New Sony A7 and A7R photos appear ahead of announcement

New Sony A7 and A7R photos have surfaced, the difference being that this time their resolution is higher and they provide confirmation regarding some of the upcoming lenses.

If someone were to do a quick recap on this story, he would have to go back to early 2013, when the rumor mill has revealed that Sony is planning a new strategy for the digital camera industry.

Shortly after that, it has been speculated that the company would launch several E-mount cameras with full frame image sensors. Furthermore, the devices would be based on mirrorless technology instead of the Single Lens Translucent one.

As time went by, it became clear that two Sony NEX full frame cameras will be released. Their names would be A7 and A7R.

Recently, a low-resolution image of the A7 has showed on the web, but now we have access to the real deal, consisting of better photos of both cameras.

The latest leaked Sony A7 photo shows the camera in combination with the 28-70mm kit lens.

New Sony A7 and A7R photos leaked on the web

The new Sony A7 and A7R photos confirm that the mirrorless cameras will feature an RX1 / NEX-7 design with a larger grip and an optical viewfinder located in the top-middle, à la Olympus OM-D series.

Despite this fact, the shooters are rather small and lightweight. Unfortunately, the lenses are big and heavy, though their apertures are not as wide as users would have expected.

The first clear leaked Sony A7R photo also contains the 35mm f/2.8 lens from Zeiss. The pair should go live on October 16.

Big decisions made to beat Nikon D800E’s image quality

There is an important reason for the choice of apertures. It appears that Sony has decided to provide better image quality, which is not something you can achieve with ultra-bright units.

The sensors are also new and they should elude optical flaws around the edges.

Moreover, the A7R’s 36-megapixel sensor does not have an anti-aliasing filter, as a means to beat the also AA-less and 36MP camera, Nikon D800E, in terms of image quality.

Leaked Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 lens photo implies that the optic will be based on Sonnar technology, not Planar. This will improve contrast and reduce flaring, but at the cost of increased aberrations.

Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 image also spotted online

Getting back to the lenses, the Zeiss 70-200mm OSS will have a constant maximum aperture of f/4 throughout the zoom range and will weigh about 840 grams without a tripod mount.

The Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 weighs 281 grams and is based on Sonnar technology. Although the Planar system would reduce chromatic aberrations, the Sonnar will offer improved contrast and significantly fewer flares.

Sony will sell the 55mm f/1.8 optic for €1,100 in Europe. As it crosses the ocean, the lens will probably retain the 1,100 amount, though changing the currency to $.

Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6  is the kit lens for the A7

The 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens can be seen attached to the Sony A7. It does look big, but the cameras are rather small, as stated above.

Their designs are similar and are weathersealed. The A7R’s weight is known and it stands at 465 grams with the SD card and battery included. This is 32 grams less than the newly-launched Olympus E-M1.

Speculation will end tomorrow, as the cameras and lenses will finally become official.