Upgrade Guide
Sony A7S II→Sony Sony A9 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 Sony A9 III
-
Resolution25MP vs 12MP (+13MP)
-
StabilisationImproved — 8-stop IBIS
-
Burst rate120fps blackout-free electronic vs 5fps continuous
-
Battery life530 shots (CIPA) vs ~370 shots (CIPA)
-
Generation8 years newer (2023 vs 2015)
Suitability by genre
| Genre | A7S II | Sony A9 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vlogging & Video | -2.0 | ||
| Low Light | — | ||
| Wedding | — | ||
| Portrait | +2.0 | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Sports | — | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | ||
| Travel | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A7S II | Sony A9 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £5,999 | |
| Released | 2015 | 2023 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) | |
| Resolution | 12MP | 25MP | ↑ |
| Video | 4K/30p internal (full sensor readout), 1080p/120p, S-Log2/S-Log3 | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p | |
| Autofocus | 169 phase-detect + 25 contrast AF — limited by modern standards | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect | |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS — 4.5 stops (first Sony mirrorless with IBIS) | 8-stop IBIS | |
| Burst Rate | 5fps continuous | 120fps blackout-free electronic | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~370 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 584g body only | 703g body only | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots | |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | |
| Mount | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) | Sony FE (E-mount) | |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-I slots | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See A7S II and Sony A9 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 Sony A9 III against your specific genres — not just specs.
Other upgrades from the A7S II
Related buying guides
Camera family history