CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison
  • BRANDS
    • Sony Cameras
    • Canon Cameras
    • Nikon Cameras
    • Pentax Cameras
    • Fujifilm Cameras
    • Olympus Cameras
    • Panasonic Cameras
    • Leica Cameras
    • Samsung Cameras
  • BODY TYPE
    • Mirrorless Cameras
    • DSLR Cameras
    • Compact Cameras
    • Bridge Cameras
    • Waterproof Cameras

Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Sony A7S

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

Sony A7S
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Nikon D800E

36 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D800E
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E 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 Nikon D800E, which was introduced in June 2012 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 36.0MP Full frame sensor. There is 22 months difference between A7S and D800E 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, especially in sensor tech.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Nikon D800E 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

Nikon D800E Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-06-11
  • 36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 900g. 146 x 123 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D700 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 Nikon D800E

Nikon D800E was replaced by Nikon D810. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D810 vs Nikon D800E
Nikon D810 vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Nikon D800E compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Nikon D800E
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Magnification
0.71x vs 0.7x Larger Viewfinder
Max ISO
409.600 vs 6.400 6300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 921k dots 33% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 4.0fps 1 fps faster
Weight
489 g vs 900 g 411 g lighter
Low Light ISO
3702 vs 2979 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 23.83µm2 198% 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
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Nikon D800E over Sony Alpha A7S
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Sensor Resolution
36 MP vs 12 MP 200% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
51 vs 25 26 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3 0.2 inches larger display
Battery Life
900 shots vs 360 shots 540 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Color Depth
25.6 vs 23.9 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.3 vs 13.2 higher dynamic range
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
11 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Nikon D800E
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
3 vs 3.2" Large display
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
Dual-axis Electronic Level
Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Nikon D800E
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E: 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 Nikon D800E 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). Nikon D800E has external dimensions of 146 x 123 x 82 mm (5.75 x 4.84 x 3.23″) and weighs 900 g (1.98 lb / 31.75 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Nikon D800E. Sony A7S is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 19mm narrower, 29mm shorter and 34mm thinner than Nikon D800E.

Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Nikon D800E Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Nikon D800E.

Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Nikon D800E Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Nikon D800E.
Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Nikon D800E Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S is significantly lighter (411g ) than the Nikon D800E 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 A7S and Nikon D800E 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

DSLR Cameras

A7S
D800E
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S
D800E
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7S and D800E have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D800E's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A7S's 3 screen.

On the other hand, Sony A7S LCD screen has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Nikon D800E has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.
Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E: 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, Nikon D800E has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3 processor.

Nikon D800E's sensor provides 24MP more than Sony A7S's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Nikon D800E's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. 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 A7S and D800E sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Nikon D800E Cameras


Sony A7S and Nikon D800E have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with 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. Sony A7S and Nikon D800E sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D800E has a better overall score of 96, 9 points higher compared to A7S's score of 87.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7S 87 23.9 bits 13.2 Evs 3702 ISO
Nikon D800E 96 25.6 bits 14.3 Evs 2979 ISO
Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E 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 Nikon D800E has an advantage over Sony A7S There are 309 lenses for Nikon D800E's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 128 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 31 lenses for Sony E mount and 106 lenses for Nikon F mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Sony A7S Lenses # of Nikon D800E Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 33 (17 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 18 (9 Full Frame) 21 (18 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 33 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 42 (26 Full Frame) 48 (46 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 53 (43 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 18 (14 Full Frame) 45 (44 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 30 (6 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 8 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 26 (23 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 11 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1 (0 Full Frame)
TOTAL 128 (81 Full Frame) 309 (228 Full Frame)


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A7S and Nikon D800E to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM
24 - 70mm 886gr 1375gr 136mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 24-70mm F2.8E ED VR Lens Nikon 24-70mm F2.8E ED VR
24 - 70mm 1070gr 1970gr 155mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS
70 - 200mm 1480gr 1969gr 200mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm F2.8E FL ED VR Lens Nikon AF-S 70-200mm F2.8E FL ED VR
70 - 200mm 1430gr 2330gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 50mm F1.4 Lens Sony FE 50mm F1.4
50mm 778gr 1267gr 108mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 50mm f1.4G Lens Nikon 50mm f1.4G
50mm 290gr 1190gr 54mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
16 - 35mm 680gr 1169gr 122mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF Lens Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF
17 - 35mm 745gr 1645gr 106mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Lens Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
24 - 105mm 663gr 1152gr 113mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR Lens Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR
24 - 120mm 710gr 1610gr 104mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
100 - 400mm 1395gr 1884gr 205mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM C Lens Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM C
150 - 600mm 1930gr 2830gr 290mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Nikon D800E Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Nikon D800E 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

Nikon D800E for Portrait Photography

GOOD
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 Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon D800E for Street Photography

GOOD
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 Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D800E for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
15 Cross Type Focus sensors
51 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 900 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D800E 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 Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
900g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D800E for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Nikon D800E: 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 Nikon D800E, 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 Nikon D800E scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Nikon D800E
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #13 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #58 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon D800E has a higher Overall Score thanks to its better image quality and more features compared to Sony A7S. On the other hand the Sony A7S beats Nikon D800E in two significant areas: Value for Money and Compactness.
If you are a price conscious buyer and looking for a small and relatively low priced camera where you can take everywhere with you, Sony A7S is the right choice for you.
If you are after the better photographic performance with all the advanced features, definitely get the Nikon D800E

Sony A7S
Sony A7S
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Nikon D800E
Nikon D800E
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Nikon D800E vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Nikon D800E
Brand Sony Nikon
Announced 2014-04-06 2012-06-11
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 855.62mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 36 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 7360 x 4912
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 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 51
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 128 309
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3 3.2"
Resolution 1,230k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 4.0 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 None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 900g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 146 x 123 x 82mm
Battery Life 360 shots 900 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 96
DxO Color Depth 23.9 25.6
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 14.3
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 2979
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Nikon Z7
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Sony A6000
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7 III
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Fujifilm X-T3
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R
30 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Sony A6400
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Nikon D5600
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Nikon D850
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Top Rated Mirrorless Cameras
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $500
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $750
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1000
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1500
Top Rated DSLR Cameras
Top DSLR Cameras Under $500
Top DSLR Cameras Under $750
Top DSLR Cameras Under $1000
Top DSLR Cameras Under $1500
Latest Cameras
Leica SL2-S
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm
Fujifilm X-S10
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Nikon Z7 II
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Nikon Z6 II
25 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Canon M50 II
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Canon EF-M Mount
Sony A7c
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Panasonic S5
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Copyright © 2020 by CameraDecision
About Feedback Privacy Cameras

Report a Correction