The $2,000 Sony a7 III vs. the $3,200 Sony a7R III: Here’s the Difference

Portrait photographer Manny Ortiz recently got his hands on the newly-announced Sony a7 III full-frame mirrorless camera, allowing him to compare the $2,000 camera to his $3,200 Sony a7R III. Here’s a 6-minute video in which he compares the cameras and discusses the strengths of each one.

“The experience of shooting in the real world, there was no difference than when I was shooting with my Sony a7R III, in autofocus performance, in everything,” Ortiz says.

Here are the pros of each system mentioned by Ortiz in the video:

Reasons for a7 III over a7R III

#1. Price. You save $1,200.

#2. Workflow. If you don’t need the extra resolution, the 24MP files will be faster to work with and cheaper to store.

#3. Low Light. Ortiz concluded that the a7 III performs slightly better in low light, with less noise in the photos.

#4. Autofocus. The a7 III features 693 AF points with 93% viewfinder coverage compared to the 399 points and 68% coverage of the a7R III. But “in the real world, I didn’t notice any difference,” Ortiz notes.

Reasons for a7R III over a7 III

#1. Viewfinder. The a7R III has a better electronic viewfinder with a faster refresh rate.

#2. Pixel Shift. The a7R III can combine pixel-shifted shots for ultra-resolution photos.

#3. Resolution. The a7R III captures 42-megapixel photos compared to the 24MP of the a7 III.

#4. Sharpness. The a7R III leaves out the low-pass filter, which provides increased sharpness. The a7 III uses the filter to reduce moiré patterns.

In the end, if you need the highest resolution and don’t mind paying extra for it, the a7R III is probably still the camera for you. But if you’re okay with 24 megapixels, the a7 III is a formidable camera that can leave you a chunk of money for other equipment.