Nikon Z 7II vs Sony Alpha 7C
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| NikonZ 7II | SonyAlpha 7C | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | December 2020 | October 2020 |
| Image and sensor | ||
| Camera type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor format | Full frame | Full frame |
| Sensor type | CMOS | Back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS |
| Sensor dimensions | 35.9 × 23.9 mm | 35.6 × 23.8 mm |
| Effective resolution | 45.7 MP | 24.2 MP |
| Largest image | 8256 × 5504 | 6000 × 4000 |
| RAW recording | Yes | Yes |
| Standard ISO range | 64–25600 | 100–51200 |
| Sensor detail | UK publishes 45.7 million effective pixels, Japan 45.75 million; 46.89 million total. Image-sensor cleaning and Image Dust Off reference data; backside illumination identified by both reviews. | Approximately 25.3 million total pixels; 3:2 sensor; anti-static coating and sensor-shift dust reduction |
| Image formats | NEF RAW 12/14-bit with lossless, compressed or uncompressed options; medium/small RAW restricted to 12-bit lossless; JPEG and simultaneous RAW plus JPEG. DX, 5:4, square and 16:9 still crops supported. | JPEG and compressed or uncompressed RAW (Sony ARW 2.3); 14-bit RAW output, reduced to 12-bit with compressed RAW in continuous, Bulb or long-exposure noise-reduction shooting; XAVC S movies |
| ISO detail | Expandable to equivalent ISO 32–102400; auto ISO available | Standard still-image and movie ISO 100–51200; still-image extension ISO 50–204800; movie extension reaches ISO 102400 |
| Image processor | Dual EXPEED 6 (Photography Blog and TechRadar) | BIONZ X |
| Lens and shooting | ||
| Lens mount | Nikon Z mount | Sony E-mount |
| Stabilisation | Sensor shift | Sensor shift |
| Maximum continuous burst | 10 fps | 10 fps |
| Lens detail | NIKKOR Z lenses; compatible F-mount NIKKOR lenses require an adapter with model-dependent restrictions | Interchangeable E-mount; ILCE-7C is body only; ILCE-7CL kit includes the retractable FE 28–60 mm f/4–5.6 lens. The photo shows both body colours with this optional kit lens. |
| Autofocus | Hybrid phase/contrast detection, 493 single-point FX positions and human/animal face and eye detection. Maker sensitivity −3 EV or −4 EV with low-light AF, in AF-S at ISO 100, 20°C and f/2.0. | Fast Hybrid AF with 693 phase-detection and 425 contrast-detection points in full-frame stills; maker detection range EV -4 to 20 at ISO 100 with an f/2 lens; Real-time Tracking and human/animal Eye AF. Current Sony specifications include animal Eye AF in video. |
| Shutter | Mechanical focal-plane, electronic front-curtain and electronic shutters; 1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb/Time and manual extension to 900 seconds. Flash sync 1/200 second; Auto FP supported. | Electronic first-curtain mechanical shutter up to 1/4000 second; silent electronic shutter up to 1/8000 second; 30-second exposures and Bulb; flash sync 1/160 second with Sony flash |
| Burst detail | Continuous H extended up to 10 fps, or approximately 9 fps with 14-bit RAW; maximum requires MF/AF-S or AF-C single-point AF, otherwise approximately 9/8 fps respectively. Continuous H 5.5 fps or 5 fps with 14-bit RAW; Continuous L 1–5 fps. Silent-shutter and buffer/card/settings further limit speed. | Up to 10 fps Hi+ with AF/AE tracking, 8 fps Hi with live view, 6 fps Mid or 3 fps Lo; maker buffer approximately 223 fine JPEGs, 115 compressed RAW or 45 uncompressed RAW images |
| Stabilisation detail | Five-axis image-sensor shift plus supported lens VR; TechRadar describes a five-stop claim and regularly achieved about three stops in its testing | Five-axis sensor-shift correction; maker claim 5 stops under CIPA pitch/yaw testing with the FE 50 mm f/1.4 ZA lens and long-exposure noise reduction off |
| Flash | No built-in flash; ISO 518 hot shoe with compatible i-TTL Speedlights and wireless-flash accessories | No built-in flash; Multi Interface Shoe supports compatible external flash; flash unavailable with electronic shutter |
| Exposure controls | Auto/P/S/A/M and three user-setting banks; compensation ±5 EV; matrix, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted metering | 1200-zone evaluative metering; program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual modes; exposure compensation ±5 EV, or ±3 EV using the dedicated dial |
| Video | ||
| Highest video resolution | 3840 × 2160 at 59.94 fps | 3840 × 2160 at 30 fps |
