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The Sony A7R III is an excellent camera. It’s a very high-quality, full-frame 42MP camera that can produce brilliantly sharp and color-accurate photos. You need to make sure that you choose one of the best lenses for sony a7riii cameras to get the most out of your camera and let its excellent performance prove its worth.
It has the potential to take photos that few other cameras can match. It’s amazing in low light, versatile and reliable.
Having the right lens that caters your style and plays to your strengths as a photographer can be what takes your work to the next level.
With some experience, practice and a carefully chosen lens; you’ll be able to take shots that capture attention and get your ideas across in a beautiful and inspiring fashion.
We’re going to review what we think are the best lenses for your Sony A7R III. We’ll look at what makes each lens special and some of its strengths and weaknesses.
You’ll also find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about these lenses and the camera itself. By the time you’re done here, you should have a pretty firm idea of which lens best suits your needs, goals, and budget.
It’s important that you keep all this in mind as we want you to choose the lens that boosts your strengths and helps you in your weakest areas.
Let’s get into the reviews.
Comparison of 5 Best Lenses for Sony A7riii in 2023
Image | Product Name | Features | Price |
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Sony 70-300mm Telephoto Zoom Lens |
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Sony 24-105mm Standard Zoom Lens |
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Sony 85mm Medium Telephoto Prime Lens |
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Sony 18-135mm Zoom Lens |
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VILTROX 85mm Standard Prime Lens |
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Here Are Our 10 Best Lenses for Sony A7riii Cameras
Here we’ll take a deeper look into each of the lenses. We’ve selected them based on how well they strike the balance between cost, features, quality, versatility, and uniqueness.
We’ve taken the time to go through the leagues of options out there – there’re more than you think – and brought them together in one place for you. We want the process of choosing the right lens for your A7R III to be as fast, informative, and enjoyable as possible.
Keep your photography style, needs, and budget in mind as you read through and compare the lenses.
1 Sony 70-300mm – Best Telephoto Zoom Lens
- Weight: 1.88 pounds
- Dimensions: 3.3 x 3.3 x 5.7 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 70-300mm
- Aperture: f/4.5 – f/5.6
- Lens Type: Telephoto Zoom Lens
- Format: Full Frame Telephoto Zoom
- Mount Type: Sony E-Mount
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This lens is fully compatible with the full frame sensor of the Sony A7R III. The focal length that the lens offers is what you actually get in practice.
It’s a fantastic zoom lens that also lets you focus up close (slightly less than 3 inches). You have the ability to zoom in deep while keeping your shots sharp and well-focused thanks to the awesome autofocus and steady image stabilization.
This lens is ultra-versatile and can be used for tons of different creative shots. The super-fast manual focus and the variable aperture open new creative avenues for you to explore.
The A7R III is a high-end camera and this lens will be a versatile and reliable addition to match it. It’s quite big so lugging it around may not be as easy as other smaller lenses, but the creative control and new opportunities it gives you quickly make up for its larger size and extra weight.
Key Features:
- The focal length of 70-300mm
- Full frame compatible
- 9 blade circular diaphragm aperture
- 2x extra-low dispersion (ED) glass
- Close-up focusing on less than 3 inches
- Broad zoom range for extra versatility
- Awesome manual and autofocus performance
- Very good image stabilization
- Generally a very smooth and silent lens
- Excellent build quality
- Struggles to produce the image quality that a prime lens can – this can be a little wasteful on such an excellent camera – but its versatility fills that gap
- Low light performance isn’t great as the aperture isn’t very wide
2 Sony 24-105mm Standard Zoom Lens – [Editor’s Choice Best Lenses for Sony A7riii]
- Weight: 1.46 pounds
- Dimensions: 4.5 x 3.4 x 1 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 24-105mm
- Aperture: f/4
- Lens Type: Standard Zoom Lens
- Lens Format: Full Frame
- Mount Type: Sony FE-Mount
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Having a standard zoom lens can save you so much carrying space, especially if you like to have your camera and kit bag with you when you’re out and on the move.
It’s a capable and versatile lens that can shoot stunning wide-angle shots and then switch over and snap detailed macro shots – thanks to the 24-105mm focal range.
The lens is lightweight and surprisingly sturdy.
The f/4 constant aperture will make sure that the exposure and depth-of-field are kept constant along with the entire zoom, making this lens faster and more versatile than many of its competitors.
