Despite its billing as a 'basic' model, the Sony a7 III is a supremely capable full frame camera. Though it doesn't have the most megapixels or shoot the fastest bursts, its well-judged mix of resolution, speed, features and price point make it an easy recommendation for all kinds of photographers and all kinds of photography.

Key Features:

24MP full frame BSI CMOS sensor
93% autofocus 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, 0.78x magnification
AF joystick
Touchscreen
Larger, 'Z-type' battery (CIPA rated to 710 shots)
Dual SD memory card slots
USB 3.1 Type C

Compared to its predecessor, the Sony a7 III has been updated in almost every way; when compared to other similarly priced full frame options, the a7 III looks to be a cut above in many respects. For generalist photographers, wedding and event shooters and even sports specialists, the a7 III gets an awful lot of things just right. But as with previous Sony mirrorless full-frame cameras, there are some foibles that persist with this new model.

We've now spent dozens of hours shooting the a7 III in our studio and out in the real world - read on to see how it performs.

Sony Alpha a7 III 24MP UHD 4K Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only) $1,998.00

By GLENN E.

I’ve been waiting breathlessly for the arrival of my new Sony A7 III since I placed the initial order immediately after the announcement. I prepared myself emotionally for the fact that I may not see it until May but Mr. UPS knocked on my door yesterday afternoon and made April 12th Christmas Eve. I’m a long-time professional Canon shooter (5D Mk III, 7D Mk II, 6D Mk II, 85mm 1.4 L, 100mm L, 70-200 2.8 IS L, Sigma 150 – 600, Tamron 2.8 70 – 200, (2) 600 EX’s, etc., etc., etc.). This list doesn’t include all the older gear living in my attic. I mention all that because when you have a system that has served you well AND you’ve invested so much capital into that system it’s not easy or pleasant to change horses. I ordered the A7 III with a Metabones V adapter playing a long shot that those two items would allow me to leverage my Canon glass. I fully expected only modest compatibility but the logic was that if one lens works that’s better than totally starting over and selling my Canon gear for .20 Cents on the dollar. So here’s my report. How Wow!!! It works and works well with every single lens in my case. Who knew? The Sony is AMAZING. There’s nothing short of amazing to describe how very well it performs. Images crisp and sharp, quick auto focus, eye-af is God sent, remarkable high ISO performance, in short it actually lived up to all of the hype. Speaking of high ISO performance… like many of those that are reading this I began my career shooting low light wedding. A constant battle between fast glass, high ISO, supplemental lighting, and the darkness. I have a self imposed limitation of 3200 ISO due to noise concerns. Somehow, someway, I always figured out how to make it work but it was a battle. Enter the Sony, dark? Push the heck out of the ISO and still get relatively noiseless images. I just came back from a black garage and threw the Sony into the P model and snapped a few frames of my car. It was as close to black in the garage as I can imagine. Guess what? PERFECT images!!! Okay, if I keep going on you’ll stop reading so let me sum this all up: 1.Sony A7 III – Amazing and everything Sony promised 2.Metabones V – Amazing and works with everything I have in my case. Only small issue is that the adapter is larger than the lens base and you rub your fingertips raw when you grip the camera. 3.Mirrorless paradigm – yep it’s going to do some damage to Canon and Nikon My honest recommendation, go get one. It’s a real treat, works well, and you’ll be creating better images than ever. Am I going to throw my Canon gear away and totally commit to Sony? Probably not. Why should I? My glass still works on the Canon bodies AND on the Sony. The Canon still creates beautiful images so I’m not inclined to chuck it just because. Does it mean that new purchases will align with Sony going forward? I suspect the answer is yes. P.S. Haven’t tried this in my studio but I suspect it will be just great. BTW, thank you to Adorma for getting me this item so VERY quickly. Great Job!!!

