Canon 1D Mark III Review – Introduction

When the 1D Mark III was announced, it was the most highly spec’d camera in the world. Offering significant on paper advantages to the already class leading 1D Mark IIn, the camera provided improvements in just about every major facet.

The specs which were of most interest to me were:

-    10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 2MP increase from its predecessor
-    Two digic III processing engines
-    14 bit support for a finer graduation of colour and tonal transitions
-    10 frames per second continuous shooting and a larger buffer with support for up to 17 RAW images
-    Redesigned AF system with 19 cross type AF points and 26 AF assist points
-    ISO from 50 to 6400 (with ISO expansion).
-    Live View function
-    Larger, brighter viewfinder
-    3.0” LCD
-    Highlight tone priority function
-    Dust and weather seals
-    Self cleaning sensor unit

The 1D also introduced a number of changes which have since filtered down into lower models. Examples would be sRAW (reduced sized RAW), Auto ISO, etc.

I think the most interesting comparison of the 1D’s specs is against its nearest competitor, the Nikon D3. In the Nikon’s court is a higher ISO range (up to 25,000), support for a DX crop, a much higher resolution screen, a 2MP resolution advantage and a full frame sensor. In return, the 1D offers a slightly faster frame rate, ISO 50, self cleaning sensor and access to a wide range of high speed primes (e.g. 24mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, etc). The Canon also comes at a slightly lower price. However, these are just the on-paper specs – the real question is how the 1D performs in the field and that’s what this review will attempt to answer, starting with the Design, Controls and Performance.