I would rarely, if ever, use. Hello, 8k video.