EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs A7 IV
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.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid 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
A7 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The a7 iv has the highest resolution at 33mp; the a7 iv is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Portrait | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — |
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