EOS-1Ds Mark III – the professional workhorse
Introduced in August 2007, the 21-megapixel EOS-1Ds Mark III is the professional workhorse camera for all shooting situations. With many of the same features as the EOS-1D Mark III, the EOS-1Ds Mark III combines the highest resolution available in a 35mm format camera, with a 5fps shooting speed to ensure it isn’t just confined to the studio. These features make it equally suitable for fashion, portrait, wildlife, wedding and sports photography.
Who is it for?
The EOS-1Ds Mark III is the studio photographers’ workhorse. While the 35mm format does not confine this camera to the studio, being an equally capable performer outside, it is tailored to those shooting in commercial and advertising markets where high resolution and excellent image quality are paramount.
Key features
- 21.1 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor
- Dual DIGIC III processors
- 5fps shooting speed
- High precision wide-area AF
- 14bit A/D processing
- 3-inch LCD with Live View
- EOS Integrated Cleaning System
The inclusion of the integrated cleaning system, the first on a full-frame digital camera, will see you spend more time shooting and less time dust-spotting on the computer in post-production. This is an advantage to all, but is especially useful for professionals where time is critical and deadlines short.
The full-frame CMOS sensor makes lenses function as expected – wideangle lenses retain their field of view, and the advanced in-camera processing ensures that image noise remains characteristically low.
Like the EOS-1D Mark III, the EOS-1Ds Mark III mates perfectly with the Canon Speedlite 580EX II flashgun to provide complete weather sealing. Long considered the benchmark cameras for use in harsh environments, the lightweight magnesium alloy body, sealed buttons and joints and 300,000 shutter count ensure the EOS-1Ds Mark III continues the Canon tradition of durability.
A redesigned autofocus system with 19 user-selectable cross-type sensors and 26 focus-assist points help the camera to lock-on and track difficult or fast moving subjects even in low light. Using off-centre focus points focusing is improved as all user selectable points are now cross-type.
14-bit A/D processing and highlight tone priority ensure smoother tonal gradations and greater colour fidelity. The increase from 12bit to 14bit increases the total colours per channel from 4,096 to 16,384 - this results in increased dynamic range in your images and better tonality, especially in highlight regions. It is especially useful for situations such as photographing the bride’s dress at a wedding.
New UDMA memory card compatibility ensures that despite a file size about twice that of the EOS-1D Mark III, the total time taken to write an image to the memory card is about the same, meaning more shots before the buffer fills up.
With such an extended feature set and class-leading resolution, the EOS-1Ds Mark III enters the areas previously the preserve of medium format digital backs. With the flexibility of the 35mm format and the extensive accessory and lens list of the EOS system, it sits apart as the ultimate tool for any photographer looking for the highest image quality and resolution.
- DIGIC processing
The DIGIC processors have been the heart of the EOS digital camera models for several generations. The DIGIC III processor in the EOS-1Ds Mark III has been teamed with a partner to provide two working simultaneously. This has the ability to process images faster and with more complex algorithms. - EOS Integrated Cleaning System
Dust is a fact of life with digital cameras. The EOS ICS help minimise dust entering the camera, repel dust that does get in and remove dust that’s made it onto the sensor. - CMOS sensor
Canon pioneered the design and manufacture of CMOS sensors for digital cameras. To this day it not only uses, designs and builds its own CMOS sensors, but it also designs and builds the machines used to produce the sensors. This gives Canon complete control over the production process of the camera and ensures that everything works together harmoniously. - Wide-area AF
The composition and exposure may be perfect, but if it’s not in focus, the image is ruined. The wide-area AF with 19 cross-type AF points provides flexibility in composition and allows you to keep track of a moving subject with ease.
