Sony a7R vs Sony a7R III Specifications Comparison
| Camera Feature | Sony a7R | Sony a7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 2013 | October 2017 |
| Camera Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor Type | CMOS | BSI CMOS |
| Image Processor | BIONZ X | BIONZ X |
| Resolution | 36.4 MP | 42.4 MP |
| Pixel Dimensions | 7360×4912 | 7952×5304 |
| Sensor Dimensions | 35.9 x 24.0 mm (Full Frame) | 35.9 x 24.0 mm (Full Frame) |
| Sensor Pixel Size | 4.87µ | 4.51µ |
| Low Pass Filter | No | No |
| IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) | No | Yes |
| Base ISO | ISO 100 | ISO 100 |
| Max Native ISO | ISO 6400 | ISO 32,000 |
| Extended ISOs | ISO 50-25,600 | ISO 50-102,400 |
| High-Resolution Sensor Shift | No | Yes |
| Focus Stack Bracketing | No | No |
| Pre-Shoot Burst Mode | No | No |
| Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/8000 | 1/8000 |
| Longest Shutter Speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Continuous Shooting (Mechanical Shutter) | 4 FPS | 10 FPS |
| Continuous Shooting (Electronic Shutter) | No electronic shutter | 10 FPS |
| Notes for High FPS Shooting | Autofocus fixed at first frame for 4 FPS shooting; 12-bit raw only | Compressed 12-bit raw at 10 FPS (uncompressed 14-bit raw is available at 6 FPS) |
| Buffer Size (Raw) | 16 frames (4 FPS) | 76 frames (10 FPS) |
| Autofocus System | Contrast Detect | Hybrid PDAF |
| Autofocus Points | 25 | 399 |
| Maximum Low-Light AF Sensitivity (Standardized to f/2, ISO 100) | 0 EV | -3 EV |
| Standard Flash Sync Speed | 1/160 | 1/250 |
| Curtain to Protect Sensor at Shutdown | No | No |
Video Features | ||
| Maximum Video Bit Depth (Internal) | 8 bits | 8 bits |
| Maximum Video Bit Depth (External) | 8 bits | 8 bits |
| Raw Video | No | No |
| 4K Maximum Framerate | N/A | 30 FPS |
| 1080P Maximum Framerate | 60 FPS | 120 FPS |
| Additional Video Crop Factor | No | No |
| Chroma Subsampling | 4:2:0, 4:2:2 (External) | 4:2:0, 4:2:2 (External) |
| Video Recording Limit | 30 min | 30 min |
Physical and Other Features | ||
| Card Slots | 1 | 2 |
| Slot 1 Type | SD (UHS-I) | SD (UHS-II) |
| Slot 2 Type | N/A | SD (UHS-I) |
| Rear LCD Size (Diagonal) | 3.0 in | 3.0 in |
| Rear LCD Resolution | 0.92 million dots | 1.44 million dots |
| Articulating LCD | Single Axis | Single Axis |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF | EVF |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.71x | 0.78x |
| Viewfinder Resolution | 2.36 million dots | 3.69 million dots |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Voice Memo | No | No |
| Headphone Jack | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone Jack | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Flash | No | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes |
| WiFi | Yes | Yes |
| USB Type | Type B 2.0 | Type C 3.1 |
| Battery Type | NP-FW50 | NP-FZ100 |
| Battery Life (Viewfinder) | 270 frames | 530 frames |
| Battery Life (Rear LCD) | 340 frames | 650 frames |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Weight (Body Only w/ Battery + Card) | 465 g (1.03 lbs.) | 657 g (1.45 lbs.) |
| Dimensions (LxHxD) | 127 x 94 x 58 mm (5.0 x 3.7 x 2.3″)1 | 127 x 96 x 74 mm (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.9″) |
Price Comparison | ||
| MSRP, Body Only | $2300 (Discontinued) | $2200 (Check Current Price) |
| Used Prices (Affiliate) | Sony a7R Used Prices | Sony a7R III Used Prices |
| 1The Sony a7R’s official dimensions do not include the depth of the protruding viewfinder. To match typical standards today, 10mm were added to the a7R’s depth measurement in this table. | ||
Questions? Go to our forum, where you can start a conversation and talk to photographers about these two cameras!
Photography Life is part of the B&H and KEH affiliate programs. When you make a purchase through the affiliate links in this article, we can be compensated with a percentage of each sale. If you found this comparison useful, buying anything through these links allows you to support Photography Life at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our efforts!
