The Sony A7C's specifications are unambitious to say the least, particularly in terms of its video capabilities, but its practical performance, from its handy vari-angle screen to its excellent AF system, make it effective enough as a camera.

Small(ish) body; Excellent retracting lens; Side-hinged vari-angle screen; Autofocus performance

Unambitious video specs; Unappealing silver and black finish; Not especially cheap

Putting a full-frame sensor in a smaller body has been one of the A7 series’ greatest strengths over the past few years, and now Sony has made things even smaller. The a7C stuffs a lot of imaging power into a package that’s small, lightweight and possesses plenty of battery life. For photographers and video makers who want a compact body they can carry with them everywhere in a small bag (or even hanging round their neck), this fits the bill better than any other interchangeable lens camera around. At £1,900 without a lens, it isn’t a budget model by any means, but despite its small size this isn’t a starter model – it’s an enthusiast camera, capable of producing stunning photos and videos.

Superb all-round image quality; Compact, lightweight build; Accurate autofocus;

4K limited to 30fps; Older menu system; Small viewfinder;

First introduced in September 2020 , Sony Alpha A7c is a 24.0MP Advanced Mirrorless camera with a Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor, built-in Image Stabilization, Fully articulated touch screen and Sony E lens mount.

Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi); Bluetooth Connectivity; NFC Connectivity; 5-axis Image Stabilization; Articulating Screen; 4K (UHD) Video; No crop on 4K Videos; Touch Screen; Electronic Built-in Viewfinder; Face Detection Focusing; 24.0MP - High Resolution Sensor; 51.200 Max ISO; 693 Focus Points; 922k...

0.59x magnification; Small Viewfinder

Sony Alpha 7C at a glance: £1900 body only £2150 with 28-60mm f/4-5.6 lens 24MP full-frame sensor ISO 100-51,200 (50-204,800 extended) 2.36m-dot viewfinder, 0.59x magnification 3in, 921k-dot fully articulated screen 5-axis in-body image stabilisation 4K 30p video recordingSony is obsessed with...

Very portable for a fullframe camera; Excellent raw image quality in all lighting conditions; Superb autofocus and tracking capabilities; Useful fully articulated screen

Tiny viewfinder that's difficult to see in bright light; Awkward control layout; mostly operated by your right thumb; Small; cramped handgrip; Uninspiring kit zoom negates the advantages of the fullframe sensor

The Sony a7C is gives up very little in the way of features in order to achieve its small size. Its image quality is very good and its AF is excellent, but its small viewfinder takes away from the experience a little.

Travel photography; an always-with-you family camera; Travel photography; an always-with-you family camera

Dedicated videographers; Dedicated videographers

The Sony a7C is gives up very little in the way of features in order to achieve its small size. Its image quality is very good and its AF is excellent, but its small viewfinder takes away from the experience a little. Its video and menus aren't as polished as its rivals but its size and battery life make for a powerful combination.

Travel photography, an always-with-you family camera;

Dedicated videographers;

Sony has leveraged the popularity of its A7 series, creating a full-frame camera that seems impossibly small in the A7C. There are lots of positives here in terms of build quality and performance, but it's lacking a little in areas like bitrate and frame rates when compared to the top tier cameras.

Really compact size; Fully articulating screen; Fast autofocus and smart tracking features; Great build quality; Versatile video modes

Only one SD card slot; No 4K60p; Menu button is in a really awkward place

Sony has leveraged the popularity of its A7 series, creating a full-frame camera that seems impossibly small in the A7C. There are lots of positives here in terms of build quality and performance, but it's lacking a little in areas like bitrate and frame rates when compared to the top tier cameras.

Really compact size; Fully articulating screen; Fast autofocus and smart tracking features; Great build quality; Versatile video modes;

Only one SD card slot; No 4K60p; Menu button is in a really awkward place;

The Sony a7C is a slimmed down, full-frame camera built for travel, but its small size limits its versatility, and some aspects feel a little dated.

Full-frame sensor in APS-C sized body; 5-axis IBIS; Forward-facing touch LCD; Superlative tracking autofocus; 10fps continuous drive; 4K video with flat and HDR looks available; Best-in-class battery life

EVF is on the small side; Doesn't have Sony's new menu system; Touch functions could be more robust; Omits front command dial and focus joystick; 4K tops out at 30fps

When I first heard about Sony’s new A7C, I thought it was just a parts-bin camera — taking a lot of good things about the Alpha line and putting it into a new design. On paper, that’s exactly what the $1,800 A7C is: it’s the sensor, processor, and autofocus system of 2018’s A7 III in a body that’s...

A full-frame camera in a small; compact design; Sturdy; bright articulating screen; Sony’s real-time autofocus system

Still expensive; Poor menu button placement; Great full-frame lenses are expensive and heavy