- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Nikon D600
- Nikon D4
- Nikon D800
- Canon EOS 6D
- Sony SLT-A99
Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)Although the specification on the box says 1080p, with regards resolution the 5D Mark III is a huge let down and the $600 Panasonic GH2 offers a far more detailed 'true 1080p' image (whilst maintaining a relatively large sensor for video and interchangeable lens mount).
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)Just as impressive is the way the 1D X’s sensor manages to resolve detail at high ISOs, particularly up to ISO 25,600.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III compared to the Canon EOS 1D X
MP22.1
Full frame
Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)This is pretty much the performance you would expect from a camera with a 22MP pixel count and a good quality lens.
17.9 MP
Full frame
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)From the blazing processing speeds of the dual DIGIC 5 processors to the class-leading 12fps Continuous shooting speed and exceptional high ISO performance the EOS-1D X really is everything Canon claims it to be.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 22.1 MP   | 30 MP |
EOS 5D Mark III by rbtk (Oct, 2012)That said, the 5d3 also has a great sensor - it has excellent color, excellent metering, WB and a more reasonable megapixel count.
EOS 1D X by Primus (Dec, 2012)I used the 5D2 alongside the 1D4 in Jasper and found the 1D4 images were crisper, had better color and were overall more pleasing even though the megapixels are less.
sensor size
EOS 5D Mark III by DOBrien--We-review-stuff. (Mar, 2012)If you have the cash and are looking for a full frame with video capabilities, this is an excellent choice with the improvements made.
EOS 1D X by Gary-W.-Meyer (Oct, 2012)focus system the best ever from Canon IQ is the best i have seen easy menu system great build on the bodyvery happy with the camera use for wildlife shooting and with the full frame for landscape also...I can see this would be a fantastic camera for weddings also.
viewfinder size
EOS 5D Mark III by DPReview (Mar, 2012)The size of the viewfinder is a key factor in usability - the bigger it is, the easier it is to frame and focus your shots, and the more enjoyable and involving process it is.
EOS 1D X by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)Thankfully, the 1D X’s viewfinder is superb with a big, bright window providing 100% frame coverage, a 0.76x magnification and the usual diopter correction controls.
body size
152 x 116 x 76 mm
158 x 164 x 83 mm
EOS 5D Mark III by C.-Concepcion (Apr, 2012)The camera is not heavy I would say but with the lens and the first all day shooting I felt the weight.
EOS 1D X by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)While seasoned pros should be used to the size and weight, well-heeled enthusiasts looking for the best camera money can buy may well find it a bit cumbersome.
focus points
| 0 | 61 | 70 |
EOS 1D X by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)The 1D X’s AF system is almost identical to the one used by the EOS-5D Mk III and benefits from a total of 61 AF-points, 41 of which are cross-type sensors for faster and more accurate focusing regardless of whether the camera is being held in portrait of landscape orientation.
Performance Real world tests of Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Canon EOS 1D X
DxOMark image quality
EOS 5D Mark III by DL (Jan, 2013)Canon 5diii (with 28~105mm L, and 70~300mm L lens) to my eyes has most natural color, very sharp, like high end audio tube analog components vs digital sound (Nikon), unbelievable low light performance, great auto mode, great focus speed, you do not need much skill to take great photos.
EOS 1D X by Stephen-M.-Lerch (Aug, 2012)Not sure how well that would work on subjects moving in the dark, as it might mess up your night vision (though red is the color least likely to break your night vision).
DxOMark low light performance
EOS 5D Mark III by C.-Bushman (Oct, 2012)This camera has the night vision of a barn owl and will grab the shot you least expect to grab in EXTREMELY low light.
continuous shooting
EOS 5D Mark III by DPReview (Mar, 2012)In terms of continuous shooting the EOS 5D Mark III is not quite on the same level as dedicated sports and action cameras such as Canon's EOS-1D Mark IV, but nevertheless its 6 frames per second in Continuous Hi mode still make it a capable tool for shooting fast moving subjects.
EOS 1D X by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)Used in Case 3 and firing off a burst of shots just as the subject entered the frame we managed to attain an exceptionally high hit-rate of pin-sharp images.
battery life
950 photos
1,500 photos
EOS 5D Mark III by c|net (Jan, 2009)The Mark II uses a new battery pack, the LP-E6, which seems to last a reasonably long time: it's CIPA rated at between 750 and 850 shots, depending upon temperature.
