A7Cvs A7R II
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Compact Travel & Content Creation — A7C (2020): The A7C proves full-frame doesn't have to be bulky. Excellent battery life, reliable Eye AF and a vari-angle screen in a pocketable body is a compelling combination for travel and content creators. The A7C II improved on it, but the original remains a strong value buy.
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
Who should buy what
A7C (2020)
- Travel photographers who want full-frame in the smallest possible body
- Content creators who need a flip screen and reliable Eye AF
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want to keep a compact kit
- Vloggers who need 4K and great battery life on the road
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The a7r ii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable; only the a7r ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7C (2020) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,299 | £799 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3 | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 509g (body, battery, card) | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7C | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Video | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history