• 35mm 861.6mm2
  • 36.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600
  • 1 inch 116.2mm2
  • 18.4 megapixels
  • ISO 160 - 12,800

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Differences

Sony A7R advantages over Nikon J4

  • Lens selection
    Good vs Limited
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs 1 inch
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 4.88 vs 2.52 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Better color depth
    25.6 vs 20.8 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    2,746 vs 426 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    14.1 vs 10.7 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/160 vs 1/60 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • Hot shoe
    Hot shoe vs None
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • More pixels
    36.4 vs 18.4 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 12800 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Nikon J4 advantages over Sony A7R

  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Thinner
    28 mm vs 48 mm
    Thinner
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    60.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Faster shutter
    1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • In-camera panoramas
    Both provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review 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
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Neither provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • 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; Resolution that rivals a medium-format camera; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Decent performance bearing in mind its extremely high resolution; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.

  • Extreme resolution makes focus and lens quality critical; Modest performance; Loud shutter; Lacks hybrid autofocus of the A7; Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Slow X-sync; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7

Sony A7R
Sony A7
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Higher effective ISO
  • More pixels
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
Nikon J4
Sony A7
  • $350
  • 1 inch
  • Touchscreen
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking

Compared to Samsung NX Mini

Sony A7R
Samsung NX Mini
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $600
  • 1 inch
  • Touchscreen
  • Longer stills battery life
Nikon J4
Samsung NX Mini
  • $350
  • 1 inch
  • On-sensor phase detect
  • Higher-res screen
  • $600
  • 1 inch
  • Less expensive
  • Tiltable Screen

Compared to Nikon J5

Sony A7R
Nikon J5
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $497
  • 1 inch
  • Less expensive
  • Shoot 4K video
Nikon J4
Nikon J5
  • $350
  • 1 inch
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $497
  • 1 inch
  • Shoot 4K video
  • Tiltable Screen

Compared to Sony A7R II

Sony A7R
Sony A7R II
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Lighter weight
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video
Nikon J4
Sony A7R II
  • $350
  • 1 inch
  • Slower slow-motion
  • Touchscreen
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking

Compared to Leica M (Typ 262)

Sony A7R
Leica M (Typ 262)
  • $1799
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $4995
  • 35mm
  • Bigger pixels
  • Longer exposure
Nikon J4
Leica M (Typ 262)
  • $350
  • 1 inch
  • Touchscreen
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $4995
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Eye-level viewfinder
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