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Sony A7 III, a full-power full-frame for only $2,000

Sony's replacement for its entry full-frame mirrorless model gets major boosts to speed, battery life, quality and features.

Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Expertise Photography, PCs and laptops, gaming and gaming accessories
Lori Grunin
2 min read
a73-24105-right-us
Sony

Sony gifted us with a replacement for its 3-year-old A7 II, a solid full-frame that nevertheless needed some updating. As you'd expect, the A7 III incorporates advances that its line mates have gotten over the past couple of years, and it looks like you get everything you need and more for a relatively low price.

The A7 III is slated to ship in the US in April 2018 at $2,000 for the body or $2,200 for a kit with the 28-70mm lens. The UK will see it sooner, in March, for £2,000 for the body and £2,200 for the kit. I don't have info for Australia, but the US price directly converts to approximately AU$2,550 and AU$2,800.

Some of the highlights include a new 24.2-megapixel BSI sensor with an updated image processor to deliver native range of ISO 100-ISO 51200, expandable down to ISO 50 and up to ISO 204800. It inherits some of its speed from the action-optimized A9, including that camera's autofocus system with 693 on-chip phase-detection points and 425 contrast AF areas sensitive down to -3 EV; the camera's 10fps continuous-shooting speed includes that AF system tracking the subject and adjusting exposure in 14-bit raw. Increased buffer memory expands the number of shots in a continuous burst to 177 JPEGs.

As with all of its siblings, the A73 shoots 4K UHD video; it supports video Picture Profiles including hybrid log gamma (HLG1) for HDR capture.

Using the longer-lived battery that debuted with the A9, Sony boasts the A73 lasts 710 shots per charge, though that's with the back LCD. With the viewfinder it's rated at 610. That's still pretty good compared to the rest of the mirrorless pack.

The body also gets a refresh with dual SD slots, one with with UHS II support, a USB-C connection (only 3.1 Gen 1) and a joystick for focus-point selection.