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Sony A7R III

 
Sony Alpha A7R III front
 
  • 42MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 32000 (Increase 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
  • Released October 2017
  • Replaced the Sony A7R II
  • Updated by Sony A7R IV
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
63
Imaging
78
Features
93
Overall
84

Sony A7R III summary

Sony A7R III is Sony's Pro Mirrorless camera originally launched on October of 2017. It includes a 42 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS Full frame size sensor with a full resolution of 7952 x 5304.

Sony brought out this camera in an effort to replace the earlier Sony A7R II (Read Full Comparison) & afterwards released the fresher Sony A7R IV (Read Full Comparison) as a way to update this camera.

The A7R III ranks at #15 out of 70 in Pro Mirrorless cameras & overall #15 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please use our Advanced camera search to get camera results based on your custom factors.

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Here is a graph of multiple factors used in the rating system.

Sony A7R III family

The Sony A7R III is part of a family of products. You can see the detailed list below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-Alpha-A7R-V front thumbnailSony A7R V
A7R III vs A7R V
61MPFull frame10.0 fps2022
Sony-Alpha-A7-IV front thumbnailSony A7 IV
A7R III vs A7 IV
33MPFull frame10.0 fps2021
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Sony-Alpha-a1 front thumbnailSony a1
A7R III vs a1
50MPFull frame30.0 fps2021
Sony-Alpha-A7S-III front thumbnailSony A7S III
A7R III vs A7S III
12MPFull frame10.0 fps2020
Sony-Alpha-A9-Mark-II front thumbnailSony A9 II
A7R III vs A9 II
24MPFull frame20.0 fps2019
Sony-Alpha-A7R-IV front thumbnailSony A7R IV
A7R III vs A7R IV
61MPFull frame10.0 fps2019
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Sony-Alpha-A7-III front thumbnailSony A7 III
A7R III vs A7 III
24MPFull frame10.0 fps2018
Sony-Alpha-A7R-III front thumbnailSony A7R III42MPFull frame10.0 fps2017
Sony-Alpha-A9 front thumbnailSony A9
A7R III vs A9
24MPFull frame20.0 fps2017
Sony-Alpha-A7S-II front thumbnailSony A7S II
A7R III vs A7S II
12MPFull frame5.0 fps2015
Sony-Alpha-A7R-II front thumbnailSony A7R II
A7R III vs A7R II
42MPFull frame5.0 fps2015
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Sony-Alpha-A7-II front thumbnailSony A7 II
A7R III vs A7 II
24MPFull frame5.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7S front thumbnailSony A7S
A7R III vs A7S
12MPFull frame5.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7R front thumbnailSony A7R
A7R III vs A7R
36MPFull frame4.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-A7 front thumbnailSony A7
A7R III vs A7
24MPFull frame5.0 fps2014

Sony A7R III Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of pluses and minuses of the Sony A7R III based on aspects that are generally regarded as essential in a camera.

better than average battery life (650 CIPA)
comes with focus by touch
comes with phase detect auto focus
connects via bluetooth
delivers RAW formats
does have HDMI support
does have headphone jack
does have microphone jack
environment sealing
good ISO range (32,000)
good minimum ISO (100)
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
has dual storage slots
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
manual focus
MP count fantastic (42MP)
NFC support
no anti aliasing filter
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
screen has good resolution (1,440 k dot)
screen is touchscreen
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports face detect focus
supports tracking focus
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
tilting screen
video resolution high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
does not feature selfie friendly display
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Sony A7R III Sensor information

The Sony A7R III is run by the Bionz X processor. The dimension of the sensor in the Sony A7R III is 35.9mm x 24mm (Full frame). The 862 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 7952 x 5304 pixels with aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9. The camera features Image Stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis). Sensor stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization as the latter might cause cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor has 42MP and features a native ISO range of 100 - 32000. The ISO can be expanded digitally to 50 - 102400. RAW format is saved therefore the user has more margin for error.

Sony made the decision to omit the anti aliasing filter for the Sony A7R III. This will result in more clear images but can introduce moire under some circumstances.

