Canon, Nikon, & Sony Full-Frame Digital Camera Product History Timeline
I created a timeline for DJI product releases and found it to be quite interesting, so I thought I would do a product history timeline for the “big three” camera manufacturers: Canon, Nikon, and Sony. I didn’t want to simply list the camera model and number of megapixels because that doesn’t really tell enough about essential functionality, so the list includes megapixels, still images per second (continuous shooting in RAW with an ideally fast card), video shooting resolution & frame rates, mirrorless vs. DSLR, and lens mount type. This list is currently limited to full frame interchangeable-lens cameras for simplicity. I may make a more complex timeline in the future with more camera brands, but full-frame cameras from these three manufacturers are currently a huge share of the high-end professional camera market, so this will be a good start for now. =)
The information on this page is mostly a combination of info from Canon, Sony, & Nikon support websites. This page contains links to products, so if you find this site useful and use a link to make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Enjoy!
Sep 2002 - Canon EOS-1Ds
11.1 Megapixel, 3fps with 10 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2004 - Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
16.7 Megapixel, 4fps with 11 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Aug 2005 - Canon EOS 5D
12.8 Megapixel, 3fps with 17 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Aug 2007 - Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
21 Megapixel, 5fps with 12 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Aug 2007 - Nikon D3
12.1 Megapixel, 9fps with 18 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Jul 2008 - Nikon D700
12.1 Megapixel, 5fps with 23 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2008 - Canon EOS 5D Mark II
21.1 Megapixel, 3.9fps with 14 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2008 - Sony Alpha 900
24.6 Megapixel, 5fps with 12 shots max burst, DSLR, Sony A-Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Dec 2008 - Nikon D3X
24.5 Megapixel, 5fps with 24 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Aug 2009 - Sony Alpha 850
24.6 Megapixel, 3 fps with 16 shots max burst, DSLR, Sony A-Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Oct 2009 - Nikon D3s
12.1 Megapixel, 9fps with 42 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 1280x720 24fps
Download the User Manual here.
Oct 2011 - Canon EOS-1D X
18.1 Megapixel, 14fps with 38 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Jan 2012 - Nikon D4
16.2 Megapixel, 11fps with 92 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Feb 2012 - Nikon D800 & D800E
36.3 Megapixel, 4fps with 21 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Mar 2012 - Canon EOS 5D Mark III
22.3 Megapixel, 6fps with 18 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2012 - Canon EOS 6D
20.2 Megapixel, 4.5fps with 17 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2012 - Sony a99
24.3 Megapixel, 6fps with 13 shots max burst, DSLR, Sony A-Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2012 - Nikon D600
24.3 Megapixel, 5.5fps with 22 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Oct 2013 - Sony a7
24.3 Megapixel, 5fps (max RAW burst shots not stated by Sony), Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Oct 2013 - Sony a7R
36.8 Megapixel, 4fps (max RAW burst shots not stated by Sony), Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Oct 2013 - Nikon D610
24.3 Megapixel, 6fps with 21 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Nov 2013 - Nikon Df
16.2 Megapixel, 5.5fps with 37 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Download the User Manual here.
Feb 2014 - Nikon D4s
16.2 Megapixel, 11fps with 133 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Apr 2014 - Sony a7S
12.2 Megapixel, 5fps (max RAW burst shots not stated by Sony), Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Jun 2014 - Nikon D810
36.3 Megapixel, 5fps with 47 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2014 - Nikon D750
24.3 Megapixel, 6.5 fps with 25 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Nov 2014 - Sony a7 II
24.3 Megapixel, 5fps (max RAW burst shots not stated by Sony), Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Feb 2015 - Canon EOS 5DS & Canon 5DS R
50.6 Megapixel, 5fps with 14 shots max burst, DSLR, EF Canon Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Jun 2015 - Sony a7R II
42.4 Megapixel, 5fps with 23 shots max burst, Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2015 - Sony a7S II
12.2 Megapixel, 5fps, 31 shots max burst, Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Feb 2016 - Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
20.2 Megapixel, 16fps with unlimited max burst (until card is full), DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Shoots video at 4096x2160 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Aug 2016 - Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
30.4 Megapixel, 7fps with 21 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Shoots video at 4096x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2016 - Sony a99 II
42.4 Megapixel, 12fps (max RAW burst shots not stated by Sony), DSLR, Sony A-Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Jun 2017 - Canon EOS 6D Mark II
26.2 Megapixel, 6.5fps with 21 shots max burst, DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Shoots video at 1920x1080 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Aug 2017 - Nikon D850
45.7 Megapixel, 9fps with 170 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Oct 2017 - Sony a7R III
42.4 Megapixel, 10fps with 76 shots max burst, Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Feb 2018 - Sony a7 III
24.2 Megapixel, 10fps with 89 shots max burst, Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Sep 2018 - Canon EOS R
30.3 Megapixel, 8fps with 47 shots max burst, Mirrorless, Canon RF Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Feb 2019 - Canon EOS RP
26.2 Megapixel, 5fps with unlimited max burst (until card is full), Mirrorless, Canon RF Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Jul 2019 - Sony a7R IV
61 Megapixel, 10fps with 68 shots max burst, Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
October 2019 - Sony a9 II
24.2 Megapixel, 20fps with 239 shots max burst, Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Nov 2019 - Canon EOS Ra (specifically for astrophotography)
30.3 Megapixels, 8fps with 47 shots max burst, Mirrorless, Canon RF Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Jan 2020 - Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
20.1 Megapixel, 20fps with unlimited max burst (until card is full), DSLR, Canon EF Mount
Shoots video at 5472x2886 (12-bit RAW) 60fps
Download the User Manual here.
Jan 2020 - Nikon D780
24.5 Megapixel, 12fps with 100 shots max burst, DSLR, Nikon F Mount
Shoots video at 3840x2160 30fps
Download the User Manual here.
Jul 2020 - Canon EOS R6
20.1 Megapixels, 20fps with 240 max burst, Mirrorless, Canon RF Mount
Shoots video at 4K 60fps (manual not yet available for exact resolution)
Download the User Manual for the Canon EOS R6 here.
Jul 2020 - Canon EOS R5
45 Megapixels, 20fps with 180 max burst, Mirrorless, Canon RF Mount
Shoots video at up to 8K 8192x4320 29.97fps RAW or 4K 4096x2160 119.97fps
Download the User Manual for the Canon EOS R5 here.
Jul 2020 - Sony a7s III (designed to be primarily a 4K video camera)
12.1 Megapixels, 10fps with 1,000+ max burst, Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots video at up to 4k 120fps
Download the User Manual for the Sony a7s III here.
Oct 2020 - Nikon Z 6II
24.5 Megapixels, up to 14fps, Mirrorless, Nikon Z Mount
Shoots video at up to 3840x2160 30 fps
Download the User Manual for the Nikon Z 6II here.
Oct 2020 - Nikon Z 7II
45.7 Megapixels, up to 10fps, Mirrorless, Nikon Z Mount
Shoots video at up to 3840x2160 60fps
Download the User Manual for the Nikon Z 7II here.
Jan 2021 - Sony Alpha 1
50.1 Megapixels, up to 30fps with 155 max burst (Compressed RAW), Mirrorless, Sony E-Mount
Shoots Video up to 8K 30fps or 4K 120fps
Download the User Manual for the Sony Alpha 1 here.
Sep 2021 - Canon EOS R3
24.1 Megapixels, up to 30fps, Mirrorless, Canon RF Mount
Shoots Video up to 6K 60fps RAW or 4K 120fps