• 35mm 855.6mm2
  • 24.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600
  • 35mm 847.3mm2
  • 12.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 102,400

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Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Sony A7S II

  • Less expensive
    $819 vs $2398*
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • Fast startup
    ~2.10 vs 2.9 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • More pixels
    24.3 vs 12.2 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos

Sony A7S II advantages over Sony A7

  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 8.40 vs 5.97 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Shoot 4K video
    4K (UHD) vs 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • Higher effective ISO
    2,993 vs 2,248 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.78x vs 0.71x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Higher extended ISO
    409600 vs 51200 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Focus peaking
    Both provide
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • In-camera panoramas
    Both provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Both provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Both provide
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • External Mic Jack
    Both provide
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Headphone jack
    Both provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • Internal flash
    Neither provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Very high resolution; Hybrid autofocus is reasonably fast and confident; Significantly better burst-shooting performance than A7R; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Faster x-sync than A7R; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.

  • Grass-is-greener syndrome when compared to its higher-res sibling; Moderate performance; Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Weak low-light autofocus considering its price; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.

  • Comfortable and surprisingly compact camera body; Improved low light performance; Built-in image stabilization; Wide range of usable ISOs; More sophisticated autofocus performance; Excellent video capabilities.

  • Relatively low resolution; Mediocre continuous shooting performance; No built-in flash; No losslessly compressed RAW option.

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7R

Sony A7
Sony A7R
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
  • $2149
  • 35mm
  • Higher effective ISO
  • More pixels
Sony A7S II
Sony A7R
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Bigger pixels
  • $2149
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A7S

Sony A7
Sony A7S
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • On-sensor phase detect
  • $1998
  • 35mm
  • Bigger pixels
  • Higher effective ISO
Sony A7S II
Sony A7S
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video
  • $1998
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A7 II

Sony A7
Sony A7 II
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Sony A7S II
Sony A7 II
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Bigger pixels
  • Shoot 4K video
  • $1175
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7
Leica SL (Typ 601)
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $3802
  • 35mm
  • Shoot 4K video
  • Touchscreen
Sony A7S II
Leica SL (Typ 601)
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $3802
  • 35mm
  • Touchscreen
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A9

Sony A7
Sony A9
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $3147
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video
Sony A7S II
Sony A9
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
  • $3147
  • 35mm
  • Touchscreen
  • Fast startup
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