In summary
Sony’s α7M3 camera introduces 4K video and boasts improved stabilisation, twice the frame rate of the previous model and a larger buffer capacity.
The α7M3 is designed for experienced photographers and although complex, some important modifications have improved usability, capabilities and performance.
The FE 24-105mm f/4 lens supplied with the review camera is reviewed separately and rates as an ideal companion to the α7M3. Size- and functionality-wise, it’s a great combination for anyone planning to travel with the camera. It’s also very nice to use.
Full review
Sony’s entry-level full-frame camera enters its third generation with some significant improvements over previous generations, which remain in the company’s line-up (although at discounted prices). The review camera was supplied with the FE 24-105mm f/4 OSS lens, which is reviewed separately. The focal length range covered by this lens is likely to make it a popular companion to any of Sony’s α7 bodies for photographers who want a general-purpose ‘walk-around’ lens.
Sony’s α7 Mark III (ILCE-7M3) camera, shown with the FE 24-105mm f/4 lens, which was supplied with the camera for this review. (Source: Sony.)
Styled like its predecessor but with some important modifications to improve usability, the α7M3 includes a number of features shared with the flagship α9 camera to improve its capabilities and performance. These are listed below.
Who’s it for?
Like its predecessors, the α7M3 is designed for experienced photographers. Its price tag suggests most potential purchasers will be serious enthusiasts and professional photographers who are attracted by the compact body size, high resolution and large image sensor.
Newcomers to Sony cameras will probably find the complex menu system difficult to deal with. For example, the Camera Settings 1 section of the menu contains 66 settings spread across14-pages. This is followed by the 9-page Camera Settings 2 section, which deals with movie settings and carries 45 settings.
Additional tabs cover the Network (12 settings), Playback (18 settings), Setup (38 settings) and the My Menu pages for storing custom settings. Altogether, there are 179 individual settings to deal with and, even when some are greyed-out, that makes a lot of functions to come to grips with.
Fortunately, the α7M3 is highly customisable. As well as the My Menu pages there are four clearly labelled Custom buttons that can be individually programmed for quick access, although it will require a fair amount of time to the configure camera to your needs.
Sony has been forced into some design compromised to keep the price of the camera moderate while providing the improvements a next-generation model would demand. For starters, the resolution of the EVF is reduced to just under one million dots (although its magnification is higher). The supplied printed manual is slim and relatively uninformative and there’s no proper battery charger; only a USB cable and adapter are provided.
The table below compares the three generations in the α7 model line.
| α7 | α7M2 | α7M3 | |
| Sensor resolution | 24.3 megapixels | 24.2 megapixels | |
| Sensor type | Front side illuminated | Back side illuminated | |
| Stabilisation | Lens-based only | 5-axis sensor-shift
4.5 stops correction |
5-axis sensor-shift 5 stops correction |
| Autofocusing | 25-point contrast detection plus 117-point phase detection | 425-point contrast detection plus 693-point phase detection | |
| Continuous shooting | 2.5 fps (5 fps in Speed Priority mode) | 5.0 fps | 10 fps |
| Buffer capacity | 50 JPEG or 28 ARW.RAW | 50 JPEG or 25 ARW.RAW | 177 JPEG or 89 ARW.RAW |
| Native ISO range | 100-25600 | 100-51200 | |
| Video (max. capabilities) | 1080/50p at 50Mbps | 2160/30p at 100Mbps | |
| Monitor resolution | 1,228,800 dots | 921,600 dots | |
| EVF resolution | 2,359,296 dots | ||
| EVF Magnification | 0.71x | 0.78x | |
| Interface connections | Multi / Micro USB 2.0l, HDMI micro connector (Type-D), 3.5 mm Stereo mini jacks (mic & headphone), PC remote terminal | Multi/Micro USB 3.1 Gen 1, HDMI micro connector (Type-D), 3.5 mm Stereo mini-jacks for microphone and headphones, PC remote terminal | |
| Battery | NP-FW50 | NP-FZ100 | |
| Battery capacity (CIPA) | Up to 340 shots | Approx. 270 shots (EVF)/ Approx. 350 shots (LCD) | Approx. 610 shots (EVF)/ Approx. 710 shots (LCD) |
| Dimensions | 126.9 x 94.4 x 48.2 mm | 126.9 x 95.7 x 59.7 mm | 126.9 x 95.6 x 73.7 mm |
| Weight (with battery) | 474 grams | 599 grams | 650 grams |
| Listed price in AU$ (body only) | $1299 | $2099 | $3099 |
Sony still has the two previous models listed on its website as available to buy and they remain on sale in most specialist camera shops. Buyers can expect to save $100 to $200 on the prices listed above for the original α7 and α7M2 if they shop around.
