Sony a7 vs Canon EOS 7D Mark II

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7 and Canon EOS 7D Mark II. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a7 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 7D Mark II is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a7 were released 2013 and Canon EOS 7D Mark II was released 2014. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7 2013
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 2014

Type of camera

Sony a7 is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 7D Mark II is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS 7D Mark II has a "Canon APS-C"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a7 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 80 mm
Canon APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Sony a7 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 7D Mark II has 20 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a7 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 20 MP
19961856 pixels
5472 x 3648

Sony a7 has a 20 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 7D Mark II. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a7 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 7D Mark II. Sony a7 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Canon EOS 7D Mark II has 100 to 16000.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7 100-25600
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 100-16000

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a7
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 7D Mark II can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7 5
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 10

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a7 and Canon EOS 7D Mark II can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS 7D Mark II weighs 910 gr (equal to 2.01 lb) which is 92% heavier than Sony a7 and its 474 gr (or 1.04 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7 474 gr
1.04 lb
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 910 gr
2.01 lb

Sony a7 vs Canon EOS 7D Mark II Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7 and Canon EOS 7D Mark II, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Name Sony a7 Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Release Year 2013 2014
Release Date 2013-10-16 2014-09-15
MSRP 1699 USD 1799 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels 5472 x 3648 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 20 MP
Image Processor Bionz X DUAL DIGIC 6
Image
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
ISO Range 100 - 25600 100 - 16000
White Balance Presets 10 8
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization No No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 117 65
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF
Canon EF-S

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
APS-C Sensor
1.6x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 38 mm
50 mm becomes 80 mm
100 mm becomes 160 mm
200 mm becomes 320 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1230000 1040000
Touch screen No No
Screen type Xtra Fine LCD Clear View II TFT-LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71× 1× (0.62× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A N/A
Photography features
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Frames per second 5 fps 10 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 10 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
AVCHD
MPEG4
Video resolution 1440 x 1080
1920 x 1080
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port Yes Yes
Wireless Yes
Built-In ( with NFC and wireless control via PlayMemories Mobile app)
No
Remote Control Yes (wired) Yes (wired or wireless)
GPS No Yes
Built-in
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Enviromentally sealed Yes Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger
LP-E6N lithium-ion battery and charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 340 shots 670 shots
Width 127 mm 149 mm
Height 94 mm 112 mm
Depth 48 mm 78 mm
Weight 474 gram 910 gram