Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)

The apple of my eye 😍 Quick and efficient, my travel companion. I will tell you a secret of 3 camera brands. The Nikon has a cool, blue hue. The warm, orange Canon. The Sony has the perfect color balance, a little oversaturated with top notch dynamic range, perfect quality between highlights and lowlights. Ergonomic, light. You will remember me after a hard day at work. Sony hasn’t just improved one or two aspects of its A7S series; with the new A7S III, it’s made an across-the-board set of upgrades that result in a camera that's the best of its kind. It handles beautifully for video thanks to its articulating screen and touch display, while a full-sized HDMI port and excellent IBIS head the list of other treats. It’s significantly dearer than the A7S II was when ... MoreThe apple of my eye 😍 Quick and efficient, my travel companion. I will tell you a secret of 3 camera brands. The Nikon has a cool, blue hue. The warm, orange Canon. The Sony has the perfect color balance, a little oversaturated with top notch dynamic range, perfect quality between highlights and lowlights. Ergonomic, light. You will remember me after a hard day at work. Sony hasn’t just improved one or two aspects of its A7S series; with the new A7S III, it’s made an across-the-board set of upgrades that result in a camera that's the best of its kind. It handles beautifully for video thanks to its articulating screen and touch display, while a full-sized HDMI port and excellent IBIS head the list of other treats. It’s significantly dearer than the A7S II was when it launched, but if you’re a videographer in need of big physical pixels and excellent low-light performance, this is as good as it gets.

Best camera I have ever owned in my life

I became the photographer for the 55KRC Listener Lunches in Cincinnati.On a whim, I purchased this camera at B & H in August of 2019. I take pictures of people enjoying lunch and talking and socializing over drinks and lunch in rather dark bar/restaurants. I don't use flash, I use eye auto-focus and with the 5 axis sensor stability turned on, I take pictures at shutter speeds as low as 1/5second sometimes and the pictures come out almost pin sharp. When I take low light pictures at 1/30th to 1/60th second, they are pin sharp. I use an ISO sensitivity of 8000 and when I publish them on Facebook, there is no grain at all. You can see my handy work on Facebook just by searching 55KRC Listener Lunch. The pictures a so good that everybody gushes over them. I have ... MoreI became the photographer for the 55KRC Listener Lunches in Cincinnati.On a whim, I purchased this camera at B & H in August of 2019. I take pictures of people enjoying lunch and talking and socializing over drinks and lunch in rather dark bar/restaurants. I don't use flash, I use eye auto-focus and with the 5 axis sensor stability turned on, I take pictures at shutter speeds as low as 1/5second sometimes and the pictures come out almost pin sharp. When I take low light pictures at 1/30th to 1/60th second, they are pin sharp. I use an ISO sensitivity of 8000 and when I publish them on Facebook, there is no grain at all. You can see my handy work on Facebook just by searching 55KRC Listener Lunch. The pictures a so good that everybody gushes over them. I have owned this camera for 2 years now and it has given me so much pleasure. I found learning curve for this camera to be a little steep but then I hadn't owned such a sophisticated camera before.

First High End Camera

Coming from an android phone user, I have been comfortable enough to take pictures with the ease of use of camera phones when I go hiking and traveling throughout my military career. After using actual photo editing software and realizing the difference in megapixels that I was lacking with my camera phone to an actual high end camera, I realized I needed something more robust and professional to what I wanted to do. My passion is landscape photography and this camera doesn't disappoint. The level of detail that you get after cropping the photo is breathtaking. I love the fact that I can also crop a photo to fit the narrative and style of composition that I want after taking a second look at the photo on a big screen monitor. I have tried the Canon 80D previously ... MoreComing from an android phone user, I have been comfortable enough to take pictures with the ease of use of camera phones when I go hiking and traveling throughout my military career. After using actual photo editing software and realizing the difference in megapixels that I was lacking with my camera phone to an actual high end camera, I realized I needed something more robust and professional to what I wanted to do. My passion is landscape photography and this camera doesn't disappoint. The level of detail that you get after cropping the photo is breathtaking. I love the fact that I can also crop a photo to fit the narrative and style of composition that I want after taking a second look at the photo on a big screen monitor. I have tried the Canon 80D previously and still wasn't impressed by the quality of the photo that I was looking for. 42 megapixel is plenty of what I wanted and being able to zoom into photos and not lose sharpness is great especially with landscape photography. One thing that I wish was different is the grip system and would have loved to get the Sony a7IV for that but the price and package that B&H provided for this camera when I bought it is something I could not pass up. I got a 42 megapixel camera $400 cheaper than a 33 megapixel camera. To also include a 16-35mm f/2.8 lens, messenger bag, extra battery and SD card for $4,700 is something you won't be able to find anywhere else unless you look for used equipment. Even then, used/new on B&H is only a $200-$300 difference. This camera kit has definitely made me happy and would recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for more sharpness in their pictures and the satisfaction to know that you have bought into a great ecosystem for your photographic needs.

