Sony a7S Vs a7II – Which Of These Should You Get?

We know you’ve heard a lot about the Sony a7s vs a7II. You are probably also in a fix concerning which of these cameras to go for hence the reason you’re checking out our Sony a7S vs a7II review today. And as always, we’ve got you.

Sony a7S vs a7II
Sony a7S vs a7II

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

It might seem weird comparing the Sony a7S vs a7II seeing as they don’t exactly belong to the same class. These guys are quite different from each other. However, by fairly popular demand, we are comparing these two cameras anyway.

Pro cameras, these dudes have their strengths in different areas and where one thrives isn’t where the other shines. Our review is going to reveal the strengths of these camera. And depending on your photography persona, we will be recommending what, in our opinion, could be your go to between the two cameras.

Table of Contents

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Comparison Overview

In this section, we will be giving you the bite sized version of our Sony a7S vs a7II review. If you don’t have the time to run through the entire review, then go through this section. It will give you a most detailed summary of everything in the full review.

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Overall Rating Of Features

For your convenience, we have broken this review into subsections.

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Where Both Cameras Get It Right

Alright so here’s where these two cameras get it right. They both have a high enough ISO, with fantastic shutter speeds at 1/8000 second down to 30 seconds. Both cameras can record in time lapse, they have the optional smartphone remote control, and they are both mirrorless cameras. Being mirrorless cameras, therefore, they are both lightweight and compact which makes them easy to carry around.

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Where The Sony a7S Does It Better

One word – low light! If we could sum up all the ways the a7S beats the a7II, it would be its low light capabilities. This camera turns up better pictures and videos in low light conditions than when compared to the a7II. Even though both cameras tend to produce noisy photos and videos in low light, the noise is hardly noticeable on the a7S but quite noticeable on the a7II.

So, the Sony a7S is great if you need to take pictures in settings where you aren’t in control of the lighting situation. It could also be your go to for taking pictures indoors in poor lighting like wedding receptions and the likes.

Besides its low light capability, the a7S also comes with 4K while the a7II does not. Plus, it’s significantly lighter than the a7II and also has a slightly longer battery life.

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Where The Sony a7II Does It Better

The Sony a7II also has specific aspects where it beats the a7S. First off, it comes with better ergonomics. When you hold both cameras, you will find that the a7II feels better and the buttons are more intuitive.

Besides that, the a7S also comes with image stabilization which the a7S lacks. We’re talking 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization which keeps your image upright as you take your photos especially when you’re working handheld.

Lastly, the a7II comes with a 24 megapixel resolution which is far better than the a7S at 12 megapixels. At this resolution, you can do much more than you can do with the a7S. First off, you can crop as much as you want. And even more importantly, you’d be able to print in sizes as large as 20 by 30 inches, except of course, this does not matter to you at all.

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Where Both Cameras Get It Wrong

Both cameras do badly when it comes to their battery lives as we’ve come to expect from Sony cameras. Plus, autofocusing is quite slow which could be a bit frustrating for many users. And yeah, this might not be a big deal for most but both cameras do not come with a built-in flash.

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Comparison Table Of Major Specs And Features

 

Sony a7S

Sony a7II

Announcement Date 6th April, 2014 20th November, 2014
Max Sensor Resolution 12 MP full frame CMOS sensor 24 MP full frame CMOS sensor
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift image stabilization None
Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels (4K or Ultra Full HD) 1920 x 1080 pixels (full HD)
Focus Points 25 focus points 117 focus points
Dynamic Range 13.2 13.6
ISO 100 – 409600 100 – 25600
Low light ISO 3702 2449
Focus Points 25 points 117 points
Sensor Pixel 71.24µm2 35.65µm2
Battery Life 360 shots 350 shots
Weight 489 grams 599 grams
  Get the Sony a7S here! Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Which Situation Is Each Camera Best For?

Sony a7S

Sony a7II

We would hardly call the Sony a7S a photography camera even though it’s a wonderful camera. What do we mean by that? Well, the way this camera is designed and from the features of the camera, you’ll find that it wasn’t exactly made for photography per se. However, it will deliver if you use it to take photos.  

Check it out, it comes with a mediocre resolution at 12 megapixels. A photography camera ought to do a lot better than that. With 12 megapixels, your camera won’t be able to get your pictures that are printable in really large sizes. The resolution just isn’t high enough. Plus, if you like to do a lot of cropping, this camera won’t serve.  

