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Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2 Comparison

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Sony A7R III

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R III
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Nikon 1 S2

14 MP | 1″ (13.1 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon 1 S2
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Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing A7R III and 1 S2, two Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Nikon. Sony Alpha A7R III is a Pro Mirrorless class camera and Nikon 1 S2 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless class camera.

Sony A7R III was introduced to the market in October 2017 and Nikon 1 S2 was launched in May 2014. As you can see, 1 S2 is 3 years older than A7R III. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-10-25
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 657g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm
  • Weather-sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha A7R II Compare

Nikon 1 S2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-05-21
  • 14MP - 1' CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 60.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1200fps High-Speed Video
  • 190g. 101 x 61 x 29 mm
  • Replaced Nikon 1 S1 Compare

Sony A7R III was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Sony Alpha A7R III
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Nikon 1 S2

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Sony A7R III Sony A7R III
See at AMAZON
Nikon 1 S2 Nikon 1 S2
See at AMAZON
Sony A7R III
See at AMAZON
Nikon 1 S2
See at AMAZON
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Nikon 1 S2
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Optional Better connectivity
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Sensor Resolution
42 MP vs 14 MP 200% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 12.800 150% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 171 254 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.440k dots vs 460k dots 213% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
650 shots vs 270 shots 380 more frames with a single charge
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
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (169. 6) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
USB Version
USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A7R III PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon 1 S2 over Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps 50 fps faster
Weight
190 g vs 657 g 467 g lighter
CHECK 1 S2 PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Nikon 1 S2
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Nikon 1 S2
Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7R III has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 74 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91″) and weighs 657 g (1.45 lb / 23.17 oz) (including batteries). Nikon 1 S2 has external dimensions of 101 x 61 x 29 mm (3.98 x 2.4 x 1.14″) and weighs 190 g (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Sony A7R III and the Nikon 1 S2. Nikon 1 S2 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 26mm narrower, 35mm shorter and 45mm thinner than Sony A7R III.

Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Sony A7R III and the Nikon 1 S2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2.

Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Sony A7R III and the Nikon 1 S2 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2.
Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Sony A7R III and the Nikon 1 S2 Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon 1 S2 is significantly lighter (467g ) than the Sony A7R III 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 also have to take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Sony A7R III has a Full frame sensor and Nikon 1 S2 has a smaller 1' sensor, Nikon 1 S2's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7R III lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
1 S2
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
1 S2
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather-sealed body, we believe that the A7R III has a big advantage over the 1 S2 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

On the other hand, Sony A7R III 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 Nikon 1 S2 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7R III.


Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 S2 has a 14.2MP 1' (13.1 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4A processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 27.8MP more than Nikon 1 S2'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.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R III's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7R III and 1 S2 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 7.5x Larger sensor area than Nikon 1 S2. 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 A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

The number of available lenses is a big deciding factor when choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that the Sony A7R III has an advantage over the Nikon 1 S2. There are 201 lenses for the Sony A7R III's Sony E mount, but on the other hand, there are only 13 lenses for the Nikon 1 S2's Nikon 1 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A7R III has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. A7R III's built-in Image stabilization system is effective for compensating vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Nikon 1 S2 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 7 lenses for Nikon 1 mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Nikon 1 S2 Lenses
Standard Zoom 19 (14 Full Frame) 4
Standard Prime 34 (21 Full Frame) 2
Wideangle Zoom 16 (12 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Prime 61 (42 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Zoom 19 (17 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Prime 28 (21 Full Frame) n/a
SuperZoom 10 (2 Full Frame) 2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) n/a
Macro Prime 9 (8 Full Frame) n/a
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 201 (139 Full Frame) 13

What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Nikon 1 S2 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 A7R III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 S2 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Check the Best Sony E Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography
Average sized 1″ (13.1 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.2MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon 1 S2 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Check the Best Sony E Mount Lenses for Street Photography
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Average sized 1″ (13.1 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Street Photography

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 S2 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
425 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Check the Best Sony E Mount Lenses for Sports Photography
Fast Continuous Shooting: 60.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
73 Cross Type Focus sensors
171 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 270 shots
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Sports Photography

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon 1 S2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
190g
Average sized 1″ (13.1 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 S2 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Check the Best Sony E Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.1 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.2MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography

Sony A7R III vs Nikon 1 S2: 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 A7R III and Nikon 1 S2, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 A7R III and Nikon 1 S2 scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #10 out of 117 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #12 out of 1275 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 S2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #107 out of 140 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #459 out of 1275 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon 1 S2 in all criteria except one: Portability. Nikon 1 S2 is significantly smaller than Sony A7R III. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon 1 S2. Otherwise, Sony A7R III is the better camera overall.

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Nikon 1 S2
Nikon 1 S2
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Nikon 1 S2 vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Nikon 1 S2
Brand Sony Nikon
Announced 2017-10-25 2014-05-21
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame 1'
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 13.1 x 8.8 mm
Area 861.60mm2 115.28mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 14.2 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 4592 x 3072
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 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 425 171
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Nikon 1
Number of Available Lenses 201 13
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,440k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter n/a 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 60.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 190g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 101 x 61 x 29mm
Battery Life 650 shots 270 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 not tested
DxO Color Depth 26.0 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 not tested
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