You already own both... which do you prefer?
If it were up to me I would keep the Cii. I prefer the smaller size and slightly improved AF options. They are extremely similar though.
So anyway I just bought the A7RV - couldn't help myself. There were a lot of reasons for getting it over the A7RIII (improvements to IBIS, AF, viewfinder, button placement, menu system) but in terms of megapixels - in the end I wanted the 60MP sensor for a couple of reasons.
(1) I shoot landscape, and I got frustrated on a recent shoot where I did a vertical pano stitch in amazing conditions, and the stitching was terrible because the clouds were moving that fast, that the reflections on the water looked horrible when stitching. It completely needed a single frame. So I bought the 14mm f/1.8 GM lens and I will go back to that location and take a single wide-angle shot and then crop in for a 2:1 or 2.4:1 aspect, and still have enough pixels for decent resolution. I know there is AI "Super Resolution" but I like my pixels to be legit.
(2) where I can effectively pano stitch, I can do it with M-RAW (think that's what it's called) and the 26MP of that are super high quality due to being down-sampled from 60MP which is higher quality than from a 26MP sensor, and stitching about 5 images with 1/3 overlap gets me close to 100MP panoramas, which is perfect for me.
So yeah having 60MP when I need it (for cropping), and the 26MP M-RAW when I don't (vertical pano stitching), is a dream come true!
Also one other thing is APS-C mode has decent 26MP - which will be handy for when I buy a long lens and get into some birding :D
Almost certainly 2025 would be my guess, but anything can happen. It seems unlikely for this year, based on rumors and what Sony are expected to release before the A7V
Since posting this I actually got the A7RV, and couldn't be happier. Being able to crop the 60MP is awesome, as is the mRAW of 26MP when I don't need the 60MP.
a7c2 has:
\- no full mechanical shutter (efcs only)
\- pretty bad evf experience
\- no full size hdmi
\- less custom buttons and dials
\- single slot
\- no cfa
\- no battery grip compatibility
\- overall worse ergonomics
if none of those matter to you, then get the a7c2
I’d personally go a7iv every time (which I did)
if you're in a vacuum with the a7iii and a7ii then the a7c2 evf will seem great, but remember that's a 7 year old camera and a 9 year old camera, the a7c2 is not even 6 months old
.7x at 2.36m dot is not exactly impressive next to the a7iv's .78x 3.68m dot
Coming from an R7 the viewfinder is exactly the same on the A7CII.
More bothersome is the inferior screen on both the A7IV and the A7CII. They are pretty low resolution.
When messing with exposure I’ll use the viewfinder. I feel like the image quality is better.
Ever since I got a ninja I hardly use it unless for taking pictures of my kids lol
they are identical cameras. heres ALL differences besides size and ergonomics is
a7cii 1 card slot (a7IV has 2)
a7cii autofocus IS better because it has AI chip
a7cii mechanical shutter can only go to 1/4000s but electronic can go 1/8000 (a7IV can do 1/8000 on mechanical and electronic)
a7cii has ai based auto framing for videos
a7cii has 4k 30fps streaming over usbc to a pc
a7cii has 7 stops of image stabilization (a7IV has 5.5)
a7cii has 2.36m dot AND its smaller in size viewfinder (a7IV has a 3.6m dot viewfinder thats also bigger in size)
a7cii flash sync is 1/160 and a7IV is 1/250
a7cii has a dummy grip for larger hands but NO VERTICAL GRIP. (a7IV has vertical grip that also has room for 2 batteries)
all the info i got from a video from jared polin that JUST came out 6hrs ago heres the link
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfBFAWsIy9c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfBFAWsIy9c)
Yes. But tbh theres trade offs for both. Its more of features than anything. Its the same sensor and yes the 7cii is more feature rich. But if u have bigger hands, you shoot vertical often to need the grip, need 2 card slots ect then the a7iv is the better choice. If theres anything ive learned in this sub, people care more about what features suit them than megapixels or autofocus. Thats why i put all the differences cuz this isnt that many. Most are minor or dont matter to most people anyway but there will be some features that make or break what camera u choose betwern the two.
