A7CRvs A7S III
Sony
A7CR (2023)
Starting from £3099 new
Best for Travel, landscape & portrait photography with minimal kit
View A7CR
Sony
A7S III (2020)
Starting from £2999 new
Best for Professional video & low-light filmmaking
View A7S III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Travel, Landscape & Portrait Photography With Minimal Kit — A7CR (2023): The world's smallest 61MP full-frame camera — A7R V quality in a pocketable A7C body.
Professional Video & Low-Light Filmmaking — A7S III (2020): If video is your primary discipline, the A7S III is the camera. 4K/120p at 10-bit in a weather-sealed body with a 9.44M dot EVF is an extraordinary package. The 12MP sensor isn't limiting for video — and it's usable at ISO 409,600 in a pinch.
Who should buy what
A7CR (2023)
- Landscape photographers who want 61MP resolution without carrying a large body
- Travel photographers who need professional image quality in the smallest possible package
- Portrait shooters who want A7R V sensor quality with the ease of the A7C form factor
- A7C owners ready for a major resolution upgrade without changing bodies
A7S III (2020)
- Filmmakers and videographers who need 4K/120p at 10-bit
- Event videographers who shoot in dark venues regularly
- Documentary filmmakers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Hybrid shooters where video is primary and stills are secondary
Quick take: The a7cr has the highest resolution at 61mp; the a7s iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7CR (2023) | A7S III (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,099 | £2,999 |
| Sensor | 61.0MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS (12-bit, back-illuminated) |
| Resolution | 61.0MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 4K/60p 10-bit, 1080p/120p — S-Log3, S-Cinetone | 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/60p 10-bit S-Cinetone/S-Log3, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | AI subject recognition — phase-detect with human, animal, bird detection | Phase-detect, 759 points, real-time Eye AF (human & animal), subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | 7-stop IBIS | 5.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 8fps mechanical, 15fps electronic | 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~600 shots (CIPA) / ~70min continuous 4K recording |
| Weight | 514g body only | 699g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 124.0 × 71.1 × 63.4mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.70× 2.36M-dot | OLED EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification — best EVF Sony has made |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.03M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.44M dots |
| Mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II (both slots) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7CR | A7S III |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
More comparisons with A7CR
Camera family history