However, the cramping down on megapixel count on the Sony a7S vs a7II has a small blessing in the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor especially in low light settings.  

The Sony a7S is a way better camera when it comes to low light settings. Whether it’s a wedding reception, or indoors in your home. This camera is just perfect. The low light ISO is excellent and the resulting image is much sharper with less noise when compared to the a7II.  

Also, the a7S comes with 4K where the a7II only comes with full HD. However, even in full HD format, the a7s turns up better video footage quality especially in low light when compared to the a7II.   So, altogether, if you constantly find yourself in settings where you don’t have control over the lighting in the setting, then reach for the a7S.  

Also, with so few focus points, the a7S might be a better camera for stills, portrait, and landscape photography than when compared to other kinds of photography especially where the subject moves around.  

By the way, the Sony a7S does not come with image stabilization which is a slight bummer. Of course, there are other ways to manage that but for those times when you’re working with your camera handheld and at slower shutter speeds, you’d definitely miss that feature.
The Sony a7II, on the other hand, is a photography camera. You only need to check out the features on the Sony a7II to know that it’s, for all intents and purposes, for taking amazing pictures of impressive photo quality.  

First of all, you’ll love the feel of this camera. The way it holds, the position of the shutter release button, other buttons (which are customizable), everything basically. They all work together to make the a7II really sweet for taking pictures. Between the a7S vs a7II, you’ll be more inclined to carrying the a7II around for day-to-day photography for this fact alone.  

Secondly, the resolution of the sensor is another hint at the basic purpose of this camera. This camera comes at a resolution of 24 megapixels. So, whatever you want to do, crop or print in an image size of 20 x 30 inches, this camera will do you good.  

That said, the a7II’s low light capabilities are not as impressive as that of the a7S. In fact, you could say the a7II does somewhat poorly. Hey, we don’t mean the picture quality is bad but then again, especially at high ISO, the resulting images tends to come out pretty noisy. Of course, with a good software, you can take care of the noise. But it can be pretty scary taking pictures with the a7II in low light when you remember the amount of post-production work you’d have to carry out on the images.  

And the same goes for the video. The a7II does wonderful full HD videos. However, in low light, the video tends to produce a certain level noise. Now it’s not like the a7S is completely noise free but in comparison to the a7II, the noise level is significantly lower. Of course, there’s always the possibility of taking care of noise with Adobe Premiere but we’re pretty sure everyone could do with one less post-production chore.  

So, in all, we would say the a7II would make a great camera if you intend to blow up your pictures into extra large sizes. It could also work if you’re sure of great lighting. However, for low light, you’d be better off with the a7S.  

The 5 axes image stabilization feature of the a7II also makes it great to work with handheld.
Get the Sony a7S here! Get your Sony a7II here!
cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Which Features Do They Have In Common?

 In this section of our review, we will be comparing the Sony a7S vs a7II to see areas where both cameras are similar. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

Full Frame Sensors

The sensors of the Sony a7S vs a7II are pretty similar only differing in their resolutions. They both come with full frame sensors – a professional’s favorite.

At 35 millimeters, full frame sensors are pretty large and with that size, bring a number of advantages to the table.

Firstly, they have a wider angle which makes them great for landscape and architectural photography. The camera is able to encompass more stuff into the scene, thanks to a wider angle.

Also, full frame sensors typically have a wide dynamic range which is really important when you have to take photos outdoors in the sun. Full frame cameras are better able to capture all the detail that would, otherwise, have been lost to the shadows in a sensor with a smaller frame.

Even more, full frame sensors are known for their shallow depth of field, aka bokeh effect. This is another reason many photographers prefer to work with full frame sensors over crop sensors. With a longer focal length, full frame cameras with the same settings as crop sensor cameras usually take better pictures thanks to a shallower depth of field.

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

High ISO

Even though the ISO of the Sony a7S vs a7II is higher, they still both have pretty high ISO. A max ISO of 25600 is considered quite high for any camera and the a7II already clocks in at 25600 with the a7S clocking in at 49600.

As you know the ISO of your camera affects the picture quality of your photos especially in low light settings. And most professionals go for cameras with high ISO because they produce better results than when compared to those of low ISO.

Nevertheless, there’s still a challenge of using a really high ISO when taking pictures. That challenge is the risk of suffering a lot of noise in your images. This becomes even worse when you’re shooting RAW. Thankfully, you can reduce the noise on your images drastically using any special software like Adobe’s Lightroom, or Photoshop.

