Canon 6D Mark II vs Sony A7 III

Introduction

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II is was introduced in 2017, as a semi-professional DSLR camera that simply shines with a sleek design and a highly versatile performance which will allow its users to capture wonderful photos and taste the benefits of having a full-frame camera!

In comparison to the EOS 6D Mark II, the Sony A7 III has a different body, this is a mirrorless, full-frame camera that was released 1 year ago, in 2018, and it didn’t take long before it gained numerous positive critiques from the photographers, due to the fact that this model can be considered as an all-round camera that can satisfy the photographers in nearly every type of photography!

Despite their differences since I will be reviewing a DSLR and mirrorless camera, they share many things in common, and these things make them be truly entertaining options, so let’s start and make an overview about both of them.

Head To Head Comparison

Canon 6D Mark II

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II is fairly compact, considering its full-frame body. It measures 4.4 x 5.7 x 2.9″ (HWD), weighs around 1.7 pounds without a lens, and it is made of a solid, polycarbonate resin with glass fiber which is covered in a matte-black finished and rubberized covering which by default makes this camera be comfortable to shoot with and solid!

Although it is made of a polycarbonate material, this model does not look nor feel cheap, due to the fact that even if you’ve been having this camera as a primary shooting arsenal for years, you will unlikely notice a decrease in terms of its look!

Moreover, if you take a look on the top plate, you’ll notice a single Mode dial sitting on the left side, a hot shoe located on the top-center, while on the right, there’s a large Information LCD screen with 5 dedicated buttons positioned above. Ahead of them, there are multiple buttons as well, such as the M-Fn button, Shutter release button, and a control dial.
On the rear, there are only two buttons on the left side, including a Menu and Info button, so, the rest of the buttons can all be found on the right-handed side.

On the top-rear, you can notice an eye-level, fixed pentaprism viewfinder that covers around 98% of the field, has a 0.71x magnification ratio, and although it isn’t a pentamirror, it is still bright enough to let you have a comfortable view and effectively lock onto the subjects you wish to capture.

Below, there’s a 3″, 1040k-dot vari-angle touch LCD screen which I absolutely favor, mainly because of the fact that you can shoot easily from different angles, and since it is touch-enabled, you won’t face difficulties navigating between menus! Also, the display distributes strong visuals that will satisfy you completely, and up to this point, I don’t have remarks regarding this camera.

In terms of the connectivity options, the 6D Mark II packs a remote control port, Mini USB port, mini HDMI port, microphone input, memory card slot that supports SD/SDHC/SDXC formats at UHS-I Speeds, and the best part – it is Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth-enabled, hence, you’ll have a truly enjoyable transfer of your content!

Speaking of the performance, the 6D Mark II is armed with a 26.2 MP full-frame CMOS sensor, has a DIGIC 7 image processor, an ISO range of 100-40,000 (expandable to 50-102,400), 45-point all cross-type AF system and continuous shooting speed of 6.5 fps, so, as you can see, this camera is indeed strong!

Honestly, I really like how does the 6D Mark II deal with the noise, and if you ever have a chance to shoot with it, you will understand what I really talk about.

Either way, JPGs taken between ISO 100- 800 do not suffer from noise a lot, details are well-defined, colors are vibrant and interestingly, this pattern continues up to ISO 3200, where noise starts to appear. At ISO 6400 – 12,800 noise becomes more prominent but still, you will achieve great results since images are usable, however, beyond ISO 12,800 noise rises as high as you’re increasing the ISO sensitivity level, and therefore, noise overtakes the image quality.

RAW images output superb details at ISO 3200, and up to ISO ISO 12,800 images are usable, but once you push above ISO 25,600 and push higher, keep in mind that blur is heavily pronounced and you won’t benefit from the pictures at all!

Moving on, the 6D Mark II is very capable of recording videos as well. Namely, although it lacks 4K recording, this model gives you an option to record 1080p videos at 24/30/60 fps, 720 videos at 30/60 fps, and the footage quality is nothing but excellent. Feel free to record some videos aside from shooting photos, because this camera will help you get more skilled as a professional.

Canon 6D Mark II Sample Images:

Similar Comparison: Canon 6D vs Canon 6D Mark II

Sony A7 III

The Sony A7 III sports a compact (measures 3.9 x 5.0 x 2.5″( HWD), weighs about 1.4 pounds), all-black colored body that feels very solid, and the reason behind this is that Sony has managed to use a magnesium-alloy throughout the crafting process which contributes a lot into making this camera be strong enough to withstand a daily use. But, Sony didn’t stop here. They have incorporated a weather-sealing as well, with the intention to maximize the rigidity of the camera, so that you can freely shoot under dusty and rainy environment without feeling restricted at anything, once you take the camera in your hand!

Moreover, the A7 III feels comfortable to shoot with as well. If you take a look at the front part of the body, you’ll notice its textured handgrip that will allow you to place your hands naturally, and this is crucial when you opt to shoot for a longer period of time.

