CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison

Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N

x
Camera to replace
Change

Canon 5D MIII

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

Canon 5D MIII
$2399.99

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
Change

Canon 1D MII N

8 MP | APS-H (28.7 x 19.1 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 1D MII N
$5899.99

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two DSLR cameras by Canon. Canon 5D MIII was introduced to market in May 2012 and Canon 1D MII N was launched in August 2005. As you can see, 1D MII N is 7 years older than 5D MIII. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Canon 5D MIII has a 22.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Canon 1D MII N has a 8.0MP APS-H sensor.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 5D MIII Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-05-22
  • 22MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 50-102400)
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 3.2 Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 6 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 950g. 152 x 116 x 76 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 5D Mark II Compare

Canon 1D MII N Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2005-08-22
  • 8MP - APS-H CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 2.5" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 9 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 1565g. 156 x 158 x 80 mm
  • Replaced Canon EOS 1D Mark II Compare

Canon 5D MIII was replaced by Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV vs Canon EOS-1D Mark II N

Canon 1D MII N was replaced by Canon EOS 1D Mark III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 1D Mark III vs Canon EOS-1D Mark II N
Canon EOS 1D Mark III vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS 5D Mark III over Canon EOS-1D Mark II N
Face Detection Focus Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution 22 MP vs 8 MP 175% more pixels
Max ISO 25.600 vs 3.200 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 61 vs 45 16 more focus points
LCD Screen Size 3.2 vs 2.5" 0.7 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution 1.040k dots vs 230k dots 352% higher resolution screen
Weight 950 g vs 1565 g 615 g lighter
Microphone Port Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth 24.0 vs 22.3 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 11.7 vs 11.2 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 2293 vs 975 better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) Yes vs No Adjust each lens for more accurate focusing
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Reasons to choose Canon EOS-1D Mark II N over Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Continuous Shooting 9.0fps vs 6.0fps 3 fps faster
Timelapse Recording Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area 66.93µm2 vs 39.06µm2 71% larger pixel area
Shutter Life Expectancy 200000 cycles vs 150000 cycles Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Common Strengths of Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS-1D Mark II N
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Top LCD Display Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
Shutter Life Expectancy 150000 cycles vs 200000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS-1D Mark II N
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
LCD Screen Size 3.2 vs 2.5" Small display
New
Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N: 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 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N. Canon 5D MIII is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 4mm narrower, 42mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Canon 1D MII N.

Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N.

Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon 5D MIII is significantly lighter (615g ) than the Canon 1D MII N which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 Canon 5D MIII has a Full frame sensor and Canon 1D MII N has a smaller APS-H sensor, Canon 1D MII N's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Canon 5D MIII lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

5D MIII
1D MII N
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

5D MIII
1D MII N
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that 5D MIII has a big advantage over 1D MII N which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon 5D MIII's 3.2 LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 1D MII N's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don\'t tilt or flip in directions.
Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N: Sensor Comparison

Canon 5D MIII has a 22.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5+ processor. On the other hand, Canon 1D MII N has a 8.0MP APS-H (28.7 x 19.1 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Canon 5D MIII's sensor provides 14MP more than Canon 1D MII N's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the 5D MIII and 1D MII N sensor size comparison.

Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Canon 5D MIII has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Canon 1D MII N. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 5D MIII has scored 81, 15 points higher than 1D MII N.

What types of Photography are Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N 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 5D MIII for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Canon 1D MII N for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 22.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-H (28.7 x 19.1 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 8.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 5D MIII for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon 1D MII N for Street Photography

AVERAGE
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 APS-H (28.7 x 19.1 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Canon 5D MIII for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 1D MII N for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
41 Cross Type Focus sensors
61 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 950 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
45 Focus Points
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon 5D MIII for Daily Photography

GOOD

Canon 1D MII N for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
950g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
Large APS-H (28.7 x 19.1 mm) sensor
Large Body
1565g
Body Thickness 80mm
Read the details

Canon 5D MIII for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 1D MII N for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 22.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large APS-H (28.7 x 19.1 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 8.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details


Canon 1D MII N vs Canon 5D MIII Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Both Canon 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N have 271 native lenses available but be careful that since Canon 5D MIII has a full frame sensor, only 245 of these lenses can cover the full frame sensor of 5D MIII.

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 with Image stabilization for Canon EF mount.

