Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review
In 1987 Canon unveiled the EOS 650 to the world. It was the Japanese manufacturer's first 35mm autofocus SLR and the start of the EOS system. With its fully-electronic lens mount, in-lens aperture and focus motors, and reliance on electronic button and dial operation, Canon's EOS system established a blueprint that all successive camera systems have followed. Now, 25 years later, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III is the latest model in the line.
Up until now, the 5D series has been a dynasty of slightly unlikely revolutionaries. The original EOS 5D of 2005 was the first 'affordable' full frame SLR, and the camera that cemented the 24x36mm sensor as the format of choice for many professional applications at a time when many were questioning its continued relevance. The 5D Mark II was the first SLR capable of recording full HD video, a feature that revolutionized the market in a fashion that no one could possibly have envisaged at the time - least of all Canon. On the face of it, though, the latest model offers little that looks likely to make the same impact.
The 5D Mark III has a 22MP full frame sensor in a body that's based on the EOS 7D design, and with a 61-point AF system borrowed from the flagship EOS-1D X. From the glass-half-empty point of view, this could be seen as an unambitious update that trails disappointingly behind Nikon's 36MP D800 which was announced around the same time. But for those whose glasses tend more towards the half-full, it might just turn out to be the camera that 5D Mark II owners always really wanted.
Indeed the 5D name itself is almost misleading; compared to its predecessor the Mark III is essentially a completely new model, with every major system upgraded and updated. In a way it's better seen as a full-frame 7D, with that camera's control layout, extensive customizability and 63-zone metering sensor. But it also gains a raft of additional tweaks and improvements in response to customer feedback; these range from dual slots for CF and SD cards, through a locking exposure mode dial, to a large depth of field preview button that's repositioned for right-handed operation, and can be reprogrammed to access a number of other functions.
Read on to find out out how the 5D Mark III performs in our studio and real-life tests, how we liked its handling and operation and if it is the right camera for your requirements and type of photography.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III key specifications
- 22MP full frame CMOS sensor
- ISO 100-25600 standard, 50-102,800 expanded
- 6 fps continuous shooting
- Shutter rated to 150,000 frames
- 1080p30 video recording, stereo sound via external mic
- 61 point AF system
- 63 zone iFCL metering system
- 100% viewfinder coverage
- 1040k dot 3:2 LCD
- Dual card slots for CF and SD
Canon EOS 5D Mark III and II key differences
Most of the key specs are substantially upgraded compared to the 5D Mark II. The new sensor, coupled with Canon's latest DIGIC 5+ processor, offers a standard ISO range of 100 - 25,600 that's expandable to 50 - 102,800. An 8-channel sensor readout enables continuous shooting at 6 fps. The shutter is rated to 150,000 cycles and has been refined for quieter operation; the Mark III also inherits the 'silent' shutter mode previously seen on the 1D-series. Viewfinder coverage is a full 100%, and the 1040k dot, 3:2 aspect ratio 3.2" LCD screen has improved anti-reflection properties and a hardened glass cover to protect against scratching. And let's not forget that 61-point focus system from the 1DX - the first time Canon has put its top-spec AF sensor into a non-1-series camera since the film-era EOS 3.
 Canon EOS 5D Mark III |  Canon EOS 5D Mark II | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 22.3 MP full-frame CMOS | 21 MP full-frame CMOS |
| Processor | Digic 5+ | Digic 4 |
| ISO range | 50 - 102800 | 50 - 25600 |
| Maximum shooting rate | 6fps | 3.9fps |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 98% |
| LCD screen | 3.2" - 1,040,000 dots | 3.0" - 920,000 dots |
| AF Sensor | 61 points | 9 points |
| CA correction | Yes | No |
| All-I and IPV video compression options | Yes | No |
| Touch-sensitive rear dial | Yes | No |
| Headphone socket | Yes | No |
| HDR shooting | Yes | No |
| Multiple exposure | Yes | No |
| Silent shutter | Yes | No |
| Side-by-side image comparison | Yes | No |
Movie mode turned out to be the 5D Mark II's trump card over its rivals, and its successor naturally offers improved capability in this regard. In terms of ergonomics, the camera gains the 7D's rear movie mode/live view switch, so you no longer have to compromise your stills Live View settings when setting up for video recording. There's a built-in headphone socket for audio monitoring, and rear control dial gains touch-sensitive 'buttons' that allow recording parameters (shutter speed, aperture, ISO and sound volume) to be changed silently. The video output specifications are essentially unchanged in terms of resolution and framerate (1080p30 maximum), but Canon says the processing is improved to minimise moiré and other artefacts, and has included the higher quality All-I and IPB interframe compression options introduced with the EOS-1D X. What you don't get though, is the uncompressed output over HDMI seen in the latest Nikon models.
There's a couple of entirely new features too; the 5D Mark III becomes Canon's first SLR capable of in-camera High Dynamic Range shooting, in an unusually well-implemented and flexible fashion, and gets expanded autobracketing options too (up to 7 frames covering a vast +/- 8 EV range). It can also record multiple exposures, if you so desire. The introduction of DIGIC 5+ means that JPEG processing (finally) includes chromatic aberration correction, based on lens profiles which are stored in-camera (and therefore limited to Canon's own lenses). Last but not least, playback mode adds the ability to compare images directly side-by-side, in a number of different views.
