Sony A7R II vs Panasonic GX85

Sony A7R II advantages over Panasonic GX85

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs 4/3
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 4.51 vs 3.77 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• NFC
  Yes vs No
  Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  A7R II test data on DxO Mark GX85 test data on DxO Mark
  26.0 vs 22.9 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• 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.

  A7R II test data on DxO Mark GX85 test data on DxO Mark
  3,434 vs 662 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• 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.

  A7R II test data on DxO Mark GX85 test data on DxO Mark
  13.9 vs 12.6 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• On-sensor phase detect
  Yes vs No
  Usually improves live view and video AF performance
• External Mic Jack
  Jack vs No jack
  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
• Higher max flash sync
  1/250 vs 1/160 sec
  Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.78x vs 0.70x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  42.4 vs 16.0 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
• Slow-motion videos
  Yes vs No
  Shoot slow-motion videos
• Higher extended ISO
  102400 vs 25600 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility