Last update.
By programming the buttons, you can customize it according to the functions you want to have immediate access to. However, the camera presents strong color banding when photographing light sources (such as a lamp or a light fixture, or the moon, etc.) - something that I had not encountered even in the Nikon, let alone the D3300, let alone the Z5, where color management is perfect (once it focuses, that is).
Also, the white balance in auto mode is inaccurate most of the time. If it detects blue color somewhere, the camera automatically tries to create yellow shades - a characteristic example is white spots on a wrinkled shirt that were creating shadows, it colored them yellow (the shadows, that is), as well as the shadows of the furniture on the wall (the wall is a soft beige color) as it was "confused" by the intense blue shades emitted by the TV at that moment. In general, it tends to overemphasize yellow as soon as it detects it, or as soon as it detects blue, it tries to create yellow shades inside, or when it has gray shades, it automatically creates tones of blue. In general, it automatically changes the tones of the colors and overemphasizes something yellow, orange, green, etc. No contact with reality, only if you shoot exclusively in raw and process them yourself. However, color banding in JPEGs makes you feel like you have a 200€ camera (obviously, selected image quality is 24MP and x.fine).
Also, from standby (after it has entered "sleep mode" where the screen turns off to save energy), when you press the button to take a photo multiple times, either it freezes and takes too long to respond, or everything turns black and only recovers with a restart (turning it off and on again).
For photography, it is simply disappointing (I remind you that firmware 4.01 is installed).
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Update
Those who frequently use manual vintage lenses should look for something else. There is no comparison between the Z5 and the A7III in terms of focus peaking. In the A7III, focus peaking is the worst I have ever used in general - not accurate at all. Also, if you want to zoom in on what you are shooting to see, for example, if the subject is perfectly focused, you have to go into the menu, select that specific setting, and only then take the shot. If you want a second photo, you have to repeat the same process. On the other hand, with the Z5, you simply press the button it has and you can zoom in and out instantly (without needing to go into the menu or anything), and overall, the focus peaking of the Z5 is much, much more accurate.
The A7III that I bought came with the latest firmware update 4.01 installed. The JPEG colors are simply terrible, inaccurate tones, poor and faded, no matter how much I tried to justify them to myself at first. Sony does not allow you to downgrade the firmware in any way and go back to a previous version, even if you have the previous versions in your hands. You have to connect it to a computer, download special software, and if it detects a version lower than the firmware file you want to install, it does not give you the option to install the firmware. I can't understand why Sony prohibits you from switching to a previous firmware version. I also wonder if an A7III with firmware version 3.10 and below is "the same" as an A7III with the latest version, for example, 4.01, in terms of color quality and JPEG photos The raws, however, are okay.
Here I have AF and terrible colors - irony.
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The comment refers exclusively to the photography aspect (I don't deal with videos).
I have been using Nikon cameras continuously since 2015 until a few months ago, with my latest one being a Nikon Z5. So, the comparison is necessarily between the Nikon Z5 and the Sony A7iii. Although I was strictly torn between the A7iii and the Z6ii, I bought the A7iii because it was cheaper during that specific period, combined with the fact that the photo quality was "guaranteed."
To put it briefly, the only aspects in which the A7iii surpasses the Z5, in my opinion, are the AF, which obviously works flawlessly under all lighting conditions and makes a big difference, perhaps slightly the dynamic range, and certainly the video, which, as I mentioned, I personally don't deal with.
Moving on to the comparison with the Nikon Z5, I will mention some things that disappointed me when I switched to the A7iii:
- I believe that the A7iii lacks the build quality and ergonomics of the Z5. From the packaging they come in, to the feel of the buttons, button placements, number of buttons, customization, menus, overall sense of build quality, I think Nikon is superior! Sony, on the other hand, seems inferior to me.
- The screen of the A7iii in comparison to the Z5 seems laughable to me. The Z5 has an exceptional fully touch screen, brighter, higher resolution, and larger than that of the A7iii.
- The menu of the A7iii also seems poorly designed, disorganized, hard to read, and also uses word abbreviations like "Exp.comp.set," which makes it difficult to understand what is what without having to search through a manual. Nikon's menu may not be perfect, but it is well-crafted, organized, and also has a "?" button for each setting, which, when pressed, opens a pop-out window and explains the selected setting. I don't find the A7iii's menu user-friendly at all.
For the above two points, I want to emphasize that I'm not mentioning them out of habit. When certain important settings that can be easily adjusted with one hand on the Z5 require both hands on the A7iii, it is objective and not just a matter of habit. Also, when you want quicker access to the same settings, again, it is objective and not just a matter of habit. In general, all the important settings (ISO, shutter speed, aperture, white balance, etc.) are immediately accessible with one hand on the Z5.
- Additionally, Nikon's SnapBridge application is excellent, as it works flawlessly on both Android and iOS, whether you want to control the camera through your mobile device or simply transfer photos to your phone. I have never seen an application of its kind work as smoothly and seamlessly as Nikon's. Sony is missing something like that.
- Jpegs straight out of the camera, I have the feeling that the colors of the Z5 are again superior (for photos taken in natural light) - to the point where most of the time you simply don't need any editing. With the A7iii, it's just okay.
- Finally, the battery life is noticeably lower than that of the Z5 (although theoretically, it should be the opposite). It also doesn't have an independent charger; instead, you connect the charging cable directly to the camera - a bit inconvenient for me mainly because I prefer the camera to stay in the bag while the battery is charging, rather than being exposed.
More or less, the above things seemed very unpleasant to me during my transition from Z5 to A7iii, but we can never have it all.
Unfortunately, however, all of the above in Z5 are useless when its AF sensitivity has been limited to -2EV (-3EV with lowlight activated).
So, 4 stars for A7iii, for all the above reasons. Beyond that, objectively, it is an excellent all-around camera with the AF making it ideal under all lighting conditions.