Sony a37 vs Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a37 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a37 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a37 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II has a "Canon Full Frame"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Sony a37 has a 16 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II has 16,6 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II has a 4 % larger resolution than Sony a37. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a37 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II. Sony a37 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II has 50 to 3200.

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a37
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a37 can shoot up to 5,5 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II can shoot up to 4 pictures per seconds.

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony a37. Unfortunately Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II does not support recording movies and movie clips.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II weighs 1565 gr (equal to 3.45 lb) which is 209% heavier than Sony a37 and its 506 gr (or 1.12 lb).

Sony a37 vs Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a37 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Name	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Manufacturer	Sony	Canon
Release Date and Price	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Release Year	2012	2004
Release Date	2012-05-17	2004-09-21
MSRP	599 USD	7999 USD
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Camera Type	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Camera Type	SLT	DSLR
Sensor	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Sensor Size	APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm)	Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Resolution	4912 x 3264 pixels	4992 x 3328 pixels
Megapixels	16 MP	16,6 MP
Image Processor	Bionz	DIGIC 2
Image	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
ISO Range	100 - 25600	50 - 3200
White Balance Presets	6	8
Custom White Balance	Yes	Yes
Image Stabilization	Yes (Sensor-Shift)	No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating	0 stops	0 stops
Uncompressed format	RAW	RAW
Optics & Focus	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Autofocus Motor	Yes	Yes
Autofocus	Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Single Continuous Face Detection LiveView	Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Single Continuous
Focus Points	15	45
Lens Mount	Sony A See Compatible Lenses	Canon EF See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier	APS-C Sensor (1.5x) 1.5x multiplier Example: 24 mm becomes 36 mm 50 mm becomes 75 mm 100 mm becomes 150 mm 200 mm becomes 300 mm	Full frame No multiplier Example: 24 mm remains 24 mm 50 mm remains 50 mm 100 mm remains 100 mm 200 mm remains 200 mm
Screen & Viewfinder	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Articulated LCD	Tilting	Fixed
Screen size	2.6”	2”
Screen dots	230400	230000
Touch screen	No	No
Screen type	N/A	N/A
Live view	Yes	No
Viewfinder Type	Electronic	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	1.09× (0.73× 35mm equiv.)	0.7×
Viewfinder Resolution	N/A	N/A
Photography features	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Frames per second	5,5 fps	4 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed	30 seconds	30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed	1/4000 seconds	1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash	Yes	No
Built-in Flash Range	12 meters	N/A
External Flash	Yes	Yes
Self-Timer	Yes	Yes
Time-lapse	No	Yes
Metering modes	Multi Center Weighted Spot	Multi Spot Partial
Exposure Compensation	+/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps)	+/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Video recording	Yes	No
Video format	MPEG4 H.264 AVCHD	N/A
Video resolution	1440 x 1080 1920 x 1080	N/A
Built-in Microphone	Yes	No
Built-in Speakers	Yes	No
Storage	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Memory Card	Memory Stick Pro Duo SD/SDHC	Compact Flash
Connectivity	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
HDMI Output	Yes	No
Microphone Port	No	No
Headphone Port	No	No
Wireless	Yes Eye-Fi Connected	No
Remote Control	Yes (Optional)	Yes (N3 connector)
GPS	No	No
Body & Dimensions	Sony a37	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Enviromentally sealed	No	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	Rechargeable NP-FW50 battery & charger	Ni-MH Pack NP-E3
Battery Life (CIPA)	500 shots	1200 shots
Width	124 mm	156 mm
Height	92 mm	158 mm
Depth	85 mm	80 mm
Weight	506 gram	1565 gram