Upgrade Guide

Sony Sony A9 III→Sony A7R

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

You own

Sony

Sony A9 III

£5999

2023

→

Upgrade to

Sony

A7R

£349 (-£5,650)

2013

⚖️

Situational

One clear hardware improvement over the Sony A9 III. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.

What's new in the A7R

Unchanged or similar

Suitability by genre

Full spec comparison

Spec	Sony A9 III	A7R
Price	£5,999	£349
Released	2023	2013	↓
Sensor	24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter)	36.4MP Full-Frame CMOS (no OLPF)
Resolution	25MP	36MP	↑
Video	4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p	1080p/60p
Autofocus	AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect	Contrast-detect AF only (no phase-detect on sensor)
Stabilisation	8-stop IBIS	None
Burst Rate	120fps blackout-free electronic	4fps	↓
Battery Life	530 shots (CIPA)	~340 shots (CIPA)	↓
Weight	703g body only	465g (with battery and card)	↑
Weather Sealed	Yes	No	↓
Viewfinder	0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots	EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification
Screen	3.2" fully articulating touchscreen	3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots (no tilt, no touch)
Mount	Sony FE (E-mount)	Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards	Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II	Single SD UHS-I slot

Compare side-by-side

See Sony A9 III and A7R next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.

Get a personalised upgrade score

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