Thoughts on the Sony a7 III from a GH5 User

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Some Panasonic diehards claim the only drawbacks of the GH5 are poor autofocus and weak low light ability. Yet few things in photography are as important as the ability to gather light and focus!

Reliable AF-C is huge, and the a7 III has it in spades. Particularly useful for shooting at wide apertures and gimbal work. And unlike some other manufacturers’ implementation, transitions are not so jarring as to be all but unusable.

And while it’s true that some gimbals have focus solutions for a select few cameras, the focusing is stepped, meaning not smooth. And in the case of Panasonic, it is sometimes restricted to Panasonic lenses, which I rarely use anymore.

Low light as well – the Sony a7 III absolutely crushes the GH5.

Dynamic range? Much greater with the a7 III – the GH5 maxes out at around 10 stops.

Beautiful FF look without BS adapters? Sony.

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Is manual focus your bag? Focus peaking is a dream on the Sony, even in difficult lighting and in spite of the lo-rez LCD: with the GH5, you really need an external monitor for gauging correct focus. And unlike the GH5, focus magnification works even while recording on the a7 III.

The menu system’s a draw since practically every menu item on the Sony can now be assigned to a button or dial; and if that’s not enough, you can create your own My Menu.

Battery life is also no longer an issue with Sony. Too bad Fuji and others require bulky $350 power solutions that make use with a cage or gimbal problematic. And because that battery grip is proprietary, you’ve just thrown your hard-earned cash out the window the moment you upgrade!

And speaking of lenses, just like Fuji, Sony now offers a range of reasonably fast, optically outstanding lenses in the focal lengths I use most – meaning I no longer have to mix and match lenses from a half dozen different manufacturers, each with radically different mechanical properties and color characteristics. And for those who appreciate the very best in mechanical lenses, Voigtlander is stepping up its production of E mount glass.

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