Canon 60D vs 5D Mark III
The Canon EOS 60D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in August 2010 and March 2012. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on an APS-C (60D) and a full frame (5D Mark III) sensor. The 60D has a resolution of 17.9 megapixels, whereas the 5D Mark III provides 22.1 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 60D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
The physical size and weight of the Canon 60D and the Canon 5D Mark III are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 5D Mark III is notably larger (15 percent) than the Canon 60D. Moreover, the 5D Mark III is markedly heavier (26 percent) than the 60D. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor (as in the 5D Mark III) will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, while more compact options are available for the smaller-sensor camera (60D). You can compare the optics available in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.
The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.
# | Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon 60D | 145 mm | 106 mm | 79 mm | 755 g | 1100 | Y | Aug 2010 | 1,399 | ebay.com | |
2. | Canon 5D Mark III | 152 mm | 116 mm | 76 mm | 950 g | 950 | Y | Mar 2012 | 3,499 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon 5D Mark IV | 151 mm | 116 mm | 76 mm | 890 g | 900 | Y | Aug 2016 | 3,499 | amazon.com | |
4. | Canon 80D | 139 mm | 105 mm | 79 mm | 730 g | 960 | Y | Feb 2016 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon 5DS | 152 mm | 116 mm | 76 mm | 930 g | 700 | Y | Feb 2015 | 3,699 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon 5DS R | 152 mm | 116 mm | 76 mm | 930 g | 700 | Y | Feb 2015 | 3,699 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon 7D II | 149 mm | 112 mm | 78 mm | 910 g | 670 | Y | Sep 2014 | 1,799 | ebay.com | |
8. | Canon 70D | 139 mm | 104 mm | 79 mm | 755 g | 920 | Y | Jul 2013 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
9. | Canon T3i | 133 mm | 100 mm | 80 mm | 570 g | 440 | n | Feb 2011 | 599 | ebay.com | |
10. | Canon T2i | 129 mm | 98 mm | 62 mm | 530 g | 440 | n | Feb 2010 | 699 | ebay.com | |
11. | Canon 7D | 148 mm | 111 mm | 74 mm | 860 g | 800 | Y | Sep 2009 | 1,699 | ebay.com | |
12. | Canon T1i | 129 mm | 98 mm | 62 mm | 520 g | 400 | n | Mar 2009 | 799 | ebay.com | |
13. | Canon 5D Mark II | 152 mm | 114 mm | 75 mm | 850 g | 850 | Y | Sep 2008 | 3,499 | ebay.com | |
14. | Canon 50D | 146 mm | 108 mm | 74 mm | 822 g | 800 | Y | Aug 2008 | 1,299 | ebay.com | |
15. | Canon 40D | 146 mm | 108 mm | 74 mm | 822 g | 750 | n | Aug 2007 | 1,299 | ebay.com | |
16. | Nikon D610 | 141 mm | 113 mm | 82 mm | 850 g | 900 | Y | Oct 2013 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
17. | Nikon D7000 | 132 mm | 105 mm | 77 mm | 780 g | 1050 | Y | Sep 2010 | 1,499 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 60D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 60 percent) than the 5D Mark III, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.
Sensor comparison
The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 60D features an APS-C sensor and the Canon 5D Mark III a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the 5D Mark III is 160 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.
Technology-wise, the 5D Mark III uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 5+) than the 60D (DIGIC 4), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.
With 22.1MP, the 5D Mark III offers a higher resolution than the 60D (17.9MP), but the 5D Mark III nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 6.25μm versus 4.31μm for the 60D) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the 5D Mark III is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 6 months) than the 60D, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.
The resolution advantage of the Canon 5D Mark III implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the 5D Mark III for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 28.8 x 19.2 inches or 73.2 x 48.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 23 x 15.4 inches or 58.5 x 39 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 19.2 x 12.8 inches or 48.8 x 32.5 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon 60D are 25.9 x 17.3 inches or 65.8 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 20.7 x 13.8 inches or 52.7 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 17.3 x 11.5 inches or 43.9 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.
