Sony A7S vs Nikon D5500

Sony A7S advantages over Nikon D5500

• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 8.40 vs 3.92 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
• 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.

  A7S test data on DxO Mark D5500 test data on DxO Mark
  3,702 vs 1,438 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Thinner
  48 mm vs 70 mm
  Thinner
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.71x vs 0.55x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
• Has anti-aliasing filter
  Filter vs No Filter
  Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
• Faster RAW shooting
  5.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
  Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
• Bigger RAW buffer
  39 vs 7 shots
  Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
• Slow-motion videos
  Yes vs No
  Shoot slow-motion videos
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  409600 vs 25600 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility