Canon EOS
5D Mark III
 vs
Sony SLT
A77

Updated (March, 2013): Compare the Canon EOS 7D MII vs Sony SLT-A77

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

85

  
Sony SLT-A77

69

  

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Low light performance
 Low noise at high ISO
2,293 ISO
Screen size
 Large screen
3.2"
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
25,600 ISO
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
120 ms shutter lag
 
Runner-up

Sony SLT A77

Reasons to buy the Sony SLT A77

Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
13.2 EV
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
12 fps
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Panorama
 In-camera panoramas
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
 

differences

Advantages of the Canon 5D Mark III
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO 2,293 ISO vs 801 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark III has excellent image quality 1.5 f-stops higher ISO than the SLT A77
Startup delay Much less startup delay 500 ms vs 3100 ms
Help
 6.2x less delay when turning on
Screen size Significantly larger screen 3.2" vs 3.0"
Help
 Around 10% larger screen
Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder Pentaprism vs Digital
Help
 Optical viewfinders save battery life and are more detailed
Cross type focus points Many more cross-type focus points 41 vs 11
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Sensor size Much larger sensor Full frame 36.0x24.0mm vs APS-C 23.5x15.6mm
Help
 Around 2.5x larger sensor
Focus points Many more focus points 61 vs 19
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Overall image quality Better image quality 81.0 vs 78.0
Help
 Almost the same
Lens availability More lenses available 125 lenses vs 92 lenses
Help
 Around 40% more lenses available
Screen resolution Higher resolution screen 1,040k dots vs 921k dots
Help
 More than 10% higher resolution screen
Battery life Longer battery life 950 shots vs 530 shots
Help
 Around 80% more shots per battery charge
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 25,600 ISO vs 16,000 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark III's maximum light sensitivity is 0.7 f-stops better
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 102,400 ISO vs 25,600 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark III's boost ISO is 2 f-stops better
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Thickness Thinner 3" vs 3.2"
Help
 Around 10% thinner
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Learn more about
the Canon 5D Mark III

Advantages of the Sony SLT A77
Dynamic range More dynamic range 13.2 EV vs 11.7 EV
Help
 1.5 f-stops more dynamic range
Image stabilization Image stabilization Sensor shift vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 12 fps vs 6 fps
Help
 2x faster continuous shooting
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
GPS Has a GPS Yes vs No
Help
 Automatically geotags your photos when traveling
True resolution Higher true resolution 24 MP vs 22.1 MP
Help
 Capture around 10% more detail in your photos
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
 A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Size Smaller 143x104x81 mm vs 152x116x76 mm
Help
 More than 10% smaller
Weight Lighter 732 g vs 950 g
Help
 More than 20% lighter
Lowest price Cheaper $998.00 vs $3,249.95
Help
 The best price we've seen is $2,252 cheaper (3.3x less)
Sony SLT-A77 Learn more about
the Sony SLT A77
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Canon EOS 5D Mark III
85 vs 69
Explain scores
Sony SLT A77 Sony SLT-A77
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Viewfinder size Above average viewfinder size Help
5D Mark III:0.71x
SLT A77:0.72x
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Shutter lag Minimal shutter lag Help
5D Mark III:120 ms
SLT A77:124 ms
Viewfinder coverage Above average viewfinder coverage Help
100%
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second

Snapsort is not aware of any interesting weaknesses shared by these two products.

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses

Snapsort is not aware of any interesting strengths shared by these two products.

Snapsort is not aware of any interesting weaknesses shared by these two products.

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 6D

Canon EOS 6D

Pro DSLR

$1,999 body only

$2,599 with 24-105mm lens
Thickness Is thinner
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Viewfinder coverage Significantly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the EOS 6D vs the EOS 5D Mark III
Compare the EOS 6D vs the SLT A77
Nikon D800

Nikon D800

Pro DSLR

$2,797 body only

$3,187 with 70-300mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D800 vs the EOS 5D Mark III
Compare the D800 vs the SLT A77
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,479 body only

$2,699 - $3,000 with 24-105mm lens
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
HDR Lacks a built in HDR feature
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the EOS 5D Mark III
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the SLT A77
Nikon D600

Nikon D600

Pro DSLR

$1,997 body only

$2,397 with 24-85mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D600 vs the EOS 5D Mark III
Compare the D600 vs the SLT A77
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,499 body only

$1,699 with 28-135mm lens
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available
HDR Lacks a built in HDR feature
Autofocus Lacks autofocus
Compare the EOS 7D vs the EOS 5D Mark III
Compare the EOS 7D vs the SLT A77
Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100

Entry-level DSLR

$1,197 body only

$1,497 with 18-105mm lens
Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
Lens availability Significantly more lenses available
Autofocus Users slower contrast detection autofocus
Light sensitivity Slightly lower maximum light sensitivity
Compare the D7100 vs the EOS 5D Mark III
Compare the D7100 vs the SLT A77
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$997 with 18-105mm lens
Lens availability Significantly more lenses available
HDR Lacks a built in HDR feature
Autofocus Users slower contrast detection autofocus
Compare the D7000 vs the EOS 5D Mark III
Compare the D7000 vs the SLT A77

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 1D X

Canon EOS 1D X

Pro DSLR

$6,799 body only
Continuous shooting Shoots much faster
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Size Much larger
True resolution Lower true resolution
Compare the EOS 1D X vs the EOS 5D Mark III

Sony SLT-A77 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony SLT-A65

Sony SLT A65

Entry-level DSLR

$587 - $698 body only

$798 - $1,005 with 18-55mm lens
Startup delay Less startup delay
Size Smaller
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Compare the SLT A65 vs the SLT A77
Sony SLT A57

Sony SLT A57

Entry-level DSLR

$460 - $499 body only

$519 - $539 with 18-55mm lens
Size Smaller
Weight Lighter
Weather sealed No weather sealing
True resolution Significantly lower true resolution
Compare the SLT A57 vs the SLT A77
Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-7

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$948 body only

$1,098 with 18-55mm lens
Startup delay Much less startup delay
Thickness Much thinner
Autofocus Slower autofocus
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Compare the NEX-7 vs the SLT A77

appearance

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Sony SLT-A77
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Sony SLT-A77
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Sony SLT-A77

discussion

Showing 2 comments

Gozals (4:32 AM, May 27, 2012)
I choose A77 because many of my friends use the Sony Alpha system..
Choose the Canon if your friends use it, so its easier to test some lenses
 
Avatar for nkalu nkalu (4:08 AM, April 01, 2012)
They are both great cameras.
Which one is a better buy?