Sony A7 III Review

Announced on 27th February 2018, the Sony Alpha 7 III is more commonly known as the A7 III. It’s a full-frame mirrorless camera and the replacement to the Sony A7 II. It also has a lot to offer enthusiast photographers as a general-purpose camera.

Sitting between the high-resolution Sony A7R III (and Sony A7R IV) and the video-centric Sony A7S III as the more affordable option, the Sony A7 III’s price tag is also half that of the A9 II, the company’s pro-level all-rounder. However, it has quite a lot in common with the original A9, not least the autofocusing system. In this review, I take a detailed look at all the key aspects of the A7 III’s performance.

• Sony A7R III Review

At launch, the Sony A7 III was highly praised for its well-rounded feature set for all types of photography and a competitive price. In March 2018, the Sony A7 III price tag was £2,000 / $2,400 for the body only. The A7 III price tag rose to £2,200/ $2,600 when you purchased a kit that included the SEL2870 lens.

Today, the Sony A7 III is available at reduced prices from its original cost. Recent listings show the camera can be purchased for around £1,200 / $1,400 to £1,400 / $1,600 new, and for even less secondhand or refurbished.

These Sony A7 III price tags are for the body only. Additionally, a bundled option with the 28-70mm lens is available for £1,600 / $1,699.00. So while the camera is now five years old and has been replaced in Sony’s A7 series lineup, it can still be purchased new from many reputable retailers.

Sony opted for a 24Mp sensor for the A7 III. On the basis of one of our recent Twitter polls, I think this a good decision. It gives a nice balance between file size and detail capture. It also maintains the separation between the A7 Mark III and the 42Mp A7R Mark III and 61Mp A7R IV.

Although the A7 III’s sensor is backside-illuminated (BSI), it’s not the same sensor as is in the A9. However, there is a front-end LSI which Sony says doubles the readout speed from the A7 III’s sensor. According to Sony, this results in the focusing in low light being almost twice the speed of the A7 II’s. In addition, the focus tracking is twice as fast.

The sensor and processing engine enable an overall sensitivity range of ISO 50-204,800. That indicates that the A7 III should perform well in low light. In fact, Sony is claiming a 1.5EV improvement in image quality overall.

Sony’s 5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation is on hand. It’s claimed to give a 5EV extension in the hand-holdable shutter speed.

• Sony A7 III vs Sony A7 II: What are the Key Differences?

Improved Autofocusing

The Sony A9’s autofocus (AF) system is phenomenal.  While the A7 III doesn’t have exactly the same system (that would require the same sensor), it has the same 693-point phase detection points and 425 contrast AF points.

These points cover 93% of the imaging area. This makes it easier than with the A7 II to track moving subjects. In addition, the system is sensitive down to -3EV, which means it should be effective in low light.

There’s also Sony’s Eye AF mode that helps you target the most important part of a portrait subject.

Continuous Shooting

Sony has given the A7 III a maximum continuous shooting rate of 10fps. As with the A7R III when it shoots at 10fps, there is a brief blackout with the A7 III. Dropping the rate to 8fps gives a continuous live view feed.

With a fast card installed, the A7 III can shoot at 10fps for 177 Standard jpeg images, 89 compressed raw images or 40 uncompressed raw images. Furthermore, it’s possible to shoot at 10fps using the mechanical or the electronic shutter. This means you can shoot silently at 10fps if necessary.

4K Video

The A7 III is capable of recording 4K (3840 x 2160) footage to a memory card at 30p/25p and 60Mbps or 100Mbsp. There’s also S-Log2 and S-Log3 available for recording flat footage ready for grading, and a Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) picture profile is provided for displaying video direct from the camera on HDR (HLG) compatible televisions.

When the camera is set to record 4K video it uses full pixel readout without pixel binning. This means it gathers around 2.4x as much data as is needed for 4K movies. It then oversamples the files to produce 4K footage with better depth and dynamic range.

There’s also a Zebra display, Gamma Display assist and proxy recording.

