Canon EOS-1D Mk III a pro photographer's dream

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 23 February 2007 20:59

Opinion and Analysis

Canon latest EOS, their high-end photographic line which is celebrating 20 years, is bursting with features that step up the fight with competitors to keep Canon in the top photographic spot.

Canon’s EOS range of digital cameras, from the entry-level Canon EOS 400D, through to the new high end EOS-1D Mk III, have always exuded a professional photographic aura that tells the world you’re holding a real camera and that you’re ready for any photographic challenge – with a model to suit every level, from the prosumer to the truly consummate professional.

Now Canon’s EOS-1D Mk III takes the flagship model to the next level, offering a 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor with 10 frames per second (fps) continuous shooting up to 110 shots in a single burst, ensuring photographers capture that ‘winning shot’ when the action is hotting up and the difference between a winning shot and one for the trashcan can be but mere milliseconds. Sports and photojournalists are the main target, but given the camera’s super speedy operation and photo taking capabilities, these are features of benefit to all photographers.

To back up all of this power is not one, but two of Canon’s latest DiG!C III processors. These also let you take photos at an amazing ISO 3200 for true photographic capabilities in low light, and use 14 bit A/D conversion for precision in capturing fine detail with a colorfully wide color gamut.

This 14 bit system is an improvement over the previous 12 bit system which means that fine detail or fine color gradations truly are captured, while on the ISO front the camera is actually capable of recording up to ISO 6400, and for those with absolutely perfect lighting in studios, the camera can be set to an ISO as low as 50.

But that’s not all. Next up is a new feature for Canon’s professional range, and that’s a Live View shooting mode that lets photographers see the image live on the inbuilt 3-inch, 230,000 pixel LCD screen, or by plugging in a remote color screen for an even larger live preview image, something that is easy to have set up in a professional photographer’s studio.

Add to this Canon’s new water and dust-resistant magnesium alloy body, with 76 points through the camera where improved anti water and anti dust systems are in place, and Canon’s new EOS CMOS sensor cleaning system to reduce and even eliminate the shadows that dust on the sensor can cause to photos, and finally a shutter durability of 300,000 cycles, you have what sounds like an absolute dream camera for today’s photo pros.

That’s certainly the message that Canon will be taking to the market. According to Stuart Poignand, the Marketing Manager of the Consumer Imaging Product Group at Canon Australia, “The Canon EOS-1D Mk III was designed for people who live and breathe photography, setting precedents for those who understand the combination of speed, quality and durability. Today Canon is proud to introduce this revolutionary product to those who share our passion for photography”.
 
If you want to extend the EOS-1D Mk III’s capabilities further, there’s a range of accessories at your disposal. One is the WFT-E2. With a name like that, I can hear you asking WTF is it? It’s a “lightweight and durable wireless file transmitter for EOS” with three communications modes (FTP, PTP and HTTP) and can also act as a USB host for direct recording to external media and to connect a GPS device to record locations. It weighs just 65g and is dust and water-resistant.
 
There’s also some new lenses, a ‘data verification kit’ called the DVK-E3 presumably to allow photographs to be verified in court as the actual photos taken at a crime scene, for example, and an improved water and dust-resistant flash to add to the mix, too.

Canon says that a “ready to shoot” EOS-1D Mk III weighs in at only 1,335g, which is 225g lighter than its predecessor, including battery. Without a lens, the EOS-1D Mk III is approximately US $4100 or in Australian dollars costs AUD $6499.

The battle against Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Nikon and the rest has just been taken up another notch by Canon, with the bar for the best digital photographs moved up to a higher level, showing that the digital revolution hasn’t begun slowing down, but is speeding up ever faster!