| Video detail | UHD 3840 × 2160 up to 59.94p; 60/50p uses Normal quality at up to 360 Mbps and cannot be selected with a DX lens. TechRadar reports a 1.08× crop at 4K/60p and full sensor width at 4K/30p. Full HD up to 119.88p uses a DX image area at 120/100p; 4×/5× slow-motion modes omit audio. MOV/MP4 H.264, recordings up to 29 minutes 59 seconds with mode/card restrictions; electronic VR, timecode, time-lapse, external N-Log and HLG output. | Internal 3840 × 2160 at 30p/24p NTSC or 25p PAL in XAVC S up to 100 Mbps, 8-bit 4:2:0; Full HD up to 120p NTSC or 100p PAL. HDMI outputs 8-bit 4:2:2. Photography Blog identifies full-width 4K at 24p/25p and a crop at 30p. S-Log2/S-Log3, HLG, timecode, gamma display assist and S&Q features. |
| Audio | Built-in stereo microphones or 3.5 mm external microphone with attenuator; PCM in MOV or AAC in MP4, headphone monitoring available | Built-in stereo microphone; LPCM stereo recording; 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets; digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe supports compatible microphones and XLR adaptor |
| Screen and viewfinder | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
| Screen size | 3.2″ | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 2,100,000 | 921,600 |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Tilting screen | Yes | Yes |
| Display detail | Tilting touchscreen, approximately 100% coverage and 170° viewing angle; dots count subpixels | Side-opening vari-angle LCD; opens approximately 176° and rotates approximately 270°; touch focus, tracking, shutter and touchpad operation, without touch menu navigation |
| Viewfinder detail | 0.5-inch Quad-VGA OLED, approximately 3.69 million dots, 100% coverage, 0.8× magnification and 21 mm eyepoint | 0.39-type XGA OLED; 2,359,296 dots; 100% coverage; approximately 0.59× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity; 60 or 120 fps refresh |
| Connections and design | ||
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (maker's claim) | 440 photographs | 740 photographs |
| Body weight | 615 g | 424 g (better) |
| Release detail | Nikon Japan records first sale on 11 December 2020; exact first UK retail day is not independently established | Sony Hong Kong specifies retail availability from the beginning of October 2020. This is the original ILCE-7C, a separate compact family alongside Alpha 7 III. |
| Recording media | One CFexpress Type B/XQD slot and one UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC slot; overflow, backup, RAW/JPEG separation and card copying | One SD slot supporting UHS-I and UHS-II SDHC/SDXC; Class 10 or higher for XAVC S, UHS Speed Class 3 for 100 Mbps recording |
| Ports | USB-C SuperSpeed USB, HDMI Type C mini connector, 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets and accessory terminal for compatible remote cords | USB-C (USB 3.2 at 5 Gbps), Micro HDMI Type D, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe |
| Wireless connections | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz and Bluetooth 4.2; SnapBridge | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4 and 5 GHz; Bluetooth 4.1; NFC; smartphone remote control and FTP transfer; 5 GHz availability varies by region |
| Battery life detail | EN-EL15c; CIPA monitor approximately 440 shots with power saving or 420 without; EVF 380 with power saving or 360 without. Movie battery claim approximately 105 minutes with monitor or 100 with EVF. Earlier EN-EL15 variants give fewer shots; optional MB-N11/MB-N10 hold two batteries. | NP-FZ100; CIPA maker claim approximately 740 photographs using LCD or 680 using viewfinder; actual movie claim approximately 140 minutes using either display |
| Charging | USB-C charging/power with compatible equipment; in-camera charging supports EN-EL15c/15b; MH-25a external charger, optional EH-7P or compatible AC adapter with EP-5B connector | In-camera USB charging and USB power supply |
| Dimensions | Approximately 134 × 100.5 × 69.5 mm | Approximately 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7 mm; depth from grip to monitor 53.5 mm |
| Weight detail | Approximately 615 g body only or 705 g with battery/card, excluding body cap | Approximately 424 g body only; 509 g with battery and memory card; both exclude lens. Photography Blog mislabels the loaded 509 g figure as body only; Sony's explicit split is used. |
| Materials | Weather sealing described by both reviews; maker operating range 0–40°C | Magnesium-alloy monocoque construction; maker describes dust and moisture resistance without guaranteeing complete protection |
| Colours | – | Silver/black or black |
| In the box | BF-N1 body cap, DK-29 eyecup, EN-EL15c battery, MH-25a charger, HDMI/USB clip, AN-DC19 strap, UC-E24 USB cable and BS-1 shoe cover; charger plug varies by region, current Japan also lists AN-DC26 as a strap alternative | NP-FZ100 battery, AC adaptor, strap, body/shoe caps and USB-A to USB-C cable; kit additionally includes FE 28–60 mm lens and lens caps |
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