Sony Alpha NEX-7 (with 18-55mm lens)
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: NEX-7K/B
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- With a lot to like and just a little to dislike, the Sony Alpha NEX-7 comes up a winner, albeit an expensive one.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ![]() | In stock Get free shipping on orders over $25.00 | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/20/2013 |
Over 1,000 Sony products. Direct from Sony | ![]() | In stock | as of 05/20/2013 | |
Your Trusted Source since 1983 | ![]() | In stock Receive a free 16 GB SD card, Wireless Shutter Remote a | as of 05/20/2013 | |
PREMIER SOURCE of cutting edge electronics since 1973. | ![]() | In stock FREE $67 Essent Acsrys. Auth SONY Dealer. | as of 05/20/2013 | |
| ![]() | No | as of 05/20/2013 | |
Since 1979!. Money Back Guarantee! | ![]() | | as of 05/20/2013 | |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 05/20/2013 | |
| Unique Photo | ![]() | In stock | as of 05/20/2013 | |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 05/20/2013 | |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 05/20/2013 | |
Savings, Selection & Service since 1971 | ![]() | In stock | as of 05/20/2013 |
CNET editors' review
Sony Alpha NEX-7 (with 18-55mm lens) price range: $1,089.95 - $1,348.00
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 02/29/2012
- Released on: 03/01/2012
The good: The Sony Alpha NEX-7 delivers excellent raw photo and solid video quality in a package that's beautifully and functionally designed, yet relatively compact. Though expensive for an essentially nonprofessional camera, it doesn't seem overpriced.
The bad: As with many competing products, the camera's JPEG algorithms need some optimization, some aspects of operation feel a little laggy, and it's missing some useful features.
The bottom line: With a lot to like and just a little to dislike, the Sony Alpha NEX-7 comes up a winner, albeit an expensive one.
User reviews
-
-
Capable of great images but concerns around AF system
by LLTingle on June 15, 2012
Pros: Image quality is superb,
Viewfinder is amazing,
Video quality is very good,
Body is very compact and light,
Focus speed is more than adequate for my needs,
Battery life is good, maybe ~500 shots.Cons: AF system being poor for camera at this price.
Summary: This is a fairly long review, but then this isn't a cheap camera! I invested a lot of time as well as money in choosing the NEX-7 so wanted ...
Summary: This is a fairly long review, but then this isn't a cheap camera! I invested a lot of time as well as money in choosing the NEX-7 so wanted to share both pre and post purchase thoughts.
I update new best price for the NEX-7, check at: justbuycameras.blogspot.com/p/sony-nex-7.html
One area where digital photography has never really equalled 35mm film is compact cameras. In the days of film I carried a Canon SureShot 35mm camera everywhere and although it had a fixed lens, it was capable of excellent images. Since transferring to digital, I still like to have a camera with me whenever possible, but carting a 5DMkII around everywhere is impractical. So I've owned several compact digicams over the years but the tiny sensor size means that fine detail in, say, a landscape is just not captured plus I really dislike having to use an LCD on the back to compose a shot.
In recent years, manufacturers have started to address the sensor size issue with the M4/3 format and the larger still APS-C sensor. Canon have also announced the G1X, whose sensor is between M4/3 and APS-C. So this was the time to replace my Canon G10, which stays in my bag but I don't especially enjoy using. I have to say this was the most difficult photography decision I've made to make! There is no such thing as the perfect camera in this area of the market, they all have their pros and cons so I recommend you do what I finally did and draw up a list of the things that are most important to you and match the camera to that and not vice versa.
For me, the most important things are: a decent viewfinder, image quality, replaceable lenses, and control over settings. The Sony NEX-7 meets all of those but the viewfinder was the killer feature for me as I really, really hate having to hold a camera away from my face to compose. That the viewfinder is integrated into the body and not an optional extra was important. That the NEX-7 can accept my existing Canon lenses via adaptors sealed it.
The first thing I have to mention is the packaging: Sony have definitely taken a leaf out of Apple's book here - it just exudes quality as you gradually open layers to finally reveal, under a quality cleaning cloth, the body and lens nestled in velvet-like compartments. The body itself also inspires confidence, solid, sturdy, yet not too heavy. The same can't quite be said for the kit lens, which is almost too light and the supplied lens hood also doesn't click into place with any certainty. A strap is supplied, along with battery charger & mains and USB leads. There are three manual: a Getting Started guide, an Operations Manual and, on CD, the full Instructions.
You will need to read all of these to set the camera up optimally; it's amazingly configurable, almost like designing your own camera controls. If this is your first top range camera you might take a while to find the most suitable configuration; I've set mine up to follow my normal DSLR usage: in aperture priority, with one control dial setting aperture and the other exposure compenation. Both the viewfinder and the LCD show a live approximation of the exposure that will result and a live histogram can also be included in the display. This really makes it easy to gauge the end result. It's not the smallest camera body around but I have largeish hands and find it more comfortable than the Olympus Pen for example.
