Upgrade Guide

Sony A7R II→Sony A7

Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.

You own

Sony

A7R II

£799

2015

→

Upgrade to

Sony

£299 (-£500)

2013

⚖️

Situational

One clear hardware improvement over the A7R II. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.

What's new in the A7

Unchanged or similar

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	A7R II	A7
Price	£799	£299
Released	2015	2013	↓
Sensor	42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R	24.3MP Full-Frame CMOS
Resolution	42MP	24MP	↓
Video	4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p	1080p/60p
Autofocus	399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection	117 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points
Stabilisation	IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS)	None
Burst Rate	5fps	5fps
Battery Life	~290 shots (CIPA)	~340 shots (CIPA)	↑
Weight	625g (with battery and card)	474g (with battery and card)	↑
Weather Sealed	Yes	No	↓
Viewfinder	EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification	EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification
Screen	3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch)	3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots (no tilt, no touch)
Mount	Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)	Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards	Single SD UHS-I slot	Single SD UHS-I slot

Compare side-by-side

See A7R II and A7 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

Get a personalised upgrade score

Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A7 against your specific genres — not just specs.

Other upgrades from the A7R II

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