Canon EOS 1D Mark III 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
By: Canon Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 27
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 On: 2008-09-07
One of the most excellent pieces of machinery in the photography world.
10 FPS, ability to use high ISO, ability to use teleconverters and autofocus, micro lens adjustments, and custom functions are why I bought it. Battery lasts all week. I shoot thousands of photos with one charge.
I did have to send it to Canon for an error99 problem, but its fixed and working perfectly. The aiservo @ 10 FPS can miss a few frames in focus, this bothers me, so I have custon functioned it to shoot @ 7 FPS. Its a bit too sensitive in autofocus even in one shot/centerpoint for very small objects. I mostly do wildlife and birds in flight so this part is critical for us. This is discussed often in bird forums. Lets hope Canon addresses it, as the firmware upgrades have not totally solved this. Extremely fast otherwise.
Even so, its a joy to use. The colors are better than the 40D.
Its larger, but excellent ergonomics, even for a girl.
On: 2008-08-28
Definite FIVE STARS!!! I am a Canon girl all the way. Ive had the S3 IS, the SD630, the SD900, the Rebel XTi, the Rebel XSi, and now the 1D Mark III. I cant believe the difference between the XSi and the 1D Mark III. From the overall feel of the body, to the shutter sound, to the quality of the photos. The dual processors make a huge difference. Combined with the extensive line of Canon lenses, this is a phenomenal camera. I am sold on the professional line, though the XSi will now become my back-up body for when I shoot weddings, etc.
 On: 2008-07-29
I have been a loyal Canon user for many years. I own a 30D and the MarkIIID. The Mark IIID was sent back for the recall to address the AF. The work they did to it negatively effected the color balance. It was sent back to the factory. The factory then lost my camera (having shipped it with the wrong FEDEX number). They sent another Mark III. It had back focus problems. In the meantime, another camera was sent as a loaner. It was proudly pronounced in tip top shape and was new. It arrived half packed, used, dirty sensor and dirty contacts for the lens. The AF didnt work. Canon believes that they didnt do anything wrong. Customer Service Rep. Elizabeth Wood responded with a litany of liability-speak but bottom line, they would only send another camera. The MarkIII has significant AF problems, even with the firmware upgrade. Save yourself the stress, dont buy Canon
 On: 2008-06-09
After reading bad reviews on the focus problems with this camera I waited a while to pull the trigger. I shoot sports, equestrian (some indoors), and stage dance. I bought this camera for low light useage, and the superior focus speed. I have not been dissapointed. I use 3200iso when necessary without any worries. My mark3 came from Canon with the latest firmware update already installed. The battery life is incredible, shot 1700 images and still had 40% left. The wait was worth it.
On: 2008-06-06
When one reads the early reviews of this camera, they will be surprised to see the focusing problems experienced by a seeminly large number of photographers. Canon has come out with both hardware and firmware fixes to this body. I purchased a model with a serial number indicating manufacture after these fixes have been effected. I am having absolutely no issues with this cameras focusing in both focusing modes. I love this camera. It is truely a magnificient camera. For those of you who are serious about your photography, you wont be disappointed (except for the cost). Enjoy if its in your budget.
On: 2008-05-21
Ive had this camera now for 6 months. I heard all the hype about its "faults" etc so was a little concerned. But, then I really started to read, and found that most of the issue was hype. Only some photographers in some specific conditions had the problem. Then Canon announced some hardware and firmware fixes.
This camera is just stunning. The quick and accurate AF is brilliant. It can lock on and track the target very well. Its clearly sharper for centre focus but also does brilliant for landscape images and still portraits.
The fps and burst rate is second to none. Its a beast when you set it off. I shoot mostly sport, so a nice burst can be the difference between capturing and missing that image.
The body is great. Not too heavy for what it does, and its balanced very well. The construction and weather sealing are great.
I could go on and on about just how good this camera is. It is well worth having a look at. So, go to your local store, feel the camera, fire off a burst and then theres no going back.
On: 2008-04-29
I upgraded from a 5D, 40D, 30D and the Mk III is the perfect camera. This camera is blazingly fast and gives me pictures that I just could not get with other cameras (e.g. shooting baseball I pretty much get "bat on ball" pics for every hitter). I shoot 6400 ISO a lot with basketball and the low noise is perfect and even much better than the 5D. I have had no issues with the AF with my "blue dot" Mk III. I think this is the perfect camera I will keep for decades to come.
On: 2008-04-29
This is an amazing camera, a big jump from 1D MkII. Better in every practical aspect. Most improvement is the lower noise level.
