Sony a7CR Announced – 61MP and Full Frame 4K60 10-Bit Video in a Compact Body

Camera News

by Jakub HanAugust 29^th, 2023

The new Sony a7CR combines a 61MP image sensor with the new Sony BIONZ XR image processor packed in the compact body of the a7C line. The camera can record 4:2:2 10-bit video in up to 4K 60fps in full-frame mode (with a slight 1.2x crop). There is a 3” touchscreen LCD, an EVF, a new improved grip, a new front dial, and more. The camera uses a Sony Z battery and features USB-C PD, two 3.5mm jacks, and HDMI output. The Sony a7CR will start shipping at the end of September 2023 for $2,998 (€3,700 with VAT in Europe) with the new extension grip included.

Sony just announced two new full-frame cameras from the a7C line – Sony a7C II and a higher-resolution Sony a7CR. Additionally, the company announced a new, lighter, smaller, and more video-oriented 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II lens.

As you probably already know, the C in the name means “compact”, so these new bodies both offer very minimal and lightweight designs. In this article, I will focus only on the new Sony a7CR (ILCE-7CR) camera. If you want to read about the two other new products, take a look at one of the other separate articles:

• Sony a7C II Announced – New Compact Full-Frame Camera with 33MP, 10-Bit 4K60 Video, and More
• Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II lens

Now, let’s take a look at the details of the new Sony a7CR.

Sony a7CR – The a7R V’s smaller sibling?

The Sony a7CR (ILCE-7CR) features a 61MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS sensor along with the BIONZ XR image processor and the Sony AI processing unit for high-performance subject recognition autofocus. Those are the same specs as the a7R V. The camera can achieve up to 8fps continuous stills shooting with EF/AE (up to 36 raw photos). It is also possible to switch between full-frame 60MP photos and APS-C 26MP photos even when shooting lossless compressed raw.

Autofocus, IBIS, ISO

Talking about AF, the camera recognizes different subjects and objects (human/animal eye, face, head, body recognition, airplane, car/train, or insects) and keeps them in focus thanks to the real-time tracking with up to 693-points phase-detection autofocus system that covers around 79% of the sensor. Sony claims the AF should be more accurate in low light as well (up to EV -4.0 in AF-S).

Sony further claims that the camera offers a 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) with up to 7.0-steps compensation (the original a7C offered 5.0-steps and the a7R V offers up to 8.0-steps). In video mode, the camera also offers Active Mode for additional crop and more stable clips.

The ISO range for both stills and videos is available between 100 and 32000 (extended ISO 50-102400). There is no word from Sony about the base ISO values, but for reference, the a7R V has a base ISO of 800 in S-Log3.

Video recording

In video mode, this camera, unlike the a7C II, can deliver 4K up to 60fps video in full-frame mode, although still with a slight 1.2x crop (full pixel readout with binning). Alternatively, you can record 4K with 6.2K oversampling in Super35 format. Again, with 4:2:2 10-bit color. The camera supports XAVC S-I and XAVC HS codecs.

The a7CR also supports 16-bit external raw video output via the HDMI port. Sony plans to support connectivity with Atomos Ninja V and Ninja V+ for external recording. Atomos and Sony will share more details on this very soon.

The video recording is available with multiple different color profiles including S-log3, Creative Look, and S-Cinetone. Thanks to the Mi-shoe interface, there are up to 4 channels of audio recording available.

There is a variety of other helpful video features such as:

• In-camera time-lapse creation
• M-LUT video recording with custom LUTs for monitoring
• Auto framing – the camera automatically changes the composition and follows a recognized subject.
• Breathing compensation
• Focus peaking during AF
• Emphasized REC display
• Focus map
• Shot mark
• White balance adjustment while recording (shockless WB)

Camera body, connectivity

The Sony a7CR body has dimensions of 124 x 71.1 x 63.4mm and it weighs 525g. Despite the very compact size, the camera still offers a small 0.39”-type 2.36MP XGA OLED viewfinder with x 0.7 magnification and 60 or 120fps refresh rate. The magnesium alloy body offers a dust- and moisture-resistant design with an improved grip and a new front dial. On top of the EVF, the camera has a 3”-type 3:2 vari-angle LCD touchscreen with 1MP resolution.

The camera uses a Sony Z battery and it features a USB-C connector with power delivery for fast charging (USB 3.1 Gen 2 for up to 5Gbps), 3.5mm microphone and headphones jack connectors, one UHS-II SD card slot, and an HDMI type D video output connector.

Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi, NFC, and compatibility with the Creators Cloud app. Last but not least, Sony claims the camera is made using recycled materials, and renewable energy.

Price and availability

The new Sony a7CR can be pre-ordered now for $2,998 (€3,700 with VAT in Europe) – camera body with extension grip). The shipping is supposed to start at the end of September 2023.

What do you think about the new Sony a7CR? Do you use Sony Alpha cameras for your work? Let us know in the comments section underneath the article.