Product Comparison: Sony Alpha a7S vs Sony Alpha a7R

Advertiser Disclosure

This site is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and comparison features to its visitors. Please be advised that the operator of this site accepts advertising compensation from certain companies that appear on the site, and such compensation impacts the location and order in which the companies (and/or their products) are presented, and in some cases may also impact the scoring that is assigned to them. The scoring that appears on this site is determined by the site operator in its sole discretion, and should NOT be relied upon for accuracy purposes. In fact, Company/product listings on this page DO NOT imply endorsement by the site operator. Except as expressly set forth in our Terms of Use, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this page are disclaimed. The information which appears on this site is subject to change at any time. More info

Best Pick

Sony Alpha a7S Mirrorless Digital Camera - International Version (Body)

Check Price

Sony Alpha a7R Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera - Body Only

Check Price

General Specifications

Brand

Sony

Origin

Thailand

About the Product

Explore new frontiers of imaging expression with the α7S, combining phenomenal sensitivity (up to ISO 409600)1 with ultra low noise. That means a lack of light no longer limits your artistic range.

Meet the Full Frame, palm-sized α7R: portability and pro capability, united as never before. Packing a 36.4MP 35mm full-frame sensor into a body half the weight of leading DSLRs, this is the new standard for photographers seeking the ultimate creative tool.

Model

Alpha a7S

Alpha a7R

Key Specs

Sensor Resolution

12.2 MP

36.4 MP

Sensor Type

Full Frame Exmor™ CMOS sensor

35 mm full frame Exmor® CMOS sensor

Lens

Body

Viewfinder

Electronic 0.5"-type

Sensor Resolution

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

Size & Weight

Height

3.75 in.

Width

5 in.

Depth

2.25 in.

Weight

17.25 oz.

16.4 oz.

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Sony Alpha a7S Mirrorless Digital Camera - International Version (Body)

Very small camera
Build Quality is very solid, and even at its small size, it is quite easy to hold onto without a strap or rig
Nice and light weight. Perfect for my flyer
his is simply a ground breaking camera in a small package
he Sony A7s body is small and lighter than my MP

Sony Alpha a7R Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera - Body Only

Size and weight are ideal. Solid but not heavy or bulky.
Small size and weight is a big pro
Size and Weight makes it one of the best travel cameras out there
The light weight and size make it easy to throw in a briefcase or camera bag
It's a little pricey, for sure, and it doesn't look as impressive as a big DSLR (clients might wonder why you don't have a "good" camera), but the light weight is its greatest feature

Imaging

ISO Settings

100 - 102400, Extended Mode: 50-409600

50 - 25600

Digital Zoom

4 x

Burst Mode

Yes

Low Light/High Sensitivity

Yes

Face Detection

Yes

Image File Format(s)

JPEG, RAW

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

What customers say about "Imaging"

Sony Alpha a7S Mirrorless Digital Camera - International Version (Body)

Image quality is outstanding, and really beats the competition.
120fps Slow motion is pretty cool! It's only 720, and there is moire introduced, but the option is great
In camera panorama for photographs is a HUGE time saver. Oh, and it actually works REALLY well
LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE IS UNREAL! ISO 12,800 is CLEAN, 50,000 is useable! It really changes the entire way I approach certain situations now. It doesn't replace the need to properly utilize the position of light sources, but you really can shoot in near darkness.
It takes incredible lowlight photos........ Much better than any other camera I have owned (D700, D800, 5dmk3 etc etc)

Sony Alpha a7R Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera - Body Only

Eye Focus - a life saver for super fast glass in a portrait setting - and YES - it really works
Image Quality is amazing and tack sharp (depending on what lens you use of course)
Incredible resolution and low light performance
Image quality is off the charts when paired with quality glass
Autofocus isn't the fastest, so wedding/sports photography would be difficult IMHO. The A7 has a faster autofocus so if that's really important I would try it out
Even when shooting portraits of kids, autofocus and image capture feels slow to me compared with the 5d iii and I feel like I miss some shots

Display

Display Type

TFT-LCD

Touch Screen

Screen Size

3 in.

