A7 IVvs A7R III

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Sony A7 IV Sony A7 IV (2021) Starting from £2299 new Best for Portrait & wedding photography View A7 IV
VS
Sony 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?

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.

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.

↓ Full specifications below

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

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. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification A7 IV (2021)A7R III (2017)
Price £2,299 £1,799
Sensor 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS
Resolution 33.0MP 42.4MP
Video 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p
Autofocus 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF
Stabilisation 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops
Burst Rate 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic 10fps with AF/AE tracking
Battery Life ~580 shots (CIPA) ~650 shots (CIPA)
Weight 659g body only 650g body only
Dimensions 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm
Weather Sealed Yes Yes
Viewfinder EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification
Screen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen 3.0" touchscreen, tilting
Mount Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II Dual SD slots (one UHS-II)
Connectivity USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack
Genre A7 IVA7R III
Studio Portraits
9.0
Outdoor Portraits
9.0
Wedding & Events
9.0
Vlogging & Video
9.0
7.0
Landscape
9.0
9.0
Sports & Action
7.0
Portrait
9.0
Wedding
7.0
Street
7.0
Sports
4.0
⚡ Compare specs side by side A7 IV prices → A7R III prices →

More comparisons with A7 IV

Camera family history