Sony A7S II
- 12MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 102400 (Boost to 409600)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 627g - 127 x 96 x 60mm
- Released October 2015
- Older Model is Sony A7S
- Updated by Sony A7S III
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Lenses
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
68 Imaging
61 Features
76 Overall
67
Sony A7S II overview
Sony A7S II is Sony's Pro Mirrorless digital camera initially announced on October of 2015. The camera features a 12MP, CMOS Full frame sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4240 x 2832.
Sony introduced this model to improve the previous Sony A7S (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards launched the fresher Sony A7S III (Read Full Comparison) to improve this camera.
The A7S II is ranked #57 out of 70 in Pro Mirrorless cameras and all round #195 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to use our Advanced camera finder to get camera ratings based on your custom criteria.
The following is a chart of different criteria used in the scoring system.
Sony A7S II history
The Sony A7S II comes with a history of related cameras. Here, you can take a look at all older and latest models as well as main specs.
Sony A7S II Gallery
You can see the A7S II from several angles in the gallery here.
Sony A7S II Pros and Cons
Below is a selection of upsides and downsides of the Sony A7S II based on aspects that are generally viewed as essential in a digital camera.
Sony A7S II Sensor info
The Sony A7S II is run by the Bionz X processor chip. The spec of the sensor on the Sony A7S II is 35.6mm x 23.8mm (Full frame). The 847 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4240 x 2832 pixels at aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis). Sensor stabilization is better than digital stabilization since the latter may cause cropping.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe CMOS sensor boasts 12MP and includes a standard ISO range of 100 to 102400. This ISO can also be increased electronically to 50 to 409600. RAW format is saved which means that the user has wider margin for error.
The image below shows the A7S II's sensor dimensions compared to other popular sizes. The A7S II sensor comes with a crop factor of 1 and is highlighted in green.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneTo get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.
Sony A7S II dimensions
Sony A7S II has a weight of 1.38 pounds (627 grams / 22.12 ounces) and features outer dimensions of 127mm x 96mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.4"). The weight of normal Pro Mirrorless camera is 722 grams and the Sony A7S II is lighter compared with its competitors.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe following is a photo of the Sony A7S II besides a soda so you're able to have a sense of its scale.
The top view here will show the button design on the A7S II.
Sony A7S II Lens info
The A7S II uses the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses available in the market. Below is a small number of the lenses we have in our collection which will fit the A7S II.
Sony A7S II Connectivity
The A7S II has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- Wireless Yes
- NFC Yes
- HDMI Yes
Cameras that have NFC and Bluetooth connectivity are able to be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You are able to copy images and in some cases change settings without connecting directly to the camera.
Several applications even allow a Liveview and click the shutter if you aren't near the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI out, it can easily be connected to an external monitor. Nearly all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB port.
Sony A7S II Video info
The maximum video quality on the Sony A7S II is 3840 x 2160 and it can capture in MPEG-4, AVCHD and XAVC S file format. 2160p will provide a fantastic quality for video. You will be able to crop to Full HD to get improved video. Beware of the large file sizes and ensure you get high quality SD cards that have fast write speeds. The body does have both headphone and mic support making it incredibly valuable whilst capturing sound.
Sony A7S II Weather Sealing
Sony A7S II has environment sealing which makes it a excellent pick to use for challenging climates. This can be especially valuable whenever you are not sure about the conditions you may face for outdoor photography.
Sony A7S II Screen and Viewfinder
The Sony A7S II features a 3 inch tilting display screen boasting a resolution of 1,229 thousand dots.
Please be aware that the display offers no touch support.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe ViewFinder specs regarding Sony A7S II are below:
- ViewFinder Electronic
- Resolution 2,359 thousand dots
- Coverage 100%
- Magnification 0.78x
Viewfinders can be very beneficial for bright outdoor conditions which can easily make the camera screen washed out and difficult to view.
Sony A7S II Shutter info
Sony A7S II continuous shooting speed is 5.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/8000 sec.
Sony A7S II Flash and Hot shoe info
Sony A7S II boasts external flash ability but is without integrated flash.
Sony A7S II Autofocus info
Sony A7S II boasts just Contrast Based Auto Focus and lacks Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is more snappier & accurate compared with Contrast Based focusing. The camera features Face detection making it valuable for portraits.
The Sensor features 169 focus points to pick from. It also has Tracking Auto Focus for objects on the move. Sony A7S II has the ability to use manual focusing when needed for low light scenarios or you want to have more accurate control on focusing.
Sony A7S II Battery life
The battery (NP-FW50) in the Sony A7S II is built to last for 370 shots according to the CIPA benchmarks which is less as compared with its rivals. The general Pro Mirrorless camera battery life is 460. Olympus E-M1X has the highest possible (870) battery life for this range of cameras.
Underneath is a number of Pro Mirrorless cameras having the strongest battery life:
Sony A7S II for different categories of photography
The following chart shows a overview of the Sony A7S II for different categories of photography. To read more, check out the specific section below.
Sony A7S II Portrait photography highlights
The Sony A7S II has a points tally of 68 which is very good, and means the camera is a fine option for portraits. Taking portraits leans greatly towards sensor dimensions, support for RAW photos plus the potential to use off-camera lighting.
Sony A7S II Street photography highlights
Getting a great score of 78, the Sony A7S II is a outstanding option to buy for street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.
Sony A7S II Sports photography info
A average sports photography points tally of 58 suggests the Sony A7S II is reasonably appropriate for shooting sports. A camera should have good focusing and shutter speeds for sports photography.
Sony A7S II Travel photography highlights
Weight is super critical in selecting a travel camera. In general, the Sony A7S II gets a average 49 for a travel camera which makes it somewhat adequate for your vacations.
Sony A7S II Landscape photography factors
If you're planning to choose a digital camera for landscape photos, the most significant factor is going to be image quality. The Sony A7S II and it's above average rating of 71 for a landscape camera is a fine pick among it's competition.
Vlogging with Sony A7S II
A camera for vlogging should really posses a articulating display screen, mic input and preferably image stabilization. Considering every thing, the Sony A7S II is not acceptable as a vlog camera as it delivers a horrible score of 35.
Sony A7S II Alternatives
If you want replacements to the A7S II, below is a range of the top rated cameras which fall within the class of Pro Mirrorless.
The graph just below shows you a summary of the A7S II vs it's highest scoring competitors listed earlier.
Following are additional cameras you might consider as alternate options. To read through a complete comparison, simply click the "compare" link.