This year, we discovered a lot of evidence to suggest that the Sony A7 III is the best Sony camera for astrophotography, and possibly the best camera for night sky photography overall.

Read on to understand how we came to this conclusion.

The Evidence

This year we:

Analyzed 986 images shortlisted for Astronomy Photographer of the Year from 2018 to 2024
Analyzed 26 images shortlisted for Milky Way Photographer of the Year from 2024
Presented 30+ new case studies from some of the best astrophotographers in the world

From this there was a common thread with regards to the camera which kept coming up top for landscape astrophotography – the Sony A7 III.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year

In our study, we examined 986 images shortlisted in the most prestigious astrophotography competition in the world – Astronomy Photographer of the Year.

We narrowed this down to 366 nightscape images and looked at what cameras were used.

In 2024, these are the cameras used in shortlisted images:

If we expand this to cameras in the past three years, then we also see the Sony A7 III up top:

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

Similarly, we analyzed the gear used in the winning images for the Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition and found a similar outcome:

Case Studies

In addition to this data, we have been working with some of the best astrophotographers in the world this year to present case studies of how they go about their art.

When it came to nightscape photography, there was a sizeable majority who were using this same camera.

Some of their images are used in this article, but you can also check the case studies out here:

Why is the Sony A7III so good for astrophotography?

When it comes to astrophotography there isn’t really a best camera, but there are common traits.

For example, full-frame sensor cameras perform better in low light and allow you to capture a wider expanse of the sky.

You can read more about this in our article on the best cameras for night sky photography.

There are also some smaller details which make a difference, like good battery life and – importantly – cost.

The Sony A7 III is not a new camera. It was released in 2018, and its age makes it relatively affordable.

This must be at least part of the reason for its success.

For modern, full-frame mirrorless camera with 24 megapixel resolution it is reasonably priced.

Why pay $4,000 for a camera when you can get virtually the same result for $1,500?

Whilst you can go even cheaper if you were to go for a Sony A7 or Sony A7 II, these are not as good in terms of battery life and and general user experience.

Therefore it hits the sweet spot in terms of performance and value.

Alternatives to the Sony A7III

The main alternative options to the Sony A7III for astrophotography would be:

Sony A7 IV – if you want the latest iteration
Sony A7R V – if you want the top-of-the range Sony
Nikon Z6 II – if you would prefer a similarly priced (and high performing) Nikon
Canon EOS R – if you would prefer a similarly priced (and high performing) Canon

Astro-Modification

One thing to note is that many of the photographers in these competitions and case studies used an astro-modified Sony A7 III.

Astro modification is where a camera has part of its filter removed to allow it to process color from the night sky better.

To get a astro-modifed Sony A7 III you can either:

Buy a pre-modified version – see here
Buy the regular model and then have it modified by a company – see here

If you want to understand more about astro-modification, see our article here.

Is the Sony A7 III the Best Sony Camera for Astrophotography?