Welcome to my key spec and feature comparison between the Sony A7SIII and the Sony A9III.
Please note that this article is a work in progress and will be updated with a more in-depth comparison between these two cameras very soon.
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Features
| Feature | Sony A7S III | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | July 28th, 2020 | November 7th, 2023 |
| Camera Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor Size | 35mm full frame (35.6×23.8mm) | 35mm full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) |
| Sensor Type | Exmor R CMOS sensor | Stacked Exmor RS™ CMOS image sensor with global shutter |
| Resolution | 12.1 MP | 24.6 MP |
| Sensor Pixel Size | 8.40 µm | |
| Pixel Dimensions | 4240 x 2832 | 6000 x 4000 |
| Image Processor | BIONZ XR™ | BIONZ XR™ |
| Low Pass Filter | Yes | Yes |
| IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) | Yes (5.5 Steps) | Yes (8 Steps) |
| ISO (Mechanical Shutter) | ISO 80-102400 | – |
| ISO (Mechanical Shutter) Expanded | ISO 40-409600 (80-409600 for Movies) | – |
| ISO (Electronic Shutter) | ISO 80-102400 | ISO 250 – 25600 |
| ISO (Electronic Shutter) Expanded | ISO 40-409600 (80-409600 for Movies) | ISO 125 – 51200 |
| High-Resolution Sensor Shift (Pixel Shift) | No | No |
| Composite RAW NR Shooting | No | Yes |
| Focus Bracketing | No | ? |
| Full Time DMF | No | Yes |
| Pre Capture | No | Yes |
| Continuous Shooting Speed Boost | No | Yes |
| XL and XS Focus Area Spot Sizes | No | Yes |
| Fastest Shutter Speed (Mechanical Shutter) | 1/8000s | – |
| Fastest Shutter Speed (Electronic Shutter) | 1/8000s | 1/80,000s but limited to 1/16,000s when shooting continuously. |
| Longest Shutter Speed | 30 seconds + Bulb | 30 seconds + Bulb |
| Continuous Shooting (Mechanical Shutter) | 10 FPS | – |
| Continuous Shooting (Electronic Shutter) | 10 FPS | 120 FPS |
| Notes for High FPS Shooting | ||
| Buffer Size (RAW Uncompressed) | Over 1000 | ? |
| Buffer Size (RAW Compressed) | Over 1000 | ? |
| Buffer Size (RAW Lossless Compressed) | Over 1000 | ? |
| Buffer Size (JPEG Extra Fine L) | Over 1000 | ? |
| Buffer Size (JPEG Fine L) | Over 1000 | ? |
| Buffer Size (HEIF) | Over 1000 | ? |
| Autofocus System | Fast Hybrid AF (phase-detection AF / contrast-detection AF) | Fast Hybrid AF (phase-detection AF / contrast-detection AF) |
| AF Subject Detection | [Still images] Human (Right/Left Eye Select) / Animal, [Movie] Human (Right/Left Eye Select) | Humans, animals, birds, insects, cars/trains, and airplanes |
| Autofocus Points | 35mm full frame: 759 points (phase-detection AF), APS-C mode with FF lens: 345 points (phase-detection AF), with APS-C lens: 285 points (phase-detection AF) / 425 points (contrast-detection AF) | Still images: Max. 759 points (phase-detection AF), Movies: Max. 627 points (phase-detection AF) |
| Maximum Low-Light AF Sensitivity (Standardized to f/2, ISO 100) | EV-6 | EV-5 |
| Standard Flash Sync Speed | 1/250 sec | 1/80000 s (with compatible Sony flash). |
| Curtain to Protect Sensor at Shutdown (Shutter Power Off) | No | Yes |
| Interval Shooting | Yes | Yes (with built in time-lapse) |
| Soft Skin Effect (stills / movies) | No | Yes |
| Creative Look | Yes (10 looks with 8 adjustments for each look: contrast, highlights, shadows, fade, saturation, sharpness, sharpness range, and clarity) | Yes (10 looks with 8 adjustments for each look: contrast, highlights, shadows, fade, saturation, sharpness, sharpness range, and clarity) |
| My Image Style | No | No |
| Background Defocus | No | No |
Video Specific Features
| Feature | Sony A7S III | Sony A9III |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Video Bit Depth (Internal) | 10-bit 4:2:2 All-I | 10-bit 4:2:2 All-I |
| External Raw Video | 16-bit RAW (HDMI) | 16-bit RAW (HDMI) |
| 8K Maximum Frame Rate | – | – |
| 4K Maximum Frame Rate | 120p (10% crop) | 120p (no crop) 60p (oversampled) |
| 1080P Maximum Frame Rate | 240p (S&Q) | 120p |
| Recording Formats | XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, XAVC HS: MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 | XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, XAVC HS: MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 |
| Video Recording Limit | No | No |
| S-Cinetone | Yes | Yes |
| Picture Profiles (stills/movies) | Yes | Yes |