By PhotoEnthusiast

I've been doing photography since I was a little kid, eons ago. Started with 35mm film, and then went through a dozen digitals. I'd notice my peers shooting with a FF had inordinately better images, even though their tech was 6-8 years older. APS-C, 2/3, crop sensors -- no matter what the say -- are not nearly as good. FFs are pricey. I studied the market for 6 months, opting to shift away from my beloved Canon becuase DXO and other data proved to me dyn range was weak. That shifted me to Nikon, a recognized leader there. I've had Nikon, they're great. Toggled between the 750 and 850 but had one eye out for the mirrorless market... that is where we are headed for a host of reasons. No denying. Meanwhile, I held fond memories of my older Sony superzoom - except that the powerbutton failed and that caused me to move away. But, they're the market leader in mirrorless and others will take years to catch up. Living in FL, I didn't like the overheating concerns or short battery life. Then, the A7iii came out. Hmmm. Dyn range is as good/better than the 850. Crazy. So, I preordered. Got it. It really is all that and more. I'm not a pro, but any pro could use this - especially if you need to send your pics to an FTP server. It doesn't have decent timelapse, but honestly, my iphone does that just fine when (or IF) I ever need that. I'm 6'2" with big hands and the form factor on this is not an issue. I compromised superior quality by having 3 primes, for just 1 travel lens with only excellent quality -- the Sony 24-240 3.5-6.3. I was gunning for the Nikon equivalent but didn't want to tradeoff function or speed that comes when any adapter is used. No overheating. Battery life is insane. Recently did a week long trip and at end of day I was between 40 and 60%. I have not used the video but trust the reviews. It's there when I need to. As for the funky menu system folks criticize, it's not a problem for me. My older Sony looks like this one, basically, I didn't see that as a problem then, or now. I kind of like it. Every single camera has different usability patterns, so my suspicion is some folks are more used to styles they've used more often elsewhere. I really like the buttons, except for one dial. I hit Fn alot to see on my display nearly all of the things I need to tweak. White bal, focus area, focus zone, iso (which I'm coming to find I usually leave on ISO auto). The one dial I really like and really wish they had a little more protection on is the aperture dial. What's nice is right by my right thumb, I can visually tell how many f-stops to dial or up or down. Doing that does not adjust the shutter or ISO. So, I get exactly the amount of light I need. It's super handy to have when selecting some HDR shots for photomatix pro, later on. But, being in that location, sometimes when I hold the camera by my side my thumb inadvertently touches that and sometimes move it. I've learned to scan that quickly before shooting. Had a few issues getting the Sony software to work with my imac but that's behind me. Not sure if it was user error or their SW. What is odd though is that I can't simply remove an SD card and insert it into my iMac. IOS doesn't even recognize it. So, I have to cable the cam to the iMac. Not a real issue, just an oddity. I'm running 2 high speed 128gbs so really no worry about space and getting back to dock up. This is a camera review but I'll comment briefly on the lens as well. Distortion at wide angle is there, not surprisingly. I wish I had the software back when using other wide angles that I found of recent. Dxoviewpoint is pretty amazing stuff, along the order of "magic". It makes most pics better, but not 100%. Oh -- weight. I'm totally happy with the weight of the bod+lens. No issue. Lastly-- Adorama. I researched local and online vendors THOROUGHLY. Everyone has a gripe about everyone, but based on my what I read went with Adorama for price (fair), service (very good), and return process (excellent). Not disappointed. In fact, they assigned a rep to check in with me and she was super helpful and quick email correspondence. Sample images- https://www.flickr.com/photos/153759854@N04/albums/with/72157695548326244 Any that seem less sharp are because of Photoshop crops. I spent 3 grand on this, so wasn't hesitant to send it back if I wasn't 1000% happy. It's not going back, no way.

Newly developed sensor, evolved image processor

The latest technology achieves stunning processing speed
A new version of the 24.2-megapixel* Exmor R™ CMOS sensor, now featuring a back-illuminated structure, is combined with the latest BIONZ X™ image processing engine and front-end LSI, and this combination achieves a data readout speed that is two times faster** and data processing capability that is 1.8 times higher**.

Back-illuminated full-frame sensor

Higher sensitivity and readout speed
The 35-mm full-frame CMOS image sensor with back-illuminated structure enhances light collection efficiency, expands circuitry scale, and, with the help of a copper wiring layer that contributes to quicker data transfer, outputs data at high speeds, while minimizing noise, to reveal fine details in every image.
1) Conventional structure 2) Back-illuminated structure
a. Light-receiving surface b. Gapless on-chip lens c. Aluminum wiring layer d. Photodiode substrate e. Copper wiring layer

Reducing noise in high-resolution images

Up to 1.5-stop improvement* in image quality
Standard ISO range is extended to ISO 100-51200 (expandable to ISO 50-204800** for stills), while Detail Reproduction and Area-specific Noise Reduction technologies maintain image details and cut noise. With highly effective performance in mid-to-high sensitivity ranges, you can shoot at high ISO with no concerns about noise and image deterioration.

Subtle gradation from shadow to highlight

Dynamic range of up to approx. 15 stops*
Approx. 15-stop dynamic range7 at low-sensitivity settings is achieved, thanks to a revamped CMOS sensor and image processor that provide for smooth gradation from shadow to highlight. This gives you greater freedom of creative imaging.

Steadier shots with 5-axis stabilization

The latest high-precision stabilization uses stabilization unit and gyro sensors and algorithms to achieve a 5.0-step* shutter speed advantage in a system that compensates five types of camera shake with a wide range of lenses, and delivers excellent performance.