On: 2008-04-19
The Best DSLR on the market right now, lots of people have complained about its focussing issue, what they dont know is you need to calibrate the camera with all your lenses and that eliminates the focussing problem 100%
On: 2008-03-24
Ive been reading about what a great camera this is, but it seemed like a big chunk of money to plunk down when I was pretty happy with my 30D. Boy was I surprised. I bought the mark III because I wanted a pro body - one reason being that I knew my recently purchased Canon 500 mm f/4 IS would not autofocus with 2X teleconverter. The Mark III will autofocus down to f/8.0. Im mostly a budding bird photographer, and after making a few images I saw the great color reproduction. The camera is balzingly fast from its AF to its 10FPS mode. It will take me fair bit of time to explore all of the custom settings avaialble - so many ways to set it up to your personal liking. Plus it has "My Menu" which allows quick access to the items that you use a lot, e.g. format, autofocus options, etc. My 30D, which is a fine camera, feels more like a toy in my hands. The mark III fits your hand like a glove, feels solid and performs wonderfully. This is more camera than Ill ever need, but Im certain with practice Ill grow into it. Buy this camera if you want the very best!!
On: 2008-03-24
I bought this camera a couple of days ago and think it is the best piece of equipment that I have ever owned.
No focus problems with this machine... except those caused by the operator. This is by far the most sophisticated camera I have ever had to learn, but am throughly enjoying the ride.
This camera hasnt improved my "photographic eye" but the photos are technically better than the ones taken with my 20D.
On: 2008-03-16
This camera should be on a league of its own. Although Nikon D3 is its competitor, in my opinon it does not compare. There have been numerous of test stating that 1dMk3 is better than the D3 and vice versa, but the real reason I think this camera really shines are Canons Lenses, especially the L-series lens. Canon has had years of making their own cmos sensors for their digital camera line compaired to other camera compines. However, taking great pictures does not matter which camera a person has, but on the photographer its self.
Ok, its time for me to stop promoting Canon, and start explaining why this camera is great. I had this camera for almost half a year now. At first the autofocus wasnt its best, but I was able to live with it. I dont really do sports photography, nor am I a pro photographer, and thats probably the main reasons why the autofocus didnt really bother me. However, after I took the camera to the shop (I was lucky because the Irvine Canon factory isnt far from me) and got my 1dMk3 fixed for the autofocus problem and other problems, I have noticed a big difference in performance when I received my camera back. My camera focuses faster and the majority of the shot Ive took were useable, comparied to before.
This camera does live up to its hype and expectations. The picture quality is great even if youre using a non L-series lens. If you use a regular Canon lens compaired to a L-series Canon lens, its like compairing 720p vs. 1080p on your HD Tv. Its not really noticeable, unless you have a great eye for detail.
I was dissappointed at first that the camera had one cf and one sd drive, instead of two cf drives. Since the sd drive does take sdhc and its cheaper. I have no problems having one cf drive and sd drive.
Anther great thing is its new battery. The battery does last longer. I still have one of Canons old camera and I needed to have at least 2 back up batteries. So far I only need one with this camera, but my plan is to buy a second one soon.
To top off everything, if you do live close by the Canon factory, they do clean the cmos sensor for free if you dont mind waiting. Well the Irvine factory does clean it for free. Also, the people at the Canon factory did state that it will take about 3 weeks to get my camera back after all the repairs are done, but instead I had received my camera back in about 1 1/2 weeks. So far Ive been getting great service from the people at Canon.
On: 2008-02-17
Overall this camera is amazing. The only problem is the focus problems that are well documented elsewhere. The mirror fix and firmware upgrade from Canon helped, but there is still a tendency for focus to drift when shooting rapid fire. However, under low light there is not any camera that even comes close to it for quality.
On: 2008-02-05
Im a sports photographer. Ive been using this camera for a while now. I decided to give it a good testing before even writing any remarks.
There seems to be a lot of hype about the focus issue. Personally, Ive never experienced the problem, and I bet the majority of photographers havent either. Some people need to do research before blaming the camera. There are many user faults, causing the camera to seem as if it is not focusing. They also need to check their lenses.
I shoot different sports, from rugby to show jumping, polo and horse racing. So, tracking a fast moving object (person or horse) is very important. Out of about 100 images, maybe 2 would be out of focus. Those I would more blame on myself than the camera. People really need to RTFM. There are so many custom settings, especially for focus, to enable you to use the camera to its full potential, for whatever you use it for.
The camera is pure quality. I dont deny that there are some focus issues, but again, these are under specific circumstances. The body is solid and sturdy. It is good to hold and not too heavy. The battery life is brilliant (nearly 3,000 shots per charge). The fps is stunning. Ive had to limit my burst rate to 25 frames, just so I dont fill my memory cards too quickly. :-) I did give it a good workout, using the full fps and burst rate at an event, and I was stunned.