When we compared the Sony a7S vs a7II, we found that the a7S has a much better low light ISO than the a7II. So when you check out pictures from these two cameras, you find that pictures from the Sony a7S come out way better especially when taken in low light conditions.

Basically, the Sony a7S is your go to camera if you always have to shoot in low light. Say you usually find yourself shooting for wedding receptions, indoors, and places like that, the a7S could be your go-to camera.

Get the Sony a7S here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

3 Inch Tilting Screen

Both the Sony a7S and the a7II come with a 3 inch tilting screen which makes photographing and video shooting a lot more convenient. Especially when you’re shooting at an awkward angle, a tilting screen can be quite beneficial.

Street photographers tend to encounter a number of instances where they have to take pictures at weird angles. In such instances, you can avoid all the inconvenience of bending, kneeling or squatting uncomfortably by using a tilting screen to a position that works for you.

Tilting screens can also come in handy when the camera is on a tripod by making your menu easier to read. Plus you can also compose your scenes easily and more conveniently when working with a tilting screen than when working with a fixed one.

What we would have loved as an additional feature to a tilting screen is a touch feature. Alas! It is absent on both cameras.

Dynamic Range

Both the Sony a7S and a7II have dynamic ranges around 13 which is a good one. A good dynamic range is important if your camera is to capture all the details in a bright setting especially outdoors at noon. When your camera’s dynamic range is not wide enough, you lose a lot of detail to the highlights and shadows of the sunny outdoors.

Of course, as you can guess, the higher the dynamic range of your camera, the more detail it will capture. However, as that number reduces, you lose more detail.

Generally though, the average camera will have a dynamic range that falls between 12 and 14. Sometimes also, it could get pretty close to a 15.

Now, the dynamic range of your camera hardly comes to play when discussing low light photography. Since there’s hardly enough light in the first place, there’s hardly any chance of losing any detail. The brightness of the subject to be photographed would definitely fall within your camera’s dynamic range which is what happens when your camera is able to capture all the details in the bright sunlight.

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Get the Sony a7S here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

RAW Support

Most photographers’ favorite! Let’s see how the Sony a7S does vs the a7II. Alright, if you didn’t know, here’s a brief rundown on how RAW photos work.

RAW photos as their name suggests are unprocessed files kinda like raw and processed food, yeah? So RAW files, unlike JPEG have not gone through any processing at all. They just come out the exact same way the sensor captures it.

So, you’d find that RAW photos tend to come out flatish and somewhat muted. This is the reason RAW photos always have to be worked on after you shoot them. Special software like Photoshop and Lightroom are common software used for such processes. And in addition, a computer with fast processing speed must be used if the photos must be edited well and less frustratingly.

Of course you can already probably guess that RAW photos are large in size unlike JPEG images that are much smaller and therefore can be shared on the internet almost immediately. By the way, in case you’re asking, both cameras can, of course, take photos both in JPEG and in RAW format.

Alright, now to the Sony a7S vs a7II. The RAW photos from the Sony a7S are of much better quality than that of the a7II. Again, this especially shows up in low light or when photos are taken indoors. Both cameras suffer a level of noise (the a7II more than the a7S) since you have to increase the ISO. The good thing, though, is that you’d be able to correct the noise using any of the software we mentioned before.

RAW photos are typically favored by photographers for two main reasons which are the quality of RAW photos as well as non-destructive editing.

RAW photos are of a better quality than JPEG in their sharpness, detail, and clarity. Plus, editing on them does not alter the original image beyond redemption. In essence, you can go back to the original quality of your picture if you decide to undo any edit you have made to the photo.

Errors during photographing are also much easier to correct on RAW images than other formats. So whether it’s the white balance or the exposure of your photo, it’s not irredeemable as long as the photo is RAW and you have the right tools.

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Mirrorless Cameras

The absence of a mirror in a camera might not exactly seem like a feature. All the same it might be a good call to explain what exactly it means for a camera to be mirrorless for those who might be new to cameras.

Alright, normally, a camera comes with a mirror (DSLR cameras). This mirror is what reflects light from the lens to the optical viewfinder which in turn feeds the light to the sensor.

Now, in the case of a mirrorless cameras, the optical viewfinder is replaced with an electronic viewfinder which, unlike the optical viewfinder, reflects processed images not light. For this reason, therefore, a mirror is no longer needed. Hence the term “mirrorless cameras.”

