Sony a7c vs a7iii [The Ultimate Comparison]
The Sony A7C was released in September 2020 as the company’s entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera, placing it below the earlier Sony A7 III in the company’s product line-up.
Despite this, the two cameras have a lot in common, which might leave photographers scratching their heads when attempting to pick which model to choose between the two.
Obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages to each sony camera, and while the older Sony A7 III is still technologically superior to the A7C in certain respects, the newer camera offers a few advantages that could make it a better pick in specific situations.
So let’s have a look at how the Sony A7C compares to the Sony A7 III in terms of image quality.
Key Specifications for the Sony A7c
Sony a7C Mirrorless Full Frame Camera Alpha 7C Body with 28-60mm F4-5.6 Lens Kit Silver ILCE7CL/S Bundle with Deco Gear Case + Extra Battery + Flash + Filters + Macro &
- Date of announcement: September 14, 2020 24MP – Full frame Sensor with BSI-CMOS technology
- ISO 100 – 51200 ISO 100 – 51200 ( expands to 50 – 204800)
- Sony E Mount (Sony E Mount)
- Image Stabilization Using a Sensor Shift
- 3 Screens with full articulation
- 2360 kilobytes of data Viewfinder with an electronic display
- Continuous shooting at a rate of 10.0 frames per second
- 4K (UHD) video resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels)
- High-Definition Video at 120 frames per second
- Wireless built-in is a great feature.
- 509g. Dimensions: 124 x 71 x 60 mm
- Body Protected from the WeatherKey
Specifications for the Sony A7 III
Sony a7 III Full Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens 4K HDR Camera ILCE-7M3 Body Bundle with Deco Gear Travel Bag, 2X 64GB Memory Cards, Editing Suite and
- The announcement was made on February 27th, 2018.
- 24 Megapixels – Full frame Sensor with BSI-CMOS technology
- ISO 100 – 51200 ISO 100 – 51200 ( expands to 50 – 204800)
- Sony E Mount (Sony E Mount)
- Image Stabilization Using a Sensor Shift
- 3 Tilting Screens are available.
- 2360 kilobytes of data Viewfinder with an electronic display
- Continuous shooting at a rate of 10.0 frames per second
- 4K (UHD) video resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels)
- High-Definition Video at 120 frames per second
- Wireless built-in is a great feature.
- 650g. Dimensions: 127 x 96 x 74 mm
- Body Protected from the Weather
- Sony Alpha A7 has been replaced.
Detailed Comparison of a7c vs a7iii
1. Sensors
A7C from Sony has a 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor (35.6×23.8mm) with an Exmor R CMOS sensor.
• Sony A7 III: 24.2Mp full frame (35.623.8mm), Exmor R CMOS sensor; Sony A7 II: 24.2Mp full frame (35.623.8mm);
- Sony A7 III: 24.2Mp full frame (35.623.8mm);
As you can see, the Exmoor R CMOS sensor in both cameras is the exact same size and resolution as the other.
Furthermore, the sensor is linked with the same Bionz X processing engine, which means that under identical conditions and with the same lens fitted, you should be able to capture photographs of the same high quality regardless of which model you choose to purchase.
2. ISO Speed (Instantaneous Image Stabilization)
There isn’t much of a difference between the two models in this regard, as both have native ISO ranges ranging from 100 to 51,200.
Both cameras have the ability to be pushed two steps farther, up to ISO 204,800, and both have the ability to be pushed down to ISO 50 if necessary.
3. Autofocus system (autofocus system)
• Sony A7C: -4EV to 20EV in the exposure range (ISO100 equivalent with F2.0 lens attached)
• Sony A7 III: -3EV to 20EV exposure range (ISO100 equivalent with F2.0 lens attached)
Because they both use the same sensor, the A7C and A7 III have nearly identical autofocus hardware.
This means that they both have a hybrid system with 693 phase-detection focus points and 425 contrast-detection focus points, which is the same as a conventional system.
The A7C, on the other hand, has a 1EV higher sensitivity, which implies it performs somewhat better in low light.
Additionally, the A7C is equipped with Sony’s most recent AI-powered subject recognition system, which allows the camera to track subjects more accurately than the A7 III did previously.
Even though the Eye AF on the A7 III is good, the Eye AF on the A7C is slightly more responsive and does a better job at keeping with the subject when the subject’s eyes are turned away from the camera.
4. Use of a viewfinder
• Sony A7C: Type OLED display with 2,359,296 dots on a 0.39-inch diagonal.