In addition, Full HD footage can be recorded at up to 120/100p (NTSC/PAL) for slow-motion playback.

• Sony A9 review

Battery

One of the issues for the Mark I and Mark II A7-series cameras is low battery life. Sony addressed this for the A9 and A7R III with the NP-FZ100 battery. This battery has also been used in the A7 III and it has a claimed life of 710 shots when the screen is used to compose images.

The Sony A7 III has the same body shape as the A7R III. It’s small for a full-frame camera, but has a decent grip on the front and a small but pronounced thumb ridge on the back. Together, these grips and their textured coating help the camera stick in your hand while you’re shooting.

It’s good to know that the camera is dust and moisture resistant, but after reports of water getting into the camera from its base, I’d advise being cautious in bad weather.

I like the physical control arrangement of the A7 II with two exceptions, the location of the video activation button and the method of autofocus point selection. Happily, Sony has addressed both of these issues with the A7 III.

The video record button, which is on a corner of the body on the A7 II has been moved to the right of the viewfinder on the A7 III. That means it’s within easy reach of your right thumb and it’s far easier to operate it without making the camera wobble.

Sony introduced a mini-joystick style controller for setting the AF point with the A9 and it continued on to the A7R Mark 3. It has also made it on to the A7 Mark 3.

In another change from the Mark II, the A7 Mark III has an AF-On button on its back, just to the side of the thumb rest.

Touch Control

In case you haven’t guessed, I’m a fan of touchscreens. They make things like setting the AF point, making menu selections and setting adjustments more intuitive.

Sony has given the A7 III a touchscreen, but as on the A7R III and A9, it hasn’t gone the whole hog. You can’t tap on the options in the main or function menus to make settings changes for instance. However, you can use it for setting the AF point, even when you’re looking in the viewfinder if you like. And you can use it to zoom quickly into images to check sharpness.

I was keeping my fingers crossed for a firmware upgrade to increase the level of touch-control, but I think that ship has sailed. However, the Sony A7S III and Sony A1 both have properly implemented touch control, and the A7S III even has a vari-angle screen. I’m hopeful that the Sony A7 IV will have a vari-angle screen and better touch control.

Viewfinder and Screen

The A7 III has a 0.5-inch OLED electronic viewfinder that gives a good clear view of the scene. That’s about as big as you want a screen so close to your eye, if it’s much larger than that, I find I have to move my eye to check the edges.

It would be nice if Sony could make the active AF point a bit more visible, perhaps by making it red. The black marker can be quite hard to see at times.

It’s good to see that the A7 III has a ‘My Menu’ option to which you can assign up to 30 menu items for quicker access. This is a very useful addition given the length and complexity of the camera’s menu.

Also, 11 of the buttons on the A7 III can be customised and there’s a total of 81 functions available for them.

The A7 III’s screen is the tilting variety. That’s better than a fixed screen, but of little use for portrait orientation shots. Sony has been quite resistant to using vari-angle screens, but as I mentioned earlier, it has ventured out into this area with the Sony A7S III. That camera and the more recently announced Sony A1 also has a revised menu structure which is more logically arranged and easier to navigate than the A7 III’s. I’m confident that we’ll see this menu system, and hopefully the vari-angle screen with more touch control in the Sony A7 IV when that comes along.

The Sony A7 III is an impressive all-rounder camera.

I don’t think its low light autofocusing is quite as good as the Nikon D850, but it’s good. I was able to photograph a pair of dancers in a dimly lit room filled with smoke and the low contrast didn’t cause much in the way of problems.

Of course, one issue is selecting the right focusing mode of the shooting situation. In some situations, for example with a relatively uncluttered or motionless background, Wide Focus area is a great choice because the camera latches onto a subject that moves randomly with more success than when you try to follow it with a small spot in the viewfinder.

Similarly,  Expand Flexible Spot allows you to target an area and then the camera follows it, but it can sometimes jump to a different part of the scene.

