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Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1 Comparison

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Camera to replace
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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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Sony QX1

20 MP | APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony QX1
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Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Sony cameras cameras with different body types: Sony A7R III, which was introduced in October 2017 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 42.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Sony QX1, which was introduced in September 2014 is a Lens-style camera with a 20.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, QX1 is 3 years older than A7R III. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 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
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps 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 A7R II Compare

Sony QX1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-09-03
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • Sony E (NEX) Mount
  • " Fixed Type Screen
  • 4.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 216g. 74 x 70 x 53 mm

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 Sony Alpha QX1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Sony Alpha QX1
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Sensor Resolution
42 MP vs 20 MP 110% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 16.000 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 25 400 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3″ vs 3 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 4.0fps 6 fps faster
Battery Life
650 shots vs 440 shots 210 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
20.43µm2 vs 18.03µm2 13% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (169. 6) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A7R III PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha QX1 over Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
216 g vs 657 g 441 g lighter
CHECK QX1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Sony Alpha QX1
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
42 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution
1.440k dots vs 0k dots High resolution screens
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Sony Alpha QX1
LCD Screen Size
" vs " Small display
Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1: 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 Sony QX1 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). Sony QX1 has external dimensions of 74 x 70 x 53 mm (2.91 x 2.76 x 2.09″) and weighs 216 g (0.48 lb / 7.62 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony QX1. Sony QX1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 53mm narrower, 26mm shorter and 21mm thinner than Sony A7R III.

Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony QX1.

Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony QX1.
Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony QX1 is significantly lighter (441g ) than the Sony A7R III which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 Sony A7R III has a Full frame sensor and Sony QX1 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Sony QX1's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7R III lenses.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

A7R III
QX1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

A7R III
QX1
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7R III has a big advantage over QX1 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony QX1's screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Sony A7R III LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Sony QX1 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7R III.
Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1: 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, Sony QX1 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 22MP more than Sony QX1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R III's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. 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 QX1 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 2.4x Larger sensor area than Sony QX1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Both Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 have 184 native lenses available but be careful that since Sony A7R III has a full frame sensor, only 125 of these lenses can cover the full frame sensor of A7R III.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A7R III has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. A7R III's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Sony QX1 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 36 lenses for Sony E (NEX) mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Sony QX1 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 (13 Full Frame) 18
Standard Prime 32 (18 Full Frame) 32
Wideangle Zoom 12 (10 Full Frame) 12
Wideangle Prime 57 (39 Full Frame) 57
Telephoto Zoom 15 (13 Full Frame) 15
Telephoto Prime 26 (20 Full Frame) 26
SuperZoom 10 (2 Full Frame) 10
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 2
Macro Prime 9 (8 Full Frame) 9
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 184 (125 Full Frame) 184


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 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
Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G Lens Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G
24 - 82.5mm 494gr 710gr 100mm 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 Lens Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM
70 - 200mm 1480gr 2137gr 200mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Lens Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
82.5 - 315mm 345gr 561gr 108mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA Lens Sony Zeiss FE 50mm F1.4 ZA
50mm 778gr 1435gr 108mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS Lens Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS
52.5mm 155gr 371gr 45mm 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
Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS Lens Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS
15 - 27mm 225gr 441gr 64mm 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
Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS Lens Sony E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS
24 - 105mm 308gr 524gr 75mm 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
Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS Lens Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
105 - 525mm 625gr 841gr 142mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Sony QX1 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

Sony QX1 for Portrait Photography

POOR
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 APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony QX1 for Street Photography

POOR
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 APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony QX1 for Sports Photography

POOR
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
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony QX1 for Daily Photography

POOR
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 APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
216g
Body Thickness 53mm
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Sony QX1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Sony QX1: 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 Sony QX1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 Sony QX1 scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #11 out of 102 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #11 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Sony QX1
This camera is not rated yet!

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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CHECK PRICE

Sony QX1
Sony QX1
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Sony QX1 vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Sony Alpha QX1
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2017-10-25 2014-09-03
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Lens-style
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame APS-C
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 23.2 x 15.4 mm
Area 861.60mm2 357.28mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 5456 x 3632
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 16,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 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 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Sony E (NEX)
Number of Available Lenses 184 184
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" "
Resolution 1,440k dots 0k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 4.00 m (at ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 4.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 216g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 74 x 70 x 53mm
Battery Life 650 shots 440 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 not tested
DxO Color Depth 26.0 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 not tested
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