On the top-center, there’s a hot shoe, the left side does not hold even a single button, and instead, all of the controls are set on the right-handed part, including two dials, two programmable C1 and C2 buttons and a shutter release button with an On/Off switch!

If you take a look from the rear, you’ll notice that Sony has set multiple buttons that stretch from the top and all the way to the right-bottom, in a kind of compressed fashion due to the compactness of the camera.

On the top, there’s a very crisp, OLED electronic viewfinder that has a magnification ratio of 0.78x, 2,359k-dots and what’s also cool is that it covers up to 100% of the field for your ultimate user experience! In practice, your sight will remain precise once you lock onto a target, and the chances that you’ll ever miss anything is set to 0!

Below the viewfinder, you can find a 3″ LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 1,228k-dots that lets you preview your captured photos and videos and shoot even under a bright daylight, and when we add the fact that it can tilt up and down, by default, it means that you will have an opportunity to shoot from different angles!

The A7III works great with a variety of lenses, especially those for portraits and wide-angle options. I own many of them and i can say that you can find a lens for any category you might want.

Now, let’s talk about the connection options. The Sony A7 III holds two USB ports of which one is micro-USB while the other is of a USB-C type, 3.5mm microphone input, 3.5mm headphone output, and it has a built-in support for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC, which make this camera an unbelievably good option in terms of transmitting your videos and images!

Performance-wise, the A7 III incorporates a 24.2MP BSI full-frame image sensor, an impressively good AF system that consists of 693 phase-detection and 425-contrast AF points, continuous shooting speed of 10 fps, BIONZ X image processor and an ISO range that starts from 100-51,200 which can be expanded all the way to 50-204,800!

If you opt to shoot JPGs, I would like to inform you that you won’t be disappointed with the results, due to the fact that starting from ISO 100 and up to ISO 6400, photos look lifelike, have tremendously defined details and the level of noise is virtually non-existent!

Going above ISO 6400, means that the noise will go in conjunction as you’re increasing the ISO, so, at ISO 12,800 you will start noticing more noise which will top out at the highest setting. Either way, do not hesitate to push up to ISO 12,800 because images are still usable, however, I wouldn’t recommend you go beyond that point.

On contrary, RAW format images handle the noise really well even at the highest points, however, as was the case with the JPGs, the furthest you’d go in my opinion would be at ISO 12,800 because at ISO 51,200 – 102,400+ noise starts to overtake the image quality and it isn’t worth it to go that far.

The Sony a7iii paired with a portrait lens is definitely one of my favorite things in earth. The shots you can get from it are absolutely stunning, and it’s hard to find something better.

Finally, in comparison to the 6D Mark II, the A7 III lets you record 4K videos at 24/30 fps, 1080p videos at 24/30/60 fps, and there’s even an in-camera slow-motion option that will let you push the frame rates up to 120fps! Clearly, the Sony A7 III will offer you a way better performance than the 6D Mark II! Also, the quality of the footage is exceptionally sharp, and without thinking twice, I can easily say that Sony deserves our applaud here! It’s one of the best cameras for fitness videos, vlogs and youtube videos.

Sony A7 III Sample Images:

Similar Comparison: Canon 80D vs Canon 6D Mark II

Canon 6D Mark II vs Sony A7 III Feature Comparison

	Canon 6D Mark II	Sony A7 III
Camera Type	DSLR	Mirrorless
Megapixels	26.2	70 Pixels
ISO Range	100-40,000;50-102,400)	100-51,200;50-204,800
Flip-Out Screen	Yes	Yes
AF Points	45 AF Points	693 AF Points
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	Yes	Yes
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	Full-Frame	BSI-CMOS

Similar Comparison: Canon 6D Mark II vs Canon 7D Mark II

Conclusion

Since we reached this far, you’ve likely gained a better insight regarding this camera, and found out why are they one of the best in their categories.

Prior to announcing the winner, let me make an overview regarding the key aspects of the cameras to help you have an even better decision.

Results of various photography types of both cameras are very close to each other. FOr instance, both cameras perform really good when you shot Portrait photography, although the Sony A7 III is slightly better, the same stands for Street photography.

For Sports photography, both cameras are nothing but excellent, but once again, the A7 III thanks to its faster burst shooting speed and its shutter speed proves itself as better, awhile for Landscape photography, I consider the result as a tie.

The 6D Mark II “beats” the A7 II by having 8% more pixels, 12% higher resolution screen, and stronger battery life ( ~1200 vs ~610 shots), whereas, the A7 III packs 648 more focus points, has more accurate viewfinder, has a faster continuous shooting and mechanical shutter speed, higher color depth, records 4K videos, and outputs a better low-light performance!

If you ask me, I’d go for the Sony A7 III, even though it would cost you more.

Similar Comparison: Canon 5D Mark III vs Canon 6D Mark II