SONY A7R II
Big quality from a small package, that’s what the A7R II is all about. It actually boasts the highest resolution image sensor of the lot at 42.4MP, with a huge ISO range of 100-25,600 (a measure of how sensitive the sensor is to light). There’s also some deft image stabilisation inside that eliminates the natural shakiness of your hands, allowing you take crisp images at yawning shutter speeds (we managed 1/20). The result of all this nifty tech is the best quality images of the group, but it’s double the price of the others. The A7R II seems to pick up every scrap of detail, no matter what the quality of light, and produces photos that can be blown up to almost any size. These features – particularly the stabilisation – make for brilliant, smooth 4K video with plenty of dynamic range available if you want to edit the footage later. It’s a particularly tempting package for budding film makers and bloggers who want to travel light without scrimping on quality.
There are some sacrifices though. Compared to DSLRs, Sony’s traditional menu system feels a little contrived. There’s no room for an integrated flash and all this tech stunts its battery life to 300 shots. Still, you can charge the battery via the camera’s micro-USB port, which is handy if you’ve got a portable battery pack. The camera’s features also mean it’s a little on the slow side in terms of autofocus and burst photography, managing just five shots per second. If there’s a trade-off between speed and quality, Sony has prioritised the fidelity of single shots over action performance.
£2,400, sony.com Picture quality 10 Performance 8 Features and build 9 Value 8 Overall 9