Recommended Sony A7iii kits

I suspect sales of the Sony A7iii will be very strong given the camera’s price  point and feature set.   With the camera body priced at $2,000, for a total investment of $3,000 to $5,000, the enthusiast can build a very powerful kit. Below you will find my Sony A7iii recommended lenses and accessories. 

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I currently shoot with the Sony A7riii and most people would agree it is one of the very best cameras you can buy today, irrespective of price.  For $1200 less than the Sony A7riii, the main sacrifices are:

  • 24 megapixel instead of 42 megapixel
  • Lower resolution EVF and LCD
  • Though still weather sealed, potentially a bit less sealed
  • Some plastic where the A7riii is metallic
  • No Pixel shift (conflicting information)
  • Mode dial without lock button and 2 memory recall slots instead of 3

Additionally, you get one big plus over the Sony A7riii.  The Sony A7iii potentially will have better autofocus than the Sony A7riii, with 693 phase detection points (covering 93% of the frame) while the Sony A7riii only has 399 points.

Other than those differences, both cameras share the same body.  They both have 4k video without crop.  They both have 10 fps, with mechanical shutter or silent electronic shutter.  They both promise approximately 15 stops of dynamic range.

For many Sony A7iii buyers, this will be their first full frame camera or first Sony camera.  More passionate entry and mid level shooters may find themselves gravitating to the Sony A7iii instead of the more cliche $700 entry level APS-C dSLR.

If you are a deeply experienced Sony shooter or a high level professional shooter, you probably already know exactly what you need in a kit.       For those who don’t already have such familiarity with the Sony system, I hope this post can provide some guidance in filling out a comprehensive Sony A7iii kit for $3,000 to $5,000.  Remember, the camera has 2 card slots, 1 of which supports the more expensive faster UHS-II cards.

Sony A7iii kit recommendations:

Below you will find some recommendations based on the type of photographer you see yourself as.  You may very well find the need to mix and match the different types.

[Update: 8/24:  Because of the cost/value proposition, I had recommended most people get the 28-70mm kit lens with the Sony A7iii, being only an additional $200.   While more expensive, you may find it very worthwhile to pair the camera instead with the far superior Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8.  At $799, the faster aperture and sharper lens is well worth the price difference.   You can order the A7iii as a kit with the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 

For the travel/vacation enthusiast:

Travel and vacation calls for wide angle shooting.  So instead of the kit lens, this recommended package has included Sony’s 16-35mm lens, which can cover ultra-wide shooting up to normal shooting.  You might want to make do with just this lens, but if feel you need a telephoto for wildlife encounters when you travel, I’ve also included Sony’s 70-300mm lens.   If you find yourself suddenly needing low light, I’ve also included Sony’s 50mm F/1.8.   (You can currently get a good deal on Amazon with several of these key elements here).

See also, my article on traveling with 2 lenses.   Personally, I do not believe a telephoto lens is necessary for most travel.

 

For the mom and dad with active children:

Parents will want a kit that covers a wide range, from group family photos to the kids playing sports.   Zooms are convenient for candids and price and convenience may trump the ultimate quality.   So starting with the very decent kit lens that only adds $200 to the price of the camera.  Also including the 70-300mm for outdoor sports and play.   A basic portable flash (I highly recommend the great value of the Godox line) for those indoor low light shots as well.

***  Also consider, instead of the 28-70mm kit lens, the Sony A7iii with Tamron 28-75mm   

For the budding photography student/serious photographer:

Quality is paramount for a shooter who really wants to learn photography, including lenses that can be used for great artistic effect.  Prime lenses trump the convenience of zoom, given their use in low light and for narrow depth of field.  Anyone who wants to learn serious photography should also learn to use a good flash.

If within your budget, you may want to consider substituting the more expensive but vastly superior Sony Zeiss 55mm F/1.8 over the Sony 50mm F/1.8.  I reviewed it here.

***  Also consider, instead of the 28-70mm kit lens, the Sony A7iii with Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8,).  

For the portrait photographer:

In shooting portraits, 85mm is often considered the ideal focal length.   It allows for good working distance for both headshots and full body portraits.   Fortunately, Sony has an exceptional value 85mm F/1.8 lens.  Anyone who really wants to take great portraits, especially indoors, needs to master the use of supplemental light.  With the Godox system, it is easy to build a flash system that can be used on or off camera.

 

***  If within your budget instead of the 28-70mm kit lens, the Sony A7iii with Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8,) 

For the nature and wildlife enthusiast:

If you’re shooting a lot of wildlife, you need a long telephoto lens.   The ideal lens is Sony’s fantastic 100-400mm but it is wildly expensive and heavy/  So my list includes the more sensible Sony 70-300mm.

For those very serious about wildlife, step up to the Sony 100-400mm GM. My review here.

 Other recommendations for everyone:

I wouldn’t bother with the included strap.  Find a better strap that will support and allocate the weight of the camera in the best manner instead of putting it all around your neck.  I like the Blackrapid straps and Peak Design straps.  

If you’re going to take great night time landscapes, fireworks, etc, then you really want to own a decent tripod.  The really cheap tripods will break and won’t necessarily support your camera well.  You can pay hundreds of dollars for a good tripod, but I find the Manfrotto Befree to be an excellent compromise of weight and quality.  I use it whenever I travel, as it folds up very nicely and is fairly low weight.

In terms of photography, no amount of expensive gear will beat a good education.  One doesn’t need to study in a formal program, but there are many great books and resources.   The one great book sworn to by many photographers over many years (and updated regularly) is Bryan Peterson’s “Understanding Exposure.”

I’m happy to answer any questions about the Sony system in general.  For full disclosure, I have used most but not all of the products discussed.  My goal on this blog is to eventually review every native Sony FE lens, so I’ll get to them all eventually.  (A review of the Sony 50mm F/1.8 is being prepared now, for example).  I am a big fan of the Godox flash system instead of Sony brand, for even more functionality at a much lower price.

If anyone does have any questions, just leave a comment.

I’ll conclude with my current favorite four lenses for Sony enthusiasts:

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