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| Meta Title | Sony a7iii Review (in 2024) - Chance Talks Cameras |
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| Boilerpipe Text | The Sony a7iii, breaking records for years after its release, shook up the full frame world by being: affordable, compact, and, most importantly, incredibly powerful. Since then, Sony has released a LOT of new cameras, so does the a7iii still stack up?
Why You Can Trust Me
Chance (thatās me) has been
practicing photography for 10 years
and has been a paid professional for most of it. I bought my first Sony in 2018 so this website is the culmination of about 5 years of Sony experience (
full site history
). Iāve had the Sony a7iii in particular for about two years and itās been my main camera (read
how I review/test gear
).
Personally, Iāve owned the camera for about a year. So, in this review, Iāll be doing a deep dive into all the things that make the
Sony a7iii
still so great, even in 2024 (and the things that annoy me about it, of course). All images are taken by me using this camera (plus a variety of lenses). Letās dive in!
Pros:
Incredible full-frame image quality
Heavy-duty and built like a tank
Super fast and reliable AF system
Designed for professional work
Diverse and interesting lens selection
Cons
:
Lacks flippy screen (only 90/45 tilt)
Full-frame lenses can get huge/heavy
May be ātoo much cameraā for some
Verdict:
Full-frame comes with a high price and large body. However, the a7iii is a trueĀ professional-level cameraĀ that doesnāt make any compromises. I
highly recommend it
(affiliate link!) for anyone looking to upgrade to FF.
Instead of a boring photo of the camera to start, hereās a nice picture I took with it.
Size & Weight
First off, since weāre talking about a mirrorless camera here, letās go over the size and weight of the body. According to my scale, the a7iii weighs in at roughly 22.9oz (650g), which, while chunky, is still substantially lighter than any sort of DSLR equivalent.
And now according to my cheap Home Depot tape measure, the camera is about 5Ć3.9Ć3.0 inches (or 12.7Ć9.5Ć7.3cm). Once again, a bit larger than any of Sonyās previous cameras, but itās still incredibly impressive that they managed to pack so much power and so many features into such a decently compact body.
Granted, a very large part of compact setups comes from the lens. Youāll have a much smaller setup if you use, say, the Sigma 65mm F2 rather than the gigantic Samyang 135mm F2. Donāt get me wrong, the a7iii isnāt like a compact APS-C camera, but you can make it pretty small with the right lens choices.
With that being said, Iāve been primarily rocking the
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8
(incredible lens, by the way). Itās a fairly bulky setup, but it doesnāt feel comically huge. Plus, the camera and lens combo fit (if just barely) into my
Peak Design 6L Sling
.
Although the Sony a7iii is a fairly compact camera, the lens will make the biggest difference in terms of size/weight.
Longevity/Durability
Now, as you might expect from a Sony full-frame body, the build quality of the a7iii is nothing short of fantastic. Much like most of Sonyās cameras, the body is made out of magnesium alloy and the mount is, of course, stainless steel. The grip feels chunky (more on that later) and all the dials/switches feel good to use (also more on those later).
As far as weather sealing goes, the Sony a7iii isnāt fully weather-sealed, but rather ādust and moisture resistantā. What this typically means is that the camera is designed to survive light rain, misting, and dust (think blowing sand on a beach, for example).
So, although the camera isnāt entirely sealed, combining it with a weather-sealed lens (gasket around the lens mount) makes for a pretty rugged setup (as I mentioned, my Tamron zoom is sealed).
Donāt be afraid of some light rain (featuring the beautiful Gooseberry Falls along Minnesotaās Northshore).
I think manufacturers typically undersell weather resistance, as my old a6000 (which I owned for 5 years), survived some seriously extreme conditions. I personally havenāt run into any issues. Iāve really had nothing but good luck when shooting in wet environments.
Itās important to note, however, that the battery door is considered the āweak pointā for resistance, so try to keep the bottom of the camera dry when out shooting in inclement conditions (donāt put it down in a puddle).
Take care of your gear, but try not to be as afraid of taking it out in questionable conditions.
So is the camera
built to last?
In my opinion, yes, itās built like a tank. Considering this is a pro-level full-frame camera, the build quality is spectacular, and even though itās not fully weather-sealed, the dust and moisture resistance still gives me a lot of confidence.
My a6000 from 2014 still works to this day, so I have no doubt that the much more expensive Sony a7iii should be similar. I mean, the camera is
rated for at least 200k shutter clicks
, and mine is currently only at ~35k.
A particularly splashy boat trip that I took the camera on.
Ergonomics/Comfort
So, the camera is built like an absolute tank, but is it actually comfortable to use? Yep! To start, the grip on the Sony a7iii is huge. Compared to the cameraās previous iteration, the a7ii, the grip (and overall body) gained a bit of āheftā. I know of some photographers who came from bulky DSLRs who have complained the grip felt a bit small, but as someone used to compact mirrorless bodies, it feels fabulous to me.
Personally, the grip is perfect for me when lugging the camera around for hiking, city exploring, etc.
Heck, if youāre looking for a bigger grip, just consider picking up a
battery grip
attachment. My only complaint is that due to the natural positioning of my thumb on the rear grip, sometimes Iāll accidentally bump one of my custom buttons (AEL button) on the rear of the camera, especially if wearing gloves.
I find that, despite the heavy-ish weight, the camera is pretty comfortable to lug around the city all day.
Another thing to note is that, as with all cameras, a lot of the ācomfortā of your setup comes down to the lens you choose to pair with the body. On my Sony a7iii, Iāve been primarily using my
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8
. It feels like the perfect size, almost like it was specially built to balance perfectly on this camera. On the flip side, as I stated earlier in the article, Iāve also frequently experimented with Sonyās 50mm F1.8. Itās a great little lens, but the tiny dimensions and incredibly low weight make it feel like a toy on the a7iii.
Iāll be honest, I can only carry around my Tamron zoom for a little while before it starts to get uncomfortable. So Iād highly suggest grabbing a dedicated camera bag if this is your first full-frame. While any camera bag will technically work, Iāve been loving my
Peak Design 6L Sling
. For anyone who specifically searches āwhat will fit in a peak design 6l slingā, know that the Sony a7iii with the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 fits vertically just perfectly!
Assuming youāve got a decently light lens, the camera isnāt actually all that annoying to carry around all day.
Button Layout & Accessibility
Next up, letās talk about button layout and day-to-day usability. First off, as I had mentioned before, all the dials, switches, and
buttons on the Sony a7iii feel good to use
. Theyāre clunky (in a good way!), stiff (also in a good way), and precise.
The countryside of Tuscany (taken with Tamron 28-75).
One quick thing to note is that there are numerous customizable buttons on the a7iii. Nearly every button on the camera can be customized (with separate custom buttons for both stills and video). If youāre interested in learning more about the a7iiiās custom buttons, I go into
more detail here
. However, Iāll just quickly run through the ones Iāve bound.
C1 is set to drive mode
C2 is set to focus mode
C3 is set to silent shooting toggle
C4 is set to monitor brightness
AF-ON is set to SteadyShot toggle
AEL is set to Focus Magnifier (for manual focus)
My personal custom buttons on my a7iii.
Top
C1/C2 Buttons
Mode Selector
Power/Shutter
Exposure Comp.
Two Dials
Back
Joystick
C3/C4 Buttons
AF-On/AEL
Menu/FN/Playback
Trash/Record/Dial
Ports
Microphone
Headphone
Mini-HDMI
2 USBs
Dual Cards
On the top of the camera, we have the hot shoe (naturally) and the mode dial. In addition, we have the C1 and C2 custom buttons, along with the on/off switch and shutter button.
Thereās also a really handy exposure dial. Iāve found it to be excellent for quickly adjusting exposure without delving into settings. Finally, there are two more dials. One near the rear of the camera and one near in front of the shutter button. I use these to adjust SS/Aperture in manual mode.
On the back of the camera, there are even more buttons, dials, and such. First off, we obviously have the 3in LCD (more on that later) in addition to a joystick that acts as a āselectorā for menu settings and focus points. Custom buttons C3 and C4 are on the top left and bottom right respectively, and the AF-On/AEL buttons (also customizable) are near the top right. Finally, we have the menu, record button, Fn (quick settings) button, playback button, and another dial with 4 customizable āslotsā.
Instead of a boring photo of a camera, hereās a picture of a port (not to be confused with the ports on the cameraā¦).
As for ports, the Sony a7iii comes generously equipped. For video shooters, thereās both a microphone AND headphone jack along with a Mini-HDMI port (for external monitors). For charging/data transfer, thereās a USB-C port and a āmultiā USB port (USB 2.0).
Finally, on the right side of the camera sits the SD card slots. You can access them by flicking a little switch that pops open a door. While there are two card slots, unfortunately only one of them supports UHS-II (aka faster speeds). Still though, itās really nice to have dual card slots for backups.
Once again, instead of a boring stock photo of card slots, hereās a neat sunset I captured (multi-image pano stitch).
Autofocus
Alrighty, next up weāll be focusing on focusing (see what I did there?). To say the Sony a7iii is an autofocus beast would frankly be an understatement. According to Sony, the camera offers 693 phase-detection points that cover roughly 93% of the frame.
Iāve put my a7iii through all sorts of situations, from extreme low-light (middle of the night on a beach) to super-fast high-speed action (cars passing at highway speeds). Without fail, it nailed focus pretty much every single time.
Reliability and speed are absolutely incredible
.
AF is quick and accurate enough to (almost) always capture candid street photos with ease.
On that subject, EyeAF was upgraded for this model and it really shows. When shooting portraiture at 75mm (my usual preference for portraits), Iāve found that EyeAF locks onto the eye flawlessly about 90% of the time. The other 10%, it can get pretty darn close, at least locking in perfectly on a face.
In addition to human subjects, the camera can also detect and track animal eyes. Even though this was primarily designed for wildlife shooters, if I had to guess, Iāve found it really useful when chasing my familyās pets around.
Featuring my old cameraā¦
Animal EyeAF is incredible.
Speaking of chasing fast-moving objects, subject tracking (AF-C mode) works quite well. While you shouldnāt expect the level of performance that a sports camera, such as the A9 provides, Iāve still been more than happy with the results Iāve gotten.
When tracking moving subjects, the camera is typically able to stay perfectly locked on without any sort of issue. Naturally, some situations will trip it up (really fast objects like cars, for example), but Iāve generally found it to be largely reliable.
One thing Iāve really started to like subject tracking for is when shooting models. Iāll turn on AF-C and low-speed burst (more on that soon) and have the model twirl around, flip her dress, etc. Thus far, AF-C has managed to lock down pretty much
flawless focus
every time, capturing candid action.
Needless to say, so far, AF-C hasnāt let me down.
Burst Mode (10fps)
Speaking of burst mode, the Sony a7iii can shoot around 10 uncompressed RAWS per second, and the buffer kicks in around 33 images (taking 26 seconds to clear). For JPEG, the camera can shoot typically around, once again, 10 JPEGs per second. The buffer kicks in around 163 images and takes around 45 seconds to clear.
These numbers are pretty on-par with other similarly priced cameras and are, as I stated before, not supposed to match a high-level pro sports cameraās performance. Oh, by the way, the a7iii has a whole slew of customizable settings for burst mode (more details in my
dedicated a7iii burst mode
article).
Burst mode and AF-C were pretty great when capturing (attempted) handstands on the beach.
Manual Focus
Finally, letās hop over to the other side of focusing: manual focus. Just like Sonyās older cameras, the a7iii comes equipped with a
vast wealth of manual focus assists
, making this camera a mighty option if you like to shoot with a lot of
vintage glass
or just want to save money by buying
a modern manual focus lens
.
Some shots of the Colosseum in Rome.
First up, the a7iii features the familiar focus peaking system. This is where, when manually focusing, in-focus parts of the frame will be highlighted by a color of your choice. The camera lets you choose the color and intensity of the peaking. Iāve found it to be VERY accurate when shooting manually (much better than previous models).
Focus peaking makes it easy to see what is in focus at a quick glance.
Second, the camera has a focus magnifier built in. This is an option where, when double tapping a pre-assigned button (customizable), you can zoom the frame into either 5x or 10x. This allows you to nail down your manual focus with extreme precision (it also works when using AF).
By the way, if you want to learn more about manual focus, I actually have an
entire guide written for that purpose
. Check it out.
A couple of portraiture examples using the Sony 50mm F1.8.
LCD & Viewfinder
Next up, letās talk about the LCD screen on the Sony a7iii. In the mirrorless community, Sony is somewhat infamous for having poor-quality screens and, to be frank, the a7iii isnāt much of an exception. The rear LCD does the job, donāt get me wrong. You can read the information on it, preview/shoot photos, and dig through the menus. It does all that just fine and isnāt laggy, but the quality just really isnāt there.
