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

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, 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 III was introduced in January 2020 and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II was introduced in February 2016. 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 X Mark III over 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 Canon EOS-1D X Mark III.

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 X Mark III and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II have 3.2" Fixed screens with 2,100k dot and 1,620k dot resolutions respectively. Both models feature 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 and 0.76x magnification.

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 864 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 102,400 and expands to 50 - 819,200 in boosted mode. 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 576 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 51,200 and expands to 50 - 409,600 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 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. 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.

Lens Mount

Cameras have Canon EF 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.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. 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 X Mark II nothing can be done. On Canon EOS-1D X Mark II 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.

Built-in GPS

Cameras have 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 X Mark III has a Mini HDMI and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III comes with NB-19 battery pack with battery life of 2850 shots and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II comes with LP-E19 battery pack with battery life of 1210 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has Dual CFexpress Type B (CFexpress 1.0) card slots. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II has two card slots - one for CompactFlash (UDMA 7) and one for CFast (CFast 2.0).

Shutter

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II have Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane. shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. Canon EOS-1D X Mark III can shoot continuously up to 20.0 fps. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II can shoot continuously up to 16.0 fps.

Focusing

Both cameras have Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with Canon EOS-1D X Mark III having 191 (155 cross-type) focusing points and from -4 to +21 EV detection range and with Canon EOS-1D X Mark II having 61 focusing points and from -3 to +18 EV detection range. and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III having from -4 to +21 EV detection range and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II having from -3 to +18 EV detection range.

Exposure

Both cameras' exposure metering ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.

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 1/250 sec on both cameras.

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II bodies have the same dimensions of 158 x 168 x 83 mm (6.22 x 6.61 x 3.27"). Canon EOS-1D X Mark III weighs 1440 g (3.17 lb / 50.79 oz) and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II weighs 1530 g (3.37 lb / 53.97 oz).

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

158 mm

168 mm

158 mm

168 mm

168 mm

168 mm

83 mm

83 mm