There are just so many custom functions, that allow you to setup the camera depending on what you are doing. That is brilliant for me, since some events are at night under lights, while others are during the day, either cloudy or bright. Different saved setting sets allow me to quickly change to suit my circumstances.
For those who need a fast, reliable pro camera, this would very much be my camera of choice.
 On: 2008-02-03
Canon tried to make a big splash with the 30th anniversary EOS, but it really was a dud. Ive had this body for over 6 months now, and its by far the worst purchase decision Ive every made.
1. It doesnt focus as its supposed to. It has out of focus shots for one shot and AI modes, at a far worse rate than its predecessor. Canon even acknowledged this defect.
2. It has severe error problems (such as Error 99).
3. Even after the fix, it still doesnt focus as it should -- lots of professional sites note this -- and now Canon is indicating as of 2/1 that there could be another fix in the works.
If youre like me and heavily invested in Canon glass, then theres nothing to do but ride it out and hope they eventually get it right. (I still have faith in Canon, and think their products are very good, and the image quality of the 1dIII is simply amazing when it works....) But if youre new to the dslr (and ask yourself then, why you need such an expensive body anyway), its worth investigating other options. The one thing a photographer cant have is a body that cant be depended upon.
On: 2008-01-22
I had semi-switched from Nikon to Canon with the purchase of this camera. Despite reports over focusing issues, I havent had any real problems with it. The frame rate and high ISO on it is phenomenal. Anyone whose wanting a pro-caliber camera, this unit and the Nikon D3 are, in my opinion, ought to be the top 2 choices. Having used both cameras, I have to give Nikon the nod because of its 9-fps burst at FULL frame, slightly lower noise level at high ISO, and a more accurate auto white balance. Nevertheless, the Mark III is a fantastic camera. Shooting with both Canon & Nikon is like dating a blonde & brunette at the same time. :o)
 On: 2008-01-21
In the last 3 years I have gone from 2 different point and shot cameras to the Canon 30D to the Canon Mark III. With each camera, I was telling myself - this should do it for some time. I read and learned as much as I could with each camera. When I got the 30D I was on cloud 9 - this was great - it would be nice to shoot faster though. When I heard about the Mark III coming out, I knew that was hopefully the last stepping stone I would require for sometime.
This thing rocked - couldnt believe how fast it could shot. I was surprised at how many shots were out of focus though (birding). I didnt experience anything like this on the 30D. I read about the AI focus problems and thought - well this is what is happening to me. For the next 5 months Canon stone walled me on a weekly basis. Promised firmware fixes, this fix that fix, reps telling me off.
I wrote a letter to Yoroku Adachi (President of Canon U.S.A.) and got a call back from one of his people. Very apologetic but same old please be patient and apologies galore - but still we wont replace it with a functioning camera - it is a minor issue (again I was told that by numerous reps) - I say it is only minor if you dont use those features.
5 ½ months later it got fixed. I missed the birding season but there is next year (I was told that by a rep too!). It looks like the problem is fixed and looking forward to spring migration. If someone is reading this and hasnt purchased any camera gear yet, buy Nikon. I have too much invested in Canon gear to switch.
I would probably give the camera 4.5-5 stars now. Canon Support would get a 0.
Updated: May 29th, 2008
With the latest firmware updates and hardware fix, I would give this Camera an easy 5 stars. I have shot plays indoors at ISO 1600 (no flash) and cant believe how sharp shots come out.
My issue is still with Canon Tech (lack of) Support. I called yesterday about the WFT-E2A and got the usual run-a-round about the product. If you dont think you will ever need Canon Tech (lack of) Support, go Canon.
On: 2008-01-21
In the last 3 years I have gone from 2 different point and shot cameras to the Canon 30D to the Canon Mark III. With each camera, I was telling myself - this should do it for some time. I read and learned as much as I could with each camera. When I got the 30D I was on cloud 9 - this was great - it would be nice to shoot faster though. When I heard about the Mark III coming out, I knew that was hopefully the last stepping stone I would require for sometime.
This thing rocked - couldnt believe how fast it could shot. I was surprised at how many shots were out of focus though (birding). I didnt experience anything like this on the 30D. I read about the AI focus problems and thought - well this is what is happening to me. For the next 5 months Canon stone walled me on a weekly basis. Promised firmware fixes, this fix that fix, reps telling me off.
