Comparison Sony A7s II body vs Sony A7s body

The result shown by the camera in the DxOMark ranking.

DxOMark is one of the most popular and respected resources for expert camera testing. According to the test results, the camera receives a certain number of points; The more points, the higher the final score.

An image stabilization method provided by a camera. Note that optical and sensor-shift systems are sometimes combined under the term "true" stabilization, due to their effectiveness. See below for more details.

Stabilization itself (regardless of the operating principle) allows you to compensate for the "shake" effect when the camera is not positioned correctly - especially when shooting handheld. This is especially important when shooting with significant magnification or at long shutter speeds. However, in any case, this function reduces the risk of ruining the frame, so cameras with stabilization are extremely common. The operating principles can be as follows:

— Electronic. Stabilization is carried out by means of a kind of “reserve” — a section along the edges of the sensor, which is not initially involved in the formation of the final image. However, if the camera electronics detect vibrations, it compensates for them by selecting the necessary fragments of the image from the reserve. Electronic systems are extremely simple, compact, reliable and at the same time inexpensive. However, for their operation, it is necessary to allocate a fairly significant part of the sensor — and reducing the useful area of the sensor increases the noise level and degrades the image quality. And in some models, electronic stabilization is enabled only at lower resolutions and is not available at full...frame size. Therefore, in its pure form, this option is found mainly in relatively inexpensive cameras with non-replaceable optics.

— Optical. Stabilization is achieved when light passes through the lens — due to a system of moving lenses and gyroscopes. As a result, the image gets to the sensor already stabilized, and the entire area of the sensor can be used for it. Therefore, optical systems, despite their complexity and rather high cost, are considered more preferable for high-quality shooting than electronic ones. Separately, we note that in SLR and MILC cameras (see "Camera type") the presence of this function depends on the installed lens; therefore, for such models, optical stabilization is not indicated in our catalog in principle (even if the kit lens is equipped with a stabilizer).

— With sensor shift. Stabilization performed by shifting the sensor "following" the shifted image. Like the optical one described above, it is considered a fairly advanced option, although in general it is somewhat less effective. On the other hand, sensor shift systems have serious advantages — first of all, such stabilization will work regardless of the characteristics of the lens. For cameras with non-replaceable optics, this means that the lens can do without an optical stabilizer and make the optics simpler, cheaper and more reliable. In SLR and MILC cameras, sensor shift allows even "non-stabilized" lenses to be used with convenience, and when "stabilized" optics are installed, both systems work together, and their efficiency is very high. In addition, sensor shift is somewhat simpler and cheaper than traditional optical stabilizers.

— Optical and electronic. Stabilization that combines both of the above options: initially, it operates on an optical principle, and when the lens's capabilities are not enough, an electronic system is connected. This allows for an increase in overall efficiency in comparison with purely optical or purely electronic stabilizers. On the other hand, the disadvantages of both options in such systems are also combined: the optics are comparatively complex and expensive, and not the entire sensor is used. Therefore, such a combination is rare, mainly in individual advanced digital compacts.

— With sensor shift and electronic. Another type of combined stabilization systems. Like "optical + electronic", it improves the overall efficiency of stabilization, but at the same time combines the disadvantages of both methods (they are also similar: more complicated and more expensive camera plus a decrease in the useful area of the sensor). Therefore, this option is used extremely rarely - in single models of digital ultrazooms and advanced compacts.

The number of scene programs provided in the camera design.

Scene programs are preset settings for some of the most common shooting scenes - for example, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Sunset, etc. In addition to these presets, this list may include special effects and creative tools (such as color swap or fisheye), as well as exposure modes (see below). The presence of scene programs is especially useful for beginners and non-professional photographers, as it eliminates the need to tinker with each setting separately - just select the most suitable program, and all the necessary settings will be set automatically. The more scene programs the camera design provides, the wider its automatic adjustment capabilities.

The highest number of shots the camera can capture “in one shot” when shooting in RAW format continuously (see “Recording in RAW Format”).

The technical features of modern digital cameras are such that during continuous shooting, photos have to be recorded in a special buffer, and only then, after the end of the series, they can be transferred to a memory card. This buffer has a limited size, so the number of frames in one series is also limited. At the same time, we note that this indicator is usually indicated for shooting at the highest possible resolution (see "Maximum image size"); at lower resolutions, the volume of each image is reduced, and the number of frames in the series may be more than stated in the specifications.

RAW images take up more space and require more processing power than "finished" JPEGs. Therefore, the number of frames in a series of this format is usually lower than that of JPEG. However, there are exceptions — usually these are cameras that have two separate buffers (for RAW and JPEG).

The maximum resolution and frame rate of video captured by the camera in Full HD (1080p).