There are people who believe that getting superb image quality is nigh impossible with an electronic viewfinder (EVF). Things like autofocusing, for instance, takes a longer time and, in some cases, isn’t good enough. However, mirrorless cameras have proven themselves over time such that more professionals are going for mirrorless cameras over DSLR cameras.

Now, the first benefit you observe from getting a mirrorless camera is that the absence of a mirror makes the camera lighter and more compact. Of course, it’s obvious what this means for the photographer. You’re able to travel lighter and more comfortably.

Furthermore, mirrorless cameras do not have as many settings as DSLR cameras. So, people find them easier and less intimidating to use when compared to DSLR cameras. So, if you’re looking for your first camera as a beginner, ideally go for a mirrorless camera. The Sony a7S and a7II qualify. However, their substantial price tags might make them a little scary for some beginners.

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Shutter Speed

It’s common to find cameras with max shutter speeds of 1/8000 second which is what you find on the Sony a7S and a7II. A max shutter speed of 1/8000 second, is of course pretty fast. And if it can go down to as slow as 30 seconds, that’s just wonderful. That range of shutter speeds will prove useful and make your camera more versatile for all kinds of shoots.

Typically, people want their shutter speeds as fast as they can possibly get. This is because slower shutter speeds are known to create a blur on the resulting image and nobody wants that.

This blur becomes even more obvious when said camera does not have built-in image stabilization. An offence the Sony a7S is guilty of. This means that taking pictures at a slower shutter speed might end up negatively with the blur and all of that.

Be that as it may though, the truth is that there are actually times where a blur might be needed. Now, at a slower shutter speed, the blur is usually formed around the direction of motion. This trick can be used to create an illusion of speed when running ads for automobiles or motorbikes.

Of course, we all know how fast shutter speeds work. They are great for capturing moving subjects frozen in time. So, sports and action photographers tend to favor faster and faster shutter speeds when compared to other genre.

Yes, there’s one more thing. The faster it takes your camera to release the shutter, the shorter your sensor is exposed to light and vice versa. This means that, in the end, the resulting image is darker and vice versa depending on the shutter speed.

To be clear, faster shutter speeds produce darker photos while slower shutter speeds produce brighter photos.

Get the Sony a7S here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Focus Points

Sony seems to have a problem with its autofocusing as a number of users have complained over time. Generally, a faster autofocusing is supposed to be partly as a result of more focus points. So, in this case, the a7II would be the faster camera even though a flood of complaints still followed the camera.

Focus points aren’t really a problem when you’re taking stills, architecture, landscapes and portraits, basically. For moving subjects (swaying trees, flying butterflies, pets, children, etc), focus points matter a whole lot.

Even in stills when there bad focusing can have your image look like you were focusing on the ugly bush behind the butterfly you actually wanted to focus on. You get the point, right?

 It gets worse when the subject in question hardly sits still. If they constantly move out of focus, then more focus points would help to ensure that the resulting image is well focused.

However though, both these cameras suck in the autofocusing department.

5 FPS Continuous Shooting

Photographers that are into action, wildlife, or sport photography would hardly find any use in the Sony a7S and a7II. Both have a continuous shooting feature of 5 frames per second which is pretty por. That is, you get only 5 pictures per second in continuous shooting. In these worlds where things happen in the blink of an eye, a whole lot can happen in one second and the action photographer wants in on all of that.

This is why, today, there are cameras that are as high 60 FPS continuous shooting. That is 60 awesome pictures in just one second which is simply mind blowing!

Of course a 20 FPS continuous shooting is also impressive as well. So, you see why the 5 FPS continuous shooting of these cameras don’t even compare.

But perhaps, you could use it for other less active scenes like family photos, wedding receptions, baby photography and the likes. Just keep these away from the action especially the a7S with its lack of a built-in image stabilization.

Get the Sony a7S here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Time Lapse Recording

Time lapse on the Sony a7S vs a7II is pretty amazing – and on both counts too. Do you need to create short mesmerizing videos of sceneries, happenings, and the likes? Time lapse recording can make your video footage much more interesting to watch.

So, usually what happens is you record the events at a speed much slower than the speed at which you intend to playback the sequence. So, in the end, when you play back the sequence you have recorded, the sequence occurs at a speed that’s much faster than that at which the sequence occurred.

So, the recording speeds up the sequence of events up to a factor of tens of thousands, sometimes millions. Watching the playback of the recorded sequence gives the sense that you’re watching a time lapse which is where the feature gets its name from.

Weather-Sealed Bodies

Anything is bound to deteriorate as long as it is in constant use. However, the time varies. It could be longer or shorter depending on the quality of the object in question.

In the case of the Sony a7S vs a7II, Sony seals the vulnerable parts of each camera with rubber. These vulnerable parts include buttons and joints. As you can probably deduce, these are parts of the camera that mostly come in contact with other objects like your fingers, the tripod’s seat, table tops, and the likes.

With weather sealing, your camera is more rugged and bound to last longer than non-weather-sealed cameras.

Get the Sony a7S here!          Get your Sony a7II here!

cameradecision.com
cameradecision.com

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S vs a7II – Features Unique To Each Camera

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Features Unique To The Sony a7S

12 Megapixel Sensor Resolution

Like we always say, megapixels aren’t the ultimate deciding factor on whether your pictures would turn out great or not. There’s a lot more that goes into deciding that than the resolution of your sensor. Nevertheless, a good photography camera has to have a good resolution. 12 megapixels, in our opinion (and most agree with us), is a little low even though the a7S makes up for it in its fantastic ISO.

Usually, we prefer that cameras do not go below 16 megapixels. But oh well, here we are.

Now, the lower the megapixel count of your camera, the lower your chances of doing some serious cropping. So, if you’re an aggressive cropper by profession, then the a7S might not give you what you want in camera resolution.

Also, if you love to print in really large photo sizes, then you don’t even consider the a7S. A 12 MP can only print so large before it starts to produce poor picture quality.

So, in this regard, the pictures of the Sony a7S vs a7II can hardly compare except in low light settings where the a7S floors the a7II.

Finally, a tip. With a megapixel count of 12 MP, your a7S will be able to print 11 by 14 inches excellently. Anything larger than that to 20 by 30 inches, it will only print at meh quality and anything beyond that would just be terrible.

If you only need your pictures to share online, the Sony a7S would work.

Get the Sony a7S here!

Sony a7S vs a7II
Sony a7S vs a7II

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Features Unique To The Sony a7II

24 Megapixel Sensor Max Resolution

We already explained how megapixels in the ‘”features unique to the Sony a7S” section. So, we will just get right to the meat of the megapixel count at hand.

With 24 megapixels, this camera is a good choice for all kinds of photography. Plus, it can also print in fairly large sizes. Typically, a 24 MP camera will be able to print in 16 x 24 inch picture sizes.

3840 x 2160 Ultra HD (4K) Video Resolution

The Sony a7S comes with 4K Ultra HD video resolution which is fantastic. Of course, not everybody is shooting 4K right now but that doesn’t mean getting the benefit of 4K can’t be enjoyed.

4K can be quite demanding though. You need a fast computer as well as a special software with which you’d edit the footage. Of course, you’ll also need some space to save the file as 4K video tends to run large in size.

If you’re a beginner and you don’t already have, or can’t afford these things as mentioned above, then shooting 4K might be somewhat tough for you. So, it might be better to shoot in HD.

But if you can shoot 4K, you’ll be able to shoot videos at a bitrate that’s much higher than that of full HD. Moreover, 4K also gives less color banding which makes it better able to capture all the subtle color changes going on in the scenes while the video was being recorded.

Now, you probably know that there may be projects where you need to record your footage strictly in HD. Or perhaps the platform on which you need to share the video require full HD. You can simply downsample the video from 4K to HD. It won’t look like it was shot in full HD from the start, but it will definitely do.

Comparing the Sony a7S vs a7II, we particularly enjoyed the quality of the footage from the a7S more especially in low light. There was less grain and the video looked sharper even with the little light available. This only goes to confirm what we’ve been saying so far about the low light capability of the Sony a7S. This camera is like a samurai in low light.

Sony a7S vs a7II
Sony a7S vs a7II

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization

Still on the Sony a7S vs a7II, we are now looking at another unique feature which the a7II has. This feature is a built-in sensor-shift image stabilization. This feature on its own makes the camera versatile and highly functional because it corrects camera shake.

Except you’re using a tripod, camera shake is almost inevitable which, of course, could affect picture quality. What image stabilization does, as the name suggests, is to stabilize the image as projected from the lens so that the resulting image isn’t blurry or shaky.

So, your camera comes with an accelerometer which helps to detect and calculate speed and direction of the camera shake. This accelerometer then works your sensor or shifts your sensor such that the image is balanced/stationary in relation to the image being projected on the lens.

