Canon 1D Mark III Comparison Review
The Canon EOS-1D Mark III is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was announced in February 2007 and is equipped with an APS-H sensor. It offers a resolution of 10.1 megapixel.
Is the Canon 1D Mark III a good camera? The 1D Mark III has a Camera Elo of 1546. This rating puts the 1D Mark III below average of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the 1D Mark III also ranks below average. – Well, the Canon 1D Mark III is more than 13 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2007.
| Canon 1D Mark III |
|---|
| Digital single lens reflex |
| Canon EF mount lenses |
| 10.1 MP, APS-H Sensor |
| no Video |
| ISO 100 - 3 200 (50 - 6 400) |
| Optical viewfinder |
| 3.0 LCD, 230k dots |
| Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive) |
| 10 shutter flaps per second |
| Weathersealed body |
| 2200 shots per battery charge |
| 156 x 157 x 80 mm, 1 155 g |
Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.
Body comparison with a credit card
An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Canon 1D Mark III vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon 1D Mark III alongside a set of comparators. If you want to review a camera pair side-by-side, just select a right-side comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.
| Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life 1 |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch 2 |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 1D Mark III | 156 mm | 157 mm | 80 mm | 1155 g | 2200 | Y | Feb 2007 | 4,499 |  | |
| Canon 5DS R | 152 mm | 116 mm | 76 mm | 930 g | 700 | Y | Feb 2015 | 3,699 | | |
| Canon 5D Mark III | 152 mm | 116 mm | 76 mm | 950 g | 950 | Y | Mar 2012 | 3,499 | | |
| Canon 1D Mark IV | 156 mm | 157 mm | 80 mm | 1230 g | 1500 | Y | Oct 2009 | 4,999 | | |
| Canon 5D Mark II | 152 mm | 114 mm | 75 mm | 850 g | 850 | Y | Sep 2008 | 3,499 | | |
| Canon 1Ds Mark III | 150 mm | 160 mm | 80 mm | 1385 g | 1800 | Y | Aug 2007 | 7,999 | | |
| Canon 1D Mark II | 156 mm | 158 mm | 80 mm | 1535 g | 1200 | Y | Jan 2004 | 4,499 | | |
| Canon 1Ds | 156 mm | 158 mm | 80 mm | 1265 g | 600 | Y | Sep 2002 | 8,999 | | |
| Nikon D3S | 160 mm | 157 mm | 88 mm | 1240 g | 4200 | Y | Oct 2009 | 5,199 | | |
| Nikon D3 | 160 mm | 157 mm | 88 mm | 1300 g | 4300 | Y | Aug 2007 | 4,999 | | |
| Nikon D2Xs | 158 mm | 150 mm | 86 mm | 1252 g | 3800 | Y | Jun 2006 | 4,699 | | |
|
Notes: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. (1) Number of images that can be taken on a full battery charge according to the CIPA-standard; (2) Official announcement. |
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon 1D Mark III was launched in the US market at a price of $4,499. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.
Check Ebay offers
Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide
The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant 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. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.
The Canon 1D Mark III features an APS-H sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.3. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon 1D Mark III among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.
Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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 adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.
| Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 1D Mark III | APS-H | 10.1 | 3888 | 2592 | none | 22.7 | 11.7 | 1078 | 71 | |
| Canon 5DS R | Full Frame | 50.3 | 8688 | 5792 | 1080/30p | 24.6 | 12.4 | 2308 | 86 | |
| Canon 5D Mark III | Full Frame | 22.1 | 5760 | 3840 | 1080/30p | 24.0 | 11.7 | 2293 | 81 | |
| Canon 1D Mark IV | APS-H | 16.0 | 4896 | 3264 | 1080/30p | 22.8 | 12.0 | 1320 | 74 | |
| Canon 5D Mark II | Full Frame | 21.0 | 5616 | 3744 | 1080/30p | 23.7 | 11.9 | 1815 | 79 | |
| Canon 1Ds Mark III | Full Frame | 21.0 | 5616 | 3744 | none | 24.0 | 12.0 | 1663 | 80 | |
| Canon 1D Mark II | APS-H | 8.2 | 3504 | 2336 | none | 22.3 | 11.1 | 1003 | 66 | |
| Canon 1Ds | Full Frame | 11.0 | 4064 | 2704 | none | 21.8 | 11.0 | 954 | 63 | |
| Nikon D3S | Full Frame | 12.1 | 4256 | 2832 | 720/24p | 23.5 | 12.0 | 3253 | 82 | |
| Nikon D3 | Full Frame | 12.1 | 4256 | 2832 | none | 23.5 | 12.2 | 2290 | 81 | |
| Nikon D2Xs | APS-C | 12.2 | 4288 | 2848 | none | 22.2 | 10.9 | 489 | 59 |
It should be noted that unlike many modern cameras, the 1D Mark III does not provide the possibility to capture videos.
Feature comparison
Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the 1D Mark III has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.58x. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Canon 1D Mark III in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.
| Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Size (inch) |
LCD Resolution (000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Mech Shutter Speed |
Shutter Flaps (1/sec) | Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 1D Mark III | optical | Y | 3.0 | 230 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 10.0 | n | n | |
| Canon 5DS R | optical | Y | 3.2 | 1040 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 5.0 | n | n | |
| Canon 5D Mark III | optical | Y | 3.2 | 1040 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 6.0 | n | n | |
| Canon 1D Mark IV | optical | Y | 3.0 | 920 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 10.0 | n | n | |
| Canon 5D Mark II | optical | Y | 3.0 | 920 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 3.9 | n | n | |
| Canon 1Ds Mark III | optical | Y | 3.0 | 230 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 5.0 | n | n | |
| Canon 1D Mark II | optical | Y | 2.0 | 230 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 8.3 | n | n | |
| Canon 1Ds | optical | Y | 2.0 | 120 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 3.0 | n | n | |
| Nikon D3S | optical | Y | 3.0 | 921 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 11.0 | n | n | |
| Nikon D3 | optical | Y | 3.0 | 922 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 11.0 | n | n | |
| Nikon D2Xs | optical | Y | 2.5 | 230 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 5.0 | n | n |
One useful feature of the 1D Mark III is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.
Connection comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS-1D Mark III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
| Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Microphone |
Internal Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support | NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 1D Mark III | Y | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| Canon 5DS R | Y | mono | mono | Y | - | mini | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
| Canon 5D Mark III | Y | mono | mono | Y | Y | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| Canon 1D Mark IV | Y | stereo | - | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| Canon 5D Mark II | Y | mono | mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| Canon 1Ds Mark III | Y | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| Canon 1D Mark II | Y | - | - | - | - | - | 1.1 | - | - | - | |
| Canon 1Ds | Y | - | - | - | - | - | FW | - | - | - | |
| Nikon D3S | Y | stereo | - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| Nikon D3 | Y | - | - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| Nikon D2Xs | Y | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - |
Expert reviews
While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 1D Mark III. 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 where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog).
| Camera Model |
camera labs |
dp review |
ephoto zine |
imaging resource |
photography blog |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 1D Mark III | .. | .. | .. | o | .. | Feb 2007 | 4,499 | |
|
| Canon 5DS R | + | 83/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2015 | 3,699 | |
|
| Canon 5D Mark III | + + | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Mar 2012 | 3,499 | |
|
| Canon 1D Mark IV | .. | 89/100 | .. | 5/5 | .. | Oct 2009 | 4,999 | |
|
| Canon 5D Mark II | 91/100 | 79/100 | 4/5 | 5/5 | .. | Sep 2008 | 3,499 | |
|
| Canon 1Ds Mark III | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | .. | .. | Aug 2007 | 7,999 | |
|
| Canon 1D Mark II | .. | + + | .. | o | .. | Jan 2004 | 4,499 | |
|
| Canon 1Ds | .. | + + | .. | .. | .. | Sep 2002 | 8,999 | |
|
| Nikon D3S | .. | 89/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Oct 2009 | 5,199 | |
|
| Nikon D3 | .. | + + | 5/5 | o | 4.5/5 | Aug 2007 | 4,999 | |
|
| Nikon D2Xs | .. | .. | .. | o | .. | Jun 2006 | 4,699 | |
|
| Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. | |||||||||
The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.
