The EOS 5D Mark III from Canon has a lot of expectations to meet. The Canon EOS 5D was the first single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) that made full-frame digital photography accessible to amateur photographers. Then its successor, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, appeared on the market, credited with launching the current trend of shooting video on a DSLR.
When the Canon 5D Mark II turned three years old in September 2011, it was only natural that the rumor mill went into overdrive with loads of conjecture about the expected specifications of the upcoming Canon 5D Mark III.
Canon’s most recent full-frame camera has a lot to offer dedicated photographers, even though it does not have the headline-grabbing pixel count of the Nikon D810 (36 megapixels).
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Features
The image sensor of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III has 22.3 million effective pixels, which is just 1.2MP higher than the 21.1MP Canon EOS 5D Mark II that it replaces. However, this is 4.2MP more than the 18.1MP Canon EOS-1D X, now the most advanced model in Canon’s series of DSLR cameras.
The Canon EOS-1D X has two DIGIC 5+ processors, while the Canon 5D Mark III only has one. This single processor, along with the camera’s eight-channel readout, allows the 5D Mark III to achieve a maximum continuous shooting speed of 6 frames per second.
This is just half the pace of Canon’s most advanced camera, and people expecting anything in the neighborhood of 8 frames per second or more may be disappointed. However, this is a significant increase from the Canon 5D Mark II’s 3.9 frames per second, and the burst depth of this camera is an astonishing 18 raw photos or 16,270 JPEGs (when a UDMA 7 card is used).
The sensitivity may be adjusted anywhere from ISO 100 to ISO 25,600 in 1/3-stop or full-stop increments. Additionally, the sensitivity can be increased to include L: ISO 50, H1: ISO 51200, and H2: ISO 102,400.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Build Quality.
Canon claims that the EOS 5D Mark III is more resistant to the elements than its predecessor, the EOS 5D Mark II. This is tough to verify in the short term, but the knowledge that it is possible will reassure a large number of fans and professionals.
The camera is giant, but it is not in the same league as the Canon EOS-1D X since it lacks the extra grip and settings for portrait orientation in portrait orientation.
The finger grip has a textured covering that feels similar to rubber, which makes it feel stable in your hand. Additionally, the shapes of the front and back of the device make it easy to hold.
When pushed hard, the magnesium alloy body does not make noises like squeaking or creaking, even though it has an overall sensation of quality.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Autofocus
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III utilizes the same 61-point wide-area focusing technology as the Canon EOS-1D X, which is Canon’s most advanced camera to date. This is a significant advancement compared to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which features 15 autofocus points, including nine user-selectable points and six assist points.
It is encouraging to see that 41 of these 61 points are cross-type, and five are dual cross-type since this indicates improved accuracy. The programmable autofocus modes that were first shown in the Canon EOS-1D X are also accessible in this camera, and Canon asserts that these modes help photograph brutal scenes.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Performance
A burst shooting rate of 6 frames per second is respectable but not particularly impressive. Wildlife photographers may find the Quiet Mode on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III helpful because, in contrast to other quiet modes, it does not rely on the mirror being held up after the shot has been taken to function.
Instead, the mirror will move more slowly, and a new mechanism will attenuate the movement to lessen the amount of noise it makes.
The result is not entirely silent but significantly quieter than shooting in the usual mode. It allows for a maximum continuous shooting rate of three frames per second.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Image Quality
Many people see the Nikon D810 as a natural challenger for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Nikon shares this perspective. It is no surprise that the Nikon D810 can resolve more detail than the Canon 5D Mark III because it has a higher pixel count than any other camera in its class.
When photographs taken with a lower sensitivity are used, it is entirely unexpected that the Nikon camera can create raw and JPEG images with a more comprehensive dynamic range than those with higher sensitivity images.
Given that the pixels on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III sensor have more excellent room, we may have reasonably anticipated that the results would be the opposite.
The dynamic range of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is only superior to that of the Nikon D810 when the sensitivity of the raw files is increased to ISO800 or when the sensitivity of the JPEG files is increased to ISO3200 or higher.
However, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is incredibly powerful and resolves an amazingly high level of information in both raw and JPEG files. This level of detail only begins to noticeably decrease when the sensitivity is pushed to ISO25,600, which is the highest setting the camera can support.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Video
It wasn’t the first DSLR to provide high-definition video. Still, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II’s ability to record 1080p footage gave it an advantage over the Nikon D90, making it the camera of choice for many filmmakers. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II was released in late 2008.
It was also the beginning of a new era since it was the first time a DSLR could create video footage that, in the right hands, could rival the visual style and quality of a professional-level movie camera. The debut of this product thus signaled the beginning of this new era.
Many people who worked with the Mark II’s video features were disappointed due to early problems with frame rates, audio levels, and manual control, even though the Mark II was quite popular.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Image Quality
During this evaluation, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III generated photographs of astoundingly high quality. Incredible performance for a 35mm SLR with 22 megapixels, this camera shoots noise-free JPEG shots from ISO 50 up to ISO 3200, with the first appearance of noise occurring at ISO 6400.
The quicker levels of 6400, 12800, and 25600 exhibits relatively little noise; ISO 51200 is acceptable for tiny prints and photographs to be displayed on the web; the fastest setting, 102400, should be held for use in the event of an emergency.
The JPEG photographs were a touch soft right out of the camera when using the default Picture Style. If you want them to look their best, you should sharpen them some more in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you may alter the option on the camera itself.
The nighttime shot turned out well thanks to the camera’s Bulb mode and a maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds, which enabled you to catch sufficient light in any given environment. When applied in the appropriate contexts, the Highlight Tone Priority and Auto Lighting Optimizer custom settings may benefit JPEG photographers. This is also true of the six various Picture Styles that can be employed, plus the possibility to build one’s own.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Specs
| Body type | Mid-size SLR |
|---|---|
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 5760 x 3840 |
| Other resolutions | 3840 x 2560, 2880 x 1920, 1920 x 1280, 720 x 480 |
| Image ratio w:h | 3:2 |
| Effective pixels | 22 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 23 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | Digic 5+ |
| Color space | sRGB,Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | RGB Color Filter Array |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100 – 25600 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 51200, 102400 as option |
| Boosted ISO (minimum) | 50 |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 102400 |
| White balance presets | 6 |
| Custom white balance | Yes (1) |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Fine, Normal |
| File format | JPEG (Exif 2.3 [Exif Print] compliant)Design rule for Camera File system (2.0)RAW: RAW, sRAW1, sRAW2 (14bit, Canon original RAW 2nd edition)Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant |
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus | Contrast Detect (sensor)Phase DetectMulti-areaSelective single-pointSingleContinuousFace DetectionLive View |
| Autofocus assist lamp | by optional dedicated Speedlite |
| Digital zoom | No |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 61 |
| Lens mount | Canon EF |
| Focal length multiplier | 1× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 1,040,000 |
| Touch screen | No |
| Screen type | Clear View II TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.71× |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Exposure modes | Auto+Program AEShutter priority AEAperture priority AEManual (Stills and Movie)Custom (x3) |
| Built-in flash | No |
| External flash | Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus Sync connector) |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/200 sec |
| Continuous drive | 6.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Metering modes | MultiCenter-weightedSpotPartial |
| Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±3 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes (3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis) |
| Videography features | |
| Resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps fps), 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps) |
| Format | H.264 |
| Videography notes | 1080 and 720 intra or inter frame, 480 inter frame |
| Microphone | Mono |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | Compact Flash Type I (UDMA compatible), SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage included | None |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (HDMI mini) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | Yes |
| Wireless | Optional |
| Wireless notes | Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E7 |
| Remote control | Yes (Remote control with N3 type contact, Wireless Controller LC-5, Remote Controller RC-6) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 950 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz) |
| Dimensions | 152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes (by cable and PC) |
| GPS | Optional |
| GPS notes | With optional GP-E2 unit |
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Verdict
Even though the most significant improvements to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III since the 5D Mark II primarily consists of the camera being brought into line with Canon’s already existing DSLRs, we are impressed with the results that the new camera has produced.
Images saved as either Raw or JPEG include a wealth of information, noise is controlled even at the camera’s highest native sensitivity settings, and both color and exposure are often excellent.
Additionally, it is evident that Canon has given a lot of care to how fans utilize a camera, and the brand-new HDR system is the greatest one currently available on the market.
