Sony α7 III
2018 full-frame mirrorless camera
The Sony α7 III (model ILCE-7M3) is a full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera manufactured by Sony. It was announced on 26 February 2018 as the successor to the Sony α7 II and available from 10 April 2018. Described by Sony as "the basic model", the camera shares many features with the high-end Sony α7R III and α9 models. It was succeeded by the Sony α7 IV, announced on 21 October 2021.
01Features
The camera features several advancements over the previous model, the α7 II, incorporating some features from the higher-end α7R III and α9.
- 24 MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor.
- 693 Phase Detection AF Points with 93% coverage, inherited from α9 and 425 contrast AF points.
- Continuous eye autofocus mode called Eye AF with High Tracking ability.
- 5-axis optical in-body image stabilization with a 5.0 step shutter speed advantage.
- 10 fps continuous shooting (mechanical or silent).
- Multiple 4K (3840x2160) video modes: 4K/24p oversampled from 6K sensor output, or 4K/30p oversampled from 5K cropped portion of sensor.
- 15 stops of dynamic range.
- Full HD (1920x1080) video at 120 fps.
- Larger 'Z'-series (NP-FZ100) battery from α9 and α7R III that is rated at 710 shots(CIPA measurement) - offering the world's longest battery life of any mirrorless camera.
- Upgraded operability and functionality including addition of joystick for adjusting focus points, Dual SD Card Slots, USB Type-C terminal with USB 5Gbps capabilities.
- ISO range from 100 to 51,200 (expandable to 204,800).
- Weather sealed, magnesium alloy body.
- No built-in flash.
- 2.36 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder with 0.78x magnification.
- Supports 4 different video file formats (XAVC S 4K, XAVC S HD, or AVCHD).
02Improvements over the Sony α7 II
The Sony α7 III improved in a number of aspects compared to its predecessor, the α7 II, which was released four years earlier in November, 2014.
- 4K video modes and 120fps full HD video instead of the A7 II's limited full HD (1920x1080) movie modes.
- Continuous burst increased to 10fps instead of 5fps.
- Maximum ISO sensitivity of 51,200 instead of 25,600.
- Upgraded sensor with 693 Phase Detection auto-focus points vs. 117 Phase Detection AF points.
- Newer Z battery system (NP-FZ100) rated to 710 shots instead of 340.
- Battery capacity 7.2V / 16.4Wh (2280mAh).
- Dual SD card slots instead of a single card slot.
- Bluetooth for increased phone communication options.
- Introduction of a touch screen but lower resolution 922,000 dot display instead of 1.23 million.
- Newer ergonomic layout similar to the earlier A9 and A7R III including the addition of a joystick.
The camera's rounded feature set and launch price were highly praised. Reviewers noted it as a flexible and competitive tool for all types of photography.
03Issues
The Sony A7 III does not have a vertical anti-aliasing filter, it only has a horizontal one. It improves sharpness, but also creates a visible amount of moiré on clothes and hair.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Sony α7 III”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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