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EOS-1D X Mark II vs EOS-1D X Mark III

Quick take: The EOS-1D X Mark II has the highest resolution at 20MP; the EOS-1D X Mark II is the most affordable; only the EOS-1D X Mark III is weather sealed.

16 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras

How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.

Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more

Verdictwhich should you buy?

EOS-1D X Mark III — Professional Sports, Wildlife & Press Photography: Canon's DSLR masterpiece — 20fps live view, 5.5K RAW, 191 cross-type AF points, and dual CFexpress. Almost certainly the finest optical viewfinder camera ever made.

Who should buy what
EOS-1D X Mark III (2020)
is the right camera for you if…
  • Sports and wildlife photographers with a Canon EF lens collection
  • Professionals who prefer the optical viewfinder experience
  • Press photographers who need 20fps, weather sealing, and Ethernet
  • Canon historians who want to mark the end of the EOS-1D DSLR era
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
Specification EOS-1D X Mark IICanon · 2016EOS-1D X Mark IIICanon · 2020
Price —£6,999
Sensor 20.2MP full-frame CMOS20.1MP full-frame CMOS
Resolution 20.2MPBest20.1MP
Video DCI 4K/60p, Full HD 120p5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware)
Autofocus 61-point phase-detect AF (41 cross-type) with EOS iTR tracking; Dual Pixel AF in Live View / movie191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View)
Stabilisation No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only)—
Burst Rate 14fps16fps mechanical, 20fps live viewBest
Battery Life ~1210 shots (CIPA)~2850 shots (CIPA)Best
Weight 1530g (with battery)1250g (body only)Best
Dimensions 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm
Weather Sealed Not weather sealedYesBest
Viewfinder Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.76xOVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage
Screen 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 1.62M dots3.2" fixed touchscreen, 4.15M dots
Mount Canon EFCanon EF
Memory Cards Dual slots: CompactFlash + CFastDual CFexpress Type B slots
Connectivity USB 3.0, mini HDMI, 3.5mm mic + headphone, LAN, N3, PC sync, GPSWi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet

Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.

How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
EOS-1D X Mark II
EOS-1D X Mark III
Portrait
6.0/10
6.3/10
Street
3.9/10
4.1/10
Travel
3.4/10
4.1/10
Wedding & Events
6.4/10
7.3/10
Filmmaking
6.0/10
6.6/10
Documentary
5.0/10
6.5/10
Sports & Action
6.5/10
7.0/10
Landscape
4.6/10
5.4/10
Wildlife
6.1/10
6.7/10
Casual
3.0/10
3.2/10
Food
4.4/10
4.7/10
Macro
3.8/10
3.9/10
Architecture
5.0/10
5.3/10
Astrophotography
5.9/10
6.6/10

Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →

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