sony a7iii lcd screen replacement factory

Thank you for your constructive comment. The criteria we needed to meet for this project was to provide instruction on iFixit guides for how to remove various parts on the device. We were being evaluated on the content pertaining to our writing and not the technical depth of the guide. Furthermore, we did not have a vested interest in replacing the screen nor did we have another screen to replace it with. In your rush to make a rude comment, you might have missed the end of the guide where it states that in order to reassemble you must follow the steps we provided in the reverse order. Reverse means doing something in the opposite direction.

As many people do know, Sony a55, a77 and the Nex series all had a removable factory built-in LCD protector. For those who didn"t put a new screen protector in their cameras when they bought them, the screen would soon start getting scratches and stains. Many photographers sent their cameras for repair and others tried to change the LCD, until David Kilpatrick found out that Sony was actually putting a factory built-in screen protector in their LCDs, which you could remove and then just put a brand new protector. It was a bit of a scary procedure, not because of technical difficulty, but because you had to pull the protector with considerable strength, as the glue was very strong. I did it to my a55, a77 and nex5 and it worked flawlessly.

Last week I was trying to find a 2nd hand backup a7R for my Iceland photo tour next week, and found a portuguese photographer who had one. I bought it and upon close inspection the LCD was in very bad shape, with lots of scratches and small stains all over it. I immediately remembered the good old screen protector technique and decided to do a quick research about that procedure in the a7 series. To my huge surprise I found nothing about it being possible. As a matter of fact I found the opposite, with many photographers stating the a7 series LCD was different, and it was no longer possible to peel off the LCD protector. I started getting really worried, because not only I had spent a lot of money in the camera, but also because I had no time to return it and search for a new one before my trip. I spent several hours trying to find an answer on the web, including youtube and forums, and still got no answer. People who had damaged LCDs were going through the trouble of ordering new LCDs from ebay and doing a complicate procedure to install them, some of them ending up with non working LCDs.

Following a recommendation from David Kilpatrick, my usual savior and favorite Sony Guru, I decided to ask the question on the a7R Facebook group. Fortunately, not only I got the usual "it"s not possible!" answers, but also got feedback from three photographers who had done it to their a7 cameras with success.

I checked and re-checked asking if it was really doable, and filled myself with courage and went ahead. As you can see by the images, the screen protector is fully removable, just like it used to happen with the previous Sony Cameras. I have no idea why this is not disclosed by Sony, and some people were actually advised by Sony to wipe their screens with lens wipes or to send the camera for repair! You need to apply a scary amount of strength while trying to remove the protector, and make sure you are properly grabbing the LCD with your other hand, to avoid damaging it. As you can see in the images there was a lot of residue accumulated below the built-in screen protector, and I had to spend a bit of time using Zeiss wipes to remove it, including glue residues in the LCD margins. There is still a bit more to clean, but at least I"ve finally solved it.

NEW LCD Display Screen for SONY A7III ILCE-7M3 Digital Camera Repair Part A7M3. NEW LCD Display Screen for SONY A7III ILCE-7M3 Digital Camera Repair Part Welcome to our shop! We provide repair parts for all digital camera products, and we will strictly test all items to make sure that it works perfectly. I hope you can find what you need in our store. If you don"t find it, please contact us and we will help you find it. We provide tracking number for all parcels. Please feel free to buy them. All items we sell provide 30 days warranty, If the items you receive are damaged, please let us know and we will help you solve it. Transnational shopping sometimes produces customs fees, buyers bear the cost. We don"t accept negative feedback. We like to solve problems.

Condition: New, Brand: Unbranded/Generic, Country/Region of Manufacture: China, Compatible Brand: For Sony, Model: Others1, Country of Manufacture: China, Type: Adhesive, Battery Cover, CCD Sensors, Circuit Board, Frame, Gear, Screen(s), Screw(s), Cable

Sony’s a7III camera has enjoyed rave reviews since its introduction earlier in 2018. Most tests focus on its superb auto exposure and auto focus capabilities that rival much more costly cameras, including Sony’s own a7rIII and a9.

I did this testing in preparation for the new third edition of my Nightscapes and Time-Lapse eBook, which includes information on Sony mirrorless cameras, as well as many, many other updates and additions!

As with Sony’s other popular Alpha 7 and 9 series cameras, the new Alpha 7III is a full-frame mirrorless camera, a class of camera Canon and Nikon have yet to offer, though models are rumoured or promised.

In a mirrorless, the camera remains in “live view” all the time, with the sensor always feeding a live image to either or both the rear LCD screen and electronic viewfinder (EVF). While you can look through and frame using the EVF as you would with a DSLR, you are looking at an electronic image from the sensor, not an optical image from the lens.

In testing the Sony a7III I ignored all the auto functions. Instead, I concentrated on those points I felt of most concern to astrophotographers, such as:

The North America Nebula with the Sony a7III and a Meade 70mm f/5 astrographic refractor, for a single 4-minute exposure at ISO 1600. The reds have been boosted in processing.

• The a7III lacks any internal intervalometer or ability to add one via an app. But it is compatible with many external intervalometers and controllers.

The a7III offers 4K video and, at 24 frames-per-second, is full-frame. Shutter speeds can be as slow as 1/4-second, allowing real-time aurora shooting at reasonable ISO speeds.

The Sony a7III is a superb camera for still and time-lapse nightscape shooting, and excellent for real-time aurora videos. It is good, though not great, for long-exposure deep-sky imaging.

