Here is a quick specs comparison between the Nikon D800 and the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III:
| Model | Nikon D800 | Canon EOS 5D Mark III |
|---|---|---|
| Effective Pixels | 36.3 million | 22.3 megapixels |
| Sensor Size | 35.9mm x 24mm | 36 mm x 24mm |
| File Format Still Images | JPEG: JPEG-Baseline Compliant with fine (approx 1:4), Normal (approx 1:8) or Basic (approx 1:16) Compression NEF (RAW): lossless compressed 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed, compressed or uncompressed TIFF (RGB) JPEG: JPEG-Baseline-Compliant; can be selected from Size Priority and Optimal Quality |
JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon Original) M-RAW S-RAW RAW+JPEG M-RAW+JPEG S-RAW+JPEG |
| Picture Control | Landscape Monochrome Neutral Portrait Standard User-customizable Settings Vivid |
Auto Standard Portrait Landscape Neutral Faithful Monochrome User Defined 1-3 |
| Storage Media | CompactFlash© (CF) (Type I, compliant with UDMA) SD SDHC SDXC |
CF Cards (Type I) Compatible with UDMA CF cards SD, SDHC, and SDXC Memory Cards |
| Card Slot | 1 CompactFlash (CF) card and 1 Secure Digital (SD) card | 1 CompactFlash (CF) card and 1 Secure Digital (SD) card |
| Viewfinder Frame Coverage | FX (36×24): 100% Horizontal and 100% Vertical Approx. 1.2x (30×20): 97% Horizontal and 97% Vertical Approx. DX (24×16): 97% Horizontal and 97% Vertical Approx. 5:4 (30×24): 97% Horizontal and 97% Vertical Approx. |
Approx. 100% vertically and horizontally (At approx. 21mm eyepoint) |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.70x Approx. | 0.71x Approx. |
| Lens Compatibility at a Glance*** | AF-S or AF lenses fully compatible Metering with AI lenses |
Canon EF Lenses (excluding EF-S Lenses) |
| Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/8000 sec. | 1/8000 sec. |
| Slowest Shutter Speed | 30 sec. | 30 sec. |
| Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution | 4 frames per second | High-speed: Maximum approx. 6 shots/sec. Low-speed: Maximum approx. 3 shots/sec. Silent continuous shooting: Maximum approx. 3 shots/sec. |
| Exposure Compensation | ±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV | ±5 stops in 1/3 or 1/2-stop increments |
| ISO Sensitivity | ISO 100 – 6400 Lo-1 (ISO 50) Hi-1 (ISO 12,800) Hi-2 (ISO 25,600) |
SO 100-25600 (in 1/3-stop or whole-stop increments) ISO speed expansion possible to ISO 50, 51200, and 102400 |
| Dynamic AF Mode | Number of AF points: 9, 21, 51 and 51 (3D-tracking) | 61-point (up to 41 cross-type points) One to five cross-type AF points at f/2.810 to 20 cross-type AF points at f/4 and 15 to 21 cross-type AF points at f/5.6 |
| Focus Modes | Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A) Continuous-servo (AF-C) Face-Priority AF available in Live View only and D-Movie only Full-time Servo (AF-A) available in Live View only Manual (M) with electronic rangefinder Normal area Single-servo AF (AF-S) Wide area |
One-Shot AF Predictive AI Servo AF AI Focus AF Manual focus |
| Maximum Autofocus Areas/Points | 51 | 61 |
| Built-in Flash | Yes | No |
| Flash Compensation | -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV | ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments |
| White Balance | Auto (2 types) Choose color temperature (2500K–10000K) Cloudy Direct Sunlight Flash Fluorescent (7 types) Incandescent Preset manual (up to 4 values can be stored) Shade |
Auto (AWB) Daylight Shade Cloudy Tungsten light White fluorescent light Flash Custom (Custom WB) Color temperature |
| Live View Shooting | Photography Live View Mode Movie Live View Mode |
Photography Live View Mode Movie Live View Mode |
| Movie | HD 1,920×1,080 / 30 fps HD 1,920×1,080 / 24 fps HD 1,280×720 / 30 fps HD 1,280×720 / 24 fps HD 1,280×720 / 60 fps |
1920×1080: 30/25/24fps 1280×720: 60/50fps 640×480: 30/25fps |
| Monitor Size | 3.2 in. diagonal | 3.2 in. diagonal |
| Monitor Resolution | 921,000 Dots | Approx. 1.04 million dots |
| Monitor Type | TFT | TFT |
| Playback Functions | Auto Image Rotation Full-Frame and Thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar) Histogram Display Image Comment Movie Playback Movie Slideshow Playback with Zoom Slideshow Highlights |
Single image, Single image + Image-recording quality/shooting information histogram, 4- or 9-image index magnified view (approx. 1.5x-10x) rotated image (auto/manual) image jump (by 10/100 images, index screen by shooting date, by folder) two-image comparative display slide show star rating |
| Battery Life (shots per charge) | 900 Battery Life (shots per charge) (CIPA) | Approx. 950 (Viewfinder Shooting, At 73°F/ 23°C) Approx. 850 (Viewfinder Shooting, At 32°F/ 0°C) |
| Approx. Dimensions | 5.7 x 4.8 x 3.2 in. (144.78mm x 121.92mm x 81.28mm) | 6.0 x 4.6 x 3.0 in. (152.0 x 116.4 x 76.4 mm) |
| Approx. Weight | 31.7 oz. (900g) body only | 30.3 oz. (860g) body only |
| Price | $2,999.95 | $3,499.00 |
