Nikon D3S vs Sony A7 II

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Nikon D3S vs Sony A7 II

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35mm 860.4mm²
12.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Nikon D3S Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D3S.

35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7 II.
Compare Sony A7 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D4
Compare D3S vs D4

Succeeded by the Sony A7 III
Compare A7 II vs A7 III

Compare NIKON D4 vs SONY A7 III

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Differences

Nikon D3S advantages over Sony A7 II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Bigger pixels
~ 8.46 vs 5.97 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 1.7 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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.
D3S test data on DxO Mark A7 II test data on DxO Mark

3,253 vs 2,449 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
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

4200 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Faster JPEG shooting
9.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
90 vs 52 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.1 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
41 vs 28 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 51200 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Sony A7 II advantages over Nikon D3S

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
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
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.
A7 II test data on DxO Mark D3S test data on DxO Mark

13.6 vs 12.0 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
59 mm vs 87 mm
Thinner
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Newer
10 years vs 15 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
More dots on screen
1229k vs 920k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More pixels
24.3 vs 12.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
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
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
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D3S User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 II User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Read our Nikon D3S Full Review

Excellent 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization; Sensor-shift IS brings stabilization to nearly any lens; Much-improved ergonomics and top-deck control layout; 'Mark II' maintains same impressive image quality, dynamic range and high ISO performance; XAVC S 50Mbps video format; Faster start-up time; Hybrid AF performs well with good continuous AF.
(Similar to A7): Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Battery life could be better; Low-light AF still not as good as most DSLRs; High ISO JPEGs look over-processed; Slow buffer clearing; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses (but it's getting better).
Read our Sony A7 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D3X

Nikon D3S

Nikon D3X

$5200
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$2500
35mm

More dynamic range
External Mic Jack

Compare Nikon D3S vs Nikon D3X

Sony A7 II

Nikon D3X

$1179
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$2500
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon D3X

Compared to Canon 1DX

Nikon D3S

Canon 1DX

$5200
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$5299
35mm

External Mic Jack
Shoots 1080p video

Compare Nikon D3S vs Canon 1DX

Sony A7 II

Canon 1DX

$1179
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$5299
35mm

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A7 II vs Canon 1DX

Compared to Nikon D4

Nikon D3S

Nikon D4

$5200
35mm

Bigger pixels
Longer stills battery life

$4500
35mm

External Mic Jack
Shoots 1080p video

Compare Nikon D3S vs Nikon D4

Sony A7 II

Nikon D4

$1179
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$4500
35mm

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon D4

Compared to Sony A7

Nikon D3S

Sony A7

$5200
35mm

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

Compare Nikon D3S vs Sony A7

Sony A7 II

Sony A7

$1179
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
35mm

Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7

Compared to Sony A7 III

Nikon D3S

Sony A7 III

$5200
35mm

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D3S vs Sony A7 III

Sony A7 II

Sony A7 III

$1179
35mm

In-camera panoramas

$1531
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7 III

Compare Other Cameras?