That was a bit surprising. I expected the new BSI-equipped Sony to better the Nikon by about a stop. It did not. This emphasizes just how good the Nikon D750 is.

Nevertheless, noise performance of the Sony a7III was still excellent, with both the Sony and Nikon handily outperforming the Canon 6D MkII, with its slightly smaller pixels, by about a stop in noise levels.

NOTE: I performed all Raw developing with Adobe Camera Raw v10.3. It is possible some of the artifacts I saw are due to ACR not handling the a7III’s .ARW files as well as it should. But to develop all the images from Sony, Nikon, and Canon equally for comparisons, ACR is the best choice.

The Sony a7III exhibited noise levels similar to the Nikon D750 at high ISOs, with the Sony and Nikon each about a stop better for noise than the Canon 6D MkII.

At ISO 3200, a common nightscape ISO speed, all three cameras performed well in this moonlit scene. The Canon shows a darker sky as its images were taken a few minutes later. The Nikon had the Sigma 14mm Art lens; the Canon and Sony used the same Rokinon 14mm SP lens.

At ISO 6400, the Canon begins to show excessive noise, about a stop worse than the Nikon and Sony. No luminance noise reduction was applied to these images. All cameras show an equal number of stars recorded.

Both the Sony and Nikon use sensor and signal path designs that are “ISO invariant.” As a result, images shot underexposed at slower ISOs, then boosted in exposure later in processing look identical to properly exposed high-ISO images. Well, almost.

The Sony still showed some discoloration artifacts and added noise when boosting images by +4 EV that the Nikon did not. Even with uncompressed Raws, the Sony was not quite as ISO invariant as the Nikon, though the difference shows up only under extreme push-processing of badly underexposed frames.

A closeup of the scene shows the ISO variant Canon exhibited more noise and magenta discoloration in the +4 EV boosted image. The Nikon looks very clean, but the Sony also shows discoloration, green here, and an increase in noise. These are all uncompressed 14-bit Raw files.

Comparing just the two ISO-invariant cameras, the Sony and the Nikon, on another night, shows a similar performance difference when boosting underexposed slow-ISO images later in Camera Raw. The Sony begins to show more noise and now a magenta discoloration in the +3 and +4 EV images, similar to, but not as badly as does the ISO-variant Canon 6D MkII.

Over the last year or so, firmware updates from Sony introduced a much-publicized penchant for Sony Alphas to “eat” stars even in Raw files, apparently due to an internal noise reduction or anti-aliasing routine users could not turn off. Stars were smoothed away along with the noise in exposures longer than 3.2 seconds in some Sony cameras (longer than 30 seconds in others).

While others beg to differ and claim this camera still eats stars, they offer no evidence of it other than graphs and charts, not A-B photos of actual tracked starfields taken with the Sony vs. another camera thought not to eat stars.

I saw none of the extreme effects reported by others with other Sonys, where masses of faint stars disappeared or turned into multi-colored blotches. It is possible the effect is still present in other Sony Alpha models. I have not tested those.

But in the a7III, I did not see any significant “star eating” in any long exposures even up to the 4 minutes I used for some deep-sky shots. In images taken at the same time with other cameras not accused of star eating, the Sony showed just as many faint stars as the competitors. Stars were visible to just as faint a limiting magnitude, and that’s what counts, NOT graphs and charts, especially when such results are not shown for other cameras.

Tracked deep-sky images through a telescope using 4-minute exposures show the Sony a7III recording an equal number of faint stars as the Canon 6D MkII. No luminance noise reduction was applied to these images in processing.

Another example with 4-minute exposures again demonstrates no problems recording faint stars. The Canon does show more noise than the Sony. No noise reduction was applied in processing.

For yet more evidence, this is a comparison of the Sony a7III vs. the Nikon D750 in tracked 90-second exposures with 14mm lenses. Again, the Sony records just as many stars as the Nikon.

Sony advises that when using LENR Raw images are recorded with only 12-bit depth, not 14-bit. This might be a contributing factor. Yet frames taken with LENR on were the same 47 Mb size as normal uncompressed frames.

These are 4-minute exposures of dark frames (i.e. the lens cap on!) taken at room temperature with and without Long Exposure Noise Reduction. In the Sony, LENR did not eliminate all hot pixels nor the magenta amp glow at the left edge. LENR also added a background level of fine noise. These have had exposure and contrast increased to exaggerate the differences.

A real-world example with the Sony, with a properly exposed nightscape, shows that the ill effects of using LENR don’t show up under normal processing. You do get the benefit of reduced hot pixels in shadows, especially on a warm night like this was. This is a blow-up of the lower corner of the frame, as indicated.

Taking a dark frame with LENR did not eliminate this, and it should, demonstrating again that for whatever reason in the a7III LENR is not as effective as it should be.

I have not seen such “amp” glows in cameras (at least in the DSLRs I’ve used) for a number of years, so seeing it in the new Sony a7III was another surprise.

UPDATE: March 27, 2021 — Subsequent firmware updates seem to have eliminated this amp glow. One supplier of filter-modified cameras, Spencer’s Camera, who had refused to modify Sonys because of this glow, now lists many Sony Alphas as suitable for modification. However, the sensor masks and “green stars” (described below) still make the Sony a7III less desirable for deep-sky imaging than other mirrorless cameras I’ve tested.

The full field of a deep-sky image taken through an f/5 70mm astrographic refractor shows the minor level of edge darkening at the corners from shadowing of the sensor in the Sony.

