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Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III

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Sony A7R IV

61 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R IV
$3498.00

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Sony A7R III

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

Sony A7R III
$2498.00

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A7R IV and A7R III, two Pro Mirrorless cameras by Sony. Sony A7R IV was introduced to market in July 2019 and Sony A7R III was launched in October 2017. As you can see, A7R III is 2 years older than A7R IV. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Sony A7R IV has a 61.0 MP and Sony A7R III has a 42.0 MP resolution. We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Pro Mirrorless cameras. Out of 41 cameras in this class, Sony A7R IV is ranked #2 with an overall score of 98 and Sony A7R III is ranked #8 with an overall score of 92.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R IV and Sony A7R III before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R IV Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-07-16
  • 61MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50-102800)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 5760k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 665g. 129 x 96 x 78 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha A7R III Compare

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
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 657g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha 7R II Compare

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

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R IV over Sony Alpha A7R III
Max Sensor Resolution 61 MP vs 42 MP 45% more pixels
Number of Focus Points 567 vs 425 142 more focus points
Battery Life 670 shots vs 650 shots 20 more frames with a single charge
Viewfinder Resolution 5760k dot vs 3686.4k dot 56% higher resolution
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes (241.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Sony Alpha A7R IV
Weight 657 g vs 665 g 8 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area 20.43µm2 vs 14.15µm2 44% larger pixel area
Autofocus at f/8 aperture 0 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R IV and Sony Alpha A7R III
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 All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes 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 61 MP vs 42 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution 1.440k dots vs 1.440k dots Higher resolution screens
Continuous Shooting 10.0fps vs 10.0fps 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
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
NFC Connection Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Shutter Life Expectancy 500000 cycles vs 500000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Dual-axis Electronic Level Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-II vs UHS-II Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R IV and Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III: 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 IV and Sony A7R III side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R IV and Sony A7R III.

Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III Camera Size Comparison - Front View


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

Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III Camera Size Comparison - Back View

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

Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7R III is 8g lighter than the Sony A7R IV 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 IV and Sony A7R III 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 IV
A7R III
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R IV
A7R III
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

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

LCD Screen Size and Features

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

Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R IV has a 61.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Sony A7R IV's sensor provides 19MP more than Sony A7R III'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 similarity between these two cameras is that both Sony A7R III and Sony A7R IV 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 IV and A7R III sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III Sensor Size Comparison


Sony A7R IV and Sony A7R III 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.

What types of Photography are Sony A7R IV and Sony A7R III Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R IV and Sony A7R III 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 IV for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R III for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 61.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
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

Sony A7R IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 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 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Sony A7R IV for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
567 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 670 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
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

Sony A7R IV for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
665g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details

Sony A7R IV for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 61.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


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

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. In this case, both Sony A7R IV and Sony A7R III have the same Sony E lens mount so have 115 native lenses available. But be careful that only 71 of these lenses can cover the full frame sensors of these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A7R IV and Sony A7R III has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R IV Lenses # of Sony A7R III Lenses
Standard Zoom 10 (7 Full Frame) 10 (7 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 17 (8 Full Frame) 17 (8 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 6 (5 Full Frame) 6 (5 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 37 (22 Full Frame) 37 (22 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 9 (7 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 16 (12 Full Frame) 16 (12 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 8 (1 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 2 (0 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 8 (7 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 2 (2 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 115 (71 Full Frame) 115 (71 Full Frame)
Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III: 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 IV and Sony A7R III, 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 IV and Sony A7R III scores compare:

Sony A7R IV
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 68 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #2 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 68 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #7 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Sony A7R IV has a higher Overall Score thanks to its better image quality and more features compared to Sony A7R III. On the other hand the Sony A7R III beats Sony A7R IV in two significant areas: Value for Money and Compactness.

If you are a price conscious buyer and looking for a small and relatively low priced camera where you can take everywhere with you, Sony A7R III is the right choice for you.
If you are after the better photographic performance with all the advanced features, definitely get the Sony A7R IV

Sony A7R IV
Sony A7R IV
$3498.00

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
$2498.00

Sony A7R III vs Sony A7R IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R IV Sony Alpha A7R III
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2019-07-16 2017-10-25
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.8 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 852.04mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 61 megapixels 42 megapixels
Max Resolution 9504 x 6336 7952 x 5304
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 32,000 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102800 ISO 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO 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 567 425
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Sony E
Number of Available Lenses 115 115
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3
Resolution 1,440k dots 1,440k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 5,760k dots 3,686k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78 0.78
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 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 1/250s no built-in flash
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 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, XAVC S, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 665g 657g
Dimensions 129 x 96 x 78mm 127 x 96 x 74mm
Battery Life 670 shots 650 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 100
DxO Color Depth not tested 26.0
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 14.7
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 3523
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