Eye AF, which by default is assigned to the Center button can be extremely useful, especially as it works in continuous focusing mode. I found it very helpful when shooting portraits or photographing the dancers, but it doesn’t always spot the eyes so you have to be ready to react.

Sony A7 III Image Quality

With a resolution of 24Mp, the A7 III isn’t going to match the 42Mp A7R III or 61Mp A7R IV for detail, but for much of its native sensitivity (ISO) range, it captures a high level of detail.

Even images captured at ISO 51,200 look good. The jpegs have a slight texture visible at 100% and show some signs of noise reduction, but they’re not objectionable. The raw files give you the option to avoid this noise reduction so you can have slightly more textured images with more detail.

The A7 III has a maximum sensitivity setting of ISO 204,800. Which although we’ve seen before, is a crazily high setting that allows photographs to be taken in very gloomy conditions. However, that setting is an expansion setting for a good reason. At that value, although I’ve seen worse, the images can suffer from false colour and noise. They could still be usable for news reporting or evidence gathering – or those situations when you just need an image.

Exposure and Colour

The A7 III’s viewfinder and screen can display the image as it will be captured so you can adjust the exposure before taking the shot. I found myself adjusting the exposure compensation dial quite a bit during my time with it at the press event. I’ll look into this in more detail when I have longer with the camera.

In its auto white balance setting the A7 III’s shots sometimes vary in colour a little depending upon the image composition. It’s not a dramatic shift in colour, but when the images are side by side it’s noticeable. For this reason, I usually either use a preset white balance or a Custom value that I set manually.

Autofocus Performance

The autofocus (AF) system is a key selling point of the A7 III so I’ve spent quite a bit of time looking at its performance.

The  SonyA7 III has Eye AF, and following a firmware update, it can work with humans or animals. It’s a great feature that is a real bonus for wedding and portrait photographers. It’s also useful for pet photography, but I’ve found the Eye AF is better when your dog is still or slow-moving rather than racing about.

• Read more about Sony Eye AF on the A7 III

Some of the first images I shot with it were of my dog playing fetch.

Initially, I used the Sony Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar FE 24-70mmf/4.0 ZA OSS lens, at first keeping the AF setting in their default arrangements:

AF Tracking Sensitivity at 3(Standard)
Priority Set in AF-C: Balanced Emphasis

But then switching to:

AF Tracking Sensitivity at 5(Responsive)
Priority Set in AF-C: AF

With focusing set to Continuous AF (AF-C) and the drive mode set to Continuous Shooting: Hi+. This sets the camera to shoot at 10fps, the fastest rate available with the A7 III.

Luckily for me, Otto is obsessed with chasing balls, so armed with a launcher and a couple of balls, I set him in motion, taking photographs as he ran back to me ready for the next ball to be thrown.

Focus Area Wide

I spent some of the time with the camera set to the Wide Focus Area. When this mode is selected the camera uses all of the available focus points to detect the subject and focus on it. As I looked at the viewfinder I could see that on the vast majority of occasions the camera was managing to locate Otto in the landscape and was following him well.

As I found with the Sony A9, the A7 III’s AF-C system sometimes gets a bit fidgety when the subject isn’t moving, but when it is, it usually latches on quickly. You can see this as green squares appear over your subject and follow it around the frame.

Focus Area Flexible Spot

After several runs with the A7 III set to Focus Area Wide, I switched to Lock-on AF: Expand Flexible Spot S (Small) or M (Medium). In this mode you can choose the starting point for the AF and then the camera tracks the subject around the frame.  It’s a very convenient option for a variety of subjects.

I generally find it easier to move the AF point to where I want it to be with my left thumb on the screen with the Touch Panel+Pad activated.

Again in the majority of cases, the green squares stayed over Otto’s head as he ran towards me.

Sony A7 III Autofocus Test Results

After downloading all the images, I checked them at 100% on my computer screen. This reveals that many of them are sharp with the focus point where I want it. However, when the AF Tracking Sensitivity was set to 3 (Standard) there are lots where to focus is on Otto’s shoulder or the end of his body rather than his head.

