Sony a7R Vs a7II – An Extensive Comparison Review

Camera people are generally picky people, understandably. So, picking between two great ones can be quite difficult for the photographer, worse off if the person in question is a beginner. Today, the review is between the Sony a7R vs a7II.

These two cameras belong to the same series with so many great features and pros they bring to the table. Both are pro, mirrorless cameras with full frame sensors. But besides that, they also bear a lot more similarities to each other.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Anyway, you can trust our Sony a7R vs a7II review to dig deep into each of these cameras to bring out the subtle differences and unique qualities that make one camera better suited to you than the other.

Alright, our first pit stop in the Sony a7 vs a7II review would be the comparison overview, and then we take it up from there. Come along.

Sony a7R vs a7II – Comparison Overview

This article will bis article is a pretty lengthy read considering all we had to cover and compare. So, feel free to check through the overview section which we prepared for our readers who might not have the time to cover the entire article. It covers the gist of all we’re going to be discussing today.

But as they say, the devil is in the detail. So, if you’re here for the devil in the detail, you can continue with the review. However, if you don’t have time for that, here’s the summary.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II – Overall Rating Of Features

We love these two cameras. They are pro cameras, mirrorless too, with excellent resolution and all of that. Alright, so let’s go a little more in depth.

The Sony a7II is obviously younger than the a7R although they were both announced in the same year. This might explain some of the advancements we saw in the a7II that were absent in the a7R.

The built-in sensor shift image stabilization of the a7II is the most obvious. Although more expensive, the a7R has no form of image stabilization which is a small concern for us.

That said, every other feature of each of these cameras is pretty much as expected from a Sony camera of this price point. The continuous shooting is still quite poor. Both 4 and 5 FPS are barely even mediocre quality when talking about continuous shooting.

However, there are the good parts, of course. The max resolutions of both cameras, 24 MP for the Sony a7II and 36 MP for the Sony a7R are pretty good. You’ll get a lot of detailing and you’ll also be able to able to print fairly large pictures as well.

The only challenge is that the images might be particularly heavy because of how high res they are.

That said, one other feature we will also like to point out is the full HD video resolution. Obviously neither of these cameras has a 4K resolution. Nonetheless, full HD video resolutions are still great and if you need further explanation, you can check out what we said about it in the full article.

Sony a7R Vs a7II – Our Opinion On The Price/Performance Ratio

Are these worth the price? Well, we will say yes. The prices on these cameras are good enough for all the features they offer. Neither of these cameras is up to $1000. So, yeah we will say the price/performance ratio is just right.

Check it out, for less than $1000, you get a lot of features including 36 MP, 4 FPS continuous shooting, 25 focus points, 340 shots per charge, full HD video. Sadly though, there’s no image stabilization with the a7R which is bothersome. This is the same problem we had with the a6300 – the absence of image stabilization.

The a7R is slightly more expensive but then again, it also offers more features than the a7II even though the price difference is quite small.

You’ve got image stabilization, better auto-focus with 117 focus points plus ten more shots per battery recharge. It seems worth the upgrade for us. So, if you ask us, we would rather go for the a7II although it is slightly more expensive. It just makes better economic sense.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II – Comparison Of Major Specs And Features

Sony a7R

Sony a7II

Announced 13th February, 2014 Announced 20th November, 2014
36MP- Full frame CMOS Sensor 24 MP Full frame CMOS Sensor
2746 Low Light ISO 2449 Low Light ISO
Dynamic Range: 14.2 Dynamic Range: 13.6
2359k dot Electronic Viewfinder 2359k dot Electronic Viewfinder
4 fps Continuous Shooting 5 fps Continuous Shooting
25 Focus Points 117 Focus Points
1920 x 1080 video resolution 1920 x 1080 video resolution
127 x 94 x 48 millimeters 127 x 96 x 60 millimeters
465 grams 599 grams
No Image Stabilization Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization
340 shots for a single charge 350 shots for a single charge
Get your Sony a7R here! Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7 Vs a7II – What Situation Is Each Camera Best For?