Sony is known for using mostly sensor-shift image stabilization over optical stabilization. Thankfully, this is the more cost-friendly stabilization system.

Usually, without a sensor-shift image stabilization, to stabilize images, photographers would have to get IS (Image Stabilization) lenses. The problem with that is it incurs more cost in the first place besides the already hefty sum you are spending on the camera. Plus, you also increase the load you have to lug around because you’d have your IS lenses in addition to your normal lenses.

What we really love about the image stabilization on the a7II is the fact that it is a 5-axis image stabilization. So movements up, down, left, right, rotating wise are stabilized by the IS.

Sony a7S vs a7II
Sony a7S vs a7II

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

1920 x 1080 Full HD Video Resolution

Still on the Sony a7S vs a7II review, the last unique feature of the Sony a7II is its full HD video resolution. The Sony a7II does not have the Ultra Full HD video resolution of the Sony a7S. However, this is not a liability. Like we said earlier, not everybody is shooting 4K just yet. Full HD is still very much relevant and prevalent and the quality of full HD is still quite impressive.

Beginners especially can benefit from full HD and mostly from the affordability angle. You don’t require too much sophistication to process and edit full HD video footage. Your regular laptop would do just fine for nearly any process you need to run on the footage.

So, in essence, we are saying don’t feel letdown by the lack of 4K on the a7II if that’s what you want to get. The truth is you won’t miss the feature so much if at all.

Moreover, it is also quite possible to upgrade your video from full HD to 4K if need be. Will it be able to compete with videos shot in 4K from the get go? Probably not, but will it serve? Definitely yes.

The only challenge we have with the a7II video footage is the same we’ve hammering on from the beginning. This camera is a poor performer in low light. So, when you increase ISO in low light settings and try to record a video footage, you can see quite some level of grain. A good software can clean that up but hey, that’s more work for you.

So, good advice, if you can’t control the light at the venue you’re supposed to be shooting at, then maybe don’t take the Sony a7II along.

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S vs a7II
Sony a7S vs a7II

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Unique Pros

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Pros Unique To The Sony a7S

  • The Sony a7s has a far better low light ISO than the a7II. So, in low light situations, this camera performs better both in image and in video quality.
  • Also, the Sony a7S fares slightly better in its battery life.
  • It has a larger sensor pixel area than the Sony a7II.
  • Also comes with excellent quality Ultra Full HD video resolution.
  • Finally, the Sony a7S is the lighter camera of the two devices.

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Pros Unique To The Sony a7II

  • The Sony a7II comes with a resolution of 24 megapixels which is better for picture quality and sharpness.
  • It also has far more focus points than the Sony a7S.
  • Color depth and dynamic range are also slightly better.
  • The Sony a7II is more affordable than the Sony a7S.
  • And lastly, this camera has far better ergonomics than the Sony a7S. The placement of the buttons feels more familiar and intuitive making it easier to grab and work with.

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Unique Cons

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Cons Unique To The Sony a7S

  • The Sony a7S comes with a mediocre sensor resolution at 12 megapixels.
  • It has far fewer focus points as well.
  • Color depth and dynamic range are also slightly lower too.
  • The Sony a7S is also the more expensive camera.
Sony a7S vs a7II
Sony a7S vs a7II

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Cons Unique To The Sony a7II

  • The Sony a7II has poor low light ISO in comparison to the Sony a7S. It does not do as well as the Sony a7S in low light, producing noisy photos and videos.
  • The battery life of the Sony a7II is only slightly poorer than the a7S.
  • Does not come with 4K video recording resolution.

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Common Pros

Sony a7S

Sony A7II

The a7S comes with wireless connection which is great for snappy transfers of photos and videos to computers and other devices. The a7II also comes with wireless connection.
Tilting screen makes it more convenient to take photos at weird angles. Also great for reading menus and composing scenes for video footage as well.   Sadly, it does not come with a touch feature. This also applies to the a7II.
Comes with external flash shoe Also comes with external flash shoe
Excellent LCD resolution Also applies
Comes with both microphone and headphone ports. Also features microphone and headphone ports.
Weather sealing keeps the camera rugged and durable Also weather-sealed for durability and ruggedness.
Smartphone remote control option is a real plus Also applies to the Sony a7II.
This camera comes with a pretty high ISO. Although lower than the ISO of the a7S, the ISO of the a7II is still considered pretty high.
These are mirrorless cameras which makes them compact and lightweight making it easier to move around Same here.
Max shutter speed is 1/8000 second and can go as slow as 30 seconds. Also applies here.
The Sony a7S comes with a full frame sensor. Also comes with a full frame sensor.
Get the Sony a7S here! Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Common Cons

