A7R IIIvs Sony A9 III
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
VS
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you 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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
Who should buy what
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
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 | A7R III (2017) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,799 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 42.4MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~650 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 650g body only | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7R III | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | — |
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