What’s New?
The α7M3’s body has received a few minor adjustments to bring it more into line with the α7RM3 and α9 . It’s a little larger and heavier, thanks to the deeper grip and larger, higher-capacity battery. There are now dual card slots, one UHS-1 compatible as in previous models and the other capable of using UHS-II cards. The card compartment also has a lock.
Build quality is similar to the previous model and, like that camera, it is made in China. The hand grip and many of the user controls have been improved. Weatherproof sealing is extensive.
These diagrams show the positions of the weatherproof seals in the α7M3 body. (Source: Sony.)
The mode dial is the same as the α9‘s and the rear panel control layout has the same joystick control that enables users to select individual points or groups of points from the expanded phase-detection and contrast detection arrays. Touch controls have been added to the tilting LCD monitor, although its resolution is reduced and it’s not quite as easy to view in bright light.
Otherwise, nothing much has changed.
Front view of the α7M3 with no lens fitted. (Source: Sony.)
Top view of the α7M3 with no lens fitted. (Source: Sony.)
Angled view of the back of the α7M3 showing the tilting monitor screen. (Source: Sony.)
Internally, more important changes have been made. While resolution is unchanged, the α7M3 has a new Back Side Illuminated (BSI) sensor with 693 phase-detection AF points covering 93% of the frame which combine with 425 contrast-detection points to provide more accurate autofocusing than the 25-point contrast detection plus 117-point phase detection arrays in the previous model.
The Fast Hybrid AF system includes the same number of phase-detection AF points as in the α9‘s AF point array, but the increased contrast-detection points in the α7M3 should improve the speed and accuracy of functions like Sony’s Eye AF. The camera can focus down to -3EV with an f/2 lens.
This diagram shows the light path used in the Fast Hybrid AF system. (Source: Sony.)
A new electronically-controlled vertical-traverse focal plane shutter mechanism provides a top shutter speed of 1/8000 second, slow speeds to 30 seconds and supports Bulb exposures for shooting stills. Shutter speeds for movies range from 1/4 to 1/8000 second.
The only option to use the electronic shutter control is in the silent shooting mode (a new feature in α7 cameras). An Anti-flicker function, similar to the one in the α9, is designed to enable the α7M3 to automatically detect the frequency of the lighting and time the shutter to minimise its effect on the images being captured.
The Camera Settings 1 menu contains an APS-C/Super 35mm setting that will crop the frame to the angle of view of an APS-C lens and record with the central part of the sensor, thereby increasing the ‘effective’ focal length. This setting can be used for stills as well as movies.
Sensor-shift stabilisation has been a feature of Sony’s cameras since the DSLR days and is included in all α7 cameras. The latest iteration combines data from the stabilisation unit and gyro sensors with new algorithms to achieve a 5.0-stop (equivalent) shake correction. The system compensates for pitch, yaw and roll as well as normal camera shake and integrates effectively with stabilised lenses.
This diagram shows the 5-axis stabilisation system in the α7M3. (Source: Sony.)
Like the α7RM3 the α7M3 provides a wide range of Picture Profile settings covering gamma, colour tone (gamut, saturation, phase and depth), black level and setting the knee point and slope for video signal compression. Four selectable gamma curves are provided with differing emphasis on dynamic range and noise reduction. Each has a different maximum video output level, with HLG1 at approximately 87%, HLG2 at approx. 95% and HLG3 at approx. 100%.
The USB Multi/Micro connector used both for connecting the camera to a computer and for recharging the camera’s battery has been upgraded to a USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface. Bluetooth has also been added to the built-in NFC and Wi-Fi connectivity featured in the previous models but connectivity still requires Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile app.
Sensor and Image Processing
The sensor in the α7M3 has the same resolution as the one in the α9 which is covered in detail in our review of that camera. It is partnered with the latest BIONZ X processor that enables the camera to support 4K video recording.
Native ISO sensitivity settings range from 100 to 51200 for silent shooting with the electronic shutter, with extensions to ISO 50 and ISO 204800 available when the mechanical shutter is selected. Movie settings are restricted to ISO 100 to 102400.
The α7M3 supports the same JPEG and 14-bit RAW file formats as the α9 and offers compressed and uncompressed settings for the raw files (but not losslessly compressed). A RAW+JPEG setting is available but you can’t adjust image sizes.
Typical file sizes are the same as the α9‘s, with standard JPEGs averaging 7.1MB, fine JPEGs at 10.2MB and extra-fine JPEGs at 18.9MB. Compressed raw files average 27.8MB in size while uncompressed raw files are roughly double that size at around 54MB.
The top continuous shooting speed of 10 fps is available with AF/AE tracking and also for silent shooting but only when the viewfinder is used. With Live View, the frame rate drops to 8 fps. The buffer memory can store up to 177 standard JPEG images, 89 compressed ARW.RAW images or 40 uncompressed raw images.
Raw file compression involves compressing the original 14-bit data down to 11 bits and then dividing it into 16-pixel blocks. These blocks are further compressed, using a 7-bit value. This can cause problems in areas with wide brightness differences between adjacent pixels, producing edge artefacts similar to those caused by JPEG compression.
Video
The addition of 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) video brings the α7M3 into line with Sony’s other recent ‘full-frame’ cameras. As in its siblings, video capture uses the full width of the full-frame image sensor with full pixel readout and no pixel binning to collect about 2.4x the amount of data (around 6K equivalent) required for 4K movies.
The new camera drops the MP4 recording format provided in its predecessor but retains the proprietary XAVC S codec, which is used for both 4K and HD resolution and captures more data than the alternative AVCHD format. Both formats are accessible with popular playback software like MPC-HD.
Recordings can be made at bit rates of 100Mbps and 60Mbps. NTSC users can select 4K with 24 fps as well with the same bit rates available. Slow motion recording is now available at Full HD 1080p resolution and PAL users can record at 100 fps, which can be played back with 4x slow motion.
The table below shows the options available for movie recording.
| Movie format | Record setting | Bit-rate | |
| PAL | NTSC | ||
| XAVC S 4K | 25p 100M | 50p 100M | Approx. 100Mbps |
| 25p 60M | 30p 60M | Approx. 60Mbps | |
| n.a. | 24p 100M | Approx. 100Mbps | |
| n.a. | 24p 60M | Approx. 60Mbps | |
| XAVC S HD | 50p 50M | 60p 50M | Approx. 50Mbps |
| 50p 25M | 60p 25M | Approx. 25Mbps | |
| 25p 50M | 30p 50M | Approx. 50Mbps | |
| 25p 16M | 30p 16M | Approx. 16Mbps | |
| n.a. | 24p 50M | Approx. 50Mbps | |
| 100p 100M | 120p 100M | Approx. 100Mbps | |
| 100p 60M | 120p 60M | Approx. 60Mbps | |
| AVCHD | 50i 24M | 60i 24M | Approx. 24Mbps |
| 50i 17M | 60i 17M | Approx. 17Mbps | |
Unlike the α9, but like the α7R III , the α7M3 also provides S-Log 3 and S-Gamut 3, which are added to the S-Log2 gamma function provided in the previous model. Another addition is Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), which captures with the Log profile but displays a corrected version on the camera.