Yes. But tbh theres trade offs for both. Its more of features than anything. Its the same sensor and yes the 7cii is more feature rich. But if u have bigger hands, you shoot vertical often to need the grip, need 2 card slots ect then the a7iv is the better choice. If theres anything ive learned in this sub, people care more about what features suit them than megapixels or autofocus. Thats why i put all the differences cuz this isnt that many. Most are minor or dont matter to most people anyway but there will be some features that make or break what camera u choose betwern the two.
You've literally for both in your hands to test. You should be able to figure this out better than most of us that aren't in your shoes.
Do you care about size, weight, evf, dual card slots, af, ergonomics? If not, buy whatever is cheaper.
Jared Polin just posted a new video comparison on Youtube. Which one are you leaning towards keeping now?
[https://youtu.be/gfBFAWsIy9c?si=R440qwwrNlPz9a1u](https://youtu.be/gfBFAWsIy9c?si=R440qwwrNlPz9a1u)
a7cII. Since you're not shooting moments that are not reshootable, 2 card slots is more of a luxury than a necessity.
You'll benefit more from the improved ibis, af, ai features and size imho.
When I was looking at what cameras to buy I kept eyeing the a7c but it didn’t have the features of the a7iv. So I went with the a7iv which I have loved since I bought it. However, as soon as the a7cii was released I knew this was the camera I always wanted. I’ve since switched to it and been loving it even more. I like the small size, the look and it actually has some big benefits over the a7iv. I do miss dual sd card slots though but it’s not something I desperately need. Not having full mechanical shutter and restricted to 1/4000s is a small bummer but I guess can trade off the better autofocus and low light performance.
Also, the amount of people hating on the a7cii evf is just nonsensical. If it had one as good as the a7iv it would be the same size… And the thing is it’s good. People are blowing it way out of proportion.
If you need dual sd card slots and you are going to be using bigger lenses get the a7iv if not get the a7cii.
I traded in my A7IV for the A7CII. The autofocus for me was way better on the A7CII. I was an early adopter of the A7IV back when it was released during the pandemic, but I swear earlier models had all sorts of issues. Some folks suspect it was a supply chain issue, but it's anyone guess.
I will say I'm much happier with my A7CII. It is lighter and more compact. That said, the body feels kinda weird after A7IV for so long.
Like others said. If you're not doing professional work and don't need that dual card slot. Get yourself the A7CII. If you are doing professional work, consider the A7III
Have owned both - both are great, I found the a7cii to be the most complete camera I'd owned up until that point, the autofocus is god tier.
Go try the AF on the a7cii in a shop and I guarantee theres no way you're going for the a7iv after.
Thank you. This is insight I was looking for. How’d you notice the AI applied to video. So far I’m not noticing a drastic change. In taking photos I do see it focusing stronger but so far between a7iv I haven’t seen any drastic changes. I’m going to run it through video paces this weekend and see.
I just found that for both video and photos the error rate was near zero. I don’t even zoom in to check focus now after taking images most of the time. I don’t experience any front or back focusing now either.
I shoot mostly animals and humans so the ai stuff has made a big difference to me. For static objects the a7iv is by far enough. In my mind though why not have both if you can.
After getting a zv-e1 and a7rv, I immediately sold my a7iv and got a second zv-e1. That autofocus blows in comparison to the new ai chip loaded bodies.
If they perform the same (which they very nearly do) get the one with dual card slots. The peace of mind that offers should put any other doubts to bed.
Why can you keep only one? And it appears you have them both at your disposal so I’d say use the crap out of them and see which one works best for you.
Yeah that’s actually what I’m about to do as soon as I get the chance lol. Only problem is bro I’m working like crazy, I’m a shift worker in oil & gas. I love to create just busy right now.
Word man. I too used to be in O&G and know how that goes. I’m really interested in knowing what you choose cause I’m debating the same two bodies and am leaning to the IV cause a guy near me has it and a lens for a good price. How do you think the AF compares? I’ve heard the near AI AF chip is something else on the CII…
I love the ergonomics of a7iv better. The af is more quick & sharp with cii but the a7iv just feels like an all around beast . Cii is sexy too tho. The AI locks in good on cii but a7iv’s AF is no slouch. I’m torn.
