Canon 1D X MIII vs Nikon D5

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Canon 1D X III

20 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon D5

21 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

$5496.95

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Canon 1D X III vs Nikon D5 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing 1D X MIII and D5, two Pro DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon. Canon 1D X III was introduced to market in January 2020 and Nikon D5 was launched in January 2016. As you can see, D5 is 4 years older than 1D X MIII. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Canon 1D X III has a 20.0 MP and Nikon D5 has a 21.0 MP resolution. We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Pro DSLR cameras. Out of 35 cameras in this class, Canon 1D X III is ranked #1 with an overall score of 82 and Nikon D5 is ranked #4 with an overall score of 81.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 1D X III Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2020-01-07

20MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 102400

Canon EF Mount

3.2 Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

20.0 fps continuous shooting

5472 X 2886 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

1440g. 158 x 168 x 83 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Compare

Nikon D5 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-01-05

21MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 102400 ( expands to 3280000)

Nikon F Mount

3.2" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

14.0 fps continuous shooting

3840 x 2160 video resolution

1415g. 160 x 158.5 x 92 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Nikon D4s Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS-1D X Mark III over Nikon D5

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Optional	Better connectivity
Number of Focus Points	191 vs 153	38 more focus points
Number of Cross Type Focus Points	155 vs 99	56 more cross type focus points
Continuous Shooting	20.0fps vs 14.0fps	6 fps faster
Max Video Resolution	5472 X 2886 vs 3840 x 2160	Higher Resolution Video
Shutter Life Expectancy	500000 cycles vs 400000 cycles	Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Smartphone_remote control	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Autofocus at f/8 aperture	191 point vs 15 point	Autofocus with teleconverters

Reasons to choose Nikon D5 over Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

Max Sensor Resolution	21 MP vs 20 MP	5% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution	2.359k dots vs 2.100k dots	12% higher resolution screen
Battery Life	3780 shots vs 2850 shots	930 more frames with a single charge
Weight	1415 g vs 1440 g	25 g lighter
AE Bracketing Range	±5 EV vs ±3 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
4K Photo Mode	Yes vs No	Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video

Common Strengths of Canon EOS-1D X Mark III and Nikon D5

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs Yes	Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	20 MP vs 21 MP	Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size	3.2 vs 3.2"	Large display
LCD Screen Resolution	2.100k dots vs 2.359k dots	Higher resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	20.0fps vs 14.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs Yes	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
Top LCD Display	Yes vs Yes	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port	Yes vs Yes	Connect off-camera flash
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)	Yes vs Yes	Adjust each lens for accurate focusing
Shutter Life Expectancy	500000 cycles vs 400000 cycles	High Shutter Rating
Illuminated Buttons	Yes vs Yes	Find the buttons easily in dark
Dual-axis Electronic Level	Yes vs Yes	Level the camera easily in two axis
Storage Slot	2 vs 2	Extra Storage Slot

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS-1D X Mark III and Nikon D5

Image Stabilization	No vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Articulating Screen	No vs No	No flexible viewing angles
Built-in Flash	No vs No	Require external flash

Canon 1D X III vs Nikon D5: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5. Canon 1D X III is 2mm narrower and 9mm thinner than Nikon D5 but it is also 9mm taller.

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5.

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D5 is 25g lighter than the Canon 1D X III but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5 have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1D X MIII

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1D X MIII

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Both 1D X MIII and D5 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.2.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don\'t tilt or flip in directions.

Canon 1D X III vs Nikon D5: Sensor Comparison

Canon 1D X III has a 20.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic X processor. On the other hand, Nikon D5 has a 21.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5 processor.

Below you can see the 1D X MIII and D5 sensor size comparison.

Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 1D X III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 1D X III for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5 for Street Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Canon 1D X III for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D5 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
155 Cross Type Focus sensors
191 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 2850 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 14.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
99 Cross Type Focus sensors
153 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 3780 shots
Good Low Light ISO
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 1D X III for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1440g
Body Thickness 83mm
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1415g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details

Canon 1D X III for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Nikon D5 vs Canon 1D X III Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D5 has an advantage over Canon 1D X III There are 304 lenses for Nikon D5's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 271 lenses for Canon 1D X III's Canon EF lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 77 lenses for Canon EF mount and 101 lenses for Nikon F mount with IS.

Lens Type	# of Canon 1D X III Lenses	# of Nikon D5 Lenses
Standard Zoom	25 (22 Full Frame)	33 (17 Full Frame)
Standard Prime	16 (16 Full Frame)	20 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom	29 (20 Full Frame)	33 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime	45 (45 Full Frame)	47 (45 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom	53 (50 Full Frame)	53 (43 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime	41 (41 Full Frame)	43 (42 Full Frame)
SuperZoom	17 (9 Full Frame)	30 (6 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	3 (3 Full Frame)	8 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime	25 (23 Full Frame)	25 (22 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime	16 (16 Full Frame)	11 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1 (0 Full Frame)	1 (0 Full Frame)
TOTAL	271 (245 Full Frame)	304 (223 Full Frame)

Canon 1D X III vs Nikon D5: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 1D X III and Nikon D5 scores compare:

Canon 1D X III

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #2 out of 18 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #33 out of 1198 in all Cameras

Nikon D5

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #1 out of 18 in Large SLR" cameras
Ranked #37 out of 1198 in all Cameras

Canon 1D X III has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D5 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Canon 1D X III

Nikon D5

$5496.95

Nikon D5 vs Canon 1D X III Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon EOS-1D X Mark III	Nikon D5
Brand	Canon	Nikon
Announced	2020-01-07	2016-01-05
Body Type	Large SLR	Large SLR"
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	Full frame	Full frame
Dimensions	36 x 24 mm	35.8 x 23.9 mm
Area	864.00mm²	855.62mm²
Megapixels	20 megapixels	21 megapixels
Max Resolution	5472 x 3648	5588 x 3712
Max Native Light sensitivity	102,400 ISO	102,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	819200 ISO	3280000 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	50 ISO	-
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	191	153
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon EF	Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses	271	304
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3.2	3.2"
Resolution	2,100k dots	2,359k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.76	0.72
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/8000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	No
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	20.0 fps	14.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	5472 X 2886	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264, H.265	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	1440g	1415g
Dimensions	158 x 168 x 83mm	160 x 158.5 x 92mm
Battery Life	2850 shots	3780 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	88
DxO Color Depth	not tested	25.1
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	12.3
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	2434
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