The Alpha A7 III sits on the underside rung of Sony’s full-frame digital camera vary, and is designed to attraction to each eager fanatic photographers and professionals. 

Prior to now the A7 collection of cameras have at all times felt like poor relations to the A7R and A7S collection. Whereas the latter two ranges have tended to seize the limelight with their excessive pixel counts and superior video capabilities, the A7 collection have at all times been thought to be the essential fashions, sporting a stable however unremarkable set of options.

That appears prefer it might all change with this third technology A7 digital camera. Borrowing many options from the top-of-the-range Alpha A9, in addition to the Alpha A7R III, the Alpha A7 III seems to be something however primary.

Options

• All-new 24.2MP back-illuminated sensor
• 5-axis picture stabilization gives 5-stop compensation
• 4K video seize utilizing full width of the sensor

Sony hasn’t been tempted to extend the decision of the Alpha A7 III, so it stays at 24.2MP, just like the Alpha A7 II. Nevertheless, the sensor is totally new and incorporates a back-illuminated design which, mixed with the newest BIONZ X picture processor, sees the sensitivity vary vastly improved over the older mannequin: with an prolonged ISO ceiling of 204,800 (the identical because the Alpha A9), it is two stops higher than the A7 II’s 51,200 restrict. Sony additionally reckons it is managed to realize a dynamic range of 15 stops with 14-bit uncooked recordsdata.

Whereas the digital viewfinder (EVF) does not get a bump in decision to match the A7R III’s three.eight million dots, the two.three million-dot EVF on the Alpha A7 III will get a barely increased magnification issue than the older mannequin, up from Zero.71x to Zero.78x. 

As we have seen with different not too long ago introduced Sony bulletins, the rear three.Zero-inch tilt-angle show is now contact delicate, permitting you to set the main target level and flick through pictures rapidly, though it does not enable for fast navigation of the digital camera’s menu. 

The 5-axis in-body picture stabilization system within the Alpha A7 III has additionally been tweaked, and now offers 5 stops of stabilization, enhancing barely on its predecessor’s four.5 stops.

It is no shock to see 4K video seize on the Alpha A7 III. Recording in 24p, the total full width of the sensor is used, with full pixel readout and with out pixel binning. This sees round 6K of knowledge collected (2.4x the quantity of knowledge required) earlier than the footage is then oversampled to provide what Sony says can be 4K footage with distinctive element and depth. If you wish to shoot at 30p, there is a 1.2x crop possibility that makes use of roughly 5K of the sensor.

As we have seen with the Alpha A7R III, the Alpha A7 III gives a brand new HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) profile that helps an Prompt HDR workflow, permitting HDR (HLG) appropriate TVs to play again 4K HDR footage.

In addition to this, each S-Log2 and S-Log3 can be found for elevated colour grading, whereas if you wish to shoot Full HD footage you are able to do so at as much as 120fps.

Construct and dealing with

• Design equivalent to the Alpha A7R III
• Includes a multi-selector joystick and AF-On button
• Mud- and weather-sealed

The Alpha A7 III has the identical physique because the Alpha A7R III, which suggests the brand new digital camera positive factors the identical refinements to the management format as its higher-resolution stablemate.

So whereas there isn’t any devoted drive mode dial and focus mode selector like we have seen on the Alpha A9, the Alpha A7 III does profit from the addition of a multi-selector joystick. 

As we discovered with the A7R III, the joystick vastly improves the dealing with of the digital camera, with AF level choice that a lot faster. One other bit of excellent information is the arrival of a devoted AF-On button on the rear of the Alpha A7 III, making back-button focusing simpler.

The rear scroll wheel is raised away from the physique a bit greater than on the Alpha A7 II, whereas it is much less possible that you will inadvertently change a setting due to there being barely extra resistance in its motion. 

One other welcome contact taken from the A7R III is that eye sensor is now deactivated when the rear display screen is pulled away from the physique. This implies it is doable to shoot waist-level pictures with out the feed chopping out and fairly unhelpfully swapping to the EVF. 