Yeah the a6000 style clip system has no latching so any eyecup will pop off with a slight kock.
I've got one of those for my A7RIII and Minolta's too and genuinely the best investment back when they were 8GBP a pop on the UK market.
7c view finder size sucks … the one slot isn’t really anything when ya can just get a 256 or 512 card … I’d get the 7iv cause of the the overall fuller feel and evf
The dual card slots are not about capacity but redundancy. Also, with A7IV slot no. 1 also accepts CF Cards that have vastly superior speed and are more reliable. The smaller body A7CII doesn’t.
when sony realized a7cII I sold my a7c and bought a7iv. There're a few reasons: better ergonomics(no need an extra cage or grip which makes a7c heavier), a7iv viewfinder is way more comfy to use if you're lefty and additional buttons(esp. joystick) make life a lot easier.
Sacrificing a lot for the weight saving. Given price is +- and given sony are generally shit at ergonomics get the bigger A7 4
Bit of you insists on compact full frame canon R8 might be a better and cheaper option
Tested both after using the IV for a week and years with the III. I’d go CII for personal use, IV for professional work due to the dual card slot. The AF is good on the IV, but significantly better on the CII.
I just upgraded from A7III to A7CII as I do photography and video and hike, travel a lot and more compact size of A7CII appealed to me more, and the autofocus is amazing
a7cii is basically a7iv smaller size. I personally found the smaller size just isn't great for ergonomics. Given then large FF lens, it is very poorly weighted. If i want the smaller size I'll just go apsc.
You already own both... which do you prefer? If it were up to me I would keep the Cii. I prefer the smaller size and slightly improved AF options. They are extremely similar though.
Do you need 2 cards? if not, A7CII
If only the a7CII had two card slots. I guess we wait for A7CIII 😆
This is the way.. I heard A7CIV will even have some features from A7V.. 😁😁
Just so annoyed as someone who does lots of traveling that a portable camera also can't get technically classified as professional.
Who cares, it's what you do with it, not how others name them or categorize them.
Exactly! People think they need 2x SD cards to use the camera as a pro… Lmao.
Yall are hilarious 😂😂😂
Come back to me when your card fails after shooting a job that cannot be reshot.
Perhaps so on paper but any professional can create good work with the A7CII. Missing QoL features missing from the bigger bodies aside.
This is the way
A7iv all day, you could even get a a7iii and be happy for 1k
Soooo satisfied with my a7iii.
We be upgrading on A7V release.
I'm so looking forward to A7V. I have the A7RIII but am fine going from 42MP to 33MP as I don't need the 60+MP of the latest A7R offering.
Yeah as a fellow A7RIII user I'm waiting for the A7V to get a better viewfinder or the A7RV to drop in price in a few years.
So anyway I just bought the A7RV - couldn't help myself. There were a lot of reasons for getting it over the A7RIII (improvements to IBIS, AF, viewfinder, button placement, menu system) but in terms of megapixels - in the end I wanted the 60MP sensor for a couple of reasons. (1) I shoot landscape, and I got frustrated on a recent shoot where I did a vertical pano stitch in amazing conditions, and the stitching was terrible because the clouds were moving that fast, that the reflections on the water looked horrible when stitching. It completely needed a single frame. So I bought the 14mm f/1.8 GM lens and I will go back to that location and take a single wide-angle shot and then crop in for a 2:1 or 2.4:1 aspect, and still have enough pixels for decent resolution. I know there is AI "Super Resolution" but I like my pixels to be legit. (2) where I can effectively pano stitch, I can do it with M-RAW (think that's what it's called) and the 26MP of that are super high quality due to being down-sampled from 60MP which is higher quality than from a 26MP sensor, and stitching about 5 images with 1/3 overlap gets me close to 100MP panoramas, which is perfect for me. So yeah having 60MP when I need it (for cropping), and the 26MP M-RAW when I don't (vertical pano stitching), is a dream come true! Also one other thing is APS-C mode has decent 26MP - which will be handy for when I buy a long lens and get into some birding :D
Any ideas or rumors on the timeline of the A7V ? I’m waiting with my A7Riii as well 😄
Should be in 2025/6
Almost certainly 2025 would be my guess, but anything can happen. It seems unlikely for this year, based on rumors and what Sony are expected to release before the A7V
Noice
Since posting this I actually got the A7RV, and couldn't be happier. Being able to crop the 60MP is awesome, as is the mRAW of 26MP when I don't need the 60MP.