The Canon EOS 60D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-102400.
Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under consideration, the 5D Mark III offers substantially better image quality than the 60D (overall score 15 points higher). The advantage is based on 1.8 bits higher color depth, 0.2 EV in additional dynamic range, and 1.5 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.
# | Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon 60D | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.2 | 11.5 | 813 | 66 | |
2. | Canon 5D Mark III | Full Frame | 22.1 | 5760 | 3840 | 1080/30p | 24.0 | 11.7 | 2293 | 81 | |
3. | Canon 5D Mark IV | Full Frame | 30.1 | 6720 | 4480 | 4K/30p | 24.8 | 13.6 | 2995 | 91 | |
4. | Canon 80D | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 23.6 | 13.2 | 1135 | 79 | |
5. | Canon 5DS | Full Frame | 50.3 | 8688 | 5792 | 1080/30p | 24.7 | 12.4 | 2381 | 87 | |
6. | Canon 5DS R | Full Frame | 50.3 | 8688 | 5792 | 1080/30p | 24.6 | 12.4 | 2308 | 86 | |
7. | Canon 7D II | APS-C | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/60p | 22.4 | 11.8 | 1082 | 70 | |
8. | Canon 70D | APS-C | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/30p | 22.5 | 11.6 | 926 | 68 | |
9. | Canon T3i | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.1 | 11.5 | 793 | 65 | |
10. | Canon T2i | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.1 | 11.5 | 784 | 66 | |
11. | Canon 7D | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.0 | 11.7 | 854 | 66 | |
12. | Canon T1i | APS-C | 15.1 | 4752 | 3168 | 1080/20p | 21.7 | 11.5 | 663 | 63 | |
13. | Canon 5D Mark II | Full Frame | 21.0 | 5616 | 3744 | 1080/30p | 23.7 | 11.9 | 1815 | 79 | |
14. | Canon 50D | APS-C | 15.1 | 4752 | 3168 | none | 21.8 | 11.4 | 696 | 63 | |
15. | Canon 40D | APS-C | 10.1 | 3888 | 2592 | none | 22.1 | 11.3 | 703 | 64 | |
16. | Nikon D610 | Full Frame | 24.2 | 6016 | 4016 | 1080/30p | 25.1 | 14.4 | 2925 | 94 | |
17. | Nikon D7000 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/24p | 23.5 | 13.9 | 1167 | 80 |
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/30p).
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The 60D and the 5D Mark III are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the 5D Mark III offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the 60D (96%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the 5D Mark III has a higher magnification (0.71x vs 0.59x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 60D and Canon 5D Mark III along with similar information for a selection of comparators.
# | Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon 60D | optical | Y | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | n | 1/8000s | 5.3/s | Y | n | |
2. | Canon 5D Mark III | optical | Y | 3.2 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 6.0/s | n | n | |
3. | Canon 5D Mark IV | optical | Y | 3.2 / 1620 | fixed | Y | 1/8000s | 7.0/s | n | n | |
4. | Canon 80D | optical | Y | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 7.0/s | Y | n | |
5. | Canon 5DS | optical | Y | 3.2 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | n | n | |
6. | Canon 5DS R | optical | Y | 3.2 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | n | n | |
7. | Canon 7D II | optical | Y | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | Y | n | |
8. | Canon 70D | optical | Y | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 7.0/s | Y | n | |
9. | Canon T3i | optical | n | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 3.7/s | Y | n | |
10. | Canon T2i | optical | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.7/s | Y | n | |
11. | Canon 7D | optical | Y | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 8.0/s | Y | n | |
12. | Canon T1i | optical | n | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.4/s | Y | n | |
13. | Canon 5D Mark II | optical | Y | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 3.9/s | n | n | |
14. | Canon 50D | optical | Y | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 6.3/s | Y | n | |
15. | Canon 40D | optical | Y | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 6.5/s | Y | n | |
16. | Nikon D610 | optical | Y | 3.2 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 6.0/s | Y | n | |
17. | Nikon D7000 | optical | Y | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 6.0/s | Y | n | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The 60D has one, while the 5D Mark III does not. While the built-in flash of the 60D is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.