The physique is a contact thicker than the A7 II, however it feels extra satisfying to carry due to a refined grip, and the general really feel of the digital camera is superb. Nearly all of the digital camera is constructed from a magnesium alloy, and all the foremost buttons and dials are sealed in opposition to the weather to guard from mud and moisture. 

Whereas the Alpha A7 III’s menu continues to be extremely complete, the brand new color-coded system is a bit simpler to navigate, though as soon as you have arrange the varied customized buttons on the digital camera and brought benefit of the varied body-mounted controls, you need to solely must dive into the menu on the odd event.

Autofocus

• Identical 693-point AF system because the Alpha A9
• 93% protection
• Focuses right down to -3EV 

It isn’t typically that you just see a producer take the AF system from its flagship digital camera and put it in a digital camera lower than half the worth, however that is precisely what Sony has performed with the Alpha A7 III.

The Alpha A7 III will get the identical, sensible, 693-point phase-detect AF system because the Alpha A9. An enormous step up from the fairly clunky 117-point system within the Alpha A7 II, this superior system gives a formidable 93% protection of the body, with an extra 425 contrast-detect factors to help focus; for good measure it could actually additionally focus in gentle ranges as little as -3EV.

The Alpha A7 III sports activities all kinds of AF modes, enabling you to make issues as easy or as superior as you want relying on the capturing scenario. 

As we discovered with the Alpha A9, with the  A7 III in steady AF mode and set to certainly one of its extra refined AF modes, equivalent to Lock-on: Versatile Spot M, the monitoring efficiency may be very spectacular. We’ll must do extra testing to see simply how good it’s, however for a digital camera at this worth level it’s extremely thrilling.

The Alpha A7 III additionally will get Sony’s newest Eye AF focusing mode. It is a nice function for portrait and social photographers, as with this activated the system will repeatedly observe and focus in your topic’s eye, even when they give the impression of being down or away from the digital camera momentarily.

Efficiency

• Burst capturing velocity doubled over A7 II
• New silent shutter mode
• Vastly improved battery life

Whereas the Alpha A7 II might shoot at a modest 5fps, the Sony Alpha A7 III doubles this charge to 10fps. That is thanks partly to the addition of the Entrance Finish LSI pre-processor, which has enabled Sony to spice up the efficiency of the Alpha A7 III in various areas.

Ought to it’s worthwhile to shoot discreetly or in quiet environments, the Alpha A7 III’s digital shutter helps silent capturing – and efficiency is not compromised, with the burst capturing velocity staying at 10fps.

The buffer capability on the Alpha A7 III has additionally been dramatically improved, from 52 photographs on the A7 II to 177 consecutive JPEGs on A7 III. Even when you are going to be capturing uncooked recordsdata, the Alpha A7 III’s skill to seize 89 compressed raws or 40 uncompressed raws should not go away a whole lot of photographers wanting at this worth level. 

Sony has are available for some stick up to now for its battery efficiency, however it seems to be like it could have turned a nook with the Alpha A7 III. The battery is rated for as much as 710 photographs, a giant enchancment over the 350 photographs of the Alpha A7 II, whereas the brand new digital camera additionally has the sting over the Alpha A9’s 480-shot battery life. 

Early verdict

The Sony Alpha A7 III is anticipated to be priced at round $2,000 / £2,000, which can make it very aggressive, though it’s a little bit of a hike in worth over the older mannequin (which can proceed in Sony’s lineup).

Once you have a look at the digital camera you get in your cash, it is exhausting to not be impressed. The complete-frame 24.2MP back-illuminated sensor reveals a whole lot of promise, and while you add 10fps burst capturing, a extremely refined 693-point AF system and the power to shoot uncropped 4K video, and the Alpha A7 III will certainly attraction to a whole lot of photographers on the lookout for a well-rounded and superior full-frame digital camera.