Qvs A7R III
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R 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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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
A7R III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The a7r iii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the a7r iii is the most affordable; only the a7r iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q (2015) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,999 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, 49 AF fields, face detection | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | None | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 640g (with battery and card) | 650g body only |
| 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, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Fixed Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Street | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports | — |
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