The focusing system seems to have struggled the most when Otto was close to the camera but not closer than the nearest focusing point. At relatively close quarters, there’s greater chance of missing the focus because small movements have a more significant impact.

Using the Priority Set in AF-C: AF option reduced the number of failures and switching the AF Tracking Sensitivity to 5 the maximum boosted the success rate significantly.

There were a few occasions when the AF system moved the active points away from Otto, as I was shooting in a meadow of tall grass it’s possible that something got in the way, but it predominantly got the point in the right area and got his face sharp.

The images below are just a small selection of the sharp results. Follow the link to browse and download full-resolution images. Follow this link to see a wider selection of Sample Images.

• 9 Times When AF Will Fail

Dynamic Range

A camera’s dynamic range is a measure of the range of tones that it is able to capture in a single image. A camera with a low dynamic range produces images that have dense shadows with little detail and the brightest areas, the highlights, burn out easily.

Conversely, a camera with a wide dynamic range captures images that lots of tones between the extremes of white and black.

Having the ability to capture lots of tones means that a camera reproduces tonal gradations well, so there’s no stepping or banding where there should be a smooth transition from one shade to another.

Sony claims that the A7III’s 14-bit raw files have a 15-stop, or 15EV, dynamic range. That’s a very high value on a par with what our eyes can see. It’s also beyond what the average computer monitor or printer can replicate.

However, capturing images with wide dynamic range allows you to make adjustments to images so they look as you want them to on screen or in print.

• Which Sony A7 camera? How to choose the right model

Sony A7 III Dynamic Range in Practice

After shooting in a range of conditions with the A7III, it’s clear that it does have an impressively high dynamic range. A little of the tonal range has been a lost in the images below, but they illustrate the point.

The high contrast scene below was shot using exposure settings that avoided any sign of Zebras with the Zebra Level set to 100+.

This meant reducing the exposure below that recommended by the camera, but the darkest parts still have a good range of tones.

Original Exposure

Boosting the Shadows slider in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) to 100 shows the degree of information available in the darkest areas.

Shadows value increased to 100 in Adobe Camera Raw

However, producing a more natural, attractive image that better reflects the scene requires a lighter touch with the controls.

Balanced Exposure

Boosting the Shadows

This scene was exposed using the settings recommended by the A7III. Unsurprisingly, given the bright scene in the window, the boy running towards the window looks very dark.

Original Exposure

Boosting the exposure by 4.75EV in ACR reveals there’s plenty of colour visible in the darker parts of the image, and although some noise has crept in and the boy is out of focus, there is also detail visible in his clothes.

Exposure increased by 4.75EV in Adobe Camera Raw

Subtler use of the ACR controls produces a better balance of exposure. 

Balanced Exposure

High Contrast

I dramatically underexposed this high contrast scene to record the person crossing the bridge as a silhouette and to get a deep blue sky.

Original Exposure

Boosting the exposure to its maximum value of +5EV in ACR reveals that there’s a lot of information available in the shadows, but it’s pushing this image a bit too far.

Exposure increased by 5EV in Adobe Camera Raw

I got a better, more natural-looking result with the exposure set to +3.5EV.

Exposure increased by 3.5EV in Adobe Camera Raw

However, below is how I envisaged the image when I shot it. The wide dynamic range has enabled detail to be revealed in the darkest parts of the scene and the end result is a dramatic image.

Final Image

Sony A7 III Dynamic Range Summary

The Sony A7III has an impressively wide dynamic range that enables it to capture images that look natural.

It also means its raw files have excellent latitude. You won’t find the highlights burning out quickly and the shadows can be brightened post-capture if necessary.

In some instances, it’s possible to brighten the 14-but raw files by as much as 5EV. But 3.5-4EV is a safer margin.

• Read our Guide To Sony A7R III Pixel Shift Multi Shooting

Video Performance

The video quality from the A7 III is also very high. As you’d expect the exposure, white balance and colour are the same as the stills. Details also look good, while noise is controlled well.

