Sony A7S III Review

Main Features

12MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 102400( expands to 50-409600)

5-axis Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3 Fully articulated Screen

9440k dot Electronic viewfinder

10.0 fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video

10-bit 4:2:2 Video recording

240 fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

699g. 129 x 97 x 81 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Sony A7S II

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Sony A7S III Overview

Sony A7S III Review - Editor's Note

First introduced in July 2020 , Sony Alpha A7S III is a 12.0MP Pro Mirrorless camera with a Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor. Sony replaced the older A7S II with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:
Compare Sony Alpha A7S III vs Sony A7S II

Sony A7S III Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Sony A7S III is the latest member of Sony's A7S series of cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this series and how their main specs have changed with each new version.

Sony A7S Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Sony A7S III	2020	12.0MP - Full frame	10.0 fps	129 x 97 x 81mm	699g
Sony A7S II Compare	2015	12.0MP - Full frame	5.0 fps	127 x 96 x 60mm	627g
Sony A7S Compare	2014	12.0MP - Full frame	5.0 fps	127 x 94 x 48mm	489g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series:
Sony A7S III vs A7S II vs A7S

Sony A7S III has an Overall Score of 90/100 and ranked #11 out of 204 in Mirrorless cameras (Top 10 Mirrorless), and ranked #10 out of 1212 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Sony A7S III Type Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras

Sony A7S III Compared to other Mirrorless Cameras

Now let's get in to more details of our Sony A7S III review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi)

Bluetooth Connectivity

NFC Connectivity

5-axis Image Stabilization

Articulating Screen

4K (UHD) Video

10-bit 4:2:2 Video recording

Touch Screen

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

102.400 Max ISO

759 Focus Points

1.440k dots LCD Resolution

1/8000s High Shutter Speed

Digital video stabilization

10.0fps Shooting w/ Mechanical Shutter

Long Battery Life (600 shots)

External Microphone Port

External Headphone Port

Environmental Sealing

Timelapse with optional downloadable app

9440kdot Viewfinder Resolution

0.91x magnification - Large Viewfinder

Good Low Light ISO - 2993

2 Storage Slots

240 fps High Speed Video

Wide AE Bracketing Range: ±5 EV

Flash Sync Port

Selfie Friendly LCD Screen

Dual-axis Electronic Level

Remote control with a smartphone

EV -6 Focus Sensitivity

High Video bit rate of 500mbps

Real time Animal Eye AF

Compatible with fast UHS-II cards

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Buy Sony A7S III from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

Low Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Heavy Body: 699g

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Sony A7S III Lens Mount and Lenses

Sony A7S III has a Sony E (NEX) lens mount and currently there are 122 native lenses available for this mount. Sony keeps on adding new lenses to its E and FE mount selection and third party lens manufacturers also offer lot of good options. Thanks to its very short flange focal distance, choices of adapting lenses from other mounts are almost limitless. Sony also sells an adapter (Sony LA-EA4) which lets A mount lenses to be used with functionality including AF with E mount cameras.Metabones and Fotodiox also offers adapters which makes use of full range of Canon EF lenses with Auto Focus on E mount cameras.

A7S III also has a Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on A7S III. Sony claims that the image stabilization of A7S III is effective up to 5.5 stops. Sensor based image stabilization is one of the most useful features that you can have in an ILC. There are also 47 lenses with weather sealing for A7S III that you can couple with its weather sealed body.

Here are some of the most popular Sony A7S III Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Sony E (NEX) Mount Lenses for Sony A7S III

Model	Focal Length on A7S III	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Sony FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS	24-240mm	35mm FF	780gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T	24-70mm	35mm FF	426gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS	70-200mm	35mm FF	840gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T	35mm	35mm FF	120gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS	70-300mm	35mm FF	854gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 50mm F1.8	50mm	35mm FF	186gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS	28-70mm	35mm FF	426gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS	90mm	35mm FF	602gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Check our Sony A7S III Lenses page or use our Smart Lens Finder tool for more detailed lens search.

Sony A7S III Sensor and Photography Features

Sony A7S III has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz XR processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4240 x 2832 pixels with aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9. A7S III has a native ISO range of 80 - 102400 which can be boosted to 50-409600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Sony A7S III is not the highest resolution Full frame camera. Sony A7R IV with its 61.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Sony A7S III vs Sony A7R IV or take a look at Highest resolution Mirrorless cameras list.

