Sony A7R III, faster and with 170 Megapixels (with trick)

Sony is again attempting its particular assault on the semiprofessional camera range of interchangeable lenses with the new Alpha 7R III. The third generation of the acclaimed A7 ‘R’ of maximum resolution -42 Mpx – now improved mainly in speed thanks to its new Bionz X processor 1.8 times faster. A necessary upgrade but perhaps a little lacking regarding innovations.

Sony A7R III, Sony A7R III, faster and with 170 Megapixels (with trick),

Sony A7R III, faster and with 170 Megapixels (with trick)

But this does not mean that it does not bring improvements. The A7R III already borrowed several benefits with the aim of becoming the reference of the sector. On the one hand, it maintains its Exmor R CMOS Full Frame 42 Mpx sensor, now surrounded by improvements such as a burst speed of 10 fps vs. 5 of generation II. that is 5-axis optical stabilizer. Or a response to scenes with low light improved thanks to its ISO sensitivity 100-32,000 (expandable to 50-102,400).

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The most ‘novel’ we find is the Pixel Shift Multi Shooting function. It takes advantage of the stabilizer’s precision to perform the pixel-displacement technique. And obtain a final image of 170 Megapixels (169.2). To do this, it adds software information to 4 consecutive shots, each of which has a micrometric displacement of the sensor. It is a trick that is not new and needs a static object, but in many cases works well.

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Finally, it has improvements in the speed and precision of the autofocus. 399 phase detection points on the sensor and 425 contrast detection. Figures similar to those of the A9 and which together with the processor make the A7R III faster in all areas.

Unfortunately, there has not been a parallel evolution of her sister the A7S II. So, whose orientation to the world of video and its excellent results in dim light we liked them years ago. It seems that the 4K full sensor video and the various professional functions (Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), S-Log2 and S-Log3, and Full HD at 120 fps) of this new model leave little room for the ‘S.’

The Sony A7R III will hit the market in November at a price of 3,500 euros. It may be a good time to look at the offers from the previous model.