Nikon D7100 vs Sony A7 II

Cameras
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Nikon D7100 vs Sony A7 II

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D7100 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D7100.

35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7 II.
Compare Sony A7 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D7200
Compare D7100 vs D7200

Succeeded by the Sony A7 III
Compare A7 II vs A7 III

Compare NIKON D7200 vs SONY A7 III

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Differences

Nikon D7100 advantages over Sony A7 II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 1.7 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

950 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
158 mm vs 70 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Faster JPEG shooting
5.8 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)

Sony A7 II advantages over Nikon D7100

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7 II test data on DxO Mark D7100 test data on DxO Mark

2,449 vs 1,256 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Lighter weight
930g vs 1222g
Lighter weight
More viewfinder magnification
0.71x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
52 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 5 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
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
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D7100 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 II User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 18-105mm Lens
Kit with 18-140mm Lens

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Buy the Sony A7 II

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Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm Lens

All A7 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Solid, ergonomic body design; Stunning, highly detailed photos, thanks to 24.1MP sensor upgrade and removal of optical low-pass filter; Cool 1.3x crop mode extends reach to nearly 2x the full-frame equivalent; Records Full 1080p HD video at up to 30fps with full-time AF; Many pro-level features packed into a consumer-friendly body at reasonable price.
Shallow buffer that hampers continuous burst shooting; AF slightly slower than average for its class; No real-time aperture control while in Movie mode (among other quirks); More noticeable moire patterns and aliasing artifacts (but only found when shooting fabrics with strong, distinct patterns).
Read our Nikon D7100 Review

Excellent 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization; Sensor-shift IS brings stabilization to nearly any lens; Much-improved ergonomics and top-deck control layout; 'Mark II' maintains same impressive image quality, dynamic range and high ISO performance; XAVC S 50Mbps video format; Faster start-up time; Hybrid AF performs well with good continuous AF.
(Similar to A7): Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Battery life could be better; Low-light AF still not as good as most DSLRs; High ISO JPEGs look over-processed; Slow buffer clearing; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses (but it's getting better).
Read our Sony A7 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 70D

Nikon D7100

Canon 70D

$810
APS-C

Fast startup
Higher effective ISO

$999
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Canon 70D

Sony A7 II

Canon 70D

$1175
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$999
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

Compare Sony A7 II vs Canon 70D

Compared to Pentax K-3

Nikon D7100

Pentax K-3

$810
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Pentax K-3

Sony A7 II

Pentax K-3

$1175
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Pentax K-3

Compared to Sony A7

Nikon D7100

Sony A7

$810
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Sony A7

Sony A7 II

Sony A7

$1175
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
35mm

Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7

Compared to Nikon D5300

Nikon D7100

Nikon D5300

$810
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D5300

Sony A7 II

Nikon D5300

$1175
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$549
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon D5300

Compared to Sony A7 III

Nikon D7100

Sony A7 III

$810
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1665
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D7100 vs Sony A7 III

Sony A7 II

Sony A7 III

$1175
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$1665
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7 III

Compare Other Cameras?