Upgrade Guide
Sony A7R II→Sony A7S II
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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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 A7S II
-
Battery life~370 shots (CIPA) vs ~290 shots (CIPA)
Unchanged or similar
-
Resolution12MP (down from 42MP — optimised for low light)
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7R II | A7S II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -2.0 | ||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Architecture | — | ||
| Travel | — | ||
| Vlogging & Video | +2.0 | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Low Light | — | ||
| Wedding | — | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Sports | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A7R II | A7S II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £799 | |
| Released | 2015 | 2015 | |
| Sensor | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor CMOS | |
| Resolution | 42MP | 12MP | ↓ |
| Video | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p internal (full sensor readout), 1080p/120p, S-Log2/S-Log3 | |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection | 169 phase-detect + 25 contrast AF — limited by modern standards | |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS — 4.5 stops (first Sony mirrorless with IBIS) | |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 5fps continuous | |
| Battery Life | ~290 shots (CIPA) | ~370 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 625g (with battery and card) | 584g body only | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification | |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots | |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD UHS-I slots |
Compare side-by-side
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