The Sony A7C could be Sony's next full-frame Alpha camera, according to the latest rumors. And if the whispers are true, it could be one of the most exciting cameras of the year for hobbyist video and stills shooters.
We've recently been treated with some stellar full-frame cameras like the Sony A7S III, Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6, but these are all high-end models with sky-high price tags.
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What if you want to enjoy the benefits of full-frame without paying professional prices? That seems to be where the Sony A7C will be pitched, if the rumors are true.
Right now, Sony has some excellent APS-C mirrorless cameras like the Sony A6400, but the most affordable full-frame model remains the Sony A7 III. So there's certainly a gap in Sony's camera range for a Sony A7C (earlier reports suggested it might be called the A5 or the A6).
From the rumors so far, there's also reasons to believe that the Sony A7C could be pitched towards video shooters and YouTubers, like the recently released compact Sony ZV-1.
Sony A7C release date and price
It's not 100% clear when the Sony A7C will arrive, but there's a wallpaper on Sony's Japanese website that declaims a major camera announcement is going to be made on September 15, at 10am local time (September 14 at 9pm EDT / 6pm PDT, 2am BST on September 15 in the UK, and 11am AEST for Australia).
That coincides with a report from Sony Alpha Rumors whose sources claimed the A7C would be announced "around mid-September. Earlier in the year, Sony registered a new camera model in Taiwan, a process that does often hint at a launch in the near future. That model has an NP-FZ100 battery and a single card slot, both of which hint at an entry-level full-frame camera.
There have also been a few pricing leaks already. Sony Alpha Rumors believes that it will be around $2,000 / £1,500 / AU $2,700, putting it firmly in the "entry level but serious" category.
Although not super cheap, it's still very affordable for a full-frame camera, and puts it just above the level of the Canon EOS RP, which is currently the best value full-frame camera you buy. Of course, there will be good reasons for this relatively low pricing, if the rumors about its design and specs turn out to be true.
Design
One of the most interesting rumors about the Sony A7C is that it'll have a new design for a Sony full-frame camera, and could even be the start of a new line (hence the C in the name).
Right now, Sony's full-frame models are split between the professional sports-focused Sony A9 line and the Sony A7 range, which is aimed at both pros and hobbyists. The Sony A7C (or Sony A5 or A6 if Sony goes down that route), then, would be a new entry-level twist on the full-frame Alpha formula.
Current rumors suggest that essentially the camera will use the same type of body design as the A6600, but pack in a full-frame sensor. Other rumored specifications include a fully-articulating rear screen (making it ideal for vloggers), and the same 24.2 megapixel sensor as the A7 III.
Other potential features include a single SD card slot, USB-C in-camera charging, headphhone and microphone jacks and naturally, on-board Wi-Fi.
It had previously been suggested that there would be no viewfinder (a bit like the Sigma fp - pictured below), but now it's been hinted at that the A7C could feature a a pop-up viewfinder of the kind found on the RX100 series of cameras.
The lack of a viewfinder rumors should be treated with caution, as we heard similar speculation about the Nikon Z5 before it launched. That camera turned out to have a traditional, EVF-equipped design.
Still, despite the lack of leaked images so far, there are good reasons to suspect that the Sony A7C could potentially lack an EVF. Sony recently took this approach with the Sony ZV-1 (below), a compact vlogging camera which stripped out the EVF from its RX100 line in order to make it a more affordable option for YouTubers.
Specs and features
If the Sony A7C does turn out to be the camera that was registered in Taiwan recently, then we already have a few early clues about its possible specs.
That registration was for a camera with a Sony NP-FZ100 battery (the one that's in most of Sony's A7-series cameras, plus the Sony A6600). This is one of the main clues that it's likely to be a full-frame camera.
The mysterious model was also listed as having a single card slot, which is a sign that it's an entry-level offering, and will come with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has built-in mic and headphone jacks – two features that are very video-friendly – and USB-C connectivity.
Aside from that, all we have to go on so far is speculation from Sony Alpha Rumors. The site says that "trusted sources" have confirmed that the Sony A7C will be a "new full-frame E-mount camera" and an "entry-level model".
One of the key questions, particularly if this camera is indeed video-focused, is whether or not it'll have in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This can be very handy for smoothing out the inevitable jitter from handheld shooting, as well as being a bonus for stills photography.
If that rumored price tag of around $2,000 turns out to be correct, it's tricky to tell whether it would include IBIS for the price. The Sony A6600, an APS-C camera that does have sensor-based stabilization, cost $1,400 / £1,450 / AU$2,399 when it launched, but the price of a full-frame sensor and other specs may mean something needs to be compromised. It's possible that the camera could instead include Active electronic stabilization, that tracks motion in the frame as applies a slight crop on the image.
Right now, we'll have to wait for official information or further leaks to get more in-depth information about other specs like burst shooting and codecs, but we'll update this page as soon as we do.
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