A7Rvs Sony A9 III
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Studio, Tripod Landscape & Camera History — A7R (2013): The world's first 36MP full-frame mirrorless — a landmark camera that launched the A7R series, despite contrast-detect AF and significant shutter shock limitations.
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 (2013)
- Collectors and photographers interested in the camera that started the A7R lineage
- Studio photographers who work on a tripod and can manage contrast-detect AF
- Landscape photographers who prioritise resolution over autofocus performance
- Sony FE system users who want a historical body at a very low used price
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 has the highest resolution at 36mp; the a7r is the most affordable; only the sony a9 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | A7R (2013) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £349 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 36.4MP Full-Frame CMOS (no OLPF) | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 36.4MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only (no phase-detect on sensor) | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | None | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~340 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 465g (with battery and card) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots (no tilt, no touch) | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7R | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history