Compared to competitors (Panasonic, anyone?), the LCD screen on the Sony a7iii is just a bit low quality. Still, though, itās a minor negative mark on an otherwise fabulous camera, so itās easy to dismiss.
On the upside, however, it does flip up and down. Upward, it holds a tilt of roughly 90 degrees, while downward seems to be about 30 degrees. If youāve used any other Sony camera, Iām pretty sure this is the same screen thatās on most of the a6xxx series and the previous a7x cameras. Another REALLY convenient feature is that the screen (and viewfinder) will automatically rotate vertical images to fit the orientation of whichever direction you have the camera rotated.
On extremely bright days, Iāll often find myself looking through the viewfinder to playback images, as the screen will be too dim.
Continuing on, the Sony a7iii does feature a touchscreen, but it is fairly limited in its functionality. The only use the touchscreen has is to select an autofocus point. Donāt get me wrong, this is fairly useful, but Iām left wondering why Sony didnāt extend the touchscreenās use to the menus or image playback. It would be so convenient to be able to pinch to zoom to check focus on photos.
Why on earth can we not use the touchscreen for photo playback or for navigating menus?
Anyways, now that weāve ranted about how poor the screen is, letās talk about a much more positive feature of this camera: the electronic viewfinder. The viewfinder features 2.36 million dots which, while still below competitors, is more than enough (in my opinion).
For this reason, I frequently use the viewfinder when playing back images and changing settings. The quality is just so much higher than the LCD screen, especially on a bright and sunny day.
Some other fun benefits include the ability to add a built-in level to the viewfinder. I never realized, before discovering this feature, how many of my photos were just ever so slightly off-level. Although Sony frequently gets flack for having poor viewfinders, Iāve found that the a7iiiās EVF more than fits my needs. No complaints in that regard.
If this place looks familiar, itās because most scenes in Hogwarts were filmed here. (JerĆ³nimosĀ Monastery, Lisboa).
Battery Life
Next up, letās talk batteries. Folks, I upgraded from a Sony a6000. With my old camera, I was used to having to carry multiple batteries with me every day, swapping them out every hour, and then having to charge them overnight. It was awful, and I was under the impression that all Sonyās cameras were like that.
Nope, the Sony a7iii introduced the new NP-FZ battery which is an
absolute beast
. According to benchmarks, the new battery lasts, on average, 610 shots until exhausted. I, however, have found this to be an understatement.
You really donāt need to worry, ādid I pack enough batteries for this outing?ā.
As a test, I went to see how long I could shoot before running out of battery. On a particularly rainy week in Portugal (great way to test the weather resistance too), I took the camera out every day and shot anywhere between 100-150 pictures per day. I mostly stuck to AF-S (single-shot AF) and it lasted, I kid you not, 6 full days of shooting until needing to be recharged.
With the new NP-FZ100 batteries, the a7iii can shoot from sunrise to sundown (and thenā¦even more).
Granted, I would turn off the camera in between shots (btw, the camera takes less than a second to shoot after being powered on) and I didnāt use many battery-intensive features like AF-C. Still, that kind of performance blew my mind. I couldnāt believe that the battery lasted almost a week of daily usage. Incredible.
So no, the
Sony a7iii battery does NOT drain fast
. Itāll last a long time and, even if you need more juice, there are always hundreds of options for battery grips. Oh and quick note: off-brand batteries work just as well as Sonyās OEM batteries.
Seriously, I love how I can go out and explore a city for an entire day without having to ever worry about batteries dying on me.
Image Quality
Next up, letās get into the real meat and potatoes: image quality. The Sony a7iii has 24 megapixels which offers more than enough resolution for the vast majority of photographers. You might not be printing images and putting them on billboards, but 6000Ć4000 works great for smaller stuff such as wall prints or magazines.
Normal
100% Crop
Plenty of detail, even when cropped in. This isnāt a tropical paradise by the way, this is Wisconsin. š
Typically, the megapixel count is high enough to where Iāve found I can crop in at least a little bit before I start to notice a sizeable loss in quality (a 50% crop is when loss of detail starts to become very obvious).
With uncompressed RAW files hovering around 45-50mb on average, I find that 24mp is a great middle ground between offering
high-quality resolution
without creating files that take up an extreme amount of storage space or processing power.
24 megapixels has been more than enough for me, even for commercial uses.
The Sony a7iii offers a native ISO range of 100 to 51200, with it being extendable all the way from 50 to 204800 (granted, images will absolutely fall apart at that high of an ISO).So, you might ask, is the a7iii good in low light? Unsurprisingly, yes.
Performance is spectacular, and Iāve found that I can typically get fairly clean shots all the way to ISO10000. At 10000, noise is fairly moderate, but itās still manageable enough that it can be largely cleaned up with noise reduction in post-processing.
Images look pretty clean even at 5000 ISO (ignore the motion blur, my fault).
However, Iād say 5000 is the cutoff to where noise starts to become noticeable when zooming in. If Iām out shooting and not wanting to manage my ISO, Iāll set my āmaxā to 5000. That way I know that, even if conditions get fairly dark, I wonāt push my camera beyond what it can comfortably handle in terms of noise.
ISO 20000
ISO 20000
ISO 16000
ISO 32000
Explored an abandoned asylum with the boys (legally), so here are some EXTREMELY high ISO samples.
Overall, I am incredibly impressed with the ISO performance of the a7iii. I havenāt run into any situations yet where I think, āhmm, imagine if I had the A7S insteadā¦ā. Oh and since Iām not much of a night sky photographer, if youāre interested in astro, check out
Lonelyspeckās awesome astro-focused review
of this camera.
Two examples of low light portraiture. Taken with Sony 50mm F1.8.
Next up: dynamic range. To put it simply, the dynamic range performance of the Sony a7iii is spectacular (as long as you know how to utilize it properly). The Sony a7iiiās RAW files are INCREDIBLY information-dense, so even near-black shadows can be almost fully recovered without a huge influx of noise.
The Northern Lights photographed from southeast Wisconsin. I used the
16-50 APS-C kit lens for these
.
So, quick tip: most cameras, Sony included, tend to overexposure images naturally. For this reason, when shooting during the day, Iāll use the exposure dial on the top of the camera to set my exposure value to either -0.3EV or -0.7EV. If that isnāt enough, you can always use
bracketed exposure mode
to do a sort of HDR-style image merge in post-processing.
A small gallery of sunrise shots to show off the excellent dynamic range.
Now, what about those who like to shoot in JPEG? Whatās the difference between raw vs jpeg While I am a hardcore RAW-only photographer, I understand many people like to utilize JPEG when shooting more casual situations, such as family get-togethers, events, birthdays, etc.
The JPEG files that come out of this camera, despite being much smaller file-size-wise, still look pretty darn good. Sony cameras have always done some really nice JPEG processing, and the a7iii is no exception. So, while RAW is always going to be king for pure quality, JPEG shooters will still be satisfied with the results.
I donāt shoot JPEG, so here are some more portrait samples.
Next, letās talk about the silent shoot mode. This feature doesnāt necessarily equate to āimage qualityā at first glance, but I put it in this section because it does, actually, affect image quality. You see, silent shooting turns off the mechanical shutter so the camera doesnāt make any sound, but it does it at the cost of picture quality.
When shooting in silent mode, banding is more common, dynamic range is (slightly) more limited, and ISO cannot be set below 100. It can also cause distortion and stretching when panning (when capturing fast-moving subjects, for example). These are all VERY minor however, so if you hate the shutter sound, keep silent mode on.
For myself, Iāve used it on occasion in certain environments (such as churches, restaurants, etc.), but I usually keep it off because I absolutely love the shutter sound of this camera.
Silent mode is invaluable when photographing places where you need to be quiet.
Video Performance
Alright, so the camera looks incredible for stills photographers so far, but is the Sony a7iii good for video? Why yes, it isā¦ but not without some caveats, of course.
First off, letās talk profiles and codecs. As for codecs, the camera can shoot in: MPEG-4, AVC, and H.264. No 10-bit video, unfortunately, only 8-bit. I wonāt delve into the details of all profiles (I just shoot in movie mode honestly), but hereās a quick summary of a few of the profiles:
Movie (standard curve)
Cine1-4 for a soft look (3/4 have higher contrast)
S-Log2 & S-Log3 for post-processing grading
Some random shots from a small town in Germany.
(not related to video performance, I just needed some visuals to fill this empty space lol)
In terms of pure video quality, the Sony a7iii certainly doesnāt disappoint. In the video world, thereās always such a push to get, āthe newest and the very bestā, so the 4k 30fps might get skipped by some videographers in search of 6k (and 10-bit).
However,
the a7iii still shoots INCREDIBLE video
. Dynamic range is excellent, noise control and rendering are great (videos still look good up to ISO3200 before getting a bit of mushy-ness). Even the 1080p (up to 120fps) on the camera, despite not being 4k, still looks great and is more than adequate for many people. In fact, when I shoot the YouTube videos for this site, I tend to use 1080p because it still looks great -without- slowing down my computer when editing.
My opinion:
there's an "arms race" so to speak of people always wanting the absolute best camera for anything. The real truth is that for most of us, 8-bit video and 4k (or even 1080p) is more than adequate. Gear acquisition syndrome is a real problem.
As for video AF, Iāve also found it to be spectacular. Just like stills AF, it is quick to focus and, typically, incredibly reliable. There are even a few options in the menu that allow you to adjust focus speed, locking time, etc.
The cityscape of Sevilla, Spain.
Next, the camera also includes something called āS&Q Modeā. At first, I had literally zero idea as to what this did, but it turns out this is a feature that allows slow motion (S) and āquickā (Q) videos like time-lapse to be directly created in the camera. In this mode, bit-rate and quality are reduced a little bit, and I assume this happens so that the camera has an āeasierā time processing these things.
To be frank, while this mode is neat, I found it to be a little too niche and gimmicky. Iād rather shoot at full quality and just do the āslowingā orā¦ āquickening?ā myself in post-processing. The video belows explains it quite well.
Other Video Features
Now, letās go over some video-related features (positive and negative). First: a negative feature (or lack-thereof, I suppose).
The screen on the Sony a7iii only flips up and down. It doesnāt rotate outward. You canāt flip it all the way up as a āselfieā mirror, and you canāt flip it all the way out to the side either. While this isnāt a huge deal, itās a bit of a pain for those who film themselves like vloggers, product reviewers (me, lol), etc.
Iāve personally gotten around this by using a
hot-shoe mirror attachment
. It works fine, but I do wish this camera had a flip-out screen. If I could change ANYTHING about the a7iii, a flip-out screen would be it.
This camera is almost perfect, so why doesnāt the screen flip up or out Sony!?
Anywho, letās talk about features that are ACTUALLY useful, like in-body image stabilization! Iāll be the first to admit that the stabilization built into the Sony a7iii isnāt spectacular, however, Iām glad it actually has it.
My previous camera, the a6000, had absolutely nothing, so I was reliant either on a small collection of (poor) stabilized lenses or gimbals. Not fun. So yeah, Iām really happy to see that the a7iii has built-in stabilization. I still stabilize in post-processing where itās needed, but Iāve been really happy with the stabilization overall.
IBIS is excellent for photos as well as video. I can handhold at 1/10s.
Next up, as I covered before, the camera has a whole range of ports including microphone and headphone ports (and mini-HDMI for those who use external monitors)! Once again, my biggest complaint about my previous camera was the lack of a mic jack, so itās so nice to finally just be able to plug in my microphone and get excellent audio in-camera.
Thus far, Iāve had no reliability issues, though I have read stories about faulty mic jacks on the a7iii. I guess I got lucky or perhaps itās not actually that common of an issue.
Iām more of a stills photographer but man, this thing has got me experimenting more and more with video.
Speaking of microphones and audio, the camera also comes with a built-in audio visualizer. While not essential, Iāve found this to be a nice quality-of-life feature. Instead of playing back a test video to see if my audio works, I can just glance at the meter as I shoot.
Finally, the last useful feature is something I alluded to earlier in the review: custom buttons. The way the custom buttons work on this camera is that you can actually set specific buttons for both still shooting AND video. This means that, for stills, I can still have all my usual buttons, but I can change them as needed to work with video instead. I love that Sony separated the two!
This is just a pretty filler image. Enjoy!
So, is the Sony a7iii good for video? If youāre willing to deal with a few caveats, yes. If youāre a Hollywood pro trying to get the absolute top-tier video quality, then no. Go buy your $10000 RED camera.
However, if youāre a pro-YouTuber, casual filmmaker, or just someone who wants to document their life more, then yes:
the Sony a7iii is excellent for video
. The 4k looks great, the 120fps (at 1080p) is more than enough for ācinematicā slow-mo, and the myriad of ports and jacks allow for the attachment of various accessories.
As I stated before, my only negative point is the lack of flip-out screen. Itās a bit of a pain, but, once again, Iāve found a solution by using a mirror attachment (you can also use an external HDMI screen). So yeah, as someone dabbling in YouTube (
check it out
), Iām incredibly pleased with the video performance and usability that Iāve gotten out of this camera.
Somewhere atop a random cathedral.
Who is the Sony a7iii good for?
So, who exactly is the Sony a7iii good for? Is there anybody who
shouldnāt
buy it? First off, letās talk about beginners. Those who are just getting into photography and looking into buying their first camera.
To start, the Sony a7iii is a big camera with a LOT of features. If I were to start from scratch and attempt to learn photography, the a7iii would feel incredibly overwhelming. I wouldnāt even know where to start.
In addition to being overwhelming, full frame typically brings with it a whole host of higher costs as well. Full-frame bodies are more expensive, the appropriate lenses are (much) more expensive, and accessories are more expensive. Heck, even batteries are more expensive, and then, to top it all off, you need a bigger bag to hold all this big gear!
Realistically, a true starting-from-scratch beginner should consider an APS-C camera instead. APS-C cameras provide an easier learning platform and are typically a lot cheaper. If youāre a beginner and have gotten this far, consider checking out my review of the
amazing Sony a6400
. I love my full frame, but Iām very thankful I started on APS-C instead.
For enthusiasts and dedicated hobbyists, however, the a7iii is a
bea
s
t of a camera
.
To start, itās just powerful. If youāve been shooting for a couple of years and are ready to upgrade, the a7iii might be the next logical step. It takes incredible images, is packed with features, and allows for a full variety of manual or partial manual controls. You can fully tailor the camera to your skill/comfort level and still get incredible pictures (and video).
In addition, the Sony a7iii offers a versatile and fun lens selection. Not only do you have a lot of top-tier āserious lensesā, but you also have the option of more fun lenses like macro, fisheye, etc. This diverse lens collection allows for never-ending fun and experimentation.
The a7iii is an EXCELLENT option for enthusiasts and high-level hobbyists.
Finally, is the Sony a7iii good for professional photographers? As a āprofessionalā myself, I can answer that
with a resounding yes
. In fact, it has consistently been the
most common camera model
for pros since it was released.
To start, shooting in manual is a buttery smooth and streamlined experience. What do I mean by that? Well, thanks to the myriad of various buttons, dials, switches, etc. on the a7iii, you can change your settings on the fly with ease.
Shooting a wedding and the sun just dipped behind the clouds? No problem, pop into āmemory recallā mode and switch your settings within less than a second. Photographing an event and the conditions keep changing? Easily swap between various focus and drive modes as needed with the touch of a single button.
Seriously, with the
plethora of custom buttons
and the various dials, you can change every single setting on the fly. No digging through menus when youāre trying to capture a critical moment.
Changing settings on the fly is super easy so you can always be ready for unexpected moments, lighting changes, etc.
Another benefit for professionals? Crazy good battery life. Gone are the days when DSLRs ruled the battery life competition. With the Sony a7iii, you can expect to have hours of performance (rated for 610 shots, realistically higher from my tests) before needing to pause and swap out a battery. With this kind of battery life, you run less of a risk of missing important shots and slowing down photoshoots.
Next up: access to Sonyās
incredible and diverse lens selection
. If youāre just getting your photography business off the ground, choose an āoff-brandā lens from Sigma or Viltrox for fabulous quality at a reasonable price. Looking for the very best? Sony has a huge selection of
incredible G-series lenses
.
But wait, what if youāre switching from a DSLR system? Well, you can
fully adapt any Canon lens onto Sony cameras
. So, if youāre not ready to part with your beloved Canon 24-70mm F2.8 (understandable), you can adapt it!
Finally, the last benefit for pro shooters: dual card slots. With dual card slots, youāll never have to worry about losing an entire photoshoot due to an SD card failing. It is worth noting, however, that only one card slot supports UHS-II, while the other slot is stuck with UHS-I cards. Still, itās great to have a backup!
You never think youāll need a backup SD card slot untilā¦ well, until you need it.
My Final Thoughts
So yeah, at the end of the day, there are plenty of full-frame cameras out there that offer (close to) what the Sony a7iii does, but rarely do any of them offer it at such a great price. For less than $2000, youāre getting a professional-grade camera that will be competitive for, quite literally, the next decade.
Sure, the a7iv is another option, but for the vast majority of photographers, itās not worth paying the huge premium for a marginal upgrade. The a7iii is more than excellent for most. Aat this price point, youāll be hard-pressed to find anything that offers a better value than what the
Sony a7iii
can. Seriously, itās a phenomenal camera.
Despite some of the drawbacks, I love my a7iii.
I truly do believe that, even with newer cameras on the market, the Sony a7iii still offers the best value for someone looking to upgrade to full frame in 2024. Genuinely, this camera ticks all the boxes. So yeah, if Iāve convinced you to pick one up, Iāll leave purchase links below. Thanks a lot for reading!
Buy from Amazon
<ā this is an affiliate link, so I get a (small) commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support! <3
Pstā¦ by the way, if you buy it and want to learn more, the site is filled with all sorts of
a7iii-related guides
. Just sayingā¦ š
Additional Sony a7iii Sample Photos
And here are even more sample photos from the Sony a7iii!
I love some Spanish architecture.
Stumbled upon a random street dance party in Valencia!
A late-night photo of Lisboaās cityscape.
Two more portrait samples.
I like trains.
A particularly gorgeous cathedral.
Some Renn Faire pics of my buddy. Taken with the super cheap
Sony 50mm F1.8
.
Some intricate detailing on a cathedral ceiling.
Somewhere above the Alps.
Two pleasant street scenes in Lisboa.
Exploring sea caves somewhere along Portugalās coast.
A very, very old castle. 11th century if I recall correctly. You could even climb the battlements!
An Evo. A rare sight these days, especially in western Europe.
A placid and pleasant beach in Portugal.
Big boi.
A pinnable post for you Pinterest fanatics. š
If youāve made it this far,Ā
youāre awesome
. Thanks for reading about my camera and looking at my pictures! Just a final note, if the a7iii sounds like the camera for you, purchasing itĀ
through this link
Ā grants me a small commission. Thanks! <3 |
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# Sony a7iii Review (in 2024)
[Chance](https://chancetalkscameras.com/author/chance/)
Published:
April 11, 2023
Updated:
January 28, 2026
The Sony a7iii, breaking records for years after its release, shook up the full frame world by being: affordable, compact, and, most importantly, incredibly powerful. Since then, Sony has released a LOT of new cameras, so does the a7iii still stack up?
**Why You Can Trust Me**
Chance (thatās me) has been *[practicing photography for 10 years](https://chancetalkscameras.com/chance/)* and has been a paid professional for most of it. I bought my first Sony in 2018 so this website is the culmination of about 5 years of Sony experience (*[full site history](https://chancetalkscameras.com/about/)*). Iāve had the Sony a7iii in particular for about two years and itās been my main camera (read *[how I review/test gear](https://chancetalkscameras.com/how-we-review-gear/)*).
Personally, Iāve owned the camera for about a year. So, in this review, Iāll be doing a deep dive into all the things that make the *[Sony a7iii](https://amzn.to/40YRCoD)* still so great, even in 2024 (and the things that annoy me about it, of course). All images are taken by me using this camera (plus a variety of lenses). Letās dive in\!
**Pros:**
- Incredible full-frame image quality
- Heavy-duty and built like a tank
- Super fast and reliable AF system
- Designed for professional work
- Diverse and interesting lens selection
**Cons**:
- Lacks flippy screen (only 90/45 tilt)
- Full-frame lenses can get huge/heavy
- May be ātoo much cameraā for some
**Verdict:** Full-frame comes with a high price and large body. However, the a7iii is a true professional-level camera that doesnāt make any compromises. I *[highly recommend it](https://geni.us/o3dad)* (affiliate link!) for anyone looking to upgrade to FF.
**Table of Contents** [show](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/)
[1 Size & Weight](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Size_Weight)
[2 Longevity/Durability](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#LongevityDurability)
[3 Ergonomics/Comfort](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#ErgonomicsComfort)
[4 Button Layout & Accessibility](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Button_Layout_Accessibility)
[5 Autofocus](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Autofocus)
[6 Burst Mode (10fps)](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Burst_Mode_10fps)
[7 Manual Focus](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Manual_Focus)
[8 LCD & Viewfinder](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#LCD_Viewfinder)
[9 Battery Life](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Battery_Life)
[10 Image Quality](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Image_Quality)
[11 Video Performance](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Video_Performance)
[11\.1 Other Video Features](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Other_Video_Features)
[12 Who is the Sony a7iii good for?](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Who_is_the_Sony_a7iii_good_for)
[13 My Final Thoughts](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#My_Final_Thoughts)
[14 Additional Sony a7iii Sample Photos](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-review/#Additional_Sony_a7iii_Sample_Photos)
Instead of a boring photo of the camera to start, hereās a nice picture I took with it.
## **Size & Weight**
First off, since weāre talking about a mirrorless camera here, letās go over the size and weight of the body. According to my scale, the a7iii weighs in at roughly 22.9oz (650g), which, while chunky, is still substantially lighter than any sort of DSLR equivalent.
And now according to my cheap Home Depot tape measure, the camera is about 5Ć3.9Ć3.0 inches (or 12.7Ć9.5Ć7.3cm). Once again, a bit larger than any of Sonyās previous cameras, but itās still incredibly impressive that they managed to pack so much power and so many features into such a decently compact body.
Granted, a very large part of compact setups comes from the lens. Youāll have a much smaller setup if you use, say, the Sigma 65mm F2 rather than the gigantic Samyang 135mm F2. Donāt get me wrong, the a7iii isnāt like a compact APS-C camera, but you can make it pretty small with the right lens choices.
Me with the a7iii + *[Sony 20mm F1.8 G](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-20mm-f1-8-g-review/)*. I may be [*a professional photographer*](https://chancetalkscameras.com/chance/) but I am certainly not a model.
With that being said, Iāve been primarily rocking the *[Tamron 28-75mm F2.8](https://chancetalkscameras.com/tamron-28-75mm-f2-8-review/)* (incredible lens, by the way). Itās a fairly bulky setup, but it doesnāt feel comically huge. Plus, the camera and lens combo fit (if just barely) into my *[Peak Design 6L Sling](https://chancetalkscameras.com/peak-design-sling-review/)*.
Although the Sony a7iii is a fairly compact camera, the lens will make the biggest difference in terms of size/weight.
## **Longevity/Durability**
Now, as you might expect from a Sony full-frame body, the build quality of the a7iii is nothing short of fantastic. Much like most of Sonyās cameras, the body is made out of magnesium alloy and the mount is, of course, stainless steel. The grip feels chunky (more on that later) and all the dials/switches feel good to use (also more on those later).
As far as weather sealing goes, the Sony a7iii isnāt fully weather-sealed, but rather ādust and moisture resistantā. What this typically means is that the camera is designed to survive light rain, misting, and dust (think blowing sand on a beach, for example).
So, although the camera isnāt entirely sealed, combining it with a weather-sealed lens (gasket around the lens mount) makes for a pretty rugged setup (as I mentioned, my Tamron zoom is sealed).
Donāt be afraid of some light rain (featuring the beautiful Gooseberry Falls along Minnesotaās Northshore).
I think manufacturers typically undersell weather resistance, as my old a6000 (which I owned for 5 years), survived some seriously extreme conditions. I personally havenāt run into any issues. Iāve really had nothing but good luck when shooting in wet environments.
Itās important to note, however, that the battery door is considered the āweak pointā for resistance, so try to keep the bottom of the camera dry when out shooting in inclement conditions (donāt put it down in a puddle).
Take care of your gear, but try not to be as afraid of taking it out in questionable conditions.
So is the camera **built to last?** In my opinion, yes, itās built like a tank. Considering this is a pro-level full-frame camera, the build quality is spectacular, and even though itās not fully weather-sealed, the dust and moisture resistance still gives me a lot of confidence.
My a6000 from 2014 still works to this day, so I have no doubt that the much more expensive Sony a7iii should be similar. I mean, the camera is *[rated for at least 200k shutter clicks](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-shutter-count/)*, and mine is currently only at ~35k.
A particularly splashy boat trip that I took the camera on.
## **Ergonomics/Comfort**
So, the camera is built like an absolute tank, but is it actually comfortable to use? Yep! To start, the grip on the Sony a7iii is huge. Compared to the cameraās previous iteration, the a7ii, the grip (and overall body) gained a bit of āheftā. I know of some photographers who came from bulky DSLRs who have complained the grip felt a bit small, but as someone used to compact mirrorless bodies, it feels fabulous to me.