The image below illustrates the A7R III's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The A7R III sensor has a crop factor of 1 and is outlined in green.

Sony Alpha A7R III sensor size Photography Glossary

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

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony A7R III dimensions

Sony A7R III is 1.45 lbs (657 grams or 23.18 oz) & the overall size of the camera is 127mm x 96mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9"). The weight of average Pro Mirrorless camera is 722 grams so the Sony A7R III is similar as compared to various competitors.

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Listed below is a photo of the Sony A7R III besides a softdrink to help you get a sense of its size.

Sony Alpha A7R III dimensions scale

The top view below will show the button design on the A7R III.

Sony Alpha A7R III topview buttons dials

Sony A7R III Lens information

The A7R III uses the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses available. Here is a few of the lenses we have in our collection that will fit the A7R III.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Samyang-24mm-f1.4-ED-AS-UMC-Sony-E-NEX lensSamyang 24mm f1.4 ED AS UMC24mmf/1.4 580g
Laowa-85mm-f5.6-2x-Ultra-Macro-APO-E-Mount lensLaowa 85mm f5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO85mmf/5.6 291g
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Kamlan-28mm-F1.4-Sony-E lensKamlan 28mm F1.428mmf/1.4384g
Sony-FE-50mm-F2.8-Macro lensSony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro50mmf/2.8236g
Sony-FE-600mm-F4-GM-OSS lensSony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS600mmf/4 3040g
Samyang-AF-18mm-F2.8-FE lensSamyang AF 18mm F2.8 FE18mmf/2.8145g
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Sony-Distagon-T-FE-35mm-F1.4-ZA lensSony Distagon T FE 35mm F1.4 ZA35mmf/1.4 630g
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Sony A7R III Connectivity

The A7R III has the following connectivity:

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

Digital cameras that have NFC and / or Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly with smartphones. You can easily send photos and sometimes change camera settings with no need to connect physically with the camera.

Certain apps also provide a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not near the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it can be connected to an external monitor. A good number of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Sony A7R III Video information

The highest possible video resolution in the Sony A7R III is 3840 x 2160 and you can save in MPEG-4, AVCHD and XAVC S format. 2160p is a superb resolution for video. You are able to downsample to 1080p in order to get cleaner video. Be mindful of the massive file sizes and make sure you own decent SD cards with good write speed. The camera does feature both headphone and microphone jack making it especially useful whilst capturing sound.

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Sony A7R III Weather Sealing

Sony A7R III has got environment proofing which makes it a excellent choice for use in challenging climates. This is particularly handy if you are not sure about the elements you may face in outdoor photography.

Sony A7R III Display and Viewfinder

The Sony A7R III includes a 3" tilting screen with a resolution of 1,440k dots.

Additionally the screen is touch friendly which means you are able to shift focus point as well as adjust settings with your finger.

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The View Finder specs for Sony A7R III are as follows:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • Resolution 3,686k dots
  • Coverage 100 percent
  • Magnification 0.78x

For bright outdoor situations that make the camera displays washed out and tough to see, viewfinders are particularly helpful.

Sony A7R III Shutter information

Sony A7R III continuous shooting speed is 10.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/8000s.

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Sony A7R III Flash and Hot shoe information

Sony A7R III features external flash support but is lacking inbuilt flash.

Sony A7R III Autofocus information

Sony A7R III features both Phase Detect Auto Focus plus Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot quicker and accurate than Contrast Based focusing. The camera includes Face detect which is valuable for people photography.

It includes 425 focus points to choose from. Sony A7R III has tap to focus. You can easily use your fingers in order to shift focus points. It also includes Tracking Auto Focus for objects on the move. Sony A7R III comes with manual focusing in case it is required in low light situations or you need to have more exact focusing control.

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Sony A7R III Battery life

The battery life (NP-FZ100) on the Sony A7R III is made to last for 650 shots according to the CIPA measurements which is above standard when compared to its category. The average Pro Mirrorless camera battery life is 460. Olympus E-M1X features the best (870) battery life in this category of cameras.