To get the most out of the Sony for deep-sky imaging you would have to have it modified by a third-party, though the amp glow described above makes it a poor choice for modification.

Three deep-sky exposures compare cameras for red sensitivity: a filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, a stock Canon 6D MkII, and the stock Sony a7III. As expected the filter-modified camera picks up much more red nebulosity. The Sony doesn’t do quite as well as the Canon 6D MkII.

In Live View it is possible to make the image so bright you can actually see the Milky Way live on screen! Wow! This makes it so easy to frame nightscapes and deep-sky fields.

But this special “Bright Monitoring” mode is as well hidden as Sony could make it. Unless you actually read the full-length 642-page PDF manual (you have to download it), you won’t know about it. Bright Monitoring does not appear in any of the in-camera menus you can scroll through, so you won’t stumble across it.

Like the Nikon D750, the Sony’s screen tilts vertically up and down, great for use when on a telescope, or on any tripod when aimed up at the sky. As photographers age, this becomes a more essential feature!

In new models, Sony now offers the option of a final “My Menu” page which you can populate with often-used functions from the other 35 pages of menu commands!

Using the right lens adapter (I use one from Metabones), it is possible to use lenses with mounts made for Canon, Nikon, Sigma and others. Plus there are an increasing number of lenses from third parties offered with native Sony E-mounts. This is good news, as astrophotography requires fast, high-quality lenses, and the Sony allows more choices.

The compact a7III body weighs a measured 750 grams, vs. 900 grams each for the Nikon D750 and Canon 6D MkII. The lower weight can be helpful for use on lightweight telescopes, on small motion control devices, and for simply keeping weight and bulk down when traveling.

It is possible to power the camera though the USB port (indeed that’s how you charge the battery, as no separate battery charger is supplied as standard, a deficiency). This might be useful for long shoots, though likely as not that same USB port will be needed for an intervalometer or motion control device. But if the Sony had a built-in intervalometer…!

To reduce battery drain it is possible to turn off the EVF completely – I find I never use it at night – and to turn off the LCD display when shooting, though the latter is an option you have to activate to add to the Display button’s various modes.

Most DSLRs do not offer this, but the Sony’s option of an electronic front curtain shutter and the additional Silent Shooting mode completely eliminates vibration, useful for some high-magnification shooting through telephotos and telescopes.

UPDATE: In April 2019 Sony issued a v3 Firmware update for the a7III which added an internal intervalometer. I’ve used this new function and it works very well.

While a built-in intervalometer is not essential, I find I often do use the Canon and Nikon in-camera intervalometers for simple shoots. So it is great to have one available on the Sony. However, like other brands’ internal intervalometers Sony’s is good only for exposures up to 30 seconds long.

However, while the Sony has a Bulb setting there is no Bulb Timer as there is with the Canon. The Bulb Timer would allow setting long Bulb exposures of any length in the camera.

Instead, for any exposures over 30 seconds long (or time-lapses with >30-second-long frames) the Sony must be used with an external Intervalometer. I use a $50 Vello unit, and it works very well. It controls the Sony through the camera’s Multi USB port.

When using its internal intervalometer, the Nikon D750 has an excellent Exposure Smoothing option. This does a fine job smoothing frame-to-frame flickering in time-lapses, something the Canon cannot do. Nor the Sony, as it has no intervalometer at all.

The dark frame kicks in and locks up the camera only after the series of “light frames” are taken. This is wonderful for taking a set of noise-reduced deep-sky images for later stacking. Nikons don’t have this, not even the D810a, and not Sonys.

The Sony’s buttons are not illuminated. While these might add glows to long exposure images, if they could be designed not to do that (i.e. they turn off during exposures), lit buttons would be very handy at night.

An alternative would be an LCD screen that was touch sensitive. The Sony a7III’s screen is, but only to select an area for auto focus or zooming up an image in playback. The Canon 6D MkII has a fully functional touch screen which can be, quite literally, handy at night.

I would assume not, but not having an a7s (either Mark I or II) to test I can’t say for sure. But the a7III should do the job for bright auroras, the ones with rapid motion worth recording with video, plus offer 24 megapixels for high-quality stills of all sky subjects.

For another example of using the Sony a7III for recording real-time video of the night sky see this video of the aurora shot from Norway in March 2019.

I found the a7III would use up about about 40% of the battery capacity in a typical 400-frame time-lapse on mild spring nights, with 30-second exposures. This is with the EVF and rear LCD Display OFF, and the camera in Airplane mode to turn off wireless functions to further conserve battery power. I was using the wired Vello intervalometer.

I used the Metabones Canon-to-Sony adapter when attaching the Sony to my telescopes using my existing Canon telescope adapters. Image quality was just fine.

And, as I found, the Sony might need to be placed into Continuous shooting mode to have the shutter fire with every trigger pulse from the motion controller. When used with the Genie Mini (below) the Sony fired at only every other pulse if it was in Single shot mode, an oddity of Sony’s firmware.

For example, the TimeLapse+ View (see http://www.timelapseplus.com) works great for automated holy grails, but the developer recommends that with most Sonys the minimum allowed interval between shots is longer (8 to 14 seconds) than with Canons and Nikons. See http://docs.view.tl/#camera-specific-notes

With the Alpine Laboratories Radian2, exposure ramping is not possible with a Sony, only basic shutter triggering. See https://alpinelaboratories.com/pages/radian-2-support-get-started_s

SONY:I deducted marks from the Sony a7III for deep-sky imaging for its lack of a light frame buffer, poor red sensitivity, odd LENR performance, and purple amp glow not seen on the other cameras and that dark frames did not eliminate.