Personally, the grip is perfect for me when lugging the camera around for hiking, city exploring, etc.
Heck, if youāre looking for a bigger grip, just consider picking up a *[battery grip](https://amzn.to/3DbNib5)* attachment. My only complaint is that due to the natural positioning of my thumb on the rear grip, sometimes Iāll accidentally bump one of my custom buttons (AEL button) on the rear of the camera, especially if wearing gloves.
I find that, despite the heavy-ish weight, the camera is pretty comfortable to lug around the city all day.
Another thing to note is that, as with all cameras, a lot of the ācomfortā of your setup comes down to the lens you choose to pair with the body. On my Sony a7iii, Iāve been primarily using my *[Tamron 28-75mm F2.8](https://chancetalkscameras.com/tamron-28-75mm-f2-8-review/)*. It feels like the perfect size, almost like it was specially built to balance perfectly on this camera. On the flip side, as I stated earlier in the article, Iāve also frequently experimented with Sonyās 50mm F1.8. Itās a great little lens, but the tiny dimensions and incredibly low weight make it feel like a toy on the a7iii.
Iāll be honest, I can only carry around my Tamron zoom for a little while before it starts to get uncomfortable. So Iād highly suggest grabbing a dedicated camera bag if this is your first full-frame. While any camera bag will technically work, Iāve been loving my *[Peak Design 6L Sling](https://chancetalkscameras.com/peak-design-sling-review/)*. For anyone who specifically searches āwhat will fit in a peak design 6l slingā, know that the Sony a7iii with the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 fits vertically just perfectly\!
Assuming youāve got a decently light lens, the camera isnāt actually all that annoying to carry around all day.
## **Button Layout & Accessibility**
Next up, letās talk about button layout and day-to-day usability. First off, as I had mentioned before, all the dials, switches, and **buttons on the Sony a7iii feel good to use**. Theyāre clunky (in a good way!), stiff (also in a good way), and precise.
The countryside of Tuscany (taken with Tamron 28-75).
One quick thing to note is that there are numerous customizable buttons on the a7iii. Nearly every button on the camera can be customized (with separate custom buttons for both stills and video). If youāre interested in learning more about the a7iiiās custom buttons, I go into *[more detail here](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-custom-buttons/)*. However, Iāll just quickly run through the ones Iāve bound.
- C1 is set to drive mode
- C2 is set to focus mode
- C3 is set to silent shooting toggle
- C4 is set to monitor brightness
- AF-ON is set to SteadyShot toggle
- AEL is set to Focus Magnifier (for manual focus)
My personal custom buttons on my a7iii.
**Top**
C1/C2 Buttons
Mode Selector
Power/Shutter
Exposure Comp.
Two Dials
**Back**
Joystick
C3/C4 Buttons
AF-On/AEL
Menu/FN/Playback
Trash/Record/Dial
**Ports** Microphone
Headphone
Mini-HDMI
2 USBs
Dual Cards
On the top of the camera, we have the hot shoe (naturally) and the mode dial. In addition, we have the C1 and C2 custom buttons, along with the on/off switch and shutter button.
Thereās also a really handy exposure dial. Iāve found it to be excellent for quickly adjusting exposure without delving into settings. Finally, there are two more dials. One near the rear of the camera and one near in front of the shutter button. I use these to adjust SS/Aperture in manual mode.
On the back of the camera, there are even more buttons, dials, and such. First off, we obviously have the 3in LCD (more on that later) in addition to a joystick that acts as a āselectorā for menu settings and focus points. Custom buttons C3 and C4 are on the top left and bottom right respectively, and the AF-On/AEL buttons (also customizable) are near the top right. Finally, we have the menu, record button, Fn (quick settings) button, playback button, and another dial with 4 customizable āslotsā.
Instead of a boring photo of a camera, hereās a picture of a port (not to be confused with the ports on the cameraā¦).
As for ports, the Sony a7iii comes generously equipped. For video shooters, thereās both a microphone AND headphone jack along with a Mini-HDMI port (for external monitors). For charging/data transfer, thereās a USB-C port and a āmultiā USB port (USB 2.0).
Finally, on the right side of the camera sits the SD card slots. You can access them by flicking a little switch that pops open a door. While there are two card slots, unfortunately only one of them supports UHS-II (aka faster speeds). Still though, itās really nice to have dual card slots for backups.
Once again, instead of a boring stock photo of card slots, hereās a neat sunset I captured (multi-image pano stitch).
## **Autofocus**
Alrighty, next up weāll be focusing on focusing (see what I did there?). To say the Sony a7iii is an autofocus beast would frankly be an understatement. According to Sony, the camera offers 693 phase-detection points that cover roughly 93% of the frame.
Iāve put my a7iii through all sorts of situations, from extreme low-light (middle of the night on a beach) to super-fast high-speed action (cars passing at highway speeds). Without fail, it nailed focus pretty much every single time. **Reliability and speed are absolutely incredible**.
AF is quick and accurate enough to (almost) always capture candid street photos with ease.
On that subject, EyeAF was upgraded for this model and it really shows. When shooting portraiture at 75mm (my usual preference for portraits), Iāve found that EyeAF locks onto the eye flawlessly about 90% of the time. The other 10%, it can get pretty darn close, at least locking in perfectly on a face.
In addition to human subjects, the camera can also detect and track animal eyes. Even though this was primarily designed for wildlife shooters, if I had to guess, Iāve found it really useful when chasing my familyās pets around.
Featuring my old cameraā¦
Animal EyeAF is incredible.
Speaking of chasing fast-moving objects, subject tracking (AF-C mode) works quite well. While you shouldnāt expect the level of performance that a sports camera, such as the A9 provides, Iāve still been more than happy with the results Iāve gotten.
When tracking moving subjects, the camera is typically able to stay perfectly locked on without any sort of issue. Naturally, some situations will trip it up (really fast objects like cars, for example), but Iāve generally found it to be largely reliable.
One thing Iāve really started to like subject tracking for is when shooting models. Iāll turn on AF-C and low-speed burst (more on that soon) and have the model twirl around, flip her dress, etc. Thus far, AF-C has managed to lock down pretty much **flawless focus** every time, capturing candid action.
Needless to say, so far, AF-C hasnāt let me down.
## **Burst Mode (10fps)**
Speaking of burst mode, the Sony a7iii can shoot around 10 uncompressed RAWS per second, and the buffer kicks in around 33 images (taking 26 seconds to clear). For JPEG, the camera can shoot typically around, once again, 10 JPEGs per second. The buffer kicks in around 163 images and takes around 45 seconds to clear.
These numbers are pretty on-par with other similarly priced cameras and are, as I stated before, not supposed to match a high-level pro sports cameraās performance. Oh, by the way, the a7iii has a whole slew of customizable settings for burst mode (more details in my *[dedicated a7iii burst mode](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-burst-mode-guide/)* article).
Burst mode and AF-C were pretty great when capturing (attempted) handstands on the beach.
## **Manual Focus**
Finally, letās hop over to the other side of focusing: manual focus. Just like Sonyās older cameras, the a7iii comes equipped with a **vast wealth of manual focus assists**, making this camera a mighty option if you like to shoot with a lot of *[vintage glass](https://chancetalkscameras.com/guide-to-using-vintage-lenses-on-sony-cameras/)* or just want to save money by buying *[a modern manual focus lens](https://chancetalkscameras.com/ttartisan-50mm-f1-4-tilt-review/)*.
Some shots of the Colosseum in Rome.
First up, the a7iii features the familiar focus peaking system. This is where, when manually focusing, in-focus parts of the frame will be highlighted by a color of your choice. The camera lets you choose the color and intensity of the peaking. Iāve found it to be VERY accurate when shooting manually (much better than previous models).
Focus peaking makes it easy to see what is in focus at a quick glance.
Second, the camera has a focus magnifier built in. This is an option where, when double tapping a pre-assigned button (customizable), you can zoom the frame into either 5x or 10x. This allows you to nail down your manual focus with extreme precision (it also works when using AF).
By the way, if you want to learn more about manual focus, I actually have an *[entire guide written for that purpose](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-manual-focus-guide/)*. Check it out.
A couple of portraiture examples using the Sony 50mm F1.8.
## **LCD & Viewfinder**
Next up, letās talk about the LCD screen on the Sony a7iii. In the mirrorless community, Sony is somewhat infamous for having poor-quality screens and, to be frank, the a7iii isnāt much of an exception. The rear LCD does the job, donāt get me wrong. You can read the information on it, preview/shoot photos, and dig through the menus. It does all that just fine and isnāt laggy, but the quality just really isnāt there.
Compared to competitors (Panasonic, anyone?), the LCD screen on the Sony a7iii is just a bit low quality. Still, though, itās a minor negative mark on an otherwise fabulous camera, so itās easy to dismiss.
On the upside, however, it does flip up and down. Upward, it holds a tilt of roughly 90 degrees, while downward seems to be about 30 degrees. If youāve used any other Sony camera, Iām pretty sure this is the same screen thatās on most of the a6xxx series and the previous a7x cameras. Another REALLY convenient feature is that the screen (and viewfinder) will automatically rotate vertical images to fit the orientation of whichever direction you have the camera rotated.
On extremely bright days, Iāll often find myself looking through the viewfinder to playback images, as the screen will be too dim.
Continuing on, the Sony a7iii does feature a touchscreen, but it is fairly limited in its functionality. The only use the touchscreen has is to select an autofocus point. Donāt get me wrong, this is fairly useful, but Iām left wondering why Sony didnāt extend the touchscreenās use to the menus or image playback. It would be so convenient to be able to pinch to zoom to check focus on photos.
Why on earth can we not use the touchscreen for photo playback or for navigating menus?
Anyways, now that weāve ranted about how poor the screen is, letās talk about a much more positive feature of this camera: the electronic viewfinder. The viewfinder features 2.36 million dots which, while still below competitors, is more than enough (in my opinion).
For this reason, I frequently use the viewfinder when playing back images and changing settings. The quality is just so much higher than the LCD screen, especially on a bright and sunny day.
Some other fun benefits include the ability to add a built-in level to the viewfinder. I never realized, before discovering this feature, how many of my photos were just ever so slightly off-level. Although Sony frequently gets flack for having poor viewfinders, Iāve found that the a7iiiās EVF more than fits my needs. No complaints in that regard.
If this place looks familiar, itās because most scenes in Hogwarts were filmed here. (JerĆ³nimos Monastery, Lisboa).
## **Battery Life**
Next up, letās talk batteries. Folks, I upgraded from a Sony a6000. With my old camera, I was used to having to carry multiple batteries with me every day, swapping them out every hour, and then having to charge them overnight. It was awful, and I was under the impression that all Sonyās cameras were like that.
Nope, the Sony a7iii introduced the new NP-FZ battery which is an **absolute beast**. According to benchmarks, the new battery lasts, on average, 610 shots until exhausted. I, however, have found this to be an understatement.
You really donāt need to worry, ādid I pack enough batteries for this outing?ā.
As a test, I went to see how long I could shoot before running out of battery. On a particularly rainy week in Portugal (great way to test the weather resistance too), I took the camera out every day and shot anywhere between 100-150 pictures per day. I mostly stuck to AF-S (single-shot AF) and it lasted, I kid you not, 6 full days of shooting until needing to be recharged.
With the new NP-FZ100 batteries, the a7iii can shoot from sunrise to sundown (and thenā¦even more).
Granted, I would turn off the camera in between shots (btw, the camera takes less than a second to shoot after being powered on) and I didnāt use many battery-intensive features like AF-C. Still, that kind of performance blew my mind. I couldnāt believe that the battery lasted almost a week of daily usage. Incredible.
So no, the **Sony a7iii battery does NOT drain fast**. Itāll last a long time and, even if you need more juice, there are always hundreds of options for battery grips. Oh and quick note: off-brand batteries work just as well as Sonyās OEM batteries.
Seriously, I love how I can go out and explore a city for an entire day without having to ever worry about batteries dying on me.
## **Image Quality**
Next up, letās get into the real meat and potatoes: image quality. The Sony a7iii has 24 megapixels which offers more than enough resolution for the vast majority of photographers. You might not be printing images and putting them on billboards, but 6000Ć4000 works great for smaller stuff such as wall prints or magazines.
Normal
100% Crop
Plenty of detail, even when cropped in. This isnāt a tropical paradise by the way, this is Wisconsin. š
Typically, the megapixel count is high enough to where Iāve found I can crop in at least a little bit before I start to notice a sizeable loss in quality (a 50% crop is when loss of detail starts to become very obvious).
