Canon 7D vs Sony A7S

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Canon 7D vs Sony A7S

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APS-C 332.3mm²
18.0 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Canon 7D Review.
See real-world photos taken with the 7D.

35mm 847.3mm²
12.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 102,400

Go in depth with our full Sony A7S Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7S in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7S.
Compare Sony A7S image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7S conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon 7D Mark II
Compare 7D vs 7D Mark II

Succeeded by the Sony A7S II
Compare A7S vs A7S II

Compare CANON 7D MARK II vs SONY A7S II

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Differences

Canon 7D advantages over Sony A7S

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$1499 vs $1998*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

800 vs 380 shots
Capture more photos
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
More pixels
18.0 vs 12.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Faster JPEG shooting
8.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Sony A7S advantages over Canon 7D

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
~ 8.40 vs 4.30 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
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
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7S test data on DxO Mark 7D test data on DxO Mark

3,702 vs 854 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7S test data on DxO Mark 7D test data on DxO Mark

13.2 vs 11.7 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Thinner
48 mm vs 73 mm
Thinner
Newer
10 years vs 15 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
More viewfinder magnification
0.71x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bigger JPEG buffer
62 vs 22 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
39 vs 16 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
409600 vs 12800 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
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
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility

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Buy the Canon 7D

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

All 7D Deals

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Buy the Sony A7S

Sony a7S

All A7S Deals

Review Excerpt

Excellent 18-megapixel sensor with impressively low noise and superb detail; Very good high ISO performance, especially for 18-megapixel subframe sensor; Rugged construction with magnesium body and weather sealing; Fast autofocus and fast burst rate of 8 fps; Full HD (1920x1080) movies at 30/25/24p, 60/50p at 1280x720.
No dedicated AF-assist lamp (flash is used), and AF-assist adjustment is buried in the Flash Settings menu; Kit lens (28-135mm) isn't quite up to the resolving power of the 18-megapixel sensor, odd focal length for subframe DSLR; No continuous autofocus in Movie mode.
Read our Canon 7D Full Review

Outstanding high ISO performance; excellent dynamic range; 4K video recording (via uncompressed HDMI); XAVC S option for HD video; Slightly improved battery life over A7/A7R; Built-in Wi-Fi & NFC connectivity.
4K video requires expensive external recorder; Sluggish startup time; Loud shutter; Silent Shooting mode hurts image quality; Lacks a built-in, pop-up flash; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7S Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 7D Mark II

Canon 7D

Canon 7D Mark II

$1499
APS-C

Less expensive
Less shutter lag

$1597
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
Built-in GPS

Compare Canon 7D vs Canon 7D Mark II

Sony A7S

Canon 7D Mark II

$1998
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$1597
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7S vs Canon 7D Mark II

Compared to Canon 60D

Canon 7D

Canon 60D

$1499
APS-C

More cross-type AF points
Less shutter lag

$899
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Canon 7D vs Canon 60D

Sony A7S

Canon 60D

$1998
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$899
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A7S vs Canon 60D

Compared to Nikon D7000

Canon 7D

Nikon D7000

$1499
APS-C

More telephoto lens reach
More cross-type AF points

$699
APS-C

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 7D vs Nikon D7000

Sony A7S

Nikon D7000

$1998
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7S vs Nikon D7000

Compared to Sony A77

Canon 7D

Sony A77

$1499
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$1899
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 7D vs Sony A77

Sony A7S

Sony A77

$1998
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$1899
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7S vs Sony A77

Compared to Sony A7S II

Canon 7D

Sony A7S II

$1499
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$2398
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon 7D vs Sony A7S II

Sony A7S

Sony A7S II

$1998
35mm

Less expensive
Fast startup

$2398
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A7S vs Sony A7S II

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