Sony a7R III vs Sony a7S II

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7R III and Sony a7S II. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a7R III were released 2017 and Sony a7S II was released 2015. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7R III 2017
Sony a7S II 2015

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Sony Full Frame") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Since both cameras have a Full frame sensor there will be no crop factor.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a7R III 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Sony a7S II 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** 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 III has a 42 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a7S II has 12 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a7R III 42 MP
42177408 pixels
7952 x 5304
Sony a7S II 12 MP
12007680 pixels
4240 x 2832

Sony a7R III has a 251 % larger resolution than Sony a7S 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 a7S II has a larger ISO-range than Sony a7R III. Sony a7S II has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 102400 while Sony a7R III has 100 to 32000.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7R III 100-32000
Sony a7S II 100-102400

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 III
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a7S II

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7R III can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Sony a7S II can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7R III 10
Sony a7S II 5

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a7R III and Sony a7S 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.

Sony a7R III weighs 657 gr (equal to 1.45 lb) which is 5% heavier than Sony a7S II and its 627 gr (or 1.38 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7R III 657 gr
1.45 lb
Sony a7S II 627 gr
1.38 lb

Sony a7R III vs Sony a7S II Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7R III and Sony a7S 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 a7R III
Sony a7S II
Name Sony a7R III Sony a7S II
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Release Date and Price
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Release Year 2017 2015
Release Date 2017-10-25 2015-09-11
MSRP 3199 USD 2999 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Camera Type Mirrorless Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Resolution 7952 x 5304 pixels 4240 x 2832 pixels
Megapixels 42 MP 12 MP
Image Processor Bionz X Bionz X
Image
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
ISO Range 100 - 32000 100 - 102400
White Balance Presets 10 10
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift 5-axis)
Yes
(Sensor-Shift (5 axis))
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 5.5 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 399 169
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Sony E

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
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
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1440000 1228800
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD TFT-LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.78x
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 N/A
Photography features
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Frames per second 10 fps 5 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No No
Built-in Flash Range N/A N/A
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) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
MPEG4
XAVC-S
AVCHD
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Memory Card SD/SDHC
Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port Yes Yes
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n + NFC + Bluetooth)
Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n with NFC)
Remote Control Yes (wired, wireless, smartphone) Yes (wired or smartphone)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7R III
Sony a7S II
Enviromentally sealed Yes Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery and charger
NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 650 shots 370 shots
Width 127 mm 127 mm
Height 96 mm 96 mm
Depth 74 mm 60 mm
Weight 657 gram 627 gram