Camera Specifications
| IMAGE SENSOR | |
|---|---|
| Type | 36 x 24 mm CMOS |
| Effective Pixels | Approx. 21.1M |
| Total Pixels | Approx. 21.9M |
| Aspect Ratio | 3:2 |
| Low-Pass Filter | Built in/Fixed |
| Sensor Cleaning | EOS integrated cleaning system |
| Colour Filter Type | Primary Colour |
| IMAGE PROCESSOR | |
|---|---|
| Type | 2 x DIGIC III |
| LENS | |
|---|---|
| Lens Mount | EF (excludes EF-S lenses) |
| Focal Length | Equivalent to 1.0x the focal length of the lens |
| FOCUSING | |
|---|---|
| Type | TTL-AREA-SIR with a CMOS sensor |
| AF System/ Points | 19 cross-type AF points (plus 26 Assist AF points) |
| AF Working Range | EV -1 - 18 (at 23°C ISO 100) |
| AF Modes | One Shot AI Servo |
| AF Point Selection | Automatic selection, Manual selection, Home position (switch to registered AF point) |
| Selected AF Point Display | Superimposed in viewfinder |
| Predictive AF | Yes, up to 8m ¹ |
| AF Lock | Locked when shutter button is pressed half way in One Shot AF mode or AF-ON button is pressed. |
| AF Assist Beam | Emitted by an optional dedicated Speedlite |
| Manual Focus | Selected on lens, default in Live View Mode |
| AF Microadjustment | C.Fn III-7 +/- 20 steps Adjust all lenses by same amount Adjust up to 20 lenses individually |
| EXPOSURE CONTROL | |
|---|---|
| Metering Modes | TTL full aperture metering with 63 zone SPC (1) Evaluative metering (linked to any AF point) (2) Partial metering (approx. 8.5% of viewfinder at centre) (3) Spot metering: Center spot metering (approx. 2.4% viewfinder) AF point-linked spot metering (approx. 2.4% of viewfinder) Multi/Spot metering (Max 8 spot metering entries) (4) Center weighted average metering |
| Metering Range | EV 0 - 20 (at 23°C with 50mm f1.4 lens ISO 100) |
| AE Lock | Auto: In 1-shot AF mode with evaluative metering exposure is locked when focus is achieved. Manual: By AE lock button |
| Exposure Compensation | +/-3 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments (can be combined with AEB). |
| AEB | +/-3 EV in 1/3-stop increments. 1/2-stop increments |
| ISO Sensitivity* | 100-1600 (in 1/3-stop or 1 stop increments) ISO can be expanded to L: 50 or H: 3200 |
| SHUTTER | |
|---|---|
| Type | Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter |
| Speed | 30 - 1/8000 sec. (1/3 stop increments), Bulb (Total shutter speed range. Available range varies by shooting mode) |
| WHITE BALANCE | |
|---|---|
| Type | Auto white balance with the imaging sensor |
| Settings | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, White Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom (5 settings), Colour Temperature Setting White balance compensation: 1. Blue/Amber +/-9 2. Magenta/ Green +/-9. |
| Custom White Balance | 5 custom WB settings can be registered |
| WB Bracketing | +/-3 levels in single level increments 3 bracketed images per shutter release. Selectable Blue/Amber bias or Magenta/ Green bias. |
| VIEWFINDER | |
|---|---|
| Type | Pentaprism |
| Coverage (Vertical/Horizontal) | Approx. 100% |
| Magnification | Approx. 0.76x ¹ |
| Eyepoint | Approx. 20mm (from eyepiece lens center) |
| Dioptre Correction | -3 to +1 (1/m) (dioptre) |
| Focusing Screen | Interchangeable (10 types). Standard Focusing Screen Ec-C IV |
| Mirror | Quick-return half mirror (Transmission: reflection ratio of 37:63, no mirror cut-off with EF1200mm f/5.6 or shorter) |
| Viewfinder Information | AF information: AF points, focus confirmation light Exposure information: Metering mode, shutter speed, aperture, manual exposure, spot metering circle, AE lock, ISO speed, exposure level, exposure warning Flash information: Flash ready, FP flash, FE lock, flash exposure level Image information: White balance correction, JPEG recording, RAW recording, number of remaining shots, maximum burst (2 digit display), memory card information, battery check icon. |
| Depth of Field Preview | Yes, with Depth of Field preview button. |
| Eyepiece Shutter | Built-in |
| LCD MONITOR | |
|---|---|
| Type | 3.0"" TFT, approx. 230K dots |
| Coverage | Approx. 100% |
| Viewing Angle (Horizontally/Vertically) | Approx 140° |
| Brightness Adjustment | Adjustable to one of seven levels |
| Display Options | (1)Shooting function (2) Camera settings |
| FLASH | |
|---|---|
| Modes | E-TTL II Auto Flash, Metered Manual |
| X-Sync | 1/250sec (EX series Speedlites only) |
| Flash Exposure Compensation | +/-3 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments with EX series Speedlites |
| Flash Exposure Bracketing | Yes, with compatible External Flash |
| Flash Exposure Lock | Yes |
| Second Curtain Synchronisation | Yes |
| HotShoe/ PC Terminal | Yes/ Yes |
| External Flash Compatibility | E-TTL II with EX series Speedlites, wireless multi-flash support. |
| External Flash Control | via camera menu screen |
| SHOOTING | |
|---|---|
| Modes | Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual |
| Picture Styles | Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined (x3) |
| Colour Space | sRGB and Adobe RGB |
| Image Processing | Highlight Tone Priority Long exposure noise reduction High ISO speed noise reduction |
| Drive Modes | Single, Silent, Continuous L, Continuous H, Self timer (2s, 10s) |
| Continuous Shooting | Max. Approx.5fps. (speed maintained for up to 56 images (JPEG)¹³, 12 images (RAW)) ²³ |
| LIVE VIEW MODE | |
|---|---|
