The Sony Alpha a7S III is a powerful and versatile mirrorless camera designed for professional photographers and videographers who prioritize low-light performance and high-quality video recording. Here’s a breakdown of its key features and specifications:
Key Features:
- Full-frame 12.1MP Back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS Sensor: This sensor delivers exceptional low-light performance with minimal noise, allowing you to capture stunning images and videos even in challenging lighting conditions.
- Fast Hybrid AF System with 759 Phase-detection Points: This advanced autofocus system ensures fast and accurate focusing, even on fast-moving subjects, making it ideal for action photography and videography.
- High-resolution OLED Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) and Tilting Touchscreen LCD: The high-resolution EVF offers a clear and bright view of your subject, while the tilting touchscreen LCD provides convenient composition and playback options.
- 15-stop Dynamic Range: Capture exceptional detail in both highlights and shadows with the camera’s wide dynamic range.
- 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS): This in-body stabilization system helps to reduce camera shake and blur, ensuring sharp photos and videos even when shooting handheld.
- High-speed Continuous Shooting: Capture fast-action moments with up to 10 frames per second continuous shooting with mechanical shutter and up to 30 frames per second with electronic shutter.
- 10-bit 4K HDR (HLG) Video Recording: Shoot stunning high-resolution 4K HDR video with excellent color reproduction and detail. The camera also supports various recording formats, including XAVC S and H.264, for flexibility in editing and post-production workflows.
Here’s a table summarizing the specifications of Sony Alpha a7S III:
Specifications
| 1 model | ILCE-7SM3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | ||
| PRICE | MRP Rs.334,990 ? (incl. of all taxes) | |
| WHAT’S IN THE BOX? | Accessory shoe cap Battery charger BC-QZ1 Body cap Cable protector Eyepiece cup Power cord Shoulder strap USB-A to USB-C cable (USB 3.2) Rechargeable battery NP-FZ100 | |
| Lens | ||
| LENS MOUNT | E-mount | |
| Image Sensor | ||
| ASPECT RATIO | 3:2 | |
| NUMBER OF PIXELS (EFFECTIVE) | Approx. 12.1 megapixels | |
| NUMBER OF PIXELS (TOTAL) | Approx. 12.9 megapixels | |
| SENSOR TYPE | 35 mm full frame (35.6×23.8 mm), Exmor R CMOS sensor | |
| ANTI-DUST SYSTEM | Yes (Charge protection coating on Optical Filter and ultrasonic vibration mechanism) | |
| Recording system (Still Image) | ||
| RECORDING FORMAT | JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif ,Ver. 2.32, MPF Baseline compliant), HEIF (MPEG-A MIAF compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 4.0 format compliant) | |
| IMAGE SIZE (PIXELS) [3:2] | 35-mm full frame L: 4240 x 2832 (12 M), M: 2768 x 1848 (5.1 M), S: 2128 x 1416 (3.0 M), APS-C L: 2768 x 1848 (5.1 M), M: 2128 x 1416 (3.0 M), S: 1376 x 920 (1.3 M) | |
| IMAGE QUALITY MODES | RAW (Compressed / Uncompressed), JPEG (Extra fine / Fine / Standard), HEIF(4:2:0 / 4:2:2) (Extra fine / Fine / Standard), RAW & JPEG, RAW & HEIF | |
| Recording system (Movie) | ||
| VIDEO COMPRESSION | XAVC S: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, XAVC HS: MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 | |
| AUDIO RECORDING FORMAT | XAVC S: LPCM 2ch, LPCM 2ch (48 kHz 16 bit), LPCM 2ch (48 kHz 24 bit)1, LPCM 4ch(48 kHz 24 bit)1, MPEG-4 AAC-LC 2ch2 | |
| Recording System | ||
| LOCATION INFORMATION LINK FROM SMARTPHONE | Yes | |
| MEDIA | SD memory card, SDHC memory card (UHS-I/II-compliant), SDXC memory card (UHS-I/II-compliant), CFexpress Type A memory card | |
| MEMORY CARD SLOT | SLOT1: Multi slot for SD (UHS-I/II-compliant) memory card/CFexpress Type A card, SLOT2: Multi slot for SD (UHS-I/II-compliant) memory card/CFexpress Type A card | |
| RECORDING MODE ON 2 MEMORY CARDS | Simult. Rec, Sort, Auto Switch Media, Copy | |
| Noise Reduction | ||
| NOISE REDUCTION | Long exposure NR: On/Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 s, High ISO NR: Normal / Low / Off | |
| White balance | ||
| WHITE BALANCE MODES | Auto / Daylight / Shade / Cloudy / Incandescent / Fluorescent / Flash / Underwater / Colour Temperature (2500 to 9900K) & colour filter / Custom | |