• Sony A7 III: Type OLED display with 2,359,296 dots on a 0.5-inch screen.
Another notable difference between the Sony A7C and Sony A7 III is the viewfinder. It is one of the more visible differences between the two cameras.
For starters, it is integrated into the body of the A7C and is located in the upper left corner rather than in the center of the camera’s top, as it was on the A7 III, which is a significant improvement. Sony was forced to adopt a 0.39-in type unit, which is more often found in APS-C format cameras rather than the 0.5-in unit used in the A7 III, as a result of this.
A smaller viewfinder allows the A7C to be more compact, but it does not provide the same “full-frame experience” that you might expect from a camera with a higher resolution.
5. Video
Both cameras have video recording specifications and performance that are fairly close to one another.
The A7C and A7 III can record 4K UHD footage in the XAVC-S format at up to 30 frames per second at 4:2:0 color depth in 8-bit to an attached memory card or 4:2:2 in 8-bit through HDMI to third-party recorders that are compatible with the A7C and A7 III.
It is compatible with the HLG, S-Log3, and S-Log2 profile formats.
The two cameras do not have the ability to record in 4K 60p or 10-bit.
They are both capable of recording in Full 1080 HD at up to 120 frames per second, with the dedicated Slow and Quick motion modes enabling frame rates ranging from 1 frame per second to 120 frames per second.
Keep in mind that when filming in 4K at 24 and 25p, the camera makes use of the entire width of the image sensor to oversample from 6K’s worth of data, but when shooting at 30p, a moderate crop is still imposed by the camera.
The Alpha 7C does contain a few new features that distinguish it from the A7III, however, they are minor.
A few of these features are the AF Speed settings from the recently released A7S III, the absence of any recording time limits, a new blue peaking color, the ability to shoot vertical videos as well as support for live streaming, and the ability to record in both NTSC and PAL modes without the need to reformat the memory card.
In addition, the one-touch movie button has been moved from its formerly inconvenient location on the rear-shoulder of the A7III to the top panel of the A7C, which is more convenient.
The Sony A7C also supports the new Digital Audio Interface (through MiShoe), which allows users to take advantage of the new ECM-B1M digital shotgun microphone, which is available for purchase separately.
6. Burst shooting is a type of shooting that occurs in rapid succession.
When it comes to continuous shooting speeds, the two models are once again evenly matched.
Both cameras have 10 frames per second burst shooting with full AF/AE tracking.
However, there are a handful of significant variances between them.
In terms of buffer size, the Alpha 7C has a slightly larger buffer than the A7III, which is particularly useful when shooting Raw files.
It can shoot up to 10 frames per second for up to 223 JPEGs or 115 compressed RAW photos in a single high-speed burst.
For the second time, the fastest rate is available with either the mechanical shutter or a completely silent electronic shutter – the A7 III is not capable of shooting silently at 10fps – which could mean the difference between capturing that candid moment or distracting your subject and missing the opportunity.
7. Body
The most significant variations between the A7C and the A7 III are in terms of size, weight, and styling.
Instead of a standard DSLR with a raised viewfinder in the center, the new A7C is built on a rangefinder-style A6000-series camera, only somewhat larger and astonishingly with a full-frame sensor at its core rather of a smaller APS-C sensor.
The A7C is available now for pre-order.
The Sony A7C weighs 509g, which is only 6g (or 1 percent) more than the A6600 and 141g (or 22 percent) less than the A7 III. This is quite remarkable considering the A7C is a full frame camera (without a lens, battery and memory card fitted).
The A7C’s electronic viewfinder (EVF) is located in the lower left-hand corner and features a more streamlined UI with fewer controls.
This does mean that the handling is much different from that of the A7 III, and not in a particularly positive way.
The Alpha 7C includes a rear control dial, but there is no front control dial, which is located at the top of the handgrip near the shutter release on the A7 III and would allow simultaneous adjustment of the exposure settings with the thumb and forefinger like on the A7 III.
In addition, the A7C only has one Custom button, compared to four on the A7 III, making it more difficult to customize the camera to your specific working environment.
The absence of an auto-exposure lock (AEL) button is also a notable omission, as is the absence of an autofocus joystick, with the camera instead relying mostly on its touchscreen interface to determine the auto-focus point (another minor irritation).
Overall, the A7 III’s body and handling are far superior to those of the A7 II.
8. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) Display
The Alpha 7C has the same 3-inch widescreen LCD monitor with a 3:2 aspect ratio as the A6600 and A7 III, which is regrettably the same 921k resolution as the A6600 and A7 III, but with a different resolution.