The 60D has an articulated LCD that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in snapping selfies. In contrast, the 5D Mark III does not have a selfie-screen.The 60D writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the 5D Mark III uses Compact Flash or SDXC cards. The 5D Mark III features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the 60D only has one slot.
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 60D and Canon EOS 5D Mark III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
# | Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon 60D | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
2. | Canon 5D Mark III | Y | mono / mono | Y | Y | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
3. | Canon 5D Mark IV | Y | mono / mono | Y | Y | mini | 3.0 | Y | Y | - | |
4. | Canon 80D | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
5. | Canon 5DS | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Canon 5DS R | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
7. | Canon 7D II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | mini | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Canon 70D | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
9. | Canon T3i | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
10. | Canon T2i | Y | stereo / - | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
11. | Canon 7D | Y | mono / - | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
12. | Canon T1i | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
13. | Canon 5D Mark II | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Canon 50D | Y | - / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
15. | Canon 40D | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
16. | Nikon D610 | Y | mono / mono | Y | Y | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
17. | Nikon D7000 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - |
It is notable that the 5D Mark III has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The 60D lacks such a headphone port.
Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.
Both the 60D and the 5D Mark III have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 60D was replaced by the Canon 70D, while the 5D Mark III was followed by the Canon 5D Mark IV. Further information on the features and operation of the 60D and 5D Mark III can be found, respectively, in the Canon 60D Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon 5D Mark III Manual.
Review summary
So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Canon 60D better than the Canon 5D Mark III or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.
Advantages of the Canon EOS 60D:
- More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- More compact: Is smaller (145x106mm vs 152x116mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
- Less heavy: Is lighter (by 195g or 21 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
- Longer lasting: Can take more shots (1100 versus 950) on a single battery charge.
- Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (60 percent cheaper at launch).
- More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in August 2010).
Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III:
- More detail: Has more megapixels (22.1 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 11%.
- Better image quality: Scores substantially higher (15 points) in the DXO overall evaluation.
- Richer colors: Generates noticeably more natural colors (1.8 bits more color depth).
- Better low-light sensitivity: Can shoot in dim conditions (1.5 stops ISO advantage).
- Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 5+ vs DIGIC 4).
- Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
- More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 96%).
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.71x vs 0.59x).
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 5.3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
- More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 6 months) more recently.
If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 5D Mark III is the clear winner of the contest (12 : 8 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 60D and the Canon 5D Mark III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 60D or the 5D Mark III perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.
Expert reviews
This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
# | Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon 60D | 5/5 | + | .. | 79/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2010 | 1,399 | ebay.com | |
2. | Canon 5D Mark III | .. | + + | .. | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Mar 2012 | 3,499 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon 5D Mark IV | 4.5/5 | + + | 4/5 | 87/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2016 | 3,499 | amazon.com | |
4. | Canon 80D | 4/5 | + + | 4.5/5 | 84/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2016 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon 5DS | .. | + | .. | 83/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2015 | 3,699 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon 5DS R | 5/5 | + | .. | 83/100 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2015 | 3,699 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon 7D II | 4.5/5 | + | 3.5/5 | 84/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2014 | 1,799 | ebay.com | |
8. | Canon 70D | 5/5 | + + | .. | 83/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Jul 2013 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
9. | Canon T3i | 3/5 | o | .. | 77/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2011 | 599 | ebay.com | |
10. | Canon T2i | .. | + + | .. | 77/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2010 | 699 | ebay.com | |
11. | Canon 7D | 5/5 | + + | .. | 84/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2009 | 1,699 | ebay.com | |
12. | Canon T1i | .. | + + | .. | 74/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Mar 2009 | 799 | ebay.com | |
13. | Canon 5D Mark II | 4/5 | 91/100 | .. | 79/100 | 4/5 | .. | Sep 2008 | 3,499 | ebay.com | |
14. | Canon 50D | .. | + + | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2008 | 1,299 | ebay.com | |
15. | Canon 40D | .. | + + | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2007 | 1,299 | ebay.com | |
16. | Nikon D610 | 4/5 | + + | .. | 87/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Oct 2013 | 1,999 | ebay.com | |
17. | Nikon D7000 | 4/5 | .. | .. | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2010 | 1,499 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.
