Nikon D800 vs Sony A7 II

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Nikon D800 vs Sony A7 II

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35mm 861.6mm²
36.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D800 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D800.

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 D810
Compare D800 vs D810

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

Compare NIKON D810 vs SONY A7 III

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Differences

Nikon D800 advantages over Sony A7 II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
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.
D800 test data on DxO Mark A7 II test data on DxO Mark

2,853 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

900 vs 350 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
36.3 vs 24.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility

Sony A7 II advantages over Nikon D800

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
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 vs 4.88 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
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
59 mm vs 81 mm
Thinner
Faster JPEG shooting
5.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
5.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 18 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
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
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
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
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D800 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 II User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm Lens

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Review Excerpt

Rugged build; Excellent controls; Extremely high resolution; Dual cards; Surprising high ISO performance.
Very large files; Slower frame rate; Custom white balance gives a greenish tint; Battery life lower than D700.
Read our Nikon D800 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 Canon 5D Mark III

Nikon D800

Canon 5D Mark III

$1850
35mm

Fast startup
Higher effective ISO

$2079
35mm

Bigger pixels
More cross-type AF points

Compare Nikon D800 vs Canon 5D Mark III

Sony A7 II

Canon 5D Mark III

$1148
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$2079
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Canon 5D Mark III

Compared to Nikon D800E

Nikon D800

Nikon D800E

$1850
35mm

Has anti-aliasing filter

$2212
35mm

Lacks anti-aliasing filter

Compare Nikon D800 vs Nikon D800E

Sony A7 II

Nikon D800E

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$2212
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon D800E

Compared to Sony A7

Nikon D800

Sony A7

$1850
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Bigger pixels

Compare Nikon D800 vs Sony A7

Sony A7 II

Sony A7

$1148
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
35mm

Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7

Compared to Nikon D810

Nikon D800

Nikon D810

$1850
35mm

Fast startup
Has anti-aliasing filter

$2997
35mm

Longer stills battery life
Lacks anti-aliasing filter

Compare Nikon D800 vs Nikon D810

Sony A7 II

Nikon D810

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$2997
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon D810

Compared to Sony A7 III

Nikon D800

Sony A7 III

$1850
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

$1865
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D800 vs Sony A7 III

Sony A7 II

Sony A7 III

$1148
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$1865
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7 III

Compare Other Cameras?