24-105mm lenses are a must have as they can be used so broadly and are great for widening your skillset and challenging your creativity.
It’s also a great way to point out your weaknesses as the constant aperture means you’ll need to pay close attention to ISO and shutter speed. You’ll develop a better intuition for how they’re interconnected and affect each other.
All these factors come together to make this one of the better lenses for Sony A7R III cameras.
Key Features:
- FE-Mount for versatile compatibility
- Constant f/4 aperture along with the entire zoom range
- The minimum focus range of 38cm (1.25ft)
- Dust and moisture resistance along with a robust build
- DDSSM (direct drive super-sonic wave motor) for excellent focus ability
- Great for ultra-wide-angle photography
- Awesome for macros and close-up photography
- Lightweight, compact, and easy to carry around
- Easy to learn how to use this lens well
- Not well-suited to low light situations as the f/4 aperture isn’t very wide
- Image stabilization should be a little better at this price point
3 Sony 85mm Medium Telephoto Prime Lens – Best Budget Lenses for Sony A7iii
- Weight: 13 ounces
- Dimensions: 4.5 x 3.8 x 4.7 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 85mm fixed
- Aperture: f/1.8 – f/22
- Lens Type: Medium Telephoto Prime
- Lens Format: Full Frame
- Mount Type: Sony E-Mount
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The 85mm lens is arguably the best street lens for Sony A7R III cameras. The f/1.8 wide aperture does wonders in reducing the complexity of street shots and providing absolutely gorgeous bokeh and depth-of-field photo effects.
These lenses are excellent for portrait photography and for getting up close to the subject without suffering from any image distortion. Many seasoned photographers are increasingly relying on this lens for more of their work – especially for events. It’s also a great Sony A7 III 85mm lens.
They’re great for weddings and events because they capture the essence of the scene and keep a personal feel in their photos.
Your image quality will be excellent and sharp – as you’d expect from such a high-quality prime lens. This lens is a wise investment that’ll deliver high-quality and value-driven performance.
It’s really difficult to find another lens that can challenge the quality and uniqueness of this 85mm prime lens.
Key Features:
- Variable aperture ranging from f/1.8 to f/22
- 9 diaphragm blade circular aperture
- Dust and moisture resistance
- Double linear motor system for precise focusing
- The focus hold button is customizable and allows for other functions
- It’s a prime lens so you can expect the absolute best image quality and clarity from your photos
- Great for skill building and developing your ability to compose your shots
- A great option if you’re a working photographer who gigs at concerts, weddings, and other special events
- Fantastic build quality and value for money
- Low light performance and clarity are excellent – noise reduction is good too
- You can’t really run this as a primary lens – you’ll have to carry it around as an extra lens
- It’s a specialty lens and therefore not a great choice if you’re looking for broad versatility
4 Sony 18-135mm – Best Street Lens for Sony A7iii
- Weight: 11.5 ounces
- Dimensions: 2.8 x 3.5 x 0 inches
- Color: Black
- Focal Length: 18-135mm (27-202mm)
- Aperture: f/3.5 – f/5.6
- Lens Type: Zoom Lens
- Lens Format: APS-C Cropped
- Mount Type: Sony E-Mount
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This is the first lens that isn’t full-frame; it’s an APS-C lens that fits E-Mount cameras.
We know the A7R III is a full-frame camera and that using this lens will crop your images and give you the 35mm equivalent of a 27-202.5mm focal range.
The main reason we’ve included this lens is because of the cost. Full-frame lenses at this focal range can cost 3-4 times more than this lens does.
If you’re looking for a reliable travel lens or an everyday carry – but don’t want to sell a kidney to buy one – then this lens might be right for you.
27mm gives you some decent wide-angle shots and the 202.5mm zoom will give you awesome close-ups and let you create stylish depth-of-field shots. You’ll also get Sony A7R II lens compatibility if you ever need it.
This lens is versatile and fantastic for travel and everyday photography. It’s high quality and affordable – a great option that’s a little more wallet-friendly than other full-frame lenses.