However, I did not consider “star eating” to be a negative factor, as the Sony showed just as many stars and as well-resolved as did the competitors, and what more could you ask for?

I rate the Sony excellent for nightscape imaging and for real-time aurora videos. I list it as just “good” for time-lapse work only because it will not be fully compatible with some motion controllers and rampers. So beware!

It’s just a pity the 6D MkII has only a 3-frame buffer when using LENR. Really Canon? The 2008-vintage 5D MkII had a 5-frame buffer! Your cameras are getting worse for astrophotography while Sony’s are getting better.

The Sony would perform better in an ISO Invariancy “face-off” if its ISOs were kept above 640, to keep all the images within the Sony’s upper ISO range of its dual-gain sensor design, with two ranges (100 to 400, and 640 on up). Fair enough.

For the additional tests, I shot all images within a 3-hour span on the night of June 5/6, using the Sony a7III, Nikon D750, and Canon 6D MkII, with the respective lenses: the Laowa 15mm lens at f/2, the Sigma 14mm Art at f/2, and the Rokinon 14mm SP at f/2.5.

I show only the Sony and Nikon compared here, shot at the common range of ISOs used for nightscape shooting, 800 to 12800. All images are equally well exposed. The inset image at right in Photoshop shows the scene, the Milky Way above dark trees in my backyard!

To the eye, the Sony and Nikon look very similar for noise levels, just as in the moonlit scene. Both are very good – indeed, among the best performing cameras for high-ISO noise levels. But the Sony, being four years newer than the Nikon, is not better.

And this was with equal processing and no application of Shadow Recovery. This is where the Sony’s Backside Illuminated sensor with presumably higher quantum efficiency in gathering photons might be providing the advantage. With its good shadow details, you have to apply less shadow recovery in post-processing, which does keep noise down. So points to Sony here.

The resulting values and graph show the Sony actually measured worse for noise than the Nikon at each high ISO speed, 3200 to 12800, though with both performing much better than the Canon.

The higher noise of the Canon is visually obvious, but I’d say the Sony a7III and Nikon D750 are pretty equal visually for noise, despite the numbers.

Again, here I show only the Sony and Nikon, the two “ISO invariant” cameras. The correct exposure for the scene was 30 seconds at ISO 6400 and f/2. The images shown here were shot at lower ISOs to underexposure the dark scene by 2 to 4 stops or EV. Those underexposed images were then boosted later in processing (in Adobe Camera Raw) by the required Exposure Value to equalize the image brightness.

Contrary to expectations, the Sony did not show any great loss in image quality as it crossed the ISO 640 boundary into its lower ISO range. But the Nikon did show more image artifacts in the “odd-numbered” ISOs of 640 and 500. In this test, the Nikon did not perform as well as the Sony for ISO invariancy. Go figure!

I shot images over a wide-range of exposures, from 2 seconds to 2 minutes, but show only the ones covering the 2-second to 4-second range, where the “star-eater” anti-aliasing or noise smoothing applied by Sony kicks in (above 3.2 seconds it seems).

I shot with the Sony a7III on Single shot drive mode, on Continuous Low drive mode (with the camera controlling the shutter speed in both cases), and a set with the Sony on Bulb and the shutter speed set by an external Vello intervalometer.

This is really pixel peeping at 400%. In Single drive mode, stars and noise soften ever so slightly at 4 seconds and higher. In Continuous mode, I think the effect is still there but maybe a little less. In shots on Bulb controlled by the External Timer, maybe the stars at 4 seconds are a little sharper still. But this is a tough call. To me, the star eater effect on the Sony a7III is a non-issue. It may be more serious on other Sony alphas.

An issue that, to me, has a more serious effect on star quality is the propensity of the Sony, and to some extent the Nikon, to render tiny stars as brightly colored points, unrealistically so. In particular, many stars look green, from the dominance of green-filtered photosites on Bayer-array sensors.

The Sony shows a lot of green stars with or without LENR. The Nikon seems to discolor stars only when LENR is applied. Why would that be? The Canon is free of any such issue – stars are naturally colored whether LENR dark frames are applied or not.

What’s going on here is a mystery – it’s a combination of the cameras’ unique Raw file formats, anti-alias filter in front of the sensor (or lack thereof in the Sony), and the de-Bayering routines of all the many Raw developers wrestling with the task of rendering stars that occupy only a few pixels. It’s unfair to blame just the hardware or the software.

But this test re-emphasized my thoughts that Canon DSLRs remain the best for long-exposure deep-sky imaging where you can give images as much exposure time as they need, while the ISO invariant Sony and Nikons exceed at nightscape shooting where exposures are often limited and plagued by dark shadows and noise.

The Sony shows a propensity to render small stars in many vivid and unreal colors. The Nikon can do so after LENR is applied. The Canon is more neutral and natural.

Sony a7 III & a7R III cameras share some accessories designed for Sony a9, a few designed specifically for a7 III & a7R III and many accessories compatible with all Sony E-mount cameras. This list will help you navigate your way to the accessories you need.

My first suggestion with any camera is to buy an extra battery and external charger. Even though battery life is greatly improved from previous Sony mirrorless camera batteries, you can’t shoot while charging your only battery, picking up a spare Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery.

