Canon G16 vs Sony A7S II Comparison

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Canon G16

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Sony A7S II

12 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Canon G16 vs Sony A7S II Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon G16, which was introduced in November 2013 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor whereas Sony A7S II, which was introduced in October 2015 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor. There is 23 months difference between G16 and A7S II so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger A7S II, especially in sensor tech.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon G16 and Sony A7S II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon G16 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-11-25

12MP - 1/1.7-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 12800

28-140 mm F1.8-2.8 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (tunnel) viewfinder

12 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

240fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

356g. 109 x 76 x 40 mm

Replaced Canon PowerShot G15 Compare

Sony A7S II Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-10-12

12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 102400 ( expands to 50-409600)

Sony E (NEX) Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3 Tilting Screen

2359k dot Electronic viewfinder

5.0 fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

120fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

627g. 127 x 96 x 60 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Sony Alpha 7S Compare

Sony A7S II was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S III vs Sony Alpha A7S II
Sony Alpha 7S III vs Canon PowerShot G16

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon G16 and Sony A7S II compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G16 over Sony Alpha A7S II

Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting	12.0fps vs 5.0fps	7 fps faster
Weight	356 g vs 627 g	271 g lighter
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs With optional app	creative shooting

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S II over Canon PowerShot G16

LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Max ISO	102.400 vs 12.800	700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	169 vs 9	160 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.229k dots vs 922k dots	33% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage	100% vs 80%	More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	370 shots vs 360 shots	10 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs No	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth	23.6 vs 21.0	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	13.3 vs 11.7	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	2993 vs 230	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	70.55µm² vs 3.46µm²	1939% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
UHS Card Support	UHS-I vs none	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Webcam Function	Yes vs No	Use your camera as a Webcam
Eye Tracking Focus	Yes vs No	Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject

Common Strengths of Canon PowerShot G16 and Sony Alpha A7S II

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Optical vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) 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
LCD Screen Resolution	922k dots vs 1.229k dots	High resolution screens
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Weaknesses of Canon PowerShot G16 and Sony Alpha A7S II

Canon G16 vs Sony A7S II: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon G16 and Sony A7S II side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon G16 has external dimensions of 109 x 76 x 40 mm (4.29 x 2.99 x 1.57″) and weighs 356 g (0.78 lb / 12.56 oz) (including batteries). Sony A7S II has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 60 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.36″) and weighs 627 g (1.38 lb / 22.12 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon G16 and Sony A7S II. Canon G16 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 18mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 20mm thinner than Sony A7S II. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon G16 has a built-in lens but Sony A7S II doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7S II, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Canon G16 and Sony A7S II Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon G16 and Sony A7S II.

Comparison image of Canon G16 and Sony A7S II Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon G16 and Sony A7S II.

Top View Comparison image of Canon G16 and Sony A7S II Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon G16 is significantly lighter (271g ) than the Sony A7S II which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A7S II, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of A7S II, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to G16.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon G16 and Sony A7S II's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Sony A7S II features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Canon G16 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S II.

Canon G16 vs Sony A7S II: Sensor Comparison

Both Canon G16 and Sony A7S II have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Canon G16's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) and Sony A7S II's sensor is Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ).

Since Sony A7S 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 Canon G16.

Below you can see the G16 and A7S II sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon G16 and Sony A7S II Cameras

As seen above, Sony A7S II has a 20.4x Larger sensor area than Canon G16. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Canon G16 and Sony A7S II sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A7S II has a better overall score of 85, 31 points higher compared to G16's score of 54.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Canon G16	54	21.0 bits	11.7 Evs	230 ISO
Sony A7S II	85	23.6 bits	13.3 Evs	2993 ISO

What types of Photography are Canon G16 and Sony A7S II Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon G16 and Sony A7S 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.

Canon G16 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7S II for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Canon G16 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7S II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon G16 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony A7S II for Sports Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Wireless Connection
Fast Lens at Tele: f2.80
140 mm Tele Lens
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
169 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Read the details

Canon G16 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A7S II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Compact Body
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
356g
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
627g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Canon G16 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony A7S II for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Canon G16 vs Sony A7S 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 Canon G16 and Sony A7S 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 Canon G16 and Sony A7S II scores compare:

Canon G16

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #7 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #274 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony A7S II

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #31 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #46 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony A7S II is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon G16 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon G16. Otherwise, Sony A7S II is the better camera overall.

Sony A7S II vs Canon G16 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon PowerShot G16	Sony Alpha A7S II
Brand	Canon	Sony
Announced	2013-11-25	2015-10-12
Body Type	Compact	SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/1.7-inch	Full frame
Dimensions	7.44 x 5.58 mm	35.6 x 23.8 mm
Area	41.52mm²	847.28mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4240 x 2832
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	102,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	409600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	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	9	169
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	Sony E (NEX)
Lens Focal Range	28-140 mm (5×)	no lens
Max Aperture	F1.8-2.8	no lens
Macro Focus Range	1cm	no lens
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Tilting
Size	3"	3
Resolution	922k dots	1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (tunnel)	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	80%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.78x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	7.00 m	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	1/2000s	n/a
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	1920 x 1080	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	356g	627g
Dimensions	109 x 76 x 40mm	127 x 96 x 60mm
Battery Life	360 shots	370 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording		With Downloadable App
GPS	Optional	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	54	85
DxO Color Depth	21.0	23.6
DxO Dynamic Range	11.7	13.3
DxO Low Light ISO	230	2993
	Report a correction	Report a correction