It’s been five years since the Sony a7III was released, and in my opinion, this camera changed the photo industry. But is the Sony a7III still relevant?

I can still remember the day I got my Sony a7 III. At the time, I was already very much in love with mirrorless cameras and was photographing weddings full-time on Fuji mirrorless cameras. To me, these Fuji cameras were as close as I had seen a mirrorless camera get to the performance of a high-end DSLR setup. But the key word here is “close”. Although these Fuji cameras were great, they were still not as good as their DSLR counterparts. However, for me, the benefits of mirrorless were enough to overlook their shortcomings.

Then, on a whim, when the Sony a7III was announced, I decided to get a loaner just for review purposes. I had no intention of even considering purchasing this camera. I simply thought it would be fun to play around with. But after the first hour of use, I quickly realized just how good this camera was. So much so, that I immediately sent an email saying that I would not be sending the camera back and asked for the best way to send payment for the gear. I then wrote an article explaining why I think the Sony a7 III is the best camera you can buy for wedding photography.

But why? For me, this camera was a game-changer for the mirrorless industry as a whole. It was the first camera I had used that not only surpassed the autofocus speeds of my DSLR while being in the low $2,000 price range but also was the first affordable and fully capable full-frame mirrorless camera on the market. The a7III had the perfect resolution for my needs at 24 MP, providing great dynamic range, low light ability, in-body image stabilization, dual card slots, and so much more. All this in a smaller and compact size. Not only that, but the autofocus was faster, more accurate, and offered more features than my Fuji setup and my past Nikon DSLR setup, with innovations like Eye-AF, which has since become a staple in every up-to-date camera.

Now, the a7 III wasn’t perfect, and the camera market has evolved a ton since its release. So, why am I even talking about it? The main reason is the price. While the release price was part of the reason that this camera was so successful, the current price drop has brought this camera back into the limelight. Currently, it’s listed at $1,298, which is $700 off its release day price.   

 At this price, I think this camera would make an easy buy for anyone trying to get into photography, wanting to go full frame, or even for those that have held on tight to their DSLR not wanting to pay to upgrade. While there are cameras out there that have better features, I’d argue this is the best bang for your buck deal on the camera market. So, if you want to upgrade from one of those entry-level cameras and step into a professional setup, but can’t justify the prices of the most recent releases, I think the Sony a7 III could be the answer for you.