Sony a7R II vs a7S II Made Easy In This Video Comparison

a7R II vs a7s II: The Debate Rages On

The a7R II vs a7S II debate is an interesting one. Despite one being designed primarily for video and the other for photography, it’s not a clear-cut yes or no answer. Adding 4K and full frame/crop features into the mix produce a range of results over the two mirrorless camera bodies.

We posted this detailed article back in November, giving great insight into the comparisons between the two—both in 4K/1080 and Full frame/cropped sensor modes.

The above video condenses the information nicely and agrees with our findings regarding image performance. Here they are in a nutshell:

a7S II better than a7R II in low light (a7R II capped at 25,600 ISO)

a7R II cleaner in low light in cropped mode than in full frame mode

a7S II optimum 4K performance in full frame mode

a7R II optimum 4K performance is in cropped mode

Both cameras more of less on par in optimum 4K modes (a7R II falls behind in 4K full frame mode)

a7R II slightly worse rolling shutter than a7S II

a7R II better with rolling shutter in full frame than in cropped mode

a7R II vs a7S II: The Pros of Each

There’s also a few features that separate the two. Below I’ve listed what can be considered ‘pros’ over the alternative camera body.

Sony a7S II

120 FPS 1080

S-Log 3

Gamma Display Assist

ISO range 102,400 – 409.600

Sony a7R II

4K mode in Full Frame and Cropped Mode

More Auto Focus points (399 v 169)

Faster AF performance with Metabones Adaptor

42 Megapixel Stills

Here’s part 3 of the video that sums everything up very nicely.

Our November article goes into far more detail from an image performance perspective a7RII vs a7S II. If you haven’t already, you should definitely check it out!