Sony a7

Sony a7II

Even though it looks like we have an axe to grind with Sony, there’s no disputing that the a7R is a good camera. We won’t say it is great or wonderful, but it is good. Overpriced, but not without its uses.  

Its lack of an image stabilization is probably its biggest undoing. However, it is still a good camera for street photography thanks to its large full frame sensor. This reason also makes it great for landscape as well as daily photography.   Moreover, customers who have used this camera before claim that it is pretty lightweight and sexily compact. So, that’s more reason this camera would be great for daily photography.  

Now, this camera, just like the a7II has a super fast shutter speed which would have made it a fine choice for action shoots. Unfortunately, the continuous shooting feature could be better. Plus, it doesn’t even feature image stabilization.
The Sony a7II is the camera you want to grab for all kinds of photography. It works in low light situations even though the a7R fairs slightly better. It still does pretty good all the same. A 2449 low light ISO is a good number.  

Also, thanks to its image stabilization feature, the Sony a7II is a much more desirable option for all kinds of photography from portrait to landscape to street photography. It would have made a great camera for action scenes too, thanks to the image stabilization and max shutter speed. Unfortunately, nobody uses 5 FPS for action photography.  

Overall, this is a wonderful camera that will treat you nicely in many genres of photography. Its particular strengths are with architectural photography, street photography, and portrait photography.

It performs fairly for landscape but we won’t advise it for sports or wildlife. 5 FPS is just not good enough.
Get your Sony a7R here! Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II – Which Features Do They Have In Common?

This section of the Sony a7R vs a7II review takes us into the different features both cameras share. In features where slightly one ups the other, we will be sure to point out the difference in a table just below that header.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

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Get your Sony a7II here!

Camera Image Sensor

Your camera’s image sensor and its size play a big role in determining the quality of images you get from your camera. The sensor determines the amount of light utilized by your camera in creating the image you see, after all.

So, how does this work?

In the simplest terms, there are these things called phototsites, tiny particles of light-sensitive dots that come in millions found on your image sensor. These are the guys that do the actual job of capturing all that’s going on as seen through the lens of your camera. So, you could call them the 21st century version of the old school camera films photographers used to use in the old days.

We guess it’s easy to deduce from the above, therefore, that the larger the size of your image sensor, the better the quality of your image. Why? There’ll be more photosites free to do their work unhindered.

Images from such sensors usually come out with less noise and are also excellent performers even in low light conditions.

Plus, larger sensors also give you a higher resolution which makes your image come out sharper. That much is commonly known.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Full Frame Sized Sensor

We mentioned earlier that camera image sensors come in two sizes. These sizes are the crop sensor and the full frame which measures 35 millimeters.

Comparing the Sony a7R vs a7II, you find that both cameras feature a full frame sized sensor. Now, here’s why this is fantastic news.

Firstly, a full framed sensor gives you a wider dynamic range (we explain this in full later). Plus, it also enables your camera to perform better in low light situations as well.

Full frame sensors make your camera great for all kinds of photography especially if you’re into architectural photography. This is because they have a much wider angle than a crop sensor.

Furthermore, full frame sensors also have a shallower depth than a crop sensor. So, they add this bokeh effect to your pictures that makes them even more visually appealing.

In practice, this means that if two cameras with the same aperture settings are shooting at the same focal length and angle, the one with the full frame sensor will give more bokeh than the one without.

Crop sensors are all good and dandy too. For one, they are less expensive than full frame sensors. They are also more compact. However, in effect, they aren’t as great as full frame sensors. It’s why professionals reach for full frame most tomes.

And at a sub-$1500 price tag, you can’t exactly call the Sony a7R expensive. So, in our opinion, it’s an excellent choice.

Get your Sony a7R here!           Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

ISO 100 – 25600

Next up on our review of the Sony a7R vs a7II, we discuss ISO. Both cameras have an ISO of 100 – 25600 but just before we dissect that, let’s get to understand ISO a little better.

The ISO rating of your camera determines just how well your camera performs especially in low light situations. Normally, as you adjust your camera’s ISO either higher or lower, your image is supposed to brighten or darken respectively.

