Sony recently launched the latest A7 III to their line up, a full-frame mirrorless camera (model ILCE-7M3). I had the opportunity to view, touch and try the Sony A7 III for a short time, testing and shooting it inside the function room, giving us an opportunity to test the capabilities of the Sony A7 III.

I have seen the Sony Alpha series develop over the years, tested and reviewed the Sony A7and Sony A7R previously, they have developed and improved over the years through their different series, A7, A7R, A7S. When I got my maiden hands on with the Sony A7 III, the feel of the camera body was solid and more balanced.

There were two setups to test out the Sony A7 III capabilities, the Eye AF with continuous 10fps on a model, the other setup was a model shoot with Sony flash, testing their ISO capabailities. Although the Sony A7 III test shoot and try out were pretty short, I was able to get a feel of their new mirrorless camera, their Eye AF is impressive and fast, the AF in the Sony A7 III is inherited from the Sony A9 model, the AF response and tracking is fast. In the low light high ISO test, while the Sony A7 ISO can expand up 204,800, I would probably not use it, I would stick to their ISO range of 100 to 51,200.

Here are some of the sample images that I shot with the Sony A7 III (resized and no edit, straight out JPEG)

If the opportunity arises to do a review of the Sony A7 III, I would share more in-depth with photographs and videos. Meanwhile, let me share and highlight the key points for the Sony A7 III:

  • Newly developed Full-frame 24.2MP Back-Illuminated Exmor R CMOS Image Sensor with Evolved Image Processing
  • Wide ISO range of 100 – 51200 (expandable to ISO 50 – 204800 for still images) and 15-Stop Dynamic Range at low sensitivities
  • World Class AF system featuring 693 phase-detection AF points covering 93% of image area, 425 contrast AF points and fast and reliable Eye AF
  • Continuous Shooting at up to 10fps with either Mechanical Shutter or Silent Shooting and full Auto Focus/Auto Exposure tracking
  • 5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation with a 5.0 step shutter speed advantage
  • High Resolution 4K Movie Shooting with full pixel readout and no pixel binning across full-width of full-frame sensor
  • The longest rated battery life of any Mirrorless camera at 710 shots per charge

The key points from the Sony A7 III that caught my attention are the AF Speed and Performance, 425 contrast AF points that work with a 693-point focal plane phase-detection AF system inherited from the acclaimed A9 model. Their AF response and tracking has been greatly improved, with almost 2x the focusing speed (as compared to the Sony A7 II, Sony test conditions) in low-light condition and 2x the tracking speed (Sony test conditions for still images) compared to the previous model as a result of the faster image sensor readout.

Their acclaimed Eye AF is also available in the Sony A7 III, even in AF-C mode, this would be extremely useful for situations where the subject is moving, looking down or otherwise obstructed.

Pricing and Availability

The Sony A7 III and SEL2870 lens will be available at selected Sony stores, Sony Centres and Sony authorised dealers.

  • A7 III body only – SGD $2,899.00 (inclusive of GST)
  • A7 III with SEL2870 kit lens – SGD $3,299.00 (inclusive of GST)

For more information, do visit Sony Singaporewebsite and check out the latest  Sony A7 III!

* Information courtesy of Sony Electronics Asia Pacific and Poter Novelli *

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