A7R IIvs A7R III
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
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.
Who should buy what
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
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 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7R II (2015) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 42.4MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~290 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 625g (with battery and card) | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7R II | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A7R II
Camera family history