<p>It's been a few years since I last reviewed a full-frame Sony DSLR camera. Back in those days the design of Sony's flagship models had a rather chunky and unsophisticated feel but that's no longer the case, as I found out when I got the chance to test-drive the company's new Alpha 7 mirrorless full-frame camera.</p><p>The full-frame Sony A7 is a mirrorless design which is impressively light and very compact. It's hard to believe that inside the slim body there's a full-sized 24.3-megapixel CMOS Exmor sensor with the same surface area as a piece of good old-fashioned 35mm film. However, now that most digital cameras turn out pretty good images, why would you want a full-frame camera? Full-frame image sensors are constructed from light receptors that are much larger than those found on the sensors in smaller cameras; this enables each light-sensitive pixel on the sensor's surface to collect light more efficiently which means they can perform better at lower light levels. The increased sensitivity also produces images with more subtle details and with a greater tonal range. A larger sensor also results in a shallower depth of field and that proves really attractive for portraiture. The downside is that a shallow depth of field means accurate focusing is essential and although the A7s autofocus system is pretty good, it can stutter occasionally compared to a conventional DSLR camera.</p><p>The Sony A7 has clean and sharp lines that hark back to old film-style cameras.</p><p>The Sony A7's E-mount was originally developed for use on the company's NEX range of small CSC cameras. Unfortunately, normal E-mount lenses won't cover the A7s full-frame sensor without creating a vignette or fall-off at the corner of the image frame. To deal with this Sony has developed a range of five full-frame E-series lenses and there are promises of many more FE lenses to come. For those who have already bought into the Sony system, existing Sony A-mount lenses can be used with the A7 via a special adaptor. Lenses from other manufacturers such as Canon and Nikon can also be used with a special third-party adaptor mount.</p><p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2014/02/24/sony-alpha-7-the-worlds-lightest-full-frame-camera-with-interchangeable-lens/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://framework.latimes.com/2014/02/22/review-canon-powershot-sx50-hs/">Review: Canon PowerShot SX50 HS</a> (Los Angeles Times)</p><p><a href="http://malaysiandigest.com/world/489598-9-great-cameras-for-travelers.html">9 Great Cameras For Travelers</a> (malaysiandigest.com)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=d_oHFnlFb38O1BMbpqu2cC6pKik0M&authuser=0&ned=us">5 additional articles.</a></p>