With uncompressed RAW files hovering around 45-50mb on average, I find that 24mp is a great middle ground between offering **high-quality resolution** without creating files that take up an extreme amount of storage space or processing power.
24 megapixels has been more than enough for me, even for commercial uses.
The Sony a7iii offers a native ISO range of 100 to 51200, with it being extendable all the way from 50 to 204800 (granted, images will absolutely fall apart at that high of an ISO).So, you might ask, is the a7iii good in low light? Unsurprisingly, yes.
Performance is spectacular, and Iāve found that I can typically get fairly clean shots all the way to ISO10000. At 10000, noise is fairly moderate, but itās still manageable enough that it can be largely cleaned up with noise reduction in post-processing.
Images look pretty clean even at 5000 ISO (ignore the motion blur, my fault).
However, Iād say 5000 is the cutoff to where noise starts to become noticeable when zooming in. If Iām out shooting and not wanting to manage my ISO, Iāll set my āmaxā to 5000. That way I know that, even if conditions get fairly dark, I wonāt push my camera beyond what it can comfortably handle in terms of noise.
ISO 20000
ISO 20000
ISO 16000
ISO 32000
Explored an abandoned asylum with the boys (legally), so here are some EXTREMELY high ISO samples.
Overall, I am incredibly impressed with the ISO performance of the a7iii. I havenāt run into any situations yet where I think, āhmm, imagine if I had the A7S insteadā¦ā. Oh and since Iām not much of a night sky photographer, if youāre interested in astro, check out *[Lonelyspeckās awesome astro-focused review](https://www.lonelyspeck.com/sony-a7iii-astrophotography-review/)* of this camera.
Two examples of low light portraiture. Taken with Sony 50mm F1.8.
Next up: dynamic range. To put it simply, the dynamic range performance of the Sony a7iii is spectacular (as long as you know how to utilize it properly). The Sony a7iiiās RAW files are INCREDIBLY information-dense, so even near-black shadows can be almost fully recovered without a huge influx of noise.
The Northern Lights photographed from southeast Wisconsin. I used the *[16-50 APS-C kit lens for these](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-16-50mm-f3-5-5-6-review/)*.
So, quick tip: most cameras, Sony included, tend to overexposure images naturally. For this reason, when shooting during the day, Iāll use the exposure dial on the top of the camera to set my exposure value to either -0.3EV or -0.7EV. If that isnāt enough, you can always use *[bracketed exposure mode](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-drive-mode-guide/)* to do a sort of HDR-style image merge in post-processing.
A small gallery of sunrise shots to show off the excellent dynamic range.
Now, what about those who like to shoot in JPEG? Whatās the difference between raw vs jpeg While I am a hardcore RAW-only photographer, I understand many people like to utilize JPEG when shooting more casual situations, such as family get-togethers, events, birthdays, etc.
The JPEG files that come out of this camera, despite being much smaller file-size-wise, still look pretty darn good. Sony cameras have always done some really nice JPEG processing, and the a7iii is no exception. So, while RAW is always going to be king for pure quality, JPEG shooters will still be satisfied with the results.
I donāt shoot JPEG, so here are some more portrait samples.
Next, letās talk about the silent shoot mode. This feature doesnāt necessarily equate to āimage qualityā at first glance, but I put it in this section because it does, actually, affect image quality. You see, silent shooting turns off the mechanical shutter so the camera doesnāt make any sound, but it does it at the cost of picture quality.
When shooting in silent mode, banding is more common, dynamic range is (slightly) more limited, and ISO cannot be set below 100. It can also cause distortion and stretching when panning (when capturing fast-moving subjects, for example). These are all VERY minor however, so if you hate the shutter sound, keep silent mode on.
For myself, Iāve used it on occasion in certain environments (such as churches, restaurants, etc.), but I usually keep it off because I absolutely love the shutter sound of this camera.
Silent mode is invaluable when photographing places where you need to be quiet.
## **Video Performance**
Alright, so the camera looks incredible for stills photographers so far, but is the Sony a7iii good for video? Why yes, it isā¦ but not without some caveats, of course.
First off, letās talk profiles and codecs. As for codecs, the camera can shoot in: MPEG-4, AVC, and H.264. No 10-bit video, unfortunately, only 8-bit. I wonāt delve into the details of all profiles (I just shoot in movie mode honestly), but hereās a quick summary of a few of the profiles:
- Movie (standard curve)
- Cine1-4 for a soft look (3/4 have higher contrast)
- S-Log2 & S-Log3 for post-processing grading
Some random shots from a small town in Germany. (not related to video performance, I just needed some visuals to fill this empty space lol)
In terms of pure video quality, the Sony a7iii certainly doesnāt disappoint. In the video world, thereās always such a push to get, āthe newest and the very bestā, so the 4k 30fps might get skipped by some videographers in search of 6k (and 10-bit).
However, **the a7iii still shoots INCREDIBLE video**. Dynamic range is excellent, noise control and rendering are great (videos still look good up to ISO3200 before getting a bit of mushy-ness). Even the 1080p (up to 120fps) on the camera, despite not being 4k, still looks great and is more than adequate for many people. In fact, when I shoot the YouTube videos for this site, I tend to use 1080p because it still looks great -without- slowing down my computer when editing.
```
My opinion: there's an "arms race" so to speak of people always wanting the absolute best camera for anything. The real truth is that for most of us, 8-bit video and 4k (or even 1080p) is more than adequate. Gear acquisition syndrome is a real problem.
```
As for video AF, Iāve also found it to be spectacular. Just like stills AF, it is quick to focus and, typically, incredibly reliable. There are even a few options in the menu that allow you to adjust focus speed, locking time, etc.
The cityscape of Sevilla, Spain.
Next, the camera also includes something called āS\&Q Modeā. At first, I had literally zero idea as to what this did, but it turns out this is a feature that allows slow motion (S) and āquickā (Q) videos like time-lapse to be directly created in the camera. In this mode, bit-rate and quality are reduced a little bit, and I assume this happens so that the camera has an āeasierā time processing these things.
To be frank, while this mode is neat, I found it to be a little too niche and gimmicky. Iād rather shoot at full quality and just do the āslowingā orā¦ āquickening?ā myself in post-processing. The video belows explains it quite well.
### **Other Video Features**
Now, letās go over some video-related features (positive and negative). First: a negative feature (or lack-thereof, I suppose).
The screen on the Sony a7iii only flips up and down. It doesnāt rotate outward. You canāt flip it all the way up as a āselfieā mirror, and you canāt flip it all the way out to the side either. While this isnāt a huge deal, itās a bit of a pain for those who film themselves like vloggers, product reviewers (me, lol), etc.
Iāve personally gotten around this by using a *[hot-shoe mirror attachment](https://amzn.to/3QVAEm8)*. It works fine, but I do wish this camera had a flip-out screen. If I could change ANYTHING about the a7iii, a flip-out screen would be it.
This camera is almost perfect, so why doesnāt the screen flip up or out Sony!?
Anywho, letās talk about features that are ACTUALLY useful, like in-body image stabilization! Iāll be the first to admit that the stabilization built into the Sony a7iii isnāt spectacular, however, Iām glad it actually has it.
My previous camera, the a6000, had absolutely nothing, so I was reliant either on a small collection of (poor) stabilized lenses or gimbals. Not fun. So yeah, Iām really happy to see that the a7iii has built-in stabilization. I still stabilize in post-processing where itās needed, but Iāve been really happy with the stabilization overall.
IBIS is excellent for photos as well as video. I can handhold at 1/10s.
Next up, as I covered before, the camera has a whole range of ports including microphone and headphone ports (and mini-HDMI for those who use external monitors)! Once again, my biggest complaint about my previous camera was the lack of a mic jack, so itās so nice to finally just be able to plug in my microphone and get excellent audio in-camera.
Thus far, Iāve had no reliability issues, though I have read stories about faulty mic jacks on the a7iii. I guess I got lucky or perhaps itās not actually that common of an issue.
Iām more of a stills photographer but man, this thing has got me experimenting more and more with video.
Speaking of microphones and audio, the camera also comes with a built-in audio visualizer. While not essential, Iāve found this to be a nice quality-of-life feature. Instead of playing back a test video to see if my audio works, I can just glance at the meter as I shoot.
Finally, the last useful feature is something I alluded to earlier in the review: custom buttons. The way the custom buttons work on this camera is that you can actually set specific buttons for both still shooting AND video. This means that, for stills, I can still have all my usual buttons, but I can change them as needed to work with video instead. I love that Sony separated the two\!
This is just a pretty filler image. Enjoy\!
So, is the Sony a7iii good for video? If youāre willing to deal with a few caveats, yes. If youāre a Hollywood pro trying to get the absolute top-tier video quality, then no. Go buy your \$10000 RED camera.
However, if youāre a pro-YouTuber, casual filmmaker, or just someone who wants to document their life more, then yes: **the Sony a7iii is excellent for video**. The 4k looks great, the 120fps (at 1080p) is more than enough for ācinematicā slow-mo, and the myriad of ports and jacks allow for the attachment of various accessories.
As I stated before, my only negative point is the lack of flip-out screen. Itās a bit of a pain, but, once again, Iāve found a solution by using a mirror attachment (you can also use an external HDMI screen). So yeah, as someone dabbling in YouTube (*[check it out](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs0GUUuRxYEZ4FG8-dBMtEA)*), Iām incredibly pleased with the video performance and usability that Iāve gotten out of this camera.
Somewhere atop a random cathedral.
## **Who is the Sony a7iii good for?**
So, who exactly is the Sony a7iii good for? Is there anybody who **shouldnāt** buy it? First off, letās talk about beginners. Those who are just getting into photography and looking into buying their first camera.
To start, the Sony a7iii is a big camera with a LOT of features. If I were to start from scratch and attempt to learn photography, the a7iii would feel incredibly overwhelming. I wouldnāt even know where to start.
Pano of downtown Milwaukee. Taken with the *[Zeiss Loxia 50mm](https://chancetalkscameras.com/zeiss-loxia-50mm-f2-0-review/)*.
In addition to being overwhelming, full frame typically brings with it a whole host of higher costs as well. Full-frame bodies are more expensive, the appropriate lenses are (much) more expensive, and accessories are more expensive. Heck, even batteries are more expensive, and then, to top it all off, you need a bigger bag to hold all this big gear\!
Realistically, a true starting-from-scratch beginner should consider an APS-C camera instead. APS-C cameras provide an easier learning platform and are typically a lot cheaper. If youāre a beginner and have gotten this far, consider checking out my review of the *[amazing Sony a6400](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a6400-review/)*. I love my full frame, but Iām very thankful I started on APS-C instead.
True beginners may want to lean *[towards APS-C instead](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a6400-review/)*.
For enthusiasts and dedicated hobbyists, however, the a7iii is a **bea**s**t of a camera**.
To start, itās just powerful. If youāve been shooting for a couple of years and are ready to upgrade, the a7iii might be the next logical step. It takes incredible images, is packed with features, and allows for a full variety of manual or partial manual controls. You can fully tailor the camera to your skill/comfort level and still get incredible pictures (and video).
In addition, the Sony a7iii offers a versatile and fun lens selection. Not only do you have a lot of top-tier āserious lensesā, but you also have the option of more fun lenses like macro, fisheye, etc. This diverse lens collection allows for never-ending fun and experimentation.
The a7iii is an EXCELLENT option for enthusiasts and high-level hobbyists.
Finally, is the Sony a7iii good for professional photographers? As a āprofessionalā myself, I can answer that **with a resounding yes**. In fact, it has consistently been the *[most common camera model](https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/shotkit-survey-the-sony-a7iii-is-the-most-popular-camera-used-by-professional-photographers/)* for pros since it was released.
To start, shooting in manual is a buttery smooth and streamlined experience. What do I mean by that? Well, thanks to the myriad of various buttons, dials, switches, etc. on the a7iii, you can change your settings on the fly with ease.
Shooting a wedding and the sun just dipped behind the clouds? No problem, pop into āmemory recallā mode and switch your settings within less than a second. Photographing an event and the conditions keep changing? Easily swap between various focus and drive modes as needed with the touch of a single button.
Seriously, with the *[plethora of custom buttons](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-custom-buttons/)* and the various dials, you can change every single setting on the fly. No digging through menus when youāre trying to capture a critical moment.
Changing settings on the fly is super easy so you can always be ready for unexpected moments, lighting changes, etc.
Another benefit for professionals? Crazy good battery life. Gone are the days when DSLRs ruled the battery life competition. With the Sony a7iii, you can expect to have hours of performance (rated for 610 shots, realistically higher from my tests) before needing to pause and swap out a battery. With this kind of battery life, you run less of a risk of missing important shots and slowing down photoshoots.