The 5D Mark III also gains a refreshed menu system, essentially based on that of the EOS-1D X. It's not entirely dissimilar to the 5D Mark II's (so existing users will still feel at home), but it gains a completely new tab for managing its complex AF system, based on a range of usage-scenario presets. The ordering of options has been rationalized, and a number of functions that were previously hidden deep within the custom functions have bubbled-up closer to the surface as top-level menu items, perhaps most notably mirror lockup and Highlight Tone Priority.
You can either select an image that is already on your memory card and then take one or more shots to combine it with, or you can take all shots to composition in one go. You cannot blend two or more images that are already saved on the card.
The samples below demonstrate the blending modes available for the Canon 5D Mark III's multiple exposure mode. Image 1 was taken and saved on the memory card. We then took four pictures of the same scene (Image 2) and each time used a different blending mode - Additive, Average, Bright and Dark.
These presets can be applied prior to image capture via the Q-menu or the Picture Style button, or when converting a raw file in-camera. There is also an 'Auto' setting which automatically picks the best style for a given scene and three user definable settings.
In Standard shooting mode you can select the 'Silent single' and 'Silent continuous mode' via the drive mode button or the Q-menu. The latter mode captures images at the same rate as the 'Continuous Lo' mode - 3 frames per sec. Below you can download MP3 sound files of the Silent and Standard continuous shooting modes.
When shooting in live view the sound generated by pressing the shutter button is quieter as the mirror does not need to be moved but in addition you have a choice between two LV silent shooting modes which can be set in the LV-tab of the shooting menu.
In Mode 1 the shutter sound is only marginally quieter but the camera shoots in the drive-mode that is currently set, i.e. you can shoot at 6 frames per second in 'Continuous Hi'. In Mode 2 you can suspend any further camera operation after an image has been taken by keeping the shutter button pressed. In a very quiet shooting situations you can therefore keep the button pressed until ambient noise increases and the camera sounds will be less noticeable.
Multiple exposures
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III offers a multi-exposure mode that is easily accessible via the 'Creative Photo' button to the left of the camera's LCD monitor. It allows you to blend between 2 and 9 exposures in one single images. You've got the option to only save the end result or all images including raw files, so you've got the option to composition the images again in post-processing, using customized blending parameters.You can either select an image that is already on your memory card and then take one or more shots to combine it with, or you can take all shots to composition in one go. You cannot blend two or more images that are already saved on the card.
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| The EOS 5D Mark III's multiple exposure mode offers a variety of parameters. | You can blend between 2 and 9 images and have a choice of four different blending modes. |
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Image 1
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Image 2
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Additive
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|---|---|---|---|
Average
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Bright
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Dark
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Picture Styles
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III offers six Picture Style color response presets, shown in the table below. | |||
Standard
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Portrait
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Landscape
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|---|---|---|---|
Neutral
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Faithful
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Monochrome
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 | Within each of the Picture Control options you can make adjustments to sharpness, contrast, saturation and hue settings. |
In-camera raw conversion
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III comes with a fairly comprehensive in-camera raw conversion mode. You can pick any raw file on the memory card and modify the following parameters: brightness, white balance, picture style, ALO, noise reduction, image quality and size, color space, vignetting correction, CA correction and distortion correction. The latter can only be applied to images this way as it is not available while taking an image. Once you've selected your settings the new image is saved onto the card. | |
| The 5D Mark III's in-camera raw conversion offers a comprehensive set of parameters. | |
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| The image above was converted with the EOS 5D Mark III's in-camera raw conversion. On the left you can see the out-of-camera JPEG, taken at default settings. For the right image we converted the raw file and in the process changed the Picture Style to Monochrome, increased contrast, applied a Green filter and added a Sepia tint. | |
Silent shooting
For 'noise-sensitive' situations the Canon EOS 5D Mark III offers various silent shooting modes. In these modes the Canon's shutter sound is significantly quieter than in the standard mode which is, compared to for example the Nikon D800, not particularly loud anyway. The more silent shutter actuation is achieved by slowing down the shutter and mirror reflex action and as a downside there is a slight increase in shutter lag and viewfinder blackout time. |  |
| Silent shooting modes are available in the menu for live view shooting... | ...and in the Q-menu or via the drive mode button in standard shooting mode. |
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| Continuous Lo shooting mode - download .mp3 (68KB) here |
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| Continuous Silent shooting mode - download .mp3 (79KB) here |
In Mode 1 the shutter sound is only marginally quieter but the camera shoots in the drive-mode that is currently set, i.e. you can shoot at 6 frames per second in 'Continuous Hi'. In Mode 2 you can suspend any further camera operation after an image has been taken by keeping the shutter button pressed. In a very quiet shooting situations you can therefore keep the button pressed until ambient noise increases and the camera sounds will be less noticeable.
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