| Customer Reviews Collected from usa.canon.com |
Canon - EOS 5D Mark III DSLR Camera (Body Only) - Black
Average Customer Rating:
4.6
Rating breakdown 167 reviews
5 Stars
129
4 Stars
22
3 Stars
8
2 Stars
4
1 Star
4
91%of customers recommend this product.
(
126 out of
139)
Customer Reviews for Canon - EOS 5D Mark III DSLR Camera (Body Only) - Black
Customer Rating
4
Full featured full frame in a smaller package
on April 30, 2012
Posted by: Tom
from Chattanooga, TN
Having had my 5D Mk III for a month, I believe that I have experienced it long enough to write a short review. I upgraded from a 5D Mk II, and I also own a 7D - those serve as the basis of my comparison.
Without a doubt, the first thing a user coming from a 5D II will notice is the awesome AF system along with the improved frame rate, dual cards, and arguably a better grip material. The AF system alone is worth the upgrade if you shoot action, weddings, or events with poor lighting. It tracks like a 1-series body, works in very low light, and has a multitude of high-sensitivity "cross-type" sensors spread across the field of view. No more "focus and recompose" necessary.
But wait - there's more! Image quality takes a step upward as well. Auto white balance is improved, more like the 7D now. Metering, as well, seems to be better though this may depend on your usage. Colors seem a little richer, though this might be related to the improved white balance.
In terms of image noise, at lower ISO settings, it is pretty comparable to the 5D II with perhaps a little less shadow noise, but as you crank the ISO up above 1600 or so, the improvement in noise control is very noticeable. With each stop of increased ISO, the difference grows a bit so that while they're pretty close at 3200, at 6400, the Mk III shows superior performance and at 12800, the difference is even greater. Pressed to give a numerical value, I'd say that depending on usage and post-processing, the high-ISO performance is anywhere from 1/3 to a full stop better than the 5D II. This is rather subjective, of course, so it's something that a potential buyer may want to study a bit more.
I have no real expdrience in video so I can't comment on that aspect of the camera other than to say that the button layout is similar to the 7D in how you switch from stills to video - very easy to use.
No camera is perfect, of course, and the 5D III is no exception (though it is very, very good). But problems are few and relatively minor.
Pros: awesome af, feature set, moderate improvement to high iso
Cons: af points hard to see in very dark situations, a little pricey
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Upgrade!
on March 31, 2012
Posted by: RV
from Buckley, WA
The 5D Mk III is a great improvement to the the 5D line! As current 5D Mk II user I have been very pleased with with that camera. I needed a second 5D Mk II and was about to buy one when the 5D Mk III was announced. I'm really glad that my timing was right! The 5D Mk III is a huge improvement in so many areas. It's so good I will need to order another one so I don't have to switch lenses. As soon as I started using the 5D Mk III I knew the 5D Mk II would be gathering dust! The ergonomics are improved over the 5D Mk II and there are a host of new menu options. As always, the new Canon menu is intuitive and easy to navigate. The mode dial lock and new power switch location are very welcome improvements. The new rear color LCD is noticably larger, the metering is more accurate and I don't have to make adjustments as often. The white balance AWB setting works better than the 5D Mk II and gets the WB right a higher percentage of the time. Everything I wished for in the 5D Mk II had is embodied in the 5D Mk III and much more. Canon really put a lot of thought into the into the 5D Mk III. It's much more than a minor upgrade to the 5D Mk II. The 5D Mk III is an entirely new and improved camera! As soon as I unpacked the camera, charged the battery, inserted a memory card, adjusted the camera settings and started shooting I knew that Canon had a winner with the 5D Mk III! What surprised me was just how many imrovements they had made and how well the 5D Mk III works! I can read reviews all day but until I get my hands on a new camera and run it through it's paces I really don't get a sense of what it's like to use it. The autofocus was sharp right out of the box with the following Canon lenses: EF-L 50mm f/1.4, EF-L 16-35mm f/2.8, EF-L 24-70mm f/2.8, EF-L 24-105mm f/4.0, EF-L 70-200mm f/2.8, EF-L 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, EF-L 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6. I like that Canon kept the same battery, charger and A/C adapter from the 5D Mk II and used them in the 5D Mk III. If you are a current owner of a 5D Mk II you will appreciate that. I can't think of anything I don't like about the 5D Mk III! My advice: Buy one now! This will be will very popular camera!
Pros: great ergonomics!, excellent image resolution, great colors in low light
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Best Camera Ever
on April 8, 2012
Posted by: 4hoto Guy
from Minneapolis, MN
This is my first DSLR. I have had a Canon SLR before but in the fixed lens entry level consumer model level and point and shoots. I'd break down my reaction to this camera in three areas: form, function and cost.
A) Form: Just holding this thing you'll notice it is well built. From the feel of the textured rubber on the grip to the buttons and to the strap. It feels substantial. I wouldn't say it's heavy but for someone wanting to carry it around their neck all-day, they may find it heavy especially when using with a 70-200 lens. I shot for 45 minutes without any fatigue. I could've shot all day.
B) Function: There are too many functions for me to cover in this review so I'll comment on the top functions that I used most. To start, you need to get at the functions and to do that it requires navigating the menus. I have a computer science background so figuring out menuing/navigation systems isn't that difficult. But I will say my wife too found it easy to figure the menu's out. That's not meant to be sexist, just that someone that doesn't deal with writing software every day found no problem from a usability perspective with the menus.