Let's look at how the size of the Sony A7S III's Full frame sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Sony A7S III Physical Specs

Sony A7S III weighs 699 g (1.54 lb / 24.66 oz) and has external dimensions of 129 x 97 x 81 mm (5.08 x 3.82 x 3.19″). Considering that the average weight of Mirrorless type cameras is 435g, Sony A7S III is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 81mm, it is not small either, 31mm thicker than the average of its class.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

Sony A7S III

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Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

Sony A7S III

Min

Average

Max

Here is the front and top view image of Sony A7S III with the dimensions:

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Sony A7S III with its main competitors:

Sony A7S III Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs A7S III	Thickness	vs A7S III
Sony A7 III Compare	650g	49g lighter	74mm	7mm thinner
Canon R5 Compare	738g	39g heavier	88mm	7mm thicker
Sony A7R IV Compare	665g	34g lighter	78mm	3mm thinner
Sony A7S II Compare	627g	72g lighter	60mm	21mm thinner
Canon R6 Compare	680g	19g lighter	88mm	7mm thicker
Sony A7R III Compare	657g	42g lighter	74mm	7mm thinner
Fujifilm X-T4 Compare	607g	92g lighter	64mm	17mm thinner
Panasonic S1H Compare	1052g	353g heavier	110mm	29mm thicker

Weather Sealing

Sony A7S III has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera, providing resistance against the water and dust getting in to the camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Sony A7S III will serve you well. If you attach one of these Sony A7S III weather Sealed lenses to your camera, you will have a great all weather kit.

Sony A7S III LCD and Viewfinder

Sony A7S III has a Fully articulated 3 LCD screen with a resolution of 1,440k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

LCD is Touch screen type, so you can change the settings and set the focus point with your fingertips. For those of you who loves shooting selfies, self or group photos, Sony A7S III will make your life easier with its Selfie friendly screen. Another group of users who will take advantage of A7S III's LCD screen is Vloggers.

A7S III has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. The viewfinder has a resolution of 9,440kdots and coverage of 100%. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later. The magnification ratio of the viewfinder is 0.91x (35mm equivalent).

Sony A7S III Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Sony A7S III features built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( 802.11b/g/n with NFC) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection. With its NFC feature, A7S III can communicate with devices such as smartphones which are also equipped with this technology by simply touching each other.Sony A7S III's Bluetooth connectivity feature comes handy for connecting other devices that supports it. One other feature that we like is the ability to use our smartphone as a remote to control our A7S III. You can change camera settings, release shutter, view LCD screen and tranfer files using remote control app.

You can connect A7S III to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) port.

Battery

Sony A7S III is powered by battery which provides a shooting life of 600 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Mirrorless type cameras is 366 shots, Sony A7S III has a good battery life for its class.

Battery Life Comparison in Pro Mirrorless Cameras

Sony A7S III

Min

Average

Max

Olympus E-M1X with its 870shots is the model with longest battery life among Pro Mirrorless cameras. Check the comparison of Sony A7S III vs Olympus E-M1X or take a look at Longest Battery Life Mirrorless cameras list.

Sony A7S III Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Sony A7 III Compare	3840 x 2160	610shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Canon R5 Compare	8192 x 4320	320shots	Yes	Yes	No
Sony A7R IV Compare	3840 x 2160	670shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sony A7S II Compare	3840 x 2160	370shots	Yes	No	Yes
Canon R6 Compare	3840 x 2160	360shots	Yes	Yes	No
Sony A7R III Compare	3840 x 2160	650shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fujifilm X-T4 Compare	4096 x 2160	500shots	Yes	Yes	No
Panasonic S1H Compare	5952 x 3988	400shots	Yes	Yes	No

Sony A7S III Video Features

With Sony A7S III, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 120p, 60p, 50p,30p,25p,24p fps with bit rates up to 500 mbps and save in MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-1, H.264 and H.265 formats. This means that Sony A7S III provides 4K (Ultra-HD) video. Except some exotic 6K and 8K video recording cameras, 4K is the new standard in consumer video world.

