Sony a7 III
Sony has just announced the Sony a7 III. It is a mirrorless full frame camera aimed at the enthusiast, filling the same spot on the dial, and price point as the Canon 6D Mk II. What many reviewers said about the 6D2 when it launched a few months ago, was that it was a missed opportunity. Built down to a price and purposely excluding features available on their more professional cameras like the Canon 5D Mk III. Sony has however embraced the new technology they have available and made it available at this price point. Is the Sony a7 III the camera Canon should have introduced? Let’s have a look at how they compare:
Body
The Sony has a 650 gm magnesium alloy body, the Canon has a 765 gm magnesium alloy chassis with a polycarbonate body. Both are environmentally sealed.
Sensor & Processor
Both cameras are full frame. the Sony is 24 megapixels compared with 26 megapixels from Canon. Both cameras use the latest processors in their camera line up. The BIONZ X (Sony) and DIGIC 7 (Canon). The Exmor X sensor on the a7III provides a claimed 15 stop dynamic range.
Point and Shoot
The Sony a7 III is a mirrorless camera with an electronic viewfinder (EVF). The Canon is a DSLR with a traditional optical pentaprism. Both have 3″ touchscreens, the Canon fully articulates the Sony tilts only.
Stabilisation
Sony Stabilisation
There is 5 axis stabilisation in the Sony a7 III which equates to avoiding camera shake by an additional 5 stops. In the 6D2 there is no in-camera stabilisation for still photography, but it is available for video. Both have image stabilised lenses.
Focusing
There are 693 focus points on the Sony. It is the system derived from the top of the range A9 with 425 contrast detection points. There are 45 cross-type AF points on the Canon. Sony has both face and eye recognition, Canon has face recognition.
Shutter
The Front End LSI pre-processor from the upmarket Sony a7R III, is incorporated into this camera, taking the drive to 10 fps with big buffers for RAW files as well as JPEG. The Canon can reach 6.5 fps.
The maximum shutter speed is 1/8000th and 1/4000th respectively.
Sony has 4K video, the Canon has Full HD
ISO
Sony ISO is 100-25,600 which can be boosted to 204,800. The Canon is 100-40,000 which can be boosted to 102,400.
Batteries and Cards
The Sony battery life is 610 shots (using the EVF) vs 1200 shots from Canon. The Sony has two card slots, the Canon has one.
Connectivity
Both have built-in wireless. Canon has GPS
Price
The Sony a7 III will be launched in April at $2000, the Canon 6D Mk ii was launched at $2000 but now retails for $1899.
Summary
Sony with a consumer electronics background is well used to developing new technology, and looking to the market (the new Fujifilm X-H1 for example) to lead new product development. This provides great value for consumers, who in the Sony a7 III gain a cutting edge at a bargain price. Canon is more introspective, used to a two-horse race with Nikon. For them, it is more about just keeping up. However, Canon may soon find this is not enough.
Where to Buy
I buy my equipment from Wex because I have found they offer great customer service.