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July 14, 2007
[ CANON EOS-1D Mark III ]
Price: $6500 (body only)
Highly Recommended
The low-down: This is one of Canon’s professional digital SLRs, designed for photo journalists who demand good image quality and very fast shooting. The 10 megapixel sensor delivers fine images and the 10 frames per second burst speed keeps up with the action. Holding the shutter release button down in burst mode records up to 110 images to the memory buffer before writing to the memory card, both CF and SD. The massive battery pack keeps the power coming for this continuous shooting. For studio work there is a function called “live view” in which the mirror is raised and the LCD screen is used as a viewfinder. Also the camera can be tethered to a television and the image previewed on the screen. The down side is that the autofocus system is disabled in live view mode.
Like: The speed of operation of this camera is breathtaking. For action shots – football, wildlife or war – this is the camera to carry. There is both automatic and manual sensor dust removal.
Dislike: The weight! However the weight is the price that has to be paid for the huge batteries and the tank-like construction. This camera, with its magnesium alloy body and 70 or so dust and water seals, is designed to take a battering in wet and dirty conditions and still remain operable.
Verdict: The EOS-1D Mark III is a professional tool for photojournalists. For well-heeled amateurs who want top quality images the Canon 5D ($5000 for the body) will do the job with its 12 megapixels on a full 35 mm frame size sensor. The extra $1600 for the 1D buys extra battery power delivering 2200 shots between charges and the blazing capture speed but not necessarily better images. One of the difficulties in assessing the 1D is that it has so many user-selectable shooting parameters that it would take some weeks of constant use to customise the camera to a tester’s satisfaction. Do not lose the instruction manual! Even to an experienced digital camera user this is not an intuitive camera.
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Posted by terry at July 14, 2007 02:39 AM
Worth Checking Out
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Comments
This is a lightning fast camera....The battery can shoot past 3,000 frames if minimal LCD usage. The Iso I tested was at Iso 6400 + 2 making it ISO 12,800 and the images are useable......The 3" LCD is so bright that you will not need more than 50% of the brightness. It is possible to shoot more than 11 frames per second, the 10 fps is a Canon Conservative number.
The processor speed and flash capability with the 580 EX II is so fast...That it will also fire about 8 frames per second using flash...It feels like shooting strobo mode.........
This is the best....I sold My Eos 1DS Mark II and a Fuji S5 that I had for studio........With my 1D Mark III's I feel complete.....
Posted by: Manny Desalamanca at July 14, 2007 08:01 AM