Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7
78 Imaging
73 Features
76 Overall
74


84 Imaging
63 Features
71 Overall
66
Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 36MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 465g - 127 x 94 x 48mm
- Revealed February 2014
- Renewed by Sony A7R II
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 400g - 120 x 67 x 43mm
- Announced December 2011

Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7 Overview
Let's take a closer look at the Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and they are both offered by Sony. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the A7R (36MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the A7R (Full frame) and NEX-7 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor measurements.

The A7R was brought out 2 years later than the NEX-7 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Sony A7R being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before getting right into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief summation of how the A7R grades vs the NEX-7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha A7R & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony A7R Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony A7R over the Sony NEX-7
A7R | NEX-7 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | February 2014 | ![]() | December 2011 | Fresher by 27 months |
Screen resolution | 1230k | ![]() | 921k | Clearer screen (+309k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-7 over the Sony A7R
NEX-7 | A7R |
---|
Common features in the Sony A7R and Sony NEX-7
A7R | NEX-7 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | More precise focusing | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting screen |
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither contains selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Absent Touch screen |
Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Sony A7R has got physical dimensions of 127mm x 94mm x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") with a weight of 465 grams (1.03 lbs) while the Sony NEX-7 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).
Check the Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the A7R and the NEX-7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the A7R and NEX-7 is 78 and 84 respectively.

Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it's tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizing purely by reviewing specifications. The photograph here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the A7R and NEX-7.
To sum up, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The A7R featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Sony A7R will offer you more detail having its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The fresher A7R will have an advantage in sensor technology.

Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Sony A7R vs Sony NEX-7 Specifications
Sony Alpha A7R | Sony Alpha NEX-7 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Sony | Sony |
Model | Sony Alpha A7R | Sony Alpha NEX-7 |
Class | Pro Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
Revealed | 2014-02-13 | 2011-12-13 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Bionz X | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 35.9 x 24mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 861.6mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 36MP | 24MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 7360 x 4912 | 6000 x 4000 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 16000 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 25 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Sony E | Sony E |
Available lenses | 121 | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Screen resolution | 1,230k dots | 921k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen tech | Xtra Fine LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,359k dots | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.71x | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 4.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 6.00 m |
Flash settings | no built-in flash | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) | 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 465g (1.03 pounds) | 400g (0.88 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 127 x 94 x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") | 120 x 67 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 95 | 81 |
DXO Color Depth score | 25.6 | 24.1 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 14.1 | 13.4 |
DXO Low light score | 2746 | 1016 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 340 photos | 430 photos |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | NP-FW50 | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 or 5 images)) |
Time lapse recording | With downloadable app | |
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | One | One |
Launch pricing | $1,898 | $699 |