Nikon Z50 II vs Sony A7 II

The Nikon Z50 II and the Sony Alpha A7 II are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in November 2024 and November 2014. Both the Z50 II and the A7 II are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on an APS-C (Z50 II) and a full frame (A7 II) sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 20.7 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 24 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon Z50 II		Sony A7 II
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Nikon Z mount lenses		Sony E mount lenses
20.7 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/60p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-51,200 (100 - 204,800)		ISO 100-25,600 (50 - 51,200)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2400k dots)
3.2" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1230k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
11 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
250 shots per battery charge		350 shots per battery charge
127 x 97 x 67 mm, 550 g		127 x 96 x 60 mm, 599 g

Check Z50 II price at
amazon.com
Check A7 II offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Z50 II and the Sony Alpha A7 II? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Nikon Z50 II and the Sony A7 II are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A7 II is somewhat smaller (1 percent) than the Nikon Z50 II. However, the A7 II is markedly heavier (9 percent) than the Z50 II. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon Z50 II	127 mm	97 mm	67 mm	550 g	250	Y	Nov 2024	EUR 999	amazon.com
2.		Sony A7 II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	599 g	350	Y	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
3.		Canon R8	133 mm	86 mm	70 mm	461 g	220	n	Feb 2023	EUR 1 799	amazon.com
4.		Nikon D5200	129 mm	98 mm	78 mm	555 g	500	n	Nov 2012	EUR 809	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	EUR 749	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	EUR 799	ebay.com
7.		Nikon Z6 III	139 mm	102 mm	74 mm	670 g	380	Y	Jun 2024	EUR 2 999	amazon.com
8.		Nikon Z30	128 mm	74 mm	60 mm	405 g	330	Y	Jun 2022	EUR 799	amazon.com
9.		Nikon Z50	127 mm	94 mm	60 mm	450 g	320	Y	Oct 2019	EUR 799	amazon.com
10.		Nikon Zf	144 mm	103 mm	49 mm	710 g	380	Y	Sep 2023	EUR 2 499	amazon.com
11.		Nikon Z fc	135 mm	94 mm	44 mm	445 g	300	n	Jun 2021	EUR 999	amazon.com
12.		Sony A7	127 mm	94 mm	48 mm	474 g	340	Y	Oct 2013	EUR 1 499	ebay.com
13.		Sony A7 III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	610	Y	Feb 2018	EUR 2 299	amazon.com
14.		Sony A7R II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	625 g	290	Y	Jun 2015	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
15.		Sony A7S II	127 mm	96 mm	60 mm	627 g	370	Y	Sep 2015	EUR 3 399	ebay.com
16.		Sony A9	127 mm	96 mm	63 mm	673 g	650	Y	Apr 2017	EUR 5 299	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-1 II	106 mm	60 mm	47 mm	292 g	290	n	May 2023	EUR 999	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Z50 II was launched at a markedly lower price (by 55 percent) than the A7 II, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Nikon Z50 II features an APS-C sensor and the Sony A7 II a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the A7 II is 132 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.5 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 24MP, the A7 II offers a higher resolution than the Z50 II (20.7MP), but the A7 II nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 5.97μm versus 4.22μm for the Z50 II) due to its larger sensor. However, the Z50 II is a much more recent model (by 9 years and 11 months) than the A7 II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the Z50 II has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony A7 II implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A7 II for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon Z50 II are 27.8 x 18.6 inches or 70.7 x 47.1 cm for good quality, 22.3 x 14.8 inches or 56.6 x 37.7 cm for very good quality, and 18.6 x 12.4 inches or 47.1 x 31.4 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Nikon Z50 II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200, which can be extended to ISO 100-204800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A7 II are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-51200.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon Z50 II	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/60p	24.3	14.1	2467	86
2.		Sony A7 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.9	13.6	2449	90
3.		Canon R8	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	24.5	14.7	3295	93
4.		Nikon D5200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.2	13.9	1284	84
5.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
6.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
7.		Nikon Z6 III	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	6K/60p	25.4	14.8	3318	97
8.		Nikon Z30	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	13.9	2230	86
9.		Nikon Z50	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1963	84
10.		Nikon Zf	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/60p	25.4	14.7	3243	96
11.		Nikon Z fc	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2131	85
12.		Sony A7	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	14.2	2248	90
13.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
14.		Sony A7R II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	26.0	13.9	3434	98
15.		Sony A7S II	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	4K/30p	23.6	13.3	2993	85
16.		Sony A9	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.9	13.3	3517	92
17.		Sony ZV-1 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.3	12.9	965	67
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the Z50 II provides a higher video resolution than the A7 II. It can shoot video footage at 4K/60p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A7 II offers a slightly higher resolution than the one in the Z50 II (2400k vs 2360k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Nikon Z50 II, the Sony A7 II, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon Z50 II	2360	n	3.2 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
2.		Sony A7 II	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon R8	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	n	n
4.		Nikon D5200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon Z6 III	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	Y
8.		Nikon Z30	none	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon Z50	2360	n	3.2 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon Zf	3690	n	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	Y
11.		Nikon Z fc	2360	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
12.		Sony A7	2400	n	3.0 / 1230	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
13.		Sony A7 III	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
14.		Sony A7R II	2400	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
15.		Sony A7S II	2400	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony A9	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony ZV-1 II	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The Z50 II has one, while the A7 II does not. While the built-in flash of the Z50 II is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the Z50 II is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Nikon Z50 II has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The Z50 II writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A7 II uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The Z50 II supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the A7 II can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon Z50 II and Sony Alpha A7 II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon Z50 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony A7 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon R8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
4.		Nikon D5200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Nikon Z6 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon Z30	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
9.		Nikon Z50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Nikon Zf	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
11.		Nikon Z fc	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
12.		Sony A7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Sony A7 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
14.		Sony A7R II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Sony A7S II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
16.		Sony A9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
17.		Sony ZV-1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

