So this is in by no way shape or form a technical review of the Sony A7CII - more so some thoughts and feelings about the camera from a professional photographer & content creator who had been shooting with the Sony A7II for the past 5+ years.

First thing's first, why the upgrade?

Several reasons really, and don't get me wrong, the Sony A7III is still a VERY capable camera, I just felt there were features I'd like to have now that my professional work is becoming more frequent so I can easily justify a business purchase to upgrade my tools.

But here are some of the reasons I wanted to upgrade:

I was starting to film more videos (thanks to Instagram pushing Reels) and often thought how much easier things would be if I had a screen that could completely flip around so I can see what I am filming if I am filming myself.
I wanted a bit of a bump up in megapixels due to the type of editing and content I make (a lot of surreal composites).
I've heard and read that the colour science in the newer Sony cameras were a big improvement on the ones from the generation of the Sony A7III and older.
The old menu system was annoying to deal with.
And probably one of the bigger influences on my decision, was the desire that I wanted a camera like the Fuji X100VI or XPro 3 - I'd progressively developed a love for the aesthetic of a retro rangefinder style camera (which is why I opted for the Silver model)

Size comparison

Although the difference doesn’t look huge, it definitely feels a lot more compact especially when paired with smaller lenses:

First impressions

Upon unboxing my camera I thought it was such a beautifully designed piece of kit. I was a little disappointed that there was no charger included, but luckily enough it just takes a standard USB-C cable. Without a lens on it feels quite light, more compact than my A7III, and overall just pleasing to look at.

There aren't that many things that I dislike about this camera, I mean, I wouldn't even say 'dislike', more 'not the biggest fan of but that's ok'. A lot of people have mentioned how the grip is too small, but what do you really expect given it is a compact camera? For me the grip is fine, although when I have my 70-200m GM on it, a slightly larger grip would be handy - I ended up getting the SmallRig baseplate in silver which compliments the body really nicely.

What I love about this camera

Now, some of the things I already love about this camera (outside of the overall aesthetics):

The fully articulating screen is SO good! I like that you can completely flip it inwards so that you can keep the LCD screen protected when travelling around and throwing it in your bag.
Customised exposure dial - I never used the exposure dial on my A7III (truth be told I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to use it for), but being able to customise it on the A7CII is such a nice option to have. At the moment I have it set to change the colour temperature which is super handy to have available as a dedicated dial.
Separation between video and photo modes with a dial underneath the main dial - this allows settings such as the 3 memory points being able to be separated between photo and video modes.
Speaking of the memory modes, I love having the option to save creative photo settings to each of these three spots so that if I just want to take some candid shots in JPEG I can quickly flick over to it, take the images, and send them to my phone if I want.
Aspect ratio markers + 2.35:1 aspect ratio - this is something I saw Chris Brockhurst do and it is definitely one thing that excited me about this camera. It allows for a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, commonly referred to as 'The Widescreen Cinemascope' ratio, to be overlayed on your screen so that you can compose your images in a very cinematic way. It even lets you preview these images with those same aspect markers overlayed (note that these overlays aren't baked into your image, once you put them in Lightroom the full 3:2 image will be there. Just crop to the aspect ratio you like).
Custom LUTs - I haven't had a chance to use this yet, but being able to load in your favourite LUTs will make shooting videos that bit more enjoyable
AI Autofocus - the autofocus capabilities of this camera are INSANE! It can detect and prioritise everything from people, animals, insects, planes, trains, etc.
Auto-reframing in video mode is a pretty handy feature to have if you're ever wanting to film yourself. It does a great job at making it feel like you have your own cameraman.

How is it to use/how does it perform

So far it has been incredible! I have taken heaps of photos with it already, both for personal use as well as paid professional work for clients. The bump up in megapixels has been a welcomed addition to allow for better abilities to crop and recompose any shots I need to in post. The colours I find are improved from the A7III era, and the menu system is WAY easier to navigate.

I've found that I am a lot more willing to bring along my camera on day trips just for happy snaps when paired with a compact prime lens such as the Samyang 24mm f1.8 as it really doesn't take up much room and I don't feel like I'm lugging around a bunch of gear. This means I'm able to capture some beautiful shots that I may never have taken if I still had a larger setup.

As with most new Sony cameras these days, the autofocus is just incredible. So fast, super accurate, and the ability to change recognition subject from things such as human, to cats/dogs, insects, to even trains and aeroplanes is something that I've found I used more than I initially thought I would.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely! I think for how much power and how many features are crammed into a camera body of this size it is an incredible option for people wanting a hybrid, full frame camera that can be easily taken around and thrown into a small bag.

The only thing I think about now is, would I have been better off with the Sony A7CR for the bump up in megapixels to 61mp…maybe one day, but for now, I feel the A7CII has everything I need.

View the A7CII on Amazon

Sony A7CII Review