Sony a7R III vs Canon EOS 7D

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7R III and Canon EOS 7D. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a7R III is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 7D is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a7R III were released 2017 and Canon EOS 7D was released 2009. That is a 8 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7R III 2017
Canon EOS 7D 2009

Type of camera

Sony a7R III is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 7D is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7R III has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Canon EOS 7D has a "Canon APS-C"-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 a7R III 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 7D 80 mm
Canon APS-C sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.6

** 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 a7R III has a 42 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 7D has 18 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a7R III 42 MP
42177408 pixels
7952 x 5304
Canon EOS 7D 18 MP
17915904 pixels
5184 x 3456

Sony a7R III has a 135 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 7D. 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 a7R III has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 7D. Sony a7R III has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Canon EOS 7D has 100 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7R III 100-32000
Canon EOS 7D 100-12800

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 a7R III
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 7D

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7R III can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 7D can shoot up to 8 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7R III 10
Canon EOS 7D 8

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a7R III and Canon EOS 7D 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 7D weighs 860 gr (equal to 1.9 lb) which is 31% heavier than Sony a7R III and its 657 gr (or 1.45 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7R III 657 gr
1.45 lb
Canon EOS 7D 860 gr
1.9 lb

Sony a7R III vs Canon EOS 7D Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7R III and Canon EOS 7D, 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 a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Name Sony a7R III Canon EOS 7D
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Release Year 2017 2009
Release Date 2017-10-25 2009-09-01
MSRP 3199 USD 1699 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 22.3 x 14.9 mm)
Sensor Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Resolution 7952 x 5304 pixels 5184 x 3456 pixels
Megapixels 42 MP 18 MP
Image Processor Bionz X DUAL DIGIC 4
Image
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
ISO Range 100 - 32000 100 - 12800
White Balance Presets 10 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift 5-axis)
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 5.5 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 399 19
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF
Canon EF-S

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier 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
APS-C Sensor
1.6x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 38 mm
50 mm becomes 80 mm
100 mm becomes 160 mm
200 mm becomes 320 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1440000 920000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD TFT color LCD, liquid-crystal monitor
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 1× (0.62× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 N/A
Photography features
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Frames per second 10 fps 8 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 12 meters
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) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
H.264
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Memory Card SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
Connectivity
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n + NFC + Bluetooth)
No
Remote Control Yes (wired, wireless, smartphone) Yes (N3 connector)
GPS No Yes
Optional through GP-E2
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7R III
Canon EOS 7D
Enviromentally sealed Yes Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery and charger
Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 650 shots 800 shots
Width 127 mm 148 mm
Height 96 mm 111 mm
Depth 74 mm 74 mm
Weight 657 gram 860 gram