Sony a7R III ships with an external battery charger – but a7 III does not. You’ll want to pick one up for a7 III and if you shoot heavily, you may want spare Sony BC-QZ1 Z-series Battery Charger so that you can charge two batteries at once. Featuring a 100-240 Volt compatible power adapter, this charger will be able to charge a battery completely in 150 minutes. It also features an LED indicator for checking charge status and has a slim design with a detachable AC cable.

I only use original Sony NP-FZ100 batteries – but if you’re determined to buy third-party replacement batteries – please stick to batteries that comply!

Upgraded RAVPower NP-FZ100 Batteries ($59.95 for two battery + charger kit from Amazon) meet compliance with Sony a7 III, a7R III & a9. The only complaint I’ve received is that RAVPower batteries drain more quickly than OEM Sony batteries

Sony VG-C3EM Vertical Grip ($348 at B&H Photo | Amazon) is probably a MUST for sports or wildlife shooters or anyone suffering from withdrawals from DSLR-size bodies. In addition to making a bigger body to grip, you get the added bonus of room for two NP-FZ100 batteries for double the battery life. Portrait photographers will appreciate the added vertical release.

Really Right Stuff is the ‘gold standard” of camera plates and L Brackets. Their Sony a9/a7R III will also fit a7 III. These plates are all precision machined from solid blocks of 6061-T6 aluminum. Fully compatible with any Arca-Swiss style quick release system with contoured anti-twist flanges to prevent twisting between camera and plate.

GABALE QR L Plate Bracket for Sony a7III/a7RIII/a9 ($57 on eBay) is a less expensive alternative machined from lightweight aircraft-grade anodized aluminum. It’s two-part construction allows you to control the offset of the side bracket for access to camera ports when mounted vertically.

Sony GP-X1EM Grip Extension ($130 at B&H Photo | Amazon) mounts to the camera’s tripod socket to provide a larger and taller grip for a more ergonomic shooting setup. For durability, it features aluminum construction with and enhanced scratch resistance surface.

Manfrotto Befree Advanced Alpha Travel Tripod (Pre-Order for $189.99 from B&H Photo | Adorama) This special version of the Befree Advanced Lever is designed for Sony alpha camera users who want maximum performance and stability in all shooting positions.

The quick-release plate is designed to match Sony a7 and Sony a9 camera bodies, to ensure perfect grip, even in the most angled camera shots. The front jut of the plate physically blocks the camera, preventing any play both on tilt and rotational movements, always keeping the camera stuck to the head plate.

Gitzo L-Bracket for Sony a7R III and a9 Cameras ($199 at B&H Photo). allows comfortable alignment of Sony a7 III, a7R III and a9 cameras and facilitates quick change between landscape and portrait. Milled from a solid block of aluminum, the new rail is the lightest of its kind, according to the manufacturer, it offers four mounting points for the camera designed for shooting video or tethered shooting in the studio. The supplied Allen key can be fixed in a separate holder.

Sony’s new NP-FZ100 batteries pack a lot of power yet if you find yourself needing more, Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adapter Kit might be just what you need for time lapse photography or extended video shoots since it is able to supply power from up to four NP-FZ100 series battery packs for dramatically extended shooting times. At four bills – it’s not cheap, but it includes two NP-FZ100 batteries that would run you $160.

[Please Note: Due to a clever dual dummy battery set-up, Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adapter is also compatible with cameras using W-style Sony batteries including a7-Series, a6000-series and NEX]

The eyepiece on Sony a7R III is well anchored in place so chances are good, you’ll never lose one. But if you do…here’s where you can get a replacement Sony FDA-EP18 Eyepiece Cup ($11 at B&H Photo | Amazon)

SD Card Slot 1 is UHS II compatible with Sony’s world’s fastest Sony SF-G cards featuring blistering fast 299MB/s Write Speed & 300MB/s Read Speed perfect for Sony a7R III’s 10 FPS burst shooting, 4K video, and other buffer-busting uses. If you plan to shoot video, you’ll want to stick to 64GB (or larger) SDXC cards for the best video codex. [Please Note: UHS-II SD cards will work in other Sony cameras – however only Sony a7 III, a7R II & a9 can take advantage of it’s blazing write speed]

If you can’t get your hands on the Sony cards listed above, the next fastest option is SanDisk 32GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDHC, 64GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC or 128GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC Memory Cards with 260 MB/s Max Write Speeds. Once again, stick to 64 or 128 GB SDXC cards for video.

Hoodman Steel 2000x SDXC UHS-II Memory Card available in 64GB & 128GB fall short of Sony SF-G speed, but their 260 MB/s a Max Write Speed equals the speed of SanDisk cards with better construction and a lower price.

Sony a7R III Card Slot 2 is compatible with UHS-I memory cards. Sony SDXC UZ UHS-I memory cards with 90 MB/s Write Speed & 95 MB/s read Speed are an excellent choice. Though they don’t offer the same write speeds as UHS-II cards, these cards are also fully compatible in card slot 1.

While you can always download by connecting the camera to your computer using the supplied USB-cord…however you’ll be limited to USB-2 downdload speeds. But for fast downloads, a MUCH better option is to pick up a Sony MRW-S1 UHS-II SD Memory Card Reader ($29 at B&H Photo | Amazon)

Remote controls allow hands-off triggering of a tripod-mounted camera or long bulb exposure times. Sony RM-VPR1 remote control with Multi-Terminal Cable ($50 at B&H | Amazon) allows you to trigger long exposures without touching your camera.

