Canon 1D C versus Canon 1Ds Mark III

The Canon EOS-1D C and the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III are two professional cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in April 2012 and August 2007. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The 1DC has a resolution of 17.9 megapixel, whereas the 1Ds Mark III provides 21 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 1D C vs Canon 1Ds Mark III

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 1D C and the Canon 1Ds Mark III is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the 1DC – represents the basis for the calculations across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 1Ds Mark III is notably smaller (7 percent) than the Canon 1D C. Moreover, the 1Ds Mark III is markedly lighter (10 percent) than the 1DC. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can find an overview of suitable optics in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 1DC gets 1120 shots out of its LP-E4N battery, while the 1Ds Mark III can take 1800 images on a single charge of its LP-E4 power pack. As can be seen in the images above, both cameras have a battery grip build in. This facilitates image-taking in portrait orientation and gives it additional battery power.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, just click on the right or left arrow next to the camera that you would like to inspect. Alternatively, you can also use the CAM-parator to select your camera combination among a larger number of options.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1D C»	158 mm	164 mm	83 mm	1545 g	1120	Y	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Canon 1Ds Mark III«	150 mm	160 mm	80 mm	1385 g	1800	Y	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	158 mm	168 mm	83 mm	1530 g	1210	Y	Feb 2016	5,999			Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 70D« »	139 mm	104 mm	79 mm	755 g	920	Y	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	950 g	950	Y	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 6D« »	145 mm	111 mm	71 mm	770 g	1090	Y	Sep 2012	2,099	-		Canon 6D
	Canon 1D X« »	158 mm	168 mm	83 mm	1551 g	1120	Y	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 1D Mark IV« »	156 mm	157 mm	80 mm	1230 g	1500	Y	Oct 2009	4,999	-		Canon 1D Mark IV
	Canon 5D Mark II« »	152 mm	114 mm	75 mm	850 g	850	Y	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	156 mm	158 mm	80 mm	1565 g	1200	Y	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Canon 1Ds Mark II« »	156 mm	157.6 mm	80 mm	1215 g	1200	Y	Sep 2004	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark II
	Nikon D4« »	160 mm	157 mm	91 mm	1340 g	2600	Y	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
	Nikon D3X« »	160 mm	157 mm	88 mm	1260 g	4400	Y	Dec 2008	7,999	-		Nikon D3X
Convert to Imperial

Any camera purchase will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 1Ds Mark III was launched at a markedly lower price (by 47 percent) than the 1DC, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Canon 1D C vs Canon 1Ds Mark III

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the 1DC uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 5+ (Dual)) than the 1Ds Mark III (DIGIC III (Dual)), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the 1Ds Mark III offers a higher resolution of 21 megapixel, compared with 17.9 MP of the 1DC. This megapixel advantage translates into a 8 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the 1Ds Mark III has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 6.41μm versus 6.95μm for the 1DC). Moreover, it should be noted, that the 1DC is much more recent (by 4 years and 7 months) than the 1Ds Mark III, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The 1DC indeed provides movie recording capabilities, while the 1Ds Mark III does not. The highest resolution format that the 1DC can use is 4K/24p.

Feature comparison: Canon 1D C vs Canon 1Ds Mark III

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 1DC and the 1Ds Mark III are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 1D C and Canon 1Ds Mark III along with similar information for a selection of comparators. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

Both the 1DC and the 1Ds Mark III write their imaging data to Compact Flash cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

Both the 1DC and the 1Ds Mark III have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on eBay. The 1Ds Mark III was replaced by the Canon 1DX, while the 1DC does not have a direct successor.

Review summary: Canon 1D C vs Canon 1Ds Mark III

So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon 1D C better than the Canon 1Ds Mark III or vice versa? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS-1D C:

• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 5+ (Dual) vs DIGIC III (Dual)).
• Broader imaging potential: Can record not only still images but also 4K/24p movies.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 230k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (14 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 7 months of technical progress since the 1Ds Mark III launch.

Advantages of the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (21 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 8%.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1800 versus 1120) out of a single battery charge.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (47 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2007).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the 1DC emerges as the winner of the contest (6 : 4 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 1DC or the 1Ds Mark III handle or perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). You can find the full text of the reviews by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1D C»	-	-	-	-	-	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Canon 1Ds Mark III«	-	HiRec	4.5/5	-	-	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	-	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	5,999			Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 70D« »	HiRec	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	HiRec	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 6D« »	HiRec	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,099	-		Canon 6D
	Canon 1D X« »	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 1D Mark IV« »	-	89/100	-	5/5	-	Oct 2009	4,999	-		Canon 1D Mark IV
	Canon 5D Mark II« »	91/100	79/100	4/5	5/5	-	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	-	-	-	-	-	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Canon 1Ds Mark II« »	-	HiRec	-	-	-	Sep 2004	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark II
	Nikon D4« »	-	-	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
	Nikon D3X« »	-	86/100	4/5	5/5	5/5	Dec 2008	7,999	-		Nikon D3X

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting. If the camera you are interested in is not available, kindly get in touch, and I will try to add information on that model to the database.

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