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Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII Comparison

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Sony A7S

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

Sony A7S
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Canon 1D MIII

10 MP | APS-H (28.7 x 18.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 1D MIII
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Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7S, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Canon 1D MIII, which was introduced in February 2007 is a Pro DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-H sensor. As you can see, 1D MIII is 7 years older than A7S. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-06
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 409600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 489g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Canon 1D MIII Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2007-02-22
  • 10MP - APS-H CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200 ( expands to 50-6400)
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 1335g. 156 x 157 x 80 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 1D Mark II N Compare

Sony A7S was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Alpha A7S
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon 1D MIII was replaced by Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV vs Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
12 MP vs 10 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO
409.600 vs 3.200 12700% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 230k dots 434% higher resolution screen
Weight
489 g vs 1335 g 846 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Color Depth
23.9 vs 22.7 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
13.2 vs 11.7 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3702 vs 1078 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 53.24µm2 33% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Canon EOS-1D Mark III over Sony Alpha A7S
Viewfinder Magnification
0.76x vs 0.71x Larger Viewfinder
Number of Focus Points
45 vs 25 20 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 5.0fps 5 fps faster
Battery Life
2200 shots vs 360 shots 1840 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs With optional app creative shooting
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
Center point vs none Autofocus with teleconverters

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Canon EOS-1D Mark III
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Canon EOS-1D Mark III
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII: 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 Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 oz) (including batteries). Canon 1D MIII has external dimensions of 156 x 157 x 80 mm (6.14 x 6.18 x 3.15″) and weighs 1335 g (2.94 lb / 47.09 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII. Sony A7S is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 29mm narrower, 63mm shorter and 32mm thinner than Canon 1D MIII.

Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII.

Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII.
Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S is significantly lighter (846g ) than the Canon 1D MIII 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 Sony A7S has a Full frame sensor and Canon 1D MIII has a smaller APS-H sensor, Canon 1D MIII's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7S lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S
1D MIII
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S
1D MIII
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7S and 1D MIII have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

On the other hand, Sony A7S features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Canon 1D MIII has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.
Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Canon 1D MIII has a 10.0MP APS-H (28.7 x 18.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the A7S and 1D MIII sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Canon 1D MIII. 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 Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII 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, A7S has scored 87, 16 points higher than 1D MIII.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7S 87 23.9 bits 13.2 Evs 3702 ISO
Canon 1D MIII 71 22.7 bits 11.7 Evs 1078 ISO
Sony A7S vs Canon 1D 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. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Canon 1D MIII has an advantage over Sony A7S There are 250 lenses for Canon 1D MIII's Canon EF mount, on the other hand there are only 128 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E 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 31 lenses for Sony E mount and 76 lenses for Canon EF mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Sony A7S Lenses # of Canon 1D MIII Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 22
Standard Prime 18 (9 Full Frame) 17
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 20
Wideangle Prime 42 (26 Full Frame) 46
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 50
Telephoto Prime 18 (14 Full Frame) 43
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 9
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 3
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 24
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 16
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 128 (81 Full Frame) 250

What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII 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.

Sony A7S for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Canon 1D MIII for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-H (28.7 x 18.7 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon 1D MIII for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-H (28.7 x 18.7 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon 1D MIII for Sports Photography

GOOD
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
19 Cross Type Focus sensors
45 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 2200 shots
Good Low Light ISO
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 1D MIII for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
Large APS-H (28.7 x 18.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1335g
Body Thickness 80mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 1D MIII for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details
Large APS-H (28.7 x 18.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Canon 1D MIII: 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 Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII, 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 Sony A7S and Canon 1D MIII scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Canon 1D MIII
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #17 out of 36 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #470 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon 1D MIII in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7S
Sony A7S
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Canon 1D MIII
Canon 1D MIII
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Canon 1D MIII vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Brand Sony Canon
Announced 2014-04-06 2007-02-22
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Large SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame APS-H
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 28.7 x 18.7 mm
Area 855.62mm2 536.69mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 3888 x 2592
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 6400 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 25 45
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Canon EF
Number of Available Lenses 128 250
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,230k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x 0.76x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/300s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 1335g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 156 x 157 x 80mm
Battery Life 360 shots 2200 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 71
DxO Color Depth 23.9 22.7
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 11.7
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 1078
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