Nikon Z7 / Z6 vs. Sony a7R III Review, Specs, Lenses, and More
The team here at PHLEARN has been a big fan of the Sony a7R III and we love to shoot photography tutorials with it, so we are just as interested as you might be about the new Nikon Z7 and Z6 and how they stack up.
Originally published August 23, 2018, by Seth Kravitz. Updated October 17, 2026, by PHLEARN Staff: new layout with a side-by-side table; launch details kept as they were in 2018.
This launch-week comparison from August 2018 sets the Nikon Z7 and Z6 against the Sony a7R III: resolution, size and weight, burst speed, ISO, autofocus, video, memory cards, battery life and the first Z lenses. Prices and details are as they stood in 2018.
Rather than doing a traditional review, we are going to just give you the highlights and link to helpful articles from around the web if you want to take a deeper dive.
Note: From time to time, we link to websites such as Amazon or B&H Photo and in most cases, we will be compensated as an affiliate with a commission based on any sales generated. It helps keep the lights on here at PHLEARN. As an Amazon Associate, PHLEARN earns from qualifying purchases.
Nikon Z7 vs Sony a7R III: Key Differences
First and foremost, let’s be clear that Nikon knows exactly what they are up against. They weren’t going to enter the high-end mirrorless race without a true contender to take on Sony A7 line.
And they have delivered.
They weren’t going to enter the high-end mirrorless race without a true contender to take on Sony A7 line.
Seth Kravitz
The quickest summary you’ll find online. See notes below for details & links.
- Better resolution: Nikon
- Lighter weight: Sony
- Smaller size: Sony
- Autofocus: Nikon
- Better video: Nikon
- Burst shooting: Sony
- EVF: Tied
- Battery life: Sony
- Storage: See Below
- ISO range: Tied, slight edge to Sony
- Metering & Focus: Sony
| Nikon Z7 | Sony a7R III | |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 42.2MP |
| Weight | 675 g (1.48 lbs) | 657 g (1.44 lbs) |
| Burst | 9 fps | 10 fps |
| ISO | 64-25,600 | 100-32,000 |
| Phase-detect AF points | 493 | 399 |
| Battery | 330 shots | 530 shots |
| Cards | Single XQD | Dual SD |
| Launch price (2018) | $3,396.95 | $2,998.00 |
45.7MP
Z7 resolution
493
Z7 phase-detect AF points
9,999
frames in a Z7 time-lapse
Price and Release Date
Z7 / Z6 Price at Launch
Nikon Z7 $3,396.95
Nikon Z6 $1,996.95
Sony a7R III (currently) $2,998.00
Release Date
September 2018. These dates sometimes shift as we know. You can pre-order from B&H currently for an expected Sept 27th ship date.
Sensor, Body and Speed
Resolution
The Nikon and Sony both use back-illuminated sensors, but the Z7 packs an amazing 45.7MP compared to the a7R III’s 42.2MP. Which if you are counting your pixels is the same as the Nikon D850.
Size and Weight
Both cameras are heavily armored with magnesium alloy front, top, and backs with weather sealing throughout.
When it comes to weight, they are nearly the same with the a7R III coming in at 657 grams (1.44lbs) and the Z7 at 675 grams (1.48lbs).
The body on the Sony is smaller (126.9 x 73.7 x 95.6mm) vs (134 x 67.5 x 100.5mm) on the Z7, but the Nikon has a larger handgrip which does sound appealing to us, given the Sony is a little awkward when attached to a larger lens.
Burst Shooting
The Sony a7R III comes in at 10fps, besting the Nikon Z7 at 9fps.
ISO Range
Very slight edge to Sony on this one at 100-32,000 (50-102,400 extended) compared to the Nikon at 64-25,600 (32-102,400 extended).
Autofocus and Viewfinder
Autofocus
While both cameras boast hybrid on-chip phase detection and contrast AF, the Nikon Z7 has 493 phase detection AF points (over 90% of the image area) and Sony’s a7R III has 399 phase detection points (over 68% of the image area).
One key point to remember is that Sony does have the EyeAF feature, which many portrait and event photographers love for its eye detection.
Electronic Viewfinder (EVF)
Pretty much tied here. 0.5-inch electronic viewfinders all around. 3.6 million dot display with 60fps. Nearly the same magnification. Hard to spot much of a difference.
Video, Storage and Battery
4K Video (and 8K* time-lapse)
You can shoot 4K video on both the Sony and Nikon, but the Z7 does have one new trick up its sleeve.
The Nikon shoots UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) in full-frame area or DX crop area at 30p, 25p, or 24p frame rates. It can do 1080 HD at 120p for slow motion as well.
You might say, “well so can the Sony!“ and you’re right. But the Z7 brings a fun new feature to allow for both 4K AND 8K time-lapse movies up to 9,999 frames in total.
Storage / Memory Cards
The Nikon Z7 & Z6 use a single XQD card slot. You might have just read that sentence and gone, “What the heck is an XQD card???” Well, it’s a ridiculously fast high-capacity storage format currently only manufactured by …..drumroll please….. Sony. (It’s a small small world right now in the high-end mirrorless space.)
