Canon 80D vs Sony A7 III

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Canon 80D vs Sony A7 III

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APS-C 337.5mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Canon 80D Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 80D in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 80D.
Compare Canon 80D image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 80D conclusion.

35mm 847.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

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

Succeeded by the Canon 90D
Compare 80D vs 90D

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

Compare CANON 90D vs SONY A7 IV

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Differences

Canon 80D advantages over Sony A7 III

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$935 vs $1498
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
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

960 vs 710 shots
Capture more photos
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 80D

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 3.75 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
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.
A7 III test data on DxO Mark 80D test data on DxO Mark

3,730 vs 1,135 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
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 III test data on DxO Mark 80D test data on DxO Mark

14.7 vs 13.2 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Lighter weight
945g vs 1270g
Lighter weight
More viewfinder magnification
0.78x vs 0.59x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Faster JPEG shooting
9.9 fps vs 6.8 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
163 vs 53 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.7 fps vs 6.7 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
204800 vs 25600 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
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Both provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
On-sensor phase detect
Both provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read 80D User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 III User Reviews

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Your purchases support this site

Buy the Canon 80D

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm Lens
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

All 80D Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A7 III

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm Lens

All A7 III Deals

Review Excerpt

Very good image quality; Better RAW high ISO performance than predecessor; Improved buffer depth; Very fast AF; Dual Pixel CMOS AF is excellent; f/8 AF support; 1080/60p video; Headphone jack; Very good battery life.
New kit lens isn't very sharp; No 4K video; No clean HDMI out; 29:59 minute video recording limit; Phase detect AF not as sensitive in low-light as expected (Dual Pixel AF is better in low-light).
Read our Canon 80D Review

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.
Read our Sony A7 III Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A77 II

Canon 80D

Sony A77 II

$935
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 80D vs Sony A77 II

Sony A7 III

Sony A77 II

$1531
35mm

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$1198
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
In-camera panoramas

Compare Sony A7 III vs Sony A77 II

Compared to Nikon D7200

Canon 80D

Nikon D7200

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1016
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
More dynamic range

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D7200

Sony A7 III

Nikon D7200

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$1016
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon D7200

Compared to Nikon D7500

Canon 80D

Nikon D7500

$935
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
NFC

$797
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D7500

Sony A7 III

Nikon D7500

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$797
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon D7500

Compared to Nikon Z6

Canon 80D

Nikon Z6

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1396
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon Z6

Sony A7 III

Nikon Z6

$1531
35mm

Less expensive
NFC

$1396
35mm

Top deck display
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon Z6

Compared to Nikon Z6 II

Canon 80D

Nikon Z6 II

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1747
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon Z6 II

Sony A7 III

Nikon Z6 II

$1531
35mm

Less expensive
NFC

$1747
35mm

Top deck display
Newer

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon Z6 II

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