Need advice on switch to Sony camera system a7iii or a7r ii

[Andrew]

Switching over from Fujifilm to Sony. Trying to decide which body to purchase. Deciding between A7R II and A7 III. At present I can get the A7RII for $800 cheaper than A7 III body.

I will be using it for travel and landscapes mostly. But some family photos of kids and portrait work as well.

How does the AF and low light capabilities compare between bodies.

Also should I consider A7 II as well. 

Also what is a decent zoom that won’t break the bank?

[crysmeth]

My humble thoughts. 

Both bodies will suit your needs. The R2 AF is fast enough for your needs. The 7iii AF is much faster though. But if you are shooting landscapes most of the time, than that doesn’t really matter.  So really depends on your shots you are taking most of the times.  

One point to consider will be the file size. Do you really need such a high resolution file ?  It would mean you need to buy a larger SD card if you get the R2, albeit a UHS1 as compared with the 7iii which works best with a UHS2 card. 

Also, the R2 uses the older battery, but the 7iii uses the newer fz100 batteries.  This will give you about twice the shots (about 520-580) as compared to the R2 (250-280).  So you don’t need to purchase that many spares.  

A decent zoom lens you can consider is the Tamron 28-75 f2.8.  There’s an issue with the AF  but I think the latest firmware has fixed that.  If you are ok with an f4, the Sony 24-70f4 is a decent lens too.  

If you are looking for a prime, the 28f2, 55f1.8 and the 85f1.8 are really good additions you can consider too  

I made the choice to switch from an R2 to an R3 purely due to the AF is so much faster.  Also now I can review my shots much quicker because the write speed is faster and I think the buffer is bigger as compared to the r2.  These 2 factors were the main reason why I upgraded. 

Hope it helps. 

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

For the type of photography you do, you'll enjoy the higher resolution of the A7RII. The autofocus should be no problem, either.

[tinplater]

I sold my R2 after getting the A7III.  Really only you can determine which is best for you..I didn't really use the 42mp  capabilities, the far better battery performance was an unexpected benefit of the III.  Autofocus is much better on the A7III.  Personally, with the $800 savings, I would help finance the purchase of the 24-70 2.8 or the 24-105 f4 both of which are excellent general purpose zooms.

Edited July 14, 2018 by tinplater
correct error

[thefsb]

Is it worth the $800 difference? Depends. Is your budget really limited? or do you feel you can't justify the difference? If the former then spend the 800 on lenses instead.

[Andrew W]

I had to make a difficult decision between the A7iii and the riii, I ultimately decided on the A7iii and now a few months later I feel like I made the right decision. (I spent the extra money I saved on a prime lens) For me, I ultimately could not justify the extra cost for more resolution, I was always struggling with storage space for my old system a Canon 5D Markiii so I felt the A7iii @ 24MP would be more than sufficient. I also like the point above regarding battery life, having come from a DSLR I see a noticeable difference so I can't imagine what the previous generation battery life is like. I guess it really depends on your needs and budget, good luck....  

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Edited July 20, 2018 by Andrew W