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Cameras

Is the Sony a7r III Still a Good Camera in 2026?

Chris Gampat
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Last updated on 05/04/2026
06/30/2026
4 Mins read
A camera with a large lens rests on a closed laptop on a wooden desk near a window.
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The Sony a7r III came out in 2017 — and so it has nearly been a decade since its release. That’s also the year that I bought this camera. At the time, it was pretty much the absolute perfect thing for me. And even today, I could argue that it still is. But to make it so, I’ve had to do several adjustments and tweaks to it to get it to that position. It’s crazy to think that 10 years ago, Sony made something really just that good. And ever since, a lot of their products have felt like enshittification lead by subversive marketing and comment trolls in social spaces. So is this camera still good in 2026?

The following text has been added to the Phoblographer’s full review of the Sony a7r III, which can be found at this link for anyone who wants to read the full review.

The Sony a7r III in 2026

A black camera with a large lens and red-striped strap rests on a wooden surface.
Tamron 16-30mm f2.8 Di III VXD G2 product photo

Over the years, I’ve used the Sony a7r III in tons of different situations and for lots of different reviews. That’s the thing about the Phoblographer: the staff and I actually buy and own a lot of the gear. And we understand that the newest products shouldn’t always be tested with other new products. That encourages more spending — which I’m not really all about.

I originally bought the camera for the high megapixel count, the focus performance, the drive speed, and the video features because I used to make a lot of videos for the Phoblographer. But authenticity doesn’t win on Youtube.

This camera has served me well and continues to serve me well. Additionally, Lara Carratero, the Phoblographer’s backend developer, also uses her Sony a7r III all the time to make photographs with it. She mostly photographs things pertaining to pride and various other things that clients hire her for.

Over the years, I’ve had to figure out ways to make up for its weaknesses:

  • The sensor getting dirty: get a clip-in filter from Kolari Vision
  • The hot shoe having problems with the elements: WD-40 and a hot shoe cover
  • The autofocus slowing down: Isopropyl alcohol on the contacts and ensuring that I use weather resistant lenses
  • Imaging Edge being depreciated: I apply film-like in-camera profiles so I don’t even really need to do any editing. Then I import the images to Capture One and export. Then I’m done. There’s also the fact that I can connect it to my phone via a USB-C cable
  • No Bird AF detection: this is why I use another camera. But I also never photograph birds for work. It’s more of a hobby and recently I’ve been getting more into figuring out bat photography more than anything else. I’m sick of looking at the same images that others make.
  • No crazy frame rates: I don’t need them because I’ve been making photographs for 20 years now and I can figure out the best moments to make images

This year so far in 2026, I have no paid photography gigs. But I’ve used the Sony a7r III for various other paid photography gigs. Here are images from those gigs.

I’ve also used the camera in several situations that I’ve treated a lot like photography assignments as well as the various photography reviews that I’ve done here on the Phoblographer.

So is the Sony a7r III still a good camera in 2026? Absolutely yes, if what you’re doing is photographing people or stagnant things. It keeps up with fast moving objects though the keeper rate is a bit less than it is with newer cameras. If you just look at the images in-camera and star-rate in camera, it will make the entire process of post-production so much faster and easier.

On top of all that, I usually only make images with off-camera lighting. If I’m making photos with natural light, any old camera will do. And of course, off-camera strobe genuinely elevates most photographs of people and things. I hate using the word elevate, but it really does make sense here. Having good lighting and the right lenses is so much more important than having the newest camera.

Below is a gallery of 45 images that I’ve made with the Sony a7r III over the years that I really love. Sony will never offer a firmware update for this camera again. But if 10 years of using the same camera doesn’t mean something, then I’m not sure what does.

If I wanted Sony to be my main camera system, I’d probably still keep using this camera because of just how good it is. If you can buy it for cheap in 2026, then do so. Just don’t expect the camera to do all the work for you all the time.

Man in white shirt and black skirt stands smiling on a subway platform with a train in the background.
Hand pouring tea from a blue and white cup into a glass pitcher during a traditional tea ceremony.
Abstract image with vertical green and white blurred streaks, resembling tall grass or plants, on a dark background.
A Grand Seiko watch with a donut-patterned strap and gold hour markers, showing 7:18 and the date as the 9th.
Sunlight fills a cozy cafe with empty chairs and tables near large windows, casting soft shadows.
Man wearing a colorful horse-print shirt, blue pants, and a white bucket hat stands outdoors by urban steps.
A performer raps on stage under purple lights, with Swell Rell projected on a screen behind him.
Black and white photo of people moshing at a concert in a dimly lit indoor venue.
A giraffe-shaped piñata lies on a brick sidewalk, partly in shadow, near graffiti and garbage bags.
Man in a blue cowboy hat and net outfit poses confidently outdoors at a lively public event.
Woman in a blue bikini holding a gold trident, standing on a sunny boardwalk with a fence in the background.
A man in sunglasses holds a large yellow snake at an outdoor event with colorful signs and a crowd behind him.
A woman in a pirate hat and black bra stands on a city street during a lively outdoor event.
Smiling person in a shiny mermaid costume with arms outstretched, surrounded by bubbles on a boardwalk.
A person stands with arms crossed, wearing a shirt that says Whats on the Menu? and smiling slightly.
A smiling person with long hair, a flat cap, and black shirt stands outdoors with sunglasses hanging from their collar.
A man smiles with arms crossed in front of a shimmering sequin backdrop, wearing a cap and Bad For Business shirt.
A man with gray hair and beard wearing a jacket and sunglasses stands against a glittery background.
Elderly woman smiling in a restaurant with a lit birthday candle on dessert in front of her.
Person walking a dog on a sidewalk at night in a city with brick buildings and streetlights.
Man with sunglasses and striped shirt holding food, standing outside in front of a yellow flag and blue house.
A fluffy brown dog with its tongue hanging out is being held by a person wearing a brown top.
A man in a suit and a woman in a green dress walk barefoot across a city street, smiling.
Woman in athletic wear doing a lunge stretch on a Pilates reformer in a bright, modern studio.

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autofocus camera ease of use image quality people review sonny a7r iii sony
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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