Sony a9 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a9 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a9 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 5D Mark III is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a9 were released 2017 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III was released 2012. That is a 5 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a9 2017
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 2012

Type of camera

Sony a9 is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 5D 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 5D 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 5D Mark III has 22,3 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 5D Mark III 22,3 MP
22118400 pixels
5760 x 3840

Sony a9 has a 9 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 5D 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 5D Mark III. Sony a9 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 51200 while Canon EOS 5D Mark III has 100 to 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a9 100-51200
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 100-25600

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 5D 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 5D Mark III can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a9 20
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 6

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a9 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III 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 5D Mark III weighs 950 gr (equal to 2.09 lb) which is 41% heavier than Sony a9 and its 673 gr (or 1.48 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a9 673 gr
1.48 lb
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 950 gr
2.09 lb

Sony a9 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a9 and Canon EOS 5D 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 5D Mark III
Name Sony a9 Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Release Year 2017 2012
Release Date 2017-04-19 2012-03-02
MSRP 4499 USD 3499 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D 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 5760 x 3840 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 22,3 MP
Image Processor Bionz X DIGIC 5+
Image
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
ISO Range 100 - 51200 100 - 25600
White Balance Presets 10 6
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 5D 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
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 693 61
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 5D Mark III
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 3,2”
Screen dots 1440000 1040000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD Clear View II TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.71×
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 N/A
Photography features
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Frames per second 20 fps 6 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) +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
H.264
Video resolution 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Memory Card SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port Yes Yes
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11/b/g/n with NFC)
Yes
Optional with Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E7
Remote Control Yes (Wired or wireless) Yes (Remote control with N3 type contact, Wireless Controller LC-5, Remote Controller RC-6)
GPS No Yes
Optional with GP-E2 unit
Body & Dimensions
Sony a9
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Enviromentally sealed Yes Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100
Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 650 shots 950 shots
Width 127 mm 152 mm
Height 96 mm 116 mm
Depth 63 mm 76 mm
Weight 673 gram 950 gram