Sony
A7R III 2017
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
£1799
list price · used from £745 at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
A7R III vs A7R IV
Quick take: The A7R IV has the highest resolution at 61MP; the A7R III is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A7R IV 2019
Best for Landscape, studio, commercial
£2199
list price · used from £1078 at Wex Photo Video
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
A7R III — Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography: The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
A7R IV — Landscape, Studio, Commercial: 61MP in a mirrorless body — the resolution benchmark.
Who should buy what
A7R III (2017)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
A7R IV (2019)
is the right camera for you if…
- Landscape photographers who print large
- Studio shooters needing maximum detail
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A7R IIISony · 2017 | A7R IVSony · 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,799Best | £2,199 |
| Sensor | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS | Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS 35mm |
| Resolution | 42.4MP | 61.0MPBest |
| Video | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p | 4K 30fps |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF | 567-point phase-detect, real-time tracking |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~650 shots (CIPA) | 670 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 650g (body only)Best | 665g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm | 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification | EVF 0.78× 5.76M-dot |
| Screen | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.44M-dot |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony E-Mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.1, USB-C 3.2 |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
A7R III
A7R IV
Portrait
7.8/10
8.1/10
Street
6.1/10
6.2/10
Travel
6.1/10
6.2/10
Wedding & Events
7.5/10
7.8/10
Filmmaking
6.3/10
6.4/10
Documentary
6.7/10
6.9/10
Sports & Action
7.3/10
7.4/10
Landscape
7.4/10
7.9/10
Wildlife
7.6/10
7.7/10
Casual
4.7/10
4.8/10
Food
7.0/10
7.4/10
Macro
6.2/10
6.5/10
Architecture
7.5/10
8.1/10
Astrophotography
7.0/10
6.9/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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