If you prefer a wireless remote trigger, Sony RMT-DSLR2 Wireless Remote ($24 at B&H Photo | Amazon) triggers your shutter by sending an infrared signal to the camera’s remote port, ensuring that you don’t shake the camera as you fire it.

Sony RMT-VP1K Wireless Receiver and Remote Commander Kit ($69 at B&H Photo | Amazon) can operate your camera or a group of cameras remotely using the RMT-VP1K Wireless Receiver and Remote Commander Kit from Sony. The multi-function remote control is compatible with Sony cameras that are equipped with a multi terminal and has further compatibility with MI-show and DI products. For video or still use, the remote has four available modes: Half-push, Release, Bulb lock, and REC/Zoom. The IR receiver has 360° coverage. Full Compatibility with all Sony products with multi-terminal port.

Vello 3.5mm Remote Shutter Release Cable for Sony Multi-Terminal cameras ($11 at B&H Photo | Amazon) is the cord you need if you want to trigger your Sony a7R III camera remotely using a Pocket Wizard or any other remote trigger with a 3.5mm mini-plug port.

JJC TM-F2 Wire Multi-Function LCD Timer Remote for Sony Multi-Terminal ($26 at Amazon)This is the choice of time-lapse specialist Sony Artisan Drew Geraci for it simplicity, size and easy to read display.

hahnel Captur Timer Kit for Sony ($89 at B&H Photo) This bundle enhances your Captur remote shutter release system by providing a AA battery-powered interval timer module, as well as a receiver for mounting on a camera. Additional receivers are available for firing even more DSLRs. Use this kit with the transmitter you already have, or purchase one separately. As an alternative to wireless operation, the system can function in wired mode, and this kit includes the cables for connecting both the receiver and timer module to the camera. The module features single, continuous, and bulb exposure modes, allowing you to choose from a huge range of exposure times with the continuous and bulb settings.

Think Tank Introduces Hydrophobia V3.0 Advanced Camera Rain Covers including new sizes for Sony Full-Frame Mirrorless and Wide Angle Lenses. Hydrophobia V3.0 covers feature DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating and is made from three layers of material for durability. It is also seam-sealed for added protection against rain, sleet, snow, sand, and dust. Fold it down to fit into the included compact carrying pouch and slip it into your camera bag so you’re prepared in a downpour or sand storm.

Hydrophobia V3.0 Advanced Camera Rain Covers feature a non-slip, adjustable strap that cinches to the lens hood so it stays put once in place. It can be used while shooting atop a tripod or monopod and has an oversized window for viewing your LCD and controls. Additionally, two cinchable sleeves provide easy access to your camera functions.

Fits Sony full-frame mirrorless camera bodies with a 24-70mm f/2.8, 24-105mm f/4, 16-35mm f/2.8, 14-24mm f/2.8, or similarly-sized wide-angle and standard zoom lens. ($114.75 from B&H Photo | Amazon)

Fits Sony full-frame mirrorless camera bodies with a 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, 80-400mm f/5-6.3, 100-400mm f/5-6.3, or similarly-sized lens standard zoom lens. ($124.75 from B&H Photo | Amazon)>

Fits Sony full-frame mirrorless camera bodies with large telephoto zooms and prime lenses from 150-600mm f/5.6-6.3 up to 600 f/4 lens. ($149.75 from B&H Photo | Amazon)

One of the best features of mirrorless cameras is that, due to their thin body design, it’s possible to mount a huge array of lenses on them using lens mount adapters. Sony a7R III cameras allow you to use virtually every make of 35mm lenses with the full angle of view for which those lenses were designed.

Vello EXT-SFED Deluxe Auto Focus Extension Tube Set for Sony E-Mount Lenses are compatible with Sony full-frame and APS-C cameras and Sony FE and E mount lenses. Extension tubes extend the close focus range of any lens making them well suited for close-up portraiture and macro photography. This set contains two extension tubes, one 10mm, and one 16mm. They can be used individually or together to create the desired magnification effect. Extension tubes have no optical elements so they do not degrade the quality of your lenses and these fully automatic extension tubes communicate all electronic functions from lens to camera including autofocus and auto exposure. They are built with metal lens mounts for durability and longevity and enable you to convert your E-mount lens into a macro lens while maintaining the lens’ original optical quality.

Sony HVL-F45RM flash ($398 at B&H Photo | Amazon) is Sony’s first 2.4 GHz radio controlled flash. It features built-in wireless capability of operating up to 15 flashes in 5 groups.

When mounted on camera, Sony HVL-F45M can act as a flash commander or it can be triggered off-camera using a Sony FA-WRC1M Wireless Radio Commander using built-in 2.4 GHz wireless wireless connection capability of operating up to 15 flashes in 5 groups.

HVL-F45RM reduces size and weight over 10% from the previous model while improving the guide number to 148′ at ISO 100 and 105mm and improving the recycle time to 2.5 seconds. Full bounce capabilities are available as well with tilt from -8 to 150° and a total of 360° of rotation. Also, it has a zoom head of 24-105mm which can be expanded to 15mm with a pull-out diffusion panel alongside an LED light useful for video. The flash offers vastly improved controls via the rear LCD, including customizable buttons and flash distribution and memory settings. HVL-F45RM has a dust- and moisture-resistant construction.

