Canon EOS-1D X Mark II vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900, 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 X Mark II was introduced in February 2016 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 was introduced in October 2008. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Highlights

      • 20.2 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 51,200 Native ISO
      • 61 Focus Points
      • 3.2" 1,620k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 16.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 4096 x 2160 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in GPS
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 Highlights

      • 24.6 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 922k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      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.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900.

      PROS

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      •   Video Capture
      •   Large Sensor
      •   51,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   High DxO Overall Score - 88
      •   High Video Resolution - 4096 x 2160
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      •   Expensive
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Heavy - 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   -3 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 16.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.6 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots

      Advantage of Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS-1D X Mark II over Sony Alpha DSLR-A900.

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A900
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Native ISO 51,200 vs 6,400
      Higher Bit Depth 14-Bit vs 12-Bit
      More Focus Points 61 vs 9
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Touch Screen vs
      Larger Screen 3.2" vs 3.0"
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,620k dot vs 922k dot
      Live View vs
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.76x vs 0.74x
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 16.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
      Average Metering vs
      Partial Metering vs
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 3207 vs 1431
      Higher DxO Color Depth 24.1 vs 23.7
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 13.5 vs 12.3
      Higher DxO Overall Score 88 vs 79
      Higher USB Speed USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
      Built-in Microphone Mono vs
      Microphone Input vs
      Headphone Output vs
      Built-in GPS vs
      Longer Battery Life 1210 shots vs 880 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.

      Advantage of Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 over Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A900
      Higher Sensor Resolution 20.2 Megapixel vs 24.6 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 5472 x 3648 vs 6048 x 4032
      Image Stabilization vs Sensor Shift
      Lighter 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz) vs 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha DSLR-A900.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      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.

      STRENGTHS Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Sony Alpha DSLR-A900
        Large SensorFull FrameFull Frame
        High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/8000 sec1/8000 sec
        HDMI Output Mini Mini Type C
        Environmental Sealing
        Many Storage Slots22
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Sony Alpha DSLR-A900
        Timelapse Recording
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        No Built-In Wi-Fi via optional WFT-E8 transmitter
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has a 3.2" screen with 1,620k dot resolution and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has a 3.0" screen with 922k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality 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.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II features a 20.2 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 864 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 51,200 and expands to 50 - 409,600 in boosted mode. Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 features a 24.6 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.9 x 24 mm and a total area of 576 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400.


      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
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is equipped with Dual DIGIC 6+ 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. Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 6048 x 4032 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4400 x 2936, 4400 x 2936, 3024 x 2016, 6048 x 3408, 4400 x 2472, 3024 x 1704, 3924 x 2656, 2896 x 1928, 1984 x 1320 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has Canon EF lens mount and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has Sony A lens mount. Due to their Full Frame sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

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

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II 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.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has a Mini HDMI and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II comes with LP-E19 battery pack with battery life of 1210 shots and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 comes with NP-FM500H battery pack with battery life of 880 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has two card slots - one for CompactFlash (UDMA 7) and one for CFast (CFast 2.0). Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has two card slots - one for Compact Flash (Type I or II), Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo and one for .

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has Electronically controlled Vertical-traverse Carbon Fiber Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, and up to 1/8000 sec on Sony Alpha DSLR-A900. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II can shoot continuously up to 16.0 fps. Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 61 focusing points and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has 9 focusing points. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has detection range from -3 to +18 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Canon EOS-1D X Mark II ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and ±3 EV range on Sony Alpha DSLR-A900. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sony Alpha DSLR-A900.


      Flash

      Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal to Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and via Proprietary Hot Shoe (compatible w/ Sony & Minolta flashes) to Sony Alpha DSLR-A900. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II body has dimensions of 158 x 168 x 83 mm (6.22 x 6.61 x 3.27") and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 body has dimensions of 156 x 117 x 82 mm (6.14 x 4.61 x 3.23"). Canon EOS-1D X Mark II weighs 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz) and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 weighs 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz).

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      158 mm

      168 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      156 mm

      117 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      168 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      117 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      83 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      82 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      EXCELLENT
      92
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      82
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      GOOD
      80
      •   51,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 16.0 fps
      •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      GOOD
      76
      •   51,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 16.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   Large Sensor
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      78
      •   Large Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      GOOD
      77
      •   Large Sensor
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)
      GOOD
      81
      •   Large Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   High Video Resolution - 4096 x 2160
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
      GOOD
      80
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 and give them scores of 77 and 65 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      OVERALL
      77
      OVERALL
      65

      Sensor

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      GOOD
      75
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   51,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   High DxO Overall Score - 88
      GOOD
      74
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.6 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79

      Photo

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 16.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      GOOD
      76
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      POOR
      49
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Video Resolution - 4096 x 2160
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      0
      •   Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      EXCELLENT
      90
      •   -3 EV Min AF Detection
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      71
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      GOOD
      84
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      57
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

      GOOD
      72
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1210 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      GOOD
      74
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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