Canon EOS-1D Mark III First Impressions Review - Canon DSLR

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The EOS-1D Mark III is an impressive, hulking piece of equipment, with big, hearty latches for the battery and memory compartment, a big lever of a power switch, a thick, chunky grip, and a wide, thick base. Susceptible users will feel competent and intimidating, holding such a brawny, industry-leading, state-of-the-art, big, fast camera.

If King Arthur had been a photographer, and pulled a camera out of the stone, rather than a sword, he would have pulled out a EOS-1D Mark III, with its really wide-aperture, image-stabilized lens.

The Mark III's designers slightly updated the styling of the 1D, departing subtly from the all-rounded, no-corner paradigm of the Mark II cameras. The three units we examined at the PMA display showed excellent fit and finish.

The EOS-1D Mark III is 6.1 x 6.2 x 3.1 inches. With its battery, it weighs 47.1 ounces, over 2 ounces less than its predecessor. That's all thanks to the battery. The Mark III's lithium-ion unit is almost 8 ounces lighter than the Mark II's NiMH power source.

While a little lighter, the largest kangaroo that ever treaded the Earth wouldn't find the EOS-1D Mark III pocket-able. Paul Bunyan wouldn't either. Canon shooters moving up from 20D's, 30D's and 5D's will notice a difference when packing their bags or when holding the Mark III for hours of shooting.

Though weight will clearly be an issue for many shooters, the EOS-1D Mark III feels good in the hands. Both the horizontal and vertical grips are comfortable, and the rubber covering isn't slippery under hand at all – and there's enough of it to help with the vertical grip, too. The viewfinder is easy to use, shooting data is easily visible, and in general, the interface is very straightforward.

The Canon DSLRs with D in their names – the 1D's, the 5D, the 20D and 30D – all have solid buttons and switches that feel durable. The EOS-1D Mark III continues the tradition. (The Rebel series doesn't. They feel flimsy.)

The Mark III's shutter feels great. It has a very short travel, but there's a definite indication of how much pressure is needed to activate the meter and autofocus, and how much more will trip the shutter. The Quick Control dial is an excellent version of a fast, versatile interface. We have qualms about using the SET button in the center of it to activate the live preview. We did that accidentally a few times, and it disrupts shooting. A custom function can change the SET button's behavior though.

The Mark III's ISO button is near the shutter release, a position that takes into account that many shooters change ISO often while shooting. The Function button cycles through white balance, image size, and media card settings. Of these, white balance seems to be the one control most users will want to access often. It would be better if white balance had its own button, and image size and card control were grouped with Picture Style, which doesn't need its own control. There are custom settings to revise button functions.

The Mark III doesn't require that function buttons be held down while the user turns control dials to make adjustments – the function stays active for several seconds after a button is pressed.

The EOS-1D Mark III is a very flexible camera, with significant new features. It's impressive that the features are so easy to access. Canon took a risky strategy with the interface by limiting the number of buttons. Many controls do double-duty, calling up more than one function. Canon got some things wrong, but many cameras that are simpler than this one are more complex to use.

Canon had a job when it came to the EOS-1D Mark III's menus. They're longer than the director's cut of Titanic, longer than Route 66, longer than the world's largest ball of string, longer than any awkward silence. So Canon did the wise thing and split them up into 9 tabs and nested the 50+ custom functions in four sub-directories. Time with the EOS-1D Mark III was in short supply at Canon's PMA booth, so our evaluation of the menus is not exhaustive. Here, though, is a big list of user options, though not an explanation of many that may take more study.

