The A7C II is the latest attempt to bridge the gap between Sony’s A6000-series and A7-series cameras by squeezing the larger full-frame sensor of the latter into the smaller, lighter body of the former.
With the Sony A6700 APS-C model looking very much like the Sony A7C II full-frame model, many would-be buyers may be wondering exactly how the two cameras compare with one another, and ultimately which is the “best” one to buy.
So we’re bringing you this in-depth Sony A7C II vs Sony A6700 head-to-head comparison to help you choose between the two.
You can also read our detailed Sony A7C II review and Sony A6700 review to find out exactly what we think of each one in much more depth.
Sensor
The image sensor is the biggest difference between the A6700 and the A7C II, and is the main reason why you should choose one over the other.
The A7C II has a 33 megapixel, 35mm full-frame sensor and the A6700 has a 26 megapixel, APS-C sensor.
The full-frame sensor is physically larger than the APS-C sensor by 2.3x, which means that the image quality from the A7C II should theoretically be better than the A6700, despite having more megapixels.
Processor
Both of these cameras use the very latest BIONZ XR processor, as also found in the A7 IV camera, which offers a whopping 15+ stops of dynamic range.
It offers 8x more processing power than the BIONZ X processor found in some previous-generation Sony models.
ISO Speed
The A6700 has a native ISO range of 100-32,000 which can be expanded up to ISO 204,800 and down to ISO 50 if required.
The A7C II has a native ISO range of 100-51,200 which can be expanded up to ISO 102,400 and down to ISO 50 if required.
Video
The A6700 offers slightly more advanced video recording specs and performance than the A7C II.
The A6700 can capture oversampled 4K/60p video from 6K full-frame and also 4K/120p with a 1.62x crop at 10-bit 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 quality in either H.265 or H.264 AVC file formats.
The A7C II can capture oversampled 4K/30p video from 7K full-frame and also 4K/60p in Super 35mm mode (1.5x crop) at 10-bit 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 quality and in either H.265 and H.264 AVC file formats.
Both support M-LUT and Log recording with LUTs and can record Full 1080 HD at up to 120fps, with the dedicated Slow and Quick motion mode offering frame rates ranging from 1fps to 120fps at 1080p quality.
Both offer the clever Auto Framing feature which uses the camera’s AI-based subject recognition technology to automatically crop the frame to keep the subject in a prominent position when shooting movies, even when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
Both models support the newer Digital Audio Interface (via the Multi Interface Shoe) to enable use of the ECM-B1M digital shotgun microphone or similar.
Autofocus
The new A7C II essentially has the same hybrid autofocus system with phase detection and and contrast detections points as the A6700.
On the A6700 there are 759 phase-detection points and 25 contrast points that cover 93% of the frame, with the system working all the way down to -3EV low-light.
On the A7C II there are 759 phase-detection points and 25 contrast points that cover 94% of the frame, with the system working all the way down to -4EV low-light.
Sony has added an AI deep learning processing unit to both cameras which enables them to recognise far more subjects than previous models, and also greatly improve the detection of humans and animals/birds.
They can recognise a human via its pose as well as its eye and face. So if the person’s head is turned away from the camera, they will still accurately detect the subject as human based on its AI deep learning.
Animal and bird detection has been expanded from just being able to recognise the eye on older models to the eye, head and body on the A7C II and A6700.
As well as humans and animals, they can also recognise airplanes, cars, trains and insects.
Burst Shooting
The A7C II offers 10fps burst shooting with Full AF/AE tracking, while the A6700 can shoot at a slightly faster 11fps rate.
There is another more significant difference between them though that has more of an impact on burst shooting performance – the buffer size.
The A7C II is able to shoot at 10fps for over 1000 Fine JPEGs, 44 RAW images or 20 RAW and JPEGs in one high-speed burst.
The A6700 is able to shoot at 11fps for over 1000 Fine JPEGs. It actually has a larger buffer for RAW files than the A7C II, taking 59 RAW images or 44 RAW and JPEGs in one high-speed burst.