- Canon 100D vs Canon 60D
- Canon 1D vs Canon 60D
- Canon 1Ds Mark II vs Canon 5D Mark III
- Canon 250D vs Canon 5D Mark III
- Canon 5D Mark III vs Canon SL1
- Canon 5D Mark III vs Nikon D1X
- Canon 5D Mark III vs Nikon D7000
- Canon 5D Mark III vs Sony A7R IV
- Canon 60D vs Olympus E-PL1
- Canon 60D vs Sony A77
- Canon 60D vs Sony A7C
- Canon 60D vs Sony RX100 V
Specifications: Canon 60D vs Canon 5D Mark III
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Canon 60D | Canon 5D Mark III |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | Digital single lens reflex |
Camera Lens | Canon EF mount lenses | Canon EF mount lenses |
Launch Date | August 2010 | March 2012 |
Launch Price | USD 1,399 | USD 3,499 |
Sensor Specs | Canon 60D | Canon 5D Mark III |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | APS-C Sensor | Full Frame Sensor |
Sensor Size | 22.3 x 14.9 mm | 36.0 x 24.0 mm |
Sensor Area | 332.27 mm2 | 864 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 26.8 mm | 43.3 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.6x | 1.0x |
Sensor Resolution | 17.9 Megapixels | 22.1 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 5184 x 3456 pixels | 5760 x 3840 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 4.31 μm | 6.25 μm |
Pixel Density | 5.39 MP/cm2 | 2.56 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | 1080/30p Video | 1080/30p Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 6,400 ISO | 100 - 25,600 ISO |
ISO Boost | 100 - 12,800 ISO | 50 - 102,400 ISO |
Image Processor | DIGIC 4 | DIGIC 5+ |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 66 | 81 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | 22.2 | 24.0 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 11.5 | 11.7 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | 813 | 2293 |
Screen Specs | Canon 60D | Canon 5D Mark III |
Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 96% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.59x | 0.71x |
Top-Level Screen | Control Panel | Control Panel |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 3.2inch |
LCD Resolution | 1040k dots | 1040k dots |
LCD Attachment | Swivel screen | Fixed screen |
Shooting Specs | Canon 60D | Canon 5D Mark III |
Focus System | Phase-detect AF | Phase-detect AF |
Continuous Shooting | 5.3 shutter flaps/s | 6 shutter flaps/s |
Shutter Life Expectancy | 100 000 actuations | 150 000 actuations |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | no On-Board Flash |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | CF or SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Dual card slots |
UHS card support | no | no |
Connectivity Specs | Canon 60D | Canon 5D Mark III |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
Studio Flash | PC Sync socket | PC Sync socket |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | mini HDMI | mini HDMI |
Microphone Port | External MIC port | External MIC port |
Headphone Socket | no Headphone port | Headphone port |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | no Wifi |
Body Specs | Canon 60D | Canon 5D Mark III |
Environmental Sealing | Weathersealed body | Weathersealed body |
Battery Type | Canon LP-E6 | Canon LP-E6 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 1100 shots per charge | 950 shots per charge |
Body Dimensions |
145 x 106 x 79 mm (5.7 x 4.2 x 3.1 in) |
152 x 116 x 76 mm (6.0 x 4.6 x 3.0 in) |
Camera Weight | 755 g (26.6 oz) | 950 g (33.5 oz) |
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