Great Camera

This camera is more than I will ever need. I was looking to get a mirrorless camera and get more into photography and was debating between the A7R 3 and A7 3. I am very much an amateur when it comes to this stuff, so I had to watch a bunch of YouTube videos to figure out exactly what I was getting in to. The reason I chose the R over the non R is the nicer display on the back, the additional custom setting button, and a few other small things that I felt I would notice when using the camera regularly. Not to mention the higher megapixels. One thing I will note - if you are using an older computer with integrated graphics and you want to edit the full resolution photos in Lightroom, your laptop might run pretty slow and get hot in the process. I had an entry-level ... MoreThis camera is more than I will ever need. I was looking to get a mirrorless camera and get more into photography and was debating between the A7R 3 and A7 3. I am very much an amateur when it comes to this stuff, so I had to watch a bunch of YouTube videos to figure out exactly what I was getting in to. The reason I chose the R over the non R is the nicer display on the back, the additional custom setting button, and a few other small things that I felt I would notice when using the camera regularly. Not to mention the higher megapixels. One thing I will note - if you are using an older computer with integrated graphics and you want to edit the full resolution photos in Lightroom, your laptop might run pretty slow and get hot in the process. I had an entry-level Surface Book from 2016 and it definitely took forever to render the RAW 42 megapixel photos. I couldn't tolerate it anymore so I broke down and upgraded my laptop to a Dell XPS 15 9500.

Great Upgrade from A7RII

5 years ago I bought the Sony A7rII and have been using it since then. While it produced great images, the focus system was very poor. It was very easy to be me frustrated with that camera.I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to the A7Riiia when it was on sale and have been really impressed. My daughter has the 7IV and that focus system is excellent, but the a7RiiiA isn't too far behind. The image quality is superb, and the features and buttons make this very easy to use. The eye af for humans and animals works well and makes portrait photography much easier. Clearly this camera excels at landscape photography. It's light, IQ is high and it's easy to always have with you on a hike.I'm happy with this camera for my semi pro and personal needs.

Great upgrade from Sony A7Rii

I've been using the A7rii for the past 4-5 years and while it makes excellent images it certainly has its drawbacks. The main problem is that the focus system is slow and relatively inaccurate.I purchased an A7IV for my daughter as a graduation present from college (BA Journalism) and it really exposed how much I was missing with the R2. I rented an Riiia and while not quite as good as the A7IV, it is a dramatic improvement. I'm glad as my photography is primarily landscapes, portraits and street scenes and I really like having 42mp for the large size prints I make.I've found the colors a better in the a7riii as well as it seems to handle higher iso better too. I realize the a7riii is close to 5 years old, but it is really an excellent camera-not that far off of ... MoreI've been using the A7rii for the past 4-5 years and while it makes excellent images it certainly has its drawbacks. The main problem is that the focus system is slow and relatively inaccurate.I purchased an A7IV for my daughter as a graduation present from college (BA Journalism) and it really exposed how much I was missing with the R2. I rented an Riiia and while not quite as good as the A7IV, it is a dramatic improvement. I'm glad as my photography is primarily landscapes, portraits and street scenes and I really like having 42mp for the large size prints I make.I've found the colors a better in the a7riii as well as it seems to handle higher iso better too. I realize the a7riii is close to 5 years old, but it is really an excellent camera-not that far off of current 2022 versions.Needless to say, the image quality of the riii is impeccable and has been a pleasure to use.