Playback and Software
Nothing much has changed here. Like other Sony cameras, the α7M3 creates an image database file on the memory card, which is used for both recording and playing back files. The camera supports the same playback settings as other Sony cameras and includes the same rating, protect, rotate and delete functions.
As is common in the latest crop of digital cameras, all software must be downloaded. So must the basic user’s manual, which is available in PDF format. It’s not as comprehensive as the Help guide, which can only be viewed online.
Sony’s proprietary software application, PlayMemories Home, appears to be the main software offering. It’s required to import XAVC S movies into a computer for viewing and editing.
No specific software is listed for editing ARW.RAW files from the camera but, fortunately, Adobe Camera Raw (our preferred file converter) supports the α7M3. Presumably other third-party converters do as well.
Performance
The FE 24-105mm f/4 lens supplied with the review camera is reviewed separately and rates as an ideal companion to the α7M3. Size- and functionality-wise, it’s a great combination for anyone planning to travel with the camera. It’s also very nice to use.
Test shots were similar in character to images from other Sony ‘full-frame’ cameras we’ve reviewed recently. Imatest showed a slight reduction in the saturation levels in JPEG files, compared with the previous model, making colour reproduction more natural-looking.
We also found some improvements in resolution in our Imatest tests, which may be partly due to the lens used for testing. The best JPEG images in our tests were capable of meeting (and slightly exceeding) expectations for the camera’s 24-megapixel sensor.
Equivalent ARW.RAW files converted with the latest version of Adobe Camera Raw (our preferred converter) were slightly above the expected resolution. The graph below shows the results of our tests across the camera’s default sensitivity range.
Long exposures at night showed no evidence of noise right up to ISO 6400 and very little noise thereafter. However, slight softening became visible at ISO 12800 due to noise-reduction processing. This softening increased progressively through the remaining sensitivity settings. By ISO 51200 contrast was also reduced.
The reduction in contrast increased progressively as sensitivity was raised and by ISO 204800 (the highest setting), images appeared rather flat and slightly fuzzy. Interestingly, colour reproduction remained constant throughout the sensitivity range and was generally quite close to the subject’s normal range.
Auto white balance performance was similar to other Sony cameras we’ve tested, particularly under incandescent lighting, where most of the warm cast was corrected. Shots taken under fluorescent lighting were virtually cast-free, while only traces of the cast produced by warm-toned LED light remained uncorrected.
For both incandescent and lighting fluorescent, the pre-sets tended to over-correct, while manual measurement delivered a neutral colour balance with all three types of lighting. In-camera micro-adjustment of 15 steps along each colour axis (G/M and A/B) enables users to tweak image colours on-the-fly. White balance bracketing across three frames is available.
We can’t quantify differences in AF speed between the α7M3 and its predecessor without having both cameras to compare. Suffice it to say the camera performed flawlessly in our low-light tests in the AF-S mode. In the AF-C mode with moving subjects, very low light levels could result in occasional hunting, although it was generally brief and occurred only when the lens was stopped down beyond about f/5.6.
Our timing tests were carried out with two memory cards: a 128GB Panasonic SDXC U 3 card rated for 90MB/s and a 32GB Lexar Professional SDHC U3 card with a speed rating of 300MB/s. The slower card was incapable of sustaining the maximum burst speed and defaulted to eight frames/second with JPEGs. So we used the faster card for all comparative measurements.
The review camera was slightly slower than its predecessor to power up ready for shooting, taking just under two seconds. We measured an average capture lag of 0.2 seconds with single-area AF and the electronic first curtain shutter (EFCS) enabled. Disabling the EFCS extended the lag to 0.3 seconds, the same lag as produced in the silent shooting mode.
This lag was reduced to just over 0.1 second when shots were pre-focused with all three modes. Shot-to-shot times averaged 0.55 seconds.
High-resolution JPEGs took 2.1 seconds to process on average, while ARW.RAW files were processed in 2.8 seconds and RAW+JPEG pairs in 3.0 seconds. For Live View shooting in the regular continuous shooting mode the review camera recorded 163 Large/Fine JPEG frames in 21.2 seconds, which represents just under eight frames/second. Processing was completed within 31 seconds of the last frame recorded.
