2 years with Sony A7III
It’s been two years since I got my Sony A7III. Two years, 57,214 clicks, several sports events, music festivals, small concerts, portrait sessions, lifestyle shoots, dozens of assignments, and plenty of street, documentary, and travel photography.
Is this the moment I can confidently say we’ve gotten to know each other well? Very likely, though we probably still have many secrets to uncover. Have we grown to like each other despite that? Absolutely.
But is this a lifelong relationship?
I’m not a tech nerd, so don’t expect a detailed review of its technical capabilities. I don’t put much emphasis on what’s inside the camera. What matters most to me is that it works when I need it to and takes photos how I want them.
Sony is my second camera (not counting the Soviet Zenit I used in college and a point-and-shoot Samsung I had right after).
My journey with digital DSLR cameras started with the Nikon D3100, so switching to mirrorless Sony’s full-frame felt like jumping from the Stone Age straight into the era of AI.
Why Sony, though? For very practical reasons. First, many people in my circle were already working with Sony, and I hadn’t heard a single complaint about the system. Second, I got a hefty discount on the camera, which made it an offer I simply couldn’t refuse.
Am I satisfied?
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine something better.
Oh, wait... There are actually a few things I miss in it.
1. 360 degrees rotating screen
Coming from a Nikon with a screen that had the resolution of a communion gift calculator and only rotated on its own axis - but only when I rotated the entire camera or myself - the upgrade to Sony initially left me euphoric. Over time, though, I started missing the freedom of a fully rotating screen. It's not something I can’t live without, but the ability to flip the screen inward to prevent scratches, especially in a bag, would be a small but meaningful improvement.
2. Confidence That the Shutter Won’t Fail at 100K (or even less) Actuations
Sony A7 mark III suffers from a common problem: limited shutter life. The average lifespan is around 200K clicks, but there are cases where it failed after just 10K. Luckily, mine - knock on wood - has held up well so far. However, given the nature of this model, it’s best not to be surprised if the shutter gives up and you’re left to fix it yourself.
3. Anti-Flicker in Silent Shooting
As I’ve mentioned, I have a technical knowledge of a goldfish. The first time I used the camera (at home, under artificial light) in silent mode, I was a bit thrown off by the horizontal stripes in the photos.
A quick Google search revealed it wasn’t a sensor defect but flicker caused by the lighting. Apparently, this issue has been resolved and it is possible to use anti-flicker also in silent mode in newer models.
4. Easier connection with a smartphone
Sending pictures from a camera to smartphone (at least to iPhone) and controlling the camera using a phone cause quite some headaches. Dedicated app Imagine Edge is terrible, far from intuitive, full of bugs and likes to disconnect every few minutes.
As we’re almost in 2025 and your fridge is able to order butter when you run out of it, being able to communicate with your camera using your phone (also handy when taking portraits) is a basic thing. Sony, I think it is time to do something about it.
I can’t come up with anything else, so I guess that’s it.
I love this camera anyway. It has never let me down, and for now, I don’t see any reason to switch to something else.
The skeptics will say it’s because I don’t know any better. It’s hard to argue with that since I haven’t tried other systems. Whether the skeptics have - well, I have no idea.
Some also claim that Sony gear lacks soul. Again, that’s a tough argument to tackle, especially since, in my opinion, the soul in photos comes from the photographer. And I’d like to think I bring some of that myself.
In the end, I’d probably take similar photos with a Canon or a Fuji.
And yet, sometimes, influenced by strangers (and not) on internet, for a moment, I did fall for the idea that Fuji might help me take prettier photos. Especially the X100V. Or the XT-3 or higher. Preferably in silver. Honestly, the model doesn’t matter as long as it’s silver ;)
In moments like those, I usually take a cold shower and remind myself of all my favorite shots taken with the Sony. That’s my moment of appreciation for this camera, which has been on quite a journey with me and helped me get to where I am today.
Take care and see you in the next one!
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