EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs A5100
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.
Casual & Travel — A5100 (2014): The A5100 is one of the smallest APS-C mirrorless cameras ever made. Its 24MP sensor, phase-detect AF, and selfie-friendly flip screen pack remarkable capability into a shirt-pocket-sized body. No EVF or hot shoe limits it for serious use, but as a compact travel camera or beginner's first mirrorless, it punches well above its price on the used market.
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
A5100 (2014)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The a5100 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a5100 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) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £200 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | — | None |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | None |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Casual | — | |
| 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