Using the viewfinder, the camera recorded 161 JPEG frames in 16.2 seconds before hesitating; a frame rate of just under 10 frames/second. It took 48 seconds to clear the buffer memory.
Swapping to raw file capture, the camera recorded 40 ARW.RAW files in 4.1 seconds and took 15.9 seconds to complete processing this burst. With RAW+JPEG capture, the buffer memory accommodated 36 pairs, which were recorded in 3.9 seconds. It took just over 28 seconds to process this burst.
Conclusion
Until now, Sony has been the only mirrorless camera manufacturer to offer cameras with ‘full-frame’ sensors; but that’s about to change. On 23 August Nikon will unveil its first mirrorless camera, which will have a full-frame sensor and a new lens mount. A new mount adapter will allow the use of legacy F-mount lenses developed for the Nikon DSLR system.
Canon is expected to announce its first full frame mirrorless camera in the lead-in to Photokina 2018 in late September. Details are sketchy but it’s expected to have a different mount, but provide some way to use EF lenses.
And here’s where the problem for Sony lies. While Canon and Nikon have a full range of DSLR lenses and installed bases of millions of DSLR users with multiple lenses spread around the world, Sony is still building its FE lens set.
Since we reviewed the original α7, the company has endeavoured to expand the range of choices available, but there are still only 23 full frame lenses currently listed on Sony’s Australian website. Other manufacturers have come to the party, among them Carl Zeiss, Laowa, Samyang and Tamron and adapters are available for fitting Canon EF, Leica, Nikon and Sigma lenses to the α7 camera bodies.
While the wanted focal lengths and zoom ranges between 12mm and 400mm are well covered, with capable prime and zoom lenses, there are still a few holes in the line-up that need to be plugged. Telephoto lenses longer than 400mm and tilt/shift lenses are the key products missing.
The new offerings from Canon and Nikon will influence whether current DSLR users thinking of going mirrorless will swap brands. Pricing will also play a role, although early indicators suggest the Nikon camera will be close to the price of the α7M3.
The listed price of AU$3099 for the α7M3 could be a big ask for many photo enthusiasts and, as yet, there’s not a lot of discounting going on. You could save between $100 and $150 if you shop around.
It’s not worth shopping off-shore for this camera since most re-sellers are asking the equivalent of approximately AU$2970 for the α7M3 body. B&H won’t ship it to Australia. Adorama will but charges just over AU$85 to do so – and you’ll still be liable for GST once it arrives. Amazon lists the previous models on its Australian website but pricing is inconsistent, raising doubt about whether you’d actually get what you paid for.
SPECS
Image sensor: 35.6 x 23.8mm Exmor R BSI-CMOS sensor with 25.3 million photosites (24.2 megapixels effective)
Image processor: Bionz X
A/D processing: 14-bit
Lens mount: Sony FE
Focal length crop factor: 1x
Clear Image zoom: Still images: approx. 2x, Movies: approx. 1.5x (4K), approx. 2x (HD)
Image formats: Stills: JPEG (DCF 2.0, EXIF 2.3), ARW.RAW (v.2.3), RAW+JPEG; Movies: XAVC S / AVCHD 2.0 / MP4; Audio: LPCM / Dolby Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC, stereo
