Sony A7 vs Canon 1DX Mark II

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Sony A7 vs Canon 1DX Mark II

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

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

35mm 864.0mm²
20.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Canon 1DX Mark II Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 1DX Mark II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 1DX Mark II.
Compare Canon 1DX Mark II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 1DX Mark II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II

Succeeded by the Canon 1DX Mark III
Compare 1DX Mark II vs 1DX Mark III

Compare SONY A7 II vs CANON 1DX MARK III

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Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Canon 1DX Mark II

Less expensive
$819 vs $2999*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
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
Thinner
48 mm vs 82 mm
Thinner
More pixels
24.3 vs 20.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos

Canon 1DX Mark II advantages over Sony A7

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Shoot 4K video
4K (DCI) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.80 vs 2.1 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.
1DX Mark II test data on DxO Mark A7 test data on DxO Mark

3,207 vs 2,248 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

1210 vs 340 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More dots on screen
1620k vs 922k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Less shutter lag
0.09 vs 0.23 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Faster JPEG shooting
14.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 50 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
14.1 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
Unlimited vs 28 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
409600 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
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
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
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

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Read A7 User Reviews

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Premium Kit

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Review Excerpt

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Very high resolution; Hybrid autofocus is reasonably fast and confident; Significantly better burst-shooting performance than A7R; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Faster x-sync than A7R; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Grass-is-greener syndrome when compared to its higher-res sibling; Moderate performance; Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Weak low-light autofocus considering its price; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7 Review

Excellent image quality, especially from RAWs; Fantastic high ISO performance; Fast autofocus with great tracking performance; 14fps burst rate; Amazing buffer capacity; 4K 60p video; Robust build quality.
Very heavy, bulky and expensive; Dual memory card slots use different formats; 29:59 continuous video recording limit; Touchscreen feels underutilized.
Read our Canon 1DX Mark II Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7R

Sony A7

Sony A7R

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$1399
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7R

Canon 1DX Mark II

Sony A7R

$2999
35mm

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$1399
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Sony A7R

Compared to Nikon D4S

Sony A7

Nikon D4S

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$5399
35mm

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A7 vs Nikon D4S

Canon 1DX Mark II

Nikon D4S

$2999
35mm

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

$5399
35mm

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Nikon D4S

Compared to Sony A7 II

Sony A7

Sony A7 II

$748
35mm

Less expensive

$1077
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Canon 1DX Mark II

Sony A7 II

$2999
35mm

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

$1077
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$748
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3802
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Canon 1DX Mark II

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$2999
35mm

Less expensive
Fast startup

$3802
35mm

Focus peaking
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Compared to Nikon D5

Sony A7

Nikon D5

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$4893
35mm

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A7 vs Nikon D5

Canon 1DX Mark II

Nikon D5

$2999
35mm

Higher effective ISO
Built-in GPS

$4893
35mm

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon 1DX Mark II vs Nikon D5

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