Sony A7C II vs A7R V

The Sony Alpha A7C II and the Sony Alpha A7R V are two enthusiast cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in August 2023 and October 2022. Both the A7C II and the A7R V are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The A7C II has a resolution of 32.7 megapixels, whereas the A7R V provides 60.2 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Sony A7C II		Sony A7R V
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Sony E mount lenses		Sony E mount lenses
32.7 MP – Full Frame sensor		60.2 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/60p Video		8k/24p Video
ISO 100-51,200 (50 - 204,800)		ISO 100-32,000 (50 - 102,400)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (9440k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1037k dots		3.2" LCD – 2100k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fully flexible touchscreen
10 shutter flaps per second		10 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
540 shots per battery charge		530 shots per battery charge
124 x 71 x 63 mm, 514 g		131 x 97 x 82 mm, 723 g

Check A7C II price at
amazon.com
Check A7R V price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A7C II and the Sony Alpha A7R V? 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

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Sony A7C II and the Sony A7R V. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A7C II can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the A7R V is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A7R V is considerably larger (44 percent) than the Sony A7C II. Moreover, the A7R V is substantially heavier (41 percent) than the A7C II. 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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Sony FE Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony A7C II	124 mm	71 mm	63 mm	514 g	540	Y	Aug 2023	EUR 2 399	amazon.com
2.		Sony A7R V	131 mm	97 mm	82 mm	723 g	530	Y	Oct 2022	EUR 4 499	amazon.com
3.		Canon R7	132 mm	90 mm	92 mm	612 g	660	Y	May 2022	EUR 1 499	amazon.com
4.		Fujifilm X-H2	136 mm	93 mm	85 mm	660 g	680	Y	Sep 2022	EUR 2 249	amazon.com
5.		OM System OM-1	135 mm	92 mm	73 mm	599 g	520	Y	Feb 2022	EUR 2 199	ebay.com
6.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
7.		Sony A7 III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	610	Y	Feb 2018	EUR 2 299	amazon.com
8.		Sony A7 IV	131 mm	96 mm	80 mm	659 g	580	Y	Oct 2021	EUR 2 799	amazon.com
9.		Sony A7C	124 mm	71 mm	60 mm	509 g	740	Y	Sep 2020	EUR 2 099	amazon.com
10.		Sony A7C R	124 mm	71 mm	63 mm	520 g	520	Y	Aug 2023	EUR 3 699	amazon.com
11.		Sony A7R	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	465 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
12.		Sony A7R II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	625 g	290	Y	Jun 2015	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
13.		Sony A7R III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	650	Y	Oct 2017	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
14.		Sony A7R IV	129 mm	96 mm	78 mm	665 g	670	Y	Jul 2019	EUR 3 999	ebay.com
15.		Sony A7R IVA	129 mm	96 mm	78 mm	665 g	670	Y	Apr 2021	EUR 3 999	amazon.com
16.		Sony A9	127 mm	96 mm	63 mm	673 g	650	Y	Apr 2017	EUR 5 299	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-E1	121 mm	72 mm	54 mm	483 g	570	Y	Mar 2023	EUR 2 699	amazon.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 obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The A7C II was launched at a markedly lower price (by 44 percent) than the A7R V, 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.

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. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units 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.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A7R V is 1 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the A7R V uses a more advanced image processing engine (Dual BIONZ XR) than the A7C II (BIONZ XR), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the A7R V offers a higher resolution of 60.2 megapixels, compared with 32.7 MP of the A7C II. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.76μm versus 5.12μm for the A7C II). Moreover, it should be noted that the A7C II is a somewhat more recent model (by 10 months) than the A7R V, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A7R V implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A7R V for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 47.5 x 31.7 inches or 120.7 x 80.5 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 38 x 25.3 inches or 96.6 x 64.4 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 31.7 x 21.1 inches or 80.5 x 53.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Sony A7C II are 35 x 23.4 inches or 89 x 59.3 cm for good quality, 28 x 18.7 inches or 71.2 x 47.5 cm for very good quality, and 23.4 x 15.6 inches or 59.3 x 39.6 cm for excellent quality prints.

Unlike the A7C II, the A7R V has the capacity to capture high quality composite images (240MP) by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).