Image Sizes: Stills – 3:2 aspect: 6000 x 4000, 3936 x 2624, 3008 x 2000, 16:9 aspect: 6000 x 3376, 3936 x 2216, 3008 x 1688 (APS-C crop available); Movies: XAVC S: 3840 x 2160 (25p/100M, 25p/60M); 1920 x 1080 (50p/50M, 50p/25M, 25p/50M, 25p/60M, 100p/100M, 100p/60M); AVCHD: 1920 x 1080 (50i/24M, 50i/17M)
Image Stabilisation: Image Sensor-Shift mechanism with 5-axis compensation; 5-stop shake correction
Dust removal: Charge protection coating on optical filter and image sensor shift mechanism
Shutter (speed range): Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type shutter (1/8000 to 30 sec. plus Bulb for stills; movies – 1/8000 to 1/4), flash synch at 1/250 sec.; electronic front curtain shutter and silent shooting available
Exposure Compensation: +/- 5EV in 1/3EV or 1/2EV steps (+/-EV for movies)
Exposure bracketing: 3 or 5 frames in 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps across +/-5EV
Other bracketing options: WB – 3 frames, H/L selectable; DRO – 3 frames, H/L selectable. flash exposure
Self-timer: 2, 5 or 10 seconds delay plus continuous (3 frames with 2, 5 or 10 seconds delay), bracketing self-timer
Intervalometer: No
Focus system: Fast Hybrid AF (Phase-detect + Contrast-detect AF) with 693 phase-detection AF points covering 93% of image area, 425 contrast AF points
Focus modes: Wide (693 points PD plus 425 points CD) / Zone / Centre / Flexible Spot (S/M/L) / Expanded Flexible Spot / Lock-on AF (Wide / Zone / Centre / Flexible Spot (S/M/L) / Expanded Flexible Spot); face detection & registration available (Max. 8 faces)
Focus/exposure aids: Focus magnifier (5.9x, 11.7x), Peaking display (white/red/yellow, high/mid/low levels); zebra pattern (selectable level & range)
Exposure metering: 1200-zone evaluative metering with Multi-segment, Centre-weighted, Highlight-weighted, Average and Spot metering patterns
Shooting modes: Auto, P, A, S, M, Scene Selection (Portrait, Sports Action, Macro, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Night Portrait) , Slow & Quick Motion, Movie
Picture Effect modes: Posterisation (Colour), Posterisation (B/W), Pop Colour, Retro Photo, Partial Colour (R/G/B/Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera (Normal/Cool/Warm/Green/Magenta), Soft High-key, Rich-tone Monochrome
Creative Style modes: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn leaves, Black & White, Sepia, Style Box (1-6), (Contrast (-3 to +3 steps), Saturation (-3 to +3 steps), Sharpness (-3 to +3 steps)
Picture Profile settings: Black Level, Gamma (Movie, Still, Cine1-4, ITU709, ITU709 [800%],S-Log2, S-Log3, HLG, HLG1-3), Black Gamma, Knee, Colour mode, Saturation, Colour Phase, Colour Depth, Detail, Copy, Reset
Colour space options: sRGB standard (with sYCC gamut) and Adobe RGB standard compatible with TRILUMINOS Colour
ISO range: Still images: ISO 100-51200 (expandable to ISO 50 to 204800), Movies: ISO 100-51200 (both with selectable lower and upper limits)
White balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, (Warm White / Cool White / Day White / Daylight), Flash, Underwater, Colour Temperature (2500 to 9900K); AWB Micro Adjustment – G7 to M7(57-step), A7 to B7(29-step), Custom
Flash: Hot shoe for external flash only
Flash modes: Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction (on/off selectable), Wireless, Hi-speed sync.
Flash exposure adjustment: +/- 3.0 EV (switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps)
Sequence shooting: Max. 10 frames/sec.
