Sony A7 vs Canon 6D Mark II

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Sony A7 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 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 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.

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II
Compare Sony A7 II vs Canon 6D Mark II

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Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Canon 6D Mark II

Less expensive
$819 vs $1599
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
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 test data on DxO Mark 6D Mark II test data on DxO Mark

14.2 vs 11.9 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Thinner
48 mm vs 74 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
769g 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

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 2.1 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 test data on DxO Mark

2,862 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

1200 vs 340 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
Newer
7 years vs 11 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
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 50 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

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
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

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 User Reviews

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Buy the Sony A7

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

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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

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

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 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 6D Mark II

Sony A7R

$1332
35mm

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$1399
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Sony A7R

Compared to Nikon D610

Sony A7

Nikon D610

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1196
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 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 Nikon D750

Sony A7

Nikon D750

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1700
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 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 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 6D Mark II

Sony A7 II

$1332
35mm

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$1077
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 6D 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 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)

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