Next up: access to Sonyās *[incredible and diverse lens selection](https://chancetalkscameras.com/best-lenses-for-sony-a7iii/)*. If youāre just getting your photography business off the ground, choose an āoff-brandā lens from Sigma or Viltrox for fabulous quality at a reasonable price. Looking for the very best? Sony has a huge selection of [*incredible G-series lenses*](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-24-105mm-f4-review/).
But wait, what if youāre switching from a DSLR system? Well, you can *[fully adapt any Canon lens onto Sony cameras](https://chancetalkscameras.com/canon-lenses-on-sony-cameras/)*. So, if youāre not ready to part with your beloved Canon 24-70mm F2.8 (understandable), you can adapt it\!
Finally, the last benefit for pro shooters: dual card slots. With dual card slots, youāll never have to worry about losing an entire photoshoot due to an SD card failing. It is worth noting, however, that only one card slot supports UHS-II, while the other slot is stuck with UHS-I cards. Still, itās great to have a backup\!
You never think youāll need a backup SD card slot untilā¦ well, until you need it.
## **My Final Thoughts**
So yeah, at the end of the day, there are plenty of full-frame cameras out there that offer (close to) what the Sony a7iii does, but rarely do any of them offer it at such a great price. For less than \$2000, youāre getting a professional-grade camera that will be competitive for, quite literally, the next decade.
Sure, the a7iv is another option, but for the vast majority of photographers, itās not worth paying the huge premium for a marginal upgrade. The a7iii is more than excellent for most. Aat this price point, youāll be hard-pressed to find anything that offers a better value than what the [Sony a7iii](https://geni.us/o3dad) can. Seriously, itās a phenomenal camera.
Despite some of the drawbacks, I love my a7iii.
I truly do believe that, even with newer cameras on the market, the Sony a7iii still offers the best value for someone looking to upgrade to full frame in 2024. Genuinely, this camera ticks all the boxes. So yeah, if Iāve convinced you to pick one up, Iāll leave purchase links below. Thanks a lot for reading\!
**[Buy from Amazon](https://amzn.to/3GwQ63I)** \<ā this is an affiliate link, so I get a (small) commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support! \<3
Pstā¦ by the way, if you buy it and want to learn more, the site is filled with all sorts of *[a7iii-related guides](https://chancetalkscameras.com/a7iii-hub/)*. Just sayingā¦ š
***
## Additional Sony a7iii Sample Photos
And here are even more sample photos from the Sony a7iii\!
I love some Spanish architecture.
Stumbled upon a random street dance party in Valencia\!
A late-night photo of Lisboaās cityscape.
Two more portrait samples.
I like trains.
A particularly gorgeous cathedral.
Some Renn Faire pics of my buddy. Taken with the super cheap *[Sony 50mm F1.8](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-fe-50mm-f1-8-review/)*.
Exploring industrial zones. Taken with the *[Zeiss Loxia 50mm](https://chancetalkscameras.com/zeiss-loxia-50mm-f2-0-review/)*.
Some intricate detailing on a cathedral ceiling.
Somewhere above the Alps.
Two pleasant street scenes in Lisboa.
Exploring sea caves somewhere along Portugalās coast.
A very, very old castle. 11th century if I recall correctly. You could even climb the battlements\!
An Evo. A rare sight these days, especially in western Europe.
A placid and pleasant beach in Portugal.
Big boi.
A pinnable post for you Pinterest fanatics. š
If youāve made it this far, **youāre awesome**. Thanks for reading about my camera and looking at my pictures! Just a final note, if the a7iii sounds like the camera for you, purchasing it *[**through this link**](https://geni.us/o3dad)* grants me a small commission. Thanks! \<3
[Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Review](https://chancetalkscameras.com/tamron-28-75mm-f2-8-review/)
[Peak Design Everyday Sling Long-Term Review](https://chancetalkscameras.com/peak-design-sling-review/)
Hey, welcome to Chance Talks Cameras! I'm Chance, the owner and sole developer/writer of the site.
I've been practicing photography for about a decade. A couple of years ago, I figured I'd start a website to share my insights and my tips with my fellow photogs.
Though I've been practicing photography for well over a decent, I first started using Sony cameras in 2018.
If you want to know a bit more history about the site and what we stand for, check out *[the about page](https://chancetalkscameras.com/about/)*. Want to know more about me? Read my *[massive bio](https://chancetalkscameras.com/chance/)*.
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Ā© 2026 Sony Photo Review |
| Readable Markdown | The Sony a7iii, breaking records for years after its release, shook up the full frame world by being: affordable, compact, and, most importantly, incredibly powerful. Since then, Sony has released a LOT of new cameras, so does the a7iii still stack up?
**Why You Can Trust Me**
Chance (thatās me) has been *[practicing photography for 10 years](https://chancetalkscameras.com/chance/)* and has been a paid professional for most of it. I bought my first Sony in 2018 so this website is the culmination of about 5 years of Sony experience (*[full site history](https://chancetalkscameras.com/about/)*). Iāve had the Sony a7iii in particular for about two years and itās been my main camera (read *[how I review/test gear](https://chancetalkscameras.com/how-we-review-gear/)*).
Personally, Iāve owned the camera for about a year. So, in this review, Iāll be doing a deep dive into all the things that make the *[Sony a7iii](https://amzn.to/40YRCoD)* still so great, even in 2024 (and the things that annoy me about it, of course). All images are taken by me using this camera (plus a variety of lenses). Letās dive in\!
**Pros:**
- Incredible full-frame image quality
- Heavy-duty and built like a tank
- Super fast and reliable AF system
- Designed for professional work
- Diverse and interesting lens selection
**Cons**:
- Lacks flippy screen (only 90/45 tilt)
- Full-frame lenses can get huge/heavy
- May be ātoo much cameraā for some
**Verdict:** Full-frame comes with a high price and large body. However, the a7iii is a true professional-level camera that doesnāt make any compromises. I *[highly recommend it](https://geni.us/o3dad)* (affiliate link!) for anyone looking to upgrade to FF.
Instead of a boring photo of the camera to start, hereās a nice picture I took with it.
## **Size & Weight**
First off, since weāre talking about a mirrorless camera here, letās go over the size and weight of the body. According to my scale, the a7iii weighs in at roughly 22.9oz (650g), which, while chunky, is still substantially lighter than any sort of DSLR equivalent.
And now according to my cheap Home Depot tape measure, the camera is about 5Ć3.9Ć3.0 inches (or 12.7Ć9.5Ć7.3cm). Once again, a bit larger than any of Sonyās previous cameras, but itās still incredibly impressive that they managed to pack so much power and so many features into such a decently compact body.
Granted, a very large part of compact setups comes from the lens. Youāll have a much smaller setup if you use, say, the Sigma 65mm F2 rather than the gigantic Samyang 135mm F2. Donāt get me wrong, the a7iii isnāt like a compact APS-C camera, but you can make it pretty small with the right lens choices.
With that being said, Iāve been primarily rocking the *[Tamron 28-75mm F2.8](https://chancetalkscameras.com/tamron-28-75mm-f2-8-review/)* (incredible lens, by the way). Itās a fairly bulky setup, but it doesnāt feel comically huge. Plus, the camera and lens combo fit (if just barely) into my *[Peak Design 6L Sling](https://chancetalkscameras.com/peak-design-sling-review/)*.
Although the Sony a7iii is a fairly compact camera, the lens will make the biggest difference in terms of size/weight.
## **Longevity/Durability**
Now, as you might expect from a Sony full-frame body, the build quality of the a7iii is nothing short of fantastic. Much like most of Sonyās cameras, the body is made out of magnesium alloy and the mount is, of course, stainless steel. The grip feels chunky (more on that later) and all the dials/switches feel good to use (also more on those later).
As far as weather sealing goes, the Sony a7iii isnāt fully weather-sealed, but rather ādust and moisture resistantā. What this typically means is that the camera is designed to survive light rain, misting, and dust (think blowing sand on a beach, for example).
So, although the camera isnāt entirely sealed, combining it with a weather-sealed lens (gasket around the lens mount) makes for a pretty rugged setup (as I mentioned, my Tamron zoom is sealed).
Donāt be afraid of some light rain (featuring the beautiful Gooseberry Falls along Minnesotaās Northshore).
I think manufacturers typically undersell weather resistance, as my old a6000 (which I owned for 5 years), survived some seriously extreme conditions. I personally havenāt run into any issues. Iāve really had nothing but good luck when shooting in wet environments.
Itās important to note, however, that the battery door is considered the āweak pointā for resistance, so try to keep the bottom of the camera dry when out shooting in inclement conditions (donāt put it down in a puddle).
Take care of your gear, but try not to be as afraid of taking it out in questionable conditions.
So is the camera **built to last?** In my opinion, yes, itās built like a tank. Considering this is a pro-level full-frame camera, the build quality is spectacular, and even though itās not fully weather-sealed, the dust and moisture resistance still gives me a lot of confidence.
My a6000 from 2014 still works to this day, so I have no doubt that the much more expensive Sony a7iii should be similar. I mean, the camera is *[rated for at least 200k shutter clicks](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-shutter-count/)*, and mine is currently only at ~35k.
A particularly splashy boat trip that I took the camera on.
## **Ergonomics/Comfort**
So, the camera is built like an absolute tank, but is it actually comfortable to use? Yep! To start, the grip on the Sony a7iii is huge. Compared to the cameraās previous iteration, the a7ii, the grip (and overall body) gained a bit of āheftā. I know of some photographers who came from bulky DSLRs who have complained the grip felt a bit small, but as someone used to compact mirrorless bodies, it feels fabulous to me.
Personally, the grip is perfect for me when lugging the camera around for hiking, city exploring, etc.
Heck, if youāre looking for a bigger grip, just consider picking up a *[battery grip](https://amzn.to/3DbNib5)* attachment. My only complaint is that due to the natural positioning of my thumb on the rear grip, sometimes Iāll accidentally bump one of my custom buttons (AEL button) on the rear of the camera, especially if wearing gloves.
I find that, despite the heavy-ish weight, the camera is pretty comfortable to lug around the city all day.
Another thing to note is that, as with all cameras, a lot of the ācomfortā of your setup comes down to the lens you choose to pair with the body. On my Sony a7iii, Iāve been primarily using my *[Tamron 28-75mm F2.8](https://chancetalkscameras.com/tamron-28-75mm-f2-8-review/)*. It feels like the perfect size, almost like it was specially built to balance perfectly on this camera. On the flip side, as I stated earlier in the article, Iāve also frequently experimented with Sonyās 50mm F1.8. Itās a great little lens, but the tiny dimensions and incredibly low weight make it feel like a toy on the a7iii.
Iāll be honest, I can only carry around my Tamron zoom for a little while before it starts to get uncomfortable. So Iād highly suggest grabbing a dedicated camera bag if this is your first full-frame. While any camera bag will technically work, Iāve been loving my *[Peak Design 6L Sling](https://chancetalkscameras.com/peak-design-sling-review/)*. For anyone who specifically searches āwhat will fit in a peak design 6l slingā, know that the Sony a7iii with the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 fits vertically just perfectly\!
Assuming youāve got a decently light lens, the camera isnāt actually all that annoying to carry around all day.
## **Button Layout & Accessibility**
Next up, letās talk about button layout and day-to-day usability. First off, as I had mentioned before, all the dials, switches, and **buttons on the Sony a7iii feel good to use**. Theyāre clunky (in a good way!), stiff (also in a good way), and precise.
The countryside of Tuscany (taken with Tamron 28-75).
One quick thing to note is that there are numerous customizable buttons on the a7iii. Nearly every button on the camera can be customized (with separate custom buttons for both stills and video). If youāre interested in learning more about the a7iiiās custom buttons, I go into *[more detail here](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-custom-buttons/)*. However, Iāll just quickly run through the ones Iāve bound.
- C1 is set to drive mode
- C2 is set to focus mode
- C3 is set to silent shooting toggle
- C4 is set to monitor brightness
- AF-ON is set to SteadyShot toggle
- AEL is set to Focus Magnifier (for manual focus)
My personal custom buttons on my a7iii.
**Top**
C1/C2 Buttons
Mode Selector
Power/Shutter
Exposure Comp.
Two Dials
**Back**
Joystick
C3/C4 Buttons
AF-On/AEL
Menu/FN/Playback
Trash/Record/Dial
**Ports** Microphone
Headphone
Mini-HDMI
2 USBs
Dual Cards
On the top of the camera, we have the hot shoe (naturally) and the mode dial. In addition, we have the C1 and C2 custom buttons, along with the on/off switch and shutter button.
Thereās also a really handy exposure dial. Iāve found it to be excellent for quickly adjusting exposure without delving into settings. Finally, there are two more dials. One near the rear of the camera and one near in front of the shutter button. I use these to adjust SS/Aperture in manual mode.
On the back of the camera, there are even more buttons, dials, and such. First off, we obviously have the 3in LCD (more on that later) in addition to a joystick that acts as a āselectorā for menu settings and focus points. Custom buttons C3 and C4 are on the top left and bottom right respectively, and the AF-On/AEL buttons (also customizable) are near the top right. Finally, we have the menu, record button, Fn (quick settings) button, playback button, and another dial with 4 customizable āslotsā.
Instead of a boring photo of a camera, hereās a picture of a port (not to be confused with the ports on the cameraā¦).
As for ports, the Sony a7iii comes generously equipped. For video shooters, thereās both a microphone AND headphone jack along with a Mini-HDMI port (for external monitors). For charging/data transfer, thereās a USB-C port and a āmultiā USB port (USB 2.0).
Finally, on the right side of the camera sits the SD card slots. You can access them by flicking a little switch that pops open a door. While there are two card slots, unfortunately only one of them supports UHS-II (aka faster speeds). Still though, itās really nice to have dual card slots for backups.
Once again, instead of a boring stock photo of card slots, hereās a neat sunset I captured (multi-image pano stitch).
## **Autofocus**
Alrighty, next up weāll be focusing on focusing (see what I did there?). To say the Sony a7iii is an autofocus beast would frankly be an understatement. According to Sony, the camera offers 693 phase-detection points that cover roughly 93% of the frame.
Iāve put my a7iii through all sorts of situations, from extreme low-light (middle of the night on a beach) to super-fast high-speed action (cars passing at highway speeds). Without fail, it nailed focus pretty much every single time. **Reliability and speed are absolutely incredible**.
AF is quick and accurate enough to (almost) always capture candid street photos with ease.
On that subject, EyeAF was upgraded for this model and it really shows. When shooting portraiture at 75mm (my usual preference for portraits), Iāve found that EyeAF locks onto the eye flawlessly about 90% of the time. The other 10%, it can get pretty darn close, at least locking in perfectly on a face.
In addition to human subjects, the camera can also detect and track animal eyes. Even though this was primarily designed for wildlife shooters, if I had to guess, Iāve found it really useful when chasing my familyās pets around.
Featuring my old cameraā¦
Animal EyeAF is incredible.
Speaking of chasing fast-moving objects, subject tracking (AF-C mode) works quite well. While you shouldnāt expect the level of performance that a sports camera, such as the A9 provides, Iāve still been more than happy with the results Iāve gotten.
When tracking moving subjects, the camera is typically able to stay perfectly locked on without any sort of issue. Naturally, some situations will trip it up (really fast objects like cars, for example), but Iāve generally found it to be largely reliable.
One thing Iāve really started to like subject tracking for is when shooting models. Iāll turn on AF-C and low-speed burst (more on that soon) and have the model twirl around, flip her dress, etc. Thus far, AF-C has managed to lock down pretty much **flawless focus** every time, capturing candid action.
Needless to say, so far, AF-C hasnāt let me down.
## **Burst Mode (10fps)**
Speaking of burst mode, the Sony a7iii can shoot around 10 uncompressed RAWS per second, and the buffer kicks in around 33 images (taking 26 seconds to clear). For JPEG, the camera can shoot typically around, once again, 10 JPEGs per second. The buffer kicks in around 163 images and takes around 45 seconds to clear.
These numbers are pretty on-par with other similarly priced cameras and are, as I stated before, not supposed to match a high-level pro sports cameraās performance. Oh, by the way, the a7iii has a whole slew of customizable settings for burst mode (more details in my *[dedicated a7iii burst mode](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-burst-mode-guide/)* article).
Burst mode and AF-C were pretty great when capturing (attempted) handstands on the beach.
## **Manual Focus**
Finally, letās hop over to the other side of focusing: manual focus. Just like Sonyās older cameras, the a7iii comes equipped with a **vast wealth of manual focus assists**, making this camera a mighty option if you like to shoot with a lot of *[vintage glass](https://chancetalkscameras.com/guide-to-using-vintage-lenses-on-sony-cameras/)* or just want to save money by buying *[a modern manual focus lens](https://chancetalkscameras.com/ttartisan-50mm-f1-4-tilt-review/)*.
Some shots of the Colosseum in Rome.
First up, the a7iii features the familiar focus peaking system. This is where, when manually focusing, in-focus parts of the frame will be highlighted by a color of your choice. The camera lets you choose the color and intensity of the peaking. Iāve found it to be VERY accurate when shooting manually (much better than previous models).
Focus peaking makes it easy to see what is in focus at a quick glance.
Second, the camera has a focus magnifier built in. This is an option where, when double tapping a pre-assigned button (customizable), you can zoom the frame into either 5x or 10x. This allows you to nail down your manual focus with extreme precision (it also works when using AF).
By the way, if you want to learn more about manual focus, I actually have an *[entire guide written for that purpose](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-manual-focus-guide/)*. Check it out.
A couple of portraiture examples using the Sony 50mm F1.8.
## **LCD & Viewfinder**
Next up, letās talk about the LCD screen on the Sony a7iii. In the mirrorless community, Sony is somewhat infamous for having poor-quality screens and, to be frank, the a7iii isnāt much of an exception. The rear LCD does the job, donāt get me wrong. You can read the information on it, preview/shoot photos, and dig through the menus. It does all that just fine and isnāt laggy, but the quality just really isnāt there.
Compared to competitors (Panasonic, anyone?), the LCD screen on the Sony a7iii is just a bit low quality. Still, though, itās a minor negative mark on an otherwise fabulous camera, so itās easy to dismiss.
On the upside, however, it does flip up and down. Upward, it holds a tilt of roughly 90 degrees, while downward seems to be about 30 degrees. If youāve used any other Sony camera, Iām pretty sure this is the same screen thatās on most of the a6xxx series and the previous a7x cameras. Another REALLY convenient feature is that the screen (and viewfinder) will automatically rotate vertical images to fit the orientation of whichever direction you have the camera rotated.
On extremely bright days, Iāll often find myself looking through the viewfinder to playback images, as the screen will be too dim.
Continuing on, the Sony a7iii does feature a touchscreen, but it is fairly limited in its functionality. The only use the touchscreen has is to select an autofocus point. Donāt get me wrong, this is fairly useful, but Iām left wondering why Sony didnāt extend the touchscreenās use to the menus or image playback. It would be so convenient to be able to pinch to zoom to check focus on photos.
Why on earth can we not use the touchscreen for photo playback or for navigating menus?
Anyways, now that weāve ranted about how poor the screen is, letās talk about a much more positive feature of this camera: the electronic viewfinder. The viewfinder features 2.36 million dots which, while still below competitors, is more than enough (in my opinion).
For this reason, I frequently use the viewfinder when playing back images and changing settings. The quality is just so much higher than the LCD screen, especially on a bright and sunny day.
Some other fun benefits include the ability to add a built-in level to the viewfinder. I never realized, before discovering this feature, how many of my photos were just ever so slightly off-level. Although Sony frequently gets flack for having poor viewfinders, Iāve found that the a7iiiās EVF more than fits my needs. No complaints in that regard.
If this place looks familiar, itās because most scenes in Hogwarts were filmed here. (JerĆ³nimos Monastery, Lisboa).
## **Battery Life**
Next up, letās talk batteries. Folks, I upgraded from a Sony a6000. With my old camera, I was used to having to carry multiple batteries with me every day, swapping them out every hour, and then having to charge them overnight. It was awful, and I was under the impression that all Sonyās cameras were like that.
Nope, the Sony a7iii introduced the new NP-FZ battery which is an **absolute beast**. According to benchmarks, the new battery lasts, on average, 610 shots until exhausted. I, however, have found this to be an understatement.
You really donāt need to worry, ādid I pack enough batteries for this outing?ā.
As a test, I went to see how long I could shoot before running out of battery. On a particularly rainy week in Portugal (great way to test the weather resistance too), I took the camera out every day and shot anywhere between 100-150 pictures per day. I mostly stuck to AF-S (single-shot AF) and it lasted, I kid you not, 6 full days of shooting until needing to be recharged.
With the new NP-FZ100 batteries, the a7iii can shoot from sunrise to sundown (and thenā¦even more).
Granted, I would turn off the camera in between shots (btw, the camera takes less than a second to shoot after being powered on) and I didnāt use many battery-intensive features like AF-C. Still, that kind of performance blew my mind. I couldnāt believe that the battery lasted almost a week of daily usage. Incredible.
So no, the **Sony a7iii battery does NOT drain fast**. Itāll last a long time and, even if you need more juice, there are always hundreds of options for battery grips. Oh and quick note: off-brand batteries work just as well as Sonyās OEM batteries.
Seriously, I love how I can go out and explore a city for an entire day without having to ever worry about batteries dying on me.
## **Image Quality**
Next up, letās get into the real meat and potatoes: image quality. The Sony a7iii has 24 megapixels which offers more than enough resolution for the vast majority of photographers. You might not be printing images and putting them on billboards, but 6000Ć4000 works great for smaller stuff such as wall prints or magazines.
Normal
100% Crop
Plenty of detail, even when cropped in. This isnāt a tropical paradise by the way, this is Wisconsin. š
Typically, the megapixel count is high enough to where Iāve found I can crop in at least a little bit before I start to notice a sizeable loss in quality (a 50% crop is when loss of detail starts to become very obvious).
With uncompressed RAW files hovering around 45-50mb on average, I find that 24mp is a great middle ground between offering **high-quality resolution** without creating files that take up an extreme amount of storage space or processing power.
24 megapixels has been more than enough for me, even for commercial uses.
The Sony a7iii offers a native ISO range of 100 to 51200, with it being extendable all the way from 50 to 204800 (granted, images will absolutely fall apart at that high of an ISO).So, you might ask, is the a7iii good in low light? Unsurprisingly, yes.
Performance is spectacular, and Iāve found that I can typically get fairly clean shots all the way to ISO10000. At 10000, noise is fairly moderate, but itās still manageable enough that it can be largely cleaned up with noise reduction in post-processing.
Images look pretty clean even at 5000 ISO (ignore the motion blur, my fault).
However, Iād say 5000 is the cutoff to where noise starts to become noticeable when zooming in. If Iām out shooting and not wanting to manage my ISO, Iāll set my āmaxā to 5000. That way I know that, even if conditions get fairly dark, I wonāt push my camera beyond what it can comfortably handle in terms of noise.
ISO 20000
ISO 20000
ISO 16000
ISO 32000
Explored an abandoned asylum with the boys (legally), so here are some EXTREMELY high ISO samples.
Overall, I am incredibly impressed with the ISO performance of the a7iii. I havenāt run into any situations yet where I think, āhmm, imagine if I had the A7S insteadā¦ā. Oh and since Iām not much of a night sky photographer, if youāre interested in astro, check out *[Lonelyspeckās awesome astro-focused review](https://www.lonelyspeck.com/sony-a7iii-astrophotography-review/)* of this camera.
Two examples of low light portraiture. Taken with Sony 50mm F1.8.
Next up: dynamic range. To put it simply, the dynamic range performance of the Sony a7iii is spectacular (as long as you know how to utilize it properly). The Sony a7iiiās RAW files are INCREDIBLY information-dense, so even near-black shadows can be almost fully recovered without a huge influx of noise.
The Northern Lights photographed from southeast Wisconsin. I used the *[16-50 APS-C kit lens for these](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-16-50mm-f3-5-5-6-review/)*.
So, quick tip: most cameras, Sony included, tend to overexposure images naturally. For this reason, when shooting during the day, Iāll use the exposure dial on the top of the camera to set my exposure value to either -0.3EV or -0.7EV. If that isnāt enough, you can always use *[bracketed exposure mode](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-drive-mode-guide/)* to do a sort of HDR-style image merge in post-processing.
A small gallery of sunrise shots to show off the excellent dynamic range.
Now, what about those who like to shoot in JPEG? Whatās the difference between raw vs jpeg While I am a hardcore RAW-only photographer, I understand many people like to utilize JPEG when shooting more casual situations, such as family get-togethers, events, birthdays, etc.
The JPEG files that come out of this camera, despite being much smaller file-size-wise, still look pretty darn good. Sony cameras have always done some really nice JPEG processing, and the a7iii is no exception. So, while RAW is always going to be king for pure quality, JPEG shooters will still be satisfied with the results.
I donāt shoot JPEG, so here are some more portrait samples.
Next, letās talk about the silent shoot mode. This feature doesnāt necessarily equate to āimage qualityā at first glance, but I put it in this section because it does, actually, affect image quality. You see, silent shooting turns off the mechanical shutter so the camera doesnāt make any sound, but it does it at the cost of picture quality.
When shooting in silent mode, banding is more common, dynamic range is (slightly) more limited, and ISO cannot be set below 100. It can also cause distortion and stretching when panning (when capturing fast-moving subjects, for example). These are all VERY minor however, so if you hate the shutter sound, keep silent mode on.
For myself, Iāve used it on occasion in certain environments (such as churches, restaurants, etc.), but I usually keep it off because I absolutely love the shutter sound of this camera.
Silent mode is invaluable when photographing places where you need to be quiet.
## **Video Performance**
Alright, so the camera looks incredible for stills photographers so far, but is the Sony a7iii good for video? Why yes, it isā¦ but not without some caveats, of course.
First off, letās talk profiles and codecs. As for codecs, the camera can shoot in: MPEG-4, AVC, and H.264. No 10-bit video, unfortunately, only 8-bit. I wonāt delve into the details of all profiles (I just shoot in movie mode honestly), but hereās a quick summary of a few of the profiles:
- Movie (standard curve)
- Cine1-4 for a soft look (3/4 have higher contrast)
- S-Log2 & S-Log3 for post-processing grading
Some random shots from a small town in Germany. (not related to video performance, I just needed some visuals to fill this empty space lol)
In terms of pure video quality, the Sony a7iii certainly doesnāt disappoint. In the video world, thereās always such a push to get, āthe newest and the very bestā, so the 4k 30fps might get skipped by some videographers in search of 6k (and 10-bit).
However, **the a7iii still shoots INCREDIBLE video**. Dynamic range is excellent, noise control and rendering are great (videos still look good up to ISO3200 before getting a bit of mushy-ness). Even the 1080p (up to 120fps) on the camera, despite not being 4k, still looks great and is more than adequate for many people. In fact, when I shoot the YouTube videos for this site, I tend to use 1080p because it still looks great -without- slowing down my computer when editing.
```
My opinion: there's an "arms race" so to speak of people always wanting the absolute best camera for anything. The real truth is that for most of us, 8-bit video and 4k (or even 1080p) is more than adequate. Gear acquisition syndrome is a real problem.
```
As for video AF, Iāve also found it to be spectacular. Just like stills AF, it is quick to focus and, typically, incredibly reliable. There are even a few options in the menu that allow you to adjust focus speed, locking time, etc.
The cityscape of Sevilla, Spain.
Next, the camera also includes something called āS\&Q Modeā. At first, I had literally zero idea as to what this did, but it turns out this is a feature that allows slow motion (S) and āquickā (Q) videos like time-lapse to be directly created in the camera. In this mode, bit-rate and quality are reduced a little bit, and I assume this happens so that the camera has an āeasierā time processing these things.
To be frank, while this mode is neat, I found it to be a little too niche and gimmicky. Iād rather shoot at full quality and just do the āslowingā orā¦ āquickening?ā myself in post-processing. The video belows explains it quite well.
### **Other Video Features**
Now, letās go over some video-related features (positive and negative). First: a negative feature (or lack-thereof, I suppose).
The screen on the Sony a7iii only flips up and down. It doesnāt rotate outward. You canāt flip it all the way up as a āselfieā mirror, and you canāt flip it all the way out to the side either. While this isnāt a huge deal, itās a bit of a pain for those who film themselves like vloggers, product reviewers (me, lol), etc.
Iāve personally gotten around this by using a *[hot-shoe mirror attachment](https://amzn.to/3QVAEm8)*. It works fine, but I do wish this camera had a flip-out screen. If I could change ANYTHING about the a7iii, a flip-out screen would be it.
This camera is almost perfect, so why doesnāt the screen flip up or out Sony!?
Anywho, letās talk about features that are ACTUALLY useful, like in-body image stabilization! Iāll be the first to admit that the stabilization built into the Sony a7iii isnāt spectacular, however, Iām glad it actually has it.
My previous camera, the a6000, had absolutely nothing, so I was reliant either on a small collection of (poor) stabilized lenses or gimbals. Not fun. So yeah, Iām really happy to see that the a7iii has built-in stabilization. I still stabilize in post-processing where itās needed, but Iāve been really happy with the stabilization overall.
IBIS is excellent for photos as well as video. I can handhold at 1/10s.
Next up, as I covered before, the camera has a whole range of ports including microphone and headphone ports (and mini-HDMI for those who use external monitors)! Once again, my biggest complaint about my previous camera was the lack of a mic jack, so itās so nice to finally just be able to plug in my microphone and get excellent audio in-camera.
Thus far, Iāve had no reliability issues, though I have read stories about faulty mic jacks on the a7iii. I guess I got lucky or perhaps itās not actually that common of an issue.
Iām more of a stills photographer but man, this thing has got me experimenting more and more with video.
Speaking of microphones and audio, the camera also comes with a built-in audio visualizer. While not essential, Iāve found this to be a nice quality-of-life feature. Instead of playing back a test video to see if my audio works, I can just glance at the meter as I shoot.
Finally, the last useful feature is something I alluded to earlier in the review: custom buttons. The way the custom buttons work on this camera is that you can actually set specific buttons for both still shooting AND video. This means that, for stills, I can still have all my usual buttons, but I can change them as needed to work with video instead. I love that Sony separated the two\!
This is just a pretty filler image. Enjoy\!
So, is the Sony a7iii good for video? If youāre willing to deal with a few caveats, yes. If youāre a Hollywood pro trying to get the absolute top-tier video quality, then no. Go buy your \$10000 RED camera.
However, if youāre a pro-YouTuber, casual filmmaker, or just someone who wants to document their life more, then yes: **the Sony a7iii is excellent for video**. The 4k looks great, the 120fps (at 1080p) is more than enough for ācinematicā slow-mo, and the myriad of ports and jacks allow for the attachment of various accessories.
As I stated before, my only negative point is the lack of flip-out screen. Itās a bit of a pain, but, once again, Iāve found a solution by using a mirror attachment (you can also use an external HDMI screen). So yeah, as someone dabbling in YouTube (*[check it out](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs0GUUuRxYEZ4FG8-dBMtEA)*), Iām incredibly pleased with the video performance and usability that Iāve gotten out of this camera.
Somewhere atop a random cathedral.
## **Who is the Sony a7iii good for?**
So, who exactly is the Sony a7iii good for? Is there anybody who **shouldnāt** buy it? First off, letās talk about beginners. Those who are just getting into photography and looking into buying their first camera.
To start, the Sony a7iii is a big camera with a LOT of features. If I were to start from scratch and attempt to learn photography, the a7iii would feel incredibly overwhelming. I wouldnāt even know where to start.
In addition to being overwhelming, full frame typically brings with it a whole host of higher costs as well. Full-frame bodies are more expensive, the appropriate lenses are (much) more expensive, and accessories are more expensive. Heck, even batteries are more expensive, and then, to top it all off, you need a bigger bag to hold all this big gear\!
Realistically, a true starting-from-scratch beginner should consider an APS-C camera instead. APS-C cameras provide an easier learning platform and are typically a lot cheaper. If youāre a beginner and have gotten this far, consider checking out my review of the *[amazing Sony a6400](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a6400-review/)*. I love my full frame, but Iām very thankful I started on APS-C instead.
For enthusiasts and dedicated hobbyists, however, the a7iii is a **bea**s**t of a camera**.
To start, itās just powerful. If youāve been shooting for a couple of years and are ready to upgrade, the a7iii might be the next logical step. It takes incredible images, is packed with features, and allows for a full variety of manual or partial manual controls. You can fully tailor the camera to your skill/comfort level and still get incredible pictures (and video).
In addition, the Sony a7iii offers a versatile and fun lens selection. Not only do you have a lot of top-tier āserious lensesā, but you also have the option of more fun lenses like macro, fisheye, etc. This diverse lens collection allows for never-ending fun and experimentation.
The a7iii is an EXCELLENT option for enthusiasts and high-level hobbyists.
Finally, is the Sony a7iii good for professional photographers? As a āprofessionalā myself, I can answer that **with a resounding yes**. In fact, it has consistently been the *[most common camera model](https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/shotkit-survey-the-sony-a7iii-is-the-most-popular-camera-used-by-professional-photographers/)* for pros since it was released.
To start, shooting in manual is a buttery smooth and streamlined experience. What do I mean by that? Well, thanks to the myriad of various buttons, dials, switches, etc. on the a7iii, you can change your settings on the fly with ease.
Shooting a wedding and the sun just dipped behind the clouds? No problem, pop into āmemory recallā mode and switch your settings within less than a second. Photographing an event and the conditions keep changing? Easily swap between various focus and drive modes as needed with the touch of a single button.
Seriously, with the *[plethora of custom buttons](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-a7iii-custom-buttons/)* and the various dials, you can change every single setting on the fly. No digging through menus when youāre trying to capture a critical moment.
Changing settings on the fly is super easy so you can always be ready for unexpected moments, lighting changes, etc.
Another benefit for professionals? Crazy good battery life. Gone are the days when DSLRs ruled the battery life competition. With the Sony a7iii, you can expect to have hours of performance (rated for 610 shots, realistically higher from my tests) before needing to pause and swap out a battery. With this kind of battery life, you run less of a risk of missing important shots and slowing down photoshoots.
Next up: access to Sonyās *[incredible and diverse lens selection](https://chancetalkscameras.com/best-lenses-for-sony-a7iii/)*. If youāre just getting your photography business off the ground, choose an āoff-brandā lens from Sigma or Viltrox for fabulous quality at a reasonable price. Looking for the very best? Sony has a huge selection of [*incredible G-series lenses*](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-24-105mm-f4-review/).
But wait, what if youāre switching from a DSLR system? Well, you can *[fully adapt any Canon lens onto Sony cameras](https://chancetalkscameras.com/canon-lenses-on-sony-cameras/)*. So, if youāre not ready to part with your beloved Canon 24-70mm F2.8 (understandable), you can adapt it\!
Finally, the last benefit for pro shooters: dual card slots. With dual card slots, youāll never have to worry about losing an entire photoshoot due to an SD card failing. It is worth noting, however, that only one card slot supports UHS-II, while the other slot is stuck with UHS-I cards. Still, itās great to have a backup\!
You never think youāll need a backup SD card slot untilā¦ well, until you need it.
## **My Final Thoughts**
So yeah, at the end of the day, there are plenty of full-frame cameras out there that offer (close to) what the Sony a7iii does, but rarely do any of them offer it at such a great price. For less than \$2000, youāre getting a professional-grade camera that will be competitive for, quite literally, the next decade.
Sure, the a7iv is another option, but for the vast majority of photographers, itās not worth paying the huge premium for a marginal upgrade. The a7iii is more than excellent for most. Aat this price point, youāll be hard-pressed to find anything that offers a better value than what the [Sony a7iii](https://geni.us/o3dad) can. Seriously, itās a phenomenal camera.
Despite some of the drawbacks, I love my a7iii.
I truly do believe that, even with newer cameras on the market, the Sony a7iii still offers the best value for someone looking to upgrade to full frame in 2024. Genuinely, this camera ticks all the boxes. So yeah, if Iāve convinced you to pick one up, Iāll leave purchase links below. Thanks a lot for reading\!
**[Buy from Amazon](https://amzn.to/3GwQ63I)** \<ā this is an affiliate link, so I get a (small) commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support! \<3
Pstā¦ by the way, if you buy it and want to learn more, the site is filled with all sorts of *[a7iii-related guides](https://chancetalkscameras.com/a7iii-hub/)*. Just sayingā¦ š
***
## Additional Sony a7iii Sample Photos
And here are even more sample photos from the Sony a7iii\!
I love some Spanish architecture.
Stumbled upon a random street dance party in Valencia\!
A late-night photo of Lisboaās cityscape.
Two more portrait samples.
I like trains.
A particularly gorgeous cathedral.
Some Renn Faire pics of my buddy. Taken with the super cheap *[Sony 50mm F1.8](https://chancetalkscameras.com/sony-fe-50mm-f1-8-review/)*.
Some intricate detailing on a cathedral ceiling.
Somewhere above the Alps.
Two pleasant street scenes in Lisboa.
Exploring sea caves somewhere along Portugalās coast.
A very, very old castle. 11th century if I recall correctly. You could even climb the battlements\!
An Evo. A rare sight these days, especially in western Europe.
A placid and pleasant beach in Portugal.
Big boi.
A pinnable post for you Pinterest fanatics. š
If youāve made it this far, **youāre awesome**. Thanks for reading about my camera and looking at my pictures! Just a final note, if the a7iii sounds like the camera for you, purchasing it *[**through this link**](https://geni.us/o3dad)* grants me a small commission. Thanks! \<3 |
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