Full Frame in a Small Body

The Alpha 7C is a compact full-frame camera that threatens to disrupt the norms.

- Sujith Gopinath

Sony Alpha 7C

₹1,67,990 for body only

When Sony first announced the Alpha-series full-frame cameras in 2013, the company was criticised a lot for the bulky lenses that accompanied the compact bodies. However, Sony was quite fast to climb on to the number one spot in full frame mirrorless cameras. The Alpha 7C is a compact full-frame camera that threatens to disrupt the norms.

Design & Build Quality

Sony claims that this is the world’s smallest and lightest full-frame system, and we have no reasons to doubt it. The camera weighs 509 g and measures 124 x 71 x 59 mm. It is constructed with a combination of magnesium alloy and polycarbonate and features a dust and moisture-resistant construction.

The camera is styled more like its APS-C siblings in the Alpha 6000 series than Alpha 7-series full-frame cameras. The central viewfinder bump, the one that resembles the pentaprism housing of SLRs, has been done away with. Now the full-size viewfinder has been replaced with a smaller one housed at the extreme left-hand side. The front command dial has also been eliminated just as in Alpha 6000-series cameras. What changes from the 6000-series design are the addition of the 7-series mode dial and exposure compensation dial in addition to a raised platform, presumably accommodating the full-frame sensor and circuitry. The grip is not as deep as in the other 7-series cameras and the grip has been lined with a smoother synthetic lining.

Overall, a nice and compact design, though a bit more boxy than other Alpha-series full-frame cameras. We received the silver variant of the Alpha 7C, which has a silver finish on the top plate.