Upgrade Guide
Sony A99 II→Sony A7 III
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Strong upgrade
The A7 III improves across 4 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most A99 II owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the A7 III
-
Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
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StabilisationIBIS added — significant for handheld and video
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Battery life~710 shots (CIPA) vs ~490 shots (CIPA)
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Generation2 years newer (2018 vs 2016)
Unchanged or similar
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Resolution24MP (down from 42MP — optimised for low light)
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | A99 II | A7 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +1.0 | ||
| Street | +1.0 | ||
| Travel | +1.5 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +1.3 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Filmmaking | +0.5 | ||
| Documentary | +1.8 | ||
| Sports & Action | +1.4 | ||
| Landscape | +0.4 | ||
| Wildlife | +1.8 | ||
| Casual | +1.8 | ||
| Food | +0.6 | ||
| Macro | +1.1 | ||
| Architecture | -0.1 | ||
| Astrophotography | +2.2 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | A99 II | A7 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £749 used | £1,199 | |
| Released | 2016 | 2018 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 42.4MP full-frame sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | |
| Resolution | 42MP | 24MP | ↓ |
| Video | 4K/30p full-pixel readout, 1080p/120, S-Log2 / S-Log3 | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | |
| Autofocus | 79-point Hybrid Cross phase-detect AF (dedicated sensor + 399-point on-sensor), Eye AF | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | |
| Stabilisation | 4.5-stop 5-axis sensor-shift | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | |
| Burst Rate | 12fps with AF/AE tracking | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~490 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 849g (with battery and card) | 565g (body only) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78x | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | |
| Screen | 3.0" three-way tilting / swivel LCD, 1.23M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots | |
| Mount | Sony A-mount | Sony E-mount | |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots: SD / Memory Stick + SD | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
Compare side-by-side
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