The fastest shooting rate on both cameras is available with either the mechanical shutter or the completely silent electronic shutter, which could be the difference between capturing that candid moment or distracting your subject and missing the shot.
Body
Despite the difference in sensor size, the size, weight and styling of the A7C II and the A6700 are very similar.
The new A7C is essentially based on a rangefinder-style A6000-series camera, just slightly bigger and incredibly with a full-frame sensor at its heart rather than a smaller APS-C one.
Somewhat amazingly, the Sony A7C only weighs slightly more than the A6700, whilst being ever so slightly bigger in every dimension.
Both cameras have an EVF that is positioned in the left-hand corner and a simplified interface with fewer controls when compared to the A7-series full-frame cameras.
Both cameras have a large, prominent grip, which we prefer. There’s also a new, optional Extension Grip available for the A7C II which further improves the handling.
There is a second command dial at at the top of both cameras’ handgrips which makes it even easier to change the key exposure settings in conjunction with the rear command dial. There are also two Custom function buttons, which many people like.
The handy Still/Movie/S&Q switch from the A7 full-frame series has made its way onto both the A7C II and A6700, and the much clearer although still lengthy main menu system from the ZV-E1 camera has also been included on both models.
There are also a greater number of touch controls including the ability to operate the menu system and swipe up to open the Function menu. These are joined by a new array of onscreen touch icons that are specific to the stills and movie modes.
Viewfinder
The A7C II has an identical 0.39″, 2.36million-dot XGA OLED electronic viewfinder to the one found in the A6700.
It features 100% scene coverage, 0.70x magnification and a 120fps high frame rate setting to help track moving subjects more smoothly with virtually no lag.
LCD Screen
Both cameras have the same 3-inch, 3:2 ratio LCD screen with 1.03-million dot resolution – we’d have expected to see a much higher resolution screen on a new camera released in 2023.
The screen has a fully articulating vari-angle design which means that you can flip it out to the side, rotate it forwards for easier operation when pointing the camera at yourself, and fold it flat against the back of the camera to stop it from getting scratched.
IBIS
Both cameras have 5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation that corrects for pitch and yaw shake.
This is rated for up to 5 stops of compensation on the A6700 model.
Thanks to a newly redesigned stabilisation unit, the new A7C II offers up to 7 stops of in-body stabilisation, making it one of the more capable Alpha camera in this regard.
Both cameras benefit from having a special Active Mode that increases stabilization for hand-held movie shooting by using the BIONZ XR processors.
Memory Cards
Perhaps unsurprisingly given their compact size, both cameras only have a single memory card slot.
Both support the faster SD UHS-II memory card standard and both have a dedicated memory card port that’s hidden behind a lockable door on the left-hand side of the camera.
Battery Life
The Sony A7C II uses exactly the same large capacity NP-FZ100 battery as the A6700 mode
The A6700 has a CIPA-rated battery life of around 700 shots when using the LCD screen and 750 when using the viewfinder, whereas the more power-hungry A7C II only offers 540 shots when using the LCD screen and 510 when using the viewfinder.
Both cameras can also be powered and charged via a USB connection, which is useful if you’re out and about and have a compatible powerbank to plug the camera into, and both use the newer USB-C variant.
Price
A price-tag of £1450 / €1700 body only, £1550 / €1800 with the Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens or £1800 / €2100 with the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS zoom lens does makes the new Sony A6700 much cheaper than the A7C II.
A price-tag of around £2100 / €2400 body only or £2400 / €2700 with the FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 kit lens makes the new Sony A7C II much more expensive at launch than the A6700.
Conclusion
The new Sony A7C II and the A6700 are outwardly very similar, so choosing between them mostly comes down to the sensor size and price, with the A7C II being larger in both regards.
You should also carefully consider the lens range that is available for both cameras. While they share the same E-mount, the number of “FE” full-frame lenses from Sony and third-party manufacturers is much bigger than the range of “E” APS-C lenses, so there’s more choice for the A7C II than the A6700.
So what do you think? Would you choose the full-frame Sony A7C II or the APS-C A6700? Leave a comment below!