So, say the place is somewhat dark, you could increase your ISO so that you’re still able to take a good shot despite poor lighting. Nonetheless, there’s a catch. The higher the value of your ISO, the higher the chances of a noise appearing on your image. And if the noise is too much your image might become unusable altogether.

For this reason, most experts prefer to brighten their shots in low lighting by adjusting shutter speed instead. That is, rather than increasing the ISO. This is to prevent the noise from showing up.

Now, an ISO of 100 – 25600, what’s the deal? Well, it’s good enough although we’ve certainly seen better. So, it came as no surprise to us when we saw the complaints about the ISO from customers especially in low light. You might want to keep that in mind.

3 Inch Tilting Screen

A huge plus here. It’s not even a competition between the Sony a7R vs a7II. Both come with tilting screens which just makes life easier for photographers all around the globe.

If you’re new to cameras, a tilting screen means that the screen isn’t fixed. That is, it is possible for you to move and adjust the screen on an as need basis.

In other words, the days of kneeling just to take pictures at a certain angle are gone. You can just squat instead and move your screen a little to get that perfect picture at a sweet angle.

Tilting screens aren’t just benefits unique to handheld cameras. Even when mounted, tilting screens still have a huge benefit to the user. If not for anything, you’d, at least, be able to read your menu more easily.

Moreover, let’s think of the videographers as well. They only have the rear screen to help in composing their scenes. With the introduction of a tilting screen, Sony reduces the videographer’s work of composing scenes significantly.

Get your Sony a7R here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Dynamic Range

There isn’t much of a difference in the dynamic range of the Sony a7R vs a7II. Both only differ from each other by a few points. So, let’s get to understand what this dynamic range is all about. We promised we’d get to that earlier.

Dynamic range of your camera explains how much brightness your camera can handle when taking pictures. Typically, the higher this value, the less likely you are to lose details in highlights and shadows. This is because your camera is able to handle higher levels of brightness.

Have you ever noticed how on a bright sunny day, the highlights and shadows tend to steal some detail from your pictures? More often than not, this is as a result of the limiting dynamic range of your camera. However, there’s also the dynamic range of the subject also to consider.

So, typically, when it’s bright, the dynamic range of the subject is pretty wide and might, sometimes, exceed that of your camera. In low light conditions though, the dynamic range of the subject is much smaller and will usually fall within that of your camera.

You can find out if the dynamic range of the subject is within or outside that of your camera by checking your rear screen. The histogram there gives that information. So, if the brightness of your subject falls within the width of the histogram, then it’s great. If not, then you’d have to make some adjustments.

The Sony a7R vs a7II both have good dynamic ranges but the a7R one ups the a7II with a 14.1.

Get your Sony a7R here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

RAW Support

Okay, so in addition to the Sony a7R vs a7II debate, there is another one that comes to mind when we review cameras. That argument is about whether to shoot RAW or to shoot in JPEG. Well, however hot the argument is, the truth is that there are benefits to both formats of pictures.

Let’s start with JPEG. JPEG files are smaller than RAW files because they are processed. So, they save faster, require less space, and are also easier to share on the internet unlike RAW files.

RAW files, on the other hand, are unprocessed (also read uncompressed files) hence their name “RAW.” So, in a way, RAW photos are sort of the digital equivalent to negatives.

And that leads us to RAW support. Most modern pro cameras come with RAW support which means that you’ll be able to take you pictures in RAW format. Even smartphones come with RAW support these days. So, this isn’t exactly ground breaking.

All the same, not many people know the benefits of shooting RAW. For one, RAW images are sweet to edit and this is because they retain their original format while you take them through the different phases of editing. So, if you choose to undo any edit at any point, the image goes back to its initial version, no issue given.

Furthermore, if you need to “rescue” the shot at any point, that is much easier to do with a RAW file than with a JPEG image. An example is when your image is short of 4 stops for exposure or the White Balance isn’t exactly there, you get to fix those more easily with a RAW image.

Lastly, RAW files have a better quality than JPEG images which will appeal to the pro photographers. Plus, you’re in control of the level of detail each image has with RAW files.