I wrote a letter to Yoroku Adachi (President of Canon U.S.A.) and got a call back from one of his people. Very apologetic but same old please be patient and apologies galore - but still we wont replace it with a functioning camera - it is a minor issue (again I was told that by numerous reps) - I say it is only minor if you dont use those features often.
5 ½ months later it got fixed. I missed the birding season but there is next year (I was told that by a rep too!). It looks like the problem is fixed and looking forward to spring migration. If someone is reading this and hasnt purchased any camera gear yet, buy Nikon. I have too much invested in Canon gear to switch.
I would probably give the camera 4 - 4.5 stars now. Canon Support would get a 0.
On: 2007-11-28
I had this camera for about 5 weeks and so far no problems. I shot 3 weddings and 1 engagement in India plus numerous other events, family portraits, etc etc with this camera. One of the complaints (by other reviewers) was that the AL Servo do not function in hot weather. I can assure you that it is hot and humid in India and the camera works just fine. I was the official track photographer for a local school district athletic meet last week and I had the opportunity to test the AL Servo function. Wow, pictures were amazing.
I can only tell you how satisfied I am with this camera based on my experiences with it. So far (thousands of pictures to credit) the camera is working flawlessly under some extreme (hot and dusty so far)conditions. I am a event photographer and I travel throughout the world. I started my photgraphy career with a Minolta Film 35 mm (manual) camera at age 10. I had many cameras after that (including D200 and EOS 30D) Ive been photgraphing pictures for over 23 years and still trying to get that dream shot :) But for now I have a great camera to work with to get that shot.
My advice is to go to a camera shop and test this camera and see for yourself. If you are some what an experienced photographer, you wont be dissappointed.
On: 2007-10-28
I would actually give it 1000 stars. no matter what other reviews said about the AF it is all about how you set your camera, with all due respect to them. It focuses very fast and accurate i tried it several times with canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 in a soccer game. a friend of mine who uses the same camera said the AF problem occur in either hot whether or a very sunny day, which does not make sense to me at all.
and some rumors about canon fixing the AF in November, I dont know about
it, IS IT GOING TO BE BETTER THAN THAT!?!
for more information about the AF you can go to:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1d3users/discuss/72157602602657404/
other things in this camera, the ISO is amazingly improved than any other camera with any other brand. I used many cameras in past years and i used the Mark II N and also Mark II. the ISO in this camera is way better.
I have never been happy nor enjoyed any other product as much as this one.
it is a bit heavy. but not compare to the Mark IIs.
the price is not a problem to me at all, I enjoyed every penny i spent from the first time i used it. and i paid about $250 to have it shipped to Kuwait.
I dont know what else to say about. but when I said it is the best camera ever "even better than the 1Ds Mark II" i really mean it.
the only bad thing about is that you dont own it. go for it
You Can Canon ;)
On: 2007-10-22
SYNOPSIS
I have had this camera for two months and LOVE it! The build quality, colour "truth", speed between frames, and ability to set custom features is remarkable. I am disappointed with the AI Servo reliability but relieved to see that there is a hardware fix.
WHAT I HAD
Previously I had a Digital Rebel (300D - I know, I know, its an older camera fraught with slowness and poor colour reliability but I had great lenses and the Rebel served me well) and had used a variety of other digital SLRs. The Rebel served me well for 3 years, but it was time to move on. I shoot 30,000 pictures per year and new that I was going to get a lot of use of the next camera... Along with the Rebel, I had the 18-55mm f3.5/5.6 (awful - never sharp), the 70-300mm f3.5/5.6 (works okay at f8), the 70-200mm f2.8 IS (unbelievable), the 2x converter (good but too little light for the Rebel), the 24-70mm f2.8 (unbelievable), the 50mm 1.8 (I know its controversial, but I love this lens - I have tried the f1.4 but I am happy enough with the f1.8), the 17-40mm f4 (lost with 1.6 ratio of the Rebel but decent with the 1.3 of the EOS 1D), the 580EXII Speddlight flash, an E1 handstrap (must with the EOS 1D), and Canon 200 Knapsack.
HOW I SHOOT
I pretty much only use manual, and sometimes default to Av. I am a control freak in this way and dont like relinquishing this control. Focus is always centre-point.
WHY THE EOS 1D MKIII
I migrated to the EOS1D because most of my pictures were waterskiing and wakeboarding and wanted an ultra-fast, weather-proofed camera that could perform well in low light conditions. The best conditions for wakeboarding are typically at dawn or dusk, and the best pictures are usually when the subject is doing manoeuvres upside down over the water. The ability to have 10 fps, useable ISO 3200 shots, and not have to worry about water splashes was pretty attractive. Of course, this was only one set of reasons for this purchase. I also have a five year old who refuses to sit still for pictures and smiles are only fleeting! Even the 10 fps can sometimes not be fast enough for my little one! My wifes fleeting smiles are another matter!
