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Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II

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Sony A99 II

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A99 II
$3,198.00
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Sony A7R II

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R II
$2,398.00
Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Sony cameras cameras with different body types: Sony A99 II is a Semi-Pro DSLR camera with a 42.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Sony A7R II is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 42.0MP Full frame sensor.
Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious altenatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Sony A99 II is ranked #2 out of 89 Semi-Pro DSLR cameras with an overall score of 96 whereas Sony A7R II is ranked #3 out of 30 Pro Mirrorless cameras with an overall score of 96.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A99 II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-09-19
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 50-102400)
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Fully articulated Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 12.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 849g. 143 x 104 x 76 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony SLT-A99 Compare

Sony A7R II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-06-10
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 50-102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 625g. 127 x 96 x 60 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7R Compare

Sony A7R II was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R III vs Sony Alpha A7R II
Sony Alpha A7R III vs Sony Alpha A99 II

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A99 II over Sony Alpha A7R II
Continuous Shooting 12.0fps vs 5.0fps 7 fps faster
Battery Life 490 shots vs 290 shots 200 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Top LCD Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Bluetooth Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R II over Sony Alpha A99 II
Weight 625 g vs 849 g 224 g lighter
Color Depth 26.0 vs 25.4 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 13.9 vs 13.4 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 3434 vs 2317 better High ISO performance
Price $2,398 vs $3,198 $800 cheaper
Shutter Life Expectancy 500000 cycles vs 300000 cycles Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A99 II and Sony Alpha A7R II
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 42 MP vs 42 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution 1.229k dots vs 1.229k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Shutter Life Expectancy 300000 cycles vs 500000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Dual-axis Electronic Level Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A99 II and Sony Alpha A7R II
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II. Sony A7R II is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 16mm narrower, 8mm shorter and 16mm thinner than Sony A99 II.

Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II.
Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7R II is significantly lighter (224g ) than the Sony A99 II which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A99 II
A7R II
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A99 II
A7R II
Min
Average
Max
Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II have 42.0 MP resolution sensors but Sony A99 II's sensor is Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) and Sony A7R II's sensor is Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ).

Since Sony A7R II's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Sony A99 II.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Sony A7R II and Sony A99 II sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A99 II and A7R II sensor size comparison.

Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II Sensor Size Comparison


Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A99 II for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R II for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony A99 II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Sony A99 II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
79 Cross Type Focus sensors
399 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
399 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
Read the details

Sony A99 II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
849g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
625g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Sony A99 II for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R II for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Sony A7R II vs Sony A99 II Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A99 II has an advantage over Sony A7R II There are 141 lenses for Sony A99 II's Sony/Minolta Alpha mount, on the other hand there are only 83 lenses for Sony A7R II's Sony E lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Sony A99 II Lenses # of Sony A7R II Lenses
Standard Zoom 20 9 (7 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 9 13 (5 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 11 4 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 18 27 (14 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 26 6 (5 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 11 10 (7 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 19 8 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 4 1 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 12 4 (3 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 9 1 (1 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 2 n/a
TOTAL 141 83 (46 Full Frame)
Sony A99 II vs Sony A7R II: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A99 II and Sony A7R II scores compare:

Sony A99 II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #3 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #4 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Sony A7R II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #5 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Sony A99 II
Sony A99 II
$3,198.00

Sony A7R II
Sony A7R II
$2,398.00

Sony A7R II vs Sony A99 II Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A99 II Sony Alpha A7R II
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2016-09-19 2015-06-10
Body Type Mid-size SLR SLR-style mirrorless
Price $3,198.00 $2,398.00
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 861.60mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 42 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 7974 x 5316
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO 50 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 399 399
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony/Minolta Alpha Sony E
Number of Available Lenses 141 83
Screen
Type Fully articulated Tilting
Size 3″ 3″
Resolution 1,229k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78 0.78
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 12.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 849g 625g
Dimensions 143 x 104 x 76mm 127 x 96 x 60mm
Battery Life 490 shots 290 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 92 98
DxO Color Depth 25.4 26.0
DxO Dynamic Range 13.4 13.9
DxO Low Light ISO 2317 3434
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