Great value/price ratio

The last Minolta/Sony camera I bought was Dynax 7 and I have since used Nikon D90 and had several lenses with it. So when I was going to upgrade/update my gear, I naturally was looking at Nikon's Z series, specifically the Z6ii, in the hope that I could use those lenses. However, I was impressed by A7 III bought by a family member and started to rethink my options, especially over the price tags; the entry level Z5 costs as much as a7iii. I finally pulled the trigger when I saw an EDU special for a7r iiia. I have been playing with it (with 20-105, F/4 G lens) in the last week or so and I really like it. I am fine with the menu of the camera, although quite a few reviews complained about it. What I wish for improvement is Sony's app Imaging Edge Mobile as well as the ... MoreThe last Minolta/Sony camera I bought was Dynax 7 and I have since used Nikon D90 and had several lenses with it. So when I was going to upgrade/update my gear, I naturally was looking at Nikon's Z series, specifically the Z6ii, in the hope that I could use those lenses. However, I was impressed by A7 III bought by a family member and started to rethink my options, especially over the price tags; the entry level Z5 costs as much as a7iii. I finally pulled the trigger when I saw an EDU special for a7r iiia. I have been playing with it (with 20-105, F/4 G lens) in the last week or so and I really like it. I am fine with the menu of the camera, although quite a few reviews complained about it. What I wish for improvement is Sony's app Imaging Edge Mobile as well as the same app for Windows. They seemed to be still in rough shape, and it took a long time to get them working.

Greatest Sony camera

The Sony a7R II is a 42MP full frame mirrorless camera with 5-axis image stabilization, featuring the world's first (and currently only) 35mm BSI CMOS sensor, and including a hybrid autofocus system and 4K video capabilities. It's the fifth in the company's a7 range of full frame cameras and the second high-resolution 'R' model. However, although its name and appearance are very similar to the first round of a7s, the R II arguably represents just as significant a step forwards as those first full frame mirrorless models did. The reasons for suggesting this are two-fold. Although the a7R II's body is essentially the same as that of the 24MP a7 II (albeit with more substantial magnesium alloy construction), the camera includes two significant changes: The first is ... MoreThe Sony a7R II is a 42MP full frame mirrorless camera with 5-axis image stabilization, featuring the world's first (and currently only) 35mm BSI CMOS sensor, and including a hybrid autofocus system and 4K video capabilities. It's the fifth in the company's a7 range of full frame cameras and the second high-resolution 'R' model. However, although its name and appearance are very similar to the first round of a7s, the R II arguably represents just as significant a step forwards as those first full frame mirrorless models did. The reasons for suggesting this are two-fold. Although the a7R II's body is essentially the same as that of the 24MP a7 II (albeit with more substantial magnesium alloy construction), the camera includes two significant changes: The first is that this is the first full frame camera to feature a sensor based on BSI CMOS technology. Although Sony always stressed that the benefits of BSI designs are most valuable in small sensors, its application on larger scales should reduce the pixel-level disadvantages of moving to higher pixel counts (which means an improvement in quality when viewed at a standard output size). Secondly, and perhaps, most unexpectedly: the camera's phase-detection autofocus capabilities have been increased to the point that it not only focuses quickly and effectively with its own lenses but can also do so with lenses designed for other systems. This may not sound like a big deal until you think about what Sony needs to do to make the camera a success: win-over dedicated photographers, many of whom are already committed to other systems. Sony a7R II Highlight specifications 42MP Full Frame BSI CMOS sensor 399 on-sensor Phase Detection points 5-axis image stabilization Internal 4K recording from full sensor width or 'Super' 35 crop Picture Profile system including ITU-709 and S-Log2 gamma Full magnesium alloy construction 2.36m dot OLED viewfinder with 0.7x magnification High speed AF with non-native lenses The rest of the camera's core capabilities are exactly as you would expect from a high-resolution camera at this level: weather-sealed magnesium alloy body, twin control dials, extensive customization of control points and 5fps shooting. The camera's video capabilities, though, are well worth highlighting. Like the recently-released, and more video-focused a7S II, the a7R II can record 4K (UHD) video internally. But, unlike the a7S II, its sensor has enough resolution to shoot using a near full-frame crop or a Super 35 (~APS-C) crop. In fact, the camera is over-sampling when you shoot Super 35 4K - which should help control moir. These two modes should let you choose between the shallow depth-of-field and low-light capability of using the full sensor, vs. the effective extra reach and greater lens compatibility of Super 35 mode (though our testing shows this isn't quite the case).

