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Sony A7 III

 
Sony Alpha A7 III front
 
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 51200 (Increase to 204800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 650g - 127 x 96 x 74mm
  • Launched February 2018
  • Replaced the Sony A7 II
  • New Model is Sony A7 IV
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
63
Imaging
74
Features
92
Overall
81

Sony A7 III summary

Sony A7 III is Sony's Pro Mirrorless camera initially launched on February of 2018. It has a 24 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS Full frame sized sensor and has a full resolution of 6000 x 4000.

Sony introduced this camera to replace the older Sony A7 II (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards introduced the more recent Sony A7 IV (Read Full Comparison) in order to update this camera.

The A7 III places at #28 out of 70 in Pro Mirrorless cameras and over all #42 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. Please check out our Advanced camera filter to get camera ratings based on your customized criteria.

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The following is a diagram of specific factors used in the rating system.

Sony A7 III family

The Sony A7 III comes with a history of related digital cameras. Down below, you can look at all previous and brand new models along with important features.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-Alpha-A7R-V front thumbnailSony A7R V
A7 III vs A7R V
61MPFull frame10.0 fps2022
Sony-Alpha-A7-IV front thumbnailSony A7 IV
A7 III vs A7 IV
33MPFull frame10.0 fps2021
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Sony-Alpha-a1 front thumbnailSony a1
A7 III vs a1
50MPFull frame30.0 fps2021
Sony-Alpha-A7S-III front thumbnailSony A7S III
A7 III vs A7S III
12MPFull frame10.0 fps2020
Sony-Alpha-A9-Mark-II front thumbnailSony A9 II
A7 III vs A9 II
24MPFull frame20.0 fps2019
Sony-Alpha-A7R-IV front thumbnailSony A7R IV
A7 III vs A7R IV
61MPFull frame10.0 fps2019
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Sony-Alpha-A7-III front thumbnailSony A7 III24MPFull frame10.0 fps2018
Sony-Alpha-A7R-III front thumbnailSony A7R III
A7 III vs A7R III
42MPFull frame10.0 fps2017
Sony-Alpha-A9 front thumbnailSony A9
A7 III vs A9
24MPFull frame20.0 fps2017
Sony-Alpha-A7S-II front thumbnailSony A7S II
A7 III vs A7S II
12MPFull frame5.0 fps2015
Sony-Alpha-A7R-II front thumbnailSony A7R II
A7 III vs A7R II
42MPFull frame5.0 fps2015
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Sony-Alpha-A7-II front thumbnailSony A7 II
A7 III vs A7 II
24MPFull frame5.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7S front thumbnailSony A7S
A7 III vs A7S
12MPFull frame5.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7R front thumbnailSony A7R
A7 III vs A7R
36MPFull frame4.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7 front thumbnailSony A7
A7 III vs A7
24MPFull frame5.0 fps2014

Sony A7 III Pros and Cons

Below is a list of advantages and drawbacks of the Sony A7 III based on criterias that are normally regarded as crucial in a camera.

2 card slots
better than average battery life (610 CIPA)
built-in touchscreen
comes with external microphone support
comes with HDMI out
comes with headphone support
connects via bluetooth
delivers RAW formats
good resolution (24 megapixels)
great high ISO (51,200)
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
great minimum ISO (100)
has face detection autofocus
has tracking autofocus
high res video (3840 x 2160 pxls)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
NFC connection
nice clear screen (922 thousand dots)
screen is a good size (3")
screen tilts
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports focus via touch
supports phase detect autofocus
weather proofing
you can focus manually
does not posses selfie friendly display
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Sony A7 III Sensor details

The Sony A7 III is powered by the Bionz X chip. The sensor spec on the Sony A7 III is 35.8mm x 23.8mm (Full frame). The 852 mm² sensor is able to capture 6000 x 4000 pixels at aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis). In body stabilization is better than digital stabilization since the latter can easily lead to cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 24 megapixels and has a native ISO range of 100 to 51200. This ISO can also be increased electronically to 50 to 204800. RAW format is supported which means that the user has wider margin for error.

