The EOS-1Ds Mark III is the seventh Canon professional EOS-1D series digital SLR, although only the third of the 's' suffix sub-category which indicates a full frame sensor. Three years since the last EOS-1Ds, the Mark II, the Mark III pushes digital SLR resolution over the twenty megapixel barrier...

Significant upgrade to the Mark II that improves almost every area of performance without 'reinventing the wheel, Better ISO button placement, new joystick, new AF point selection method, ISO in the viewfinder; all help faster more intuitive operation and mean you less often have to take your eye

Edge softness / chromatic aberrations with wide angle lenses, needs good glass, Overall softness that means images need more sharpening than you might expect; we'd prefer an even lighter Low Pass Filter, No autofocus of any kind in live view mode, No built-in wireless flash (needs ST-E2 transmitter,

I have owned the 1Ds, 1DsM2, and have a XT that I use as a backup. When I found out that Canon was going to release a DsM3, I sold my M2 on eBay. In the interim, Nikon of course released an awesome camera, the D3. I looked long and hard at both cameras.

Build; improved ergonomics; ability to configure settings to personal needs; great viewfinder; live view; good 3" LCD - great compared to anything previous; amazing resolution at 21.1 megapixels; fast fps ability at such high resolution

cost; could use AF in live view

Only 1D family having camera body build as a tank. I will recommended this camera if you are as wildlife and sport photographers or when you need a speed and accuracy.

Easy to use; Build quality; Battery life; Screen size

How many people are going to spend £5,500 on a camera? Even more importantly, how many enthusiast photographers rather than pros, will fork out that amount of money and justify it to their partners? Probably not too many, but Canon's flagship DSLR is still worth looking at for a number of reasons.

High resolution; full frame; low noise; solid build; speed of AF

Manual focus live view; low-res LCD; artisan design

The EOS-1Ds Mark III is the seventh Canon professional EOS-1D series digital SLR, although only the third of the 's' suffix sub-category which indicates a full frame sensor. Three years since the last EOS-1Ds, the Mark II, the Mark III pushes digital SLR resolution over the twenty megapixel barrier...

Significant upgrade to the Mark II that improves almost every area of performance without 'reinventing the wheel, Better ISO button placement, new joystick, new AF point selection method, ISO in the viewfinder; all help faster more intuitive operation and mean you less often have to take your eye

Edge softness / chromatic aberrations with wide angle lenses, needs good glass, Overall softness that means images need more sharpening than you might expect; we'd prefer an even lighter Low Pass Filter, No autofocus of any kind in live view mode, No built-in wireless flash (needs ST-E2 transmitter,

Like other professional DSLRs, notably previous EOS 1Ds models and Nikon's D2x/D3, the EOS 1Ds Mk III is much taller than the average digital SLR. A big, fat battery housing sits in the base of the body, and this also allows space for an additional, vertical shutter release.

The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III is an imaging powerhouse. If you're looking for many megapixels in exchange for your well-earned pounds, this dSLR packs a whopping 21. With a large screen, live view and beefed up AF and exposure systems, this camera could revolutionise your photography

Very low noise; high quality images; Live view shooting; Pro-level build-quality and performance

High price tag; Heavy body; No AF in live view mode

When a digital SLR camera has a price tag of $11,999 - and that's just for the body - you know it's not something that everyday folk will appreciate. Instead it's likely it will only appeal to professionals who make a living from photography.

Excellent low-light performance; huge resolution; dual memory slot types (CF and SD); built-in dust reduction

Manual aperture control is not intuitive; autofocusing results did not show during Live View mode