The Nikon Z7 or the Sony a7 Mark III? Side by side, these mirrorless cameras don’t look too different.
Both designed for superior performance in a mid-range investment, these cameras share many characteristics, including 4K video, 5-axis image stabilisation, and hybrid autofocus.
So what’s the right decision when it comes to buying a Nikon Z7 vs a Sony a7 III? Let’s take a look at the differences and similarities now.
So Nikon z7 or Sony a7III? Time to make a decision
We compare the specs and usability of these two excellent cameras so you don't have to! Read below where we compare the Nikon z7 and the Sony a7III based on:
- Shooting experience
- Image quality
- Video capability
- Memory and storage
- Battery life
- Lenses and mounts
- Pricing
By the end of this article you would have a gained a deep understanding of the similarities and differences between these excellent cameras.
Shooting experience
Overall, both cameras are decently built, as you’d expect for a mid-range mirrorless camera from these standout brands.
While it’s slightly heavier and chunkier, the Nikon has a superior LCD touchscreen and a phenomenal electronic viewfinder (EVF) with high resolution.
The Nikon Z7
The Z7 has a deep grip that makes the camera a joy to hold. Well-placed buttons, a top-plate OLED information display, and a joystick controller add to the experience.
The 2.1-million-dot tilting touchscreen LCD is bright and large while the 3.88-million-dot OLED EVF is sharp and high res even while shooting.
Sony a7 Mark III
The Sony a7 Mark III is noticeably smaller and slightly lighter than the Nikon Z7 but that translates into a smaller grip too, which larger hands may find cumbersome to handle.
The tilting touchscreen LCD isn’t as impressive on the a7 III, with 922K dots compared to 2.1 million. Meanwhile, the LCD EVF features 2.56 million dots, which means it won’t achieve the same high resolution as the Z7.
Image Quality
As you would expect given the calibre of these brands, both mirrorless cameras produce impressive image quality. Thanks to good lenses, quality full-frame sensors, a brilliant dynamic range, and on-sensor phase-detect autofocus systems, both cameras product produce rich, sharp images.
Nikon Z7
The Z7 offers exceptionally high resolution, with a 45.5MP full-frame sensor, which makes cropping or printing large images possible. The native ISO range extends from 64 to 25600, which is more than capable of low light shooting.
Sony a7 Mark III
The a7 Mark III has a smaller 24MP sensor and an ISO range from 100 to 51200—enough to capture exceptional photography in low light conditions.
Video
It’s hard to compare these cameras when it comes to video quality, with both makes delivering almost identical specs.
Nikon Z7
The Nikon Z7 offers 4K UHD recording at 30 fps, which ensures you’ll get exceptionally high levels of detail in your footage. Slow motion is enabled in 1080p at 120 fps.
The 4K video is uncropped, so you can capture footage across the entire sensor, while 5-axis image stabilisation keeps the filming smooth. There are also headphone and microphone jacks, handy for professional audio.
Sony a7 Mark III
Read on and you’ll notice very little difference between the a7 III and the Z7. There’s 4K UHD recording at 30 fps and 1080p at 120 fps for slow mo.
Headphone and microphone jacks enable professional audio recording while a similar phase-detection autofocus system sharply records scenes with even the fastest movement.
On top of these specs, the Sony a7 Mark III also supports AVCHD format for recording high definition video.
Memory
The Sony a7 Mark III offers greater options than the Nikon Z7 when it comes to memory, with two card slots that offer greater flexibility.
Nikon Z7
Despite its bulk, the Nikon Z7 mirrorless camera only has a single card slot. But the slot is designed for an XQD card, which is faster and generally more robust.
Sony a7 Mark III
The Sony a7 Mark III has two SD card slots, one of which is UHS-II compatible. These card slots can be used in a range of configurations, which means you can choose whether to save files to both cards, use one card for overflow, or use one card to store RAW files while the other saves JPEGs.
Battery life
Both cameras can be charged via USB, which makes it easy to charge while on the go. But the Sony a7 Mark III is a clear winner when it comes to battery life.
Nikon Z7
The Z7 runs off an EN-EL15b battery, which is capable of producing 330 shots per charge.
Sony a7 Mark III
The a7 III has an NP-FZ100 power pack, which can take a whopping 610 shots per charge.
Lenses and mounts
While Nikon’s mirrorless lens range is growing, Sony wins here with an unbelievable lineup of native lenses.
Nikon Z7
Nikon has a limited number of Z-mount lenses for the Z7, although F-mount lenses can be used with an adapter.
Sony a7 Mark III
Having specialised in the mirrorless camera market for years, Sony has a wonderful lineup of native FE-mount lenses for the a7 Mark III.
Price
Unsurprisingly, given the commonalities between the two cameras, the Sony a7 III and the Nikon Z7 are similar investments.
Nikon Z7
The Nikon Z7 with a 24-70mm f/4 S lens is slightly more affordable at $5,299. Shop the Nikon Z7 with this lens today.
Sony a7 Mark III
The Sony a7 Mark III mirrorless camera coupled with a 24-70mm f/2.8 G-Master lens is currently just over $5,500. Shop the Sony a7 Mark III with this lens today.
Find your Nikon or Sony camera online at Camera House
Made a decision or do you need to research further? Check out our huge range of Sony mirrorless cameras and Nikon mirrorless cameras to further compare your options.
Need a little more help? Visit us at your nearest Camera House store to receive expert advice from our qualified staff!
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