I have the EOS 5D MK III with me for about a week now, and there’s so much to love from this new DSLR. I have compiled my thoughts on this camera below and for simplicity sake, I will just list them out by Pros and Cons.
Pros
– Fantastic Noise suppression allowing photography up to ISO 12,800 without breaking a sweat! Usable ISO 25,600 even (provided you don’t pixel peep). Really great improvement for us wedding photojournalists who shoots quite often in those dark funky reception settings.
– Improved AWB and the color of images straight off camera seems warmer and more soothing to my eyes
– Carried on the tradition of delivering top notch HD video, with more compression options to choose from. Videographers will be delighted with the new headphone jack.
– Better weather sealing for those times when we are cam whoring in the rain
– An excellent AF System. Simply fast and reliable. One of the most important improvement over it’s predecessor. The camera spends less time hunting under low light situation now and locks on in a jiffy in most situation.
– Best Image quality so far, from the EOS 5 Series cameras. When you think the 5DmkII is good, compare the images with those shot with a 5DmkIII and prepare to be amazed. The extra details resolved on this brand new sensor is simply amazing!
– Very responsive camera, due in part to the new Digic5+ chip, the ultra fast AF and the new shutter button which feels very much like those from the 1D line.
– Silent shooting is a welcome addition. It’s not exactly silent as it’s name suggests, but I am pretty sure it will keep the church elders from coming after me at the next wedding.
– Additional SD card slot means I can assign a card for redundancy. Always good when you are on a job. Since SD cards are so cheap nowadays, I am even contemplating getting 1 for each of my assignment. (Bulk purchase anyone? hehe)
– High Speed 6 FPS shooting is really breezy. It’s so fast that I’d inadvertently capture an extra frame or two when initially warming up to the camera.
– Locking systems keep mode and jog dial in check to prevent accidental changes to settings.
– Improved optical viewfinder with 100% coverage and user selectable grids.
– Built in leveller to keep your horizon straight all the time! It’s not really critical but an interesting addition to an already long list of functions.
– Support for Eye-fi card (My Pro-X2 works without a hitch) so for those not looking to purchase the wifi-transmitter, you know there’s other options.
– Wonderful ergonomics and delightfully sculpted for one’s hand. I’d say it’s nicer to hold this camera (without battery grip) than any other similarly designed ones on the market thus far.
– Good lens aberration correction.
– Can rate images (with a button dedicated for rating).
– Uses the same batteries as the old 5D mk II, meaning my old batteries need not retire just yet and I don’t have to carry additional chargers for my overseas jobs.
Cons
– Zooming into an image from playback is now a 2 handed operation. Something which I hated on the Nikon systems. It’s sadly reared it’s head on my new prized possession.
– The new view finder AF point display, while nifty, seems a tad too faint and can sometimes be rather difficult to pick up in bright/harsh lighting environment.
– No GPS / Wifi onboard for a top of the line camera.
– Viewfinder eyepiece is bigger than the 5D mk II’s but it could be a wee bit larger and extended, so that our noses won’t touch the LCD screen, when we press out face against the camera.
– HDR function is a cool new addition and a shot done on the natural setting will give you an output with a higher dynamic range, but the lack of control means the shots produced are usually quite gawdy (especially the ones using the other presets). It’s still better to crank up your own HDR on your Mac/PC.
– No USB3 support.
– No wireless trigger built in for Canon’s new flagship flash 600EX-RT.
– No back lit controls
– No Articulating LCD
I know alot of the Cons are really not critical and they are more of what additions, I feel, would have made the 5D mk III the ultimate dream camera. Truth be told, I am really thankful to Canon for producing the 5D mk III as it is already a near perfect camera, at least for my usage. It’s probably the most well rounded camera out there at the moment and no matter what field of photography you are in, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough for all of you, enthusiast and professionals alike.
