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Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2 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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Panasonic GH2

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

Panasonic GH2
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Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Panasonic. Sony A7S was introduced to market in April 2014 and Panasonic GH2 was launched in March 2011. As you can see, GH2 is 3 years older than A7S. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Panasonic GH2 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-03-23
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 442g. 124 x 90 x 76 mm
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 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-GH2

Panasonic GH2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2 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-GH2
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Max ISO
409.600 vs 12.800 3100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 23 2 more focus points
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
Battery Life
360 shots vs 330 shots 30 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth
23.9 vs 21.2 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.2 vs 11.3 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3702 vs 655 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 14.12µm2 404% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±3 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-GH2 over Sony Alpha A7S
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Weight
442 g vs 489 g 47 g lighter
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
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-GH2
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs Optical No Built-in stabilization
Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2: 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 GH2 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 GH2 has external dimensions of 124 x 90 x 76 mm (4.88 x 3.54 x 2.99″) and weighs 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2. Panasonic GH2 is 3mm narrower and 4mm shorter than Sony A7S but it is also 28mm thicker.

Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2.
Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GH2 is 47g 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 GH2 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic GH2'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
GH2
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S
GH2
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over GH2 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2'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 GH2 sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.
Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2: 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, Panasonic GH2 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Below you can see the A7S and GH2 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GH2. 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 GH2 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, 27 points higher than GH2.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7S 87 23.9 bits 13.2 Evs 3702 ISO
Panasonic GH2 60 21.2 bits 11.3 Evs 655 ISO
Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2 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 GH2. There are 128 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 107 lenses for Panasonic GH2'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 31 lenses for Sony E mount and 31 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Sony A7S Lenses # of Panasonic GH2 Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 15
Standard Prime 18 (9 Full Frame) 13
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 5
Wideangle Prime 42 (26 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 128 (81 Full Frame) 107


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2 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
Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS Lens Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 OIS
24 - 70mm 305gr 747gr 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 Lens 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 Lens Panasonic X 35-100mm F2.8 II Power OIS
70 - 200mm 357gr 799gr 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 Lens Sony FE 50mm F1.4
50mm 778gr 1267gr 108mm Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH Lens Panasonic 25mm F1.4 II ASPH
50mm 205gr 647gr 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 Lens Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
16 - 35mm 680gr 1169gr 122mm Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Lens Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH
16 - 36mm 315gr 757gr 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 Lens 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 Lens Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS
24 - 120mm 320gr 762gr 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 Lens 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 Lens Panasonic 100-400mm F4.0-6.3
200 - 800mm 985gr 1427gr 172mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 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: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 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
23 Focus Points
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GH2 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
442g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH2 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH2: 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 GH2, 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 GH2 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
Panasonic GH2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #74 out of 87 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #295 out of 1221 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic GH2 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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Panasonic GH2
Panasonic GH2
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Panasonic GH2 vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Brand Sony Panasonic
Announced 2014-04-06 2011-03-23
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 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 160 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 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 128 107
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 n/a
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.71x
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 15.60 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 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 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 442g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 124 x 90 x 76mm
Battery Life 360 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 60
DxO Color Depth 23.9 21.2
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 11.3
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 655
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