Upgrade Guide

Sony A7 III→Sony A9

Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.

You own

Sony

A7 III

£1699

2018

→

Upgrade to

Sony

£1999 (+£300)

2017

⚖️

Situational

One clear hardware improvement over the A7 III. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.

What's new in the A9

↑

Burst rate

20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) vs 10fps with AF/AE tracking

Unchanged or similar

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	A7 III	A9
Price	£1,699	£1,999
Released	2018	2017	↓
Sensor	24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS	24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS
Resolution	24MP	24MP
Video	4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion	4K/30p, 1080p/120p
Autofocus	Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF	693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking
Stabilisation	5-axis IBIS, 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	~710 shots (CIPA)	~650 shots (CIPA)	↓
Weight	565g (body, battery, card)	673g (with battery and card)	↓
Weather Sealed	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder	EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification	EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free)
Screen	3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots	3.0" tilting touchscreen
Mount	Sony E-mount	Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards	Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2)	Dual SD UHS-II slots

Compare side-by-side

See A7 III and A9 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

Get a personalised upgrade score

Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A9 against your specific genres — not just specs.

Other upgrades from the A7 III

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