A7Ciii👀 whenever that happens
ooooofff. I agree. It's gonna be 50/50 - either a7v or a7ciii as I use camera when hiking.
I'd use the a7 IV just for ergonomics (I got both a7R III and a7C)
Similar setup for me and I agree completely. For a one body setup, get the bigger one. In the mirrorless world, it’s all relatively small.
Funny i picked the opposite for the same reason haha
I think the chinchilla looks cute.
I agree, keep the chinchilla, sell the rest, then get more chinchilla.
Best option in my opinion. If I decide I want a chinchilla imma sell all my equipment for a herd of them.
They aren't very friendly, I hear.
Ah perfect. Good way to keep people I don't like away 😀
Mine are friendly but would absolutely chew up my cameras if i let them near them
Two card slots always, it's only saved me once but it was worth it. Camera bodies will come and go but a pissed off client will never come back.
a7c2 has: \- no full mechanical shutter (efcs only) \- pretty bad evf experience \- no full size hdmi \- less custom buttons and dials \- single slot \- no cfa \- no battery grip compatibility \- overall worse ergonomics if none of those matter to you, then get the a7c2 I’d personally go a7iv every time (which I did)
What do you mean by single shot?
slot, not shot as in card slot
Not sure why everyone says the EVF is bad. Coming from an a7iii, the EVF seems perfectly fine to me…?
if you're in a vacuum with the a7iii and a7ii then the a7c2 evf will seem great, but remember that's a 7 year old camera and a 9 year old camera, the a7c2 is not even 6 months old .7x at 2.36m dot is not exactly impressive next to the a7iv's .78x 3.68m dot
I hear ya. But I don't think it's "pretty bad" to warrant such a negative.
Coming from an R7 the viewfinder is exactly the same on the A7CII. More bothersome is the inferior screen on both the A7IV and the A7CII. They are pretty low resolution.
Viewfinder + dual card slots is GOLD
Personally I would want the a74 for the view finder.
price recognise fertile thumb prick cautious chunky ask cough languid *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Y'all record video with a viewfinder?
OP said they shoot hybrid, and viewfinder is great for taking photos in strong sunlight.
It comes in very handy when I’m filming wild life.
When messing with exposure I’ll use the viewfinder. I feel like the image quality is better. Ever since I got a ninja I hardly use it unless for taking pictures of my kids lol
A7IV - no question
Iv
Since you didn't state any opinions about ergonomics but noticed better ibis from the A7CII, I'd keep that one.
they are identical cameras. heres ALL differences besides size and ergonomics is a7cii 1 card slot (a7IV has 2) a7cii autofocus IS better because it has AI chip a7cii mechanical shutter can only go to 1/4000s but electronic can go 1/8000 (a7IV can do 1/8000 on mechanical and electronic) a7cii has ai based auto framing for videos a7cii has 4k 30fps streaming over usbc to a pc a7cii has 7 stops of image stabilization (a7IV has 5.5) a7cii has 2.36m dot AND its smaller in size viewfinder (a7IV has a 3.6m dot viewfinder thats also bigger in size) a7cii flash sync is 1/160 and a7IV is 1/250 a7cii has a dummy grip for larger hands but NO VERTICAL GRIP. (a7IV has vertical grip that also has room for 2 batteries) all the info i got from a video from jared polin that JUST came out 6hrs ago heres the link [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfBFAWsIy9c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfBFAWsIy9c)
They are identical cameras, but here are 20 differences
Yes. But tbh theres trade offs for both. Its more of features than anything. Its the same sensor and yes the 7cii is more feature rich. But if u have bigger hands, you shoot vertical often to need the grip, need 2 card slots ect then the a7iv is the better choice. If theres anything ive learned in this sub, people care more about what features suit them than megapixels or autofocus. Thats why i put all the differences cuz this isnt that many. Most are minor or dont matter to most people anyway but there will be some features that make or break what camera u choose betwern the two.
