Full-frame cameras offer simply superb image quality for landscape and portrait photographers alike. If you’re starting to get serious about your shooting, it’s well worth considering making the jump to full-frame – but many customers we talk to are understandably concerned about the cost. So, I’m going to show you how you can get a great Sony full-frame camera for under £1,000 – with a lens too!
The trick is to look at the used market. You can save substantial amounts on a full-frame setup simply by shopping second-hand. Some photographers are reluctant to buy used kit, as they worry they might be getting outdated tech, but the truth is that even cameras that are just a few years old can be found for incredible prices.
Let’s look at an example – a Sony A7 III vs A7C II comparison. Right now, the Sony A7C II is a popular full-frame camera to buy new – it’s compact, it’s lightweight, and it delivers excellent image quality from its 33MP sensor. With a 28-60mm zoom lens, it costs a total of £1,799, which I think is great value for what you get, but I also acknowledge is not going to be within everyone’s budget.
So, let’s see what we can do on the second-hand market. Used Sony A7 III prices in the UK start at around £630 for “Good” condition or better. That’s already a substantial saving. And if we stay on the used market to find a similarly flexible zoom lens, we can pick up a Sony FE 28-70mm f3.5-5.6 OSS lens for as little as £122. That’s a total spend of £752 on a complete full-frame setup – less than half of what we would have spent on the new equivalent!
The Sony A7 III in 2026
A used A7 III isn’t just cheaper than a new full-frame kit – it’s even cheaper than many new APS-C kits! And compared to any APS-C camera, the Sony A7 III is going to give you better image quality and substantially better low-light performance, with the physically larger sensor reducing image noise thanks to the larger photosites.
The A7 III is capable of producing up to 15 stops of dynamic range, giving you enormous latitude for preserving detail in the extreme highlights and shadows of images. This is particularly a boon for landscape photographers, who may be capturing stunning vistas that are subject to intensely varying lighting conditions, and don’t want any detail to be lost.
Then there’s also the lens selection. Sony’s FE lens mount – its full-frame range – is populated with many, many more lenses than its E range for APS-C. And while the FE lenses will work on APS-C cameras, their image field will be cropped due to the smaller sensor, and they may also be too heavy to balance well.
It’s common for photographers to be recommended to start with an APS-C kit, and then graduate up to full-frame when they feel they’re ready. But at the kinds of prices the Sony A7 III is available for on the used market, I think there’s a real case to be made to jump straight in. You get all the magnificent benefits of full-frame, without the high upfront cost of buying a new full-frame camera. And who’s going to argue with that? Certainly not me!
Take a look at our extensive range of second-hand products here!
About the Author
Jon Stapley is a London-based freelance writer and journalist who covers photography, art and technology. When not writing about cameras, Jon is a keen photographer who captures the world using his Olympus XA2. His creativity extends to works of fiction and other creative writing, all of which can be found on his website www.jonstapley.com
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