A7 IIIvs A7 IV
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid body.
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
A7 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The a7 iv has the highest resolution at 33mp; the a7 iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7 III (2018) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,699 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~710 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 565g (body, battery, card) | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7 III | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A7 III
Camera family history