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Sony A7 II Comparison Review

The Sony Alpha A7 II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was revealed to the public in November 2014 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 24 megapixel.

camera

Is the Sony A7 II a good camera? The A7 II has a Camera Elo of 2167. This rating puts the A7 II below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the A7 II also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Sony A7 II is more than 9 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2014.

Headline Specifications
Sony A7 II
Mirrorless system camera
Sony E mount lenses
24 MP, Full Frame Sensor
1080/60p Video
ISO 100 - 25 600 (50 - 51 200)
Electronic viewfinder (2400k dots)
3.0 LCD, 1230k dots
Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
5 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body
350 shots per battery charge
127 x 96 x 60 mm, 599 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony A7 II vis-à-vis a credit card. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Sony A7 II vs credit card front
A7 II versus credit card top view
A7 II and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony A7 II alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A7 II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 599 g 350 Y Nov 2014 1,999ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A7C 124 mm 71 mm 60 mm 509 g 740 Y Sep 2020 1,799 amazon.com
3.
 
Sony A9 II 129 mm 96 mm 76 mm 678 g 690 Y Oct 2019 4,499 amazon.com
4.
 
Sony A7 III 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 610 Y Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
5.
 
Sony A7R III 127 mm 96 mm 74 mm 650 g 650 Y Oct 2017 3,199ebay.com
6.
 
Sony A9 127 mm 96 mm 63 mm 673 g 650 Y Apr 2017 4,499ebay.com
7.
 
Sony A7R II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 625 g 290 Y Jun 2015 3,199ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A7S II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 627 g 370 Y Sep 2015 2,999ebay.com
9.
 
Sony A7 127 mm 94 mm 48 mm 474 g 340 Y Oct 2013 1,699ebay.com
10.
 
Sony A7R 127 mm 94 mm 48 mm 465 g 340 Y Oct 2013 2,299ebay.com
11.
 
Sony A77 143 mm 104 mm 81 mm 732 g 470 Y Aug 2011 1,399ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony A7 II was launched in the US market at a price of $1,999. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Sony A7 II features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony A7 II among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Sony A7 II sensor measures

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Sony A7 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.913.6244990
2.
 
Sony A7C Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.7340795
3.
 
Sony A9 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.0343493
4.
 
Sony A7 III Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p25.014.7373096
5.
 
Sony A7R III Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p26.014.73523100
6.
 
Sony A9 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.913.3351792
7.
 
Sony A7R II Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p26.013.9343498
8.
 
Sony A7S II Full Frame 12.0 4240 28324K/30p23.613.3299385
9.
 
Sony A7 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.814.2224890
10.
 
Sony A7R Full Frame 36.2 7360 49121080/60p25.614.1274695
11.
 
Sony A77 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.013.280178
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The A7 II indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the A7 II can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A7 II has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2400k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.71x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A7 II and comparable cameras.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Sony A7 II2400 n3.0 / 1230 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
2.
 
Sony A7C2360 n3.0 / 922 swivel Y 1/4000s 10.0/s n Y
3.
 
Sony A9 II3686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
4.
 
Sony A7 III2359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
5.
 
Sony A7R III3686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
6.
 
Sony A93686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
7.
 
Sony A7R II2400 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
8.
 
Sony A7S II2400 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
9.
 
Sony A72400 n3.0 / 1230 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n n
10.
 
Sony A7R2400 n3.0 / 1230 tilting n 1/8000s 4.0/s n n
11.
 
Sony A772359 Y3.0 / 921 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s Y Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Sony Alpha A7 II is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the A7 II

One feature that differentiates the A7 II from many older cameras is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The A7 II reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while cameras without IBIS have to rely on optical image stabilization in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha A7 II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Sony A7 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
2.
 
Sony A7CYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2YYY
3.
 
Sony A9 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
4.
 
Sony A7 IIIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
5.
 
Sony A7R IIIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.1YYY
6.
 
Sony A9Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0YYY
7.
 
Sony A7R IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
8.
 
Sony A7S IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
9.
 
Sony A7Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
10.
 
Sony A7RYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
11.
 
Sony A77Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
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It is notable that the A7 II has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the A7 II can be found in the free online Sony A7 II Manual or on the Sony support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the A7 II handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A7 II5/5+4/582/1004.5/55/5 Nov 2014 1,999ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A7C3.5/5..3.5/586/1004/54/5 Sep 2020 1,799 amazon.com
3.
 
Sony A9 II....5/590/1005/55/5 Oct 2019 4,499 amazon.com
4.
 
Sony A7 III..+ +4.5/589/1005/55/5 Feb 2018 1,999 amazon.com
5.
 
Sony A7R III..+ +4/590/1004.5/55/5 Oct 2017 3,199ebay.com
6.
 
Sony A95/5+ +4.8/589/1005/55/5 Apr 2017 4,499ebay.com
7.
 
Sony A7R II5/5+ +5/590/1005/55/5 Jun 2015 3,199ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A7S II5/5+....4.5/55/5 Sep 2015 2,999ebay.com
9.
 
Sony A75/5+ +..80/1005/55/5 Oct 2013 1,699ebay.com
10.
 
Sony A7R5/5+ +..82/1004.5/55/5 Oct 2013 2,299ebay.com
11.
 
Sony A775/591/100..81/100..5/5 Aug 2011 1,399ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Sony A7 II FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the A7 II.

What type of imaging sensor is used in the Sony A7 II?

The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Sony A7 II to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Sony equipped the A7 II with the BIONZ X image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Sony A7 II?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 50-51200.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Sony Alpha A7 II?

Sony mentions a shutter rating of 200 000 actuations for the A7 II. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the A7 II over, say, three years, one would have to take about 200 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Sony A7 II?

Sony embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your A7 II has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Sony A7 II?

The A7 II offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Sony A7 II feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Sony A7 II for flash photography?

The A7 II's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

Does the Sony A7 II support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).

Which battery does the Sony A7 II use?

The camera gets its power from the NP-FW50 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Sony A7 II?

Yes, Sony offers the VG-C2EM as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Where can I find the best deals for the Sony A7 II?

Grey imports from Asia, as found on ebay, are often very attractively priced. However, these cameras come without a warranty from Sony.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Sony A7 II
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Sony E mount lenses
    Launch Date November 2014
    Launch Price USD 1 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 35.8 x 23.9 mm
    Sensor Area 856 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 24 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 6 000 x 4 000 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 5.97 μm
    Pixel Density 2.80 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 25 600 ISO
    ISO Boost 50 - 51 200 ISO
    Image Processor BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 90
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 24.9
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 13.6
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 2449
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x
    Viewfinder Resolution 2400k dots
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 1230k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System On-Sensor Phase-detect
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 5 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy200 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port micro HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication NFC built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type NP-FW50 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)350 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 127 x 96 x 60 mm
    (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4 in)
    Camera Weight 599 g (21.1 oz)

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