How Does the Sony a7 III Compare Almost Three Years After It Was First Announced?

A lot has changed since Sony announced the a7 III back in February 2018 with competitors offering solid competition to what is arguably one of the most influential mirrorless cameras ever made. Given its current price, how much value does it offer in today’s market?

Dan Watson gives his thoughts on where the a7 III still shines and where it falls short. Right now it’s available for $1,698, the best price since it hit the market and still offering an excellent range of specifications for the money.

For anyone investing in their first full frame camera, the a7 III is arguably the best choice for anyone on a tight budget simply because of the vast array of third party lenses available. You can check out my list of the best 12 prime lenses for Sony, and that's before you dig into the wealth of zoom options available from the likes of Sigma and Tamron.

My a7 III is still going strong and while I continue to love its compact size and fantastic raw files, there’s nothing refined about the shooting experience — definitely an area where Sony decided to save some money when cramming in so many features.

How do you think it compares to the recent offerings from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, and Fujifilm? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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11 Comments

While I have not seen the video, I will only say that the A7lll continues to be my favorite camera. I also own an A7R4, Fuji XT-3, X100V, A6400, A6500. I can't imagine what I am missing.

Still one of the best. But I don't wanna deal with their dust sealing living in the desert.

Still in love with my A7II (!)

Not a fan of sony cameras - I tried a A7III too iPhone like for me... but the lens point does resonate with me. Got out of Nikon mirrorless for that reason.

"too iPhone like for me" What does that even mean?

Means it feels more like a iPhone than a camera..... ok an iPhone with an auxiliary lens

I haven't had the privilege of trying the EOS R6, but I ended up buying an A7 III recently. I feel weird talking about "savings" with cameras this expensive, but the savings vs the R6 covered the price of an 35mm and 85mm lenses for me, which is nothing to sneeze at. There's also a part of me that figures if it took Sony's competitors 3 years to catch up to their entry level full frame camera, Sony's next generation might be even better, so might as well buy into their system.

When buying a camera there’s lots to consider. Either camera you buy (canon, Panasonic, Nikon, sony) you’ll get brilliant results. You can’t argue that. However, whether you’re a hobbyist or pro, you’re looking for value. Whether you’re on a tight budget, or you’re wanting to add 6-10 lenses to your arsenal, you need the best bang for the buck. It’s tough to argue against Sony giving you the best bang for the buck. $1700 for a camera with this much of a punch? Do you need more? And the lenses aren’t that expensive. Have you seen how much Canon charges for their glass? There are sooo many options for e-mount glass right now, including plenty of pretty good third party options. I recently finally decided to jump on full frame and purchased the A7C, which is essentially an a7iii in a smaller body. I’ve had a6xxx series for several years, loving the smaller bodies. I love this a7c, it’s amazing. So quick, stunning images, and so compact. I doubt another camera right now could bring me more joy. But to each their own. There’s always someone who’s going to feel brand loyal to another brand and will find negative things to say about sony.

It compares like a piece of sh1t to normal cameras from nikon and canon. Absence of ergonomics and reliability just puts sony's put of the market.

Once you have learned the most important
fundamentals of the Sony a7iii it is a fantastic camera and hard to beat!

What does that mean? Think before you post