A7 IIIvs A9
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The a7 iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7 III (2018) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,699 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~710 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 565g (body, battery, card) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7 III | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
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