We just got back from a trip to Cabo and used the Aperture priority (Av) setting the most day and night. The only time I used the Shutter priority (Tv) setting was when I wanted to capture an action shot like my kids catching frisbee, jumping into the pool, a fountain and of course the awesome 15' waves.
For action, I used 1/160 and 1/2000 which stopped water drops and the waves. The Frames Per Second came in handy for the catching the waves. I actually found 6 fps at times too fast for the larger waves because I wanted to catch them at the crest, all the way to the trough/crash, which is more than a second. Unless you're shooting race cars or downhill skiers, I would think the fps is sufficient.
The metering is great, I'm getting used to it, when it's best to use evaluative vs partial vs spot and center. I found that using the partial worked best when I had the sun behind my kids, however I did struggle a little bit on this shot, when I'd focus on my kids then tried to put them into one side of the picture to show the hills in the background, the exposure changed so the kids faces were darker than I wanted because the sun was behind them. I know about the Auto Expose Lock and Bracketing but I haven't mastered yet how to use them. Out of 1000 shots I only needed this on a few but happy that the camera is capable to compensate once the operator get's more time behind the lens.
The AutoFocus adjustment is amazing, I found it useful to adjust from Single Point Spot for portrait to Point Expansion for action.
I played with the ISO settings on action and night time shots. WOW! The low light pictures were amazing, The Av setting combined with the flexibility of the ISO function allowed me to pull off shots with no flash. Good thing because, the camera doesn't have one :) I went back and forth between the 7D and the 5D MK III because of the onboard flash but I couldn't be happier with the low light shots. I met lots of people that asked questions about the camera and when they saw me taking pictures without a flash they wondered how I could do it and what the pictures looked like. I showed them and they too were amazed. I won't dwell anymore on this but for me this function alone made me feel 100% comfortable with the price.
C) Cost ... from having lots of sports/action and portrait shots of my family turn out mediocre with a consumer slr and point and shoot to having some awesome shots now and having the camera that I can grow into for years to come is well worth the cost.
By the way, I also purchased before the trip and solely used the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. I couldn't be happier with that lens also. That's for another review I guess.
Pros: iso low light shooting, frames per second, menus, full frame 22 mb
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
3
Lots of hot pixels, otherwise good camera.
on February 10, 2017
Posted by: Gordon
from Portland, OR, United States
Lots of hot pixels, otherwise good camera. When shooting in RAW+JPEG you will not notice many hot pixels, but when looking at the RAW files it looks as if someone had spilled glitter all over the photo because of all the hot pixels. I'm not sure why this is the case, maybe that is what happens when cameras get old.
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Mark III is my 3rd 5D and best yet
on August 15, 2015
Posted by: EL PIC
from Austin Texas
This is my third 5D and my main squeeze. This is my second refurbished 5D I use in Auto and AV. Auto highlight control works well. It is sharp and all features work well. This will be my last FFDSLR until the technology of the image sensor substantially changed .. Like Multi Layer with vastly improved Dynamic Range.
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
BOOM! 60d to 5DIII
on January 6, 2015
Posted by: Atelierdp
from Kansas
I have used a 60d since 2011 and been happy with it. Then I rented a 5d III and that was the worst move I could have made. I should have just bought one. Before I sent the rental back I bought a 5D III of my own. The ISO difference alone is worth the upgrade. 12,800 ISO is clearer than 6400 on the 60D. The grain/noise is so much finer on the 5D III. Focus is far more acurate and easier to use. Fine focus adjust is a must. Auto ISO and minimum shutter speed is super helpful in low lighting situations. Background blur and shallow depth of field is better than the 60D since you have a larger sensor. With the 35mm 1.4 on the 60d @1.4 and the 24-70 2.8f L on the 5dII @ 2.8 (with the photo framed the same) the background blur looks identical. If you are serious about photography why wouldn't you have this camera. I wanted to wait until they release a new camera in 2015 since the 5D III is 3 years old but I should have bought one of these sooner. Even if I only own it for a few months it will be worth the low light performance. The camera doesn't make the photographer but this will make your job as a photographer much easier and will make you look better because your images will look better. If you don't know what your missing with your camera now you better keep it that way. If your a serious photographer, once you see what the advantages are I don't think you would have the option to keep anything less.
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
Perfect !!!
on July 24, 2014
Posted by: Aleks Z
from Maryland
Perfect ! Amazing ! Wonderful ! What else ?
That's my third Canon full frame generation camera & I Love It !!! Nice quality of images & video-supper low digital noise, very convenient & reliable camera ! REC !!!
That's my third Canon full frame generation camera & I Love It !!! Nice quality of images & video-supper low digital noise, very convenient & reliable camera ! REC !!!
Pros: Fast auto-focus, Superior build quality, Super-sharp images
Cons: didn't find anything
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com
Customer Rating
5
on March 16, 2014
Posted by: El Photografo
from Houston, TX
I bought this camera back in December of 2013 and I have never been more satisfied. From Family functions, to on the job use, all who gaze upon the images produced with this camera are left in awe and admiration. Combined with Canons L-lenses your images with the 5D mark III will leave everyone in awe! You will not regret purchasing this piece of awesome!
Pros: amazing images even when using high iso, excelent noise reduction, ergonomic, solid build
Cons: a little expensive, heavy
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting usa.canon.com