Buffer capacity: 163 JPEG Extra fine L or 89 compressed raw frames or 79 compressed RAW+JPEG pairs; 40 frames uncompressed raw or 36 uncompressed RAW+JPEG pairs
Storage Media: Dual slots for SD, SDHC, SDXC cards (UHS-I and UHS-II compliant) and Memory Stick Duo/SD (UHS-I compliant)
Viewfinder: 0.5-inch XGA colour OLED with 2,359,000 dots, 100% coverage, 0.78x magnification, -4.0 to +3.0 dioptre adjustment
LCD monitor: Tilting (up 107 degrees/down 41 degrees) 3.0-inch TFT LCD touch screen with 921,000 dots, 5 steps of brightness adjustment, Sunny Weather mode
Playback functions: Single (with or without shooting information Y RGB histogram & highlight/shadow warning), 9/25-frame index view, Enlarged display mode (L: 18.8x, M: 12.3x, S: 9.4x), Auto Review (10/5/2 sec, Off), Image orientation (Auto/Manual/Off selectable), Slideshow, Folder selection (Date/ Still/ AVCHD/XAVC S HD/XAVC S 4K), Forward/Rewind (movie), Delete, Protect, Rating, Disp Cont Shoot Grp
Interface terminals: Multi/Micro USB 3.1 Gen 1, HDMI micro connector (Type-D), 3.5 mm Stereo mini-jacks for microphone and headphones, PC remote terminal
Wi-Fi function: IEEE 802.11b/g/n(2.4GHz band) plus NFC (Type 3 Tag compatible) and Bluetooth Standard Ver. 4.1 (2.4GHz band)
Power supply: NP-FZ100 rechargeable Li-ion Battery Pack; CIPA rated for approx. 710 shots/charge with monitor, 610 shots/charge with EVF
Dimensions (wxhxd): 126.9 x 95.6 x 73.7 mm
Weight: 650 grams (with battery
Distributor: Sony Australia; 1300 720 071; www.sony.com.au.
TESTS
Based on JPEG files taken with the FE 24-105mm f/4 OSS lens.
Based on ARW.RAW files processed with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
Auto white balance with LED lighting.
ISO 50, 41mm focal length, 30-second exposure at f/4.
ISO 100, 41mm focal length, 30-second exposure at f/4.
ISO 400, 41mm focal length, 25-second exposure at f/4.5.
ISO 1600, 41mm focal length, 10-second exposure at f/6.3.
ISO 6400, 41mm focal length, 4-second exposure at f/8.
ISO 12800, 41mm focal length, 2-second exposure at f/8.
ISO 25600, 41mm focal length, 2-second exposure at f/11.
ISO 51200, 41mm focal length, 1-second exposure at f/13.
ISO 102400, 41mm focal length, 1-second exposure at f/22.
ISO 204800, 41mm focal length, 1/2-second exposure at f/22.
Close-up: 105mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/1250 second at f/4.
105mm focal length, ISO 1000, 1/125 second at f/8.
99mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/500 second at f/8.
24mm focal length, ISO 2000, 1/25 second at f/6.3.
24mm focal length, ISO 5000, 1/30 second at f/6.3.
24mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/50 second at f/4.5.
50mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/200 second at f/6.3.
45mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/80 second at f/5.
105mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/160 second at f/4.5.
33mm focal length, ISO 250, 1/20 second at f/5.6.
51mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/60 second at f/9.
100mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/100 second at f/9.
61mm focal length, ISO 125, 1/80 second at f/9.
90mm focal length, ISO 50, 1/800 second at f/8.
105mm focal length, ISO 320, 1/125 second at f/5.6.
Still frame from XAVC S 4K (3840 x 2160) movie at 25p, 100M.
Still frame from XAVC S 4K (3840 x 2160) movie at 25p, 60M.
Still frame from XAVC S FHD (1920 x 1080) movie at 50p, 50M.
Still frame from XAVC S FHD (1920 x 1080) movie at 50p, 25M.
Still frame from XAVC S FHD (1920 x 1080) movie at 25p, 50M.
Still frame from XAVC S FHD (1920 x 1080) movie at 25p, 60M.
Still frame from XAVC S FHD (1920 x 1080) movie at 100p, 100M.
Still frame from XAVC S FHD (1920 x 1080) movie at 100p, 60M
Still frame from AVCHD FHD (1920 x 1080) movie at 50i, 24M.
Still frame from AVCHD FHD (1920 x 1080) movie at 50i, 17M.
Additional image samples can be found with our review of the Sony 24-105mm f/4 OSS lens.
Rating
RRP: AU$3099; US$2000
- Build: 9.0
- Ease of use: 8.8
- Autofocusing: 9.0
- Still image quality JPEG: 8.9
- Still image quality RAW: 9.0
- Video quality: 9.0
