IRL: A month with Sony's A7 II full-frame mirrorless camera

When Sony announced its second-generation A7 mirrorless camera, much of the excitement prior to release was due to the device's novel five-axis, in-body stabilization system that promised to steady shots with any lens -- new or old. Coupled with a 24.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, the same one found on the original model, the A7 II's newly minted SteadyShot built-in stabilizer automatically made this compact shooter our likely new favorite in the mirrorless camera category, and perhaps a respectable challenger to some DSLRs, too. On paper, at least, it's as solid a package as it gets -- which is, ultimately, the bare minimum you should expect when you spend $1,700.
When Sony announced its second-generation A7 mirrorless camera, much of the excitement prior to release was due to the device's novel five-axis, in-body stabilization system that promised to steady shots with any lens -- new or old. Coupled with a 24.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, the same one found on the original model, the A7 II's newly minted SteadyShot built-in stabilizer automatically made this compact shooter our likely new favorite in the mirrorless camera category, and perhaps a respectable challenger to some DSLRs, too. On paper, at least, it's as solid a package as it gets -- which is, ultimately, the bare minimum you should expect when you spend $1,700.
When Sony announced its second-generation A7 mirrorless camera, much of the excitement prior to release was due to the device's novel five-axis, in-body