Looking for a new full-frame camera? The new Sony A7R and Nikon D800 share what is widely believed to be the same 36.3-megapixel sensor, and, in fact, Marcus Hawkins finds their spec sheets match up on a number of levels in his Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison.
Sony has announced the Sony A7 and Sony A7R, two new full-frame mirrorless compact system cameras. Big on features but small on size and weight, they share the same design, although there are a couple of key differences that set them apart.
The entry-level Sony A7 features a 24.3MP CMOS full frame sensor and an improved Fast Hybrid autofocus system that uses a combination of phase detection (fast) and contrast detection (accurate) autofocus.
Aimed at enthusiasts and professional photographers, the Sony A7R gets an upgraded sensor – a 36.4 effective megapixel full frame sensor which does away with an optical low-pass filter (OLPF) for improved sharpness, at the expense of some moire.
The Sony A7R’s sensor specification comes close to the Nikon D800, or rather the Nikon D800E which also lacks an OLPF. But can the Sony A7R compact system camera really deliver a performance to rival the leading high-megapixel DSLR? Hopefully our Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison will answer some of your questions…
Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 01 Sensor resolution
The Nikon D800 uses a 35.9 x 24.0mm full-frame (Nikon FX format) CMOS sensor, with a resolution of 36.3 effective megapixels.
The Sony A7R’s sensor is widely believed to be the same one as in the Nikon D800. The A7R’s sensor is a 35mm full-frame (Exmor) CMOS sensor offering an effective resolution of 36.4 megapixels.
It’s no secret that Nikon has been using Sony-built sensors in its DSLRs, so this is an unsurprising development.
If you don’t need the Sony A7R’s huge 36 million pixel resolution (and huge image file size), then the Sony A7 is a better buy. The Sony A7 features a 24.3 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, but also includes a low-pass filter (to reduce moire).
At the imaging chip level, the Sony A7R and Nikon D800 are essentially equal. Obviously how the signal is processed beyond this has an impact on overall picture quality, and the cameras will produce images with marked differences.
PAGE 1 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 01 Sensor resolution
PAGE 2 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 02 Autofocus
PAGE 3 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 03 Exposure and processing
PAGE 4 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 04 Build Quality
PAGE 5 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 05 Viewfinder and LCD screen
PAGE 6 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 06 Lenses
PAGE 7 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 07 Video
PAGE 8 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 08 Connections
PAGE 9 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: 09 Price
PAGE 10 – Sony A7R vs Nikon D800 comparison: our conclusion
READ MORE
Banish bad pictures: 9 quick fixes for common camera complaints
44 essential digital camera tips and tricks
10 ways to drive a photography snob mad
10 common exposure problems every photographer faces (and how to overcome them)
100 Nikon DSLR tips you need to know right now