WHAT I LOVE
1. SPEED
The speed (both in terms of frame rate and ISO) is phenomenal. I am now able to capture pictures that simply would have been missed with other cameras. Whether it be someone hanging upside down over the wake in the middle of an invert, or a three month old smiling, I have the ability to quickly capture a series of photos and choose the best of the best. Additionally, I have found that as the sun sets and I set the ISO to 1600 and 3200 I have some useful (and semi-useful, respectively) pictures with good colour saturation and minimal noise. The 1600 is similar to the noise level that I had as 400 with the Rebel. I am a small f freak, but the ISO capability is enough to have me think that I could live with some higher f lenses!
2. COLOURS
I have been shooting with friends with other cameras, XTi, XT, E-volt 500, D70 and the colour retention is unbelievable with the EOS 1D. Simple pictures are made to be spectacular without any editing.
3. BUILD QUALITY
This camera has presence both in terms of weight and size, but everything feels and sounds of quality. It gives me a heightened sense that every picture is important. Of course this has the negative, especially when attached to a larger lens, of making yourself conspicuous, and I often hear people making comments like "Check out that camera"/"You give me camera envy"/"Do you work for National Geographic?". Not the best comments when you are seeking natural pictures. The camera balances well with the larger L lenses, but looks crazy next to the smaller cheaper lenses (eg. 50mm 1.8).
4. CONTROLS
The EOS 1D, like many professional camera allows a lot (as in a LOT) of flexibility regarding dial controls, settings, etc.. This is an individual thing, but I like the overrides on when to focus/shoot, and setting the dial settings so they are intuitive to me. The heads-up display in the camera together with the accessibility of knobs and triggers are such that I am able to do FAST on-the-fly adjustments.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER
1. FOCUS
I have had no issues with the standard focus (other than with dark-coloured objects in VERY low light), but the AI servo is awful. Be it photos of oncoming roller-coasters on a sunny hot day, or a child on a swing in sunny and cool weather, the servo almost seems to be worse that standard focus. This issue with the EOS 1D is well documented on many websites (see Rob Galbraith) and, as of October 17, 2007, help is one the way. There is a hardware fix.
2. JPEG CONVERSION
The ability of this camera (and most other cameras) to reliably downsize from RAW to JPEG is questionable. I was hoping that this camera would create decent JPEGs where relevant (kids birthday parties, etc.), but the colour loss and sharpness loss are too much for me. The RAW is spectacular and you are better to do your conversions with Picasa or Lightroom.
AUXILIARY FACTORS
Another reason that I purchased the camera was for the WiFi accessory. I havent yet purchased the accessory but I made use of it at a tradeshow. It was amazing to take pictures and have them so quickly pop up on the laptop in a wireless fashion. This may actually be relevant for people seeking a way to monetize their investment (portraits at a ski hill or mountain top with the ability to immediately adjust and print pictures).
CONCLUSION
I feel that this camera has great value (purchased from J&R through Amazon) for my needs. If you are looking for a fast camera with fast ISO and rugged design this is for you.
On: 2007-09-07
Ive owned this camera for about 3 months and it has been to the factory twice and still will not reliably focus correctly. When it does focus correctly or if I shoot landscapes in manual focus mode the images are incredible, but the AF totally sucks and is completely unreliable. It cant be trusted. Ive shot hundreds of comparison shots between the 1D MkIII and my 20D and the 20D outperforms it in AF 90% of the time.
DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA UNTIL CANON ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM, ANNOUNCES A FIX FOR IT AND RECALLS/REPAIRS ALL THE CAMERAS THAT HAVE THE PROBLEM AND THE USER COMMUNITY AGREES THAT IT IS FIXED.
On: 2007-08-29
This new model is so good in many ways, yet is unaccepteble in its current form. It has become well known for its terrible focus issues that Canon has yet to be able to fix. Two firmware updates have been issued as a bandaid, but these have not yet fixed the problem.
I recommend you hold-off and wait for Canon to officially admit to the problem and name a fix. Yes, this focus problem is that bad. Expect to have 30-50% of your shots out of focus. Canon is investigating this and issuing firmware updates, but have yet to officially comment on it. "Lets get with it, Canon!!" Take it from me, you dont want a $5,000 camera that cant focus on STATIONARY objects, let alone, moving ones! Very frustrating!
On: 2007-08-29
Have this camera for a week now and I can only say "Wow"
I have taken the best pictures in my life. I have have been able to shoot small kids (under 8 months) capturing the expressions, basically due to its "Machine gun" capability. 10 fps is best in class on its range.
