Proving that speed, resolution, and video capabilities can all coexist, the a7R III Mirrorless Camera from Sony is a versatile, high-performance camera characterized by not only its resolution, but by its multimedia versatility. Revolving around a full-frame 42.4MP Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor and updated BIONZ X image processor, the a7R III affords an impressive 10 fps continuous shooting rate along with improved autofocus performance for faster, more reliable subject tracking along with wide frame coverage. This updated Fast Hybrid AF System employs a combination of 399 phase-detection points and 425 contrast-detection areas for quicker acquirement of focus in a variety of lighting conditions, and also maintains focus on subjects more effectively. In addition to speed and AF, the processing improvements also help to realize greater image clarity throughout the sensitivity range from ISO 100-32000, which can further be expanded to ISO 50-102400. Video recording capabilities have also been extended for enhanced quality when recording UHD 4K video with the full width of the full-frame sensor, or when using a Super35 area and 5K oversampling to minimize moiré and aliasing. Additionally, benefitting both stills and video operation, the a7R III retains the 5-axis SteadyShot INSIDE sensor-shift image stabilization, which is now effective to minimize the appearance of camera shake by up to 5.5 stops.
In addition to imaging updates, the a7R III also sports a revised body design, which includes a 3.69m-dot Tru-Finder OLED electronic viewfinder for bright, clear, and realistic eye-level monitoring. A rear 3.0" 1.44m-dot tilting touchscreen LCD is also available for intuitive settings control and to better support working from high and low angles. For greater shooting flexibility, dual SD memory card slots are now featured, and a larger NP-FZ100 battery is also employed to achieve up to approximately 530 shots per charge when using the viewfinder. Suiting the camera's use in trying conditions, the magnesium alloy chassis and extensive weather-sealing also render the a7R III dust- and moisture-resistance
The sensor and processor combination also avails fast continuous shooting at up to 10 fps at full resolution, for up to 76 consecutive frames, and with full-time AF/AE when working with either a mechanical shutter or an electronic shutter. If shooting in live view mode, a continuous shooting rate of up to 8 fps is also possible.
The apt focus system also lends itself to a variety of focusing functions for refined accuracy, including Lock-on AF, which maintains focus on moving subjects throughout the use of a configurable frame that is set over the desired moving subject, and Expand Flexible Spot, which employs neighboring focus points to retain focus on moving subjects even if the originally selected point loses focus. Additionally, Eye AF can be used to base focus on recognized subjects' eyes for portraits and is available in both AF-S and AF-C modes. Autofocus can also be used in conjunction with the Focus Magnifier function for critical focus when homing in on minute subject details. The rear touchscreen can also be used for Touch Focus control, and a Touchpad Focus Control mode lets you use the rear screen intuitively while keeping your eye to the viewfinder.
For more personalized control over focus, and benefitting working in either vertical or horizontal shooting orientation, the AF area can be switched in orientation to better suit your subject matter. AF tracking sensitivity can also be customized in five steps to match how a subject is moving and frequently used focus point settings can be memorized and recalled with a custom button for faster switching between focus settings.
For long focal lengths, the system will correct for pitch and yaw adjustments. Macro and high-magnification imagery, on the other hand, will benefit from the inclusion of horizontal and vertical shift compensation. All shooting styles will get usage out of the roll compensation. All 5 axes of stabilization will function at all times, even when used with third-party lenses and adapters or lenses with built-in optical stabilization.
4K video recording also avails the ability to produce 8MP stills during playback by taking a frame grab from a movie and storing it as a separate file.
- Affording extensive customizable color and gamma controls, the a7R III allows users to adjust the gamma, black level, knee, color level, and more. Also, users can use the same S-Log2 Gamma Curve that is found on high end Sony Cinema cameras that squeezes up to 1300% more dynamic range into the video signal then traditional REC709, for increased post-production flexibility. HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) support is also available, along with the BT.2020 color space, for recording within a wide color gamut and, in addition to S-Log2, S-Log3 is also available for producing an effective 14-stop dynamic range with increased grading control in the shadow to mid-tone regions of the image.
Slow & Quick Motion:
- Take more control over your video capture capabilities with a variety of new frame rates available in an S&Q mode. This will allow shooters to capture Full HD video at one of either steps between 1-120 fps. These settings will allow you to slow down action as well as speed up a slow-moving scene. This setting is also NTSC/PAL switchable.
Enhanced Zebra Function:
- An enhanced Zebra function is ideally suited to aid in monitoring exposure values in high-contrast scenes. Video signal level targets can be set from 0 to 109, and specific ranges can be set to make exposure level adjustments easier.
Time Code and User Bit Settings:
- A time code can be used to record hours, minutes, seconds, frames on image data for more precise editing while the User Bit function can record date, time, and scene number to aid in editing together footage from multiple cameras.
Proxy Recording:
- UHD 4K movies and lower-resolution proxy movies can be simultaneously recorded. The smaller proxy files are ideal for quick previewing or pre-editing that can reduce the time required for final 4K editing.
- An updated Quad-VGA OLED Tru-Finder EVF is featured, and has a 3.69m-dot resolution for bright, clear viewing in high detail. Both Standard and High quality settings can be used, depending on the shooting situation, in order to optimize the viewing experience. This updated viewfinder design also affords the use of autofocus in the Focus Magnifier mode as well as improved focusing peaking to benefit manual focus operation.
- In addition to the EVF, a 3.0" 1.44m-dot rear LCD is also available, which has a touch panel design for intuitive operation and focusing control. The screen also tilts upward 107° and downward 41° to benefit working from high and low angles.
- Magnesium alloy chassis assures rigidity, durability, and stability while remaining lightweight. The lens mount has also been improved to better support heavy lenses and the grip rigidity has been improved for more comfortable hand-holding.
- A durable shutter unit incorporates a coreless motor and brake system that reduces vibrations to better control shutter shock as well as extend its rated lifespan to approximately 500,000 actuations.
- Weather-sealing has been employed to resist dust and moisture for reliable operation in harsh weather conditions.
- Using the same NP-FZ100 battery as the a9, the a7R III has improved battery life and is now rated for approximately 530 shots per charge with the EVF or 650 shots with the rear LCD.
- Dual SD memory card slots allow for flexible file saving and handling, and can be configured to partition raw and JPEG files or can be used for overflow recording. One of the card slots is rated to support UHS-II memory cards.
- Integrated PC sync terminal for wired flash sync with strobe packs or wireless radio remotes.
- A USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port has been added, in addition to a micro-USB port, for faster, more reliable tethering support. The USB Type-C connection allows the camera to be charged from the host power source while connected.
- The a7R III features a 3.5mm microphone input jack for compatibility with external microphones. And for users needing more, the camera is also compatible with the Sony XLR-K2M XLR Adapter for recording professional balanced XLR audio signals with phantom power and adjustable mic/line inputs. For monitoring audio, a 3.5mm headphone jack is available as well as real time audio levels for a visual reference.
- Built-in Wi-Fi enables the a7R III to instantly share imagery to mobile devices for direct sharing online to social networking, via email, and to cloud storage sites. NFC (Near Field Communication) is also supported, which allows for one-touch connection between the camera and compatible mobile devices; no complex set-up is required. Once connected, the linked mobile device can also display a live view image on its screen and remotely control the camera's shutter.
- Bluetooth connectivity allows for location data acquisition.
- A Ratings function lets you assign star values, from 1-5, to images in-camera for faster editing and sorting at home during post-production.
- An advanced 1200-zone evaluative exposure metering sensor delivers consistent and accurate results using multi-segment, center-weighted, or spot metering modes.
- Highlight and Average metering modes helps avoid blown-out highlights and provide stable auto-exposure, respectively.
- Anti-flicker shooting automatically recognizes and times the shutter action to minimize the flicker effect for more consistent results on still images.
- Picture Effect modes: Posterization (Color), Posterization (B/W), Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color (R/G/B/Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera (Normal/Cool/Warm/Green/Magenta), and Soft High-Key.
- Creative Style modes: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn leaves, Black & White, Sepia, Style Box (1-6), (Contrast (-3 to +3 steps), Saturation (-3 to +3 steps), Sharpness (-3 to +3 steps).