Key Features:
- 27-202.5mm focal length (at the 35mm equivalent)
- 5x magnification when zoomed in
- 2 extra low-dispersion glasses
- 7 diaphragm blade circular aperture
- Very cost-effective when you consider the versatility
- Excellent for travel photography and as an everyday carry lens
- Good image and video quality
- Lightweight and designed to be as portable as possible
- You have to accept the cropped image – but this can be countered by carefully composing you shots
- You’ll need to make sure your A7R III is set to cropped mode if you want to use this lens
Also Read: Best Travel Lens for Sony A6000 Cameras
5 VILTROX 85mm – Best Budget Lenses for Sony A7iii
- Weight: 2.2 pounds
- Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.7 x 5 inches
- Color: Black
- Focal Length: 85mm fixed
- Aperture: f/1.8 – f/16
- Lens Type: Standard Prime Lens
- Lens Format: Full Frame
- Mount Type: E-Mount
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This is the first non-Sony lens that we’ve looked at. You don’t always need to buy big brand lenses to find excellent performance and high-quality builds.
You’ll save a pretty penny here too, as other 85mm prime lenses can cost over double what this lens does.
You’re getting the image sharpness and high-quality performance that you’d expect from a prime lens without having to shell out ‘big-brand’ money.
It’s a slightly riskier option as you get what you pay for – but if you’re diligent and take good care of your lens, you’ll get good results and a good life span from this lens. It’s one of the best budget lenses for Sony A7R III cameras and offers great value for money.
Key Features:
- 85mm full-frame prime lens
- Sony A7R II lens compatibility
- Noiseless STM focus motor
- Variable aperture from f/1.8 to f/16
- 80cm minimum focus distance
- Much cheaper than most of its competitors – very budget friendly
- Good image and video quality as it’s a prime lens
- Good build quality and durability
- Easy to use and fits several Sony E-Mount cameras
- Autofocus isn’t the best
- Image stabilization could be better
6 Sony 16-35mm – Best Wide Angle Zoom Lens
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Dimensions: 4.9 x 3.5 x 10 inches
- Focal Length:16-35mm
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Lens Type: Wide Angle Zoom Lens
- Lens Format: Full Frame
- Mount Type: E-Mount
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This is one of the most interesting zoom lenses to use that can give you some seriously awesome and unique shots.
It’s not particularly easy to learn how to use and master for professional shots, but once you learn the ropes and get the hang of it; you’ll be able to capture some mind-blowing shots.
It’s a great lens for capturing the full complexity of a scene. It can be filled with awesome detail from corner to corner and not distort or take anything away from the character of the scene.
This lens is a fantastic match for your A7R III as it has a full-frame 42MP sensor. You can get very sharp photos that are packed with tons of details in a truly full frame image.
This lens is ideal for you if you’re looking to try something different and get some unique and professional shots. You’ll challenge your creativity and learn something new at the same time.
It’ll take some time to build up the skills you need to get the most out of this lens. It’ll be well worth the time investment and you’ll be impressed by what you can achieve with it.
Key Features:
- Wide angle zoom lens with a focal range of 16-35mm
- Constant maximum aperture of f/2.8
- 11-blade circular aperture for excellent bokeh
- 2 DDSS motors
- Dust and moisture resistance
- Very unique results and excellent for skill building
- Ultra-wide angle with very little distortion of the vertical lines
- One of the best lenses for landscape photography
- High-quality and detailed images despite fitting so much into one frame
- Fantastic image stabilization
- It’s expensive and specialized – not designed for versatility
- A little bit of softness at the corners when shooting at the 16mm focal range
7 Sigma 16mm Contemporary – Best Landscape Lens for Sony A7riii
- Weight: 14.2 ounces
- Dimensions: 3.6 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 16mm fixed
- Aperture: f/1.4
- Lens Type: Ultra Wide Angle Lens
- Lens Format: APS-C Crop
- Mount Type: E-Mount
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This Sigma contemporary lens is one of the best budget lenses for Sony A7 III cameras. It’s compatible with the E-Mount and comes at a great price.
The build feels solid and well-designed and the autofocus is fast and accurate. It’s especially well-suited to video because of the 24mm (35mm equivalent) wide-angle lens and hybrid AF.
It’s one of the best lenses for Sony A7 III video capturing. You’ll find its videos to be very smooth and maintain their sharpness while panning and refocusing.
This lens is an affordable entry into landscape and low-light photography. Lenses that specialize in this area generally cost thousands of dollars – many times more expensive than this lens.
You’re getting good quality and reliable performance from this 16mm lens. It’s not full frame, so make sure you set your A7R III to shoot in crop mode if you plan on using this lens.
