Canon 1D Mark III vs Sony A77 II

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Canon 1D Mark III vs Sony A77 II

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APS-H 525.5mm²
10.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 3200

Go in depth with our full Canon 1D Mark III Review.
See real-world photos taken with the 1D Mark III.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A77 II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A77 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A77 II.
Compare Sony A77 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A77 II conclusion.

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Differences

Canon 1D Mark III advantages over Sony A77 II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Larger sensor
APS-H vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 7.23 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.10 vs 0.8 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

2200 vs 480 shots
Capture more photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility

Sony A77 II advantages over Canon 1D Mark III

Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs none
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Newer
10 years vs 18 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
More dots on screen
1230k vs 230k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More viewfinder magnification
0.73x vs 0.58x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.3 vs 10.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
More AF points
79 vs 19
More AF points improve autofocus
Faster JPEG shooting
11.5 fps vs 9.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
26 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 6400 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Top deck display
Both provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Read A77 II User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

We haven’t reviewed the Canon 1D Mark III.
Read our Canon 1D Mark III Initial Test

Excellent image quality, especially lower ISOs; Improved high ISO performance when using RAW; Very good dynamic range; High-resolution images; Very fast single-shot autofocus; 12fps burst mode with C-AF; Good value for its class.
Lackluster continuous AF performance; Strong NR processing in high ISO JPEGs; Sluggish buffer clearing; Short battery life compared to most DSLRs; Joystick control easy to press accidentally.
Read our Sony A77 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 70D

Canon 1D Mark III

Canon 70D

$4500
APS-H

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$1149
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon 70D

Sony A77 II

Canon 70D

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1149
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A77 II vs Canon 70D

Compared to Pentax K-3

Canon 1D Mark III

Pentax K-3

$4500
APS-H

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
Less expensive

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Pentax K-3

Sony A77 II

Pentax K-3

$1198
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
In-camera panoramas

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony A77 II vs Pentax K-3

Compared to Canon 7D Mark II

Canon 1D Mark III

Canon 7D Mark II

$4500
APS-H

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$1597
APS-C

Built-in GPS
On-sensor phase detect

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon 7D Mark II

Sony A77 II

Canon 7D Mark II

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

$1597
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A77 II vs Canon 7D Mark II

Compared to Nikon D7200

Canon 1D Mark III

Nikon D7200

$4500
APS-H

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$1016
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Nikon D7200

Sony A77 II

Nikon D7200

$1198
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Focus peaking

$1016
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A77 II vs Nikon D7200

Compared to Canon 80D

Canon 1D Mark III

Canon 80D

$4500
APS-H

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$935
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon 80D

Sony A77 II

Canon 80D

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$935
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A77 II vs Canon 80D

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