An increased screen size and quality, perhaps even a 16:9 aspect ratio rather than the current 3:2 aspect ratio, would have been expected on a new camera introduced in 2020.
There is one significant alteration, though, that is really appreciated.
Unlike the A6600’s 180-degree flip-up design, the A7C’s screen has a fully articulating vari-angle design that has been inherited directly from the newly introduced A7S III, which is a significant upgrade over the A6600.
For easier operation when pointing the camera at oneself, you may swivel the screen forward, and you can fold the screen flat against the back of the camera to prevent it from being scratched.
Simply put, it’s a far more adaptable screen for vlogging, filming, and general photography than the previous model.
9. Memory Cards are a type of storage device.
Only one SD UHS-II memory card slot is available on the new Sony A7C camera, which is concealed behind a locked door on the left-hand side of the camera.
The Sony A7 III was definitely ahead of its time in that it was one of the first mirrorless cameras to feature two card slots, however only one of them is capable of supporting the faster UHS-II standard, indicating that it was well ahead of its time.
As a result, the A7III has the advantage in this area because it features a second, albeit slower, UHS-I slot.
On the plus side, Sony has finally separated the memory card slot from the battery compartment of the other A6000-series cameras and placed it in a locked compartment on the side of the A7C, which is more easily accessible and more convenient.
10. Battery life is measured in hours.
The Sony A7C uses the same big capacity NP-FZ100 battery as the A7 III and the A6600 models, which means they are interchangeable.
Its battery life is 740 shots when using the LCD screen and 680 shots when using the viewfinder, which is slightly longer than the A7 III’s battery life of 710 shots when using the LCD screen and the viewfinder (for the LCD screen).
Alternatively, both cameras may also be powered and charged via a USB-C connection, which is great if you’re on the go and have a powerbank that is compatible with the camera.
11. Lenses in a kit
One of the most significant differences between the two cameras is the kit lens that comes with each of them.
A7C ships with a completely new retractable kit lens, the FE 28-60mm F4-5.6. This is in contrast to the A7III, which ships with a popular zoom lens, the FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS.
The Sony FE 28-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens combined with the Sony A7C camera results in a camera that is 28 percent lighter and 33 percent smaller in volume than the Sony A7 III and the FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 lens.
The new kit lens for the Alpha 7C, on the other hand, is 10mm shorter and has a slightly slower maximum aperture at 28mm, compared to the previous model.
12. Price
The launch price of the new Sony A7C is perhaps the most contentious component of the device.
When you consider that the new Sony A7C costs £1899 / $1798 for the body only, or £2150 / $2098 with the Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 kit lens, the A7C is actually more expensive than the A7 III.
We believe that Sony is being way too ambitious with the Alpha 7C, even though the A7III has been on the market for a few years and has naturally seen its price drop.
Our Final Thoughts
Making a decision between the new Sony A7C and the A7 III comes down to more than just image quality and performance; it also comes down to other critical features, such as weight and handling.
However, while the Alpha 7C is unquestionably smaller and lighter than the A7III – it’s only slightly larger in size than the APS-C sensor A6600 – it does it at the expense of a significantly less intuitive user interface.
It is ultimately up to you to pick which of those qualities is more essential to you, and which one you prefer – a smaller, less sophisticated camera or a larger, more customizable camera.
Frequently Ask Questions
Is there a better camera on the market than the Sony A7III?
The Nikon Z6 II is Nikon’s response to the Sony A7III, and it is a good alternative for Nikon shooters who are committed to the brand.
Full-frame sensors with a resolution of 24 megapixels offer a superb dynamic range, and the phase-detect autofocus mechanism is one of the best I’ve encountered.
In addition, the Nikon Z6 II is the most comfortable camera to handle out of all the cameras on this list.
Is the Sony A7C a smart choice for first-time buyers?
The Sony A7C is the company’s first beginner-friendly, entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera, and it is available now.
I’ll tell you right now that it’s a fantastic camera, but there are some serious concerns I have about it that make me hesitant to suggest it when compared to some of the other cameras on the market today. I’ll start with the positive: it’s a fantastic camera.
Do professional photographers use mirrorless cameras? Is this a common question?
Yes, however depending on the genre of photography, they may also employ DSLRs. In reality, many users swap between DSLR and mirrorless cameras on a consistent basis.
Some are of the opinion that mirrorless lenses and autofocus are still in their infancy and that DSLRs are the better option.
Originally posted on December 24, 2021 @ 4:48 pm