NB: RAW files require specialist software to edit since they usually come out muted and flatish. Think of getting software like Lightroom or Photoshop if you don’t already have them.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Mirrorless Cameras

Mirrorless cameras are all the rave these days but why exactly should you get a mirrorless camera? Our Sony a7R vs a7II review today answers that.

Usually, cameras come with mirrors which help to reflect light on the optical viewfinder. Or they could also bounce light straight through the camera sensor.

Now, obviously, for a mirrorless camera, things are going to be different since there is no mirror. So, instead of light bouncing off a mirror, since there is no mirror, light goes straight from the lens to the imaging sensor, boycotting the optical viewfinder which is why mirrorless cameras don’t bother with that. They come with electronic viewfinders instead.

What’s the major advantage of using mirrorless cameras? The first is that mirrorless cameras are naturally more compact and also more stylish than those that come with mirrors. You can easily fit them in a purse or a handbag. But not your pocket though, they are not that small.

Next is image quality. Mirrorless cameras give pretty good image qualities for cameras without an optical viewfinder. Plus, you get to take more candid shots thanks to the electronic viewfinder which is better at that than optical viewfinders. DSLR cameras with their optical viewfinders can be a little intimidating to work with sometimes.

And then there’s the enticing benefit of not having to be up to the camera to give a good photo frame. So, if your photo shoot involves kids, mirrorless cameras are your best shot.

In all, mirrorless cameras are easier to use and therefore more approachable for the newb.

Get your Sony a7R here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

1920 x 1080 Video Resolution

Both cameras are full HD cameras with a video resolution of 1080 pixels. There are many people who might find this too low for their tastes but many of them do not even have need for an upgrade. It’s just the Gear Acquisition Syndrome at work. So, before you catch the bug, it might be a better idea to understand what’s really at stake before spending extra to get a camera with “better resolution.”

Alright, so first things first, if you’re a beginner or you intend to shoot for journalistic purposes, then you have no business with 4k. What you need is a full HD camera like either of the Sony a7R vs a7II.

Furthermore, HD footage is much easier to store since they are smaller. Plus, you can use a basic computer with average processing speed for editing. 4k, on the other hand, needs a fast computer and a lot of storage space. Can you afford either of that right now? No? Full HD it is.

Besides, it’s not like you can’t upscale. Full HD video is fully scalable as long as you turn off the in-camera sharpening when filming. No, an upscaled 4k video might not meet Netflix’s standard. However, there’s no way you won’t be proud of your work when you share it on the internet.

So, just before you rush off to get the latest, you might want to hold off a bit and reconsider your option. You’re not missing much by going for either of the Sony a7R vs a7II.

Time Lapse Recording

On inspecting the Sony a6300 vs a7II we found that these cameras actually come with time lapse recording. Time lapse recording is absolutely amazing if you’ve ever tried it before. If you haven’t, allow us explain it to you a little bit.

In time lapse recording, the photographer captures the recording in film frames that are much slower than the film rates that would be used to play back the sequence. This effect causes the video, when played at normal speed, to play at a much faster speed. Faster than normal kinda like time is lapsing. Cool, right?

With the time lapse feature, you’re able to manipulate time such that an event that would have taken months, weeks, days, hours or minutes, can be viewed in a matter of minutes or seconds as the case may be.

You can actually speed up the rate of these events by a factor of up to tens of thousands or even millions. It’s that cool! And you can get all of that with either of these cameras.

If your explanation wasn’t enough to sway you, check out this super cool video from time lapse expert, Dominic Bodreault. It will definitely knock your socks off.

Get your Sony a7R here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Max Shutter Speed

So, what exactly is shutter speed? This is a measure of the length of time it takes your camera shutter to stay open. The bottom line of this whole definition is that shutter speed measures how fast it is to take a picture.

With a longer shutter speed, your sensor is exposed to light for a pretty significant length of time. This, of course, affects the kind of images you get because your sensor gets exposed to more light than when the camera is set to a faster shutter speed.

