Sony a9 vs Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a9 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a9 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a9 were released 2017 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III was released 2007. That is a 10 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a9 2017
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 2007

Type of camera

Sony a9 is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Even though the camera sensors might be called differently they are both considered Full frame which means that the focal length of the lenses is not affected. There is no crop factor on any of these cameras and sensors.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a9 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 1Ds 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 a9 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:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a9 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21,1 MP
21026304 pixels
5616 x 3744

Sony a9 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 a9 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. Sony a9 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III has 50 to 3200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a9 100-51200
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 50-3200

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 a9
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 a9 can shoot up to 20 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a9 20
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 5

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 a9. 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 106% heavier than Sony a9 and its 673 gr (or 1.48 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a9 673 gr
1.48 lb
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 1385 gr
3.05 lb

Sony a9 vs Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a9 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 a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Name Sony a9 Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Release Year 2017 2007
Release Date 2017-04-19 2007-08-20
MSRP 4499 USD 6999 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type Stacked 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 a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
ISO Range 100 - 51200 50 - 3200
White Balance Presets 10 8
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift (5-axis))
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Focus Points 693 45
Lens Mount Sony E

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
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 a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1440000 230000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD N/A
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.76×
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 N/A
Photography features
Sony a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Frames per second 20 fps 5 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
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
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 a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Video recording Yes No
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
N/A
Video resolution 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
N/A
Built-in Microphone Yes No
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Memory Card SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
HDMI Output Yes No
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11/b/g/n with NFC)
Yes
Optional with WFT-E2 II
Remote Control Yes (Wired or wireless) Yes (N3 connector)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a9
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Enviromentally sealed Yes Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100
Canon LP-E4N Battery Pack
Battery Life (CIPA) 650 shots 1800 shots
Width 127 mm 150 mm
Height 96 mm 160 mm
Depth 63 mm 80 mm
Weight 673 gram 1385 gram