Sony a7S III Overview
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| I own it | I want it | I had it |
The Sony a7S III is a video-focused full-frame mirrorless camera with a 12 Megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. It uses an all-new dual-chip Bionz XR processor, which offers considerably more horsepower, allowing for faster autofocus/auto-exposure as well as high bitrate video. The camera offers an ISO range of 80-102400, which expands to 40-409600. Sony claims that it captures 15 stops of dynamic range. The autofocus system has 759 on-sensor phase-detect points and supports eye and animal AF.
The camera has in-body image stabilization that can reduce shake by up to 5.5 stops. It has the highest resolution electronic viewfinder on the market (as of July 2020), with 9.44 million dots. There's also a 3.2" fully articulating LCD. The camera has two memory card slots, both of which can accept SD (UHS-II) or CFexpress Type A cards. It has both USB 3.1/3.2 Type 1 and micro USB ports, and can be powered using an external power bank.
Video is the big story, with the a7S III able to capture UHD 4K video at up to 120p without pixel binning. The a7S III can also record high speed (240 fps) Full HD video. Sony claims that the a7S III can record for up to an hour at 4K/60p thanks to improved heat dissipation. The camera offers both Long GOP and All-Intra compression, with a maximum bit rate of 600Mbps. It can record 10-bit 4:2:2 footage, and both S-Log2/3 and HLG are supported. Full-frame, 16-bit Raw footage at up to 60p can be output to an external recording. A full-size HDMI port , as well as mic and headphone jacks, are are available, and an XLR adapter can be purchased separately.
| Body type | SLR-style mirrorless |
|---|---|
| Max resolution | 4240 x 2832 |
| Effective pixels | 12 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS |
| ISO | Auto, 80-102400 (expands to 40-409600) |
| Lens mount | Sony E |
| Focal length mult. | 1× |
| Articulated LCD | Fully articulated |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 1,440,000 |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Format | MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-I, H.264, H.265 |
| Storage types | Dual UHS-II SD/CFexpress Type A slots |
| USB | USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 699 g (1.54 lb / 24.66 oz) |
| Dimensions | 129 x 97 x 81 mm (5.08 x 3.82 x 3.19″) |
| GPS | None |
The Sony a7S III is a powerful video tool that can shoot 4K footage at up to 120p (up to 60p with no crop), in a variety of 10-bit formats to provide plenty of flexibility in terms of both grading and workflow. It has dependable autofocus, in-body stabilization and good battery life to boost its run-and-gun credentials. Its 12MP resolution means it's less impressive as a stills camera but it's a hugely powerful choice for independent video producers.
Good for: Run-and-gun video, all manner of 4K productions
Not so good for: Landscape photography
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