We no longer offer this camera as a rental item. However, as of February 2017, you can find potential alternatives on the left-hand side of this page (see Recommended section).
The Sony Alpha a7 is a full-frame, interchangeable-lens mirrorless camera that accepts Sony E-mount lenses.
24.3MP Full-Frame Sensor. Despite its small physical size, the a7 offers a full-frame sensor that emphasizes high image quality. With its normal ISO range of 100-25,600, the a7 provides excellent low-light performance.
E-mount. Sony has created its line of FE lenses for the a7 series. These full-frame lenses use the E-mount, but provide a larger image circle for covering the full-frame sensor. The existing APS-C E-mount lenses are compatible with the full-frame a7 and its big brother the a7R; however, you’ll have to shoot in crop-frame mode or accept any vignetting caused by the smaller image circle.
Hybrid Autofocus. The a7 features a combination 117-point phase-detection/25-point contrast-detection autofocus system for accuracy and high-speed performance. There’s the option of flexible spot focus, as well as multipoint, center-weighted, and zone focusing modes. For video and legacy-lens users, the manual focus peaking enables highly visible and accurate operation and can be optimized for full-frame or APS-C-format shooting modes.
High-Res Electronic Viewfinder and LCD. The built-in 2.4M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder gives users a large live preview of what the sensor sees with 100% frame coverage. The tilting 3.0-inch, 1,229K-dot rear LCD can also be used for image composition and review when shooting at arm’s length.
HD Video. The a7 shoots Full HD 1080 video at 24p/60i/60p frame rates. It supports both AVCHD and MP4 codecs, as well as uncompressed video output via an HDMI connection. It has an in-camera stereo microphone and an external stereo mic input for audio capture.
High Build Quality. The durable magnesium-alloy body features dust and moisture sealing, enabling use in less-than-ideal conditions. The a7 offers plenty of user-customizable buttons, front and rear dials, and a dedicated exposure compensation dial. The Multi-Interface hot shoe allows you to connect an external flash, which is important since there’s not a built-in flash.
Other Notable Features. The a7 has built-in Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities for connecting to smart devices, as well as an app store for adding features—like Sony’s Smart Remote—to the camera. There’s also the option to remotely control the camera via USB. You get the same advanced menu system found in the a99 and RX1 / RX1R, rather than the entry-level menu found in previous NEX cameras. It records its 14-bit RAW images, JPEG images, and video files to SDHC/XC memory cards, and it uses the rechargeable NP-FW50 battery that’s rated for 340 shots per charge.