Canon EOS-1D Mark IV vs Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV was introduced in February 2010 and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III was introduced in January 2020. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS-1D Mark IV over Canon EOS-1D X Mark III.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS-1D X Mark III over Canon EOS-1D Mark IV.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV has a 3.0" screen with 920k dot resolution and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has a 3.2" screen with 2,100k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens. Canon EOS-1D X Mark III also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Viewfinder

Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. They both have 100% coverage and 0.76x magnification.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV features a 16.1 megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor with dimensions of 27.9 x 18.6 mm and a total area of 518.9 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 50 - 102,400 in boosted mode. Canon EOS-1D X Mark III features a 20.1 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 576 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 102,400 and expands to 50 - 819,200 in boosted mode.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 4896 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4320 x 2880, 3672 x 2448, 3552 x 2368, 2448 x 1632 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is equipped with DIGIC X processor and can take pictures up to 5472 x 3648 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4368 x 2912, 3648 x 2432, 2736 x 1824 with 3:2 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Cameras have Canon EF lens mount. Due to APS-H sensor in Canon EOS-1D Mark IV its crop factor is equal to 1.3x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.3. Due to Full Frame sensor in Canon EOS-1D X Mark III its crop factor is equal to 1x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS-1D Mark IV it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS-1D X Mark III nothing can be done. On Canon EOS-1D X Mark III it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS-1D Mark IV nothing can be done.

Built-in GPS on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has a built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS-1D Mark IV has an HDMI and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV comes with LP-E4 battery pack with battery life of 1500 shots and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III comes with NB-19 battery pack with battery life of 2850 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV has two card slots - one for SD/SDHC and one for CompactFlash (Type I/II, UDMA 7). Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has Dual CFexpress Type B (CFexpress 1.0) card slots.

Shutter

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV has Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane shutter. Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. Canon EOS-1D Mark IV can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps. Canon EOS-1D X Mark III can shoot continuously up to 20.0 fps.

Focusing

Both cameras have Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with Canon EOS-1D Mark IV having 45 focusing points and with Canon EOS-1D X Mark III having 191 (155 cross-type) focusing points and from -4 to +21 EV detection range. and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III having from -4 to +21 EV detection range.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III range from +1 to +18 EV and 0 to +20 EV respectively and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and ±5 EV range on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III.

Flash

Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/300 sec on Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and 1/250 sec on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV body has dimensions of 156 x 157 x 80 mm (6.14 x 6.18 x 3.15") and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III body has dimensions of 158 x 168 x 83 mm (6.22 x 6.61 x 3.27"). Canon EOS-1D Mark IV weighs 1230 g (2.71 lb / 43.39 oz) and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III weighs 1440 g (3.17 lb / 50.79 oz).

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

156 mm

157 mm

158 mm

168 mm

157 mm

168 mm

80 mm

83 mm