Longer shutter speeds tend to make your photos blurry if you capture a moving object. However, bad as that may seem, longer shutter speeds actually have their uses.

In advertising motorbikes or fast cars, a photographer will most likely use a camera with a longer shutter speed. They do this to simulate that sense of speed by blurring the moving wheels.

Also, longer shutter speeds are your best bet for capturing the Milky Way at night or in a low light setting.

And now to faster shutter speed. This is also quite cool. If your max shutter speed is fast enough, you can actually “freeze time!” So say you’re taking photos of a flying bird or a moving car, you can literally remove the motion from such subjects.

In the case of the Sony a7R vs a7II, these two cameras come with a max shutter speed of 1/8000s. It’s pretty impressive, of course.

You’ll be able to do a lot with these cameras freezing time, getting sharper (and darker) images and all. So, get ready for lots of fun.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Weather-Sealed Body

Finally in this section of the Sony a7R vs a7II review, another characteristic that both cameras share is their weather-sealed bodies. The name pretty much explains itself. Especially if you need your camera for daily photography, either of these cameras would do. Sony did a good job reinforcing them for the task.

So, what does weather-sealed mean? It means that the buttons and joints of the camera are sealed with rubber. This ensures that through the rigors of movement and whatnot, your camera is still in one piece.

Also, with constant exposure to the elements, there is always that inevitable end where the camera starts to lose a few stars for looks. However, with the weather-sealed body of these cameras, we can move that date a little further.

Sony a7R vs a7II – Features Unique To Each Camera

What unique features do these cameras bring to the sony a7R vs a7II debate? You’re about to find out.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II – Features Unique To The Sony a7R

4 Frames Per Second Continuous Shooting

Still discussing the Sony a7R vs a7II, we’re now talking about the Sony a7R’s continuous shooting feature. This camera comes with 4 Frames Per Second Continuous Shooting feature. Now is this great or just meh? Well, we will get to that but first, let’s lay the foundation.

What is continuous shooting?

If a camera has continuous shooting, it means that it continues to take pictures as long as the shutter release button is depressed. These days, it’s unheard of to make a modern camera that does not have continuous shooting. Even some older models had it, so…

Anyway, so why continuous shooting? Well photography genres that mostly make use of continuous shooting are action scenes like sports or wildlife. In these scenes, capturing the moment at just the moment is everything. If you have to keep tapping to do that, anything could happen and you might miss something. However, with continuous shooting the risk of that happening is significantly reduced.

Now, after taking that many pictures, you’ll be able to sift through and get something that works best.

And it’s not just for action shots. Who says you can’t enjoy continuous shooting when taking photos of family and friends? The advantage? You finally get one perfect photo where everyone’s eyes are open. Cool, right?

Now, to the matter at hand, 4 FPS continuous shooting – good or bad? Well, it is poor to say the least. 4 FPS means that your camera would only be able to take 4 pictures in one seconds. There are cameras that come with 14 FPS which means they take up to 14 pictures in a single second.

Long story short? This little thing makes this camera not ideal for any action shoot whether for sports or for wildlife. You want something faster.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

36 MP Max Resolution

The 36 MP max resolution of the Sony a7R is good enough for us. In fact, there are some schools of thought who believe you hardly need more than a 16 MP resolution for whatever it is you want to do.

Alright, let’s do a quick explanation of the max resolution and see if it really does matter.

Like we said, some people swear by the 16 MP. However, the truth is that you actually get added detail and clearer images as you climb higher up the megapixel ladder.

But then again, it’s not just all roses and rainbows. The higher the megapixel rating of your camera, the larger the files you’d have to handle. Of course, larger files means you need more storage space. Plus, larger files need a more powerful computer processor to work on them. Get the picture? But hey, some people are cool with it, so, that’s fine.

Now, here’s our own bottom line in this debate. If you need to print your pictures in an extra large size, or if you intend to do some heavy cropping on them, then you’re better off with more megapixels. You’d love how your image would come out.

On the other hand, if you’re just shooting to share on social media or on the internet generally, then 16 MP is just fine.

