Do you want to know what's better Canon EOS 5D Mark III or Sony Alpha 7? SpecsPRO has compared Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Sony Alpha 7: weight, battery, sensor, resolution, ISO, dynamic range and other important specifications.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Sony Alpha 7

  • 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

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

  • Screen size

  • Screen dots

  • Touch screen

  • Screen type

  • Live view

  • Viewfinder type

  • Viewfinder coverage

  • Viewfinder magnification

  • Viewfinder resolution

  • 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

  • Microphone port

  • Headphone port

  • 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

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Continuous drive: 6.0 fps

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Screen size: 3.2

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Viewfinder type: Optical (pentaprism)

    PHYSICAL Battery Life (CIPA): 950

    OTHER FEATURES Timelapse recording: Yes (by cable and PC)

    OTHER FEATURES GPS: Optional

    Go to the Summary

Sony Alpha 7
  • Main

  • Model

    Sony Alpha 7

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Effective pixels: 24 megapixels

    SENSOR Max resolution: 6000 x 4000

    SENSOR Sensor photo detectors: 25 megapixels

    IMAGE White balance presets: 10

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Subject / scene modes: Yes

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Articulated LCD: Tilting

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Screen dots: 1,230,000

    VIDEOGRAPHY FEATURES Microphone: Stereo

    OPTICS & FOCUS Digital zoom: Yes (4)

    OPTICS & FOCUS Number of focus points: 117

    PHYSICAL Weight (inc. batteries): 474 g (1.04 lb / 16.72 oz)

    CONNECTIVITY Wireless: Built-In

    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)

  • 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×

  • Viewfinder resolution

  • 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)

  • Microphone port

  • Headphone port

  • 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

    Oct 16, 2013

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    SLR-style mirrorless

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    24 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    6000 x 4000

  • Sensor size

    Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Bionz X

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2, 16:9

  • Other resolutions

    6000 x 3376, 3936 x 2624, 3936 x 2216, 3008 x 1688, 3008 x 2000

  • Sensor photo detectors

    25 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    100-25600

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    50

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

  • White balance presets

    10

  • Custom white balance

    Yes

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW

  • JPEG quality levels

    Extra fine, fine, standard

  • 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

    Yes

  • Built-in flash

    No

  • External flash

    Yes (via Multi Interface shoe)

  • Continuous drive

    5.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

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

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Tilting

  • Screen size

    3

  • Screen dots

    1,230,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    Xtra Fine LCD

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Electronic

  • Viewfinder coverage

    100%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.71×

  • Viewfinder resolution

    2,359,000

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)

  • File Format

    MPEG-4, AVCHD

  • Videography notes

    headphone and microphone ports, XLR support via adapter

  • Microphone

    Stereo

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

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

  • Digital zoom

    Yes (4)

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    117

  • Lens mount

    Sony E

  • Focal length multiplier

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    474 g (1.04 lb / 16.72 oz)

  • Dimensions

    127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    340

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (micro-HDMI port with 4K still, uncompressed video output)

  • Wireless

    Built-In

  • Wireless notes

    with NFC and wireless control via PlayMemories Mobile app

  • Remote control

    Yes (wired)

  • Microphone port

    Yes

  • Headphone port

    Yes

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    No

  • GPS

    None

  • GPS notes

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • Summary

    The Alpha 7 maximum resolution of 6000 x 4000 pixels (24 megapixels) is better than the Canon EOS 5D Mark III highest resolution of 5760 x 3840 pixels (22 megapixels). The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is produced with larger sensor compared to the Alpha 7: Full frame (36 x 24 mm) versus Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm). It is very important difference between these cameras because large sensor allows you to take photos of the more professional quality. The Alpha 7 provides more presets of white balance - 10. This specification gives you more control over colour. The Sony Alpha 7 has better 4 digital zoom. The Alpha 7 has more number of focus points in compare with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III: 117 vs 61. More focus points means less risk of losing focus lock during tracking a moving object.

    The Sony Alpha 7 is equipped with tilting display that will let you to take pictures from any odd angle. The Alpha 7 display is better as it has more number of screen dots 1,230,000 in compare to 1,040,000 dots of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III screen. The higher dot count display is better for reviewing images on your camera.

    The Sony Alpha 7 is produced with built-in Wi-Fi that will help the photographer to transfer photos wirelessly from a camera to a PC. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III battery life is better in compare to the Alpha 7 battery life. In accordance with CIPA standards the camera owner will be able to take 950 shots with the EOS 5D Mark III and only 340 with the Alpha 7. The Sony Alpha 7 weighs 474g which is 476g less than the weight of the EOS 5D Mark III. The EOS 5D Mark III can utilize optional accessory GPS devices. Recording GPS data can be useful if you like to travel, to be able to check the picture metadata and see exactly where an image was taken.

    The Alpha 7 has 12 advantages and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III only 8 so the Alpha 7 will be the best choice. Get the lowest price on Amazon.