Sony a7S III vs Nikon D70s

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7S III and Nikon D70s. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a7S III is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D70s is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a7S III were released 2020 and Nikon D70s was released 2005. That is a 15 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7S III 2020
Nikon D70s 2005

Type of camera

Sony a7S III is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D70s is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7S III has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Nikon D70s has a "Nikon DX"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a7S III 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D70s 75 mm
Nikon DX sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Sony a7S III has a 12 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D70s has 6 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a7S III 12 MP
12007680 pixels
4240 x 2832
Nikon D70s 6 MP
6016000 pixels
3008 x 2000

Sony a7S III has a 100 % larger resolution than Nikon D70s. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a7S III has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D70s. Sony a7S III has an ISO range that stretches from 80 to 102400 while Nikon D70s has 200 to 1600.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7S III 80-102400
Nikon D70s 200-1600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a7S III
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D70s

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7S III can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Nikon D70s can shoot up to 3 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7S III 10
Nikon D70s 3

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony a7S III. Unfortunately Nikon D70s does not support recording movies and movie clips.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Sony a7S III weighs 699 gr (equal to 1.54 lb) which is 3% heavier than Nikon D70s and its 679 gr (or 1.5 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7S III 699 gr
1.54 lb
Nikon D70s 679 gr
1.5 lb

Sony a7S III vs Nikon D70s Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7S III and Nikon D70s, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Name Sony a7S III Nikon D70s
Manufacturer Sony Nikon
Release Date and Price
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Release Year 2020 2005
Release Date 2020-07-28 2005-04-20
MSRP 3499 USD 749 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 23.7 x 15.5 mm)
Also known as "DX"
Sensor Type BSI-CMOS CCD
Resolution 4240 x 2832 pixels 3008 x 2000 pixels
Megapixels 12 MP 6 MP
Image Processor Bionz XR Nikon LSI (Large Scale Integration)
Image
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
ISO Range 80 - 102400 200 - 1600
White Balance Presets 7 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift (5-axis))
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 5.5 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Focus Points 759 5
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Nikon F

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
DX / APS-C (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Articulated LCD Fully articulated Fixed
Screen size 3” 2”
Screen dots 1440000 130000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD N/A
Live view Yes No
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.91x 0.75× (0.5× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution 9440000 N/A
Photography features
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Frames per second 10 fps 3 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 11 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Video recording Yes No
Video format MPEG4
H.264
H.265
XAVC-S
XAVC-HS
N/A
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
N/A
Built-in Microphone Yes No
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Memory Card Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
Connectivity
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
HDMI Output Yes No
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11ac (dual band) + Bluetooth)
No
Remote Control Yes (wireless or smartphone) Yes (Optional (ML-L3 or MC-DC1))
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7S III
Nikon D70s
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery charger
Nikon EN-EL3a Lithium-Ion & charger included
Battery Life (CIPA) 600 shots 400 shots
Width 129 mm 140 mm
Height 97 mm 111 mm
Depth 81 mm 78 mm
Weight 699 gram 679 gram