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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

Sony A7R III
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Sony HX80

18 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony HX80
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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
  • 3.00" 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 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
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps 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.


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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 922k 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
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
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
425 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
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 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
CHECK HX80 PRICE

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.

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX80 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
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.

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX80 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
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.
Sony A7R III vs Sony HX80 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
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 3.00".

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.

Sony A7R III vs Sony 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

GOOD

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 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 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 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 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 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 HX80 scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #11 out of 101 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #11 out of 1243 in all Cameras
Sony HX80
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #73 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #536 out of 1243 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 A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Sony HX80
Sony HX80
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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 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,440k dots 922k 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
Built-in 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 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, 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
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