Sony A7 vs A77 II

The Sony Alpha A7 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II are two enthusiast cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in October 2013 and May 2014. The A7 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the A77 II is a DSLR. The cameras are based on a full frame (A7) and an APS-C (A77 II) sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Sony A7		Sony A77 II
Mirrorless system camera		Digital single lens reflex
Sony E mount lenses		Sony A mount lenses
24 MP – Full Frame sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (50 - 51,200)		ISO 100-25,600 (50 - 51,200)
Electronic viewfinder (2400k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2359k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1230k dots		3.0" LCD – 1229k dots
Tilting screen (no touchscreen)		Fully flexible screen (no touchscreen)
5 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
340 shots per battery charge		480 shots per battery charge
127 x 94 x 48 mm, 474 g		143 x 104 x 81 mm, 647 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A7 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Sony A7 and the Sony A77 II is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A77 II is notably larger (25 percent) than the Sony A7. Moreover, the A77 II is substantially heavier (36 percent) than the A7. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the A7 gets 340 shots out of its NP-FW50 battery, while the A77 II can take 480 images on a single charge of its NP-FM500H power pack. The power pack in the A7 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

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	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	474 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	1,699	ebay.com
2.		Sony A77 II	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	647 g	480	Y	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D7100	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	950	Y	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D610	141 mm	113 mm	82 mm	850 g	900	Y	Oct 2013	1,999	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic GH4	133 mm	93 mm	84 mm	560 g	500	Y	Feb 2014	1,499	ebay.com
6.		Samsung NX1	139 mm	102 mm	66 mm	550 g	500	Y	Sep 2014	1,499	ebay.com
7.		Sony A7C	124 mm	71 mm	60 mm	509 g	740	Y	Sep 2020	1,799	amazon.com
8.		Sony A6600	120 mm	67 mm	69 mm	503 g	810	Y	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
9.		Sony A7 III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	610	Y	Feb 2018	1,999	amazon.com
10.		Sony A68	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	610 g	540	n	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	1,999	ebay.com
12.		Sony A7S	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	489 g	380	Y	Apr 2014	2,499	ebay.com
13.		Sony A7R	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	465 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	2,299	ebay.com
14.		Sony A58	129 mm	95 mm	78 mm	492 g	690	n	Feb 2013	599	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX1R	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Jun 2013	2,799	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX1	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
17.		Sony A77	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	732 g	470	Y	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The A77 II was launched at a markedly lower price (by 29 percent) than the A7, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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.

Sensor comparison

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. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Sony A7 features a full frame sensor and the Sony A77 II an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the A77 II is 57 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the A7 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the A7 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 5.97μm versus 3.91μm for the A77 II), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the A77 II is a somewhat more recent model (by 6 months) than the A7, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The A7 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Sony Alpha A7 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 50-51200. The Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many 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. Of the two cameras under review, the A7 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the A77 II (overall score 8 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.4 bits higher color depth, 0.8 EV in additional dynamic range, and 1.2 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

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	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	14.2	2248	90
2.		Sony A77 II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.4	13.4	1013	82
3.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
4.		Nikon D610	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.4	2925	94
5.		Panasonic GH4	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.2	12.8	791	74
6.		Samsung NX1	APS-C	28.0	6480	4320	4K/30p	24.2	13.2	1363	83
7.		Sony A7C	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3407	95
8.		Sony A6600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.8	13.4	1497	82
9.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
10.		Sony A68	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.5	701	79
11.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
12.		Sony A7S	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	1080/60p	23.9	13.2	3702	87
13.		Sony A7R	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.6	14.1	2746	95
14.		Sony A58	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.3	12.5	753	74
15.		Sony RX1R	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	13.6	2537	91
16.		Sony RX1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.1	14.3	2534	93
17.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60p).

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under consideration are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A7 offers a slightly higher resolution than the one in the A77 II (2400k vs 2359k dots). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Sony A7 and Sony A77 II in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
2.		Sony A77 II	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Nikon D7100	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
4.		Nikon D610	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
5.		Panasonic GH4	2359	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	n
6.		Samsung NX1	2360	Y	3.0 / 1036	tilting	Y	1/8000s	15.0/s	Y	n
7.		Sony A7C	2360	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
8.		Sony A6600	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
9.		Sony A7 III	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
10.		Sony A68	1440	Y	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
12.		Sony A7S	2400	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
13.		Sony A7R	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	n	n
14.		Sony A58	1440	n	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony RX1R	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
16.		Sony RX1	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
17.		Sony A77	2359	Y	3.0 / 921	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that differentiates the A77 II and the A7 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The A77 II reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the A7 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the A7 and the A77 II write their files to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity 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 and Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Sony A77 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Nikon D7100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Nikon D610	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Panasonic GH4	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Samsung NX1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Sony A7C	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y
8.		Sony A6600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	YES	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Sony A7 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
10.		Sony A68	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Sony A7S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony A7R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony A58	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Sony RX1R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Sony RX1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony A77	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the A7 has a headphone jack, which is not present on the A77 II This port makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A77 II (unlike the A7) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the A7 and the A77 II have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A7 was replaced by the Sony A7 II, while the A77 II does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the A7 and A77 II can be found, respectively, in the Sony A7 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A77 II Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Sony A7 or the Sony A77 II – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A7:

• Better image quality: Scores markedly higher (8 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
• More dynamic range: Captures a larger spectrum of light and dark details (0.8 EV of extra DR).
• Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (1.2 stops ISO advantage).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More compact: Is smaller (127x94mm vs 143x104mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 173g or 27 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in October 2013).

Advantages of the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 II:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.71x).
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• More flexible LCD: Has a full-flex screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (480 versus 340) out of a single battery charge.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (29 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Was introduced somewhat (6 months) more recently.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A77 II comes out slightly ahead of the A7 (11 : 10 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A7 and the Sony A77 II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the A7 and the A77 II in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony A7	5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	1,699	ebay.com
2.		Sony A77 II	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	1,199	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D7100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D610	4/5	+ +	..	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	1,999	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic GH4	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	1,499	ebay.com
6.		Samsung NX1	5/5	..	..	87/100	5/5	5/5	Sep 2014	1,499	ebay.com
7.		Sony A7C	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	86/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2020	1,799	amazon.com
8.		Sony A6600	4/5	+	4/5	83/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2019	1,399	amazon.com
9.		Sony A7 III	..	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2018	1,999	amazon.com
10.		Sony A68	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Nov 2015	699	ebay.com
11.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	1,999	ebay.com
12.		Sony A7S	4/5	..	..	86/100	4.5/5	5/5	Apr 2014	2,499	ebay.com
13.		Sony A7R	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	2,299	ebay.com
14.		Sony A58	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	599	ebay.com
15.		Sony RX1R	5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	2,799	ebay.com
16.		Sony RX1	5/5	..	..	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
17.		Sony A77	5/5	91/100	..	81/100	..	5/5	Aug 2011	1,399	ebay.com
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price 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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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As 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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