Sony A7 II vs Canon 6D Mark II

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Sony A7 II vs Canon 6D Mark II

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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.

35mm 861.6mm²
26.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 40,000

Go in depth with our full Canon 6D Mark II Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 6D Mark II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 6D Mark II.
Compare Canon 6D Mark II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 6D Mark II conclusion.

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Differences

Sony A7 II advantages over Canon 6D 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
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
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 6D Mark II test data on DxO Mark

13.6 vs 11.9 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Lighter weight
930g vs 1560g
Lighter weight
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 20 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Canon 6D Mark II advantages over Sony A7 II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.7 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
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.
6D Mark II test data on DxO Mark A7 II test data on DxO Mark

2,862 vs 2,449 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
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

1200 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
105 mm vs 70 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Wider angle kit lens
24 mm vs 28 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Faster JPEG shooting
6.5 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
98 vs 52 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.5 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 51200 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
NFC
Both provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
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

Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Adorama
Read A7 II User Reviews

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Buy the Canon 6D Mark II

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 24-105mm IS II USM lens
Kit with 24-105mm IS STM lens

All 6D Mark II Deals

Review Excerpt

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

Great vari-angle touchscreen; Dual Pixel CMOS AF; Good image quality in most situations; Impressive performance for its class.
Disappointing dynamic range; No 4K video; Optical viewfinder comes up short; Narrow AF point coverage through viewfinder.
Read our Canon 6D Mark II Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D610

Sony A7 II

Nikon D610

$1077
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1196
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon D610

Canon 6D Mark II

Nikon D610

$1332
35mm

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1196
35mm

Fast startup
More dynamic range

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Nikon D610

Compared to Sony A7

Sony A7 II

Sony A7

$1077
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
35mm

Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7

Canon 6D Mark II

Sony A7

$1332
35mm

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Sony A7

Compared to Nikon D750

Sony A7 II

Nikon D750

$1077
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1700
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon D750

Canon 6D Mark II

Nikon D750

$1332
35mm

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1700
35mm

More dynamic range
Internal flash

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Nikon D750

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7 II

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$1077
35mm

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$3802
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 II vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Canon 6D Mark II

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$1332
35mm

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$3802
35mm

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Compared to Sony A7 III

Sony A7 II

Sony A7 III

$1077
35mm

In-camera panoramas

$1531
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A7 III

Canon 6D Mark II

Sony A7 III

$1332
35mm

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Sony A7 III

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