Sony Nex-7 – April 2014

This high-end NEX model blends a high-resolution sensor with an OLED viewfinder.

Sony NEX-7 Front

Sony's most advanced NEX model comes with an array of impressive functionality but, predictably, at a high asking price.

Headline features include a 10fps burst mode, ISO 100-16,000 sensitivity, a 3in LCD screen mounted on a tilt-angle bracket and a built-in OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF).

With an APS-C sized sensor sporting 24.3MP the camera seems well equipped for enlargements and more severe cropping, and it's able to capture 1080p HD movies too.

Of course, as a CSC model, the NEX-7's mirrorless design makes it a far smaller camera than its SLT cousins. As for flash functionality, the NEX-7 ditches the Smart Accessory Terminal common to previous NEX models, and instead opts for a built-in flash alongside a Sony/Minolta standard hotshoe for external units.

Sony NEX-7 Pop Up Flash

The NEX-7 is a curious-looking beast, due in part to its two blank rotational wheels on the top-plate. While odd to the eye, this isn't a problem in use as the thumb naturally falls on one of them. The one big problem we did find was that the control wheel closest to the camera's outer edge would frequently get knocked and then shift the exposure compensation by 0.3-0.7EV in either Program, Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority modes.

Quite why the NEX-7 has no physical mode dial is a design decision that's beyond us. A camera at this level that demands menu-digging to shift between manual controls has missed part of its very purpose.

The autofocus system, while reasonably prompt, is not as quick or accurate as those found in competing cameras from the likes of Nikon, Olympus or Panasonic. The AF's biggest enemy, however, is low light. Dim conditions, despite the inclusion of an AF-illuminator lamp, did throw the AF system off kilter occasionally.

Where the NEX-7's performance does speed up is with its 'Speed Priority Continuous' 10 frames per second (fps) burst mode. Even when shooting Raw + JPEG Fine the camera can reel off 10 shots in one second without flinching (or a maximum of 12 JPEG Fine shots). However focus and exposure is fixed during the burst unless you use the standard continuous shooting mode at around 4fps.

Sony NEX-7 Rear Angle

The 2.4m-dot EVF, also found on the A77 SLT model, is no ordinary viewfinder; it does a sterling job in terms of clarity and fluidity. Coverage is 100% and with a magnification of 1.09x it feels far from tunnel-like.

Images display a smooth tonal range, plus there's the D-Range Optimiser (DRO) to rescue detail in the highlights and shadows. Thankfully, the NEX-7's auto white balance system is also consistent, doing well to retain the correct mood of the scene.

The E 16mm f/2.8 pancake lens exhibits notable barrel distortion which results in a sharpness fall-off towards the edges of images, but in the centre of the frame the NEX-7's shots are rather special.

Verdict

The Sony NEX-7's design is a mixed bag, with the variety of control on offer being great, yet their placement not always so. The OLED viewfinder, as pulled from the Alpha 77, is a superb bit of kit. Image quality is great, yet the ultra-high-resolution sensor does have its limits. Still, despite its failings, it's difficult not to be impressed.