Sony today introduced the third generation of its top-line 35mm sensor-based pro camera, the Sony a7R III, featuring major performance improvements combined with super-high resolution. The camera is built around a 42.4MP CMOS sensor that can capture 4K video. The company claims a wide 15-stop dynamic range, the world’s most responsive anti-shake system, increased light sensitivity coupled with improved noise reduction, and a fast 10fps burst rate for sports photography. Sony also introduced a new 24-105mm f/4 zoom lens.
Sony a7R III Key features
- 35mm full-frame 42.4MP BSI CMOS sensor
- Up to 10fps burst rate
- Silent shooting option
- 399 phase-detection AF points, 425 Contrast AF points, 2x more effective Eye AF
- 5-Axis in-camera image stabilization, claimed 5.5 stop effectiveness
- 4K video with no pixel binning
- Dual SD card slots
- 3,640k dot EVF
- 1.44M dot LCD monitor
- WiFi image transfer
Designed top to bottom as a pro tool, the key upgrade in the a7R III is its processor. Sony claims impressive shooting speeds at up to 10fps with full AF/AE tracking, as well as beautiful image and 4K video quality, wide 15-stop dynamic range, and high sensitivity with noise reduction of almost a full stop. The camera is capable of silent shooting at 10fps at 42MP resolution, an impressive feat. As with most high-end Sonys, this model is very customizable; virtually all buttons and dials can be reassigned to fit your shooting needs and workflow.
Quality Boost
The 42.4MP high-resolution, back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor utilizes a gapless on-chip lens design and AR (anti-reflective) coating on the surface of the sensor’s seal glass, which Sony says will dramatically improve light collection efficiency, resulting in high sensitivity with low-noise performance and wide dynamic range.
The α7R III also has a new front-end LSI that effectively doubles the readout speed of the image sensor, as well as an updated BIONZ X processing engine that boosts processing speed by approximately 1.8 times compared to the α7R II, according to Sony. These parts let you shoot at faster speeds while also enabling an ISO range of 100-32000 (expandable to ISO 50-102400 for still images) and impressive 15-stop dynamic range at low sensitivity settings.
There is no optical low pass filter to maximize resolution, and the camera can output 14-bit RAW format still images even when shooting in silent or continuous mode. A 5-axis optical image stabilization system is said to provide a 5.5 step shutter speed advantage, the world’s highest compensation performance for an image stabilization system. There is also a new low-vibration shutter that reduces vibration and image blur in all modes, including the high speed 10 fps shooting. Sony says the camera also has several advancements in accurate color reproductions of skin tones.
A new feature is Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode, which takes full advantage of the advanced 5-axis optical in-body stabilization to create beautiful true-to-life, super-high resolution composite images. In this mode, the camera precisely shifts the sensor in 1-pixel increments to capture four separate pixel-shifted images containing a total of approximately 169.6 MP of image data. These four images can be composited together and processed utilizing the new “Imaging Edge” software suite. This results in a still image with extremely high resolution and increased color accuracy, and is ideal for photographing architecture, art or any other intricately-detailed still-life photography subject.
Highly Responsive AF and AE
Sports and action photographers will appreciate the camera’s ability to capture up to 76 consecutive full-sized RAW/JPEG images at 10 fps (28 uncompressed RAW images) in either mechanical or digital shutter mode. The camera can also shoot continuously at up to 8 fps in live view mode with minimal lag in the viewfinder or LCD screen.
The upgraded focusing system is comprised of 399 focal-plane phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 68% of the image area in both horizontal and vertical directions. There are also 425 contrast AF points, an increase of 400 points compared to the α7R II. This advanced system is claimed to deliver AF acquisition in about half the time as the α7R II in low-light conditions, with tracking that is approximately two times more accurate as well. If there is fluorescent or artificial lighting in a shooting environment, users can activate the anti-flicker function to allow the α7R III to automatically detect frequency of the lighting and time the shutter to minimize its effect on images being captured.
AF is available in Focus Magnifier mode, focal-plane phase-detection AF support when using A-mount lenses, an ‘AF On’ button, a multi-selector or ‘joystick’ for moving focusing points quickly, flexible touch focus functionality and much more.
Pro-Quality 4K Video
The camera is equipped with a variety of enhanced capabilities that give it a true professional operational style. These include dual media slots, with support in one slot for UHS-II type SD memory cards. Users have a variety of options for storing their content, including separate JPEG / RAW recording, separate still image / movie recording, relay recording and more. Battery life has been greatly extended as well, as the new camera utilizes Sony’s Z series battery that have approximately 2.2 times the capacity of the W series battery utilized by the previous model.
You can monitor your footage on an upgraded high-resolution, high-luminance Quad-VGA OLED Tru-Finder (which debuted in the flagshsip A9 camera) with approximately 3,686k dots, which Sony says provides accurate, true-to-life detail reproduction. The Tru-Finder utilizes a ZEISS(R) T* Coating to greatly reduce reflections, and has a fluorine coating on the outer lens that repels dirt. It also has a customizable frame rate, with options of either 60 fps or 120 fps (20) to best match the action. The LCD screen has been upgraded as well, with a resolution of 1.44M dots and WhiteMagic technology that is said to improve viewing in bright, outdoor conditions.
“Standard” or “High” display quality settings are also available for both the viewfinder and monitor as well. “High” takes advantage of the large amount of data read from the 42.4MP sensor to provide extra fine viewfinder and monitor displays for a more natural view. The new camera also offers a multi-selector joystick that provides a fast, efficient way to shift focus points, as well as an ‘AF ON’ button to activate autofocus when shooting stills or movies.
Users can transfer image files to a mobile device, computer or FTP server via Wi-Fi while using a flash sync terminal. New Imaging Edge software is said to streamline post-production.
Sony FE 24-105mm f/4G OSS Lens
Sony also announced a new workhorse mid-range zoom lens, the FE 24-106mm f/4G OSS lens, a G-class lens that can be used for a wide variety of subjects, including event and wedding photography as well as portraits and travel assignments. It is ideal for professional and advanced amateur photographers shooting with full-frame 35mm Sony E-mount cameras.
Key features:
- Constant f/4 maximum aperture
- 9-blade circular blades
- Direct Drive Supersonic Wave motor
- Nano AR Coating
- Dust, moisture resistant
- ED Glass, multi-coating
- Instant auto/manual focus selection
The lens consists of 4 aspherical elements including two advanced aspherical elements to suppress aberrations. Three ED glass elements control chromatic aberrations for improved image sharpness, while Nano AR coating is said to reduce flare. The aperture is constructed of 9 rounded blades for more natural looking out-of-focus highlights, and built-in optical stabilization helps when shooting in low-light situations without flash. The lens focuses down to a class-leading 14.9 inches.
Pricing and Availability
The Sony a7R III camera will be available from Adorama starting at the end of November for . The Sony 24-105mm f/4 full-frame E-mount G lens will be available for . They can be pre-ordered from Adorama starting October 26.