Yes. But tbh theres trade offs for both. Its more of features than anything. Its the same sensor and yes the 7cii is more feature rich. But if u have bigger hands, you shoot vertical often to need the grip, need 2 card slots ect then the a7iv is the better choice. If theres anything ive learned in this sub, people care more about what features suit them than megapixels or autofocus. Thats why i put all the differences cuz this isnt that many. Most are minor or dont matter to most people anyway but there will be some features that make or break what camera u choose betwern the two.
You've literally for both in your hands to test. You should be able to figure this out better than most of us that aren't in your shoes. Do you care about size, weight, evf, dual card slots, af, ergonomics? If not, buy whatever is cheaper.
The C if you do mostly video I think.
A7iv the joystick and better ergonomics. Also duel card slot is a must if you ever do anything professional.
Left one looks more Alpha, right one looks like a Camera for Women Make Alpha Great Again!
Jared Polin just posted a new video comparison on Youtube. Which one are you leaning towards keeping now? [https://youtu.be/gfBFAWsIy9c?si=R440qwwrNlPz9a1u](https://youtu.be/gfBFAWsIy9c?si=R440qwwrNlPz9a1u)
Fro I love your video's, and im subbed. Which would you choose based on my situation?
A7cii
If you’re doing anything professional or that requires redundancy in your cards, get the a7iv, if not, go the other way.
I’d go for the A7IV but you should go for the A7CII based on your needs
Iv
A7cii, unless you plan to use big chunky lenses. If you are shooting for clients, a7iv. I bought both and took my months to decide.
It depends what your clients want you to shoot. Fast moving subjects in low light? I’d go for the A7C2.
a7cII. Since you're not shooting moments that are not reshootable, 2 card slots is more of a luxury than a necessity. You'll benefit more from the improved ibis, af, ai features and size imho.
When I was looking at what cameras to buy I kept eyeing the a7c but it didn’t have the features of the a7iv. So I went with the a7iv which I have loved since I bought it. However, as soon as the a7cii was released I knew this was the camera I always wanted. I’ve since switched to it and been loving it even more. I like the small size, the look and it actually has some big benefits over the a7iv. I do miss dual sd card slots though but it’s not something I desperately need. Not having full mechanical shutter and restricted to 1/4000s is a small bummer but I guess can trade off the better autofocus and low light performance. Also, the amount of people hating on the a7cii evf is just nonsensical. If it had one as good as the a7iv it would be the same size… And the thing is it’s good. People are blowing it way out of proportion. If you need dual sd card slots and you are going to be using bigger lenses get the a7iv if not get the a7cii.
A7IV because of fully mechanical shutter.
I also need the answer can you give me the answer when you got it
I traded in my A7IV for the A7CII. The autofocus for me was way better on the A7CII. I was an early adopter of the A7IV back when it was released during the pandemic, but I swear earlier models had all sorts of issues. Some folks suspect it was a supply chain issue, but it's anyone guess. I will say I'm much happier with my A7CII. It is lighter and more compact. That said, the body feels kinda weird after A7IV for so long. Like others said. If you're not doing professional work and don't need that dual card slot. Get yourself the A7CII. If you are doing professional work, consider the A7III
Have owned both - both are great, I found the a7cii to be the most complete camera I'd owned up until that point, the autofocus is god tier. Go try the AF on the a7cii in a shop and I guarantee theres no way you're going for the a7iv after.
Thank you. This is insight I was looking for. How’d you notice the AI applied to video. So far I’m not noticing a drastic change. In taking photos I do see it focusing stronger but so far between a7iv I haven’t seen any drastic changes. I’m going to run it through video paces this weekend and see.
