Do you want to know what's better Canon EOS 5D Mark III or Nikon D810? SpecsPRO has compared Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Nikon D810: weight, battery, sensor, resolution, ISO, dynamic range and other important specifications.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Nikon D810

  • Main

  • Model

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • launch

  • Announced

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

  • Max resolution

  • Sensor size

  • Sensor type

  • Processor

  • Image ratio w:h

  • Other resolutions

  • Sensor photo detectors

  • Image

  • ISO

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

  • White balance presets

  • Custom white balance

  • Image stabilization

  • Uncompressed format

  • JPEG quality levels

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

  • Maximum shutter speed

  • Aperture priority

  • Shutter priority

  • Manual exposure mode

  • Subject / scene modes

  • Built-in flash

  • External flash

  • Continuous drive

  • Self-timer

  • Metering modes

  • Exposure compensation

  • AE Bracketing

  • WB Bracketing

  • Flash range

  • Flash modes

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

  • Screen size

  • Screen dots

  • Touch screen

  • Screen type

  • Live view

  • Viewfinder type

  • Viewfinder coverage

  • Viewfinder magnification

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

  • File Format

  • Videography notes

  • Microphone

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

  • Digital zoom

  • Manual focus

  • Number of focus points

  • Lens mount

  • Focal length multiplier

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

  • Dimensions

  • Environmentally sealed

  • Battery

  • Battery details

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

  • Storage

  • Storage types

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

  • HDMI

  • Wireless

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

  • Timelapse recording

  • GPS

  • GPS notes

  • Samples

  • Videos

  • Main

  • Model

    Canon EOS 5D Mark III

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Sensor size: Full frame (36 x 24 mm)

    IMAGE ISO: Auto, 100 - 25600 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 51200, 102400 as option

    IMAGE Boosted ISO (minimum): 50

    IMAGE Boosted ISO (maximum): 102400

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Continuous drive: 6.0 fps

    OPTICS & FOCUS Number of focus points: 61

    PHYSICAL Weight (inc. batteries): 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)

    Go to the Summary

  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D810

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Effective pixels: 36 megapixels

    SENSOR Max resolution: 7360 x 4912

    SENSOR Sensor photo detectors: 37 megapixels

    IMAGE White balance presets: 12

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Built-in flash: Yes

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Screen dots: 1,229,000

    VIDEOGRAPHY FEATURES Microphone: Stereo

    PHYSICAL Battery Life (CIPA): 1200

    Go to the Summary

  • launch

  • Announced

    Mar 2, 2012

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    22 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    5760 x 3840

  • Sensor size

    Full frame (36 x 24 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Digic 5+

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    3840 x 2560, 2880 x 1920, 1920 x 1280, 720 x 480

  • Sensor photo detectors

    23 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    Auto, 100 - 25600 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 51200, 102400 as option

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    50

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    102400

  • White balance presets

    6

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (1)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    No

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus Sync connector)

  • Continuous drive

    6.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2 or 10 sec)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot
    • Partial

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    ±3 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis)

  • Flash range

  • Flash modes

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fixed

  • Screen size

    3.2

  • Screen dots

    1,040,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    Clear View II TFT LCD

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    100%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.71×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps fps), 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps)

  • File Format

    H.264

  • Videography notes

    1080 and 720 intra or inter frame, 480 inter frame

  • Microphone

    Mono

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    61

  • Lens mount

    Canon EF

  • Focal length multiplier

    1×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)

  • Dimensions

    152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    950

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    Compact Flash Type I (UDMA compatible), SD/SDHC/SDXC

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (HDMI mini)

  • Wireless

    Optional

  • Wireless notes

    Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E7

  • Remote control

    Yes (Remote control with N3 type contact, Wireless Controller LC-5, Remote Controller RC-6)

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes (by cable and PC)

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    With optional GP-E2 unit

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • launch

  • Announced

    Jun 26, 2014

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    36 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    7360 x 4912

  • Sensor size

    Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    EXPEED 4

  • Image ratio w:h

    5:4, 3:2

  • Other resolutions

    FX: 5520 x 3680, 3680 x 2456; 1.2: 6144 x 4080, 4608 x 3056, 3072 x 2040; 5:4: 6144 x 4912, 4608 x 3680, 3072 x 2456; DX: 4800 x 3200, 3600 x 2400, 2400 x 1600

  • Sensor photo detectors

    37 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    Auto, 64-12800

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    32

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    51200

  • White balance presets

    12

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (6 slots)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW + TIFF

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, normal, basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    Yes

  • External flash

    Yes (via hot shoe, flash sync terminal, wireless)

  • Continuous drive

    5.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2, 5, 10, 20 secs for up to 9 shots)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Highlight-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 1 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    ±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (2-9 exposures in 1-3 increments)

  • Flash range

    12.00 m (at ISO 100)

  • Flash modes

    Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, redeye reduction, redeye reduction w/slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fixed

  • Screen size

    3.2

  • Screen dots

    1,229,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    TFT-LCD (WRGB)

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (tunnel)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    100%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.7×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p)

  • File Format

    MPEG-4, H.264

  • Videography notes

    Uncompressed output over HDMI with simultaneous writing to memory card

  • Microphone

    Stereo

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Center
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    51

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    980 g (2.16 lb / 34.57 oz)

  • Dimensions

    146 x 123 x 82 mm (5.75 x 4.84 x 3.23)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    EN-EL15 lithium-ion battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    1200

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC, CompactFlash (UDMA compliant)

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (mini-HDMI)

  • Wireless

    Optional

  • Wireless notes

    via WT-5A or Eye-Fi

  • Remote control

    Yes

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

  • Timelapse recording

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    via GP-1 or GP-1A

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • Summary

    The Nikon D810 highest resolution of 7360 x 4912 pixels (36 megapixels) is better in comparison with the EOS 5D Mark III highest resolution of 5760 x 3840 pixels (22 megapixels). The EOS 5D Mark III has bigger sensor compared to the Nikon D810: Full frame (36 x 24 mm) versus Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm). It is the most significant difference between these models because big sensor allows the photographer to capture photos of the better quality. The EOS 5D Mark III offers a wider ISO range of 100-25600 in compare with 64-12800 ISO range of the Nikon D810. This ISO range let you to capture good quality photos in low light conditions. The Nikon D810 offers more number of white balance presets - 12. This specification gives the photographer more control over colour. The EOS 5D Mark III provides more focus points in compare with the Nikon D810: 61 vs 51. More focus points means more convenience when attempting to focus on objects that are not centred.

    The Nikon D810 display is better as it has more screen dots 1,229,000 in comparison to 1,040,000 dots of the EOS 5D Mark III screen. The higher dot count display is better for reviewing photos on your camera.

    The Nikon D810 has built-in flash. The Nikon D810 battery life is better than the EOS 5D Mark III battery life. According to CIPA standards the camera owner will be able to produce 1200 photos with the D810 and only 950 with the EOS 5D Mark III. The EOS 5D Mark III weighs 950g which is 30g lighter in comparison with the weight of the Nikon D810.

    Considering the above differences the Nikon D810 will become the best buy. Check the list of the best offers on Amazon.