EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs A7S 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
A7S II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Low-light video, documentary & available-light filmmaking
View A7S 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.
Low-Light Video, Documentary & Available-Light Filmmaking — A7S II (2015): A landmark in mirrorless history — the first Sony with IBIS and internal 4K, its low-light video capability still impresses today at a used-market price.
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
A7S II (2015)
- Filmmakers and videographers who want legendary low-light performance at a used-price discount
- Documentary shooters working in unpredictable available light conditions
- A7S III shooters who want a second Sony FE body for backup or B-camera use
- Budget-conscious video producers who want full-frame 4K with S-Log at an accessible price
Quick take: The eos-1d x mark iii has the highest resolution at 20mp; the a7s ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) | A7S II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £799 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 12.1MP full-frame BSI Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | 4K/30p internal (full sensor readout), 1080p/120p, S-Log2/S-Log3 |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | 169 phase-detect + 25 contrast AF — limited by modern standards |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS — 4.5 stops (first Sony mirrorless with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 5fps continuous |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | ~370 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 584g body only |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots |
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Dual SD UHS-I slots |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | USB Micro-B, Bluetooth (via app), Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | A7S II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Low Light | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports | — |
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