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Sony A7S vs Sony a3500 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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Sony a3500

20 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony a3500
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Sony A7S vs Sony a3500 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras by Sony. Sony A7S was introduced to market in April 2014 and Sony a3500 was launched in March 2014. There is only 1 months difference between A7S and a3500 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Sony a3500 has a 20.0MP APS-C sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Sony a3500 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

Sony a3500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-03-21
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 411g. 128 x 91 x 85 mm
  • Replaced Sony Alpha A3000 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 Sony Alpha a3500

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Sony a3500 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Sony Alpha a3500
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Magnification
0.71x vs 0.47x Larger Viewfinder
Max ISO
409.600 vs 16.000 2460% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 230k dots 433% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 4.0fps 1 fps faster
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
Color Depth
23.9 vs 23.7 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.2 vs 12.8 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3702 vs 1068 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 18.50µm2 285% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
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 Sony Alpha a3500 over Sony Alpha A7S
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
Battery Life
470 shots vs 360 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Weight
411 g vs 489 g 78 g lighter

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Sony Alpha a3500
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
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Sony Alpha a3500
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs Optical No Built-in stabilization
Sony A7S vs Sony a3500: 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 Sony a3500 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). Sony a3500 has external dimensions of 128 x 91 x 85 mm (5.04 x 3.58 x 3.35″) and weighs 411 g (0.91 lb / 14.50 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Sony a3500. Sony A7S is 1mm narrower and 37mm thinner than Sony a3500 but it is also 3mm taller.

Sony A7S vs Sony a3500 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sony a3500 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Sony a3500.
Sony A7S vs Sony a3500 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sony a3500 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony a3500 is significantly lighter (78g ) than the Sony A7S 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 Sony a3500 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Sony a3500'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
a3500
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S
a3500
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over a3500 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Sony a3500'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 Sony a3500 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.
Sony A7S vs Sony a3500: 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, Sony a3500 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features BIONZ image processor processor.

Sony a3500's sensor provides 8MP more than Sony A7S'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 a3500 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Sony a3500 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sony a3500 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Sony a3500. 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 Sony a3500 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Both Sony A7S and Sony a3500 have 128 native lenses available but be careful that since Sony A7S has a full frame sensor, only 81 of these lenses can cover the full frame sensor of A7S.

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 with Image stabilization for Sony E mount.

Lens Type # of Sony A7S Lenses # of Sony a3500 Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 12
Standard Prime 18 (9 Full Frame) 18
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 7
Wideangle Prime 42 (26 Full Frame) 42
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 9
Telephoto Prime 18 (14 Full Frame) 18
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 2
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 8
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 128 (81 Full Frame) 128

Here are some of the most popular Sony E Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Sony E Mount Lenses for A7S and a3500
Model Coverage Weight Focusing Street Price
Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS Lens Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS
35mm FF 780gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T
35mm FF 426gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Lens Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
APS-C / DX 345gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS Lens Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS
35mm FF 840gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T Lens Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T
35mm FF 120gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS Lens Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS
35mm FF 854gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 50mm F1.8 Lens Sony FE 50mm F1.8
35mm FF 186gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS Lens Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS
APS-C / DX 116gr AF Amazon B&H Photo

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A7S and Sony a3500 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
Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G Lens Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G
24 - 82.5mm 494gr 905gr 100mm 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
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Lens Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
82.5 - 315mm 345gr 756gr 108mm 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
Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS Lens Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS
52.5mm 155gr 566gr 45mm 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
Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS Lens Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS
15 - 27mm 225gr 636gr 64mm 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
Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS Lens Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS
24 - 105mm 308gr 719gr 75mm 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
Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS Lens Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
105 - 525mm 625gr 1036gr 142mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Sony a3500 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Sony a3500 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

Sony a3500 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 (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony a3500 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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony a3500 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
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony a3500 for Daily Photography

GOOD
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 (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
411g
Body Thickness 85mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony a3500 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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Sony a3500: 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 Sony a3500, 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 Sony a3500 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
Sony a3500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #78 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #339 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony a3500 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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Sony a3500
Sony a3500
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Sony a3500 vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Sony Alpha a3500
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2014-04-06 2014-03-21
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame APS-C
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 855.62mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 5456 x 3632
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 16,000 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 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Sony E
Number of Available Lenses 128 128
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,230k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots n/a
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.47x
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 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 4.0 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, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 411g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 128 x 91 x 85mm
Battery Life 360 shots 470 shots
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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