EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs A7R
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.
Studio, Tripod Landscape & Camera History — A7R (2013): The world's first 36MP full-frame mirrorless — a landmark camera that launched the A7R series, despite contrast-detect AF and significant shutter shock limitations.
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
A7R (2013)
- Collectors and photographers interested in the camera that started the A7R lineage
- Studio photographers who work on a tripod and can manage contrast-detect AF
- Landscape photographers who prioritise resolution over autofocus performance
- Sony FE system users who want a historical body at a very low used price
Quick take: The a7r has the highest resolution at 36mp; the a7r 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) | A7R (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £349 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 36.4MP Full-Frame CMOS (no OLPF) |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 36.4MP |
| 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) | Contrast-detect AF only (no phase-detect on sensor) |
| Stabilisation | — | None |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 4fps |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | ~340 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 465g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots (no tilt, no touch) |
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony FE (full-frame E-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, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | A7R |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Travel | — |
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