Sony A7S III vs Sony A7 IV Comparison

In this blog, I gladly want to share a comparison and break down the differences between the Sony A7S III VS Sony A7 IV all the important specs of the cameras and help you figure out which one you should purchase for your filmmaking.

So, If you’re probably wondering which one of these two mirrorless cameras should you buy it really depends on what you film is it weddings, videos, or commercial purposes.

So, if you already own either of these cameras the first thing that you’re going to notice when you look at these two cameras is that their size, weight, and body style are both incredibly similar.

Sony A7S III VS Sony A7 IV Diferences

Body

When it comes to the body the A7 IV has a similar body to the A7S III but A7S III is just a few grams heavier than the A7 IV but good for foto and videographers. So, both cameras have water and dust resistance and the same e-mount.

so what are the big differences the most noticeable difference is megapixels and megapixels applying to photo, not video.

looking at the front of these cameras, you can’t even tell really which one is better, A7 IV has a new mode dial and locking exposure wheel or you can take the lens off and see that the A7 IV will actually close the shutter and when the camera is turned off to prevent dust from getting on the sensor, these are all great improvements with A7 IV.

On the other side, Sony A7S III has a great body style for the A7 IV to emulate. The similarity between these two cameras is the exact same menu system and interface for most parts they are very similar.

Sensor Comparison

the A7 IV houses a 33 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor a giant leap from the existing 12.1-megapixel sensor on the A7S III.

So fewer megapixels doesn’t mean it’s bad for image quality but larger pixels will benefit when it comes to light sensitivity and noise.

So, these extra megapixels on the A7 IV will help when you film in 4K at 24 or 30 fps, the A7 IV will actually use those extra megapixels to internally sample the video from 7K to 4K resolution.

So, if you shoot very large resolution images keep in mind regard to megapixels I would definitely recommend the A7 IV.

In a case when you film in 4K at 60 fps this will be oversampled from 4.8K, which is still a slight bump in quality.

The great thing is that the sensor and the processor on the A7 IV allow continuous shooting at 10 fps with mechanical and electronic shutters like the A7S III.

Image Quality

I always prefer the Sony A7 IV instead of the Sony A7S III because this camera capture super high-quality 33-megapixel photographs and will make images even better with the various picture profiles however on both cameras the shots are sharp.

The A7 IV has a soft skin effect which adds a lot to the overall look and both cameras can deliver images in raw HEIF and JPEG formats.

So, A7 IV and A7S III are powered by the latest Bionz XR image processor, contributing to image quality and a better interface response.

In my case, I did not see a huge difference in image quality between these two cameras for me they’re both very good.

Autofocus Comparison

The shutter speed is the same on both, so, both the cameras have the sony fast hybrid face detection and contrast detection autofocus that is quick and accurate you also get real-time tracking on both the cameras that work on humans and animals as well as birds.

Focus Points

They both boast the 759 focus points plus 425 densely positioned contrast-detection that covers approximately 94 on the A7 IV and 92 on sony A7S III which delivers good autofocus performance.

So, where does A7S III win here I think when light is not the point and not important to you the Sony A7S III will win in some points as it claims to focus down to light level of-6 EV plus i-phase and head detection.

Screen Type

both cameras have a 3-inch articulating touch screen with almost similar display quality but one thing that puts step furder A7S III ahead of the A7 IV is the highly detailed resolution electronic viewfinder with staggering 9.43 million dots and both neither camera don’t offer built-in flash but have an external flash.

both cameras have enhanced processing powers that allow the high-speed CFexpress Type A card to take up space inside the camera. And A7 IV also inherits the same menu system as Sony Alpha A1 and A7S III.

Battery Life

Both cameras have the same internally chargeable battery and almost similar performance in the case of stills.

Video Specs

When it comes to video specs the A7 IV records UHD 4K up to 30p without any crop factor but can record 4k up to 60p with a minimal crop factor so in comparison with A7S III can record 4K up to 60p without any craft factor and can record 4k up to 120p with crop factor.

If I compare both in Full HD recording the A7S III has got more frame rates and but both cameras don’t have any recording limit which is great.

The video quality is similar enough between these two cameras they both have the capability of recording very high-quality 10-bit video with the same exact bit rate formats and picture profiles as a slug three.

the A7 IV maxes out at 4K at 60 fps while the A7S III can go even higher and record 4K at up to 120 frames per second.

the A7S III is also capable of recording in 10 ADP at up to 240 fps while the A7 IV is limited to t10 AP and up to 120 FP.

If you record your videos to multiple memory cards so you do not lose your video in the event of a card failure.

So if sometimes plan to do dual record two memory cards, than you need to use two SD cards.

So you can not get slow motion in 10 HP with the A7S III and the A7 IV does have a worse rolling shutter than the A7S III because of the higher resolution sensor.

So, where I see A7 IV that is better than A7S III I think an important difference here is that A7 IV can record in 10bit 4K up to 60p, while the A7S III delivers 16bit raw files externally.

Overheating

the A7S III and A7 IV both feature the same cooling system inside because the A7 IV has a higher megapixel sensor that requires more processing, it is more susceptible to overheating than the A7S III.

I think with the A7S III, you can go outside in hot weather and it would record in 4K at 60 frames per second indefinitely with the A7 four.

ISO Performance

the A7S III is better than A7 IV in low light, but the A7S III doesn’t outperform the A7 IV until you get above ISO 25,600.

Image Stabilization

So, both cameras have the same 5-axis in-body image stabilization with 5.5 stops and record gyro metadata which does help in gaining some stabilization in post-production as well.

Frame Rates

In terms of frame rates, the A7 IV and A7S III are quite different when you film at 24 or 30 fps, both cameras feature the same results but when you film at higher frame rates, they are really difference.

It means when you switch to 60 fps, the A7S III will keep right on a truck in with its full-frame sensor. But the A7 IV, on the other hand, is going to add a 1.5 times crop to your footage and you’re going to need to use wider lenses to compensate if you often times find yourself filming in 4K at 60 fps.

Storage

the A7S III has two memory card slots that work with both SD cards and Cfexpress type cards, whereas the A7 IV, on the other hand, has one slot that can take SD and CFexpress and another slot that is only capable of taking SD cards.

Price

So when it comes to price it’s definitely something important to consider the purchase is your decision but I want you to be aware that don’t forget of sticking to this resolution.

Sony A7 IV is a hybrid king priced at approximately $2,500 is significantly cheaper than the Sony A7S III is selling for $3,500 and is available to purchase.

Conclusion

So, both cameras are very similar whether you do they look great in a standard picture profile or in Slug three.

If you’re someone that loves filming in super slow motion, going with the A7S III is a great choice over the A7 IV. So if you’re someone that films handheld all the time, the A7S III is the better choice.