The Z50 II is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Nikon. In contrast, the A7 II has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the A7 II was succeeded by the Sony A7 III. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Nikon and Sony websites.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Nikon Z50 II better than the Sony A7 II or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Arguments in favor of the Nikon Z50 II:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/60p vs 1080/60p).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.0 vs 2.0).
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (55 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 9 years and 11 months of technical progress since the A7 II launch.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha A7 II:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 20.7MP), which boosts linear resolution by 8%.
• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.71x vs 0.68x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1230k vs 1040k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (350 versus 250) out of a single battery charge.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in November 2014).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the Z50 II is the clear winner of the match-up (15 : 9 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon Z50 II and the Sony A7 II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the Z50 II and the A7 II in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon Z50 II	..	..	..	88/100	..	..	Nov 2024	EUR 999	amazon.com
2.		Sony A7 II	5/5	+	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2014	EUR 2 099	ebay.com
3.		Canon R8	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	87/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2023	EUR 1 799	amazon.com
4.		Nikon D5200	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2012	EUR 809	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	EUR 749	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	EUR 799	ebay.com
7.		Nikon Z6 III	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jun 2024	EUR 2 999	amazon.com
8.		Nikon Z30	4/5	..	4/5	86/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2022	EUR 799	amazon.com
9.		Nikon Z50	5/5	..	5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2019	EUR 799	amazon.com
10.		Nikon Zf	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2023	EUR 2 499	amazon.com
11.		Nikon Z fc	4/5	..	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2021	EUR 999	amazon.com
12.		Sony A7	5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	EUR 1 499	ebay.com
13.		Sony A7 III	..	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 2 299	amazon.com
14.		Sony A7R II	5/5	+ +	5/5	90/100	5/5	5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 3 499	ebay.com
15.		Sony A7S II	5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2015	EUR 3 399	ebay.com
16.		Sony A9	5/5	+ +	4.8/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2017	EUR 5 299	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-1 II	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	83/100	3.5/5	4.5/5	May 2023	EUR 999	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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