Shooting
White Balance	Choose from presets, custom settings, a Kelvin scale or automatic
Custom White Balance Registration	Save up to 5 custom settings
White Balance Shift/Bracket	Shift on Blue-Amber and Green-Magenta axes
Color Space
Picture Style	Styles are groups of parameter settings for saturation, contrast and sharpening. The Mark III has the same styles as Canon's other current DSLRs
JPEG Quality	Compression
Image Size	Pixel dimensions
Review Time	Display interval after an image is shot
Beep	Set the camera to annoy the user
Shoot w/o card	Most users shut this off, to avoid accidentally failing to save images
Dust Delete Data	Save data to automate dust-spot retouching

Set-up
Auto power off	Set interval
Record function + media/folder select	Options for recording data to SD and CF memory cards
File numbering
File name setting	Customize, including an option to automatically vary one character to indicate image size
Auto rotate
Format
LCD brightness
Date/Time
Language
Video system	For analog output
Battery info	Tracks remaining charge, number of images shot on current charge, and number of times the battery has been charged
Live view function settings
External Speedlite control	Set to display a flash's controls on the Mark III's LCD
Save/load settings on media
Register/apply basic settings
Clear all camera settings
Sensor Cleaning
Firmware version
WFT settings	Wireless options

Playback
Protect images
Rotate
Erase images
Print order	DPOF and Canon-specific options
Transfer order
Image copy
External media backup
Highlight alert
AF point display
Histogram
Enlarge display
Image jump with Quick Control Dial	For navigating through large numbers of images

Custom -- Exposure
Exposure level increments
ISO speed increments
Bracketing auto cancel
Bracketing sequence
Number of bracketed shots
Spot metering link to AF point
Safety shift	Automatically change ISO to stay within exposure parameters
Select usable shooting modes
Select usable metering modes
Metering pattern in manual mode
Set shutter speed range
Set aperture range
Apply Shooting/Metering mode
Flash sync speed in Av mode

Custom – Image/Flash Exposure/Display
Long exposure noise reduction
High ISO speed noise reduction
Highlight tone priority
E-TTL II Flash metering
Shutter curtain sync
Flash firing
Viewfinder info during exposure
LCD panel illumination during Bulb	Because the Mark III has a count-up timer during Bulb exposures, it can be useful to see the LCD even in the dark
INFO button when shooting

Custom Autofocus/Drive
USM electronic manual focus
AI Servo tracking sensitivity
AI Servo 1st/2^nd image priority
AI Servo tracking method
Lens drive when AF is impossible
Lens AF stop button function
AF microadjustment	Fine-tune autofocus system, either for particular lens models, or for all lenses
AF expansion with selected point
Selectable AF point
Switch to registered AF point
AF point auto selection
AF point display during focus
AF point brightness
AF-assist beam firing
Mirror lockup	This one is pretty well buried, though live preview has the same effect on camera vibration
Continuous shooting speed
Limit continuous shot count

Custom - Operation/Others
Long exposure noise reduction
AF-ON/AE lock button switch
Quick Control dial in metering
SET button when shooting
Tv/Av setting for manual exposure
Dial direction during Tv/Av
Av setting without lens
White balance / media / image size setting
Lock / voice memo / Picture Style button function
Button function when Quick dial is off
Focusing screen
Timer length
Shortened release timer lag
Add aspect ration information	Show 4x5, 6x7 or square orientations
Add original decision data
Live view exposure simulation	Set to have Live View mimic current exposure setting

Ease of Use
The EOS-1D Mark III's controls are straightforward. The defaults are all the obvious ideal choices. The menus offer a very deep level of control and customization. Canon has an advertising campaign which claims that the company has been making cameras just the way their customers think they should be made. Many of the changes between the Mark II n and the Mark III are evidence of that. Making the function buttons “sticky,” so that the user can simply tap the button and then turn a dial, rather than holding down the button while operating the dial, is a good example.

The Mark III isn't simple to use, but it's designed for photographers who will use it day in and day out. It doesn't need to be simple, but it has to be quick, and it can't be annoying. Our first impression is that Canon has improved its interface with the Mark III design.

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Canon EOS-1D Mark III First Impressions Review Navigation
Intro	Testing/Performance Expectations	Physical Tour	Components
Design/Layout	Modes	Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity/Extras	Overall Impressions	Conclusion	Specs

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

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