It is always exciting to hear that your most-used piece of photography kit is being replaced with a new and improved model - as was the case for me with the announcement of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III.

This is quite simply the best DSLR in the world. There are a host of settings available to make this camera "Your own". You need to take a while to set this camera up for your own particular needs, and after you have done that....away you go. It is like driving a Rolls Royce. Photos are razor sharp.

It Just Keeps Looking Better I have used the Canon 1 Ds Mark III for seven months now, shooting over 6000 pictures in non-professional contexts; I have also been scanning 40 years of slides taken with then-state-or-the-art film cameras (most recently the Canon F-1), so I have lots of bases for

Intuitive and responsive; Small Lag Time

None

Long-time Canon fans will love the 1Ds because it handles like other Canons and has the colour and tonal reproduction they're used to. Impressive as it is, though, the 1Ds has shortcomings that Nikon's D3 has illuminated very clearly.

As my friend said (he's a professional photographer) this camera is perfect for a pro photographer. I've had it for over a week or so and I can say it's really good for any weather conditions and lightning. I particularly like the big, bright viewfinder. The LCD display is very good as well.

Excellent images

weight

Nov 2nd. Our good friends at Letsgodigital.org have just published an exclusive user experience report (with image samples) on Canon's new flagship digital SLR camera, the impressive 21 megapixel professional Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III.

Stock photographers will be excited to know that the file sizes that the MkIII produces are accepted by agencies without need for resizing.

Full frame; High resolution; Dual processors; New layout works better; Excellent ISO results; Not as heavy as MkII

Pricey; Massive memory requirements; Screen not as bright as expected

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

Canon's 1Ds series of cameras exists in a class of its own. With pixel counts well above anything else offered in a 35mm-format digital SLR, an attention to detail that addresses the needs of high-end professionals, and a price tag that's thousands of dollars more than the nearest competition, it...

Very low noise, high quality images; 21.1 megapixels; live view shooting; pro-level build-quality and performance

High price tag; heavy body; no AF in live view mode

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.