Sony a7C II Review

The premise is simple and mostly delivered. Take the thirty-three megapixel sensor from the a7 IV, add the dedicated AI processing unit the flagship bodies use for pose estimation and subject recognition, keep in-body stabilisation and full-width 4K60, and pack it into a rangefinder-shaped shell that fits a small bag with a compact prime attached. The second generation fixed the original a7C's worst omissions by adding a front control dial and a dedicated autofocus button, so it now handles like a camera rather than a large point-and-shoot.

Autofocus is a clear step ahead of the a7 IV despite the lower price, because the AI unit is newer than the body it came from. The concessions are physical. The viewfinder is a small, low-resolution panel in the corner, and after a full-size finder it feels like squinting through a letterbox. There is one card slot. The grip is shallow enough that a seventy to two hundred zoom hangs awkwardly off the front. If your kit is small primes and your priority is having the camera with you, the trade is right. Pair it with big glass and you bought the wrong body.