| SHUTTER AWB LOCK | Yes (Shut. Halfway Down / Cont. Shooting / Off) | |
| Focus | ||
| FOCUS TYPE | Fast Hybrid AF (phase-detection AF / contrast-detection AF) | |
| FOCUS SENSOR | Exmor R® CMOS sensor | |
| FOCUS POINT | 35-mm 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) | |
| FOCUS SENSITIVITY RANGE | EV-6 to EV20 (ISO 100 equivalent with F2.0 lens attached) | |
| FOCUS MODE | AF-A (Automatic AF), AF-S (Single-shot AF), AF-C (Continuous AF), DMF (Direct Manual Focus), Manual Focus | |
| FOCUS AREA | Wide / Zone / Centre Fix / Spot / Expand Spot / Tracking | |
| EYE AF / SUBJECT RECOGNITION AF | [Still images] Human (Right/Left Eye Select) / Animal, [Movie] Human (Right/Left Eye Select) | |
| OTHER FEATURES | Predictive control, Focus lock, AF Track Sens. (Still), AF Subj. Shift Sensitivity (Movie), AF Transition Speed (Movie), Switch V/H AF Area, AF Area Regist., Circ. of Focus Point | |
| AF ILLUMINATOR | Yes (with Built-in LED type) | |
| AF ILLUMINATOR RANGE | Approx. 0.3 m—approx. 3.0 m (with FE 28–70 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens attached) | |
| FOCUS TYPE WITH LA-EA3 (SOLD SEPARATELY) | Phase-detection | |
| Exposure | ||
| METERING TYPE | 1200-zone evaluative metering | |
| Viewfinder | ||
| VIEWFINDER TYPE | 1.6 cm (0.64 type) electronic viewfinder (colour) | |
| NUMBER OF DOTS | 9 437 184 dots | |
| FIELD COVERAGE | 100% | |
| MAGNIFICATION | Approx. 0.90 x (with 50-mm lens at infinity, -1m-1) | |
| DIOPTRE ADJUSTMENT | -4.0 to +3.0 m-1 | |
| EYE POINT | Approx. 25-mm from the eyepiece lens, 21-mm from the eyepiece frame at -1m-1 (CIPA standard) | |
| DISPLAY FUNCTION | Histogram, Real-time image-adjustment display, Digital level gauge, Grid line, Focus check, Peaking MF, Zebra, Movie marker, Emph disp dur REC | |
| FINDER FRAME RATE SELECTION | NTSC mode: STD 60fps/HI 120fps, PAL mode: STD 50fps/HI 100fps | |
| LCD Screen | ||
| MONITOR TYPE | 7.5 cm (3.0-type) type TFT | |
| TOUCH PANEL | Yes | |
| NUMBER OF DOTS | 14,40,000 dots | |
| BRIGHTNESS CONTROL | Manual (5 steps between -2 and +2), Sunny Weather mode | |
| ADJUSTABLE ANGLE | Opening Angle: Approx. 176 deg., Rotation Angle: Approx. 270 deg. | |
| FOCUS MAGNIFIER | Yes, Focus Magnifier (35-mm full frame: 2.1x / 4.1x, APS-C: 1.5x / 3.0x) | |
| Other Features | ||
| PLAYMEMORIES CAMERA APPS™ | – | |
| CLEAR IMAGE ZOOM | Still images: Approx. 2x, Movies: Approx. 1.5x (4K), Approx. 2x (HD) | |
| DIGITAL ZOOM | Smart zoom (Still images): 35-mm full frame: M: Approx. 1.5x, S: Approx. 2x, APS-C: M: Approx. 1.3x, S: Approx. 2x, Digital zoom (Still images): 35-mm full frame: L: Approx. 4x, M: Approx. 6.1x, S: Approx. 8x, APS-C: L: Approx. 4x, M: Approx. 5.2x, S: Approx. 8x, Digital zoom (Movie): 35-mm full frame: Approx. 4x, APS-C: Approx. 4x | |
| FACE DETECTION | Face Priority in AF, Face Priority in Multi Metering, Regist. Faces Priority | |
| SELF-PORTRAIT SELF-TIMER | – | |
| OTHERS | Interval Recording, ISO AUTO Min. SS, Bright Monitoring, Copyright Info, Set File Name, Save/Import Settings, Help guide, Video Light Mode, Zoom Ring Rotate | |
| Shutter | ||
| TYPE | Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type | |
| SHUTTER TYPE | Mechanical shutter/Electronic shutter | |
| SHUTTER SPEED | Still images: 1/8000 to 30 s, Bulb, Movies: 1/8000 to 1/4 (1/3 steps), up to 1/60 in AUTO mode (up to 1/30 in Auto slow shutter mode) | |
| FLASH SYNC. SPEED | 1/250 seconds3 | |
| ELECTRONIC FRONT CURTAIN SHUTTER | Yes (ON/OFF) | |
| SILENT SHOOTING | Yes (ON/OFF) | |
| Image stabilisation | ||
| TYPE | Image Sensor-Shift mechanism with 5-axis compensation (Compensation depends on lens specifications) | |
| COMPENSATION EFFECT | 5.5 stops (based on CIPA standard. Pitch/yaw shake only. With Planar T* FE 50 mm F1.4 ZA lens mounted. Long exposure NR off.) | |
| Drive | ||
| DRIVE MODES | Single Shooting, Continuous shooting (Hi+/Hi/Mid/Lo selectable), Self-timer, Self-timer (Cont.), Bracket: Single, Bracket: Cont., White Balance bracket, DRO bracket | |
| CONTINUOUS DRIVE SPEED (APPROX. MAX.) | Continuous shooting: Hi+: 10 fps, Hi: 8 fps, Mid: 6 fps, Lo: 3 fps4 | |
