Sony a850 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark III

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a850 and Canon EOS 1D Mark III. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a850 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

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a850 has a "Sony Full Frame"-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 a850 has a 25 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 a850 has a 142 % 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

Canon EOS 1D Mark III has a larger ISO-range than Sony a850. Canon EOS 1D Mark III has an ISO range that stretches from 50 to 6400 while Sony a850 has 200 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 a850
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 a850 can shoot up to 3 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.

Though, neither Sony a850 or Canon EOS 1D Mark III can shoot movies so if that is a functionality that you are really looking for you should look elsewhere.

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 29% heavier than Sony a850 and its 895 gr (or 1.97 lb).

Sony a850 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark III Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a850 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 a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Name	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Manufacturer	Sony	Canon
Release Date and Price	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Release Year	2009	2007
Release Date	2009-08-27	2007-02-22
MSRP	1999 USD	3999 USD
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Camera Type	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Camera Type	DSLR	DSLR
Sensor	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Sensor Size	Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)	APS-H (approx 27.9 x 18.6 mm)
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Resolution	6048 x 4032 pixels	3888 x 2592 pixels
Megapixels	25 MP	10,1 MP
Image Processor	Bionz	DUAL DIGIC 3
Image	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
ISO Range	200 - 3200	50 - 6400
White Balance Presets	7	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 a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Autofocus Motor	Yes	Yes
Autofocus	Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Single Continuous	Phase Detect Multi Area Selective Single Point Single Continuous
Focus Points	9	19
Lens Mount	Sony A See Compatible Lenses	Canon EF 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-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 a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Articulated LCD	Fixed	Fixed
Screen size	3”	3”
Screen dots	921600	230000
Touch screen	No	No
Screen type	TFT Xtra Fine color LCD	N/A
Live view	No	Yes
Viewfinder Type	Optical (pentaprism)	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	98%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.74×	0.76× (0.58× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution	N/A	N/A
Photography features	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Frames per second	3 fps	10 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed	30 seconds	30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed	1/8000 seconds	1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash	No	No
Built-in Flash Range	N/A	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 a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Video recording	No	No
Video format	N/A	N/A
Video resolution	N/A	N/A
Built-in Microphone	No	No
Built-in Speakers	No	No
Storage	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Memory Card	Compact Flash Memory Stick Pro Duo	Compact Flash SD/SDHC
Connectivity	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
HDMI Output	Yes	No
Microphone Port	No	No
Headphone Port	No	No
Wireless	No	Yes Optional with WFT-E2 II
Remote Control	Yes (Wired or Wireless (Optional))	Yes (N3 connector)
GPS	No	No
Body & Dimensions	Sony a850	Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Enviromentally sealed	No	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack	Battery Pack
Battery Details	Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger	Battery Pack LP-E4
Battery Life (CIPA)	880 shots	2200 shots
Width	156 mm	156 mm
Height	117 mm	157 mm
Depth	82 mm	80 mm
Weight	895 gram	1155 gram