EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs Z50 II
Canon
EOS-1D X Mark III (2020)
Starting from £3500 new
Best for Professional Sports, Wildlife & Press Photography
View EOS-1D X Mark III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Press Photography — EOS-1D X Mark III (2020): 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.
All-Round Photography — Z50 II (2024): Nikon's updated APS-C body with 4K/60p, improved subject tracking, and a vari-angle screen — a solid all-rounder.
Who should buy what
EOS-1D X Mark III (2020)
- 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
Z50 II (2024)
- Beginners stepping into the Nikon Z system wanting improved autofocus
- Content creators who want APS-C Z quality with subject detection AF
- Z50 owners who want meaningfully better AF performance for people and pets
- Travel photographers wanting a compact, capable Z body at an accessible price
Quick take: The z50 ii has the highest resolution at 21mp; the z50 ii is the most affordable; only the eos-1d x mark iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) | Z50 II (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £899 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 20.9MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 20.9MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | 4K/60p uncropped, 1080p/120p, N-Log |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | Phase-detect, 249 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle) |
| Stabilisation | — | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 11fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | ~330 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 385g body only |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 127.0 × 96.8 × 66.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 2.36M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | Z50 II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Family & Everyday | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history