• 35mm 861.6mm2
  • 36.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600
  • 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 20.3 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 25,600

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Differences

Sony A7R advantages over Panasonic GH5 II

  • Less expensive
    $1000* vs $1798
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 4.88 vs 3.34 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Thinner
    48 mm vs 87 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    465g vs 727g
    Lighter weight
  • More pixels
    36.4 vs 20.3 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 25600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Panasonic GH5 II advantages over Sony A7R

  • 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
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Shoot 4K video
    5K vs 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Yes vs No
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 410 vs 340 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/250 vs 1/160 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • More dots on screen
    1840k vs 922k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Dual card slots
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    12.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    108 vs 15 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Faster shutter
    1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Focus peaking
    Both provide
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • 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
  • 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

  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • 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

User reviews

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Buy the Panasonic GH5 II

Review Excerpt

  • Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Resolution that rivals a medium-format camera; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Decent performance bearing in mind its extremely high resolution; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.

  • Extreme resolution makes focus and lens quality critical; Modest performance; Loud shutter; Lacks hybrid autofocus of the A7; Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Slow X-sync; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7

Sony A7R
Sony A7
  • $1399
  • 35mm
  • Higher effective ISO
  • More pixels
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
Panasonic GH5 II
Sony A7
  • $1298
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $748
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Larger sensor

Compared to Sony A7R II

Sony A7R
Sony A7R II
  • $1399
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Lighter weight
  • $2348
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video
Panasonic GH5 II
Sony A7R II
  • $1298
  • 4/3
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Lens selection
  • $2348
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Leica M (Typ 262)

Sony A7R
Leica M (Typ 262)
  • $1399
  • 35mm
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $4995
  • 35mm
  • Bigger pixels
  • Longer exposure
Panasonic GH5 II
Leica M (Typ 262)
  • $1298
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $4995
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Sony A7R III

Sony A7R
Sony A7R III
  • $1399
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $2204
  • 35mm
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Shoot 4K video
Panasonic GH5 II
Sony A7R III
  • $1298
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $2204
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Canon EOS RP

Sony A7R
Canon EOS RP
  • $1399
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
  • $949
  • 35mm
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Bigger pixels
Panasonic GH5 II
Canon EOS RP
  • $1298
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
  • $949
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
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