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.
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 |
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Camera | Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life (CIPA) |
Weather Sealing (y/n) |
Camera Launch (year) |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price (amazon) |
Used Price (ebay) |
|
Canon 1D Mark III | 156 mm | 156.6 mm | 80 mm | 1155 g | 2200 | YES | 2007 | 4,499 | discont. | check | |
Canon 5DS R (⇒ lft | rgt) | 152 mm | 116 mm | 76 mm | 930 g | 700 | YES | 2015 | 3,699 | latest | check | |
Canon 5D Mark III (⇒ lft | rgt) | 152 mm | 116 mm | 76 mm | 950 g | 950 | YES | 2012 | 3,499 | discont. | check | |
Canon 1D Mark IV (⇒ lft | rgt) | 156 mm | 157 mm | 80 mm | 1230 g | 1500 | YES | 2009 | 4,999 | discont. | check | |
Canon 5D Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt) | 152 mm | 114 mm | 75 mm | 850 g | 850 | YES | 2008 | 3,499 | discont. | check | |
Canon 1Ds Mark III (⇒ lft | rgt) | 150 mm | 160 mm | 80 mm | 1385 g | 1800 | YES | 2007 | 7,999 | discont. | check | |
Canon 1D Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt) | 156 mm | 158 mm | 80 mm | 1535 g | 1200 | YES | 2004 | 4,499 | discont. | check | |
Canon 1Ds (⇒ lft | rgt) | 156 mm | 157.6 mm | 80 mm | 1265 g | 600 | YES | 2002 | 8,999 | discont. | check | |
Nikon D3S (⇒ lft | rgt) | 160 mm | 157 mm | 88 mm | 1240 g | 4200 | YES | 2009 | 5,199 | discont. | check | |
Nikon D3 (⇒ lft | rgt) | 160 mm | 157 mm | 88 mm | 1300 g | 4300 | YES | 2007 | 4,999 | discont. | check | |
Nikon D2Xs (⇒ lft | rgt) | 157.5 mm | 149.5 mm | 86 mm | 1252 g | 3800 | YES | 2006 | 4,699 | discont. | check |
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.
Sensor Characteristics |
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Camera | Sensor Class |
Resolution (Megapixel) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
|
Canon 1D Mark III | APS-H | 10.1 | 3888 | 2592 | no | 22.7 | 11.7 | 1078 | 71 | |
Canon 5DS R (⇒ lft | rgt) | Full Frame | 50.3 | 8688 | 5792 | 1080/60p | 24.6 | 12.4 | 2308 | 86 | |
Canon 5D Mark III (⇒ lft | rgt) | Full Frame | 22.1 | 5760 | 3840 | 1080/30p | 24 | 11.7 | 2293 | 81 | |
Canon 1D Mark IV (⇒ lft | rgt) | APS-H | 16.0 | 4896 | 3264 | 1080/30p | 22.8 | 12.0 | 1320 | 74 | |
Canon 5D Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt) | Full Frame | 21.0 | 5616 | 3744 | 1080/30p | 23.7 | 11.9 | 1815 | 79 | |
Canon 1Ds Mark III (⇒ lft | rgt) | Full Frame | 21.0 | 5616 | 3744 | no | 24.0 | 12.0 | 1663 | 80 | |
Canon 1D Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt) | APS-H | 8.2 | 3504 | 2336 | no | 22.3 | 11.1 | 1003 | 66 | |
Canon 1Ds (⇒ lft | rgt) | Full Frame | 11.0 | 4064 | 2704 | no | 21.8 | 11.0 | 954 | 63 | |
Nikon D3S (⇒ lft | rgt) | Full Frame | 12.1 | 4256 | 2832 | 720/24p | 23.5 | 12.0 | 3253 | 82 | |
Nikon D3 (⇒ lft | rgt) | Full Frame | 12.1 | 4256 | 2832 | no | 23.5 | 12.2 | 2290 | 81 | |
Nikon D2Xs (⇒ lft | rgt) | APS-C | 12.2 | 4288 | 2848 | no | 22.2 | 10.9 | 489 | 59 |
Feature comparison
Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The table below summarizes 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.
Core Features |
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Camera | Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots) |
Control Panel (Y/n) |
LCD Size (inch) |
LCD Resolution ('000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (Y/n) |
Shutter speed (1/sec) |
Shutter flaps (1/sec)) |
Build-in Flash (GN) |
Build-in Image Stab |
|
Canon 1D Mark III | optical | YES | 3.0 | 230 | fixed | no | 8000 | 10.0 | no | no | |
Canon 5DS R (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 3.2 | 1040 | fixed | no | 8000 | 5.0 | no | no | |
Canon 5D Mark III (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 3.2 | 1040 | fixed | no | 8000 | 6.0 | no | no | |
Canon 1D Mark IV (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 3.0 | 920 | fixed | no | 8000 | 10.0 | no | no | |
Canon 5D Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 3.0 | 920 | fixed | no | 8000 | 3.9 | no | no | |
Canon 1Ds Mark III (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 3.0 | 230 | fixed | no | 8000 | 5.0 | no | no | |
Canon 1D Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 2.0 | 230 | fixed | no | 8000 | 8.3 | no | no | |
Canon 1Ds (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 2.0 | 120 | fixed | no | 8000 | 3.0 | no | no | |
Nikon D3S (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 3.0 | 921 | fixed | no | 8000 | 11.0 | no | no | |
Nikon D3 (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 3.0 | 922 | fixed | no | 8000 | 11.0 | no | no | |
Nikon D2Xs (⇒ lft | rgt) | optical | YES | 2.5 | 230 | fixed | no | 8000 | 5.0 | no | no |
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. The detailed reviews can be accessed, respectively, on the websites of cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.
Review scores |
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Camera | camera labs |
dp review |
ephoto zine |
imaging resource |
photography blog |
Camera Launch (year) |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price (amazon) |
Used Price (ebay) |
|
Canon 1D Mark III | - | - | - | reviewed | - | 2007 | 4,499 | discont. | check | |
Canon 5DS R (⇒ lft | rgt) | Rec | 83/100 Silver | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | 2015 | 3,699 | latest | check | |
Canon 5D Mark III (⇒ lft | rgt) | HiRec | 82/100 Gold | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | 2012 | 3,499 | discont. | check | |
Canon 1D Mark IV (⇒ lft | rgt) | - | 89/100 Gold | - | 5/5 | - | 2009 | 4,999 | discont. | check | |
Canon 5D Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt) | 91/100 | 79/100 HiRec | 4/5 | 5/5 | - | 2008 | 3,499 | discont. | check | |
Canon 1Ds Mark III (⇒ lft | rgt) | - | HiRec | 4.5/5 | - | - | 2007 | 7,999 | discont. | check | |
Canon 1D Mark II (⇒ lft | rgt) | - | HiRec | - | reviewed | - | 2004 | 4,499 | discont. | check | |
Canon 1Ds (⇒ lft | rgt) | - | HiRec | - | - | - | 2002 | 8,999 | discont. | check | |
Nikon D3S (⇒ lft | rgt) | - | 89/100 Gold | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 2009 | 5,199 | discont. | check | |
Nikon D3 (⇒ lft | rgt) | - | HiRec | 5/5 | reviewed | 4.5/5 | 2007 | 4,999 | discont. | check | |
Nikon D2Xs (⇒ lft | rgt) | - | - | - | reviewed | - | 2006 | 4,699 | discont. | check |
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 DIGIT 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 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, which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.
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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