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.

The 1D Mark III has an Elo rating of 1481. The Camera Elo represents a comprehensive assessment of digital cameras, as derived from a large number of pair-wise comparisons of body, sensor, and feature characteristics.

The Elo rating puts the Canon 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. Based on its within category standings, the camera receives a 2.5-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, and reception by expert reviewers.

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 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 Mark III	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	40.7 oz	2200	Y	Feb 2007	4,499	-		Canon 1D Mark III
	Canon 5DS R« »	6.0 in	4.6 in	3.0 in	32.8 oz	700	Y	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS R
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	6.0 in	4.6 in	3.0 in	33.5 oz	950	Y	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 1D Mark IV« »	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	43.4 oz	1500	Y	Oct 2009	4,999	-		Canon 1D Mark IV
	Canon 5D Mark II« »	6.0 in	4.5 in	3.0 in	30.0 oz	850	Y	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	5.9 in	6.3 in	3.1 in	48.9 oz	1800	Y	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	55.2 oz	1200	Y	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Canon 1D Mark II« »	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	54.1 oz	1200	Y	Jan 2004	4,499	-		Canon 1D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds« »	6.1 in	6.2 in	3.1 in	44.6 oz	600	Y	Sep 2002	8,999	-		Canon 1Ds
	Nikon D3« »	6.3 in	6.2 in	3.5 in	45.9 oz	4300	Y	Aug 2007	4,999	-		Nikon D3
	Nikon D2Xs« »	6.2 in	5.9 in	3.4 in	44.2 oz	3800	Y	Jun 2006	4,699	-		Nikon D2Xs
Convert to Metric

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.

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.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. 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. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

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). The detailed reviews can be accessed 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 Mark III	-	-	-	rev	-	Feb 2007	4,499	-		Canon 1D Mark III
	Canon 5DS R« »	Rec	83/100	5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	3,699			Canon 5DS R
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	HiRec	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	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 1Ds Mark III« »	-	HiRec	4.5/5	-	-	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	-	-	-	-	-	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Canon 1D Mark II« »	-	HiRec	-	rev	-	Jan 2004	4,499	-		Canon 1D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds« »	-	HiRec	-	-	-	Sep 2002	8,999	-		Canon 1Ds
	Nikon D3« »	-	HiRec	5/5	rev	4.5/5	Aug 2007	4,999	-		Nikon D3
	Nikon D2Xs« »	-	-	-	rev	-	Jun 2006	4,699	-		Nikon D2Xs

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.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of 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. If you do not see the camera that you are looking for, please send me an email, and I will try to locate and add the respective data to the application.

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