I don't want to show any of my old portfolio now

I'm trying to break the pro ranks and invested in this camera. So far the MC-11 lets me use a lot of my Canon glass in a portrait, indoor, well lit, test shoot. 85, 24-70, Sigma 70-200 all performed amazingly well. 50mm not so great. The new 35 Sigma Art native is amazing. Its going to take a while to get used to the menu and operations. My Canon had one screen to manage all Manual setting. The Sony has three knobs and wheels to find to do the same thing. The EVF is great for me with my bad eyes...but it doesn't really represent what is being exposed. The 2 second review I have set shows on the lcd and on the EVF which can be annoying when Im shooting an action scene and I haven't shut it off. But at the end of the day the amazing focus and resolution is a game ... MoreI'm trying to break the pro ranks and invested in this camera. So far the MC-11 lets me use a lot of my Canon glass in a portrait, indoor, well lit, test shoot. 85, 24-70, Sigma 70-200 all performed amazingly well. 50mm not so great. The new 35 Sigma Art native is amazing. Its going to take a while to get used to the menu and operations. My Canon had one screen to manage all Manual setting. The Sony has three knobs and wheels to find to do the same thing. The EVF is great for me with my bad eyes...but it doesn't really represent what is being exposed. The 2 second review I have set shows on the lcd and on the EVF which can be annoying when Im shooting an action scene and I haven't shut it off. But at the end of the day the amazing focus and resolution is a game changer and it has made my portfolio obsolete over night. The next test is using the mc11 with my Sigma 70-200 2.8 for live music shooting which is 75% of my shots right now. Having to buy native is going to sting. B&H cut me a deal!!

Killer Camera, Awesome Service from LR as Always

Perfect handling, even handheld with the 200-600 zoom, all day long. I shot an airshow with this body with the vertical grip and the Big Zoom and it left nothing to be wished-for, except perhaps a couple times I might have benefitted from more than 8FPS with C-AF. The Fuji XH2S has me thinking, as there were a couple times when a convergence of fast-moving things came together in a Magic Moment, and I was a little before or after the critical instant. This is no complaint, only an observation--there may be times when a smaller, stacked sensor would actually be helpful. But the a7R-iii is fast enough for 99.5% of what I would do with it.The autofocus was almost always spot-on. I used the Expand Flexible Spot mode which was great for picking up fast-moving aircraft ... MorePerfect handling, even handheld with the 200-600 zoom, all day long. I shot an airshow with this body with the vertical grip and the Big Zoom and it left nothing to be wished-for, except perhaps a couple times I might have benefitted from more than 8FPS with C-AF. The Fuji XH2S has me thinking, as there were a couple times when a convergence of fast-moving things came together in a Magic Moment, and I was a little before or after the critical instant. This is no complaint, only an observation--there may be times when a smaller, stacked sensor would actually be helpful. But the a7R-iii is fast enough for 99.5% of what I would do with it.The autofocus was almost always spot-on. I used the Expand Flexible Spot mode which was great for picking up fast-moving aircraft with long glass and tracking the targets with less-than-perfect execution on my part. This camera really does make one look like a better photog than one is. The high resolution of the -R- is perfect for this kind of event because I could keep the subject in the center while shooting, but then creatively frame the shot in post, without losing much detail.I was surprised by the amount of attention my setup got--several people were drooling over it, especially that 200-600 zoom. But I treasure the photographs I got.For what it is worth, I don't think I missed much in getting the A7R-iii vs the -iv for this application, although more resolution is, well, more. But likely overkill.LensRentals are so pro, so easy to work with, and I've never had equipment from them that didn't look essentially new. They epitomize excellence. Although I'm on the hunt for a new system and may buy soon, I will always think of LR as an easy adjunct to what I own. The bar will always be low for me to rent a lens or even a whole different system from LR when the need arises.