Canon 7D vs Sony RX10 III

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Canon 7D vs Sony RX10 III

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APS-C 332.3mm²
18.0 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Canon 7D Review.
See real-world photos taken with the 7D.

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.1 megapixels
24.00mm - 600.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX10 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX10 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX10 III.
Compare Sony RX10 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX10 III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon 7D Mark II
Compare 7D vs 7D Mark II

Succeeded by the Sony RX10 IV
Compare RX10 III vs RX10 IV

Compare CANON 7D MARK II vs SONY RX10 IV

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Differences

Canon 7D advantages over Sony RX10 III

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 4.30 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 2.1 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
7D test data on DxO Mark RX10 III test data on DxO Mark

854 vs 472 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
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

800 vs 420 shots
Capture more photos
Thinner
73 mm vs 127 mm
Thinner

Sony RX10 III advantages over Canon 7D

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
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
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
Newer
9 years vs 15 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Faster JPEG shooting
14.2 fps vs 8.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
44 vs 22 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
29 vs 16 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
Top deck display
Both provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
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
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
Integrated ND filter
Neither provide
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility

User reviews

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Adorama
Read 7D User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

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Sony RX10 III

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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.
Read our Canon 7D Full Review

Versatile all-in-one replacement for a DSLR or mirrorless camera; Great handling and build; Excellent image quality; Spectacular zoom reach; Swift performance with generous buffer depths; Extremely capable video capture; Comprehensive remote control; Quick-and-easy image sharing
Extremely expensive for a fixed-lens camera; Fairly heavy for fixed-lens camera; Somewhat soft in the corners at wide-angle or tele; Noise reduction intrudes at higher sensitivities; No built-in ND filter; Not as fast when shooting raws; Slow buffer clearing
Read our Sony RX10 III Review

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

Compare Canon 7D vs Canon 7D Mark II

Sony RX10 III

Canon 7D Mark II

$1398
1 inch

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1597
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Canon 7D Mark II

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

Compare Canon 7D vs Canon 60D

Sony RX10 III

Canon 60D

$1398
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$889
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Canon 60D

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

Compare Canon 7D vs Nikon D7000

Sony RX10 III

Nikon D7000

$1398
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$699
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Nikon D7000

Compared to Sony A77

Canon 7D

Sony A77

$1499
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1899
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 7D vs Sony A77

Sony RX10 III

Sony A77

$1398
1 inch

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

$1899
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Sony A77

Compared to Panasonic FZ2500

Canon 7D

Panasonic FZ2500

$1499
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$899
1 inch

Focus peaking
Less expensive

Compare Canon 7D vs Panasonic FZ2500

Sony RX10 III

Panasonic FZ2500

$1398
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Larger lens aperture

$899
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Panasonic FZ2500

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