Talking of viewfinder, the electronic viewfinder is the first I've used but I really like it. It displays 100% of the scene with a variety of other information either around or superimposed on it, including focus points. Talking of focussing, reviews have referred to the AF system being poor. Compared to a DLSR and the latest M4/3 cameras, in dim light it is and I was initially disappointed. But the manual focussing is so well implemented that in reality I've not found this to be a major issue. Press the manual focus button on the rear and as soon as you touch the focus wheel the camera magnifies the image. I've suffered with astigmatism for years and struggle to focus manually on an SLR but have had no problems with this method.
There is so much to this camera that I could go on but I'll restrict myself to image quality. I mentioned earlier that the kit lens feels of less physical quality than the body and the same is true to a certain extent of image quality. Certainly the 24MP sensor will benefit from better quality glass, but the kit lens isn't that bad unless you're a persistent pixel peeper. Forget pixels and look at the pictures instead and it's fine as a starting point. It's reassuring to know that the body is capable of better things and, via adaptors, can use lenses from other manufacturers.
I'm already looking at Canon adaptors so I can use my old 50mm f1.4 or EFS 17-85mm, both of which are good quality and lightweight. As manual focus is so well implemented (and I haven't mentioned the focus peaking ability) I don't see that being a big issue for me. The camera rarely exposes wrongly and even if it does get caught out, with the live exposure view you will already see this before pressing the shutter in most cases.
Summing up, I had to think long and hard about which system to get into, comparing the pros and cons of each before listing my priorities and finding a camera to match. The NEX-7 won't suit everyone but definitely put it on your shortlist. If I could give 4 1/2 stars I would but I have to drop one star for the AF - in a camera at this price is it disappointing. Overall though, I've had more fun with this camera in a couple of days than I had with all the other compacts I've owned put together. It doesn't make you feel limited in any way.
Side Note: if you will buy the NEX-7, I suggest check for best price at: CompactCameras.********.info/sony-nex-7/
I hope my review is helpful.
Updated on Nov 15, 20129 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Superb instrument. I achieve what I set out to do.
by avcnet on March 2, 2012
Pros: Lens availability, focus magnification and color accuralcy. Low noise on higher ISO settings. Magnificant Sensor.
The video is very special. Broadcast quality.Cons: None really., Sony lens offerings are expensive however but I don't question the quality of their lense.
Summary: Using the Nex 7 for about two weeks now after a very ong wait to receive the camera. Great feature and awesome color accuracy and resolution. The big thing for ...
Summary: Using the Nex 7 for about two weeks now after a very ong wait to receive the camera. Great feature and awesome color accuracy and resolution. The big thing for me as I use adapterd to be able to use my Nikon lenses (N) class and Hasselblad lenses with this camera....Superb results. The focus manification feature for any lenses (be it sony) or others is very special to nail the image sharpness.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Sony Alpha NEX-7 Digital Camera
by kate_thomas on April 19, 2012
Pros: Easy To Use, Good Image Quality, Good Image Stabilization
Cons: Short Battery Life
Summary: So much more than a pocket camera, the 24.3MP NEX-7 exceeds expectations. Get performance that would give most DSLRs camera envy, including interchangeable lenses.
http://www.****************.co.nz/digital-camera/...Summary: So much more than a pocket camera, the 24.3MP NEX-7 exceeds expectations. Get performance that would give most DSLRs camera envy, including interchangeable lenses.
http://www.****************.co.nz/digital-camera/sony/sony-alpha-nex-7-digital-camera.html1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
I want one but...cannot find one in any store
by NeilFiertel on March 1, 2012
Pros: It iwll be hard to see any difference between it & full frame Dslrs so long as one is shooting low ISO. The EVF is of course why it puts this camera in another place entirely.
Cons: Have not tried the camera so cannot say.
Summary: Sony needs to start supplying this camera in quantity. I have been waiting a year so far...
Summary: Sony needs to start supplying this camera in quantity. I have been waiting a year so far...