Sony FA-WRC1M Wireless Radio Commander ($348 at B&H Photo | Amazon) this Multi Interface Shoe compatible remote flash commander can control up to 15 separately available FA-WRR1 Wireless Radio Receivers or radio-equipped RM-series flashes from up to 98.4′ away thanks to a 2.4 GHz radio system. This configuration also permits operation without requiring line of sight with all the units involved. Additionally, it has access to 14 channels for avoiding interference with other radio triggering systems in the vicinity as well as up to 5 groups for precise control over your lights.

The major benefit of the Wireless Radio Commander is remote control over your flash’s settings. This includes exposure compensation, flash power from 1/1 to 1/256, zoom, and more. Along with this, the radio system has full compatibility with Sony’s TTL method and supports High-Speed Sync at up to 1/8000 second. Other flashes can be triggered in a manual mode and a PC sync terminal is available for connecting to various strobes and other lights. In addition to all of this, the Commander is equipped with a Multi Terminal for connection and controlling other cameras.

Vello Off-Camera TTL Flash Cords for Sony Multi Interface Shoe allow you to remotely fire Sony flashes with ADI / P-TTL capabilities and the Multi Interface Shoe – removing the flash from the camera’s hot shoe reducing the harsh shadows commonly encountered with direct on-camera flashes and gives your photographs a more natural look.

If you want to eliminate the camera noise that comes with recording sound with your camera, you should consider using an external microphone. You can have much more control over the quality of the audio because you are using a device whose sole purpose is to record audio. There is a growing market of microphones for mirrorless and DSLR cameras, including mics with hot shoe adapters that allow you to mount the mic to the camera so you can record without having to worry about holding the external microphone. Sony’s ECM-XYST1M stereo microphone (Amazon | B&H) slips into the multi-interface shoe. Its features include the ability to fine-tune the angle at which sound is recorded, from a single point to a wide 120-degree spread to pick up ambient sound from an entire room.

If you’re looking to add XLR terminal inputs and audio level controls for a pro external audio input, the Sony XLR-K2M XLR Adapter Kit with Microphone $598 (Order from Amazon | B&H) is just the thing. It includes 2-Channel XLR Adapter has audio level controls for each channel that fits into Sony Multi-Interface Shoe and a Sony ECM-XM1 Shotgun Microphone.

Your a7-series camera offers Live View video through your EVF and LCD, but there are times when shooting video that a larger monitor comes in handy because it gives you more surface area, making it easy to compose your shot. Step up to a full HD Monitor with the Sony CLM-FHD5 5″ HD LCD monitor – $700 (B&H) is an ideal companion to the a7RII for video shooting. A compact 5.0 type Full HD (1920x1080p) LCD monitor, the CLM-FHD5 features enlarging and peaking functionality for precise focusing, false color and video level marker for adjusting exposure and S-Log display assist to assist S-Log shooting.

If you wish to step up to 4K 4:2:2 recording, you’ll need a separate 4K recorder like the Atomos Shogun Flame 7″ 4K HDMI/SDI Recording Monitor ($995 at B&H). This 7″ 1920 x 1200 on-camera recording monitor that combines 4K recording with a 10-bit FRC panel that supports native display of HDR (log) footage as well as high brightness viewing of Rec. 709 footage. It utilizes 4K HDMI and 12G-SDI inputs to support clean output signals at resolutions up to UHD 4K (3840 x 2160), recording it to 2.5″ SSDs using 10-bit, 4:2:2 Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHR codecs. It even supports DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) raw video streams over SDI from select Sony and Canon cameras, encoding it as ProRes/DNxHR files.

Smooth pans for video all begins with a good video head – which can be the difference between smooth video and shaky cam. Benro makes great video tripod and fluid video heads at a reasonable price. Benro A2573F AL Tripod with S6 Video Head ($300 at Amazon | B&H) is a good entry video head and legs combination for the Sony A7/A7R/A7S or for even smoother pans, move up to the larger S8 video head with the Benro A3573F Series 3 AL Tripod and S8 Pro Video Head ($450 at Amazon | B&H) – it’s larger, heavier video head makes for even smoother camera moves and it’s hard to beat for under $500. If you’re looking for a pro video tripod, Benro H10 Video Tripod with Carbon Fiber Legs ($1,050 at Amazon | B&H) will meet your needs.

CAME-TV CAME-Single 3-Axis Handheld Camera Gimbal is a single-handed stabilizer that supports loads up to 2.6 pounds, making it suitable for use with compact mirrorless cameras such Sony a7 Series. It utilizes three motors that stabilize the camera along the pan, tilt, and roll axes. This compensates for shakes, vibrations, and other unwanted movements, allowing you to capture smooth, free-floating shots. The system offers multiple operation modes for increased creative possibilities. You can choose to lock the camera in place along all three axes or have the camera smoothly follow your pan and tilt motions while keeping the horizon level. There is also a Commixture Mode, which locks the tilt axis while allowing the camera to follow left and right panning movements. Modes can be easily switched using a joystick, which can also be used to adjust camera pan and tilt position.

THE SKINNY: I found this gimbal stabilzer thanks to my fellow Sony Artisan Matt Buckman and it hits the perfect balance for fullframe Sony a7 Series mirrorless cameras – not too small and not too big.

