The Sony a7 III is a 24MP full frame mirrorless camera with a BSI CMOS sensor. It's the third generation of Sony's entry-level full frame camera but it comes with a significant number of the features and improvements introduced with the pro sports a9 model.
On paper, at least, the specifications look like an impressive all-rounder, with very little in the way of corner-cutting to keep the camera down to a certain price or capabilities omitted to avoid cannibalizing the sales of more expensive models.
Key Features:
24MP full frame BSI CMOS sensor
93% AF coverage (693 phase detection points, 425 for contrast detection)
Oversampled 4K/24p video taken from full width 6K (cropped-in 5K for 30p)
In-body image stabilization
10 fps continuous shooting
2. 36m dot OLED viewfinder
AF joystick
Touchscreen
Larger, 'Z-type' battery
Dual SD card slots
USB 3. 1 Type C
Stills
The move to a BSI CMOS sensor, combined with the adoption of the latest technologies, such as dual gain design promises improved low light performance, compared with the somewhat under-performing chips in the previous models. The addition of Sony's additional 'Front End LSI' processor allows a significant increase in shooting speed, too, with the a7 III able to shoot at 10fps, rather than its predecessor's five. This takes it into what used to be the preserve of pro sports cameras, significantly expanding the types of photography it can lend itself to.
The Eye AF function, which finds and focuses on eyes within the scene also makes extremely simple to shoot in-focus portraits, leaving you to worry about lighting and composition.
Video
The a7 series is the last in Sony's lineup to receive 4K video capture, but gets one of the best implementations, as a result. It can read the full width of its sensor (roughly 6000 x 3375 pixels) then process and downsample the footage, resulting in higher detail levels than would be possible shooting with a 3840 x 2160 pixel sensor. This
Beyond this, the a7 III has all the other video support tools and features Sony tends to include: focus peaking to aid manual focus, zebra warnings to help guide exposure and the ability to display a corrected preview when shooting Log footage.
Ergonomics
The a7 III gains the same body as the a7R III, giving it a more substantial grip and an autofocus joystick on the rear plate. There's also an extra custom button on the left rear shoulder. By default this acts as a 'Protect' button for ensuring your favorite images don't get deleted but there's also the option to assign it to rate images, with a menu option to select how many rating steps are used.
As with the other recent Sonys, you can assign different functions to each custom button for stills, playback and video modes, meaning it's much more likely that you'll be able to set the camera up the way you want it to work, without having to compromise if you shoot pictures both moving and static.
There's also a touchscreen, primarily used for setting the AF point, either as a touchpad, when the camera is to your eye, or for direct selection when it isn't.
Compared to its peers:
The Sony a7 III has crept up in price, compared with its predecessor, putting it in competition not only with the most basic of full frame rivals but also up against more full-rounded models such as Nikon's D750 and Ricoh's Pentax K-1 Mark II. We've also shown what you lose out on, relative to Sony's more expensive a7R III.
Sony a7m3
Sony a7m2
Sony a7Rm3
Nikon D750
Pentax K-1 II
MSRP (body only)
$2000
$1700
$3200
$2300
$2000
Pixel Count
24MP
24MP
42. 4MP
24MP
36. 4MP
CMOS type
BSI
FSI
BSI
FSI
FSI
Stabilization
In-body
5 stops
In-body
4. 5 stops
In-body
5. 5 stops
Lens only
In-body
5 stops
Cont. shooting rate (fps)
10
5
10
6. 5
4. 4
Rear LCD res dots/ pixels
0. 92m dots
/ 640 x 480
1. 23m dots
/ 640 x 480
1. 44m dots
/ 800 x 600
1. 23m dots
/ 640 x 480
1. 04m dots
/ 720 x 480
Touchscreen
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Rear LCD articulation
Tilt up/down
Tilt up/down
Tilt up/down
Tilt up/down
Tilt up/down
Viewfinder magn.
0. 78x
0. 71x
0. 78x
0. 70x
0. 70x
Viewfinder res (dots)
2. 36m
2. 36m
3. 69m
N/A
N/A
Highest video res
UHD 4K/30p
1080/60p
UHD 4K/30p
1080/60p
1080/30p (as 60i)
Max bitrate
100 Mbps
50 Mbps
100 Mbps
~24 Mbps
~20 Mbps
Log video?
S-Log2, S-Log3, HLG
S-Log2
S-Log2, S-Log3, HLG
No
No
Mic / Headphn
Yes / Yes
Yes / Yes
Yes / Yes
Yes / Yes
Yes / Yes
Battery life (CIPA)
710/610
350
650/530
1230
670
Weight (inc battery + card)
650g
600g
657g
840g
1010g
2018-3-22 16:00