0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Poor calibration settings and lens
by Bennett268 on June 3, 2012
Pros: Photo quality is bearable
Cons: Poor calibration and lens
0 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: NEX-7K/B
- Description: More than a pocket camera, the 24.3 megapixel NEX-7 exceeds expectations. Here’s performance that would give most DSLRs camera envy, including interchangeable lenses, a 2359K dot OLED eye-level TTL viewfinder, up to 10fps shooting, and outstanding Tri-Navi 3-dial manual control. HD movies are superb with Full 1920 x 1080 resolution at 60p, 60i and 24p.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Digital camera - Mirrorless system
- Enclosure Color Black
- Resolution 24.3 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Type Exmor APS HD CMOS
- Total Pixels 24,700,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 24,300,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 15.6 x 23.5mm
- Field of View Crop Factor 1.5
- Sensor Dust Reduction Yes
- Sensor Features Dust Reduction (image sensor vibration),
Anti-Dust coating - Optical Zoom 3 x
- Image Processor BIONZ
- Image Stabilizer Optical (Steady Shot)
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty 25
- AE/AF Control Subject-tracking AF
- Face Detection Smile Shutter,
Face Recognition,
Smile Capture - Digital Video Format AVCHD,
H.264 - Image Recording Format JPEG,
MPO,
RAW,
RAW + JPEG - Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080
- AV Interfaces HDMI
Exposure & White Balance
- Light Sensitivity ISO auto (100-16000),
ISO 100-1600 - Exposure Metering Multi-segment,
Center-weighted,
Spot - Exposure Metering Zones 1200
- Exposure Modes Program,
Bulb,
Automatic,
Shutter-priority,
Manual,
Aperture-priority - Shooting Programs Sports mode,
Sunset,
Night portrait,
Handheld twilight,
Night view,
Macro,
Portrait mode,
Landscape - Special Effects Portrait,
Landscape,
Miniature,
Posterization,
Toy camera,
Pop Color,
Vivid,
Soft Focus,
Black & White,
HDR Painting,
Rich-tone monochrome,
Soft High-key,
Partial color,
High contrast monochrome,
Sunset,
Retro - White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Daylight,
Shade,
2500K - 9900K,
Fluorescent,
Incandescent,
Cloudy,
Flash - Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 30 sec
- Exposure Compensation ±5 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps in 1/3 or 2/3 EV steps
- X-sync Speed 1/160 sec
Lens System
- Type Sony,
3 x x Zoom lens - 18 mm - 55 mm - F/3.5-5.6 - Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 27 - 82.5 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual,
Automatic - Min Focus Range 9.8 in
- Max View Angle 76 degrees
- Zoom Adjustment Manual
- Lens Construction 9 groups / 11 elements
- Filter Size 49 mm
- Lens System Mounting Sony E-mount
- Features Aspherical lens
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Pop-up flash
- Guide Number (m / ISO 100) 6
- Flash Modes Rear curtain sync,
Fill-in mode,
Slow synchro,
Auto mode,
Flash OFF mode - Features Wireless off-camera control,
Flash +/- compensation,
AF illuminator Additional Features
- Continuous Shooting Speed 10 frames per second
- Self Timer Delay 2 sec,
10 sec - Flash Terminal Hot shoe
- Additional Features Digital image rotation,
Intelligent AUTO (iAUTO),
Display brightness control,
24p Cinema Mode,
Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN),
3D Sweep Panorama technology,
NR Slow Shutter,
Predictive Focus Control,
High ISO NR,
PRINT Image Matching,
Saturation control,
Subject tracking technology,
Date/time stamp,
Exif Print support,
AF lock,
DPOF support,
Sweep Panorama technology,
Face detection,
RGB primary color filter,
Auto HDR mode,
Chromatic Aberration Compensation (CAC),
AE lock,
Histogram display,
Automatic display brightness adjustment,
Dynamic Range Optimizer,
Camera orientation detection,
LCD live view mode,
Sharpness control,
1080p Full HD movie recording,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Peripheral illumination correction,
Eye-Start AF system Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type OLED
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
- Viewfinder Diagonal Size 0.5 in
- Viewfinder Resolution 2,359,296 pixels
- Field Coverage 100%
- Magnification 1.09x
- Dioptric Correction Range -4 to +4
Display
- Type 3 in LCD display
- Display Features Folding
Microphone
- Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Hi-Speed USB,
1 x HDMI output
Software
- Software Sony Image Data Lightbox SR,
Drivers & Utilities,
Sony Image Data Converter SR,
Sony Picture Motion Browser System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows XP SP3,
MS Windows Vista SP2,
MS Windows 7 SP1,
Apple Mac OS X 10.3 - 10.6 - Peripheral Devices USB port,
CD-ROM drive Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Battery charger,
USB cable,
Lens cap,
Shoulder strap,
Body cap,
Cleaning cloth - Body Material Magnesium alloy
Battery
- Supported Battery Sony NP-FW50
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1080 mAh ( Included )
- Battery Life Details Photo shooting
Memory / Storage
- Memory Card Slot SD card,
Memory Stick PRO Duo card - Supported Memory Cards SDHC Memory Card,
SD Memory Card,
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo,
SDXC Memory Card,
Memory Stick PRO Duo,
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX - Image Storage Standard JPEG,
Fine RAW 6000 x 4000,
4240 x 2832,
3008 x 2000 - Video Capture AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 28Mbps,
AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 24Mbps,
AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 17Mbps,
AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 24Mbps,
AVCHD - 1920 x 1080 - 17Mbps,
H.264 - 1440 x 1080 - 12Mbps,
H.264 - 640 x 480 - 3Mbps Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 4.4 in
- Depth 1.7 in
- Height 2.6 in
- Weight 10.3 oz
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Main Features
- Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom. This camera utilizes built-in Super SteadyShot stabilization to assist in taking sharper pictures.
Product series
-

Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: 24.3 megapixels,
15.6 x 23.5mm,
Exmor APS HD CMOS -

Sony Alpha NEX-7 (with 18-55mm lens)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: 24.3 megapixels,
3 x,
27 - 82.5mm F/3.5,
15.6 x 23.5mm,
Exmor APS HD CMOS,
Optical (Steady Shot)
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Sony
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790