The image below illustrates the A7 III's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The A7 III sensor comes with a crop factor of 1 and is outlined in green.

Sony Alpha A7 III sensor size Nikon Coolpix camera search on Google skyrockets by 8,500%

To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony A7 III dimensions

Sony A7 III is 1.43 lb (650 grams / 22.93 oz) and features outer measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9"). The weight of average Pro Mirrorless camera is 722 grams and the Sony A7 III is similar when compared with various rivals.

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The following is a photo of the Sony A7 III with a soda so you can have a sense of its scale.

Sony Alpha A7 III dimensions scale

The top view directly below will highlight the button arrangement on the A7 III.

Sony Alpha A7 III topview buttons dials

Sony A7 III Lens specs

The A7 III uses the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses currently available. Below is a small number of the lenses we have in our collection which will work with the A7 III.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Sigma-105mm-F1.4-DG-HSM-Art-Sony-E lensSigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art105mmf/1.41645g
Samyang-16mm-f2.0-ED-AS-UMC-CS-Sony-E-NEX lensSamyang 16mm f2.0 ED AS UMC CS16mmf/2.0 583g
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Tamron-18-200mm-F3.5-6.3-Di-III-VC-Sony-E-NEX lensTamron 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 Di III VC18-200mmf/3.5-6.3 460g
Sigma-24-70-F2.8-DG-DN-Art-Sony-FE lensSigma 24-70 F2.8 DG DN Art24-70mmf/2.8835g
Sony-E-20mm-F2.8 lensSony E 20mm F2.820mmf/2.8 69g
Tokina-atx-m-23mm-F1.4-E-Mount lensTokina atx-m 23mm F1.4 E23mmf/1.4276g
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Sony-E-16-50mm-F3.5-5.6-PZ-OSS lensSony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS16-50mmf/3.5-5.6 116g
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Sony A7 III Connectivity

The A7 III has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • Bluetooth Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that consist of NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can be used wirelessly with smartphones. You will be able to send pictures and sometimes adjust camera settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Some applications even provide a Liveview and release the shutter if you are not near the camera. If the camera has a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external display. Almost all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Sony A7 III Video specs

The highest possible video resolution on the Sony A7 III is 3840 x 2160 and it can capture in MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S and H.264 format. 2160p will provide an excellent resolution for video. You can easily crop to 1080p to get clearer video. Beware of the massive file sizes and make sure you get high quality SD cards that have fast write speed. The camera does include both headphone and microphone support making it incredibly useful whilst recording sound.

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Sony A7 III Weather Sealing

Sony A7 III has got weather proofing making it a good candidate to use during tough climates. This can be particularly beneficial any time you are unsure about the elements you may encounter during outdoor photography.

Sony A7 III Display and Viewfinder

The Sony A7 III has a 3 inch tilting display screen boasting a resolution of 922 thousand dots.

Additionally the display screen is touch friendly which means that you can easily switch focus point plus adjust settings with your fingers.

Sony Alpha A7 III screen and viewfinder Leica struggles with L-Mount camera sales, tougher than Q or M

The View Finder details regarding Sony A7 III are as follows:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • ViewFinder Resolution 2,359 thousand dots
  • ViewFinder Coverage 100%
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.78x

In those bright outdoor situations which make the camera displays washed out and difficult to view, viewfinders are particularly useful.

Sony A7 III Shutter specs

Sony A7 III is able to shoot continuously at 10.0 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/8000 sec.

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Sony A7 III Flash and Hot shoe specs

Sony A7 III boasts external flash support but is lacking in-built flash.

Sony A7 III Autofocusing specs

Sony A7 III boasts both Phase Detect AF along with Contrast Based AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster & precise when compared with Contrast Based focusing. The camera has Face detect making it handy for taking photos of people.

The Sensor has 693 focus points to choose from. Sony A7 III has touch to focus. You can easily use your fingers to adjust focus points. It also includes Tracking AF for things that move. Sony A7 III comes with manual focusing in case it is required during low light conditions or you want more accurate control on focusing.