Screen Resolution

921600 dots

Vari-angle Display

Yes

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

What customers say about "Display"

Sony Alpha a7S Mirrorless Digital Camera - International Version (Body)

Tilt screen in very handy. It doesn't swivel like the GH4, but up and down is a lot more flexibility than 5Diii
The articulating screen of the A7s also helps with candid shots in events or in streets
Wish LCD screen moved out in 360 degrees like GH4 does, but step up for me still coming from T2i
I hate, hate, hate that the stupid screen does not flip around so you can see from the front like the GH4.
If this camera had a 180degree tilting screen like my GH4 it would be the best camera I've ever had!

Sony Alpha a7R Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera - Body Only

The articulating rear screen is very convenient for tripod work, and the EVF is exceptional
Screen is enough bright dor sunny days
On a speed plate, the LCD is hard to swing out ... and speaking of LCD - I miss the fully articulated screen on the A77 at times like overhead or ground level shots and especially for verticals
Wish it had a touch screen
No touch screen to navigate menus faster

Features

Water Resistant

Shock Resistant

Panorama Mode

Yes

Shooting Modes

Auto, iAUTO, Programmed AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Scene Selection, Sweep Panorama, Movie

iAUTO, Programmed AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Scene Selection, Sweep Panorama, Superior Auto, Manual

White Balance Modes

Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Shade, Incandescent, Fluorescent (Warm White, Cool White, Day White, Daylight), Underwater/ Color Temperature (2500 to 9900K), Custom, Underwater

Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Shade, Flash, Underwater/ Color Temperature (2500 to 9900K), Fluorescent (Warm White, Cool White, Day White, Daylight), Custom, Underwater

Shutter Speeds

30 - 1/8000

Water Resistant
Panorama Mode

What customers say about "Features"

Sony Alpha a7S Mirrorless Digital Camera - International Version (Body)

S Log2 profile allows for bringing in lost highlights and dynamic range
Electronic Viewfinder is really awesome to have built in, it's saved me on a couple outdoor shoots!
Lot's of customizable buttons and one more scroll wheel than canon gives us. (ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed by default.)
he silent mode is a really great feature... this camera can shoot totally silently whether you are shooting in a dark club or a childs birthday party.
Battery life leaves a little to be desired (last about 1.5 - 2 hours shooting video)
Rolling Shutter is as bad as everyone says it is. Not something I find to be an obstacle, and I don't think most people really whip their camera around that quickly anyway...but yeah it's there.
Battery Life is pretty bad. 30 seconds/percentage point means about 50minutes per battery.

Sony Alpha a7R Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera - Body Only

EVF is astonishing. WYSIWYG and it really is WYG
Good 3rd party batteries are cheap and perform well, and they're small - easily fit 3+ in a pocket.
Very flexible controls (3 customization buttons).
Focus peaking makes focus stacking SO easy, even a caveman like me can do it.
Movie button is poorly placed (I have it shut off so it only works if mode dial is set to movie though - so again not a big problem)
The best SONY FE lenses lack image stabilization, which makes handheld shooting difficul

Connectivity

PictBridge Enabled

Yes

NFC Enabled

Yes

Integrated GPS

Output(s)

microHDMI (Type-D), Micro-USB, Headphone minijack, Microphone minijack

Number Of Memory Card Slots

Sony Alpha a7S

Sony Alpha a7R

What customers say about "Connectivity"

Sony Alpha a7S Mirrorless Digital Camera - International Version (Body)

Wi-Fi, though the app isn't great.
I use the WiFi file transfer capability all the time.
Wifi - Easy to use. Quickly send photos to phone.

Sony Alpha a7R Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera - Body Only

A (finally) standard hot shoe means lighting possibilities are VASTLY improved over previous Sony offerings. Strobes, speed lights and bare bulb - old or new - they're all usable again - YAY
The built in wifi is great as I now can load the photos in my iPhone anytime after the shooting
The only thing I am missing is GPS.

Power

Battery Model

NP-FW50 W-series Rechargeable Battery Pack

Battery life

380 frames

340 frames