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Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill 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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Sigma SD1 Merrill

15 MP | APS-C (24 x 16 mm) CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor

Sigma SD1 Merrill
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Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill 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 Sigma SD1 Merrill, which was introduced in April 2012 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 15.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, SD1 Merrill is 2 years older than A7S. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

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 Sigma SD1 Merrill 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

Sigma SD1 Merrill Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-04-10
  • 15MP - APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sigma SA Bayonet Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 790g. 146 x 113 x 80 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sigma SD1 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 Sigma SD1 Merrill

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Sigma SD1 Merrill
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Magnification
0.71x vs 0.64x Larger Viewfinder
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max ISO
409.600 vs 6.400 6300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 460k dots 167% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 96% More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
489 g vs 790 g 301 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 25.00µm2 184% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and 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 Sigma SD1 Merrill over Sony Alpha A7S
Max Sensor Resolution
15 MP vs 12 MP 25% more pixels

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill
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
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
New4
Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill: 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 Sigma SD1 Merrill 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). Sigma SD1 Merrill has external dimensions of 146 x 113 x 80 mm (5.75 x 4.45 x 3.15″) and weighs 790 g (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill. Sony A7S is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 19mm narrower, 19mm shorter and 32mm thinner than Sigma SD1 Merrill.

Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill.

Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill.
Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill 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 (301g ) than the Sigma SD1 Merrill 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 Sony A7S has a Full frame sensor and Sigma SD1 Merrill has a smaller APS-C sensor, Sigma SD1 Merrill's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7S lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S
SD1 Merrill
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S
SD1 Merrill
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7S and SD1 Merrill have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

On the other hand, Sony A7S features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Sigma SD1 Merrill has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.
Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill: 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, Sigma SD1 Merrill has a 15.0MP APS-C (24 x 16 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features Dual True II processor.

Below you can see the A7S and SD1 Merrill sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 2.2x Larger sensor area than Sigma SD1 Merrill. 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.

Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill 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 Sigma SD1 Merrill. There are 128 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 76 lenses for Sigma SD1 Merrill's Sigma SA Bayonet 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 28 lenses for Sigma SA Bayonet mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Sony A7S Lenses # of Sigma SD1 Merrill Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 9
Standard Prime 18 (9 Full Frame) 5
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 8
Wideangle Prime 42 (26 Full Frame) 8
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 18
Telephoto Prime 18 (14 Full Frame) 8
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 9
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 4
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 7
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 128 (81 Full Frame) 76

What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Sigma SD1 Merrill 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

Sigma SD1 Merrill 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 APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Sigma SD1 Merrill for Street Photography

AVERAGE
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 APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sigma SD1 Merrill 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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
No Image Stabilization
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/s
Focus Points
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sigma SD1 Merrill 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 APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
790g
Body Thickness 80mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sigma SD1 Merrill 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 APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Live-view
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Sigma SD1 Merrill: 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 Sigma SD1 Merrill, 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 Sigma SD1 Merrill 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
Sigma SD1 Merrill
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #83 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #780 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sigma SD1 Merrill 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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Sigma SD1 Merrill
Sigma SD1 Merrill
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Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Sigma SD1 Merrill
Brand Sony Sigma
Announced 2014-04-06 2012-04-10
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS (Foveon X3)
Size Full frame APS-C
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 24 x 16 mm
Area 855.62mm2 384.00mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 15 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 4800 x 3200
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 Sigma SA Bayonet
Number of Available Lenses 128 76
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,230k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 96%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.64x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync n/a s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps n/a
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 790g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 146 x 113 x 80mm
Battery Life 360 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 not tested
DxO Color Depth 23.9 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 not tested
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