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Sony A7 III Battery life

The battery life (NP-FZ100) in the Sony A7 III is built to last for 610 shots with respect to the CIPA benchmarks making it above the usual for its category. The average Pro Mirrorless camera battery life is 460. Olympus E-M1X features the best (870) battery life within this range of cameras.

Following is a number of Pro Mirrorless cameras which have the best battery life:

Sony A7 III for varying styles of photography

The following chart indicates a outline of the Sony A7 III for varying styles of photography. To check out more, go to the specific paragraph below.

Sony A7 III Portrait photography advice

The Sony A7 III receives a rating of 84 which is very high, and means the camera is a awesome choice to use for portraits. Photographing portrait images favors greatly towards sensor dimensions, RAW support plus the option to work with external lighting.

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manual focus
megapixel count decent (24 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
supports face detection focus
supports RAW formats

Street photography with Sony A7 III

With a wonderful score of 78, the Sony A7 III is a brilliant pick to buy for street photography. A decent street photography camera features a perfect balance of image quality and portability.

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tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
big sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW files
offers focus by touch
weather proofing
very good high ISO (51,200)

Sony A7 III as a Sports photography camera

A superb sports photography score of 87 suggests the Sony A7 III is a wonderful choice for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs great focusing and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count decent (24 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
comes with tracking focus
weather proof
good battery (610 CIPA)
sensor has phase detect auto focus

Sony A7 III as a Travel photography camera

Size is extremely important when selecting a travel camera. On the whole, the Sony A7 III gets a very good 73 as a travel camera which is a fine choice to purchase for your holidays.

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better than average battery power (610 shots)
environment proof
has bluetooth
includes touch to focus
MP count decent (24MP)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen

Landscape photography with Sony A7 III

If you find yourself planning to choose a digital camera for landscape photography, the most important factor will no doubt be image quality. The Sony A7 III with it's superb rating of 85 as a landscape camera is a fantastic choice compared to it's competition.

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focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent megapixels (24MP)
large sensor size (Full frame)
great high ISO (51,200)
exports RAW files
environment proof
great battery power (610 per charge)
2 card slots

Sony A7 III Vlogging details

A vlogging camera ought to offer a articulating display screen, mic input and ideally IBIS. Considering all the details, the Sony A7 III is not really appropriate as a vlog camera as it gets a dreadful score of 36.

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built-in touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detection focusing
high res video (3840 x 2160 pxls)
includes external microphone socket
display isn't selfie friendly

Sony A7 III Alternatives

If you are looking for replacements to the A7 III, below is a selection of the top rated cameras which fall in to the family of Pro Mirrorless.

The chart underneath offers you a bird's eye view of the A7 III versus it's highest rated competitors shown previously.

These are various other cameras you might see as alternative options. To look at a comprehensive comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model type
Sony Alpha A7 III
Category
Pro Mirrorless
Launched
2018-02-27
Physical type
SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Powered by
Bionz X
Sensor size
Full frame
Sensor measurements
35.8 x 23.8mm
Sensor surface area
852.0mm²
Sensor resolution
24 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution
6000 x 4000
RAW data
Highest native ISO
51200
Highest enhanced ISO
204800
Lowest native ISO
100
Lowest enhanced ISO
50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points
693
Lens
Lens mount type
Sony E
Number of lenses
121
Crop factor
1
Screen
Type of display
Tilting
Display size
3"
Display resolution
922 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
2,359 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage
100%
Viewfinder magnification
0.78x
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
96
DXO Color Depth rating
25.0
DXO Dynamic range rating
14.7
DXO Low light rating
3730
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed
1/8000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate
10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
no built-in flash
Flash options
no built-in flash
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions
3840 x 2160 (30p, 24p) 1920 x 1080 (120p, 60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Highest video resolution
3840x2160
Video file format
MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
650 gr (1.43 pounds)
Dimensions
127 x 96 x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9")
Other
Battery life
610 shots
Battery style
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NP-FZ100
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse feature
Storage type
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots
2
Cost at release
$1,998