Sony A7S vs Panasonic G2 Comparison

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Sony A7S

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

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Panasonic G2

12 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony A7S vs Panasonic G2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Panasonic. Sony A7S was introduced to market in April 2014 and Panasonic G2 was launched in July 2010. As you can see, G2 is 4 years older than A7S. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have 12.0MP sensors but Sony A7S's sensor is Full frame sized whereas Panasonic G2 has a Four Thirds sensor.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 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

Panasonic G2 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-07-12

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3" Fully Articulated Screen

1440k dot Electronic viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

428g. 124 x 84 x 74 mm

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Panasonic G2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x vs 0.55x	Larger Viewfinder
Max ISO	409.600 vs 6.400	6300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution	1.230k dots vs 460k dots	167% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	5.0fps vs 3.0fps	2 fps faster
Headphone Port	Yes vs No	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Viewfinder Resolution	2359k dot vs 1440k dot	63% higher resolution
Color Depth	23.9 vs 21.2	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	13.2 vs 10.3	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	3702 vs 493	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	71.24µm² vs 18.74µm²	280% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±5 EV vs ±2 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 over Sony Alpha A7S

Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Weight	428 g vs 489 g	61 g lighter
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

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
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs Optical	No Built-in stabilization

Sony A7S vs Panasonic G2: 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 Panasonic G2 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). Panasonic G2 has external dimensions of 124 x 84 x 74 mm (4.88 x 3.31 x 2.91″) and weighs 428 g (0.94 lb / 15.10 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic G2. Panasonic G2 is 3mm narrower and 10mm shorter than Sony A7S but it is also 26mm thicker.

Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic G2.

Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic G2 is 61g lighter than the Sony A7S 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 Sony A7S has a Full frame sensor and Panasonic G2 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic G2's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7S lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over G2 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Panasonic G2's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Sony A7S features a Tilting only screen which is mostly only good for shooting from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic G2 sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.

Sony A7S vs Panasonic G2: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Sony A7S's sensor is Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) and Panasonic G2's sensor is Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ).

Since Sony A7S'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 Panasonic G2.

Below you can see the A7S and G2 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 Cameras

As seen above, Sony A7S has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic G2. 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 Panasonic G2 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, 34 points higher than G2.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Sony A7S	87	23.9 bits	13.2 Evs	3702 ISO
Panasonic G2	53	21.2 bits	10.3 Evs	493 ISO

Sony A7S vs Panasonic G2 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 A7S has an advantage over Panasonic G2. There are 122 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 107 lenses for Panasonic G2's Micro Four Thirds 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 30 lenses for Sony E mount and 31 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with IS.

Lens Type	# of Sony A7S Lenses	# of Panasonic G2 Lenses
Standard Zoom	11 (8 Full Frame)	15
Standard Prime	18 (9 Full Frame)	13
Wideangle Zoom	7 (6 Full Frame)	5
Wideangle Prime	39 (23 Full Frame)	29
Telephoto Zoom	9 (7 Full Frame)	18
Telephoto Prime	18 (14 Full Frame)	9
SuperZoom	8 (1 Full Frame)	8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	2 (0 Full Frame)	5
Macro Prime	8 (7 Full Frame)	4
Perspective Control Prime	2 (2 Full Frame)	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	1
TOTAL	122 (77 Full Frame)	107

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 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	24 - 70mm	886gr	1375gr	136mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS	24 - 70mm	305gr	733gr	74mm	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	70 - 200mm	1480gr	1969gr	200mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS	70 - 200mm	357gr	785gr	100mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony FE 50mm F1.4	50mm	778gr	1267gr	108mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH	50mm	205gr	633gr	55mm	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	16 - 35mm	680gr	1169gr	122mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH	16 - 36mm	315gr	743gr	88mm	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	24 - 105mm	663gr	1152gr	113mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS	24 - 120mm	320gr	748gr	86mm	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	100 - 400mm	1395gr	1884gr	205mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3	200 - 800mm	985gr	1413gr	172mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Panasonic G2 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

Panasonic G2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic G2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic G2 for Sports Photography

GOOD

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

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic G2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
428g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic G2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Panasonic G2: 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 Panasonic G2, 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 Panasonic G2 scores compare:

Sony A7S

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #38 out of 85 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #70 out of 1218 in all Cameras

Panasonic G2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #76 out of 85 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #323 out of 1218 in all Cameras

Sony A7S has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic G2 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic G2 vs Sony A7S Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Alpha A7S	Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Brand	Sony	Panasonic
Announced	2014-04-06	2010-07-12
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	Full frame	Four Thirds
Dimensions	35.8 x 23.9 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	855.62mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4240 x 2832	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	409,600 ISO	6,400 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony E	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	122	107
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fully Articulated
Size	3	3"
Resolution	1,230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,359k dots	1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x	0.55x
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	11.00 m
Max Flash Sync	no built-in flash	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	5.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	1280 x 720
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC	AVCHD Lite, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	489g	428g
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 48mm	124 x 84 x 74mm
Battery Life	360 shots	360 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording	With Downloadable App
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	87	53
DxO Color Depth	23.9	21.2
DxO Dynamic Range	13.2	10.3
DxO Low Light ISO	3702	493
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