• 35mm 855.6mm2
  • 24.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600
  • 1/2.3 inch 28.1mm2
  • 14.5 megapixels
  • 7.30mm (35mm eq.)

Buy From

Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Ricoh Theta S

  • Rear display
    Yes vs No
    Review photos on the back of the camera
  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs 1/2.3 inch
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • RAW file ability
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
  • 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
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 340 vs 260 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Manual focus
    Yes vs No
    AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • Hot shoe
    Hot shoe vs None
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • More pixels
    24.3 vs 14.5 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
  • Bulb shutter
    Bulb vs No bulb
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 1600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Ricoh Theta S advantages over Sony A7

  • Thinner
    22 mm vs 48 mm
    Thinner
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • In-camera panoramas
    Both provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video

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
  • 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
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Integrated ND filter
    Neither provide
    Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A7
Body Only
  • Body Only
  • Kit with 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens
All A7 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Ricoh Theta S
Ricoh Theta S (Black)

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

  • 360-degree spherical panoramas at the click of a button; Puts you back in the moment like no other camera; Good ergonomics and control layout; Great still image quality, and can shoot videos too; Upload panoramas to Google Street View

  • Very reliant on your smartphone or tablet; Battery and storage can't be replaced or upgraded; Handheld shots suffer from Gigantic Hand Syndrome; Hard to get yourself out of the shot; Video image quality is only modest; Interval timer has a long shot delay

  • Read our Ricoh Theta S Express 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

Ricoh Theta S
Sony A7R
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • Thinner
  • Lighter weight
  • $1399
  • 35mm
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A7R

Compared to Sony A7 II

Sony A7
Sony A7 II
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • $1148
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Ricoh Theta S
Sony A7 II
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • Thinner
  • Longer exposure
  • $1148
  • 35mm
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Sony A7R II

Sony A7
Sony A7R II
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7R II

Ricoh Theta S
Sony A7R II
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • Thinner
  • Lighter weight
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A7R 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)

Ricoh Theta S
Leica SL (Typ 601)
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • In-camera panoramas
  • Thinner
  • $3802
  • 35mm
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Compared to Sony A9

Sony A7
Sony A9
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $2995
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A9

Ricoh Theta S
Sony A9
  • $290
  • 1/2.3 inch
  • In-camera panoramas
  • Thinner
  • $2995
  • 35mm
  • Rear display
  • Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A9

Compare Other Cameras?