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Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7 Comparison

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Sony A7R III

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R III
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Nikon Z7

46 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon Z7
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Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A7R III and Z7, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Nikon. Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Sony A7R III has a 42.0 MP and Nikon Z7 has a 46.0 MP resolution. Sony A7R III was introduced to market in October 2017 and Nikon Z7 was launched in August 2018. There is only 10 months difference between A7R III and Z7 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-10-25
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50-102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 657g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7R II Compare

Nikon Z7 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-08-23
  • 46MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 64 - 25600 ( expands to 32-102400)
  • Nikon Z Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2" Tilting Screen
  • 3690k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 9.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 675g. 134 x 101 x 68 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Sony A7R III was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Sony Alpha A7R III
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Nikon Z7

Nikon Z7 was replaced by Nikon Z7 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Z7 Mark II vs Nikon Z7
Nikon Z7 Mark II vs Sony Alpha A7R III

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Nikon Z7
Max ISO
32.000 vs 25.600 25% higher Max ISO
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 9.0fps 1 fps faster
Battery Life
650 shots vs 330 shots 320 more frames with a single charge
Weight
657 g vs 675 g 18 g lighter
Dynamic Range
14.7 vs 14.6 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3523 vs 2668 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
20.43µm2 vs 18.88µm2 8% larger pixel area
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Shutter Life Expectancy
500000 cycles vs 200000 cycles Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Min Focus Sensitivity
EV -3 vs EV -2 Autofocus in lower light
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
425 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject


Reasons to choose Nikon Z7 over Sony Alpha A7R III
Viewfinder Magnification
0.8x vs 0.78x Larger Viewfinder
Max Sensor Resolution
46 MP vs 42 MP 9% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
493 vs 425 68 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
2.100k dots vs 1.440k dots 45% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Resolution
3690k dot vs 3686.4k dot 0% higher resolution
Color Depth
26.3 vs 26.0 higher color depth
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Nikon Z7
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection
Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
42 MP vs 46 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size
3 vs 3.2" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.440k dots vs 2.100k dots High resolution screens
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 9.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Shutter Life Expectancy
500000 cycles vs 200000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Webcam Function
Yes vs Yes Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti_flicker
Yes vs Yes Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Nikon Z7
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7R III has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 74 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91″) and weighs 657 g (1.45 lb / 23.17 oz) (including batteries). Nikon Z7 has external dimensions of 134 x 101 x 68 mm (5.28 x 3.98 x 2.68″) and weighs 675 g (1.49 lb / 23.81 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7. Sony A7R III is 7mm narrower and 5mm shorter than Nikon Z7 but it is also 6mm thicker.

Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7.

Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7.
Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7R III is 18g lighter than the Nikon Z7 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
Z7
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
Z7
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7R III and Z7 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon Z7's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A7R III's 3 screen.

Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Nikon Z7 has a 46.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed 6 processor.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Nikon Z7 and Sony A7R III sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7R III and Z7 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 Cameras


Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A7R III has scored 100, 1 points higher than Z7.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7R III 100 26.0 bits 14.7 Evs 3523 ISO
Nikon Z7 99 26.3 bits 14.6 Evs 2668 ISO
Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A7R III has an advantage over Nikon Z7. There are 133 lenses for Sony A7R III's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 18 lenses for Nikon Z7's Nikon Z lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. A7R III's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Nikon Z7 Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 4 (3 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 19 (10 Full Frame) 3 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 2 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 44 (28 Full Frame) 4 (4 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 2 (1 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 19 (15 Full Frame) 2 (2 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 9 (2 Full Frame) 1 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) n/a
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) n/a
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 133 (86 Full Frame) 18 (16 Full Frame)


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM
24 - 70mm 886gr 1543gr 136mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S Lens Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S
24 - 70mm 805gr 1480gr 126mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS
70 - 200mm 1480gr 2137gr 200mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200 F2.8 VR S Lens Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200 F2.8 VR S
70 - 200mm 1440gr 2115gr 220mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 50mm F1.4 Lens Sony FE 50mm F1.4
50mm 778gr 1435gr 108mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S Lens Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S
50mm 415gr 1090gr 87mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
16 - 35mm 680gr 1337gr 122mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S Lens Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S
14 - 30mm 485gr 1160gr 85mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Lens Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
24 - 105mm 663gr 1320gr 113mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR Lens Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR
24 - 200mm 570gr 1245gr 114mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
100 - 400mm 1395gr 2052gr 205mm Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR Lens Nikon Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR
75 - 375mm 405gr 1080gr 110mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A7R III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z7 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 46.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon Z7 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z7 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
425 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
493 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Anti Flicker feature
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon Z7 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Anti Flicker feature
Medium size Body
675g
Body Thickness 68mm
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Nikon Z7 for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 46.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A7R III and Nikon Z7 scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #6 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Nikon Z7
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #10 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #12 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon Z7 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Nikon Z7
Nikon Z7
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Nikon Z7 vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Nikon Z7
Brand Sony Nikon
Announced 2017-10-25 2018-08-23
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 35.9 x 23.9 mm
Area 861.60mm2 858.01mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 46 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 8256 x 5504
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 64 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO 32 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 425 493
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Nikon Z
Number of Available Lenses 133 18
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3.2"
Resolution 1,440k dots 2,100k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots 3,690k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.8x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 9.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 675g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 134 x 101 x 68mm
Battery Life 650 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 99
DxO Color Depth 26.0 26.3
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 14.6
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 2668
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