Sony a7S II vs Nikon D5500

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7S II and Nikon D5500. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a7S II is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D5500 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

These two camera models were both released 2015.

Camera Released
Sony a7S II 2015
Nikon D5500 2015

Type of camera

Sony a7S II is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D5500 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7S II has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Nikon D5500 has a "Nikon DX"-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 a7S II 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D5500 75 mm
Nikon DX 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)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Sony a7S II has a 12 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D5500 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a7S II 12 MP
12007680 pixels
4240 x 2832
Nikon D5500 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

Nikon D5500 has a 100 % 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 Nikon D5500. Sony a7S II has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 102400 while Nikon D5500 has 100 to 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7S II 100-102400
Nikon D5500 100-25600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

There is a big difference between these two cameras. Sony a7S II has a built-in autofocus motor but Nikon D5500 does not. If you want to be able to use autofocus on Nikon D5500 there is a need for having an autofocus motor inside the lens. We really encourage you to look closely at our lens compatibility charts at the links below.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a7S II
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D5500

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7S II can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Nikon D5500 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7S II 5
Nikon D5500 5

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a7S II and Nikon D5500 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 a7S II weighs 627 gr (equal to 1.38 lb) which is 49% heavier than Nikon D5500 and its 420 gr (or 0.93 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7S II 627 gr
1.38 lb
Nikon D5500 420 gr
0.93 lb

Sony a7S II vs Nikon D5500 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7S II and Nikon D5500, 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 a7S II
Nikon D5500
Name Sony a7S II Nikon D5500
Manufacturer Sony Nikon
Release Date and Price
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
Release Year 2015 2015
Release Date 2015-09-11 2015-01-06
MSRP 2999 USD 899 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 23.7 x 15.5 mm)
Also known as "DX"
Sensor Type CMOS CMOS
Resolution 4240 x 2832 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels 12 MP 24 MP
Image Processor Bionz X EXPEED 4
Image
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
ISO Range 100 - 102400 100 - 25600
White Balance Presets 10 12
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift (5 axis))
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
Autofocus Motor Yes No
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
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
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 169 39
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Nikon F

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
DX / APS-C (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 a7S II
Nikon D5500
Articulated LCD Tilting Fully articulated
Screen size 3” 3,2”
Screen dots 1228800 1037000
Touch screen No Yes
Screen type TFT-LCD TFT LCD Monitor
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.82× (0.51× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution N/A 0
Photography features
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
Frames per second 5 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 Yes
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 a7S II
Nikon D5500
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
XAVC-S
AVCHD
MPEG4
H.264
Video resolution 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
Memory Card Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n with NFC)
Yes
Built-In
Remote Control Yes (wired or smartphone) Yes (MC-DC2 (wired), WR-1/WR-R10 (wireless))
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7S II
Nikon D5500
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger
EN-EL14 / EN-EL14a lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 370 shots 820 shots
Width 127 mm 124 mm
Height 96 mm 97 mm
Depth 60 mm 70 mm
Weight 627 gram 420 gram