Sony a68 vs Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a68 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a68 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 a68 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 a68 has a 24 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:

Sony a68 has a 14 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 1Ds 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 a68 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. Sony a68 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 25600 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 a68
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 a68 can shoot up to 8 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 a68. 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 127% heavier than Sony a68 and its 610 gr (or 1.34 lb).

Sony a68 vs Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a68 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 a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Name	Sony a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Manufacturer	Sony	Canon
Release Date and Price	Sony a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Release Year	2015	2007
Release Date	2015-11-05	2007-08-20
MSRP	599 USD	6999 USD
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Camera Type	Sony a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Camera Type	SLT	DSLR
Sensor	Sony a68	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	6000 x 4000 pixels	5616 x 3744 pixels
Megapixels	24 MP	21,1 MP
Image Processor	Bionz X	DUAL DIGIC 3
Image	Sony a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
ISO Range	100 - 25600	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 a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Autofocus Motor	Yes	Yes
Autofocus	Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Face Detection LiveView	Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Single Continuous
Focus Points	79	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 a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Articulated LCD	Tilting	Fixed
Screen size	2.7”	3”
Screen dots	460800	230000
Touch screen	No	No
Screen type	TFT LCD	N/A
Live view	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder Type	Electronic	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.88× (0.59× 35mm equiv.)	0.76×
Viewfinder Resolution	N/A	N/A
Photography features	Sony a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Frames per second	8 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	12 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	+/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)	+/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features	Sony a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Video recording	Yes	No
Video format	MPEG4 XAVC-S 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 a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Memory Card	Memory Stick Pro Duo SD/SDHC	Compact Flash SD/SDHC
Connectivity	Sony a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
HDMI Output	Yes	No
Microphone Port	Yes	No
Headphone Port	No	No
Wireless	No	Yes Optional with WFT-E2 II
Remote Control	Yes (wired or smartphone)	Yes (N3 connector)
GPS	No	No
Body & Dimensions	Sony a68	Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Enviromentally sealed	No	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	NP-FM500H lithium-ion battery and charger	Canon LP-E4N Battery Pack
Battery Life (CIPA)	580 shots	1800 shots
Width	143 mm	150 mm
Height	104 mm	160 mm
Depth	81 mm	80 mm
Weight	610 gram	1385 gram