EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs A7S III
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 III (2020)
Starting from £2999 new
Best for Professional video & low-light filmmaking
View A7S 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.
Professional Video & Low-Light Filmmaking — A7S III (2020): If video is your primary discipline, the A7S III is the camera. 4K/120p at 10-bit in a weather-sealed body with a 9.44M dot EVF is an extraordinary package. The 12MP sensor isn't limiting for video — and it's usable at ISO 409,600 in a pinch.
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 III (2020)
- Filmmakers and videographers who need 4K/120p at 10-bit
- Event videographers who shoot in dark venues regularly
- Documentary filmmakers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Hybrid shooters where video is primary and stills are secondary
Quick take: The eos-1d x mark iii has the highest resolution at 20mp; the a7s iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) | A7S III (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £2,999 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS (12-bit, back-illuminated) |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/60p 10-bit S-Cinetone/S-Log3, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | Phase-detect, 759 points, real-time Eye AF (human & animal), subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | 5.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | ~600 shots (CIPA) / ~70min continuous 4K recording |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 699g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | OLED EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification — best EVF Sony has made |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.44M dots |
| Mount | Canon EF | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II (both slots) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | A7S III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Street | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Video | — | |
| 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