A7S III also a high speed mode where it captures videos at 240 fps for ultra slow motion videos. A7S III has a built-in Stereo microphone and a Mono speaker. Sony A7S III also has a port for an external microphone and a headphone port for connecting external headphones which make Sony A7S III a very suitable camera high quality videography.

Sony A7S III also features an Digital Video Stabilization mode where videos are stabilized in-camera while you are shooting. Keep in mind that this effect may crop your videos a little bit and doesn't help stabilizing still images. This kind of video stabilization effect can be replicated by using some of the advanced video editing softwares in your PC.

Sony A7S III Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Sony A7S III can shoot continuously at max speed of 10.0 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/8000 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately A7S III doesn't have a built-in flash but it has a flash shoe for mounting external flashes.

Focusing

Sony A7S III features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 759 points to choose from.

Sony A7S III also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically. In addition to the face detect AF, A7S III has a more sophisticated feature called Eye Tracking AF which detects and locks focus to the selected eye of the person in the frame accurately and tracks as the subject moves. Eye tracking AF of Sony A7S III is a perfect feature for shooting portraits and is especially useful when fast lenses are used and the depth of field is very narrow.

What type of Photography is Sony A7S III Good for?

In this section, we review and score Sony A7S III in 5 different photography areas.

Sony A7S III for Portrait Photography

Sony A7S III has a score of 76 for Portrait Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Portrait Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7S III for Portrait Photography

Sony A7S III for Street Photography

Sony A7S III has a score of 99 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully articulated LCD Screen

Image Stabilization
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7S III for Street Photography

Sony A7S III for Sports Photography

Sony A7S III has a score of 76 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Mirrorless Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
759 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 600 shots

Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7S III for Sports Photography

Sony A7S III for Daily Photography

Sony A7S III has a score of 89 for Daily Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Environmental Sealings
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body

699g
Body Thickness 81mm

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7S III for Daily Photography

Sony A7S III for Landscape Photography

Sony A7S III has a score of 43 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Mirrorless Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Live-view
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor

Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Sony A7S III for Landscape Photography

Sony A7S III Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Sony A7S III compares with other Mirrorless cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of A7S III and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.

Read a more detailed analysis of Sony A7S III alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Sony A7S III

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Sony A7S III amongst Camera Decision readers.

Sony A7 III

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Canon R5

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Sony A7R IV

Compare

Sony A7S II

Compare

Canon R6

Compare

Sony A7R III

Compare

Fujifilm X-T4

Compare

Panasonic S1H

Compare

Sony A7S III Alternatives in DSLR Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Sony A7S III with DSLR Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked DSLR cameras in Sony A7S III's price range.

Nikon D850

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Sony A99 II

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Pentax K-1

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Nikon D780

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Pentax K-1 II

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Nikon D750

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Nikon D810

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Nikon D810A

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Frequently Asked Questions about Sony A7S III

Does the Sony A7S III have Image Stabilization?
Does the Sony A7S III have RAW support?
Does the Sony A7S III have Weather Sealing?
Does the Sony A7S III have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Sony A7S III?
What is the Sensor Size of Sony A7S III?
is the Sony A7S III a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Sony A7S III have Touch Screen?
Does the Sony A7S III have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Sony A7S III?

Sony Alpha A7S III Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Sony
Model	Sony Alpha A7S III
Announced	2020-07-21
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony E (NEX)
Number of Lenses	122
Focal Length Multiplier	1x
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fully articulated
Screen Size	3
Screen Resolution	1,440k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	9,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.91
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/8000s
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	no built-in flash
Flash Modes	no built-in flash
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	85
DxO Color Depth	23.6
DxO Dynamic Range	13.3
DxO Low Light ISO	2993
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Sensor
Sensor Type	BSI-CMOS
Sensor Size	Full frame
Sensor Dimensions	35.6 x 23.8 mm
Sensor Area	847.28mm²
Sensor Resolution	12 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4240 x 2832
Max Native ISO	102,400
Max Boosted ISO	409600
Min Native ISO	80
Min Boosted ISO	50
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	759
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	3840 x 2160 @ 120p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 100p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 100p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-1, H.264, H.265
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In
HDMI
USB	USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	699g
Physical Dimensions	129 x 97 x 81mm
Battery Life	600 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	NP-FZ100
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Timelapse Recording	With downloadable app
GPS	None
Storage Type	Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots
Storage Slots	2