Canon
EOS-1D X Mark III 2020
Best for Professional Sports, Wildlife & Press Photography
£6999
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
EOS-1D X Mark III vs EOS 500D
Quick take: The EOS-1D X Mark III has the highest resolution at 20MP; the EOS 500D 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 IIICanon · 2020 | EOS 500DCanon · 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,999 | £30 usedBest |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 15.1MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.1MPBest | 15.1MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | Full HD 1080p/20, 720p/30 |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | 9-point phase-detect (centre cross-type) via viewfinder; contrast AF with face detection in live view |
| Stabilisation | — | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live viewBest | 3.4fps |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA)Best | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 530g (with battery)Best |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 128.8 × 97.5 × 61.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | Optical pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.87x |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.0" fixed LCD, 920k dots |
| Mount | Canon EF | Canon EF / EF-S |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Single SD slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | USB 2.0, mini HDMI, AV out, E3 remote |
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 III
EOS 500D
Portrait
6.3/10
5.3/10
Street
4.1/10
5.3/10
Travel
4.1/10
4.7/10
Wedding & Events
7.3/10
3.9/10
Filmmaking
6.6/10
—
Documentary
6.5/10
3.5/10
Sports & Action
7.0/10
4.4/10
Landscape
5.4/10
3.8/10
Wildlife
6.7/10
4.9/10
Casual
3.2/10
3.3/10
Food
4.7/10
3.9/10
Macro
3.9/10
3.7/10
Architecture
5.3/10
4.1/10
Astrophotography
6.6/10
4.4/10
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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Camera family history