The Canon Mark iii has just been released by Canon in March 2012 and people are obviously wondering what improvements this DSLR has over its predecessor the Mark ii. Well the first thing you'll notice is that the price of the Mark iii body has a steep 30% increase at 3499$ compared to the 2499$ of the Mark ii. We are not really comparing the two cameras to find a winner. It's obvious the Mark iii has all of the Mark ii features and several improvements. The question we are asking, is it worth the extra money? Here we'll take a look at this exciting new camera.
SENSOR
Let's start with the sensor. Still a CMOS sensor, still 36x24 full frame. But the Mark iii has 22.3MP vs the 21.1MP of its predecessor. A bit more than an extra megapixel for the Mark iii. Yes, your pictures will have more detail but nobody will ever notice. The Mark ii has a DIGIC4 processor but the Mark iii boasts a DIGIC5+ processor which Canon claims is 17 times faster. In practical examples this basically means that the camera will be more efficient. It'll process the data faster, it will shoot fast and it will be faster to find the focus. Another feature that probably is possible thanks to the faster processor is that the Mark iii shoots up to 6fps compared to the 4fps of the Mark ii.
The improved sensor and imaging processor reduce the effect of moir© and aliasing, gives you a better dynamic range and reduces the noise level.
LOW LIGHT SHOOTING
Improved ISO range and performance in low light is probably one of the most exciting features of the Mark iii. Even if the Mark ii was pretty good in low light, when you shot at the top ISO of 6400 you were really pushing the camera to its limits. The top ISO of the Mark iii is 25600 and according to various tests, it is better in low light by two stops compared to the Mark ii. So, if you were struggling at 6400 with the Mark ii, with the Mark iii the noise will be minimal at that ISO level. Probably this will be one of the big selling points for filmmakers.
BUILD, CAMERA BODY AND LAYOUT
The camera body also has slightly changed with the Mark iii. It is more rounded and it feels easier to hold in your hand. For example where on the Mark ii there was bare plastic, now we have rubber which makes the grip more secure. The weather-proofing also has been improved. The camera now not only shoots on CF cards but also on SD cards and has both slots under the same hatch. Photographers will be able to use this for backup, shooting and recording on both cards, even saving them on different formats. The layout has changed a bit too. The power switch is now on the top left of the camera, easier to find. The mode dial has a €lock€ function that protects you from accidentally changing the shooting mode. Next to the shutter release button there is a new multi function button to which you can assign whatever function you want. The LCD also is a little bigger at 3.2 inches and images are easier to see, especially in sunlight.
AF SYSTEM
Another exciting feature of the Mark iii is definitely the focusing system. The Mark ii had only a 9 point autofocus system and was one of the camera's limitations. The Mark iii has an astonishing 61 point autofocus system and is also capable to find the focus faster and in all circumstances, even when there is a lot of light. It is able to focus on a subject and stick to it even if it moves around the frame.
HDR
High Dynamic Range shooting is an exciting new feature of the Mark iii, which is the first Canon DSLR to offer in-camera HDR recording. The Mark iii is capable of recording three images and merging them to get a high dynamic range image. The camera will record all three shots as well as the HDR processed image. You also have the option to shoot RAW and JPEG images at the same time which means you'll have three RAW files, 3 JPEGS and the processed image.
CANON 5D MARK III MOVIE MODE
Obviously everybody was expecting Canon to offer uncompressed output with HDSDI or HDMI but Canon failed on this point. However the new 5D has a higher quality All-I and IPB interframe compression. It is also capable of shooting slow motion up to 60fps at 720p. A new built in headphone socket also allows you to monitor audio in a more efficient way. A Live View/Movie Switch on the rear (like on the 7D), speeds up movie activation. If with the Mark ii you could only shoot up to 12 minutes before you had to press record again, now the maximum clip length is 29 minutes and 59 seconds.
These are the main features and improvements that will be selling points for DSLR shooters who are considering the upgrade. If you are an indie filmmaker or a seasoned photographer it's likely that you'll find these improvements worth the extra money. The Canon 5D Mark ii has revolutionized the indie filmmaking world and has made DSLR video shooting mainstream. The camera, however, had many shortcomings because it was never really meant to be used as a video camera to shoot films. Canon has worked on those shortcomings and has come up with an exceptional new model that, if not a game changer like it's predecessor, certainly represents a great fine tuning that is worth the extra money and a great new tool for both photographers and video shooters.