It’s a small small world right now in the high-end mirrorless space.
Seth Kravitz
For now Sony will continue to use dual SD cards for the A7 line, but we’re making a pretty strong prediction that’s going to change. There are even rumors that Nikon wants to be able to support the CFExpress in the future as well.
Battery Performance
The Nikon Z7 / Z6 share the same battery as the Nikon D850, but a slightly newer version called the EN-EL15b. It only pulls in 330 shots, which is surprisingly well below the Sony a7R III’s 530-shot battery life. In real-world testing we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Nikon perform better than 330 shots, but that number is surprisingly low.
Full Specs
Nikon Z7 Full Specs
- 45.7MP FX-Format BSI CMOS Sensor
- EXPEED 6 Image Processing Engine
- UHD 4K30 Video; N-Log & 10-Bit HDMI Out
- 493-Point Phase-Detect AF System
- Built-In 5-Axis Vibration Reduction
- 0.80x 3.6m-Dot EVF with NIKKOR Optics
- 3.2″ 2.1m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
- 9 fps Continuous Shooting; ISO 64-25600
- Top-Panel Dot-Matrix OLED; XQD Card Slot
- 8K Time-Lapse Mode; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Nikon Z6 Full Specs
- 24.5MP FX-Format BSI CMOS Sensor
- EXPEED 6 Image Processing Engine
- UHD 4K30 Video; N-Log & 10-Bit HDMI Out
- 273-Point Phase-Detect AF System
- Built-In 5-Axis Vibration Reduction
- 0.80x 3.6m-Dot EVF with NIKKOR Optics
- 3.2″ 2.1m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
- 12 fps Shooting; ISO 100-51200
- Top-Panel Dot-Matrix OLED; XQD Card Slot
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Sony a7R III Full Specs
- 42MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor
- BIONZ X Image Processor & Front-End LSI
- 399-Point AF System & 10 fps Shooting
- UHD 4K30p Video with HLG & S-Log3 Gammas
- 3.69m-Dot Tru-Finder OLED EVF
- 3.0″ 1.44m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
- 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization
- ISO 102400 & Pixel Shift Multi Shooting
- Built-In Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, Dual SD Slots
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C Port & PC Sync Port
Z NIKKOR Lenses and the FTZ Adapter
Z7 / Z6 Z NIKKOR Lenses
There will be three brand new Z NIKKOR lenses available that are built exclusively for the Z line of Nikon mirrorless cameras.
FTZ Adapter for F-mount Lenses
Don’t worry though! There is the Nikon FTZ Mount Adapter for all your existing F-mount lenses.
Reviews from Around the Web
We gave you a quick overview of the new Nikon Z7 and Z6, but as you might guess there are hundreds of reviews being written as you read this. We will be constantly updating this list below with more as they come in.
Z7 Reviews (Hands-on Only)
- DP Review
- DigitalTrends
- Camera Jabber (archived copy)
- Ross Harvey (archived copy)
- Tech Radar
- Trusted Reviews
More to come…
Z6 Reviews (Hands-on Only)
- Tech Radar
- Camera Jabber
- Imaging Resource
- Trusted Reviews
More to come…
Common Questions About the Nikon Z7
What are the main Nikon Z7 specs? From the 2018 spec list: a 45.7MP FX-format BSI CMOS sensor, the EXPEED 6 processor, a 493-point phase-detect autofocus system covering over 90% of the frame, built-in 5-axis vibration reduction, 9 fps continuous shooting and ISO 64 to 25,600 (32 to 102,400 extended). It records UHD 4K video at 30p, adds an 8K time-lapse mode of up to 9,999 frames, and uses a single XQD card slot.
How much does the Nikon Z7 weigh? The Z7 body weighs 675 grams (1.48 lbs), against 657 grams (1.44 lbs) for the Sony a7R III, so they are nearly the same. The Sony body is smaller (126.9 x 73.7 x 95.6mm vs 134 x 67.5 x 100.5mm on the Z7), but the Nikon has a larger handgrip, which we saw as a plus with bigger lenses.
How is the Z6 different from the Z7? Going by the two spec lists, the Z6 has a 24.5MP sensor instead of 45.7MP, a 273-point phase-detect AF system instead of 493 points, 12 fps shooting and an ISO range of 100 to 51,200. The two share the EXPEED 6 processor, UHD 4K30 video with N-Log, the same viewfinder and tilting touchscreen, built-in vibration reduction and an XQD slot. Only the Z7 list includes the 8K time-lapse mode. Launch prices in 2018 were $1,996.95 for the Z6 and $3,396.95 for the Z7.
Which came out ahead in 2018, the Nikon Z7 or the Sony a7R III? In our quick summary, Nikon led on resolution, autofocus and video, and Sony on weight, size, burst speed and battery life (530 shots against 330). The viewfinders were tied, and ISO was close with a slight edge to Sony. Sony also had Eye AF, which many portrait and event photographers love. Both Z cameras could use existing F-mount lenses through the FTZ adapter.
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