Sony a7R II

The Sony a7R II is a full-frame mirrorless camera from 2015 built around a high-resolution sensor. That resolution makes it a natural fit for landscape, studio and product photography, where detail and cropping room matter most.

At 625g it is a mid-weight body rather than a pocket camera, and the electronic viewfinder shows exposure and focus as you frame each shot.

Owning one means accepting a modest burst rate and a short battery rating, so it suits deliberate photography better than fast action or long days without spares.

The 42.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor anchors an Optics score of 81, placing the a7R II in the top 8% of cameras in our database for Optics. If you print large or crop heavily, that resolution leaves plenty of room to work with.

In-body stabilisation moves the sensor to counter camera shake, so you can handhold at slower shutter speeds, including with lenses that have no stabilisation of their own. It reduces shake, not subject movement.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 25600, and the 1/8000 top shutter speed gives headroom for wide apertures in bright light. The 2.4-million-dot electronic viewfinder previews focus and exposure before you shoot.

Speed is the main constraint. A 5fps burst suits portraits and static scenes rather than sports. The 399 autofocus points give the system many positions to choose from, though a point count alone does not prove fast locking.

The a7R II records 4K video, and its maximum frame rate is 30fps. The modest Video score of 56 partly reflects that 30fps frame rate ceiling and the absence of a built-in intervalometer for timelapse work.

Recording is available in XAVCS, AVCHD or MP4, so you can choose between three file formats for your video footage when you record clips.

The in-body stabilisation carries over to filming, countering shake while you hold the camera so handheld clips come out steadier. Subject movement is a separate matter, as with stills.

Without a built-in intervalometer, timelapse sequences need an external timer or frames assembled later in editing software. The 30fps maximum also rules out slow-motion capture at higher frame rates.

The tilting 3-inch LCD shows 1.23 million dots, but it is not a touchscreen, so you adjust settings with buttons and dials rather than taps. Live view is also available, letting you frame shots on the screen rather than only through the viewfinder.

The modest features score of 57 partly reflects the missing touchscreen and Bluetooth, both of which cost the section points. Wi-Fi is built in for wireless connectivity, though the body has no GPS for location tagging.

No flash is built into the body, though the camera supports an external one when you need more light. Weather sealing helps the body resist dust and moisture, though it is not waterproof.

Storage runs on a single slot that takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards plus Memory Stick Duo types. With large files from the high-resolution sensor, carry a card with generous capacity, because there is no second slot for overflow or a spare copy.

The NP-FW50 battery is rated for 290 shots, a specification figure rather than a promise for every situation. That low rating is a big reason this section scores just 16, and it makes spare batteries close to essential for a full shoot.

There is no USB charging, so you cannot top the battery up over a cable or from a power bank, and longer shooting days need planning accordingly.