Sony A7R III review – in pictures
Sony hits the prosumer sweet spot with its latest full-frame camera
Sony A7R III review – in pictures
There’s never been a dud in Sony’s A7 range of mirrorless full-frame system cameras, and the A7R III doesn’t buck that trend. We’ll get this out of the way now: this is a fantastically capable camera whether you’re using it for stills or video. It is, however, over £3,000 without a lens, which makes it a daunting investment for all but the wealthiest of photographers. And with plenty of cheaper high-end mirrorless options on the market (including older A7 series full-frame models), the question of its value remains.
DESIGN: STURDY AND SOLID
If you’re familiar with the existing A7 family, the A7R III fits right into the mould. Like other A7 cameras, the body is chiefly made of metal, giving the A7R III the weight and sturdiness you’d expect from a £3000 camera. You could probably use it to hammer nails (although we don’t recommend it).
DESIGN: WEATHER READY
There are smaller, lighter mirrorless cameras around, but this is still remarkably compact for a full-frame model. It’s weatherproof too, so shutterbugs brave enough to venture out into the worst the British climate can chuck at them needn’t keep it under wraps during showers and snowstorms.
DESIGN: CONTROL FREAK
As for physical controls, the thing is fairly bristling with buttons and dials, including three “C” buttons that can be customised to give you a shortcut to your most used settings. The LCD screen is also touch sensitive, meaning you can swipe through videos and photos you’ve taken, or tap an area of the screen to set the focus point. Working with the menu system and on-screen UI, the controls give you plenty of scope for swift tweaks.
FEATURES: BIG BATTERY
One of the main improvements over the A7R II is in battery life which, according to Sony, is now good for about 530 shots per charge when using the OLED viewfinder, or 650 using the LCD – almost double the claimed stamina of the previous model. Even after lots of shooting of both video and stills, our review sample sits pretty with 91 percent of its battery left – which is a boon that’s sure to appeal to pros and enthusiast amateurs alike.
FEATURES: FAST FOCUS
Then there’s the new autofocus system, combining 399 phase-detection and 425 contrast-detection points, which drastically boosts the accuracy and speed at which you can lock onto and track a subject. Oh, and there are dual SD slots now, rather than the A7R II’s single slot, while a USB-C connector lets you tether the camera to a computer for use with Sony’s new (and free) image capture and processing apps.
IMAGE QUALITY: SIMPLY STELLAR
The A7R III is a fantastically capable camera whatever you’re shooting. Video, for example, can be captured at pristine 4K quality at up to 30fps with Hybrid Gamma Log HDR, or at up to 120fps at 1080p resolution (which allows for up to 4x slo-mo playback when shooting in the S&Q mode). Stills, too, look fantastically detailed. You might expect that of a 42.4MP full-frame sensor, but Sony has built upon the (also 42.4MP) A7R II’s performance with better low light abilities and a new pixel-shifting mode.
SONY A7R III VERDICT
Taking all the good bits from previous A7 models (the OLED viewfinder, solid build, full-frame sensor), perfecting certain things and adding a host of new features, Sony’s A7R III a truly brilliant enthusiast camera that’ll handle any photo or video task you could put in front of it: wildlife, portraiture, landscape, street photography, filmmaking.
