Photography News issue 27

Camera test 37

Photography News Issue 27 absolutephoto.com

Noise reduction The Sony has noise reduction for long exposures as well as high-ISO use. With a low-light scene I shot JPEGs and Raws at ISO 6400, 12,800 and 25,600 using high-ISO noise reduction at off, low and high. As noise is very low in the first place, the noise reduction feature isn’t really needed but it does have a benefit. For example, at ISO 12,800 there is evidence of colour noise but with the NR feature at the Normal setting this goes, so on JPEGs it is worth using. There seems no benefit in Raw shooting.

Holding it steady The Sony A7R II has a five-axis IBIS (in- body image stabilisation) system, so it’s unlike systems from Canon, Nikon and Tamron that are lens-based, and means that it works for any lens. It is also the first five-axis system for full-frame cameras. This test shot was taken on a breezy day at 1/4sec at f/16 using the Sony 24-240mm zoom lens set to 52mm with SteadyShot set to auto. Out of three shots one was unacceptable, one was very good and the third was excellent. Given the weather conditions I thought that this was a very creditable performance.

Above Sony’s five-axis in-body image stabilisation system proved to be very capable and, of course, has the extra benefit of working for all lenses. Right This JPEG was shot at ISO 12,800 with normal level high ISO noise reduction.

Noiseperformance

As a general rule of thumb, the higher the megapixel count, the greater the issue of digital noise and that’s simply the downside of cramming all those busy little pixels into a small area. The Sony A7R II has a higher megapixel count than any full- frame camera with the exception of the EOS 5DS/R pair from Canon so you are entitled to think that you are going to get comparatively noisy pictures. To be honest, though, the Sony actually delivers a very, very impressive ISO performance. The shots here were taken on the Sony fitted with the Sony FE 24‑240mm f/3.5-6.3 and mounted on a Benro Mach 3 tripod. Exposures were made with the self-timer and the camera’s high- ISO noise reduction was set to off. The ISO 100 shot needed an exposure of 4secs at f/8 for this twilight scene. The Raw files were then processed through Capture

Pro 8.3.4 with default noise reduction settings. Viewed at 100%, there is no noise to speak of until you get to ISO 3200 and even then it’s minor and readily reduced in software. It is only from 12,800 that noise reaches a significant level and the impact on fine detail is more evident, but if you had to, this speed could still be useable for critical work so it’s ideal for low- light street work. At ISO 25,600, noise is more significant but I’ve seen worse on lower-megapixel cameras at ISO 3200, and once you reach the two top settings, image quality is not great but nevertheless, it’s impossible not to be impressed with this camera’s overall ability in this department. The rule of thumb mentioned earlier does still apply – but the Sony A7R II shows why this could all change as technology progresses. A remarkable showing.

It’s impossible not to be impressed with this camera

ISO 50

ISO 100

Verdict I have no complaints about

image quality. The Sony’s 42.4 megapixels do a great job with fine detail and you definitely see the benefit with large prints. High ISO performance is also very impressive and actually amazing for a high-megapixel camera. I was less impressed with handling, particularly the uncertainty of the AF system, no direct access to the AF point, the overly sensitive EVF/ monitor auto switchover and the menu structure. On the whole, though, I’d put up with the odd handling frustration in return for outstanding picture quality. Features Full-frame, high resolution Performance Excellent image quality and very impressive ISO performance Handling AF sometimes misses, menu is hard work, a few annoying traits Value formoney A pricey camera but certainly worth the investment Overall A camera that packs a mighty punch and if ultimate quality in a small package is your goal, this is the camera for you. Pros Image quality, small for a full- frame, noise performance Cons Some minor handling niggles, AF can be hesitant, the menu system, only one SD slot How it rates

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

25/25

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

21/25

22/25

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

93/100

Images The Sony A7R II’s back illuminated full-frame sensor delivers an awesome ISO performance and even ISO 12,800 can be used for critical results with noise reduction applied in software.

ISO 51,200

ISO 102,400