Sony a580 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a580 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a580

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Manufacturing

Sony a580 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 5D Mark III is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a580 were released 2010 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III was released 2012. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a580	2010
Canon EOS 5D Mark III	2012

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a580 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Canon EOS 5D 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.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a580	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Canon EOS 5D Mark III	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** 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 a580 has a 16 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 5D Mark III has 22,3 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a580	16 MP 16032768 pixels 4912 x 3264
Canon EOS 5D Mark III	22,3 MP 22118400 pixels 5760 x 3840

Canon EOS 5D Mark III has a 38 % larger resolution than Sony a580. 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

Canon EOS 5D Mark III has a larger ISO-range than Sony a580. Canon EOS 5D Mark III has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 while Sony a580 has 100 to 12800.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a580	100-12800
Canon EOS 5D Mark III	100-25600

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 a580
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a580 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 5D Mark III can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a580	5
Canon EOS 5D Mark III	6

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a580 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III can shoot movies.

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 5D Mark III weighs 950 gr (equal to 2.09 lb) which is 59% heavier than Sony a580 and its 599 gr (or 1.32 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a580	599 gr 1.32 lb
Canon EOS 5D Mark III	950 gr 2.09 lb