Canon EOS 5D Mk III

We reassess a modern classic that’s great value in the pre-owned market

In the first of an occasional series, we celebrate cameras that became modern classics soon after they launched www.canon.co.uk

Canon’s EOS 5D Mk III was released in 2012, succeeding a model that marked a real step change in the evolution of digital cameras. No pressure for the Mk III, then, but it was a hit from the start. Heading up its feature set and various improvements over the Mk II was a 22.3MP sensor and the same Digic 5+ processor as found in the EOS 1D X. Another borrow from the 1D X was the 61-point wide-area AF system, with 41 cross-type and five dual cross-type points.

Another benefit was the increased ISO sensitivity, which could be set in

the range ISO100-25,600 in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments, and expanded to include L: ISO50, H1: ISO51200, H2: ISO102,400.

Video capability was a key draw for the 5D Mk II, and the Mk III got some small but significant improvements: the introduction of a Live View/Movie Switch on the rear to speed up movie activation, plus a headphone socket for monitoring the stereo audio.

Image quality

With its hair-trigger shutter button increasing your chances of getting the killer shot, the 5D Mk III is wonderfully responsive when

shooting. Image quality resolves an impressively high level of detail, which only really starts to dip if the sensitivity is pushed to ISO25600. The 5D Mk III is capable of producing truly impressive results in low light (the expansion settings of ISO 51200 and ISO 102,400 are best reserved for low-light emergencies).

AF system

Fast and accurate, the 5D Mk III’s impressive AF system is very similar to the EOS 1D X’s. There are six AF Area Selection modes, and the AI Servo mode (continuous AF) offers six tweakable ‘Cases’ for sports shooters that cover most subjects.

Full-frame functionality

The 5D Mk III’s 22-megapixel fullframe sensor means you get true wide-angle focal lengths, but also bigger file sizes. Raw files average around 27Mb each – so make sure your memory cards and computer or storage drive capacities can cope with the increased file sizes.

“The EOS 5D Mark III had a lot to live up to, but its AF system and image quality made it a hit from the start”

1 The third iteration of Canon’s trusty EOS 5D feels better in the hand than its predecessor 2 The pentaprism hump is bigger and more rounded than the 5D Mk II’s. This is to accommodate the Mk III’s larger AF module

3 The Rate button is another new addition. It’s useful for tagging ‘keeper’ images while a shoot is in progress, saving time during the subsequent ‘long’ edit 4 Switch between optical viewfinder and Live View shooting by rotating the collar on the Start/Stop button, which toggles video recording on and off 5 Use this multi-controller to navigate menus, select and move AF points and scroll image playback on the 3.2-inch 1,040,000-dot non-touchscreen display

The 5D Mk III offers two new Drive modes: Silent single shooting and Silent continuous shooting – the latter is ideal for getting close to wildlife. In Silent continuous mode the burst rate drops from 6fps to 3fps

The 5D Mk III captures rich, natural colours, making it ideal for landscape photographers who want to capture vibrant skies and subtle colour detail in scenic subjects