5D MkIII shooters..........

[scottcolbath]

How are you liking the camera? I'm about to pull the trigger on one.

I know, silly question. It's a good camera, but I'm looking for some details. Why you think it's awesome. Why it may not be so awesome for one reason or another, etc.

S.C.

[Ned Harris]

Scott: The extremely low noise is my favorite characteristic of the 5D Mk III. I would like a faster frame rate but can live with it.

[Barry Griffiths]

Hey Scott,
1. The full frame sensor produces super rich images.
2. The EOS camera cleaning system has proven to be very effective to date in extreme dust situations.
3. The LCD monitor is large, clear and gives great detail when reviewing images.

I luv it!!

[Scott Youmans]

Scott,

I've shot with a number of different bodies, both Canon and Nikon, and I would have to say that I like the EOS-5D Mark III the best overall.  Not necessarily in order of importance I like the ergonomics, easy to operate, looks and feels good.  Very solid.  The image quality is excellent and is especially good at handling high ISOs.  Does a very good job with video and is easy to operate in that mode. That Al Stewart video I posted a while back was shot almost entirely with a Mk III.  Everything Barry and Ned mentioned is also how I feel.  Compared to a 1D Mark IV it feels pretty slow but compared to the D800E it's noticeably faster and in the end it's fast enough for most things. It has held up better than the D800 in terms of the rubber grip material.  The Nikon's rubber parts have gotten kind of grayish whereas the Mk III looks quite good. Focusing has never been an issue for what I do. The D800E has a definite advantage in resolution but it starts going down hill a little faster at high ISO.  Very impressive but unless you are really going to print at a large size the resolution will go to waste.  Joe C. seems quite happy with his 70D but it's a bit of an apples and oranges situation being a smaller sensor.  As much as I don't like the articulated LCDs it would come in handy from time to time.  They tend to feel like they're going to break but maybe they've gotten better.  The earlier ones had plastic screens whereas the Mark III's screen is glass and is quite a bit better at resisting scratches than the older plastic models.

[Jay Beckman]

Frankly, the original 5D Classic was one of the best cameras I've ever owned.  Given where the technology has gone thru the 5D2 and into the 5D3, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

I'd suggest you invest in a grip though as shooting with long glass on an un-gripped body can be awkward in terms of mass and balance.

[scottcolbath]

Thanks for the input guys. I never do video, so that has always been something I never needed on my 5D Mk2. Also, the Mk2 usually never comes out of my bag when shooting action shots, such as El Centro or racing. My 7D is the workhorse for that. I find my 5D to be slow, if not impossible to focus well on distant moving objets (aircraft mostly).My main attraction to the new 5D is the focus system. It seems I could easily use it for action shots, and with the full frame, would really compliment my 7D.

I wish I had the Mk3 to shoot Supercross last month. I would have liked to compare the high ISO shots of that against my 7D.

And Jay, when I order a new camera, a spare battery and grip are always on the list. Those are must-have items.

S.C.

[Jeff D. Welker]

@Scott - great feedback given thus far and I concur with all of it. I'll add my short 2-cents to their comments.

I sold my Canon 1D Mark IV to purchase the 5D3. While it was tough to let the 1D4 go, it was one of my few good decisions - it is a great camera and you will not regret purchasing it.

[Anna M. Wood]

Scott,

I am sure all you guys know this....   I have rented the 5D3, and other lenses as well, for a few weeks from http://www.borrowlenses.com in the past.  Great way to try before you buy.

[yipDog]

Huge difference from the mk2 to the 3 in terms of AF. The software is the same as the 1Dx but it is down a processor so a bit slower and doesn't track quite as well. BUT I'm spoiled with the 1Dx. The resolution is great (better than my 1Dx) I've had success shooting moving things even with the slower frame rate. Just requires you to time the shutter release a bit differently. Color rendering is better than the mk2 and low light is as good as it gets. (real world usage...not the stupid test monkeys who push all the way to 128K!) Can't imagine life without my 5D mk3 as it is my main studio camera. Get one and don't look back!

[scottcolbath]

Well, I'm a happy camper with my Mark 3. Thanks for all the input.

S.C.