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Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II 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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Sony A7S II

12 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7S II
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Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A7R III and A7S II, two Pro Mirrorless cameras by Sony. Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Sony A7R III has a 42.0 MP and Sony A7S II has a 12.0 MP resolution. Sony A7R III was introduced to market in October 2017 and Sony A7S II was launched in October 2015. As you can see, A7S II is 2 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 Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II 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 Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps 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 7R II Compare

Sony A7S II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-10-12
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 102400 ( expands to 50-409600)
  • Sony E (NEX) Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 627g. 127 x 96 x 60 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7S 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 Sony Alpha A7S II

Sony A7S II was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S III vs Sony Alpha A7S II
Sony Alpha 7S III vs Sony Alpha A7R III

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Sony Alpha A7S II
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution
42 MP vs 12 MP 250% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 169 256 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.440k dots vs 1.229k dots 17% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 5.0fps 5 fps faster
Battery Life
650 shots vs 370 shots 280 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution
3686.4k dot vs 2359k dot 56% higher resolution
Color Depth
26.0 vs 23.6 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.7 vs 13.3 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3523 vs 2993 better High ISO performance
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
425 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S II over Sony Alpha A7R III
Max ISO
102.400 vs 32.000 220% higher Max ISO
Weight
627 g vs 657 g 30 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
70.55µm2 vs 20.43µm2 245% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Sony Alpha A7S II
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting 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
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
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
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-I Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs Yes Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Sony Alpha A7S II
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II: 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 A7R III and Sony A7S II 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). Sony A7S II has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 60 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.36″) and weighs 627 g (1.38 lb / 22.12 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II. Sony A7R III has the same height and width with Sony A7S II. On the other hand, with a thickness of 74mm, it is 14mm thicker.

Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II.

Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II.
Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S II is 30g lighter than the Sony A7R III 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 both Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II have the same Sony E lens mount and Full frame sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
A7S II
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
A7S II
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7R III and A7S II have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.
Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II: 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, Sony A7S II has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 30MP more than Sony A7S II'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 moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7R III and A7S II sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II Cameras


Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II 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, A7R III has scored 100, 15 points higher than A7S II.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7R III 100 26.0 bits 14.7 Evs 3523 ISO
Sony A7S II 85 23.6 bits 13.3 Evs 2993 ISO
Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. In this case, both Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II have the same Sony E lens mount so have 128 native lenses available. All of these lenses cover Full frame sensor.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. A7R III's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Sony A7S II Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 12 (9 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 18 (9 Full Frame) 18 (9 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 7 (6 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 42 (26 Full Frame) 42 (26 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 9 (7 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 18 (14 Full Frame) 18 (14 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 8 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 2 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 8 (7 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 2 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 128 (81 Full Frame) 128 (81 Full Frame)

What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Sony A7S II 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

EXCELLENT

Sony A7S II for Portrait Photography

GOOD
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
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7S II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
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
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A7S II 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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
169 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7S II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
627g
Body Thickness 60mm
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Sony A7S II for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Sony A7S II: 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 Sony A7S II, 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 A7R III and Sony A7S II scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #4 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #4 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Sony A7S II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #29 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #44 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony A7S II in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Sony A7R III.

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Sony A7S II
Sony A7S II
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Sony A7S II vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Sony Alpha A7S II
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2017-10-25 2015-10-12
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 35.6 x 23.8 mm
Area 861.60mm2 847.28mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 4240 x 2832
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 102,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO 409600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO 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 425 169
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Sony E (NEX)
Number of Available Lenses 128 128
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3
Resolution 1,440k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots 2,359k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.78x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 627g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 127 x 96 x 60mm
Battery Life 650 shots 370 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 85
DxO Color Depth 26.0 23.6
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 13.3
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 2993
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