Qvs A7 III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street, Travel & Fine Art Photography — Q (2015): The camera that redefined luxury compact photography — a full-frame sensor, the finest 28mm compact lens available, and a shooting feel that is uniquely Leica.
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
Q (2015)
- Street and documentary photographers who want a full-frame fixed-lens camera with iconic character
- Travel photographers who want the finest compact image quality available
- Leica enthusiasts who want an autofocus alternative to the M system
- Photographers who value build quality and shooting experience as much as spec sheets
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 a7 iii is the most affordable; only the a7 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q (2015) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,999 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, 49 AF fields, face detection | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | None | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 640g (with battery and card) | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.0 × 93.5mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.68M dots, 0.68× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Fixed Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q | A7 III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history