| Active Stabilization | Yes | Yes |
| Focus Breathing Compensation | No (but coming in Spring 2024 with firmware update) | Yes |
| Import User LUT Files | No | ? |
| AI Auto Framing | No | Yes |
| Focus Map | No | Yes |
| AF Assist | No | Yes |
| Time Code (TC) | Yes | Yes |
| In-Camera Time-Lapse Creation | No | Yes |
| Framing Stabilizer | – | – |
| Product Showcase Set | – | – |
| Cinematic Vlog Setting | – | – |
| Multiple Face Recognition in Intelligent Auto Mode | – | – |
Physical & Other Features
| Feature | Sony A7S III | Sony A9III |
|---|---|---|
| Card Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Slot 1 Type | CFexpress Type-A + SD (UHS-II / I) | CFexpress Type-A + SD (UHS-II / I) |
| Rear LCD Size (Diagonal) | 7.5cm (3.0-type) type TFT | 8.0 cm (3.2-type) type TFT |
| Rear LCD Resolution | 1,440,000 dots | 2 095 104 dots |
| Articulating LCD | Opening Angle:Approx. 176 deg., Rotation Angle:Approx. 270 deg. | Opening Angles (approx.): Up 98 °, down 40 °, side 180 °, rotation 270 ° |
| Touchscreen | Yes (touch focus + tracking) | Yes (advanced touchscreen with swipe, touch focus + tracking) |
| Viewfinder | EVF | EVF |
| Viewfinder Magnification | Approx. 0.90x | Approx. 0.90x |
| Viewfinder Resolution | 9 437 184 dots | 9 437 184 dots |
| Viewfinder Frame Rate | Standard (60 fps), High (120 fps) | Standard (60 fps), High (120 fps), or Higher (240 fps) |
| Voice Memo | No | Yes |
| Headphone Jack | Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack) | Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack) |
| Microphone Jack | Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack) | Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack) |
| Built-in Microphone | Built-in, stereo | Built-in, stereo |
| Built-in Flash | No | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes (Bluetooth Standard Ver. 5.0 (2.4GHz band)) | Yes (Bluetooth Standard Ver. 5.0 (2.4 GHz band)) |
| WiFi | Yes, Type-C® Terminal (SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps(USB 3.2) compatible) | Yes (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz band/5 GHz band)) |
| USB | Yes, Type-C® Terminal (SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps(USB 3.2) compatible) | Yes Type-C® Terminal (SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.2) compatible) |
| Multi / Micro USB Terminal | Yes. | Yes. |
| HDMI Port | Yes. HDMI connector (Type-A) | Yes. HDMI connector (Type-A) |
| LAN Terminal | No | Yes (1000BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 10BASE-T) |
| NFC | NFC Forum Type 3 Tag compliant | – |
| Multi Interface Shoe | Yes (with Digital Audio Interface) | Yes (with Digital Audio Interface) |
| Battery Type | NP-FZ100 | NP-FZ100 |
| USB Power Delivery | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life Stills | Approx. 510 shots (Viewfinder) / Approx. 600 shots (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) | Approx. 400 shots (Viewfinder) / Approx. 530 shots (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) |
| Battery Life Video Actual Recording | Approx. 80 min (Viewfinder) / Approx. 95 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) | Approx. 90 min (Viewfinder) / Approx. 95 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) |
| Battery Life Video Continuous Recording | Approx. 130 min (Viewfinder) / Approx. 135 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) | Approx. 145 min (Viewfinder) / Approx. 150 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Weight (Body Only) | Approx. 617 g (1 lb 5.8 oz) | |
| Weight (With Battery & Card) | Approx. 699 g, approx. 1 lb 8.7 oz | Approx. 702 g (1 lb 8.8 oz) |
| Dimensions (LxHxD) | Approx. 128.9mm x 96.9mm x 80.8mm | Approx. 136.1 x 96.9 x 82.9 mm |
| Operating Temperature | 0 – 40 ℃ / 32 – 104 °F | 0 – 40 ℃ / 32 – 104 °F |
Price
| Sony A7S III | Sony A9 III | |
|---|---|---|
| MRSP Body-Only | $3,498.00 / £3,549 | $5,998.00 / £6,099.00 |
| Check Prices / Deals | B&H Photo | Amazon | B&H Photo | Amazon |
Bodies
The dimensions and weights of each camera are as follows:
- A7SIII: 128.9mm x 96.9mm x 80.8mm (699 g / 1 lb 8.7 oz with battery and memory card)
- A9III: 136.1 x 96.9 x 82.9 mm (702 g / 1 lb 8.8 oz with battery and memory card)
Sony A7S III
Sony A9 III
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