This equipment review is currently available only as a low-resolution pdf version of the original magazine pages. You can download it here: Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review.pdf

That Canon EOS 5D Mark III is the celebrated successor to the wildly popular 5D Mark II, packing in several significant improvements, new technologies, but only a 22MP sensor. We know that pixel count isn't everything (and we implore that you feel the same) but Canon claims that the sensor employs a...

Amazing AF system; Good high ISO still and video performance; lighter body with weather sealing; Silent jog dial for uninterrupted audio recording

Quite pricey compared to the camera it replaces and competes with; Noise in video is quite unpleasant (above ISO 8000 in low light

Like many, my positive experience with the mark 3 so far is in part due to some of the shortfalls felt by cameras like the 5D mark 2 or the 7D. Both the 5D2 and the 7D had their shortfalls. I feel the 5D3 is much like a merger of the positive sides of both of these cameras.

Fast forward to the 2nd March 2012 and Canon announce the 5D Mk III. With 7 years of history behind this single unit the announcement came on the back of a 25th anniversary for Canon's first camera in the EOS series, the film-based EOS 650.

Is the 5D Mk III really worth the extra £1k?

higher AF points compared to the previous model

Price; is it really worth it

Plus, it saves all of the single shots used as well as the final HDR image. All in all, Canon's version of HDR "is much more useful for serious photographers." Unlike the Nikon D800, the Canon Mark III lacks a pop-up flash.

Strong 22.3-megapixel resolution; Extraordinary low-light capability; Healthy 6 fps burst rate; Outstanding autofocus; Very intuitive to use; Dual CF/SD card slots

Less sharpness and detail than Nikon D800; Autofocus must be triggered manually in movie mode

When Canon released the original 5D full-frame digital SLR, most of the photography world was set back on its heels by the advancement of the state of the art. Though lower in resolution than most APS-C (smaller) sensor cameras today, the trusty 5D, with all its foibles, lousy rear LCD, highly...

There is nothing in photography and serious video that the Canon 5D Mark III can't handle; I have personally never liked the physical form factor of the full-size Canon camera bodies, but the 5D Mark III has slight shutter button angle, control button and control surface improvements, and a couple...

Early production units of the EOS 5D Mark III gave some early adopters with minor aggravations; On some units, there seemed to be noisier image stabilizer operation with certain IS lenses mounted.

Canon's EOS 5D Mark III has a lot to live up to. For a start, the original Canon EOS 5D was the first DSLR to really bring full-frame digital photography within the reach of enthusiast photographers.

The black autofocus points problem is supposed to be fixed in a future firmware release, basically they flash black instead of red which is hard (impossible) to see in low light.

Fast / Accurate Auto-Focus; High ISO Performance; Quiet

Black Autofocus Points

A photographic tour-de-force – if you can justify the cost it'll be hard to resist