Canon 70D vs Sony A3000

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Canon 70D vs Sony A3000

APS-C 337.5mm²
20.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Canon 70D Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 70D in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 70D.
Compare Canon 70D image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 70D conclusion.

APS-C 357.3mm²
20.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A3000 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A3000 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A3000.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A3000 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon 80D
Compare 70D vs 80D
Compare Canon 80D vs Sony A3000

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Differences

Canon 70D advantages over Sony A3000

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs none
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.70 vs 2.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

920 vs 470 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
216 mm vs 83 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Higher-res screen
347k vs 77k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Less shutter lag
0.07 vs 0.28 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.59x vs 0.47x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Faster JPEG shooting
6.7 fps vs 3.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
65 vs 11 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 16000 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Sony A3000 advantages over Canon 70D

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A3000 test data on DxO Mark 70D test data on DxO Mark

1,068 vs 926 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A3000 test data on DxO Mark 70D test data on DxO Mark

12.8 vs 11.6 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Lighter weight
616g vs 1233g
Lighter weight

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read 70D User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A3000 User Reviews

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Buy the Canon 70D

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm Lens
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

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Buy the Sony A3000

Kit with 18-55mm Lens

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Review Excerpt

Dual Pixel CMOS AF delivers full-time continuous autofocus (with phase detect at every pixel in framing area) for video and Live View still shooting; Full HD (1080p) video recording with pro-level features and quality; Improved resolution and good high ISO performance; Excellent Wi-Fi remote shooting with full exposure controls; 3-inch articulating LCD touchscreen.
Image quality only improved slightly over 60D; Dynamic range still lags behind competing models; May not feature enough upgrades to convince people to step up from 60D.
Read our Canon 70D Review

Absolutely incredible value; Includes a stabilized kit lens; More versatile than a fixed-lens bridge camera; Comfortable body with good ergonomics; Great image quality; Good autofocus performance; Decent battery life.
Feels a bit plasticky; Slow burst shooting with limited buffer; Sluggish to power on or switch modes; Low-res EVF and LCD monitor; Can't review images using EVF; No video output; Weak flash; Battery charges in-camera.
Read our Sony A3000 Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D7100

Canon 70D

Nikon D7100

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$810
APS-C

Fast startup
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 70D vs Nikon D7100

Sony A3000

Nikon D7100

$500
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$810
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A3000 vs Nikon D7100

Compared to Pentax K-01

Canon 70D

Pentax K-01

$999
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

$359
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 70D vs Pentax K-01

Sony A3000

Pentax K-01

$500
APS-C

Less expensive
Eye-level viewfinder

$359
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A3000 vs Pentax K-01

Compared to Pentax K-3

Canon 70D

Pentax K-3

$999
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 70D vs Pentax K-3

Sony A3000

Pentax K-3

$500
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A3000 vs Pentax K-3

Compared to Sony A77 II

Canon 70D

Sony A77 II

$999
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 70D vs Sony A77 II

Sony A3000

Sony A77 II

$500
APS-C

Lighter weight

$1198
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A3000 vs Sony A77 II

Compared to Sigma sd Quattro

Canon 70D

Sigma sd Quattro

$999
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
More dots on screen

Compare Canon 70D vs Sigma sd Quattro

Sony A3000

Sigma sd Quattro

$500
APS-C

Lens selection
In-camera panoramas

$699
APS-C

On-sensor phase detect
HDMI out

Compare Sony A3000 vs Sigma sd Quattro

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