Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony A7S II

On this page, we are evaluating the Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony A7S II, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Sigma and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the SD1 Merrill (15MP) and A7S II (12MP) and the SD1 Merrill (APS-C) and A7S II (Full frame) provide different sensor sizing.

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The SD1 Merrill was released 4 years before the A7S II and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A7S II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the SD1 Merrill scores against the A7S II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony Alpha A7S II. The complete galleries are viewable at Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery and Sony A7S II Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and proportions. The Sigma SD1 Merrill has got external measurements of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") along with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs) and the Sony A7S II has measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4") having a weight of 627 grams (1.38 lbs).

Take a look at the Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony A7S II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the SD1 Merrill versus the A7S II.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SD1 Merrill and A7S II is 57 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing just by looking through specs. The photograph here will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SD1 Merrill and A7S II.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SD1 Merrill due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will result in more detail as a result of its extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older SD1 Merrill will be behind with regard to sensor tech.