A7R IIIvs A9
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
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) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,799 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 42.4MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~650 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 650g body only | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE (full-frame 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 | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7R III | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with A7R III
Camera family history