SENSOR
Let's start with the sensor. Still a CMOS sensor, still 36x24 full frame. But the Mark iii has 22.3MP vs the 21.1MP of its predecessor. A bit more than an extra megapixel for the Mark iii. Yes, your pictures will have more detail but nobody will ever notice. The Mark ii has a DIGIC4 processor but the Mark iii boasts a DIGIC5+ processor which Canon claims is 17 times faster. In practical examples this basically means that the camera will be more efficient. It'll process the data faster, it will shoot fast and it will be faster to find the focus. Another feature that probably is possible thanks to the faster processor is that the Mark iii shoots up to 6fps compared to the 4fps of the Mark ii.
The improved sensor and imaging processor reduce the effect of moir© and aliasing, gives you a better dynamic range and reduces the noise level.
LOW LIGHT SHOOTING
Improved ISO range and performance in low light is probably one of the most exciting features of the Mark iii. Even if the Mark ii was pretty good in low light, when you shot at the top ISO of 6400 you were really pushing the camera to its limits. The top ISO of the Mark iii is 25600 and according to various tests, it is better in low light by two stops compared to the Mark ii. So, if you were struggling at 6400 with the Mark ii, with the Mark iii the noise will be minimal at that ISO level. Probably this will be one of the big selling points for filmmakers.
BUILD, CAMERA BODY AND LAYOUT
The camera body also has slightly changed with the Mark iii. It is more rounded and it feels easier to hold in your hand. For example where on the Mark ii there was bare plastic, now we have rubber which makes the grip more secure. The weather-proofing also has been improved. The camera now not only shoots on CF cards but also on SD cards and has both slots under the same hatch. Photographers will be able to use this for backup, shooting and recording on both cards, even saving them on different formats. The layout has changed a bit too. The power switch is now on the top left of the camera, easier to find. The mode dial has a €lock€ function that protects you from accidentally changing the shooting mode. Next to the shutter release button there is a new multi function button to which you can assign whatever function you want. The LCD also is a little bigger at 3.2 inches and images are easier to see, especially in sunlight.
AF SYSTEM
Another exciting feature of the Mark iii is definitely the focusing system. The Mark ii had only a 9 point autofocus system and was one of the camera's limitations. The Mark iii has an astonishing 61 point autofocus system and is also capable to find the focus faster and in all circumstances, even when there is a lot of light. It is able to focus on a subject and stick to it even if it moves around the frame.
HDR
High Dynamic Range shooting is an exciting new feature of the Mark iii, which is the first Canon DSLR to offer in-camera HDR recording. The Mark iii is capable of recording three images and merging them to get a high dynamic range image. The camera will record all three shots as well as the HDR processed image. You also have the option to shoot RAW and JPEG images at the same time which means you'll have three RAW files, 3 JPEGS and the processed image.
CANON 5D MARK III MOVIE MODE
Obviously everybody was expecting Canon to offer uncompressed output with HDSDI or HDMI but Canon failed on this point. However the new 5D has a higher quality All-I and IPB interframe compression. It is also capable of shooting slow motion up to 60fps at 720p. A new built in headphone socket also allows you to monitor audio in a more efficient way. A Live View/Movie Switch on the rear (like on the 7D), speeds up movie activation. If with the Mark ii you could only shoot up to 12 minutes before you had to press record again, now the maximum clip length is 29 minutes and 59 seconds.
These are the main features and improvements that will be selling points for DSLR shooters who are considering the upgrade. If you are an indie filmmaker or a seasoned photographer it's likely that you'll find these improvements worth the extra money. The Canon 5D Mark ii has revolutionized the indie filmmaking world and has made DSLR video shooting mainstream. The camera, however, had many shortcomings because it was never really meant to be used as a video camera to shoot films. Canon has worked on those shortcomings and has come up with an exceptional new model that, if not a game changer like it's predecessor, certainly represents a great fine tuning that is worth the extra money and a great new tool for both photographers and video shooters.