Nikon D5100 vs Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 5D Mark III advantages over Nikon D5100

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 6.25 vs 4.79 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• 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.

  5D Mark III test data on DxO Mark D5100 test data on DxO Mark
  2,293 vs 1,183 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

  950 vs 660 shots
  Capture more photos
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• More cross-type AF points
  41 vs 1
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• Pentaprism viewfinder
  Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
  Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
• Less shutter lag
  0.12 vs 0.27 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.71x vs 0.52x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  22.3 vs 16.2 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• More AF points
  61 vs 11
  More AF points improve autofocus
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
• Faster JPEG shooting
  6.0 fps vs 3.9 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Faster RAW shooting
  6.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
  Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  102400 vs 25600 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility