Canon 5D Mark III vs Sony A7 II

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Canon 5D Mark III vs Sony A7 II

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35mm 864.0mm²
22.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Canon 5D Mark III Review.
See real-world photos taken with the 5D Mark III.
Compare Canon 5D Mark III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 5D Mark III conclusion.

35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7 II.
Compare Sony A7 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon 5D Mark IV
Compare 5D Mark III vs 5D Mark IV

Succeeded by the Sony A7 III
Compare A7 II vs A7 III

Compare CANON 5D MARK IV vs SONY A7 III

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Differences

Canon 5D Mark III advantages over Sony A7 II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.7 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

950 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Less shutter lag
0.12 vs 0.22 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Faster JPEG shooting
6.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 51200 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Sony A7 II advantages over Canon 5D Mark III

Less expensive
$1598 vs $2299
Save money for lenses or accessories
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
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7 II test data on DxO Mark 5D Mark III test data on DxO Mark

13.6 vs 11.7 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 18 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
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
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 II User Reviews

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Buy the Canon 5D Mark III

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 24-105mm f/4 lens
Kit with 24-70mm Lens

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Buy the Sony A7 II

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm Lens

All A7 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Superb still and video image quality; Powerful, fast, and accurate AF system with loads of cross-type points, loads of configurability and great frame coverage; Rugged, weather-sealed body with great control layout and user-interface configurability.
Dynamic range is limited by noise in deep shadows; Somewhat heavy-handed noise suppression and sharpening at default settings. (Shooting RAW avoids both.); No AF illuminator.
Read our Canon 5D Mark III Review

Excellent 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization; Sensor-shift IS brings stabilization to nearly any lens; Much-improved ergonomics and top-deck control layout; 'Mark II' maintains same impressive image quality, dynamic range and high ISO performance; XAVC S 50Mbps video format; Faster start-up time; Hybrid AF performs well with good continuous AF.
(Similar to A7): Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Battery life could be better; Low-light AF still not as good as most DSLRs; High ISO JPEGs look over-processed; Slow buffer clearing; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses (but it's getting better).
Read our Sony A7 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 6D

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 6D

$2079
35mm

More cross-type AF points
Less shutter lag

$1699
35mm

Less expensive
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Canon 5D Mark III vs Canon 6D

Sony A7 II

Canon 6D

$1148
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1699
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Canon 6D

Compared to Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 5D Mark IV

$2079
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$2249
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Canon 5D Mark III vs Canon 5D Mark IV

Sony A7 II

Canon 5D Mark IV

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$2249
35mm

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A7 II vs Canon 5D Mark IV

Compared to Sony A850

Canon 5D Mark III

Sony A850

$2079
35mm

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

$2219
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 5D Mark III vs Sony A850

Sony A7 II

Sony A850

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$2219
35mm

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A850

Compared to Nikon D800E

Canon 5D Mark III

Nikon D800E

$2079
35mm

Bigger pixels
More cross-type AF points

$2212
35mm

Fast startup
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 5D Mark III vs Nikon D800E

Sony A7 II

Nikon D800E

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$2212
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Nikon D800E

Compared to Sony A99

Canon 5D Mark III

Sony A99

$2079
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

$1998
35mm

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Canon 5D Mark III vs Sony A99

Sony A7 II

Sony A99

$1148
35mm

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

$1998
35mm

Tilt-swivel screen
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 II vs Sony A99

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