Below is a collection of Pro Mirrorless cameras that have the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
Photography Glossary

Sony A7R III for specific kinds of photography

The following chart indicates a summary of the Sony A7R III for specific kinds of photography. To see more, have a look at the specific section below.

Sony A7R III Portrait photography advice

The Sony A7R III gets a points tally of 86 which is fantastic, meaning that it is a fantastic option to use for portrait photography. Taking portraits leans heavily to sensor resolution, RAW support and capability to use external lighting.

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you can focus manually
excellent megapixels (42 megapixels)
big sensor size (Full frame)
provides face detect focus
saves RAW formats

Sony A7R III Street photography advice

With a great rating of 79, the Sony A7R III is a excellent pick to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of picture quality and portability.

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has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
large sensor size (Full frame)
exports RAW formats
features touch focus
environment proofing
very good high ISO (32,000)

Sony A7R III as a Sports photography camera

A excellent sports photography points total of 89 indicates the Sony A7R III is a superb choice for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs very good autofocus and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count fantastic (42 megapixels)
great sensor size (Full frame)
offers tracking focus
weather proofing
great battery life (650 shots)
sensor has phase detect AF

Sony A7R III Travel photography details

Portability is very critical when choosing a camera for travel. In general, the Sony A7R III gets a above average 74 as a travelling camera which is a respectable choice to purchase for your journeys.

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better than average battery pack (650 shots)
environment proof
supports bluetooth
offers focus via touch
megapixel count excellent (42MP)
screen is not selfie friendly

Landscape photography with Sony A7R III

In case you're looking to pick a digital camera for landscape photographs, the biggest factor is going to be image quality. The Sony A7R III with it's awesome score of 87 as a landscape camera is a terrific pick amongst its rivals.

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manual focus
change lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count great (42 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
doesnt have anti-alias filter
above average ISO range (32,000)
supports RAW formats
weather proof
better than average battery pack (650 per charge)
two card slots

Sony A7R III Vlogging factors

A camera for vlogging ought to come with a articulating display, microphone port and ideally image stabilization. Considering every thing, the Sony A7R III is simply not suitable as a vlog camera as it comes to a terrible score of 37.

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has touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detect focus
video res high (3840 x 2160 pxls)
does have microphone jack
doesn't contain selfie friendly display

Sony A7R III Alternatives

If you are searching for replacements to the A7R III, here is a range of the highest scored cameras which fall under the category of Pro Mirrorless.

The graph followed below provides you an overview of the A7R III versus it's top ranking rivals listed above.

Here are a handful of other cameras you might take into account as alternatives. To check out a detailed comparison, go to the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Sony
Model type
Sony Alpha A7R III
Category
Pro Mirrorless
Released
2017-10-25
Body design
SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Processor Chip
Bionz X
Sensor size
Full frame
Sensor measurements
35.9 x 24mm
Sensor surface area
861.6mm²
Sensor resolution
42 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution
7952 x 5304
RAW pictures
Maximum native ISO
32000
Maximum enhanced ISO
102400
Lowest native ISO
100
Lowest enhanced ISO
50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points
425
Lens
Lens support
Sony E
Total lenses
121
Focal length multiplier
1
Screen
Display type
Tilting
Display size
3 inch
Display resolution
1,440k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
3,686k dot
Viewfinder coverage
100 percent
Viewfinder magnification
0.78x
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
100
DXO Color Depth rating
26.0
DXO Dynamic range rating
14.7
DXO Low light rating
3523
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30s
Fastest shutter speed
1/8000s
Continuous shutter speed
10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
no built-in flash
Flash settings
Off, Auto, Fill-flash, Slow Sync, Rear Sync, Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB 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, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Maximum video resolution
3840x2160
Video data format
MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
657 gr (1.45 lbs)
Physical dimensions
127 x 96 x 74mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.9")
Other
Battery life
650 photographs
Form of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NP-FZ100
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse recording
Storage media
Two SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II support on one)
Storage slots
2
Retail cost
$2,800