A7 IIIvs A7R II
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
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, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The a7r ii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7 III (2018) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,699 | £799 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~710 shots (CIPA) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 565g (body, battery, card) | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7 III | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| 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