Canon 1D Mark III FAQ
Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the 1D Mark III.
What technology is the imaging sensor in the 1D Mark III based on?
The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.
Which image processing chip is used to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?
Canon equipped the 1D Mark III with the DIGIC III image processor.
What is the ISO sensitivity range of the 1D Mark III?
The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 3200, which can be extended to ISO 50-6400.
What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Canon EOS-1D Mark III?
Canon mentions a shutter rating of 300 000 actuations for the 1D Mark III. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the 1D Mark III over, say, three years, one would have to take about 300 pictures each and every day.
What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with flash?
The 1D Mark III's flash sync speed is 1/300 sec.
Which battery does the 1D Mark III use?
The camera gets its power from the LP-E4 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.
Camera to camera comparisons
In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon 5D Mark III
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon G15
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon M6
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Fujifilm GFX 50S
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Nikon 1 J4
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Nikon D300
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Nikon D5600
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Ricoh GR
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Sony A5000
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Sony A7
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Sony HX90V
- Canon 1D Mark III vs Zeiss ZX1
| Camera Model | Canon 1D Mark III | |
| Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | |
| Camera Lens | Canon EF mount lenses | |
| Launch Date | February 2007 | |
| Launch Price | USD 4 499 | |
| Sensor Specs | ||
| Sensor Technology | CMOS | |
| Sensor Format | APS-H Sensor | |
| Sensor Size | 28.1 x 18.7 mm | |
| Sensor Area | 525 mm2 | |
| Sensor Diagonal | 33.8 mm | |
| Crop Factor | 1.3x | |
| Sensor Resolution | 10.1 Megapixels | |
| Image Resolution | 3 888 x 2 592 pixels | |
| Pixel Pitch | 7.21 μm | |
| Pixel Density | 1.92 MP/cm2 | |
| Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | |
| Movie Capability | no Video | |
| ISO Setting | 100 - 3 200 ISO | |
| ISO Boost | 50 - 6 400 ISO | |
| Image Processor | DIGIC III | |
| DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 71 | |
| DXO Color Depth (bits) | 22.7 | |
| DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 11.7 | |
| DXO Low Light (ISO) | 1078 | |
| Screen Specs | ||
| Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | |
| Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.58x | |
| Top-Level Screen | Control Panel | |
| LCD Framing | Live View | |
| LCD Size | 230k dots | |
| LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | |
| Shooting Specs | ||
| Focus System | Phase-detect AF | |
| Manual Focusing Aid | no Peaking Feature | |
| Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/8000s | |
| Continuous Shooting | 10 shutter flaps/s | |
| Shutter Life Expectancy | 300 000 actuations | |
| Silent Shooting | no E-Shutter | |
| Time Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | |
| Fill Flash | no On-Board Flash | |
| Storage Medium | CF or SDHC cards | |
| Second Storage Option | Dual card slots | |
| UHS card support | no | |
| Connectivity Specs | ||
| External Flash | Hotshoe | |
| Studio Flash | PC Sync socket | |
| USB Connector | USB 2.0 | |
| HDMI Port | no HDMI | |
| Wifi Support | no Wifi | |
| Body Specs | ||
| Environmental Sealing | Weathersealed body | |
| Battery Type | LP-E4 power pack | |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 2200 shots per charge | |
| Body Dimensions |
156 x 157 x 80 mm (6.1 x 6.2 x 3.1 in) |
|
| Camera Weight | 1 155 g (40.7 oz) |
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