Sony Introduces A7S III, A True And Worthy Successor to A7S II

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After 5 long years, Sony has finally launched the successor to the legendary A7S II. As good as this is camera was, the new A7S III is simply better – at everything. Though both look fairly similar, the III has a new BIONX XR image processing engine with eight times more processing power and a new (35mm) 12.1MP back-illuminated full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor.

Here’s What’s New:

• Newly developed BIONX XRTM image processing engine with eight times more processing power and a brand new 12.1-megapixel (approx., effective) back-illuminated full-frame Exmor R™ CMOS image sensor, significantly reduced rolling shutter effect
• Ultra-high sensitivity with ISO range expandable from 40 – 409,600[iii], and improved image quality by approximately 1 stop noise reduction in the middle and high sensitivity ranges
• Video recording capabilities include 4K 120p, 10 bit 4:2:2 colour depth, All-Intra recording, XAVC HS format with H.265 codec and more
• 15+ stop dynamic range for movies
• 4K 60p 16-bit RAW video HDMI output for the first time in the Alpha™ series
• Fast Hybrid AF system with 759 point phase-detection AF sensors covering 92% of image sensor
• Enhanced Real-time Eye AF for movie recording and still image recording
• New heat dissipating mechanism and dual slot relay recording enables over one-hour long 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 movie shooting until battery ends[vi]
• 5-axis optical in-body image stabilization supports handheld movie shooting, with added Active Mode to support especially difficult handheld movie shooting
• World’s brightest and largest new 0.64-type 9.44 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder
• Completely redesigned menu system with touch screen interface and touch operation
• High-speed continuous still image shooting at up to 10fps for more than 1,000 consecutive uncompressed RAW images with full AF / AE tracking
• Dual CFexpress Type A card slots that enable high speed data processing while keeping the compact size

The III’s camera has 3 times better rolling shutter than the II and is able to effectively capture better footage in low lighting conditions. Speaking of video, the camera can capture 4K 120fps and 10-bit 4:2:2 color depth. Thanks to dual slot relay mechanism, the battery can last a full hour when recording in 4K 60fps. There’s also improved heat dissipation.

Sony also says that the III has the world’s brightest and largest 9.44 million dot OLED electronic eye-level viewfinder and dual CFexpress Type A card slots, enabling high-speed data transfer. The base ISO has been lowered to 80, which gives it a normal range of 80 to 102,400, as well as wide dynamic range.

The III can also maintain color and texture consistency of foliage and human skin without having to depend on light sources. But a more noteworthy feature is the inclusion of a Fast Hybrid AF feature. It combines phase-detection and contrast-detection AF. This allows it to track subjects over wide area and greater speed. The same is true of the Real-time Eye AF.

Videographers will be happy to know that the Alpha 7S III is the first of its kind that has 5-axis optical in-body stabilization. A first for Sony digital cameras is the HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format). It allows for smooth 10-bit gradations and advanced compression technology to maintain image quality.

The new Sony Alpha 7S III, a full-frame (E-Mount) camera will be available to purchase in Europe for €4200 by September of this year. For more information can be found here.