That said, the Sony a7R comes a with 36 MP camera sensor. So, it is pretty much high res as expected since it is a pro cameras.

You’ll be able to print large sized pictures with a 36 MP camera to a certain extent (it will print a 16 x 24 in perfect quality. Plus, files are not too large so you don’t need to bother about storage space.

You might want to opt for the Sony a7R if you’re big on tiny details or you’re looking to print really large pictures. Other than that, the 36MP Sony a7R is perfect.

The video below should be able to help you further understand our discussion on megapixels.

Get your Sony a7R here!

Sony a7R vs a7II – Features Unique To The Sony a7II

24MP Max Resolution

We already went to great lengths to explain resolution when we discussed the max resolution of the Sony a7R. So, this time we won’t waste any more time going over that.

Instead, we will go straight into what a 24 MP camera can do for you. The 24 MP resolution isn’t much different from the 36MP.

Of course, naturally, it produces smaller files than a 36 MP camera although not by much. Plus, it will most likely take the same computer processing speed to edit the 24 MP as the 36 MP. So, like we said, not much difference.

Both can print large pictures to a large extent. Although the 24 MP might not do a 16 x 20 or a 16 x 24 as well as a 36MP but it is a great resolution anyway. It’s high res, no doubt.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

5 FPS Continuous Shooting

We already explained continuous shooting earlier and everything we said still applies. With 5 frames per second, your camera would only be able to take 5 shots in one second which is pretty low.

So, although somewhat higher than the a7R, we still won’t recommend the a7II for action scenes.

Sensor-Image Stabilization

Sensor-image stabilization refers to the effort your camera makes to counter external movement while taking photos. Okay, so let’s put that in more relatable terms.

When you press the shutter release button, you involuntarily move slightly which normally should affect the picture since there’s a shift in focus. However, it doesn’t reflect because a lens element also shifts as well to counter your involuntary movement and bring balance. This is how your camera avoids blurriness in the resulting image.

Now, there are two kinds of image stabilization. There’s the optical image stabilization and the sensor image stabilization.

In this case, the a7II uses a sensor image stabilization technology. So, the shift does not occur in a lens element (which would have been optical), it occurs in the sensor. That is, the sensor itself is the one that shifts. Let’s see how that benefits you the user.

The major advantage of sensor image stabilization is that the shift occurs in the camera which means any lens would work. You don’t need to spend extra IS lenses since the lens is not the one doing the shifting.

But here’s the catch. Sensor image stabilization makes it difficult to compose and frame your screen properly while looking through the lens. So, especially if you use those long telephoto lenses, if there’s an involuntary move on your part, the lens magnifies it such that it looks like your subject is moving erratically. You can see how that would be a problem.

Sadly, the a7R does not have any form of image stabilization. In that case, we would give some recommendations, there are actually times when image stabilization doesn’t matter much.

For instance, if the camera is being used on a tripod stand or the conditions for the shoot are bright. Even when you’re using flash, image stabilization no longer matters much. The shutter speed is usually fast enough in such scenarios to counter the effect of the camera shake. We hope that gives you some ideas on how to use the a7R.

Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

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Sony a7R vs a7II – Unique Pros

Sony a7R vs a7II – Unique Pros To The Sony a7R

  • 36 MP max resolution which gives sharper details than the 24 MP of the a7II.
  • At 465 grams, it’s lighter weight than the a7II.
  • 25.6 color depth beats a7II’s 24.9.
  • 14.1 dynamic range is also better than a7II’s 13.6.
  • 2746 Low light ISO.

Sony a7R vs a7II – Unique Pros To The Sony a7II

  • Comes with sensor image stabilization.
  • 117 focus points.
  • 350 shots for a single charge.
  • 35.65µm2 sensor pixel area which beats the a7R’s 23.83µm2
  • More affordable than the a7R.

