What are the Differences Between the Sony a7C and a7 III?

What are the differences between the Sony a7C and a7 III? Size and the features directly related to size aside, these cameras are nearly the same. This sameness includes the imaging sensor and the resulting image quality. While the similarities reflect very positively on the a7C, the differences must be understood.

Let's look at the a7C vs. a7 III differences, starting with some visual comparisons.

• Headlining the a7C advantage list is a considerably smaller size. Essentially, slice the a7 III off at the top plate, and you get the a7C. Additionally, the a7C's lighter weight is welcomed:
  • 4.88 x 2.80 x 2.35" vs. 5.0 x 3.9 x 3.0"
  • 124.0 x 71.1 x 59.7mm vs. 126.9 x 95.6 x 73.7mm
  • The a7C's grip is considerably smaller with a finer-textured grip surface.
  • CIPA Weight: 18.0 vs. 23.0 oz (509 vs. 650g)
• The EVF included on this little camera is a very positive feature, but directly impacted by the camera's reduced size is the a7C's viewfinder size. While both cameras feature approximately 2.35 megadot XGA OLED viewfinders with 100% coverage, there are significant differences:
  • Size: 0.39 vs. 0.50" (1.0 vs. 1.3cm) (little vs. huge)
  • Magnification: Approx. 0.59x vs. 0.78x
  • Eyepoint: Approx. 20mm vs. 23mm
  • The a7C has a minimalistic eyecup.
• Notably improved is the a7C's AF system, now including support for Real-time Tracking and Eye AF (human) while recording video.
• The a7C has no joystick. While some will find the "joy" missing, the touch and drag AF feature works well.
• The a7C has no front dial.
• The a7C has an increased buffer size (115 vs. 40 RAW).
• The a7C lacks the light flicker avoidance feature.
• The a7C has a working range down to EV -4 vs. EV -3.
• The a7C's max shutter speed is 1/4000 vs. 1/8000.
• The a7C can X-Sync at 1/160 vs. 1/250 sec.
• The a7C does not have first-curtain mechanical shutter available.
• The a7C features a side-opening vari-angle LCD monitor (necessary for self-recording) vs. tilt.
• The a7C has a movie button on the top where it is easier to reach from the front vs. the back-positioned button.
• Battery Life: approx. 680 vs. 610 shots (Viewfinder, CIPA)
• The a7C has upgraded 5-axis in-body stabilization and shutter units.
• The a7C has one custom button vs. 4.
• The a7C has 3 custom modes vs. 2.
• The a7C has a silver shutter release button *with a click* vs. black with no haptic feedback.
• The a7C features wireless support for 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands vs. 2.4Ghz.
• "A digital audio interface has been added to the camera’s Multi Interface (MI) Shoe, allowing the ECM-B1M Shotgun Microphone or XLR-K3M XLR Adaptor Kit to be connected to input digital audio signals directly to the MI shoe for cleaner, clearer audio recordings." [Sony]
• Vertical video support has been added.
• Single SD memory card slot vs. dual.
• Memory cards are more challenging to insert into and remove from the a7C.
• The a7C arrives with a $100.00 lower list price, but the 2-year-older a7 III's street price is $100.00 lower than the a7C's — a difference not likely to be found differentiating to most.

The Sony a7 III is a very popular camera, and those already familiar with it now have a very good understanding of the a7C.

More Information

Sony a7C

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