Upgrade Guide

Sony A7S II→Sony A7C

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

You own

Sony

A7S II

£799

2015

→

Upgrade to

Sony

A7C

£1299 (+£500)

2020

✅

Strong upgrade

The A7C improves across 4 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most A7S II owners will notice the difference.

What's new in the A7C

↑

Resolution

24MP vs 12MP (+12MP)
↑

Burst rate

10fps with AF/AE tracking vs 5fps continuous
↑

Battery life

~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless vs ~370 shots (CIPA)
↑

Generation

5 years newer (2020 vs 2015)

Unchanged or similar

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	A7S II	A7C
Price	£799	£1,299
Released	2015	2020	↑
Sensor	12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor CMOS	24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS
Resolution	12MP	24MP	↑
Video	4K/30p internal (full sensor readout), 1080p/120p, S-Log2/S-Log3	4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3
Autofocus	169 phase-detect + 25 contrast AF — limited by modern standards	Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF
Stabilisation	5-axis IBIS — 4.5 stops (first Sony mirrorless with IBIS)	5-axis IBIS, 5 stops
Burst Rate	5fps continuous	10fps with AF/AE tracking	↑
Battery Life	~370 shots (CIPA)	~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless	↑
Weight	584g body only	509g (body, battery, card)	↑
Weather Sealed	Yes	No	↓
Viewfinder	EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification	None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF
Screen	3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots	3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots
Mount	Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount)	Sony E-mount
Memory Cards	Dual SD UHS-I slots	Single SD UHS-II

Compare side-by-side

See A7S II and A7C next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

Get a personalised upgrade score

Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A7C against your specific genres — not just specs.

Other upgrades from the A7S II

Related buying guides

Camera family history