The fast readout speed means that rolling shutter isn’t a major issue, but the ‘jello effect’ isn’t controlled quite as well as by the Sony A9.

Overall, it’s capable of producing high-end results that make it a good choice for anyone who wants to shoot stills and video in equal measure.

The latest firmware for the Sony A7 III is version 4.01, released on June 16, 2021. This update was for both Windows and Mac users. A previous significant update, version 4.00, added new features for FTP transfer and improved the overall stability of the camera. Both of these updates included the ability to transfer images during shooting and playback operations, batch transfer options, automatic transfer while shooting, and the capability to transfer both RAW and JPEG formats when shooting in RAW+JPEG. It enables users to register up to nine FTP servers (up from three), and Sony also improved the operability of the FTP transfer function.

Unfortunately, it’s uncertain whether Sony will continue to support the A7 III with further firmware updates. The manufacturer has made no direct statement on this.

For a comprehensive list of all firmware updates over the years, visit Sony’s official A7 III firmware page or contact their customer service for detailed information and confirmation on ongoing support for firmware updates.

Follow the link to browse and download full-resolution sample images

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Shot for our Sony A7 III review in XAVC S 4K at 25p and 100Mbps

The video below was shot with the Sony A7 III set to record XAVC S 4K at 25p and 100Mbps. For this video, I mounted the camera and the Zeiss 24-70mm f/4 lens (at 35mm) on the FeiyuTech A1000 stabilising gimbal.

This video below was shot for our Sony A7 III review in XAVC S 4K at 25p and 100Mbps while travelling at approximately 30mph to assess the rolling shutter effect.

Sony has improved the handling of the A7 III over the A7 II’s by the addition of the joystick control and touchscreen, as well as the better placement of the video record button.  Overall, it feels more refined than its predecessor. It’s an excellent choice of camera for enthusiast photographers, perhaps even some pros.

If you’re interested in shooting sport, the A7 III’s autofocusing won’t disappoint. In addition, the silent shooting capability, wide dynamic range and good noise control make it appealing to social and wedding photographers. Although if you’re really serious about shooting weddings professionally, the Sony A9 II or the Sony A1 are the cameras to go for.

I like the A7 III a lot, but there are still areas that could be improved.

For example, it’s a real shame that Sony hasn’t made more use of the touch-control afforded by the screen. It could offer a quick and intuitive way to navigate the menu, but instead, it limits you to setting the AF point and zooming in and out of images. It seems like a waste of a great opportunity.

Also, while its good that the A7 III has so many customisation options, some of them are confusing. And although Sony has made improvements, the extensive menu could still be better organised.

I’m expecting these issues to be addressed by the Sony A7 IV, but that has yet to be announced. Follow the link to read more about the possible specifications of the Sony A7 IV.

Despite these negative points, the Sony A7 III has an extensive feature set and is a great all-rounder.

Since we published our Sony A7 III review in 2018, Sony has launched the Sony A7 IV in 2022. The Sony A7 IV introduces several enhancements over the A7 III, catering to both photographers and videographers. For still photos and video, the A7 IV replaces the A7 III’s Creative Style with Creative Look, offering more dynamic range and less highlight clipping. The A7 IV adds the S-Cinetone gamma and colour mode, providing a cinematic colour palette. Both cameras have similar dynamic range with the HLG setting, but the A7 IV preserves highlights better. The A7 IV also has an improved ISO range and performs slightly better in terms of noise from ISO 12,800.

In video, the A7 IV has advantages like Breathing compensation, Shockless WB, and Flexible Exposure Mode, which are not present on the A7 III. The A7 IV also features an Emphasized REC Display and offers better rolling shutter performance.

Both cameras have in-body image stabilisation, with the A7 IV having a slight edge, offering 5.5 stops of compensation compared to the A7 III’s 5 stops. The A7 IV also includes an Active mode for video stabilisation, using gyro sensor data for more effective stabilisation, especially with wide-angle lenses.

For a more in-depth look at these two cameras, check out our Sony A7 IV vs A7 III comparison.