Nikon D500 vs Sony A7R III

Cameras
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Nikon D500 vs Sony A7R III

APS-C 369.0mm²
20.9 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Nikon D500 Review.
How does it shoot? Nikon D500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the D500.
Compare Nikon D500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Nikon D500 conclusion.

35mm 861.6mm²
42.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 32,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A7R III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7R III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7R III.
Compare Sony A7R III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7R III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A7R IV
Compare A7R III vs A7R IV
Compare Nikon D500 vs Sony A7R IV

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Differences

Nikon D500 advantages over Sony A7R III

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$1597 vs $1998
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 1.7 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

1240 vs 650 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Higher-res screen
590k vs 360k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Less shutter lag
0.17 vs 0.25 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Bigger JPEG buffer
200 vs 82 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
10.2 fps vs 9.2 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
200 vs 30 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
1638400 vs 102400 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Sony A7R III advantages over Nikon D500

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7R III test data on DxO Mark D500 test data on DxO Mark

3,523 vs 1,324 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Longer video battery life
100 vs 50 minutes
Capture more video
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Lighter weight
657g vs 856g
Lighter weight
More viewfinder magnification
0.78x vs 0.67x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
42.4 vs 20.9 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Shoot 4K video
Both provide
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Both provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Both provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Dual card slots
Both provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D500 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7R III User Reviews

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Buy the Nikon D500

Body Only

Body Only
Body Only 100th Anniversary Edition
Kit with 16-80mm f/2.8-4 Lens

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Buy the Sony A7R III

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens
Kit with 24-70mm f/4 lens

All A7R III Deals

Review Excerpt

Superb image quality; Great high ISO performance; Rugged, comfortable camera body; Sharp articulating touchscreen display; Excellent AF point frame coverage; Fast continuous shooting speeds; 4K UHD video; Built-in Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth.
Somewhat large for an APS-C camera; Expensive for a DX camera; 4K UHD video doesn't offer full DX field-of-view; No built-in flash; Still uses contrast-detect for Live View AF; Dual slots use two different card types (XQD and SD).
Read our Nikon D500 Review

Fantastic image quality; Improved dynamic range over its predecessor; Very good high ISO performance; Much improved real-world AF performance; Class-leading burst rates, even with RAW; Improved 5-axis in-body image stabilization; Better 4K video quality; 1080/120fps video; Dual card slots; Significantly better battery life.
Expensive; Menus still confusing; UHS-II support only on one card slot; No optical low-pass filter means greater risk of moire; No built-in flash; Buffer clearing still slow despite UHS-II support.
Read our Sony A7R III Review

The Competition

Compared to Pentax K-3 II

Nikon D500

Pentax K-3 II

$1598
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$830
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Nikon D500 vs Pentax K-3 II

Sony A7R III

Pentax K-3 II

$2248
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R III vs Pentax K-3 II

Compared to Sony A7R II

Nikon D500

Sony A7R II

$1598
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$2898
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D500 vs Sony A7R II

Sony A7R III

Sony A7R II

$2248
35mm

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$2898
35mm

In-camera panoramas

Compare Sony A7R III vs Sony A7R II

Compared to Sony A68

Nikon D500

Sony A68

$1598
APS-C

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

$598
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Nikon D500 vs Sony A68

Sony A7R III

Sony A68

$2248
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$598
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Sony A7R III vs Sony A68

Compared to Pentax KP

Nikon D500

Pentax KP

$1598
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Nikon D500 vs Pentax KP

Sony A7R III

Pentax KP

$2248
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
Lens selection

Compare Sony A7R III vs Pentax KP

Compared to Nikon Z7 II

Nikon D500

Nikon Z7 II

$1598
APS-C

Less expensive
NFC

$2730
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D500 vs Nikon Z7 II

Sony A7R III

Nikon Z7 II

$2248
35mm

Less expensive
High resolution composite

$2730
35mm

Top deck display
Newer

Compare Sony A7R III vs Nikon Z7 II

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