| NO. OF RECORDABLE FRAMES (APPROX.) | JPEG Extra fine L: over 1,000 frames, JPEG Fine L: over 1,000 frames, JPEG Standard L: over 1,000 frames, RAW: over 1,000 frames, RAW & JPG: over 1,000 frames, RAW (Uncompressed): over 1,000 frames, RAW (Uncompressed) & JPG: over 1,000 frames4 | |
| SELF-TIMER | 10 s delay / 5 s delay / 2 s delay / Continuous self-time / Bracketing self-timer | |
| PIXEL SHIFT MULTI SHOOTING | – | |
| Playback | ||
| PHOTO CAPTURE | Yes | |
| MODES | Single (with or without shooting information Y RGB histogram and highlight / shadow warning), Index view, Enlarged display mode (L: 10.6x, M: 6.92x, S: 5.32x), Auto Review, Image orientation, Folder selection (Date / Still / Movie), Protect, Rating, Display as Group | |
| COMPATIBLE STANDARDS | Exif Print, Print Image Matching III | |
| Custom function | ||
| TYPE | Custom key settings, Programmable Setting (Body 3 sets / memory card 4 sets), My Dial Settings, My Menu, Reg Cust Shoot Set | |
| Lens Compensation | ||
| SETTING | Peripheral Shading, Chromatic Aberration, Distortion | |
| Interface | ||
| PC INTERFACE | Mass-storage / MTP | |
| MULTI/MICRO USB TERMINAL | Yes, Type-C® Terminal (SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps [USB 3.2] compatible) | |
| SYNC TERMINAL | – | |
| BLUETOOTH® | Yes (Bluetooth Standard Ver. 5.0 [2.4 GHz band]) | |
| MULTI INTERFACE SHOE | Yes (with Digital Audio Interface)5 | |
| VERTICAL GRIP CONNECTOR | Yes | |
| MIC TERMINAL | Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack) | |
| HEADPHONE TERMINAL | Yes (3.5 mm Stereo minijack) | |
| LAN TERMINAL | – | |
| FUNCTIONS | FTP Transfer Func.,View on Smartphone, Remote control via Smartphone, NFC One-touch remote, PC Remote, BRAVIA Sync (Control for HDMI), PhotoTV HD | |
| Audio | ||
| MICROPHONE | Built-in, stereo | |
| SPEAKER | Built-in, monaural | |
| Power | ||
| SUPPLIED BATTERY | One rechargeable battery pack NP-FZ100 | |
| BATTERY LIFE (STILL IMAGES) | Approx. 510 shots (Viewfinder) / Approx. 600 shots (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard)6 | |
| BATTERY LIFE (MOVIE, ACTUAL RECORDING) | Approx. 80 min (Viewfinder)/Approx. 95 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard)7 | |
| BATTERY LIFE (MOVIE, CONTINUOUS RECORDING) | Approx. 130 min (Viewfinder) / Approx. 135 min (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard) | |
| INTERNAL BATTERY CHARGE | Yes (Available with USB Type-C Terminal. USB Power Delivery compatible) | |
| POWER CONSUMPTION WITH VIEWFINDER | Still images: Approx. 4.3 W (with FE 28–70 mm F3.5–5.6 OSS lens attached), Movies: Approx. 7.6 W (with FE 28–70 mm F3.5–5.6 OSS lens attached) | |
| POWER CONSUMPTION WITH LCD SCREEN | Still images: Approx. 3.3 W (with FE 28–70 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens attached), Movies: Approx. 7.3 W (with FE 28–70 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens attached) | |
| USB POWER SUPPLY | Yes (Available with USB Type-C Terminal. USB Power Delivery compatible) | |
| Others | ||
| OPERATING TEMPERATURE | 32 – 104 degrees F / 0 – 40 degrees C | |
Overall, the Sony Alpha a7S III is an exceptional camera for low-light photography and videography. Its high-resolution sensor, fast autofocus system, and advanced video features make it a valuable tool for professional photographers and videographers who demand the best image quality in challenging lighting conditions.
Here are some additional things to consider when deciding if the Sony Alpha a7S III is the right camera for you:
- Price: The Sony Alpha a7S III is a high-end mirrorless camera and comes with a corresponding price tag.
- Megapixel Count: The 12.1MP sensor resolution might be lower compared to other full-frame cameras. However, the sensor prioritizes low-light performance and image quality over megapixel count.
- Focus on Video: If your primary focus is videography, the a7S III offers exceptional capabilities.
- Learning Curve: With its advanced features, the a7S III might have a steeper learning curve compared to beginner cameras.
If you’re a professional photographer or videographer who needs a camera that excels in low-light situations and prioritizes high-quality video recording, the Sony Alpha a7S III is a top contender. However, if you’re a beginner or if budget is a major concern, you might consider other mirrorless camera options with a lower price tag and more megapixels.