| Type | Electronic viewfinder with image sensor |
| Coverage | Approx. 100% (horizontally and vertically) |
| Frame Rate | 30 fps |
| Focusing | Manual Focus (Magnify the image 5x or 10x at any point on screen) Autofocus: Quick mode |
| Metering | Real-time evaluative metering with image sensor Active metering time can be changed |
| Display Options | Grid overlay |
| FILE TYPE | |
|---|---|
| Still Image Type | JPEG: 10 compression options (Exif 2.21 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system (2.0), RAW: RAW, sRAW (14bit, Canon original RAW 2nd edition), Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant |
| RAW+JPEG Simultaneous Recording | Yes, any combination of RAW + JPEG possible, separate formats to separate cards possible |
| Image Size | JPEG: (L)5616x3744, (M1)4992x3328, (M2)4080x2720, (S)2784x1856 RAW: (RAW)5616x3744, (sRAW)2784x1856 |
| Sound Files | WAVE (monaural) |
| Folders | New folders can be manually created and selected |
| File Numbering | (1) Consecutive numbering (2) Auto reset (3) Manual reset |
| OTHER FEATURES | |
|---|---|
| Custom Functions | 57 Custom Functions with 153 settings |
| LCD Panel / Illumination | Yes |
| Water/ Dust Resistance | Yes |
| Sound Memo | Up to 30sec per image |
| Intelligent Orientation Sensor | Yes |
| Playback Zoom | 1.5x - 10x |
| Display Formats | (1)Single image with information (inc. file size) (2) Single image (3) 4 image index (4) 9 image index (5) Magnified view |
| Histogram | Brightness: Yes RGB: Yes |
| Image Erase/Protection | Erase: Single image, All images in folder, Checkmarked images, unprotected images Protection: Erase protection of one image, all images in a folder, or all images in the memory card. |
| Data Verification | Original image verification data and encryption can be appended to the image (OSK-E3 required for verification + encryption/decryption) |
| Menu Categories | (1) Recording menu (x2) (2) Playback menu (x2) (3) Set-up menu (x3) (4) Custom Functions menu (5) My Menu |
| Menu Languages | 18 Languages English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Russian, Polish |
| Firmware Update | Update possible by the user. |
| INTERFACE | |
|---|---|
| Computer | USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (Mini-B) |
| Other | Video output (PAL/ NTSC), 15-pin System Extension terminal |
| DIRECT PRINT | |
|---|---|
| Canon Printers | Canon Compact Photo Printers and PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge |
| PictBridge | Yes |
| STORAGE | |
|---|---|
| Type | CompactFlash Type I/ II (Microdrive compatible)¹, SDHC¹, SD memory (up to 2GB). |
| SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEM | |
|---|---|
| PC Macintosh | Windows 2000 (SP4) / XP (SP2) / Vista (excl. Starter Edition) OS X v10.3-10.5 |
| SOFTWARE | |
|---|---|
| Browsing Printing | ZoomBrowser EX / ImageBrowser |
| Image Processing | Digital Photo Professional |
| Other | PhotoStitch, EOS Utility (inc. Remote Capture, WFT utility*), Picture Style Editor * Requires optional accessory |
| POWER SOURCE | |
|---|---|
| Batteries | 1x Li-ion pack LP-E4, 1x CR2025 for date settings |
| Battery Life | Approx. 1800 (at 23C)¹ Approx. 1400 (at 0C) |
| Battery Indicator | 6 levels + percentage |
| Power Saving | Power turns off after 1, 2, 4, 8, 15 or 30mins. |
| Power Supply Battery Chargers | Battery charger LC-E4, Car Battery Cable CG-570 (use with LC-E4), Power Adapter ACK-E4 |
| PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| Body Materials | Magnesium Alloy |
| Operating Environment | 0-45 °C, 85% or lower humidity |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 156.0 x 159.6 x 79.9mm |
| Weight (Body Only) | Approx. 1210g (battery weight 180g) |
| ACCESSORIES | |
|---|---|
| Viewfinder | Eyecup Eg, Eg-series Dioptric Adjustment Lens with Rubber Frame Eg, Anti Fog Eyepiece Eg, Focusing Screens Ec, Angle Finder C |
| Wireless File Transmitter | Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2 |
| Lenses | All EF lenses (excludes EF-S lenses) |
| Flash | Canon Speedlites (220EX, 270EX, 270EX II, 320EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 550EX, 580EX, 580EX II, Macro-Ring-Lite, MR-14EX, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2) |
| Remote Controller/ Switch | Remote control with N3 type contact, Wireless Controller LC-5 |
| Other | Hand Strap E2 |
| Predictive AF | ¹ with EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM at 50kph |
| Magnification | ¹ with 50mm lens at infinity, -1(1/m) dpt |
| Continuous Shooting | ¹ Large/Fine(Quality 8) resolution ² Based on Canon's testing conditions, JPEG, ISO 100, Standard Picture Style. Varies depending on the subject, memory card brand and capacity, image recording quality, ISO speed, drive mode, Picture Style, Custom functions etc. ³ Maximum fps and buffer capacity may be reduced depending on the cameras settings and light level |
| Type | ¹ Compatible with large memory card capacities, including cards of 2GB and more (camera may require firmware update). |
| Battery Life | ¹ Based on the CIPA Standard and using the batteries and memory card format supplied with the camera, except where indicated |
| *Recommended Exposure Index |
| All data is based on Canon standard testing methods except where indicated. |
| Subject to change without notice. |
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