EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs A1 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
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
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
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the eos-1d x mark iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | — | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Travel | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with EOS-1D X Mark III
Camera family history