Upgrade Guide
Sony A7S II→Sony A7 III
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
→
Worthwhile
Clear improvements over the A7S II. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.
What's new in the A7 III
-
Resolution24MP vs 12MP (+12MP)
-
Burst rate10fps with AF/AE tracking vs 5fps continuous
-
Battery life~710 shots (CIPA) vs ~370 shots (CIPA)
-
Generation3 years newer (2018 vs 2015)
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7S II | A7 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Low Light | — | ||
| Wedding | — | ||
| Portrait | +2.0 | ||
| Street | +5.0 | ||
| Sports | — | ||
| Travel | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Video | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A7S II | A7 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £1,699 | |
| Released | 2015 | 2018 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | |
| Resolution | 12MP | 24MP | ↑ |
| Video | 4K/30p internal (full sensor readout), 1080p/120p, S-Log2/S-Log3 | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | |
| Autofocus | 169 phase-detect + 25 contrast AF — limited by modern standards | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS — 4.5 stops (first Sony mirrorless with IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | |
| Burst Rate | 5fps continuous | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~370 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 584g body only | 565g (body, battery, card) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots | |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony E-mount | |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-I slots | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See A7S II and A7 III next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
Run the upgrade checker →
Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the A7 III against your specific genres — not just specs.
Other upgrades from the A7S II
Related buying guides
Camera family history