A7III vs A7II - Should you Save $1000?

I've noticed so many of you have been asking me recently wether you should go for the Sony A7II or A7III, so I really hope today's video is helpful in making that decision a little easier! Like I mentioned in the video, both are amazing cameras fully capable of taking great photos but there are a few factors to consider depending on what kind of photography you want to pursue :)

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FIND ME ON //

Dan @ I Make Films

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VLOG CAMERA SETUP //

Sony a7s mkii + Sigma 24mm f1.4

PHOTOGRAPHY CAMERA SETUP //

Canon 5dmkiv
Sigma 24mm f1.4
Canon 35mm f1.4
Canon 50mm f1.2
Canon 85mm f1.2
Canon 135mm f2

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Thank you so much for watching! xx

[sammyjankis]

I bought the A7II about three weeks ago and I really love it but I also felt some purchase anxiety because I was seeing folks saying how much better the A7III was and I was thinking about returning it and trying to come up with a extra 1K+. I’m glad you made this video so now I can let that anxiety go and continue to be happy with my A7II and further my craft. Thanks Julia!

[Nibes]

1 minute in and I'm already reminded why I'm saving for the a7iii. Thank you Julia

[juanquispe]

I'm whispering in my A7 Mark 2's ear "You have nothing to fear".

[TWINCOAST]

in julia we trust for camera gear :)





- amen

[cooloox]

Great unbiased advice. You illustrate the difference between a photographer and a tech head. As a photographer you know what you need and don't. Nice video.

[elysemendelson]

The best camera is the camera you can afford! ;)

[nohandle-]

Just switched to FF and got the A7II at a very affordable price (in budget) but quickly became obsessed about whether I should stretch to the next model up. Your video has really helped me realise that for me, a budding photographer, this is more than sufficient for my needs especially seeing some of the amazing work you've managed to produce using it too. Thank you!

[crakerfase]

Been using the A7 II for three years now. It’s a great camera and I think it’s all about how you edit. Both cameras are vastly superior compared to any other mirrored cameras on the market. The sensors are amazing and the speed of the shooting is amazing. If you’ve never used a Sony camera you will be blown away by both. The one thing I noticed mainly in this video is the ease of editing. I noticed she had a much easier time getting rid of distractions in the image and the light pollution. Plus the a7 III looked a lot more true to color which was pretty cool. But honestly if you’re saavy with using color channels in Lightroom this isn’t an issue. Definitely would love to field test an A7 III though

[yashwinning]

Literally the exact video I was looking for. And you confirmed my suspicions. While the A7 iii is an absolute beast and is 100% worth all the praise it gets, the A7 ii was so ahead of its time it still holds its ground to this day and is still an amazing camera (for the price).

I'm actually a Fuji shooter myself and was looking up prices for the glass and gear I wanted to invest in, but when I did my calculations I found out it would literally be cheaper to buy a used a7ii and lenses of the same focal length I'd get on my Fuji, which just blew me away. Like right now you can buy an 85mm f1.8 that's literally $400 while Fuji's equivalent is around $1000. I would just save $600 right there, and Samyang lenses for Sony are so cheap it just blew me away.

[zephyrxcyrus]

Your video couldn't have come up at the most perfect time. Been shooting with an entry level Canon DSLR for a couple of years now and have been contemplating on upgrading and switching over to Sony. The A7ii is looking very attractive at it's current price point.

[Miguel_Garibay]

Thanks for the comparison! I recently picked up the A7ii for casual photography on family outings, kids sports, hiking and fly fishing trips. For that purpose it works great!

[chryseass.]

Julia, one thing that has also improved in the mark 3 is the colour science- it is quite noticeable even in your examples. The Sony a7iii was a no brainer for me - I didn't even consider buying the a7ii when I bought my first full frame camera. I came from using an a6500 and the better ooc colour was immediately striking. Two years is a lifetime in camera body technology!

[peterbingen]

I recently got the A7 ii and I have to say it is a keeper. For casual photography the battery life is amazing. I took it last weekend for a casual photoshoot at a garden and I took pictures for about 1 1/2 hours without shutting it down. It was on all the time and I took around 200 pics. The final battery life was around 60%. The manual controls put you in a learning curve, but some of the dials are very useful even before reading too much manual if you put it in Auto or P modes. The offer with the 28-70 kit lens gets you a lot of value with the understanding that this camera is not for extreme zoom ins (unless you already have the zoom lenses or can afford them). But if you value photography this camera is very enjoyable and a steal for the price. If you study the specs and you need 4K or long battery you can go for the III if you can afford it. But you can be very happy with the II knowing that 4K is not very practical today for home videos and long battery life is more critical for professionals.

[AskRemy]

oh wow thank you for jumping right into the subject - no stupid intros no noise - this is how EVERY video should start

[nibbo]

I've had the A7ii for the past two years and I'll be upgrading to the A7iii soon. I find the former was adequate for landscapes and wedding photography but when I decided to get into wildlife photography I realized the A7ii's shortcomings: only 5fps, no silent shutter, autofocus letting me down a lot.
I also find the battery on the A7ii runs out far too quickly.

[superelectic]

Other things to consider is the A7iii can suffer from problems with moire since it has no anti-alias filter. This can be annoying if shooting regular patterns like clothing texture (e.g wedding dresses). Also, the A7ii does have eye focus but only in single shot mode not continuous tracking focus. Above ISO 3200 the A7iii is certainly better but at lower ISO the A7ii is just as good, in fact in the tight head shot comparison I much preferred the A7ii output, I like the colour balance better. You can extend battery life by switching pre-AF off, picture review mode off and wifi off. $1000 dollars buys some nice glass! I enjoyed the review!

[PavelR]

There are three not mentioned differences:
1) AF frame coverage
2) Compatibility with adopted lenses which is far better on A7III
3) Near FW upgrade of A7iii (r3, 9) which makes big step forward in AF usability even in video
(I've upgraded from DSLR and the Eye AF is much better option than moving AF point around the screen [with Eye AF I can change composition anytime I want without losing continuous AF], next FW update also adds face/eye tracking thru leaves/grass not missing any shot...)

[guzmanpal]

Yes, the Sony a7ii has very much potential, i prefer that and a lens premium like 24-70 2.8 or 20mm sony

[erikbreihof]

The A7II has eye detection too... just not continuous

[SJYangProduction]

Sony A7iii FTW. I've jumped from the A7ii and I dont regret it all. Dynamic range in the A7iii is beyond amazing. 693 focus point vs 119. A7ii isnt a bad camera at all only for photos only.