THE SKINNY: This is the gimbal stabilzer of choice to my fellow Sony Artisans Ben Lowy and Michael Rubenstein because it’s beefy enough to support fullframe Sony a7 Series mirrorless cameras with a large prime lens.

ikan Beholder MS1 3-Axis Motorized Gimbal Stabilizer supports cameras weighing up to 1.9 pounds including Sony a7 Series mirrorless cameras. It features a 3-axis, motorized gimbal designed to keep your camera level and isolated from hand shake while allowing you to create smooth, organic moving camera shots. It features two operational modes: a following mode that smoothes your camera movements and a lock mode that will hold your camera in its position as you move. The MS1 features a thumb button/joystick which you use to select modes. You can also use the joystick to pan and tilt your camera on the gimbal.

ikan DS1 Beholder Gimbal for DSLR & Mirrorless is a 3-axis gyro stabilizer with brushless motors. It supports cameras up to 3.7 pounds such as Sony A7, GH4, G7 Series, Canon 5D, 6D, 7D, GX7, NEX Series, and DMC Series cameras. It features a quick release baseplate that makes it simple and easy to swap out the camera. Additionally, the baseplate can be adjusted, without tools, for precise balance. This can be especially useful when changing lenses.

THE SKINNY: This is the two-handed version of the gimbal stabilzer of choice to my fellow Sony Artisans Ben Lowy and Michael Rubenstein because it’s beefy enough to support fullframe Sony a7 Series mirrorless cameras with a large prime lens.

Feiyu MG 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal for Mirrorless Cameras is a handheld 3-axis motorized gimbal stabilizer designed to support loads between 0.77 to 2.36 lb, making it an ideal choice for mirrorless cameras such as the Sony a7 Series cameras. It features precision brushless motors that stabilize the camera along the pan, tilt, and roll axes to provide smooth footage free the typical jitters and shake of handheld shooting. Each axis can rotate a full 360° for unrestricted movement and angle adjustment. For added versatility, the MG includes two cross bar sections, two handgrips, and a handle that can be attached in several different ways, letting you switch between one-handed or two-handed configurations. It is operated using a single on/off and mode-select button, with a 4-direction joystick providing pan and tilt adjustments and control. You can also use the included wireless remote to control the gimbal from distances up to 49′ away.

If you can get past the poor ergonomics, confusing menus, and frame-rate dependant auto-focus and zoom features, the Sony A73 is a tremendous value for a full-frame mirrorless camera for video shooters. Highly recommended!

The Sony A7iii is undoubtedly one of the best full-frame mirrorless cameras of its time. Though not perfect, I’ve learned to rely on the strong video capabilities of this class-leading camera. Here’s my thoughts on the Sony A7iii after putting it through its paces over the last several months and the accessories I’ve gathered and love.

I rarely shoot stills with my Sony A7iii, and on the rare occassion I did, I had a catastrophic failure which I could not fix without formatting the card. To be fair, I’ve never encountered this issue when recording video. But this was not a good scenario to find myself in at a paying gig so I’ll continue to shoot stills with my trusty stable of Nikon D750’s.

I know it’s not the fault of Sony, but I wish my Sony would play nicer with my Ronin-S gimbal. Unlike Panasonic cameras, I cannot remotely control focus without an external focus motor, and even the record start/stop relies on unreliable IR.

Though heavy and large, this is the best 24-70 zoom lens I’ve ever used. When paired with the Sony A7iii the focus is fast and accurate, and continuous focus for video is reliable and better than third part lenses i’ve tried. Coming from shooting all f1.8 or faster primes, it took a while to grieve the loss of shallower depth of field than the stock 2.8. But the bokeh, when zoomed in, is beautiful and having the flexibility to shoot most everything but landscapes and wildlife makes this my go-to lens for pretty much everything I shoot. If you only get one lens, this is the one.

I already complained about the poor built-in mics of the Sony A7iii, but one thing I add to every video camera I own is wind control over the built-in mics. These little Micovers are the easiest solution I’ve found. Though not perfect, they give me a fighting change to get usable audio in the great outdoors.

I’ve tested the touch screen with and without these tempered glass screen protectors (hey: the package came with three!), because I’m always second guessing myself as to whether the touch is negatively affected by this thin sheet of glass. It matters because you don’t want to press harder than necessary to select a focus point or feature whilst in the middle of recording video. I’ve been using my iPhone X without protection for a year now and love it (insert joke here). I’m not sure if it’s my fingers or the screen, but even without the screen protector applied I find the A7iii screen not as responsive as I would like it to be. But as the LCD is my primary touch screen and viewer, I thought it wise to advise to add this little bit of protection for peace of mind and resale value.

The Sony A7iii with 24-70 is a great kit, but super front-heavy. I add a simple hotshoe top handle which allows for easy low angle shooting and gives a great, balanced grip when shooting this kit.

Though I’ve sworn off Tether Tools’ cables (they’ve failed me soooo many times), I do appreciate their Case Relay design. It not only allows you to power your camera via USB, but has a built-in (small) battery to allow hot-swapping of USB batteries for unlimited powering. Super tip: instead of purchasing their over-priced dummy battery for the Sony A73, buy the AC Power adapter above and, if it’s the same as the one I purchased, it will fit the plug on your Case Relay.

The Sony A7iii is far from perfect, but offers a lot of bang for the buck for both video and stills shooters. Even with new competition from the Canon R, Nikon Z and Panasonic S, it’s hard to beat the value found in the Sony A7iii. As a former Canon and current Nikon stills shooter, I’m glad to report I have no regrets on purchasing my Sony A7iii kit. Definitely recommended even for shooters of other systems like me.

If you’ve got a suggestion on recommended accessories or setup for the Sony A7iii, please share a comment as I’m always wanting to find a better way