The Sony Alpha 7 II, while not the newest is the lineup, is not to be underappreciated. The classic camera is a solid performer in low light and continues to be found in the packs of hobbyists and pros alike. It’s a solid option for street and travel photographers who want to capture the beauty of both cities and backcountry, landscape and astro photographers who want to preserve the details of low light scenes, and wedding photographers who need a backup camera for those once-in-a-lifetime moments on wedding day. Now through August 20, 2023, you can save $500 off the Sony Alpha 7 II camera body or $600 off the Sony Alpha 7 II and 28-70mm lens. See what other users of the camera are saying below and get your own Sony Alpha 7 II HERE.

Whether it be a main camera for beginners and hobbyists or a backup camera for the pros, the Sony Alpha 7 II is a ‘golden oldie’ with many purposes to serve.

Landscape photographer Patrick Gregorowicz likes to venture out into the backcountry in search of beautiful scenery with his Sony Alpha 7 II. He captured this crisp, blue-hour shot at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park with his Sony Alpha 7 II and Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6. “Despite the 28-70 being known as a ‘kit lens,’ its focal range provides me with flexibility while on the trails, and its aperture is perfect for landscape photography, where a fully sharp and in-focus scene is often required. The Sony Alpha 7 II has an incredible low light performance which is great for my astrophotography, and the dynamic range allows me to pull colors from both the highlights and shadows.The camera has been with me around the world and has never let me down. With many drops on rocks and pavement, and even a quick dip into frigid waters, the camera lives on several years later.” Read more in Behind The Shot: How This Wintry Blue-Hour Landscape Was Made.

Photo by Patrick Gregorowicz. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6. 3.2-sec., f/7.1, ISO 200

Outdoor lifestyle photographer and Sony Brand Ambassador Stevin Tuchiwsky has used the Sony Alpha 7 II to document his wild adventures in the backcountry. He captured this stunning image of an aurora with it. “This photo is a few years old now and was shot on the Sony Alpha 7 II with the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master lens. The faster lens allowed me to shoot at a quicker shutter speed to capture the definition of the aurora. Along with the great low light capabilities of the Sony Alpha series cameras, this allows me to push my ISO when needed with little worry about noise. This is a testament to Sony, even with this older body and how things have only improved.” Read more in Behind The Shot: Capturing A Surprise Aurora With A Fast Zoom.

Photo by Stevin Tuchiwsky. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master. 15-sec., f/2.8, ISO 1600

Whether it be walking through her backyard of New York City or traveling through India, street and travel photographer Ashley Noel uses the Sony Alpha 7 II as her main camera to capture it all. "Someone referred to it yesterday as a ‘golden oldie.’ And that it may be, but I feel it’s still a versatile and powerful camera. It meets all my needs, it’s great for street and travel photography, which is my passionate hobby. Like my experience with the Alpha 6000, I love the practicality of it (compact and lightweight). It easily fits into my bags, making it perfect as an everyday or travel camera. I loved transitioning to a full frame from the Alpha 6000." Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Simple Sony Kit For A Street Photographer With Wanderlust.

Photo by Ashley Noel. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6. 1/4000-sec., f/4, ISO 100

Photo by Ashley Noel. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/1000-sec., f/1.2, ISO 200

Adventure photographer Casara Moon used the camera to capture this beautiful sunrise. “I was shooting on my Sony Alpha 7 II camera body with my Sony 70-200mm f/4 G lens,” she explains. “I wanted to be able to compress the mountain even more behind the fishermen but still have the sharpness of the lake in focus, but not crop out the mountain. The Sony camera's ability to capture detail in low light allowed me to bring out the shadows in this photo while still keeping the highlights and focus intact. The raw image can come out looking a little dull, but the colors I could see with my eyes were there in the photo, and with just a little editing, I could pull those colors back out in full force.” Read more in Behind The Shot: Holding The Highlights In A Telephoto-Compressed Foggy Sunrise.

Photo by Casara Moon. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 70-200mm f/4 G. 1/320-sec., f/5, ISO 100

Wedding photographer Emily Schutz uses the Sony Alpha 7 II as a backup camera for wedding day. “Weddings are live events that you can’t pause or reschedule, so it’s essential for wedding photographers to carry multiples of their gear,” she says. “Shutters fail, guests spill drinks, harnesses break but the show must go on! Being confident that I have backups should anything happen is important for not only my clients' confidence but my own.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Wedding Photographer’s Essentials For Capturing Couples In Love.

Wedding photographer Emily Schutz includes the Sony Alpha 7 II in her wedding day kit.

France-based photographer Emric Imbertie chases storms with the camera, using a low ISO and long exposure to create images like the one below. “I use a Sony hybrid camera, the Sony Alpha 7 ll, which I really like. I turned to Sony in the sense that their experience in mirrorless cameras is no longer to be proven. In addition, the quality of these cameras is particularly appreciable, a real impression of solidity in an aesthetic product, what more could you ask for? I also needed a product that manages the rise in ISO well, essential for someone like me who takes pictures in low light or even sports where the opening time must be very fast. Given the reputation of Sony hybrids in this field, and what I explained to you before, it is quite natural that my choice is oriented towards this camera that is the Sony Alpha 7 ll.” Read more in Behind The Shot: See How This Storm Chaser Photographs Lightning.

Photo by Emric Imbertie. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 50mm f/1.8. 30-sec., f/4, ISO 50

Photographer Tammie Maloney has traveled to many interesting places around the world, always with her Sony Alpha 7 II ready to document the people and places she comes across. She captured this image while traveling in Cuba and credits the camera’s low light capability to help her get the shot. “I was shooting with a Sony Alpha 7 II and using my Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master lens to give me the length I needed to focus in on the scene. The low-light capabilities of the Sony allowed me to boost my ISO to 1250 without introducing noise and the lens at f/2.8 gave me just enough exposure to give me details in his face. I was able to handhold the camera at 1/80-sec. by leaning up against one of the barn’s support beams.” Read more in Behind The Shot: Capturing Chiaroscuro At A Cuban Tobacco Farm.

Photo by Tammie Maloney. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/80-sec., f/2.8, ISO 1250

Nature and elopement photographer Christina Adele Warburg-Hon has been living in national parks for years, and the Sony Alpha 7 II never fails to help her capture the beautiful scenery. “In December 2015, I switched to the Sony Alpha 7 II from a Canon Rebel,” she explains. “It was my first full frame camera and I saved up for a long time for it. At the time I was in between seasons as a park ranger in Grand Teton and Yosemite National Parks, and money was short -but to me the switch to Sony was worth it. Time flies when you are having fun and somehow 6 years have passed since then and I have never looked back. It’s probably time to upgrade soon, but my trusty Sony Alpha 7 II has not let me down yet."

She continues, "I have a long list of favorite things about it, but to narrow it down -I love the live view display and autofocus capabilities. But I think my favorite thing about it is the ability to pull out colors and details from the shadows. My favorite times to shoot are at sunrise and sunset and oftentimes the foreground is in the shadows to get the colors of the sky correct. However, with my Sony I have always been able to pull out the shadows and have the image reflect what my eyes actually saw.” Read more in What’s In My Bag: See This Photographer’s Kit For Capturing Landscapes & Elopements In Scenic Locales.

Photo by Christina Adele Warburg-Hon. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6. 1/60-sec. f/4, ISO 100

Photo by Christina Adele Warburg-Hon. Sony Alpha 7 II. Sony 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6. 1/60-sec. f/4, ISO 160