EOS 1D X by lankynibbs (Apr, 2013)Battery life is less than optimal, so count on bringing a second battery to your typical model shoot... you get a little over 1100 pics per fully charged battery pack.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the 1D X
| Higher resolution | 22.1 MP | vs | 17.9 MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 20% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | Mar, 2012 | vs | Oct, 2011 |
| Announced date 4 months later | |||
| More color depth | 24.0 bits | vs | 23.8 bits |
| Almost the same | |||
| Much lighter | 950 g | vs | 1,530 g |
| Around 40% lighter | |||
| Significantly smaller | 152 x 116 x 76 mm | vs | 158 x 164 x 83 mm |
| Around 40% smaller | |||
| Significantly thinner | 76 mm | vs | 83 mm |
| Around 10% thinner | |||
Advantages compared to the 5D Mark III
| Much faster rapid fire | 14 fps | vs | 6 fps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around 2.5x faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| Significantly higher light sensitivity | 204,800 ISO | vs | 102,400 ISO |
| 2x higher light sensitivity; Avoid blur in low light situations | |||
| Bigger viewfinder | 0.76x | vs | 0.71x |
| Around 10% bigger viewfinder size | |||
| More photos per charge | 1,500 | vs | 950 |
| 550 more shots; Longer battery life | |||
| Less noise at high ISO | 2,786 ISO | vs | 2,293 ISO |
| More than 20% higher low light performance | |||
| More highly reviewed by consumers | 88.57% | vs | 87.13% |
| Almost the same | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Canon EOS 1D X | ||
 |  
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Rated by 174 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by rbtk (Oct, 2012) Rated 100% by by rbtk (Oct, 2012) Rated 100% by by Greg-K (Aug, 2012) | Rated by 23 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by T.-Cayton--photographer (Aug, 2012) Rated 80% by by Barry-F.-Shaffer--Photogeek21 (Aug, 2012) Rated 100% by by Stephen-M.-Lerch (Aug, 2012) | |
sensor
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 100% by by rbtk (Oct, 2012)Between it's excellent sensor, wide latitude in ISO options, super fast AF, faster FPS, rock solid build and grip - the 5D3 just feels like a much faster, tighter and fun to use camera.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 100% by by powerlifting315 (Sep, 2012)The 5D3's sensor cleaner is quite effective - I have a sensor loupe, and even upon inspecting the sensor that closely I still haven't seen a single particle of dust adhere to the sensor.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)With the 5D Mark III's large images files it is advisable to use a fast CF memory card, especially if you are planning to shoot bursts in Raw+JPEG mode.
focus
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 100% by by rbtk (Oct, 2012)Overall - the 5D3 provide iterative improvement to the 5D2 w/evolutionary improvement to image quality and massive improvement in build and AF performance.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)We tested the EOS 5D Mark III's AF system with a 70-200mm F4L lens at an amateur soccer match, and even with our limited sports shooting skills got a very large proportion of usable shots.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)Since video is not shot with auto-focus on the 5D Mark III, it would also have been preferable to see better manual focus aids in live-view.
autofocus
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 100% by by D.-K.-Miles--dkmiles1 (Apr, 2012)For me personally, I would have been happy with the 5D2 plus a great AF, and I got that with the 5D3.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)Inheriting the same auto-focus system as the flagship EOS-1D X DSLR is a massive improvement on the rudimentary 9-point system of the 5D Mark II, while the burst shooting rate is quicker at 6fps with a useful quieter 3fps mode for more candid moments.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 100% by by Phaseout (Apr, 2012)Coming from the 7D I enjoyed pretty good autofocus but the 5D Mark III dominates it in every way.
iso
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)As we've mentioned in the noise section of this review, at default settings at higher ISO sensitivities the 5D Mark III's application of noise reduction is a little heavy-handed, resulting in comparatively clean output but a loss of fine low-contrast detail.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)Again, as you can see from these comparisons, the 5D Mark III's default noise reduction masks quite a lot of fine detail at ISO 12,800, which becomes very obvious when the JPEG is viewed alongside a processed Raw file.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)Once the EOS 5D Mark III is in one of the 'creative zones', users can adjust the ISO setting into one of 12 positions from 50 to 102,400 (you need to to enable the ISO 50, 52000 and 102,400 modes via the "ISO expansion" custom function option).
video
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)The video output specifications are essentially unchanged in terms of resolution and framerate (1080p30 maximum), but Canon says the processing is improved to minimise moiré and other artefacts, and has included the higher quality All-I and IPB interframe compression options introduced with the EOS-1D X. What you don't get though, is the uncompressed output over HDMI seen in the latest Nikon models.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by c|net (Jan, 2009)As you'd expect, the 5DM3 consists of a combination of technologies, features, and design updates rolled out in the EOS 7D and the more recent 1D X. The result is a camera that looks similar to its predecessor with a lot more capabilities and better performance, but isn't as different when it comes to the basics - photo and video quality - as you'd expect.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Rated 82% by by DPReview (Mar, 2012)The 5D Mark III offers a choice of video compression mode - the space saving IPB mode and a high quality ALL-I format.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D600 Least noise at high ISO |
 | 2 | Nikon D4 Most shots per battery charge |
 | 3 | Nikon D800 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 4 | Canon EOS 6D Much faster benchmarked shot to shot times |
 | 5 | Sony SLT-A99 Highest resolution screen |
 | 6 | Canon EOS 7D 4-way tie: Has a built-in flash |
 | 7 | Canon EOS 5D Mark II 5-way tie: Largest sensor |
 | 8 | Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Little delay taking photos |
Unanswered Questions
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December 24, 2012
Is the 1D better for video? Not just picture quality but audio
Also is the Menu more 'custom functionable' than the 5D III? Do the audio levels have to be reset each time recording is stopped and prior to resuming?
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