Although already handily compact, Sony’s full- frame A7 series cameras followed the established wisdom of aping the design and layout of the DSLR — that is, until now. The Sony A7C breaks with tradition and shoehorns a large 35 mm sensor into a compact body that’s more akin to their A6xxx series,...

The Sony A7C is a mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera with 24 Megapixels, 4k video up to 30p, built-in stabilisation, 10fps bursts, rangefinder styling and a fully-articulated touchscreen.

The Sony Alpha a7C is uncompromising, including from a performance perspective, as promised. Aside from some controls and a large EVF, there is little the a7C gives up to gain its ultra-compact size.

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;

Sony delivers the world’s most compact full-frame camera with interchangeable lenses, and does so without making significant concessions to performance or features. The Alpha 7C is yet another technically adept, feature-rich E-mount model from the company, and while it doesn’t hit the video highs of the A7S III or offer the sheer photographic mastery of the A7R IV, it isn’t a slouch in any department.

Excellent image quality; Fast, accurate autofocus; Very portable;

No 60fps 4K video; Tiny viewfinder; Older UI;

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;

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

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

Intro; Sample images; Design and handling; EVF; Build quality; Image quality; Stabilization; Menus and interface; Autofocus; Video capabilities; Who's it for?;

Intro; Sample images; Design and handling; EVF; Build quality; Image quality; Stabilization; Menus and interface; Autofocus; Video capabilities; Who's it for?;

The Sony A7C is undoubtedly an able performer, and will produce photos and videos that the majority of users will be happy with, despite limited video specs. The camera is slightly smaller and considerably lighter than standard A-series models but it lacks any standout features that capture the...

Small size and low weight for a full-frame camera, Handy vari-angle screen, Decent ISO performance

Small viewfinder, Ergonomics could be better, Expensive compared to the Sony A7 IV