Sony unveils α7 III (ILCE-7M3) camera

Sony’s new ?7 Mark III (ILCE-7M3) camera, shown with the FE 24-105mm f/4 lens. (Source: Sony.)

The new camera features the latest  24.2-megapixel back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor which provides increased sensitivity, outstanding resolution and an impressive 15 stops of dynamic range at low sensitivities. The camera body is also dust and moisture resistant. Its image processing system has been updated to support continuous shooting of full-resolution images at up to 10 fps with accurate AF/AE tracking. The buffer memory can store up to 177 standard JPEG images, 89 compressed ARW.RAW images or 40 uncompressed raw images.  This high-speed mode is available with either the mechanical shutter or the electronic shutter for completely silent shooting. The camera can also shoot continuously at up to 8 fps in live view mode with minimal lag. An Anti-flicker function allows the ?7 III to automatically detect the frequency of the lighting and time the shutter to minimise its effect on images being captured.   In addition, many of the camera’s functions, including access to the ‘Fn’ (Function) and ‘Menu’ buttons, image playback and several other menus and parameters remain usable while long bursts of images are being stored.

Sony’s Eye AF feature is included in the ?7 III, even in AF-C mode. It also works when the camera is being used with Sony’s A-mount lenses with an optional LA-EA3 adaptor.   Additional focusing improvements include a multi-selector ‘joystick’ for moving focusing points quickly, the addition of touch focusing capability, AF availability in Focus Magnifier mode and an ‘AF On’ button. The fast-start XGA OLED Tru-Finder has a resolution of approximately 2.3 million dots and both the viewfinder and monitor offer ‘Standard’ or ‘High’ display quality settings.

The ?7 III can record video at  4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution, recording across the full width of the full-frame image sensor.   In video mode, the camera uses full pixel readout without pixel binning to collect about 2.4x the amount of data required for 4K movies, and then oversamples it to produce high quality 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth. An HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) picture profile is available to support an instant HDR workflow, allowing HDR (HLG) playback on compatible TVs.  Both S-Log2 and S-Log3 are available for increased colour grading flexibility, as well as zebra functionality, gamma display assist and proxy recording.   The camera can also record Full HD at 120 fps at up to 100 Mbps, allowing footage to be reviewed and eventually edited into 4x or 5x slow motion video files in Full HD resolution with AF tracking.

The new camera features ‘My Menu’ functionality which allows up to 30 menu items to be registered for instant recall. A total of  Other features include dual media slots, with support in one slot for UHS-II type SD memory cards and user-selectable storage options.   The new camera uses Sony’s Z series battery NP-FZ100 battery, which has a CIPA rating of up to 710 shots per charge. Integrated Wi-Fi enables users to seamlessly transfer files to a smartphone, tablet, computer or FTP server. The camera also comes with a SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.1 Gen 1) USB Type-C Terminal for increased flexibility in power supply and faster image transfer speed during tethered shooting plus new ‘Imaging Edge’ software, which provides extensive creative capabilities across the entire shooting process ““ from pre-processing to post-processing.   The camera is also compatible with a wide variety of Sony E-mount accessories including the BC-QZ1 Battery Charger and VG-C3EM Vertical Grip.

The Sony ?7 III full-frame interchangeable lens camera will be available in Australia late March for SRP AU$3,099. For more information, contact Sony Australia on 1300 720 071 or visit www.sony.com.au.