Even with the crop factor, the view angle is still wide enough to capture some epic landscapes and event photography. Overall, it’s one of the best prime lenses for Sony A7R III cameras at this price.
Key Features:
- Ultra-wide angle APS-C sensor (24mm equivalent)
- Wide f/1.4 aperture for better low-light photography
- Compatible with E-mount cameras
- Fast hybrid autofocus for smooth and accurate video
- The prime lens that takes sharp images
- Very affordable entry lens
- Very good low-light performance due to the wide f/1.4 aperture
- Fast hybrid AF for smooth and sharp video
- Has a premium feel and a good build quality
- Not a full-frame lens so it won’t make the most of the A7R III’s full-frame sensor
- Image stabilization isn’t fantastic – but it’s a trade-off for a lower price
8 Meike MK 50mm Standard Lens – Sony Fe Lenses
- Weight: 10.9 ounces
- Dimensions: 2.8 x 2.1 x 2.1 inches
- Focal Length: 50mm fixed
- Aperture: f/1.7
- Lens Type: Standard Lens
- Lens Format: Full Frame
- Mount Type: FE-Mount
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This lens is unique because it offers you a full-frame photography experience at a very hard-to-beat price. It’s not going to beat the high-end lenses, but it does the basics well and sticks to the essentials.
The build quality is solid thanks to a metal body. It feels durable and sturdy. The focus rings are a little heavy when adjusting but these are the small compromises needed to make a full frame lens so affordable.
This lens is a great option if you’re looking to experiment with a full frame prime lens without having to risk making an expensive investment prematurely – and regretting it.
50mm lenses are important to have because they most closely match the viewing angle that our eyes have. You can take photos that look very natural and pleasing to the eye.
The wider aperture gives good low-light performance and smoothly pleasing bokeh effects. Images are sharp and the colors are shown accurately – though you’ll have to accept some softness in your pictures when shooting at the widest aperture.
You’ll get decent performance and a good introductory lens to practice with, all for a fraction of the cost of a premium prime lens.
You’ll be able to develop your skills quickly and sharply, giving you the confidence you need to make a more significant investment in a high-end lens to match the classy Sony A7R III.
Key Features:
- Wide f/1.7 aperture
- Fixed 50mm full frame prime lens
- 6-element lens construction with multi-layer coating
- Metal body and lightweight build
- A, P and M focus control modes
- Extremely affordable for a full-frame lens
- Good low-light performance and bokeh effects
- Metal body and solid build
- Autofocus is accurate and relatively fast
- Some image softness when shooting at the highest aperture setting
- Autofocus rings feel heavy under manual control
9 Sony 50mm SAM DT Standard Lens
- Weight: 5.9 ounces
- Dimensions: 1.8 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches
- Focal Length: 50mm
- Aperture: f/1.8
- Lens Type: Standard Lens
- Lens Format: APS-C Crop
- Mount Type: A-Mount
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You’ll need to use an adaptor to allow you to fit this lens onto your E-Mount Sony A7R III. It’s not complicated and it’ll give you full compatibility with this lens.
When you take the crop factor into account, this lens will give you a 75mm focal length on an APS-C format camera. 75mm lenses are actually very versatile and can be used in pretty much all the same ways as a 50mm lens.
You’ll need to think more carefully about composition as this is a prime lens that is already relatively zoomed in. It’s great for developing your creative sense of what makes a composition good and pleasing to look at.
The images you’ll get from this affordable lens will feel professional and sharp. You’ll be able to get interesting depth-of-field shots, beautiful portraits, and brilliant bokeh effects.
This along with the powerful 42MP sensor of the A7R III give you images that rival those put out by much more expensive lenses.
It will take you some time to get used to this 75mm fixed focal length, but once you do, you’ll be able to get uniquely interesting photos that many zoom lenses can’t produce with the same quality.
Key Features:
- 50mm APS-C prime lens (75mm equivalent)
- Sony A-Mount compatible without an adaptor
- Small size, lightweight and portable
- SAM for fast and silent autofocus
- Affordability while still delivering good quality
- All the benefits of running a prime lens on a great camera
- Excellent for the depth of field shots, portraits, and bokeh
- Wide circular aperture for sharp low-light photography
- A-Mount means you’ll need an adapter to fit any E-Mount camera
- Autofocus is accurate but sluggish – consider going manual
10 Rokinon 100mm – Sony A7iii Lens Mount
- Weight: 1.6 pounds
- Dimensions: 5.9 x 2.9 x 2.9 inches
- Colour: Black
- Focal Length: 100mm fixed
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Lens Type: Telephoto Macro Lens
- Lens Format: Full Frame
- Mount Type: Sony FE-Mount
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Rokinon is known to deliver excellent – and surprisingly affordable – prime lenses that excel at what they’re designed to do; and that rings true with this lens too.
You have a deep and narrow field of view that’s unique to telephoto lenses. Being a prime lens, you’re guaranteed to take ultra-sharp photos that kit lenses can only dream of snapping.
This lens really begins to shine when you take a look at its macro ability. There are tons of reasons why your second lens should be a macro lens and there aren’t many better choices at this price range.
The constant aperture keeps your exposure well-balanced when you focus on close-up objects. The short minimum focal range lets you get right up in on the subject while still keeping enough distance from it so as to not interfere with the lighting.
The UMC coating helps to further enhance your image quality. When you combine all these appetizing features together with the already excellent A7R III, you’ll be able to produce professional-grade images that are truly unique to telephoto and macro lenses.
You’ll develop your skills quickly and open up new creative pathways with this lens – all at an affordable price. It’s among the best lenses for sony a7riii cameras.
Key Features:
- 100mm full-frame macro lens
- 1:1 reproduction ratio for life-size images
- 12 inch (30cm) minimum focal range
- 9 blade diaphragm for excellent bokeh
- UMC anti-reflective glass for enhanced image quality
- Excellent value for money
- Amazing macro and telephoto performance
- Premium feel and intelligent build
- Fully compatible with Sony E-Mount
- The heavier weight helps reduce the effects of hand-shake on image sharpness
- It doesn’t autofocus – you’ll need to brush up on your manual focus skills
- It’s a little on the heavy side
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here’s a Couple of Things We Think You Should Know
Now that we’re done with the reviews, you should have a pretty good idea of which lens best suits your style and budget – and is capable of getting the results you’re looking for.
We hope you’ve found answers to any lingering questions you may have. It’s important to note that getting photos you’re happy with isn’t all about having super expensive gear, but rather about learning to make the most out of the gear you have available.
If you keep this sentiment, you’ll find yourself constantly looking for new and creative ways to get more interesting and better-composed shots from your lens.
The Sony A7R III is a truly remarkable camera and having an equally effective lens can take your photography to the next level – so long as you are willing to develop your skills accordingly.
We took the time to go through countless options when putting together this review to bring you the best lenses that offer quality where it matters most, and that leads us to the next point.
Here’s how we chose which lenses made this list
While throwing buckets of cash out for a lens can give you serious quality and high-end performance, the process is actually a little more complicated – if you want to make the smartest choice.
Not every photographer can afford to shell out for top-of-the-range gear and even the pros have to think carefully before investing more in their gear.
We took the smart approach and tried to find lenses that strike a good balance between all of the important aspects of a good lens; while simultaneously trying to give you a variety of options to cater to your unique needs.
Not every photographer is the same and we know this. We included some really cheap lenses and some lenses whose prices will get your heart racing.
We considered the focal length, the type of lens (telephoto, standard, etc.); whether it’s a prime or zoom lens, the cost, build quality, ease-of-use, and several other factors.
We’ve done the leg work and put together this review for you, and now you’ll know (though you probably already knew) that cost is only one aspect of this complex process.
We hope you’re ready and willing to get yourself the right lens and get out there and take some impressive and stunning photos.
Our Final Thoughts
It’s clear by now that your gear only matters up to a certain extent.
It’s very important for you to take an active role in your learning. Put some intentional focus into learning and experimenting as often as possible.
This is especially important if you’re a working professional, as it’s so easy to get stuck in a routine and lose touch with what drew you into photography in the first place.
At its base, photography is an art. It’s not just a mechanical process that lets you capture colors and shapes.
Photography can let you tell stories that words can’t. It can let you see the world in ways that you could never see through your own eyes.
Keeping this mentality will inspire you to keep learning and trying new things. You’ll be surprised by the creativity and photographic feats you’re capable of – it’s just a matter of getting out there and working on it.
Get your camera and slap on your choice of the best lenses for sony a7riii cameras, put what you’ve learned into practice, and start getting the results you’ve been looking for.
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