• APS-C 337.5mm2
  • 20.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 12,800
  • 35mm 855.6mm2
  • 24.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

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Differences

Canon 70D advantages over Sony A7

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Fast startup
    ~0.70 vs 2.1 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 920 vs 340 shots
    Capture more photos
  • More telephoto lens reach
    216 mm vs 70 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Less shutter lag
    0.07 vs 0.23 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    6.7 fps vs 5.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    6.7 fps vs 5.0 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Sony A7 advantages over Canon 70D

  • Less expensive
    $819 vs $999
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs APS-C
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 5.97 vs 4.11 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Better color depth
    24.8 vs 22.5 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    2,248 vs 926 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    14.2 vs 11.6 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Thinner
    48 mm vs 78 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    769g vs 1233g
    Lighter weight
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.71x vs 0.59x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    24.3 vs 20.2 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Bigger RAW buffer
    28 vs 14 shots
    Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 25600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Both provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • External Mic Jack
    Both provide
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Neither provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF delivers full-time continuous autofocus (with phase detect at every pixel in framing area) for video and Live View still shooting; Full HD (1080p) video recording with pro-level features and quality; Improved resolution and good high ISO performance; Excellent Wi-Fi remote shooting with full exposure controls; 3-inch articulating LCD touchscreen.

  • Image quality only improved slightly over 60D; Dynamic range still lags behind competing models; May not feature enough upgrades to convince people to step up from 60D.

  • Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Very high resolution; Hybrid autofocus is reasonably fast and confident; Significantly better burst-shooting performance than A7R; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Faster x-sync than A7R; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.

  • Grass-is-greener syndrome when compared to its higher-res sibling; Moderate performance; Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Weak low-light autofocus considering its price; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D7100

Canon 70D
Nikon D7100
  • $999
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Touchscreen
  • $690
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup
Sony A7
Nikon D7100
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $690
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A7R

Canon 70D
Sony A7R
  • $999
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Lens selection
  • $1399
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7
Sony A7R
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
  • $1399
  • 35mm
  • Higher effective ISO
  • More pixels

Compared to Sony A77 II

Canon 70D
Sony A77 II
  • $999
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
Sony A7
Sony A77 II
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Larger sensor
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Canon 7D Mark II

Canon 70D
Canon 7D Mark II
  • $999
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $1597
  • APS-C
  • Fast startup
  • Higher effective ISO
Sony A7
Canon 7D Mark II
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
  • $1597
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A7 II

Canon 70D
Sony A7 II
  • $999
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $1148
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7
Sony A7 II
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • $1148
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
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