Sony a57 vs Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a57 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a57 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 1Ds 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 a57 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 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 a57 has a 16 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III has 21,1 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III has a 31 % larger resolution than Sony a57. 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 a57 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. Sony a57 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 16000 while Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 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 a57
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a57 can shoot up to 12 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III can shoot up to 5 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 a57. Unfortunately Canon EOS 1Ds 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 1Ds Mark III weighs 1385 gr (equal to 3.05 lb) which is 124% heavier than Sony a57 and its 618 gr (or 1.36 lb).

Sony a57 vs Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a57 and Canon EOS 1Ds 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 a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Name	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Manufacturer	Sony	Canon
Release Date and Price	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Release Year	2012	2007
Release Date	2012-03-13	2007-08-20
MSRP	699 USD	6999 USD
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Camera Type	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Camera Type	SLT	DSLR
Sensor	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
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	5616 x 3744 pixels
Megapixels	16 MP	21,1 MP
Image Processor	Bionz	DUAL DIGIC 3
Image	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
ISO Range	100 - 16000	50 - 3200
White Balance Presets	9	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 a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Autofocus Motor	Yes	Yes
Autofocus	Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Tracking 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 a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Articulated LCD	Fully articulated	Fixed
Screen size	3”	3”
Screen dots	921000	230000
Touch screen	No	No
Screen type	Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology	N/A
Live view	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder Type	Electronic	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	1.04× (0.69× 35mm equiv.)	0.76×
Viewfinder Resolution	N/A	N/A
Photography features	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Frames per second	12 fps	5 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	+/- 3 (at 1/3 EV steps)	+/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds 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	Yes	No
Storage	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Memory Card	Memory Stick Pro Duo SD/SDHC	Compact Flash SD/SDHC
Connectivity	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds 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	No	No
Body & Dimensions	Sony a57	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Enviromentally sealed	No	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	Rechargeable NP-FM500H battery & charger	Canon LP-E4N Battery Pack
Battery Life (CIPA)	550 shots	1800 shots
Width	132 mm	150 mm
Height	98 mm	160 mm
Depth	81 mm	80 mm
Weight	618 gram	1385 gram