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It was 2017 and I was on an extended work trip in Singapore.  The photography world was aflutter with chatter about the newly-announced Sony a7rIII, a new monster challenging the longtime stalwarts of Nikon and Canon.  It could shoot 4K video internally and had a whopping 42.4 megapixel sensor.  Not only was it a big sensor but could even shoot at 10 frames per second!  Photographers all over the world were excited, including a particular one who was on an extended work trip in Singapore.

I checked the release dates and realized the camera was actually coming out a week earlier in Singapore than it was in the United States!  Now, part of me was hesitant, since Sony USA doesn’t normally honor warranty nor service cameras purchased abroad, but I figured I could get out in front of the media coverage of it in the States, so I purchased the camera on release day and put together a YouTube video, which ended up doing really well!

Alas, time passed and Sony released a newer version: the a7rIV.  I needed a few more megapixels for a corporate photography job so I picked one up.  Over time, I realized I just wasn’t using my a7rIII anymore.  I recently had the chance to buy a legendary lens that cost quite a bit of money and I also knew a buddy who was looking to upgrade from his a7rII, so I figured now was a great time to send the a7rIII to a better home.

I’m happy to report the buddy I sold it to travels the world as much or more than I do, so the camera will undoubtedly continue its path around this beautiful planet.  It’s still sad saying goodbye to a camera which was with me on five continents!  I thought I’d honor it by sharing my ten favorite images taken with the incredible Sony a7rIII (which is still sold new today and is a great value at current prices).

10. Vestrahorn Mountain, Iceland

From my amazing first visit to Iceland, this image of Vestrahorn takes me back to a beautiful morning with the a7rIII and the 12-24mm F4 G lens.  Nothing like a super wide angle lens to capture the enormous mountain formations reflected almost perfectly by the lagoon in the foreground (with just enough footprints so people know it’s an actual scene and not just a photoshopped reflection).

9. Temple Street Market, Hong Kong

This is a classic picture from Hong Kong that I had been meaning to capture for years and finally made it happen the last time I was there.  I used the a7rIII with a Canon 24mm tilt shift lens (using the Sigma MC-11 adapter to mount it to the Sony) to capture a great shot of the beautifully illuminated madness of the street market against the relative darkness of the buildings above.

8. DFW Airport, Texas, USA

This amazing shot of terminals C and D at DFW Airport were from a top-down project I did on spec out of a helicopter about 5500 feet over the airport.  I can’t quite remember which lens I had on for this but it was most likely my workhorse, the 24-70 G Master.  Ended up selling enough digital licenses for this flight that I paid for the expenses of it so I was happy!

7. Crescent Lake, Washington, USA

I was bored over 4th of July weekend in 2018 so I randomly flew up to Seattle and drove over to Olympic National Park.  The Crescent Lake Lodge sits just outside the boundaries of the park and welcomed me with an epic sunset overlooking the lake.  I love the memory this scene takes me back to but I don’t like the obvious polarizer discoloration in the sky.  

6. T-Centralen Station, Stockholm, Sweden

My day spent on the Stockholm metro visiting the incredible stations to see their artwork was one of the coolest photography days of my life.  Armed with my a7rIII and the Canon 24mm tilt shift I was able to capture so many cool single-point perspective shots.  I want to go back and capture the rest soon!

5. Dallas, Texas, USA

It was a foggy and rainy night in Dallas and I wanted to capture a great reflection shot of the swollen Trinity River.  The clouds were hanging low over the Dallas skyline, masking the tops of the buildings.  I got really lucky as an event was taking place with some spotlights, which made for a really cool visual element breaking through the clouds on the right.  I only got about 18 pounds of mud on me, and subsequently in my car, so win win!

4. Cape Town, South Africa

My buddy Jon and I went down to Cape Town for a few days after finding a really cheap fare from Dallas.  It was our first time to South Africa so we decided to do it right and take a helicopter ride around to get a feel for the amazing city.  The weather was perfect, the flight was smooth, and the picture turned out incredible!  Again, the tried and true combo of a7rIII and Sony 24-70 G Master lens was the perfect tool for the job!

3. Holy Trinity Cathedral, Tbilisi, Georgia

First of all, I know I still owe you this trip report, I’m working on it!  Tbilisi was an incredible city and Georgia an amazing country to visit.  The Holy Trinity Church was the highlight for me.  It’s visible from almost anywhere in the city and towers above the neighborhood in which it resides.  We got there early and had the complex to ourselves.  The sunrise didn’t materialize like I hoped it would but the clouds definitely streaked well!

2. Aurora, Hamnøy, Norway

Sometimes you just get lucky.  On a whim in January 2018 I decided to go to Norway, after watching Chris Burkard’s Under the Arctic Lights movie.  I had exactly two nights to capture the aurora.  The first night was cloudy.  The second night was this.  I’ll never forget standing on that hillside watching the lights dance in front of my eyes (note: they’re not that green to the naked eye unless it’s a REALLY strong solar activity night).  The 12-24mm held its own here, even at f4!

1. The Opera House Supermoon, Sydney, Australia

I actually took this really soon after I acquired the camera.  After my work trip to Singapore I swung through Sydney and Melbourne on my way back to the States (best work trip ever, honestly).  The first night in Sydney I was walking through Circular Quay with my camera bag and tripod and an Aussie lad asked if I was going to shoot the Supermoon.  “Well OBVIOUSLY I’m going to shoot the Supermoon,” I replied, having no idea there was a supermoon until that very moment.  I set up for a good shot of the Opera House, using Sony’s Pixel Shift technology for the Opera House section, then combined a long exposure shot of the smooth water with a quick shot of the sky and clouds for this awesome image!

Thank you Sony

You made an amazing camera that brought me happiness and joy every time I used it.  I never had a single issue with it and can’t wait to see what my buddy makes with it.  Although I’ve since expanded into using a Fuji medium format camera system, Sony cameras will always have a special place in my heart and will always have a reserved spot in my camera bag!

Which of these was your favorite?  Tell me in the comments below!