Upgrade Guide
Sony A7S III→Sony A7 II
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the A7S III. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the A7 II
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Resolution24MP vs 12MP (+12MP)
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7S III | A7 II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Street | -1.0 | ||
| Portrait | +2.0 | ||
| Travel | +1.0 | ||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Wedding & Events | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A7S III | A7 II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,999 | £549 | |
| Released | 2020 | 2014 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS (12-bit, back-illuminated) | Full-frame BSI CMOS 35mm | |
| Resolution | 12MP | 24MP | ↑ |
| Video | 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/60p 10-bit S-Cinetone/S-Log3, 1080p/240p | 1080p 60fps | |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 759 points, real-time Eye AF (human & animal), subject recognition | 117-point phase-detect hybrid AF | |
| Stabilisation | 5.5-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 4.5 stops | |
| Burst Rate | 10fps mechanical | 5fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~600 shots (CIPA) / ~70min continuous 4K recording | 350 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 699g (body, battery, card) | 599g (body only) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification — best EVF Sony has made | EVF 0.71× 2.36M-dot | |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.44M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.23M-dot | |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony E-Mount | |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II (both slots) | SD / Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Compare side-by-side
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