Sony a7R vs Sony a500

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7R and Sony a500. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a7R were released 2013 and Sony a500 was released 2009. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7R 2013
Sony a500 2009

Type of camera

Sony a7R is a Mirrorless camera while Sony a500 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7R has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Sony a500 has a "Sony 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 a7R 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Sony a500 75 mm
Sony APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** 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)

Resolution

Sony a7R has a 36 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a500 has 12 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a7R 36 MP
36152320 pixels
7360 x 4912
Sony a500 12 MP
12166656 pixels
4272 x 2848

Sony a7R has a 197 % larger resolution than Sony a500. 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 a7R has a larger ISO-range than Sony a500. Sony a7R has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Sony a500 has 200 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7R 100-25600
Sony a500 200-12800

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 a7R
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a500

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7R can shoot up to 4 pictures per seconds and Sony a500 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7R 4
Sony a500 5

Ability to record movies

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

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony a7R. Unfortunately Sony a500 does not support recording movies and movie clips.

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.

Sony a500 weighs 630 gr (equal to 1.39 lb) which is 35% heavier than Sony a7R and its 465 gr (or 1.03 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7R 465 gr
1.03 lb
Sony a500 630 gr
1.39 lb

Sony a7R vs Sony a500 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7R and Sony a500, 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 a7R
Sony a500
Name Sony a7R Sony a500
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Release Date and Price
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Release Year 2013 2009
Release Date 2013-10-16 2009-08-27
MSRP 2299 USD 549 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 7360 x 4912 pixels 4272 x 2848 pixels
Megapixels 36 MP 12 MP
Image Processor Bionz X Bionz
Image
Sony a7R
Sony a500
ISO Range 100 - 25600 200 - 12800
White Balance Presets 10 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization No Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 25 9
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Sony A

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 (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1230000 230000
Touch screen No No
Screen type Xtra Fine LCD N/A
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.8× (0.53× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A N/A
Photography features
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Frames per second 4 fps 5 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 12 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Video recording Yes No
Video format MPEG4
AVCHD
N/A
Video resolution 1440 x 1080
1920 x 1080
N/A
Built-in Microphone Yes No
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a7R
Sony a500
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (with NFC and wireless control via PlayMemories Mobile app)
No
Remote Control Yes (Wired) Yes (Wired or wirelss (Optional))
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7R
Sony a500
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger
Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 340 shots 520 shots
Width 127 mm 137 mm
Height 94 mm 104 mm
Depth 48 mm 84 mm
Weight 465 gram 630 gram