EOS 1Ds Mark III just appeared a couple of weeks ago and no doubt its 21 megapixels are a breeze, however I still prefer the speed of the 1D. Also this camera has 10 megapixels at 14 bits, not 12 bits, hence the colors are astonishing and crisp clear.
SD and CF are very convenient. Also the way buttons are located are very convenient, however you have to get used to the new locations (I had a 400D).
It is HEAVY. If you have a 28-135 II USM lens, it becomes a brick, however the photos you take are amazing
No doubt this camera is an investment that will last for, at least, 3 years.
On: 2007-08-02
This is an excellent pro level camera! There have been online issues written about an auto focus issue effecting those who take bird in flight pictures and losing the auto focus abilities when doing fast, multiple shots. The issue will be fixed by Canon and the talk so far has been well overblown as to the seriousness as most people wil never even be able to tell as they probably rarely or never will use such settings anyway.
This is a fast, well thought out camera built from the ground up by Canon, a company known for top quality professional cameras. This fall, when you see the sidelines of any NFL game, the Canon Mark III will dominate the sidelines for sure. This is mainly a sports camera, those wishing to take moving objects with high speed continuous shooting and this camera does that will. It costs what youd expect in a pro level camera. Due to high demand, and low supply, the first few months have shown us that people are willing to pay $500 to %1500 above MSRP to get their hands on this gem. That alone should convince most folks that this is truly a camera made by pros, for pros, or at least for those who are serious about their photography.
If you buy one, it is the kind of camera that you would expect to hold its value and its technology for at least two to three years, a nice thing in todays high tech world.
It will accept both CF and SDHC cards which makes it nice no matter what previous format you previously used.
You can go almost anywhere to get the details of the camera so I have not tried to bore you with that, instead, I just wanted to say as an owner of a Canon Mark III, I can tell you that the images it produces are better than anything right out of the camera that most people have ever seen. If you are doubtful if this camera is great, go to any Canon Forum where end users speak about their cameras and you will find near unanimous satisfaction by the photographers who use it. They love it, I love it, and I bet you would love it too.
On: 2007-07-29
I love this camera but am writing this review to say dont pay $6700.00 for this camera I just payed $4600.00 for mine purchased it in a small camera store in riverside county california. Dont let thease guys rip you off.
On: 2007-07-29
This is an update on my first review of 7/29/07 writen 3/22/08. I have owned this camera 8 months and have taken thousands of photograhps with it. I know some owners have complained about the Af but I have not had the expierence they describe. I have done sports, landscaped, and portraite photography whith this camera and it excells in every area. In ai servo I get 85-90% of my shots in focus I consider that to be very good concidering sometimes its me not the camera missing the shot. I read a review in Shutter Bug the author of the artical had given the camera to a pro sports photographer to test it. The sports photographer reported getting consistently out of focus shots when shooting slow moving traffic.
The auther took the same camera and went back to the same spot under the same conditions and was able to get consistently in focus sharp photos. So maybe some of these complaints are due to user eror and not the camera.When you consider the high iso performence and superior image quality this camera produces this is a great camera. From my personal expierence this is an outstanding piece of equiptment and I highly recomend it.
On: 2007-07-19
This Camera is brand new, and like most new electronics will have a few bugs, and I figure most can be fixed by firmware updates or Canon, will do any minor adjustments needed when its sent in for Service.
I sold off my 5D to step up to this one. For shooting in non perfect weather, like my Alaskan winters, or even some summer days, this camera does perform great. The Battery life is great. I am use to long life, as all my cameras have the battery grips on them, but I was shocked by how long the battery lasted with the new Mark, and even better it telling you when to recondition it! WOW!!
The NOISE on the Mark 3 is FANTASTIC!! Compared to the 5d, its almost 2 stops better, and thats with the cameras noise reduction mode turned off. The noise/grain at 3200 is very useable, and even 6400 is not too bad, granted I would not print a 20x30 but at iso 1600 I can. The Highlight preservation feature is great, esp for wedding photographers. You can now shoot the wedding dress in sunlight and have the detail! I know several pros that are moving from their nikon d2x to the Mark 3 because of that and the very low noise!!!
I shoot Automotive (hot rods and high end sports cars, and make custom photographic art for the owner), as well as the wonderous Alaskan wilderness, landscapes and wildlife. This Camera is a dream to use. It is not as heavy as the older Marks, and personally I think it is about the same weight as the 5D was with the battery grip, but has a better fell in my hand.
