Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III
57 Imaging
75 Features
89 Overall
80


63 Imaging
77 Features
93 Overall
83
Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 25MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3.2" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Increase to 204800)
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Nikon F Mount
- 840g - 144 x 116 x 76mm
- Introduced January 2020
- Older Model is Nikon D750
(Full Review)
- 42MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 32000 (Bump to 102400)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 657g - 127 x 96 x 74mm
- Revealed October 2017
- Succeeded the Sony A7R II
- Replacement is Sony A7R IV

Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III Overview
On this page, we will be evaluating the Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Nikon and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the D780 (25MP) and A7R III (42MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor size (Full frame).

The D780 was announced 2 years after the A7R III which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Nikon D780 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A7R III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the D780 grades against the A7R III in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon D780 & Sony Alpha A7R III. The whole galleries are provided at Nikon D780 Gallery & Sony A7R III Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon D780 over the Sony A7R III
D780 | A7R III | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | January 2020 | ![]() | October 2017 | Newer by 27 months |
Screen dimensions | 3.2" | ![]() | 3" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Screen resolution | 2359k | ![]() | 1440k | Crisper screen (+919k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A7R III over the Nikon D780
A7R III | D780 |
---|
Common features in the Nikon D780 and Sony A7R III
D780 | A7R III | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial precise focus | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and volume. The Nikon D780 provides outer dimensions of 144mm x 116mm x 76mm (5.7" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 840 grams (1.85 lbs) while the Sony A7R III has sizing of 127mm x 96mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 657 grams (1.45 lbs).
Take a look at the Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the D780 and the A7R III.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the D780 and A7R III is 57 and 63 respectively.

Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III Sensor Comparison
Typically, it can be tough to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions only by looking at specifications. The pic below may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the D780 and A7R III.
To sum up, each of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same megapixels. You can expect the Sony A7R III to give you greater detail with its extra 17MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger D780 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.

Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon D780 vs Sony A7R III Specifications
Nikon D780 | Sony Alpha A7R III | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Nikon | Sony |
Model type | Nikon D780 | Sony Alpha A7R III |
Class | Advanced DSLR | Pro Mirrorless |
Introduced | 2020-01-07 | 2017-10-25 |
Physical type | Mid-size SLR | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Expeed 6 | Bionz X |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Full frame | Full frame |
Sensor dimensions | 35.9 x 23.9mm | 35.9 x 24mm |
Sensor area | 858.0mm² | 861.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 25MP | 42MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 6048 x 4024 | 7952 x 5304 |
Max native ISO | 51200 | 32000 |
Max boosted ISO | 204800 | 102400 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Lowest boosted ISO | 50 | 50 |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 51 | 425 |
Cross type focus points | 15 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Nikon F | Sony E |
Amount of lenses | 309 | 121 |
Crop factor | 1 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3.2 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 2,359 thousand dots | 1,440 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 3,686 thousand dots |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.7x | 0.78x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 900 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.0fps | 10.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
Flash options | no built-in flash | Off, Auto, Fill-flash, Slow Sync, Rear Sync, Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 120p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 100p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM | 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) |
Max video resolution | 3840x2160 | 3840x2160 |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | Yes | USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 840 gr (1.85 lb) | 657 gr (1.45 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 144 x 116 x 76mm (5.7" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 127 x 96 x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 100 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 26.0 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 14.7 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 3523 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 2260 pictures | 650 pictures |
Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | EN-EL15b | NP-FZ100 |
Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible) | Two SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II support on one) |
Card slots | Two | Two |
Launch pricing | $2,297 | $2,800 |