A7 IIvs A7 III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Travel, Portrait — A7 II (2014): The camera that proved full-frame IBIS was possible in a compact body.
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 II (2014)
- Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want full-frame on a budget
- Film shooters adapting vintage lenses (IBIS helps enormously)
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 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a7 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7 II (2014) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £549 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | Full-frame BSI CMOS 35mm | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.3MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p 60fps | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | 117-point phase-detect hybrid AF | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 4.5 stops | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | 350 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 599g (body only) | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.7 × 59.7mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.71× 2.36M-dot | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.23M-dot | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Sony E-Mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | SD / Memory Stick Pro Duo | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, NFC, Micro USB, Micro HDMI | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7 II | A7 III |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A7 II
Camera family history