Lens Type # of Canon 5D MIII Lenses # of Canon 1D MII N Lenses
Standard Zoom 25 (22 Full Frame) 25
Standard Prime 16 (16 Full Frame) 16
Wideangle Zoom 29 (20 Full Frame) 29
Wideangle Prime 45 (45 Full Frame) 45
Telephoto Zoom 53 (50 Full Frame) 53
Telephoto Prime 41 (41 Full Frame) 41
SuperZoom 17 (9 Full Frame) 17
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 3 (3 Full Frame) 3
Macro Prime 25 (23 Full Frame) 25
Perspective Control Prime 16 (16 Full Frame) 16
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 (0 Full Frame) 1
TOTAL 271 (245 Full Frame) 271
Canon 5D MIII vs Canon 1D MII N: 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 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N, 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 5D MIII and Canon 1D MII N scores compare:

Canon 5D MIII
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #27 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #89 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Canon 1D MII N
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #7 out of 19 in Large SLR" cameras
Ranked #532 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Canon 5D MIII is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon 1D MII N in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Canon 5D MIII
Canon 5D MIII
$2399.99

Canon 1D MII N
Canon 1D MII N
$5899.99

Canon 1D MII N vs Canon 5D MIII Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon EOS 5D Mark III Canon EOS-1D Mark II N
Brand Canon Canon
Announced 2012-05-22 2005-08-22
Body Type Mid-size SLR Large SLR"
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame APS-H
Dimensions 36 x 24 mm 28.7 x 19.1 mm
Area 864.00mm2 548.17mm2
Megapixels 22 megapixels 8 megapixels
Max Resolution 5760 x 3840 3504 x 2336
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 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 61 45
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Canon EF Canon EF
Number of Available Lenses 271 271
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.2 2.5"
Resolution 1,040k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71 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
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps 9.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 None
Video Formats H.264 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 950g 1565g
Dimensions 152 x 116 x 76mm 156 x 158 x 80mm
Battery Life 950 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 81 66
DxO Color Depth 24.0 22.3
DxO Dynamic Range 11.7 11.2
DxO Low Light ISO 2293 975
Report a correction Report a correction
LATEST HOLIDAY DEALS!

Best Black Friday Deals of 2019
Nikon D750 FF for $996 only!
Sony Alpha a6000 with16-50mm $448
Sony A7 Mark III for $1528 + tax with Amazon Prime Card!

  • See all Active Deals here


  • Most Popular Cameras
    Nikon Z7
    Nikon Z7
    46 MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Nikon Z Mount
    Sony A6000
    Sony A6000
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Sony E Mount
    Fujifilm X-T3
    Fujifilm X-T3
    26 MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm X Mount
    Sony A7 III
    Sony A7 III
    24 MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Sony E Mount
    Canon R
    Canon R
    30 MP | Full frame CMOS | Canon RF Mount
    Sony A6400
    Sony A6400
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Sony E Mount
    Nikon D5600
    Nikon D5600
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Nikon D850
    Nikon D850
    46 MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Nikon D3500
    Nikon D3500
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Nikon D750
    Nikon D750
    24 MP | Full frame CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Top Rated DSLR Cameras
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $500
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $750
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $1000
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $1500
    <
    Latest Cameras
    Leica SL2
    Leica SL2
    47 MP | Full frame CMOS | Leica L Mount
    Fujifilm X-Pro3
    Fujifilm X-Pro3
    26 MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm X Mount
    Olympus E-M5 III
    Olympus E-M5 III
    20 MP | Four Thirds CMOS | Micro Four Thirds Mount
    Nikon Z50
    Nikon Z50
    21 MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Nikon Z Mount
    Sony A9 II
    Sony A9 II
    24 MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Sony E Mount
    Canon M200
    Canon M200
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Canon EF-M Mount
    Fujifilm X-A7
    Fujifilm X-A7
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Fujifilm X Mount
    Panasonic S1H
    Panasonic S1H
    24 MP | Full frame CMOS | Leica L Mount
    Canon M6 MII
    Canon M6 MII
    33 MP | APS-C CMOS | Canon EF-M Mount
    Canon 90D
    Canon 90D
    33 MP | APS-C CMOS | Canon EF/EF-S Mount

    Copyright © 2019 by CameraDecision
    About Feedback Privacy Cameras

    Report a Correction