Sony a850 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark IV

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

Manufacturing

Sony a850 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 1D Mark IV is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

These two camera models were both released 2009.

Camera Released
Sony a850 2009
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 2009

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 IV 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.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a850 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 65 mm
Canon APS-H sensor
Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.3

** 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 IV has 16,1 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a850 25 MP
24385536 pixels
6048 x 4032
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 16,1 MP
15980544 pixels
4896 x 3264

Sony a850 has a 53 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. 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 IV has a larger ISO-range than Sony a850. Canon EOS 1D Mark IV has an ISO range that stretches from 50 to 102400 while Sony a850 has 200 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a850 200-3200
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 50-102400

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 IV

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 IV can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a850 3
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 10

Ability to record movies

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

It is only one of these two cameras that support recording movies and movie clips and that is Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. Sadly, the Sony a850 does not support this.

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 IV weighs 1230 gr (equal to 2.71 lb) which is 37% heavier than Sony a850 and its 895 gr (or 1.97 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a850 895 gr
1.97 lb
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 1230 gr
2.71 lb

Sony a850 vs Canon EOS 1D Mark IV Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a850 and Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 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 IV
Name Sony a850 Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a850
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
Release Year 2009 2009
Release Date 2009-08-27 2009-10-20
MSRP 1999 USD 4999 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a850
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
Camera Type DSLR DSLR
Sensor
Sony a850
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
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 4896 x 3264 pixels
Megapixels 25 MP 16,1 MP
Image Processor Bionz DIGIC 4
Image
Sony a850
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
ISO Range 200 - 3200 50 - 102400
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 IV
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 9 45
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 IV
Articulated LCD Fixed Fixed
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 921600 920000
Touch screen No No
Screen type TFT Xtra Fine color LCD TFT LCD
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 IV
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
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 IV
Video recording No Yes
Video format N/A H.264
Video resolution N/A 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone No Yes
Built-in Speakers No No
Storage
Sony a850
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
Memory Card Compact Flash
Memory Stick Pro Duo
Compact Flash
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a850
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port No Yes
Headphone Port No No
Wireless No Yes
Optional , Eye-Fi Connected and Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2
Remote Control Yes (Wired or Wireless (Optional)) Yes (N3 connector)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a850
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
Enviromentally sealed No Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
Lithium-Ion LP-E4 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 880 shots 1500 shots
Width 156 mm 156 mm
Height 117 mm 157 mm
Depth 82 mm 80 mm
Weight 895 gram 1230 gram