Sony A7R III vs Sony HX80 Comparison

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Sony A7R III

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

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Sony HX80

18 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Sony A7R III vs Sony HX80 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 HX80, which was introduced in March 2016 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 18.0MP 1/2.3" sensor. There is 20 months difference between A7R III and HX80 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger A7R III, especially in sensor tech.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R III and Sony HX80 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

Sony HX80 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-03-07

18MP - 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200 ( expands to 12800)

24-720 mm F3.5-6.4 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

Electronic viewfinder

10.0 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

245g. 102 x 58 x 36 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 Cyber-shot DSC-HX80

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R III and Sony HX80 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution	42 MP vs 18 MP	133% more pixels
Max ISO	32.000 vs 3.200	900% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution	1.440k dots vs 921k dots	56% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	650 shots vs 390 shots	260 more frames with a single charge
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 1.56µm²	1209% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±5 EV vs ±3 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Flash Sync Port	Yes vs No	Connect off-camera flash
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot	2 vs 1	Extra storage slot
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
Animal Eye AF Tracking	Yes vs No	Easily lock and track focus on animals
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

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 over Sony Alpha A7R III

Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Weight	245 g vs 657 g	412 g lighter

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen	Tilting vs Tilting	Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	42 MP vs 18 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 10.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
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 Cyber-shot DSC-HX80

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX80: 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 HX80 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 HX80 has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 36 mm (4.02 x 2.28 x 1.42″) and weighs 245 g (0.54 lb / 8.64 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony HX80. Sony HX80 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 25mm narrower, 38mm shorter and 38mm thinner than Sony A7R III. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony HX80 has a built-in lens but Sony A7R III doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7R III, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony HX80 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony HX80.

Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony HX80 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony HX80.

Top View Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony HX80 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony HX80 is significantly lighter (412g ) than the Sony A7R III which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A7R III, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7R III has a big advantage over HX80 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III and Sony HX80's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX80: 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 HX80 has a 18.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 24MP more than Sony HX80'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 HX80 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony HX80 Cameras

As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 30.7x Larger sensor area than Sony HX80. 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.

What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Sony HX80 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Sony HX80 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

EXCELLENT

Sony HX80 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

Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony HX80 for Street Photography

GOOD

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

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony HX80 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

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Wireless Connection
720 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.40
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony HX80 for Daily Photography

GOOD

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

Compact Body
245g
30.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Sony HX80 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

Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX80: 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 HX80, 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 Sony HX80 scores compare:

Sony A7R III

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #4 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #4 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony HX80

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #51 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #462 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony HX80 in all criteria except one: Portability. Sony HX80 is significantly smaller than Sony A7R III. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Sony HX80. Otherwise, Sony A7R III is the better camera overall.

Sony HX80 vs Sony A7R III Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Alpha A7R III	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80
Brand	Sony	Sony
Announced	2017-10-25	2016-03-07
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	Full frame	1/2.3"
Dimensions	35.9 x 24 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	861.60mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	42 megapixels	18 megapixels
Max Resolution	7952 x 5304	4896 x 3672
Max Native Light sensitivity	32,000 ISO	3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	102400 ISO	12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	80 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony E	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	no lens	24-720 mm (30x)
Max Aperture	no lens	F3.5-6.4
Macro Focus Range	no lens	5cm
Screen
Type	Tilting	Tilting
Size	3	3"
Resolution	1,440k dots	921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	3,686k dots	n/a
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.78x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/8000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	no built-in flash	5.40 m (with Auto ISO)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps	10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	657g	245g
Dimensions	127 x 96 x 74mm	102 x 58 x 36mm
Battery Life	650 shots	390 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
	Report a correction	Report a correction