• APS-C 337.5mm2
  • 20.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 16,000
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Canon 7D Mark II advantages over Sony A6500

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Fast startup
    ~0.50 vs 1.3 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Built-in GPS
    GPS vs None
    Geotag your photos
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 670 vs 350 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/250 vs 1/160 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • Dual card slots
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Faster shutter
    1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Canon 7D Mark II

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Shoot 4K video
    4K (UHD) vs 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Yes vs No
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,405 vs 1,082 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.7 vs 11.8 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Thinner
    53 mm vs 78 mm
    Thinner
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.70x vs 0.63x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    24.2 vs 20.2 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    11.1 fps vs 9.5 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    231 vs 103 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    11.1 fps vs 9.5 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
  • Bigger RAW buffer
    110 vs 26 shots
    Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Both provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • 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

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility

User reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Canon 7D Mark II

Review Excerpt

  • Excellent image quality; High ISO performance improved over predecessor; Excellent burst speeds (up to 10fps); Significantly improved buffer depths; 65-pt AF system; Dual Pixel CMOS AF; Can focus down to f/8 (great for teleconverters); 1080/60p video; Headphone and mic jacks; Rugged build quality.

  • Autofocus speed (AF shutter lag) slower than 7D and 70D; Mediocre battery life for a pro DSLR; Dynamic range at low to moderate ISOs not as good as competitors; Phase-detect AF did not perform as well as expected in our low-light AF tests; No built-in Wi-Fi; No autofocus for 1080/60p video.

  • Comfortable, premium body with good controls; Touch-screen for subject selection; Hybrid image stabilization system; Excellent image quality; Better high ISO JPEGs than the A6300; Extremely fast 11.1 fps burst capture; Very deep buffers for raw and JPEG alike; 4K video capture with no pixel binning

  • Pricey for an APS-C camera; JPEG colors aren't the most accurate; Very slow buffer clearing; Laggy touch-pad AF function; Poorly-placed movie button; No headphone jack; Mediocre battery life

The Competition

Compared to Canon 7D

Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 7D
  • $1799
  • APS-C
  • Higher effective ISO
  • Built-in GPS
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Less shutter lag
Sony A6500
Canon 7D
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Canon 6D

Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 6D
  • $1799
  • APS-C
  • On-sensor phase detect
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • $1699
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
Sony A6500
Canon 6D
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Less expensive
  • $1699
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Larger sensor

Compared to Canon 70D

Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 70D
  • $1799
  • APS-C
  • Fast startup
  • Higher effective ISO
  • $1149
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen
Sony A6500
Canon 70D
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $1149
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Sony A77 II

Canon 7D Mark II
Sony A77 II
  • $1799
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Tilt-swivel screen
Sony A6500
Sony A77 II
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Shoot 4K video
  • Touchscreen
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Fast startup

Compared to Nikon D7200

Canon 7D Mark II
Nikon D7200
  • $1799
  • APS-C
  • Built-in GPS
  • On-sensor phase detect
  • $1016
  • APS-C
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
  • NFC
Sony A6500
Nikon D7200
  • $1198
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $1016
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
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