The 10MP is fine and I can still take images to 20x30 and larger with no problems! The 1.3 crop factor still gives me the prospective I like on my extreme wide angle lenses, like my 14mm or the fisheye. If you are one of the lucky ones to get one of these wonderful cameras, you are lucky, if you want one, get on a list fast.
Mine is even used a lot around and for photos of the guests at my folks B&B in Soldtona Alaska, the Kenai River Hideaway, and even the guests love to see it, and are impressed by the quality images even at low light! I have some images on my website, as well as the B&B site if you want to check them out. Enjoy! Its a great CAMERA!!!!
Kevin
On: 2007-07-18
This Camera is brand new, and like most new electronics will have a few bugs, and I figure most can be fixed by firmware updates or Canon, will do any minor adjustments needed when its sent in for Service.
I sold off my 5D to step up to this one. For shooting in non perfect weather, like my Alaskan winters, or even some summer days, this camera does perform great. The Battery life is great. I am use to long life, as all my cameras have the battery grips on them, but I was shocked by how long the battery lasted with the new Mark, and even better it telling you when to recondition it! WOW!!
The NOISE on the Mark 3 is FANTASTIC!! Compared to the 5d, its almost 2 stops better, and thats with the cameras noise reduction mode turned off. The noise/grain at 3200 is very useable, and even 6400 is not too bad, granted I would not print a 20x30 but at iso 1600 I can. The Highlight preservation feature is great, esp for wedding photographers. You can now shoot the wedding dress in sunlight and have the detail! I know several pros that are moving from their nikon d2x to the Mark 3 because of that and the very low noise!!!
I shoot Automotive (hot rods and high end sports cars, and make custom photographic art for the owner), as well as the wonderous Alaskan wilderness, landscapes and wildlife. This Camera is a dream to use. It is not as heavy as the older Marks, and personally I think it is about the same weight as the 5D was with the battery grip, but has a better fell in my hand.
The 10MP is fine and I can still take images to 20x30 and larger with no problems! The 1.3 crop factor still gives me the prospective I like on my extreme wide angle lenses, like my 14mm or the fisheye. If you are one of the lucky ones to get one of these wonderful cameras, you are lucky, if you want one, get on a list fast.
Mine is even used a lot around and for photos of the guests at my folks B&B in Soldtona Alaska, the Kenai River Hideaway, and even the guests love to see it, and are impressed by the quality images even at low light! I have some images on my website, as well as the B&B site if you want to check them out. Enjoy! Its a great CAMERA!!!!
Kevin
On: 2007-07-18
I have this camera for 3 weeks now. About 600 pictures have been taken at this time. Without any reservation, I can highly recommend this camera on the following reasons:
1) Auto focus - I tried all modes, one-shot or al-servo. I used a combination of lens - 180 mm micro, 28-300mm telezoom, 24-70mm and never experienced the problems mentioned on the web as claimed so by some experts. It was as hot as 85 degrees in a very dry heat area. The camera performed flawlesslty.
2) Color - comparing the color of the shots taken from 1d mark iii and 1d mark ii n, I have found that the color is more natural and rich. There is no distortion to my eyes. I shot using 100 - 1600 ISO and saw the consistent color quality in netural mode.
3) Sensor cleaning - it works very effectively. I had to clean up the sensor on my 1d mark ii n almost every 50-100 shots. Now, the automatic cleaning starts whenever I power off of change lens. Sometimes I have to do it twice. Overall, it works very well.
4) View finder - not only the 3 inch LCD is larger but it is also more clear and real to see the pictures. I am really satisified with the display.
5) Control - the new layout is much better than 1d mark iin. I use 20d type of control with one finger, I can change and navigate quickly. 1d mark iin is less intuitive.
6) Battery power - I used a varierty of zoom lens and played back a lot using the LCD. After 500 shots, the battery showed that I still have 50% or so jucie to go. I think that achieving 1000 shots on a full charged battery is quite good. My previous 1d mark ii n can only go for half or 1/3 of it.
Overall, I am very satified with the performance. However, the software provided to clean up the dust is not that great. The dust data somehow is not recognized by the software. I have to use other software to clean up the dust. Out of 500 pictures, I got 5 pictures showing dust and I removed them in two sensor cleaning cycles. It is an expensive toy but well worth the money if you can afford it.
On: 2007-07-11
Not to contradict R. Herbert who did the first review of this camera, there do appear to be some issues on the SERVO focusing on Some Lenses and Some focusing conditions.
However there are several photographers out there that have not run into any focusing issues (Im one) and we are all sure that Canon will look into the issue and come out with a fix.
Meanwhile if you are considering this camera I would suggest that you dont let this issues turn you away from in unless you plan to shoot track and field events in the next couple of months.
