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Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III Comparison

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Sony A7S II

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

Sony A7S II
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Sony A7S III

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

Sony A7S III
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Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A7S II and A7S III, two Pro Mirrorless cameras by Sony. Both Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III cameras have 12.0MP Full frame sensors. Sony A7S II was introduced to market in October 2015 and Sony A7S III was launched in July 2020. As you can see, A7S II is 5 years older than A7S III. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

A7S II and A7S III are members of Sony's A7S series of cameras. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Sony A7S Series History
Model Release Date Sensor Max FPS Dimensions Weight
Sony A7S III
2020 12.0MP - Full frame 10.0 fps 129 x 97 x 81mm 699g
Sony A7S II
2015 12.0MP - Full frame 5.0 fps 127 x 96 x 60mm 627g
Sony A7S
  
2014 12.0MP - Full frame 5.0 fps 127 x 94 x 48mm 489g

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

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 III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2020-07-21
  • 12MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 102400 ( expands to 50-409600)
  • Sony E (NEX) Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3 Fully articulated Screen
  • 9440k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 699g. 129 x 97 x 81 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7S II 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 Sony Alpha A7S III

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

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S II over Sony Alpha A7S III
Weight
627 g vs 699 g 72 g lighter


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S III over Sony Alpha A7S II
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnification
0.91x vs 0.78x Larger Viewfinder
Number of Focus Points
759 vs 169 590 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.440k dots vs 1.229k dots 17% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 5.0fps 5 fps faster
Battery Life
600 shots vs 370 shots 230 more frames with a single charge
Viewfinder Resolution
9440k dot vs 2359k dot 300% higher resolution
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Max Video Bit rate
500mbps vs 100mbps Higher bit rate for better video quality
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S II and Sony Alpha A7S III
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fully articulated 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
LCD Screen Resolution
1.229k dots vs 1.440k dots High 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
Timelapse Recording
With Optional App vs With Optional App creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Dual-axis Electronic Level
Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Video Bit rates
100mbps vs 500mbps High Video quality
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs UHS-II Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Webcam Function
Yes vs Yes Use your camera as a Webcam
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs Yes Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S II and Sony Alpha A7S III
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III: 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 Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. 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). Sony A7S III has external dimensions of 129 x 97 x 81 mm (5.08 x 3.82 x 3.19″) and weighs 699 g (1.54 lb / 24.66 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III. Sony A7S II is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 2mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 21mm thinner than Sony A7S III.

Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

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

Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III.
Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S II is 72g lighter than the Sony A7S III but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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 A7S II and Sony A7S III have the same Sony E (NEX) lens mount and Full frame sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S II
A7S III
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S II
A7S III
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7S II and A7S III have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

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

Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III have Full frame sized 12.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

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

Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III Cameras


Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores
At Camera Decision, we also look at Dxo Mark sensors when available as we think it is a good indicator of image quality.
Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7S II 85 23.6 bits 13.3 Evs 2993 ISO
Sony A7S III 85 24.2 bits 13.4 Evs 3900 ISO
Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. In this case, both Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III have the same Sony E (NEX) lens mount so have 142 native lenses available. All of these lenses cover Full frame sensor.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. A7S III's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 5.5-stops according to CIPA standards.

Lens Type # of Sony A7S II Lenses # of Sony A7S III Lenses
Standard Zoom 13 (10 Full Frame) 13 (10 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 23 (13 Full Frame) 23 (13 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 8 (7 Full Frame) 8 (7 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 46 (30 Full Frame) 46 (30 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 10 (8 Full Frame) 10 (8 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 19 (15 Full Frame) 19 (15 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 9 (2 Full Frame) 9 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 2 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 8 (7 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 2 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 142 (94 Full Frame) 142 (94 Full Frame)

Here are some of the most popular Sony E (NEX) Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Sony E (NEX) Mount Lenses for A7S II and A7S III
Model Coverage Weight Focusing Street Price
Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS Lens Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS
35mm FF 780gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T
35mm FF 426gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Lens Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
APS-C / DX 345gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS Lens Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS
35mm FF 840gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T Lens Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T
35mm FF 120gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS Lens Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS
35mm FF 854gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 50mm F1.8 Lens Sony FE 50mm F1.8
35mm FF 186gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS Lens Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS
APS-C / DX 116gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S II and Sony A7S III 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 A7S II for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony A7S III for Portrait Photography

GOOD
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
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

Sony A7S II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7S III for Street Photography

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

Sony A7S II for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A7S III for Sports Photography

GOOD
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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
759 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 600 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Sony A7S II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7S III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
627g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
699g
Body Thickness 81mm
Read the details

Sony A7S II for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A7S III for Landscape Photography

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

Sony A7S II vs Sony A7S III: 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 A7S II and Sony A7S III, 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 A7S II and Sony A7S III scores compare:

Sony A7S II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #31 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #46 out of 1226 in all Cameras
Sony A7S III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #14 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #15 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Sony A7S III has a higher Overall Score than the Sony A7S II and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Sony A7S II
Sony A7S II
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Sony A7S III
Sony A7S III
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Sony A7S III vs Sony A7S II Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S II Sony Alpha A7S III
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2015-10-12 2020-07-21
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.6 x 23.8 mm 35.6 x 23.8 mm
Area 847.28mm2 847.28mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 4240 x 2832
Max Native Light sensitivity 102,400 ISO 102,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 409600 ISO 409600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 80 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 169 759
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E (NEX) Sony E (NEX)
Number of Available Lenses 142 142
Screen
Type Tilting Fully articulated
Size 3 3
Resolution 1,229k dots 1,440k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots 9,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.91x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 10.0 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, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-1, H.264, H.265
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 627g 699g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 60mm 129 x 97 x 81mm
Battery Life 370 shots 600 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 85 85
DxO Color Depth 23.6 24.2
DxO Dynamic Range 13.3 13.4
DxO Low Light ISO 2993 3900
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