A7Cvs A7R III

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Sony A7C Sony A7C (2020) Starting from £1299 new Best for Compact travel & content creation View A7C
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?

Compact Travel & Content Creation — A7C (2020): The A7C proves full-frame doesn't have to be bulky. Excellent battery life, reliable Eye AF and a vari-angle screen in a pocketable body is a compelling combination for travel and content creators. The A7C II improved on it, but the original remains a strong value buy.

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

A7C (2020)

  • Travel photographers who want full-frame in the smallest possible body
  • Content creators who need a flip screen and reliable Eye AF
  • Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want to keep a compact kit
  • Vloggers who need 4K and great battery life on the road

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 a7c is the most affordable; only the a7r iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification A7C (2020)A7R III (2017)
Price £1,299 £1,799
Sensor 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS
Resolution 24.2MP 42.4MP
Video 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p
Autofocus Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF
Stabilisation 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops
Burst Rate 10fps with AF/AE tracking 10fps with AF/AE tracking
Battery Life ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless ~650 shots (CIPA)
Weight 509g (body, battery, card) 650g body only
Dimensions 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7mm 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm
Weather Sealed No Yes
Viewfinder None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification
Screen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots 3.0" touchscreen, tilting
Mount Sony E-mount Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards Single SD UHS-II Dual SD slots (one UHS-II)
Connectivity USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack
Genre A7CA7R III
Travel
9.0
Video
9.0
Portrait
9.0
9.0
Street
9.0
7.0
Wildlife
7.0
Landscape
9.0
Vlogging & Video
7.0
Wedding
7.0
Sports
4.0
⚡ Compare specs side by side A7C prices → A7R III prices →

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