Sony a7R Vs a7II – Cons Unique To Each Camera

Sony a7R vs a7II – Cons Unique To The Sony a7RII

  • No sensor image stabilization.
  • Only 25 focus points.
  • 23.83µm2 sensor pixel area is not quite sufficient.
Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

Get your Sony a7R here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II – Cons Unique To The Sony a7II

  • Lower resolution which isn’t too bad in itself.
  • Heavier than the a7R at 465 grams.
  • Low Light ISO is lower than that of the Sony a7R at 2449.

Sony a7R vs a7II – Pros Common To Both Cameras

Sony a7R

Sony a7II

Fantastic max resolution at 36 MP which means you can print fairly large pictures and get sharp details. Also great although slightly lower at 24 MP
Comes with a 3 inch articulating screen Also comes with a 3 inch tilting screen
1.230k dots LCD screen resolution Also applies here
Features both microphone and headphone ports Also features both microphone and headphone ports
Comes with Timelapse Recording Also comes with Time Lapse Recording
Can be remote controlled with your smartphone Also applies here
Built-in wireless for super fast and convenient transfers to your computer as well as the cloud anywhere. Also applies here
Weather-sealed body keeps the camera rugged enough for all kinds of occasions. Same here
1920 x 1080 video resolution is great and gives great quality footage. Also applies
Get your Sony a7R here! Get your Sony a7R here!

Sony a7R Vs a7II – Cons Common To Both Cameras

Sony a7R

Sony a7II

 No built-in flash No built-in flash
Battery isn’t exactly long lasting Also not long lasting
Continuous shooting isn’t good enough at 4 FPS Also poor at 5 FPS

Sony a7R Vs a7II – General Feeling Among Users

Sony a7R

Sony a7II

Alright, so the reception of the a7R wasn’t as heartwarming as that of the a7II. People liked the camera quite alright but in comparison to the a7II, there just weren’t as many 5 stars as with the a7II.  

Anyway, the price seemed right for most. Plus, it works great which is what we all really expect from anything we buy at the very least, right?  

We think many customers also loved the size and weight of the camera. They found it great for. People be loving on this camera big time!   Alright to the negatives. The major complaint seemed to be the autofocus. Apparently, it’s not the fastest in the market. So, it hampered the activity of a couple of users with the camera.  

But that’s the biggest con with the camera. Well, that and the battery life which Sony is notorious for.  

Besides all that, the resolution is amazing and the build is also solid as well. This was a camera that got a lot of love from customers but not as much as the a7II we must confess.
Most reviews from customers for the Sony a7II were 5 star and that us so so impressive. Customers are loving this bad boy very much. So, Sony has a lot of happy campers with this camera.  

We did find that a number of customers were initially put off by the hefty price tag on the camera. However, those who decided to go ahead to get the camera were quite impressed.  

Now, there are quite a number of things customers mentioned. In the first, the quality of the images were really amazing. Also, there are so many ways to play around the camera and enjoy each photo session.  

The sensor also got great comments as well. Someone even said it’s the best in the world to show just how much they enjoyed the camera.   Now, there were still a couple of customers who felt like the camera was overpriced. But they got it anyway which means they probably enjoyed the camera either way.  

But then again, it wasn’t a general opinion. Most customers actually felt like they got value for their money.  

Some people even think that Sony might begin to give Canon a run for their money in a short time.
Get your Sony a7R here! Get your Sony a7R here!
Sony a7R vs a7II
Sony a7R vs a7II

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Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7R vs a7II – In Conclusion

It seems like a pretty easy decision choosing between the Sony a7R vs a7II. We’re sure our comprehensive review contributed to making the choice an easy one.

So, here’s where we’re supposed to give our opinion and here’s what we think. The Sony a7r vs a7II, our choice obviously lies with the Sony a7II. It’s just the obviously better option between the two cameras even though it is more expensive. But the difference is only slight which makes it more attractive to as an option.

The a7II has a lot going for it for so many reasons. Its features are good enough. And in areas where both cameras have similar features, the a7R one ups the a7II only by a little bit. And then again, one really big feature the a7II had going for it which the a7R does not come with is built-in sensor shift image stabilization.

So, considering all these, you can understand why our choice was quite easily made between the Sony a7R vs a7II.

Get your Sony a7R here! Get your Sony a7II here!