HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp)vs A7 III
Ilford
HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp)
Starting from £10 new
Best for Street photography, documentary & low-light B&W
View HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp)
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street Photography, Documentary & Low-Light B&W — HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp): The definitive black-and-white film. Versatile, beautiful, and made in Britain. If you only shoot one B&W stock, make it HP5 Plus.
All-Round Photography & Video — A7 III (2018): Still one of the best all-round cameras money can buy — particularly strong used. The A7 III proved that full-frame doesn't have to mean compromises, and nothing at this price point has meaningfully beaten it.
Who should buy what
A7 III (2018)
- Enthusiast photographers upgrading from APS-C for the first time
- Working photographers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Anyone who shoots in low light regularly
- Hybrid shooters needing both stills and video performance
Quick take: The hp5 plus 400 (36 exp) is the most affordable; only the a7 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £10 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 35mm black & white negative — ISO 400 (pushable to ISO 3200+) | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | — | 24.2MP |
| Video | N/A — film stock | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | N/A — film stock | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | N/A — film stock | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | N/A | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | ~30g per roll | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 35mm 135-format cartridge, 36 exposures | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | N/A | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | ISO 400 — push-processable to ISO 3200+ with Ilford DD-X or Microphen | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | N/A | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp) | A7 III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Documentary | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Video | — |
More comparisons with HP5 Plus 400 (36 exp)
Camera family history