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Sony A7S vs Sigma SD10 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 SD10

3 MP | APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm) CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor

Sigma SD10
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Sony A7S vs Sigma SD10 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 SD10, which was introduced in March 2004 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 3.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, SD10 is 10 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 SD10 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 SD10 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2004-03-19
  • 3MP - APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 800 ( expands to 1600)
  • Sigma SA Bayonet Mount
  • 1.8" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 950g. 152 x 120 x 79 mm
  • Replaced Sigma SD9 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 SD10

Sigma SD10 was replaced by Sigma SD14. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sigma SD14 vs Sigma SD10
Sigma SD14 vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Sigma SD10 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Sigma SD10
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
12 MP vs 3 MP 300% more pixels
Max ISO
409.600 vs 800 51100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size
3 vs 1.8" 1.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 130k dots 846% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 98% More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/6000s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
489 g vs 950 g 461 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
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 SD10 over Sony Alpha A7S
Viewfinder Magnification
0.77x vs 0.71x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Pixel Area
83.28µm2 vs 71.24µm2 16% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Sigma SD10
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
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Sigma SD10
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
LCD Screen Size
3 vs 1.8" Small display
Sony A7S vs Sigma SD10: 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 SD10 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 SD10 has external dimensions of 152 x 120 x 79 mm (5.98 x 4.72 x 3.11″) and weighs 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Sigma SD10. Sony A7S is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 25mm narrower, 26mm shorter and 31mm thinner than Sigma SD10.

Sony A7S vs Sigma SD10 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sigma SD10 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

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 (461g ) than the Sigma SD10 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 SD10 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Sigma SD10'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
SD10
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S
SD10
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over SD10 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S's 3 LCD screen is slightly larger than Sigma SD10's 1.8" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Sony A7S LCD screen also 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, Sigma SD10 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.
Sony A7S vs Sigma SD10: 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 SD10 has a 3.0MP APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor .

Sony A7S's sensor provides 9MP more than Sigma SD10'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.

Below you can see the A7S and SD10 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Sigma SD10 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sigma SD10 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 3.0x Larger sensor area than Sigma SD10. 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 SD10 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 SD10. There are 128 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 76 lenses for Sigma SD10'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 SD10 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 SD10 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Sigma SD10 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 SD10 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 (20.7 x 13.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 3.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Sigma SD10 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 (20.7 x 13.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sigma SD10 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
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sigma SD10 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 (20.7 x 13.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
950g
Body Thickness 79mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sigma SD10 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 (20.7 x 13.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 3.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Sigma SD10: 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 SD10, 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 SD10 scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Sigma SD10
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #91 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #904 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sigma SD10 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 SD10
Sigma SD10
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Sigma SD10 vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Sigma SD10
Brand Sony Sigma
Announced 2014-04-06 2004-03-19
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 20.7 x 13.8 mm
Area 855.62mm2 285.66mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 3 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 2268 x 1512
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 1600 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 1.8"
Resolution 1,230k dots 130k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 98%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.77x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/180s
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 950g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 152 x 120 x 79mm
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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