What is the sensor size of the Canon 5D Mark III?
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is a digital camera that has a full frame sensor at its core. This imager measures 36.0mm in width and 24.0mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 864 mm2.
The 5D Mark III provides an image resolution of 22.1 megapixels, based on 5 760 horizontal pixels and 3 840 vertical pixels.
Sensor size comparison with a film slide
The sensor diagonal measures 43.3mm, which gives rise to a format factor (or crop factor) of 1.0. Therefore, the Canon 5D Mark III is a full-frame camera, as its sensor size corresponds to that of a traditional 35mm film slide or negative.

Sensor specs and performance
The table below compares the sensor specs of the Canon 5D Mark III to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

| Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Canon 5D Mark III | Full Frame | 22.1 | 5760 | 3840 | 1080/30p | 24.0 | 11.7 | 2293 | 81 | |
| 2. | Canon 5D | Full Frame | 12.7 | 4368 | 2912 | none | 22.9 | 11.1 | 1368 | 71 | |
| 3. | Canon 5D Mark II | Full Frame | 21.0 | 5616 | 3744 | 1080/30p | 23.7 | 11.9 | 1815 | 79 | |
| 4. | Canon 5D Mark IV | Full Frame | 30.1 | 6720 | 4480 | 4K/30p | 24.8 | 13.6 | 2995 | 91 | |
| 5. | Canon 5DS | Full Frame | 50.3 | 8688 | 5792 | 1080/30p | 24.7 | 12.4 | 2381 | 87 | |
| 6. | Canon 5DS R | Full Frame | 50.3 | 8688 | 5792 | 1080/30p | 24.6 | 12.4 | 2308 | 86 | |
| 7. | Canon 6D | Full Frame | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/30p | 23.8 | 12.1 | 2340 | 82 | |
| 8. | Nikon D600 | Full Frame | 24.2 | 6016 | 4016 | 1080/30p | 25.1 | 14.2 | 2980 | 94 | |
| 9. | Nikon D610 | Full Frame | 24.2 | 6016 | 4016 | 1080/30p | 25.1 | 14.4 | 2925 | 94 | |
| 10. | Nikon D800 | Full Frame | 36.2 | 7360 | 4912 | 1080/30p | 25.3 | 14.4 | 2853 | 95 | |
| 11. | Nikon D800E | Full Frame | 36.2 | 7360 | 4912 | 1080/30p | 25.6 | 14.3 | 2979 | 96 |
In the United States, the 5D Mark III was initially launched in March 2012 at a price of $3,499.

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Camera to camera comparisons
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| Camera Model | Canon 5D Mark III | |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | |
| Camera Lens | Canon EF mount lenses | |
| Launch Date | March 2012 | |
| Launch Price | USD 3 499 | |
| Sensor Specs | ||
| Sensor Technology | CMOS | |
| Sensor Format | Full Frame Sensor | |
| Sensor Size | 36.0 x 24.0 mm | |
| Sensor Area | 864 mm2 | |
| Sensor Diagonal | 43.3 mm | |
| Crop Factor | 1.0x | |
| Sensor Resolution | 22.1 Megapixels | |
| Image Resolution | 5 760 x 3 840 pixels | |
| Pixel Pitch | 6.25 μm | |
| Pixel Density | 2.56 MP/cm2 | |
| Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | |
| Movie Capability | 1080/30p Video | |
| ISO Setting | 100 - 25 600 ISO | |
| ISO Boost | 50 - 102 400 ISO | |
| Image Processor | DIGIC 5+ | |
| DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 81 | |
| DXO Color Depth (bits) | 24.0 | |
| DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 11.7 | |
| DXO Low Light (ISO) | 2293 | |
| Screen Specs | ||
| Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | |
| Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.71x | |
| Top-Level Screen | Control Panel | |
| LCD Framing | Live View | |
| LCD Size | 3.2 inch | |
| LCD Resolution | 1040k dots | |
| LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | |
| Touch Input | No touchscreen | |
| Shooting Specs | ||
| Focus System | Phase-detect AF | |
| Manual Focusing Aid | no Peaking Feature | |
| Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/8000s | |
| Continuous Shooting | 6 shutter flaps/s | |
| Shutter Life Expectancy | 150 000 actuations | |
| Silent Shooting | no E-Shutter | |
| Time Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | |
| Fill Flash | no On-Board Flash | |
| Storage Medium | CF or SDXC cards | |
| Single or Dual Card Slots | Dual card slots | |
| UHS card support | no | |
| Connectivity Specs | ||
| External Flash | Hotshoe | |
| Studio Flash | PC Sync socket | |
| USB Connector | USB 2.0 | |
| HDMI Port | mini HDMI | |
| Microphone Port | External MIC port | |
| Headphone Socket | Headphone port | |
| Wifi Support | no Wifi | |
| Body Specs | ||
| Environmental Sealing | Weathersealed body | |
| Battery Type | Canon LP-E6 power pack | |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 950 shots per charge | |
| Body Dimensions |
152 x 116 x 76 mm (6.0 x 4.6 x 3.0 in) |
|
| Camera Weight | 950 g (33.5 oz) | |
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