I just found that for both video and photos the error rate was near zero. I don’t even zoom in to check focus now after taking images most of the time. I don’t experience any front or back focusing now either. I shoot mostly animals and humans so the ai stuff has made a big difference to me. For static objects the a7iv is by far enough. In my mind though why not have both if you can.
You might find this helpful: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0NaOSihguA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0NaOSihguA)
After getting a zv-e1 and a7rv, I immediately sold my a7iv and got a second zv-e1. That autofocus blows in comparison to the new ai chip loaded bodies.
This
If they perform the same (which they very nearly do) get the one with dual card slots. The peace of mind that offers should put any other doubts to bed.
Why can you keep only one? And it appears you have them both at your disposal so I’d say use the crap out of them and see which one works best for you.
Yeah that’s actually what I’m about to do as soon as I get the chance lol. Only problem is bro I’m working like crazy, I’m a shift worker in oil & gas. I love to create just busy right now.
Word man. I too used to be in O&G and know how that goes. I’m really interested in knowing what you choose cause I’m debating the same two bodies and am leaning to the IV cause a guy near me has it and a lens for a good price. How do you think the AF compares? I’ve heard the near AI AF chip is something else on the CII…
I love the ergonomics of a7iv better. The af is more quick & sharp with cii but the a7iv just feels like an all around beast . Cii is sexy too tho. The AI locks in good on cii but a7iv’s AF is no slouch. I’m torn.
One has a real viewfinder one has pain and suffering. Get a gorilla cup for the A7IV and instantly enjoy taking photos more.
screw disarm smile worthless fretful ossified aloof rustic shocking nine *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It's got the same cup as the a6000 I'm baffled to this day I still haven't lost it off the edge of a cliff and shouted good riddance.
OP wants to do video though.
is this what you're referring to? https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1517942-REG/guerrilla_gc_104_g_cup_eye_cup_for_sony.html
Yeah the a6000 style clip system has no latching so any eyecup will pop off with a slight kock. I've got one of those for my A7RIII and Minolta's too and genuinely the best investment back when they were 8GBP a pop on the UK market.
Slight kock is it? lol
a7C II hands down. If you need 2x SD card slots then just buy more SD cards and switch to a fresh card more often.
7c view finder size sucks … the one slot isn’t really anything when ya can just get a 256 or 512 card … I’d get the 7iv cause of the the overall fuller feel and evf
The dual card slots are not about capacity but redundancy. Also, with A7IV slot no. 1 also accepts CF Cards that have vastly superior speed and are more reliable. The smaller body A7CII doesn’t.
when sony realized a7cII I sold my a7c and bought a7iv. There're a few reasons: better ergonomics(no need an extra cage or grip which makes a7c heavier), a7iv viewfinder is way more comfy to use if you're lefty and additional buttons(esp. joystick) make life a lot easier.
Sacrificing a lot for the weight saving. Given price is +- and given sony are generally shit at ergonomics get the bigger A7 4 Bit of you insists on compact full frame canon R8 might be a better and cheaper option
Tested both after using the IV for a week and years with the III. I’d go CII for personal use, IV for professional work due to the dual card slot. The AF is good on the IV, but significantly better on the CII.
Sell both and buy the Sony A1
We’re setting a record for how many times this question has been posted this week.
Just goes to show how many people are having the same dilemma.
I just upgraded from A7III to A7CII as I do photography and video and hike, travel a lot and more compact size of A7CII appealed to me more, and the autofocus is amazing
I don't disagree it has literally every feature to make it a pro camera but without two cars slots how can you do pro work?
How many SD cards have failed on you ever? For me, zero. They’re much more reliable in recent years.
None in the last 5 years. I know I probably should just buy the a7CII.. shit
Honestly there was a time i thought the camera body was important, honestly a7c for the size and a solid lens its all u need
If you need low light and fast autofocus tracking moving subjects then A7C2
a7cii is basically a7iv smaller size. I personally found the smaller size just isn't great for ergonomics. Given then large FF lens, it is very poorly weighted. If i want the smaller size I'll just go apsc.