The advantages of this camera over almost any other cameras in the market is amazing.
Clean ISO 3200 and a very useable ISO 6400, 10 frames per second shooting, Live view (it works!), new light battery that seems to last forever, real wheather sealed body, more customizeable options that you can think of...
What else? 14-Bit images, highlight priority mode, fine tuning of all your lenses focusing, dual card shooting...
I had been thinking about a 5D, however when this camera came out I was amazed at all the available functions and decided to forego the full frame (Sensor size is 28.1 x 18.7 mm, a 1.28 crop factor) and go for this beauty.
If you can afford it and are considering it (and you can find one) by all means go for it, you wont be dissapointed.
On: 2007-07-10
Not to contradict R. Herbert who did the first review of this camera, there do appear to be some issues on the SERVO focusing on Some Lenses and Some focusing conditions.
However there are several photographers out there that have not run into any focusing issues (Im one) and we are all sure that Canon will look into the issue and come out with a fix.
Meanwhile if you are considering this camera I would suggest that you dont let this issues turn you away from in unless you plan to shoot track and field events in the next couple of months.
The advantages of this camera over almost any other cameras in the market is amazing.
Clean ISO 3200 and a very useable ISO 6400, 10 frames per second shooting, Live view (it works!), new light battery that seems to last forever, real wheather sealed body, more customizeable options that you can think of...
What else? 14-Bit images, highlight priority mode, fine tuning of all your lenses focusing, dual card shooting...
I had been thinking about a 5D, however when this camera came out I was amazed at all the available functions and decided to forego the full frame (Sensor size is 28.1 x 18.7 mm, a 1.28 crop factor) and go for this beauty.
If you can afford it and are considering it (and you can find one) by all means go for it, you wont be dissapointed.
On: 2007-07-03
Most professional photographers have been putting this camera through its paces since its release. MAJOR FOUCUS ISSUES ... AI Servo cant track a static object let alone a moving one. see [...] to review finds. This camera has the potential to be great, but leaves us hollow and wanting.
On: 2007-07-02
+5 STARS for camera and -5 STARS for seller
Actual camera sounds excellent (except not FF), based on professional and personal reviews all over the web.
However, you can find it listed for $4,499.99 at least 3 big-name places elsewhere on net. (Im assuming Im not allowed to mention them here, but think BIG places, not obscure net-only ones.)
BUT YOULL HAVE TO WAIT... The camera is NOT AVAILABLE, as of now, July 2, 2007, at any of those other places. The biggest wont even take your name on its
"Contact me when its available" wait list.
For $1,000 savings, Im going to wait!
On: 2007-07-02
anyone who buys this overpriced camera from this sad store is a joke for supporting price gouging
i cant wait for one of these but not at this price
at least some stores will sell at 4500 even if they have limited supply
summary: if you buy at this price you are a joke and we are all laughing at you!
On: 2007-07-02
Let the vendor beware! I wouldnt buy from any company that tries to price-gouge and rip off the public. And I am damn mad that Amazon lets any of its vendors mark up any item $1,000 above MSRP. Shame on you, Amazon! Just for that, Ill purchase the next three or four things that I wanted to get from you from somewhere else.
On: 2007-07-01
*5 stars for the product*
*-5 for the seller AND Amazon*
When I got the email that the item was in stock .. I was so excited and prepared to shell out my $4500 - then I came on the site and was sideswiped by the price.
I may have paid an extra $100-200 more for it since its in high demand - but a whole 1k more ? No way. I called Amazons CS department and told them there must be an error with the price because SURELY Amazons policy wouldnt be to gauge customers.
The rep on the phone said they have no policies on how their merchants price items and that they can do whatever they want and Amazon basically doesnt care since there ARE people out there who WILL pay this price (idiots).
This is the SECOND time this item has been listed here at this price (the first time was on June 20) and it quickly sold out (2 days) and was "relisted" .
I am relieved to see others as outraged as I am by this. I am an amazon prime member and order over 11k worth of stuff every year from amazon - I do all my xmas shopping here, birthday gifts, groceries, etc EVERYTHING. Im actually considering not using Amazon anymore if they dont put a stop to this.
Id rather continue to see the item "out of stock" than to feel like Im being scammed and that my trusted friend (Amazon) is the one who set me up.
On: 2007-06-30
YES, BUY THE CAMERA BUT NOT FROM THE RIP-OFF ARTISITS SELLING HERE. THE REAL STREET PRICE IS ABOUT $4,500 NOT THE $5,500 AMAZON LISTED SELLERS ARE ASKING. SHAME ON YOU AMAZON FOR BEING A PARTY TO THIS
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