Enhance your photo and video capabilities
Trying to decide whether to upgrade from the A7S II to the A7R III?
In our opinion, based on the capabilities of each camera, the simple answer is YES!
A7S II’s Only Advantage
Across the board, the A7R III outperforms the A7S II in every category. The only category the A7S II wins against the its upgrade is low light shooting (see our second, in-depth comparison video).
The A7S II has an ISO range nearly 4x higher than the A7R III which allows for a sharper image when shooting in low light.
However, despite the ISO range being significantly higher, it doesn’t really make for a major advantage. Why? Because cranking the ISO up that high makes for a lousy image with far too much noise.
A7R Added Features
Two of our favorite upgraded features on the A7R III are its dual card slot (UHS-II) and its additional ports: USB-C and Flash Sync.
The USB-C port allows for easy tethering on a photoshoot. Which is critical when needing to transfer large file sizes as quickly as you are shooting.
The Flash Sync port option is wonderful as well because it removes any frustration you have with wireless triggers not functioning properly.
Aside from all the other spec differences (outlined below), the major difference we see between the two is the A7S is more suited for video while the A7R is suited for both photo and video. Sure the A7S can take photos, but due to its lacking phase detection and autofocus… it’s far inferior to the A7R.
- Get the A7R III
- Get the A7S II
- Get the Metabones Canon EF Lens to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter (Mark V)
Spec Side by Side Comparison
Categories | A7R III | A7S II |
---|---|---|
Sensor | 42 megapixels 10 fps (photo) | 12 megapixels 5 fps (photo) |
Ports | Flash SyncUSB-C (10 Gigabits/s) | USB 2.0 (480 megabits/s) |
Card slot | Dual card slot UHS-II | Single card slot USH-1 |
Viewfinder | 3,686,400 PX 0.5” | 2,359,296 px0.5” |
Autofocus | 399 – phase detection 425 – contract detection Eye tracking | 169 – contrast detection |
Iso range | 50-102,400 ISO | 50-409,600 ISO |
Battery life | 2,000 shots | 600 shots |
Silent Shutter | Yes | Yes |
Usage | Photo and video | Video only (recommended) |