• APS-C 332.3mm2
  • 18.0 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 35mm 847.3mm2
  • 24.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 51,200

Buy From

Differences

Canon 7D advantages over Sony A7 III

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Fast startup
    ~0.40 vs 1.7 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • More telephoto lens reach
    216 mm vs 70 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera

Sony A7 III advantages over Canon 7D

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs APS-C
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 5.93 vs 4.30 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Shoot 4K video
    4K (UHD) vs 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • 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
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Yes vs No
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Better color depth
    25.0 vs 22.0 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    3,730 vs 854 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    14.7 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
  • Newer
    7 years vs 15 years old
    Newer cameras often support more advanced features
  • Lighter weight
    945g vs 1467g
    Lighter weight
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.78x vs 0.63x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    24.2 vs 18.0 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Dual card slots
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Wider angle kit lens
    28 mm vs 45 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    9.9 fps vs 8.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    163 vs 22 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    9.7 fps vs 8.0 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
  • Bigger RAW buffer
    33 vs 16 shots
    Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Higher extended ISO
    204800 vs 12800 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • In-camera panoramas
    Neither provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Excellent 18-megapixel sensor with impressively low noise and superb detail; Very good high ISO performance, especially for 18-megapixel subframe sensor; Rugged construction with magnesium body and weather sealing; Fast autofocus and fast burst rate of 8 fps; Full HD (1920x1080) movies at 30/25/24p, 60/50p at 1280x720.

  • No dedicated AF-assist lamp (flash is used), and AF-assist adjustment is buried in the Flash Settings menu; Kit lens (28-135mm) isn't quite up to the resolving power of the 18-megapixel sensor, odd focal length for subframe DSLR; No continuous autofocus in Movie mode.

  • New 24MP sensor offers excellent image quality; Outstanding high ISO performance and dynamic range; Improved JPEG colors; Improved build quality; Fast autofocus; Excellent 4K video; Very good battery life.

  • Buffer clearing can be slow even with fast UHS-II cards; UHS-II support only on one card slot; No losslessly compressed RAW option; Dedicated battery charger not included; Menus are still confusing; No built-in flash.

The Competition

Compared to Canon 7D Mark II

Canon 7D
Canon 7D Mark II
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Less shutter lag
  • $1597
  • APS-C
  • Higher effective ISO
  • Built-in GPS
Sony A7 III
Canon 7D Mark II
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $1597
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Canon 60D

Canon 7D
Canon 60D
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • More cross-type AF points
  • Less shutter lag
  • $889
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen
Sony A7 III
Canon 60D
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $889
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Nikon D7000

Canon 7D
Nikon D7000
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • More cross-type AF points
  • $699
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Higher effective ISO
Sony A7 III
Nikon D7000
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $699
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A77

Canon 7D
Sony A77
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $1899
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Focus peaking
Sony A7 III
Sony A77
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Larger sensor
  • $1899
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • In-camera panoramas

Compared to Nikon Z6

Canon 7D
Nikon Z6
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup
  • $1396
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7 III
Nikon Z6
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • NFC
  • $1396
  • 35mm
  • Top deck display
  • More dots on screen
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