The Sony Alpha A7C II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200, which can be extended to ISO 50-204800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A7R V are ISO 100 to ISO 32000, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-102400.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with BSI-CMOS (Backside Illuminated 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 determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony A7C II	Full Frame	32.7	7008	4672	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3237	96
2.		Sony A7R V	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	8k/24p	26.5	14.8	3187	100
3.		Canon R7	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4k/60p	24.1	13.8	2092	84
4.		Fujifilm X-H2	APS-C	39.8	7728	5152	8k/30p	24.3	13.9	2249	86
5.		OM System OM-1	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.4	13.4	1553	77
6.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
7.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
8.		Sony A7 IV	Full Frame	32.7	7008	4672	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3379	97
9.		Sony A7C	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3407	95
10.		Sony A7C R	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3227	96
11.		Sony A7R	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.6	14.1	2746	95
12.		Sony A7R II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	26.0	13.9	3434	98
13.		Sony A7R III	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	26.0	14.7	3523	100
14.		Sony A7R IV	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	4K/30p	26.0	14.8	3344	99
15.		Sony A7R IVA	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	4K/30p	26.0	14.8	3344	99
16.		Sony A9	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.9	13.3	3517	92
17.		Sony ZV-E1	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	4K/60p	25.4	14.6	3181	96
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the A7R V provides a better video resolution than the A7C II. It can shoot movie footage at 8k/24p, while the A7C II is limited to 4K/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A7R V offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the A7C II (9440k vs 2360k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A7C II, the Sony A7R V, and comparable 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 A7C II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
2.		Sony A7R V	9440	n	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon R7	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	15.0/s	n	Y
4.		Fujifilm X-H2	5760	Y	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	15.0/s	n	Y
5.		OM System OM-1	5760	n	3.0 / 1640	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
6.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
7.		Sony A7 III	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
8.		Sony A7 IV	3686	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
9.		Sony A7C	2360	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
10.		Sony A7C R	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
11.		Sony A7R	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	n	n
12.		Sony A7R II	2400	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
13.		Sony A7R III	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
14.		Sony A7R IV	5760	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
15.		Sony A7R IVA	5760	n	3.0 / 2340	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony A9	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony ZV-E1	none	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Sony A7C II and the Sony A7R V both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The A7C II writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the A7R V uses CFexpress (type A) or SDXC cards. The A7R V features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the A7C II only has one slot. Both cameras support UHS-II cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 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 A7C II and Sony Alpha A7R V 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 A7C II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony A7R V	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon R7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
4.		Fujifilm X-H2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
5.		OM System OM-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Sony A7 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
8.		Sony A7 IV	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
9.		Sony A7C	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y
10.		Sony A7C R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
11.		Sony A7R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Sony A7R II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony A7R III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
14.		Sony A7R IV	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony A7R IVA	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y
16.		Sony A9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
17.		Sony ZV-E1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A7R V (unlike the A7C II) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the A7C II and the A7R V are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The A7R V replaced the earlier Sony A7R IV, while the A7C II followed on from the Sony A7C. Further information on the features and operation of the A7C II and A7R V can be found, respectively, in the Sony A7C II Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A7R V Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Sony A7C II or the Sony A7R V – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A7C II:

• More compact: Is smaller (124x71mm vs 131x97mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 209g or 29 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (44 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 10 months after the A7R V).

Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A7R V:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (60.2 vs 32.7MP), which boosts linear resolution by 36%.
• High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (Dual BIONZ XR vs BIONZ XR).
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (8k/24p vs 4K/60p).
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (9440k vs 2360k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.9x vs 0.7x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2100k vs 1037k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• More solid recording: Has a full-sized HDMI port for a sturdy connection to an external recorder.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in October 2022).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A7R V is the clear winner of the contest (13 : 4 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 A7C II and the Sony A7R V place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the A7C II and the A7R V 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 where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-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]). 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	Street Price
1.		Sony A7C II	4/5	..	4/5	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2023	EUR 2 399	amazon.com
2.		Sony A7R V	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	92/100	..	..	Oct 2022	EUR 4 499	amazon.com
3.		Canon R7	4.5/5	+	5/5	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2022	EUR 1 499	amazon.com
4.		Fujifilm X-H2	5/5	+ +	5/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Sep 2022	EUR 2 249	amazon.com
5.		OM System OM-1	5/5	..	..	87/100	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2022	EUR 2 199	ebay.com
6.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
7.		Sony A7 III	..	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 2 299	amazon.com
8.		Sony A7 IV	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2021	EUR 2 799	amazon.com
9.		Sony A7C	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	86/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2020	EUR 2 099	amazon.com
10.		Sony A7C R	4/5	..	4/5	88/100	..	4/5	Aug 2023	EUR 3 699	amazon.com
11.		Sony A7R	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
12.		Sony A7R II	5/5	+ +	5/5	90/100	5/5	5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
13.		Sony A7R III	..	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Oct 2017	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
14.		Sony A7R IV	5/5	+	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2019	EUR 3 999	ebay.com
15.		Sony A7R IVA	5/5	+	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Apr 2021	EUR 3 999	amazon.com
16.		Sony A9	5/5	+ +	4.8/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2017	EUR 5 299	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-E1	..	+	4/5	..	..	4.5/5	Mar 2023	EUR 2 699	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check A7C II price at
amazon.com
Check A7R V price at
amazon.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. 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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Check A7C II price at
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