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Canon 5D Mark III Comparison Review

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was announced in March 2012 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 22.1 megapixel.

camera

Is the Canon 5D Mark III a good camera? The 5D Mark III has a Camera Elo of 1832. This rating puts the 5D Mark III among the top 40 percent of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the 5D Mark III ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Canon 5D Mark III
Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses
22.1 MP, Full Frame Sensor
1080/30p Video
ISO 100 - 25 600 (50 - 102 400)
Optical viewfinder
3.2 LCD, 1040k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
6 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body
950 shots per battery charge
152 x 116 x 76 mm, 950 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Canon 5D Mark III vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Canon 5D Mark III vs credit card front
5D Mark III versus credit card top view
5D Mark III and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon 5D Mark III alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
    Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon 5D Mark III 152 mm 116 mm 76 mm 950 g 950 Y Mar 2012 US$ 3 499ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 5D 152 mm 113 mm 75 mm 895 g 400 Y Aug 2005 US$ 3 299ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 5D Mark II 152 mm 114 mm 75 mm 850 g 850 Y Sep 2008 US$ 3 499ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IV 151 mm 116 mm 76 mm 890 g 900 Y Aug 2016 US$ 3 499 amazon.com
5.
 
Canon 5DS 152 mm 116 mm 76 mm 930 g 700 Y Feb 2015 US$ 3 699ebay.com
6.
 
Canon 5DS R 152 mm 116 mm 76 mm 930 g 700 Y Feb 2015 US$ 3 699ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 6D 145 mm 111 mm 71 mm 770 g 1090 Y Sep 2012 US$ 2 099ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D600 141 mm 113 mm 82 mm 850 g 900 Y Sep 2012 US$ 2 099ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D610 141 mm 113 mm 82 mm 850 g 900 Y Oct 2013 US$ 1 999ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D800 146 mm 123 mm 82 mm 1000 g 900 Y Feb 2012 US$ 2 999ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D800E 146 mm 123 mm 82 mm 1000 g 900 Y Feb 2012 US$ 3 299ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon 5D Mark III was launched in the US market at a price of $3,499. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Canon 5D Mark III features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon 5D Mark III among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Canon 5D Mark III sensor measures

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

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Sensor Characteristics
    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 38401080/30p24.011.7229381
2.
 
Canon 5D Full Frame 12.7 4368 2912none22.911.1136871
3.
 
Canon 5D Mark II Full Frame 21.0 5616 37441080/30p23.711.9181579
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IV Full Frame 30.1 6720 44804K/30p24.813.6299591
5.
 
Canon 5DS Full Frame 50.3 8688 57921080/30p24.712.4238187
6.
 
Canon 5DS R Full Frame 50.3 8688 57921080/30p24.612.4230886
7.
 
Canon 6D Full Frame 20.0 5472 36481080/30p23.812.1234082
8.
 
Nikon D600 Full Frame 24.2 6016 40161080/30p25.114.2298094
9.
 
Nikon D610 Full Frame 24.2 6016 40161080/30p25.114.4292594
10.
 
Nikon D800 Full Frame 36.2 7360 49121080/30p25.314.4285395
11.
 
Nikon D800E Full Frame 36.2 7360 49121080/30p25.614.3297996

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The 5D Mark III indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the 5D Mark III can use is 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the 5D Mark III has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.71x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Canon 5D Mark III along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
    Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Canon 5D Mark IIIoptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 6.0/s n n
2.
 
Canon 5Doptical Y2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/8000s 3.0/s n n
3.
 
Canon 5D Mark IIoptical Y3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/8000s 3.9/s n n
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IVoptical Y3.2 / 1620 fixed Y 1/8000s 7.0/s n n
5.
 
Canon 5DSoptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s n n
6.
 
Canon 5DS Roptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s n n
7.
 
Canon 6Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 fixed n 1/4000s 4.5/s n n
8.
 
Nikon D600optical Y3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 5.5/s Y n
9.
 
Nikon D610optical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
10.
 
Nikon D800optical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 4.0/s Y n
11.
 
Nikon D800Eoptical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 4.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One useful feature of the 5D Mark III is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
    Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Canon 5D Mark IIIYmono / monoYYmini2.0---
2.
 
Canon 5DY- / ----2.0---
3.
 
Canon 5D Mark IIYmono / monoY-mini2.0---
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IVYmono / monoYYmini3.0YY-
5.
 
Canon 5DSYmono / monoY-mini3.0---
6.
 
Canon 5DS RYmono / monoY-mini3.0---
7.
 
Canon 6DYmono / monoY-mini2.0Y--
8.
 
Nikon D600Ymono / monoYYmini2.0---
9.
 
Nikon D610Ymono / monoYYmini2.0---
10.
 
Nikon D800Ymono / monoYYmini3.0---
11.
 
Nikon D800EYmono / monoYYmini3.0---

It is notable that the 5D Mark III has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the 5D Mark III can be found in the free online Canon 5D Mark III Manual or on the Canon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 5D Mark III. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
     Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon 5D Mark III..+ +..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Mar 2012 US$ 3 499ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 5D..88/100..+ +o.. Aug 2005 US$ 3 299ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 5D Mark II4/591/100..79/1004/5.. Sep 2008 US$ 3 499ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 5D Mark IV4.5/5+ +4/587/1004.5/54.5/5 Aug 2016 US$ 3 499 amazon.com
5.
 
Canon 5DS..+..83/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 US$ 3 699ebay.com
6.
 
Canon 5DS R5/5+..83/1005/54.5/5 Feb 2015 US$ 3 699ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 6D5/5+ +..83/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2012 US$ 2 099ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D6004/5+ +..87/1005/54.5/5 Sep 2012 US$ 2 099ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D6104/5+ +..87/1004.5/54.5/5 Oct 2013 US$ 1 999ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D8005/5+ +..82/1005/55/5 Feb 2012 US$ 2 999ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D800E......84/1005/55/5 Feb 2012 US$ 3 299ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Canon 5D Mark III FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the 5D Mark III.

What type of imaging sensor is used in the Canon 5D Mark III?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Canon 5D Mark III to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Canon equipped the 5D Mark III with the DIGIC 5+ image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Canon 5D Mark III?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 50-102400.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Canon EOS 5D Mark III?

Canon mentions a shutter rating of 150 000 actuations for the 5D Mark III. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the 5D Mark III over, say, three years, one would have to take about 150 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Canon 5D Mark III?

Canon embeds the number of shutter actuations in the camera firmware. You can check the number of shots that your 5D Mark III has taken up to now by using a third-party app, as described on the Canon 5D Mark III shutter count page.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Canon 5D Mark III for flash photography?

The 5D Mark III's flash sync speed is 1/200 sec.

Which battery does the Canon 5D Mark III use?

The camera gets its power from the Canon LP-E6 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Canon 5D Mark III?

Yes, Canon offers the BG-E11 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications Summary
    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 Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 6 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy150 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno 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 SealingWeathersealed 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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