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Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X MII Comparison

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Sony A7S

12 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7S
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Canon G1 X II

13 MP | 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon G1 X II
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Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X II Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7S, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Canon G1 X II, which was introduced in February 2014 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 13.0MP 1.5 sensor. There is only 2 months difference between A7S and G1 X MII so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

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 Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-06
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 409600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 489g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Canon G1 X II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-12
  • 13MP - 1.5 CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • 24-120 mm F2.0-3.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 553g. 116 x 74 x 66 mm
  • Replaced Canon PowerShot G1 X Compare

Sony A7S was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Alpha A7S
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II

Canon G1 X II was replaced by Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III vs Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II
Viewfinder
Electronic vs Electronic (Optional) Better framing and control
Max ISO
409.600 vs 12.800 3100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 1.040k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
360 shots vs 240 shots 120 more frames with a single charge
Weight
489 g vs 553 g 64 g lighter
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
23.9 vs 21.5 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.2 vs 10.8 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3702 vs 581 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 20.17µm2 253% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II over Sony Alpha A7S
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution
13 MP vs 12 MP 8% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
31 vs 25 6 more focus points
Built-in ND Filter
3.0-stops vs No Use larger aperture under strong light
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II
Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X 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 Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 oz) (including batteries). Canon G1 X II has external dimensions of 116 x 74 x 66 mm (4.57 x 2.91 x 2.6″) and weighs 553 g (1.22 lb / 19.51 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II. Canon G1 X II is 11mm narrower and 20mm shorter than Sony A7S but it is also 18mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon G1 X II has a built-in lens but Sony A7S doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7S, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X II Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II.

Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X II Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II.
Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X II Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S is 64g lighter than the Canon G1 X II but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over G1 X MII which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.
Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X II: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Canon G1 X II has a 13.0MP 1.5 (18.7 x 14 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 6 processor.

Below you can see the A7S and G1 X MII sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X II Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 3.3x Larger sensor area than Canon G1 X II. 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

Both Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A7S has scored 87, 29 points higher than G1 X MII.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7S 87 23.9 bits 13.2 Evs 3702 ISO
Canon G1 X II 58 21.5 bits 10.8 Evs 581 ISO
What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Canon G1 X II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Canon G1 X 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 A7S for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Canon G1 X II for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Average Resolution Sensor: 13.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon G1 X II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon G1 X II for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
1 Cross Type Focus sensors
31 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Fast Lens at Tele: f3.90
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
120 mm Tele Lens
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 240 shots
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon G1 X II for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
Compact Body
5.0X Optical Zoom
553g
Body Thickness 66mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G1 X II for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details
Large 1.5″ (18.7 x 14 mm) sensor
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 13.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Canon G1 X 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 A7S and Canon G1 X 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 A7S and Canon G1 X II scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 87 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1221 in all Cameras
Canon G1 X II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #29 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #243 out of 1221 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon G1 X II in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7S
Sony A7S
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Canon G1 X II
Canon G1 X II
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Canon G1 X II vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II
Brand Sony Canon
Announced 2014-04-06 2014-02-12
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame 1.5
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 18.7 x 14 mm
Area 855.62mm2 261.80mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 13 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 4160 x 3120
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 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 25 31
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 24-120 mm (5x)
Max Aperture no lens F2.0-3.9
Macro Focus Range no lens 5cm
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3
Resolution 1,230k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 6.80 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 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 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 553g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 116 x 74 x 66mm
Battery Life 360 shots 240 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 58
DxO Color Depth 23.9 21.5
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 10.8
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 581
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