Sony a7S

Sony a7II

The battery life of the Sony a7S sucks The battery life of the a7II also sucks
Focus points are too few in number. Focus points are few but autofocusing is still quite slow.
No built-in flash Also no built-in flash
With 5 FPS continuous shooting isn’t great for action photography. Same here

Sony a7S Vs a7II – General Opinion Among Users

Sony a7S

Sony a7II

The Sony a7S is quite amazing in its image and video quality and every customer seemed to attest to that. However, from observation, it seemed customers were even crazier about shooting 4K videos with their photos than taking pictures as we saw more comments about the video ability of the a7S.  

That said, the tilt screen was definitely appreciated. However, there were users who expected to see a touch feature and were a bit disappointed to not have that.  

Besides that, the cramped nature of the screen also seemed to bother a lot of users. As you might know, Sony cameras typically have loads of settings and with a small 3 inch screen, those settings can quickly begin to look cramped up on the screen which could be mildly annoying to overwhelming.  

Anyway, the Sony a7S got raving reviews for its amazing low light capabilities. Users couldn’t get enough! There was an isolated complaint of minimized picture quality in low light. But then again, you’ve read in our review that the pictures tend to suffer from a little noise in low light even though it’s not so bad. Plus, your Photoshop or Lightroom can help to fix that.  

But here’s another good news for you. The Sony a7S seems to be a long lasting device. Customers who had used the camera for a couple of years could attest to its continued excellent performance which is quite assuring.  

Did customers get value for their money? If all the 5 star reviews are anything to go by, then that’s a definite yes.
Again, here’s another Sony camera that saw a lot of happy campers. The price especially was the thing that sealed the deal for most. According to many, for the price, this camera is a steal!  

Another thing users really appreciated about the Sony a7II was its weight and feel. The camera comes lightweight, compact, and is, therefore, pretty easy to move around as a flexible, daily camera.  

In image quality, the Sony a7II definitely rocks. Users raved about their experience with the camera and the picture quality they were able to get. It was nice seeing all the pictures they had to share as taken from the Sony a7II.  

Now, autofocusing, this one was a big cause for complaints. Sony could definitely work on that as it frustrated a number of people trying to get their camera to focus so they could take their photo.  

Also, unlike the a7S, the ISO of the a7II fell short of users’ expectations. Apparently, users did not enjoy the low light performance of the a7II and that comes as no surprise for previously stated reasons.  

Regardless of these few issues though, this camera was still more loved than hated. So, altogether, we’d say users rated the a7II quite highly.
Get the Sony a7S here! Get your Sony a7II here!
Sony a7S vs a7II
Sony a7S vs a7II

Get the Sony a7S here!

Get your Sony a7II here!

Sony a7S Vs a7II – Our Final Decision

We’ve done a pretty thorough job presenting you the facts on the Sony a7S vs a7II comparison to help you make an informed decision even if we say so ourselves. And in this section, it’s time to give our humble submission – what we’d do if we were in your shoes.

Now, two things. The first is that the Sony a7II appears more like a photography camera to us than the a7S. Check it out, it comes with 24 megapixels resolution, plus the camera is easier and more comfortable to grab and hold. Buttons are also more intuitively placed and all, plus of the two cameras, it’s the one with a built-in image stabilization. If we’re looking for a strict photography camera, the Sony a7II would be our go to.

But if we had to choose a camera for videography, it would definitely be the a7S. The camera isn’t exactly photography primed and its 12 megapixel resolution is perhaps the biggest indicator of that.

But on the other hand, there’s also the fact that the a7S floors the a7II in any low light setting, both in photos and in videos. So, in this case, if we consistently work in places where we don’t have control over the lighting, then we’re definitely going for the a7S. However, if lighting is great and we don’t have to worry about it, then we could go for the a7II. Plus, it’s also less expensive as well.

Finally, if we were absolutely hard pressed to pick just one, then it’s definitely going to be the Sony a7S. It’s the more powerful camera.

Get the Sony a7S here! Get your Sony a7II here!

1 thought on “Sony a7S Vs a7II – Which Of These Should You Get?”

Comments are closed.