Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH4 Comparison

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Sony A7S

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

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Panasonic GH4

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

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Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH4 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A7S and GH4, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Panasonic. Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Panasonic GH4 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. Sony A7S was introduced to market in April 2014 and Panasonic GH4 was launched in February 2014. There is only 2 months difference between A7S and GH4 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4 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 GH4 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-02-07

16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 25600

Micro Four Thirds Mount

3 Fully Articulated Screen

2359k dot Electronic viewfinder

12 fps continuous shooting

4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

560g. 133 x 93 x 84 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 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-GH4

Panasonic GH4 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5 vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4 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-GH4

Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x vs 0.67x	Larger Viewfinder
Max ISO	409.600 vs 25.600	1500% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution	1.230k dots vs 1.036k dots	18% higher resolution screen
Weight	489 g vs 560 g	71 g lighter
Color Depth	23.9 vs 23.2	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	13.2 vs 12.8	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	3702 vs 791	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	71.24µm² vs 14.12µm²	404% larger pixel area
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

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 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
Number of Focus Points	49 vs 25	24 more focus points
Continuous Shooting	12.0fps vs 5.0fps	7 fps faster
Battery Life	500 shots vs 360 shots	140 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs With optional app	creative shooting
Max Video Resolution	4096 x 2160 vs 3840 x 2160	Higher Resolution Video
Flash Sync Port	Yes vs No	Connect off-camera flash
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
4K Photo Mode	Yes vs No	Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Post Focus Mode	Yes vs No	Change focus point after taking a shot

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
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
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
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4

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

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Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH4: 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 GH4 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 GH4 has external dimensions of 133 x 93 x 84 mm (5.24 x 3.66 x 3.31″) and weighs 560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4. Sony A7S is 6mm narrower and 36mm thinner than Panasonic GH4 but it is also 1mm taller.

Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4.

Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4.

Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S is 71g lighter than the Panasonic GH4 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 GH4 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic GH4'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

GH4

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S

GH4

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7S and GH4 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4'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 GH4 sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.

Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH4: 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 GH4 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine IX processor.

Below you can see the A7S and GH4 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4 Cameras

As seen above, Sony A7S has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GH4. 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 GH4 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, 13 points higher than GH4.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Sony A7S	87	23.9 bits	13.2 Evs	3702 ISO
Panasonic GH4	74	23.2 bits	12.8 Evs	791 ISO

Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH4 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 GH4. There are 122 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 107 lenses for Panasonic GH4'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 GH4 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 GH4 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	865gr	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	917gr	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	765gr	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	875gr	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	880gr	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	1545gr	172mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Panasonic GH4 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 GH4 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 GH4 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 GH4 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 Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GH4 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
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
560g
Body Thickness 84mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH4 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
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Panasonic GH4: 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 GH4, 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 GH4 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 GH4

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #52 out of 85 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #111 out of 1218 in all Cameras

Sony A7S has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic GH4 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic GH4 vs Sony A7S Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Alpha A7S	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4
Brand	Sony	Panasonic
Announced	2014-04-06	2014-02-07
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	25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	200 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	49
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	1,036k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,359k dots	2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x	0.67x
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	17.00 m (at ISO 200)
Max Flash Sync	no built-in flash	1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	5.0 fps	12.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	4096 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	489g	560g
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 48mm	133 x 93 x 84mm
Battery Life	360 shots	500 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording	With Downloadable App
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	87	74
DxO Color Depth	23.9	23.2
DxO Dynamic Range	13.2	12.8
DxO Low Light ISO	3702	791
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