Sony a55 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark III

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a55 and Canon EOS 1D Mark III. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a55 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 1D Mark III is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Type of camera

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a55 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS 1D Mark III has a "Canon APS-H"-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 a55 has a 16 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 1D Mark III has 10,1 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Sony a55 has a 59 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 1D Mark III. 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 a55 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 1D Mark III. Sony a55 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 12800 while Canon EOS 1D Mark III has 50 to 6400.

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 a55
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 1D Mark III

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a55 can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 1D Mark III can shoot up to 10 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 a55. Unfortunately Canon EOS 1D Mark III 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 1D Mark III weighs 1155 gr (equal to 2.55 lb) which is 131% heavier than Sony a55 and its 500 gr (or 1.1 lb).

Sony a55 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark III Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a55 and Canon EOS 1D Mark III, 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 a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Name	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Manufacturer	Sony	Canon
Release Date and Price	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Release Year	2010	2007
Release Date	2010-08-24	2007-02-22
MSRP	749 USD	3999 USD
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Camera Type	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Camera Type	SLT	DSLR
Sensor	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Sensor Size	APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm)	APS-H (approx 27.9 x 18.6 mm)
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Resolution	4912 x 3264 pixels	3888 x 2592 pixels
Megapixels	16 MP	10,1 MP
Image Processor	Bionz	DUAL DIGIC 3
Image	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
ISO Range	100 - 12800	50 - 6400
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 a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
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	19
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	APS-H Sensor 1.3x multiplier Example: 24 mm becomes 31 mm 50 mm becomes 65 mm 100 mm becomes 130 mm 200 mm becomes 260 mm
Screen & Viewfinder	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Articulated LCD	Fully articulated	Fixed
Screen size	3”	3”
Screen dots	921000	230000
Touch screen	No	No
Screen type	N/A	N/A
Live view	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder Type	Electronic	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	1.1× (0.73× 35mm equiv.)	0.76× (0.58× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution	N/A	N/A
Photography features	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Frames per second	10 fps	10 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	10 meters	N/A
External Flash	Yes	Yes
Self-Timer	Yes	Yes
Time-lapse	No	Yes
Metering modes	Multi Center Weighted Spot	Multi Center Weighted Spot Partial
Exposure Compensation	+/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps)	+/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
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	No	No
Storage	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Memory Card	Memory Stick Pro Duo SD/SDHC	Compact Flash SD/SDHC
Connectivity	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
HDMI Output	Yes	No
Microphone Port	No	No
Headphone Port	No	No
Wireless	Yes Eye-Fi Connected	Yes Optional with WFT-E2 II
Remote Control	Yes (Optional)	Yes (N3 connector)
GPS	Yes Built-in	No
Body & Dimensions	Sony a55	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Enviromentally sealed	No	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	Rechargeable NP-FW50 battery & charger	Battery Pack LP-E4
Battery Life (CIPA)	380 shots	2200 shots
Width	124 mm	156 mm
Height	92 mm	157 mm
Depth	85 mm	80 mm
Weight	500 gram	1155 gram