Comparison Sony a7C II body vs Sony A7 IV body

The result shown by the camera in the DxOMark ranking.

DxOMark is one of the most popular and respected resources for expert camera testing. According to the test results, the camera receives a certain number of points; The more points, the higher the final score.

— CCD (CCD). Abbreviation for Charge-Coupled Device. In such sensors, information is read from the photosensitive element according to the “line at a time” principle — an electronic signal is output to the image processor in the form of separate lines (there is also a “frame at a time” variant). In general, such matrices have good characteristics, but they are more expensive than CMOS. In addition, they are poorly suited for some specific conditions — for example, shooting with point light sources in the frame — which is why you have to use various additional technologies in the camera, which also affect the cost.

— CMOS (CMOS). The main advantages of CMOS matrices are ease of manufacture, low cost and power consumption, more compact dimensions than those of CCDs, and the ability to transfer a number of functions (focus, exposure metering, etc.) directly to the sensor, thus reducing the dimensions of the camera. In addition, the camera processor can read the entire image from such a matrix at once (rather than line by line, as in CCD); this avoids distortion when shooting fast-moving objects. The main disadvantage of CMOS is the increased possibility of noise, especially at high ISO values.

— CMOS (CMOS) BSI. BSI is an abbreviation for the English phrase "Backside Illumination". This is the name of "inverted" CMOS sensors, the light on which does not penetrate from the side of the photodiodes, but from the back of the matrix (from the side of the subst...rate). With this implementation, the photodiodes receive more light, since it is not blocked by other elements of the image sensor. As a result, back-illuminated sensors boast high light sensitivity, which allows you to create images of better quality with less noise when shooting in low light conditions. BSI CMOS sensors require less light to properly expose a photo. In production, back-illuminated sensors are more expensive than traditional CMOS sensors.

— LiveMOS. A variety of matrices made using the technology of metal oxide semiconductors (MOS, MOS — Metal-Oxide Semiconductor). Compared to CMOS sensors, it has a simplified design, which provides less tendency to overheat and, as a result, a lower noise level. It is well suited for the "live" viewing mode (viewing in real time) of the image from the matrix on the screen or in the camera's viewfinder, which is why it received the word "Live" in the title. They also feature high data transfer rates.

Camera support for HDR.

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. The main application of this technology is shooting scenes with significant differences in illumination, when there are both very bright and very dark areas in the frame. The features of modern digital photography are such that in the normal shooting mode, only a rather narrow range of brightness can be correctly processed; as a result, with a large difference in illumination, the image contains either too dark or overexposed fragments. HDR avoids this phenomenon: in this mode, the camera takes several shots with different exposure settings, and then glues them together in such a way as to reduce the brightness in bright places and increase in dark places. This allows you to shoot, for example, landscapes against the backdrop of a bright sunset sky, the interiors of dimly lit buildings with bright windows, etc. In addition, HDR can also be used as an artistic technique — to give the picture an unusual colour scheme.

Note that this effect can also be achieved using post-processing in a graphics editor; however, using the camera is much more convenient.

The presence of two control dials in the design of the camera.

This design feature makes it easier to control the camera and change settings on the fly: additional operating parameters are transferred to the second disk, and turning it to the desired position is easier and faster than “digging” in the on-screen menu items. This feature is found mainly in semi-professional and professional cameras, which involve frequent use of manual shooting mode.

File formats in which the camera can record video. Given that the footage is designed to be viewed on an external screen, you should make sure that the playback device (DVD player, media centre, etc.) is able to work with the appropriate formats. At the same time, many camera models themselves can play the role of a player by connecting to a TV via an audio / video output or HDMI (see the corresponding paragraphs of the glossary). And if the video materials are to be viewed on a computer, you should not pay special attention to this parameter at all: problems with format incompatibility in such cases rarely occur, but are usually solved by installing the appropriate codec.

Restrictions on the length of the recorded video provided in the design of the camera. In some models, the recording time is limited in time (for example, 30 minutes) — thus, to record a longer video, it will have to be split into separate clips. In others, the duration depends only on the amount of free memory — you can record as long as there is enough space. There is also a combination of these options; in such models, video recording stops as soon as either of the two limits is reached.

Autofocus operating modes provided in the camera design.

— One picture. The main mode of autofocus operation is found in all modern cameras and is used most often. Designed for shooting motionless objects.

— Follower. This mode is used for shooting moving objects, the distance to which is constantly changing: the camera constantly monitors the position of the object, constantly adjusting the optics so that it is in focus. Usually found in middle and upper class cells.

— AI focus. A peculiar combination of the previous two modes is used when a stationary object can start moving at any moment. If the scene is static, autofocus works in the single frame mode, but if the object on which focus is made starts to move, the device switches to tracking autofocus mode. AI mode allows you to almost instantly set the optimal autofocus settings, which is especially useful for sequential shooting. Initially, it was found in expensive models, however, thanks to the development of technology, today it can even be used in inexpensive compacts (see “Camera type”).

— By the face. Autofocus mode that uses a face recognition system and focuses on them. This feature is especially useful for taking pictures of people at a great distance from the camera, when the face is much smaller than the frame size, such as in group shots.

— With a smile. A further development of the face autofocus mode described above, when, in accordance with the nam...e, the system reacts not just to a face, but to a smile. This mode can be combined with the function of automatic shooting at the moment of a smile.

— Animal in the frame. A mode designed primarily for shooting animals, which can be difficult (and often impossible) to make them sit still in the frame. It is usually a variation of the tracking autofocus described above, but specific features of operation may vary depending on the camera model.

This list is not exhaustive, and other specific autofocus modes may be provided in the design of modern cameras.

This setting can be simplistically described as the amount of magnification provided by the viewfinder relative to how the image appears to the naked eye. The features of modern viewfinders are such that most of them have crop values less than 1 — that is, it somewhat reduces the visible “picture”.

In general, the larger this parameter, the larger the objects look in the viewfinder and the easier it is to focus through it.

The range of shutter speeds that the camera is capable of shooting.

Exposure is the time between opening and closing the shutter (see below), in other words, the period of time captured in the photo. For different purposes, methods and conditions of shooting, different shutter speeds will be optimal. Small values (in modern cameras they can reach thousandths of a second) are important when shooting fast-moving objects and for shooting at long distances — in the first case, they minimize the effect of image blur from the movement of the object, in the second — the effect of camera shake in hands. However, for shooting at low shutter speeds, a good matrix light sensitivity or high-aperture optics are required (see above). Long shutter speeds (measured in seconds) are used for shooting in low light conditions — such as city streets at night or the starry sky — and also allow you to create the effect of movement in the frame. Accordingly, the greater the shutter speed range, the wider the camera's ability to choose the option that is optimal for certain conditions.