The traditional Full HD video resolution in this case is 1920x1080; other options are more specific and practically do not occur in modern cameras. Regarding the frame rate, it is worth noting first of all that a normal (not slow-motion) video is shot at a speed of up to 60 fps, and in this case, the higher the frame rate, the smoother the video will be, the less jerks will be noticeable when moving in the frame. If the frame rate is 100 fps or higher, this usually means that the camera has a slow-motion video mode.

— USB C. A universal USB interface that uses a Type C connector. USB ports themselves (all types) are used mainly for connecting the camera to a computer for copying footage, managing settings, updating firmware, etc. Specifically The Type C connector is comparable in size to earlier miniUSB and microUSB, but has a reversible design that allows the plug to be inserted in either direction. In addition, USB C often operates according to the USB 3.1 standard, which allows for connection speeds of up to 10 Gbps - a useful feature when copying large amounts of content.

- HDMI. A comprehensive digital interface that allows you to transmit video (including high resolution) and audio (up to multi-channel) over a single cable. The presence of such a port makes it possible to use the camera as a player: it can be directly connected to a TV, monitor, projector, etc. and view your footage on the big screen. In this case, broadcast capabilities can include not only video playback, but also demonstration of captured photos in slide show mode. HDMI inputs are present in most modern video equipment, and connection is usually not a problem.
Nowadays, there are several versions of the HDMI interface on the market:

• v 1.4. The oldest version currently relevant, released in 2009. However, it supports 3D video, is capable of working with resolutions up to 4096x2160 at a speed of 24 fps, and in Full HD resolution the frame rate can reach 120...fps. In addition to the original v.1.4, there are also improved modifications - v.1.4a and v.1.4b; they are similar in basic capabilities, in both cases the improvements affected mainly work with 3D content.
• v2.0. Significant HDMI update introduced in 2013. In this version, the maximum frame rate in 4K has increased to 60 fps, and support for ultra-wide 21:9 format can also be mentioned. In update v.2.0a, HDR support was added to the interface capabilities; in v.2.0b this function was improved and expanded.
• v 2.1. Despite the similarity in name to v.2.0, this version, released in 2017, was a very large-scale update. In particular, it added support for 8K and even 10 K at speeds up to 120 fps, and also further expanded the capabilities for working with HDR. This version was released with its own cable - HDMI Ultra High Speed; all features of v.2.1 are available only when using cables of this standard, although basic functions can be used with simpler cords.

— Headphone output. Audio output allows you to connect headphones to the camera. As a rule, it is represented by a classic 3.5 mm mini-jack. The presence of such a connector provides the ability to monitor sound during video recording in real time. This is especially important when filming interviews, vlogs and other similar projects.

— Microphone input. Specialized input for connecting an external microphone to the camera. External microphones are significantly superior to built-in microphones in sound quality. Firstly, they are not so sensitive to the camera’s “own” sounds - from buttons, control wheels, focus motors, etc. (and if the microphone uses a long wire and is not attached to the body, these sounds will not be heard at all). Secondly, external microphones themselves have more advanced characteristics. On the other hand, their use is justified mainly for professional video recording; therefore, the presence of a microphone input, as a rule, corresponds to advanced video recording capabilities

The number of focus points (autofocus) provided in the design of the camera.

The focus point is the point (more precisely, a small area) in the frame from which the autofocus system reads data for focusing. The simplest systems work with a single point, but their capabilities are very limited, and this option is practically not found today. Modern digital cameras have at least three focus sensors, and in the most advanced models this figure can reach several dozen.

The more autofocus sensors there are in the camera, the more advanced its autofocus capabilities will be, the more specific techniques it allows you to use. In this case, the selection of specific points used can be carried out both automatically, simultaneously with the choice of the subject program, and manually (however, the second option is more typical for professional cameras). In addition, the abundance of focus points has a positive effect on the quality of the tracking autofocus (see "Autofocus Modes").

In general, more focus sensors are generally considered a sign of a more advanced camera; however, differences in quality become really noticeable only if the difference in the number of points is significant - for example, if we compare models with 9 and 39 points. A lot also depends on the location of the points in the frame - it is believed that sensors distributed over a wide area work better than densely located in the center of the frame, even if their number is the same.

This setting can be simplistically described as the amount of magnification provided by the viewfinder relative to how the image appears to the naked eye. The features of modern viewfinders are such that most of them have crop values less than 1 — that is, it somewhat reduces the visible “picture”.

In general, the larger this parameter, the larger the objects look in the viewfinder and the easier it is to focus through it.

Continuous shooting speed provided by the camera at the maximum frame resolution. At lower resolutions, the speed may be higher, but this value is considered the key characteristic.

In continuous shooting, the photographer presses the button, and the camera takes several shots in a row, usually at intervals of a fraction of a second. Such shooting is convenient, for example, for capturing fast-moving objects: it allows you to choose the most successful from a series of frames, or to show the dynamics of movement using the entire series. And the higher the speed, the more effective the shooting, the more frames the camera can capture in a period of time. On the other hand, speed requires appropriate hardware and can significantly affect the cost.