Canon announces EOS-1D Mark III

[andrewr]

Canon has announced the new EOS-1D Mark III. I've personally been waiting for a full-frame replacement for the 1Ds and/or 5D, and hopefully this is just the beginning of Canon's PMA announcements.

This new SLR sounds very impressive with some major improvements over the previous model. Here's a summary of new features that really caught my eye including 14-bit capture and wireless live preview! They're really giving Phase One a run for their money now. Not necessarily with this camera, but when the 14-bit 1Ds Mark III comes out it should be very hot!

• World's fastest AF DSLR with approximately 10 fps continuous shooting in One-Shot AF or AI Servo AF
• 14-bit A/D conversion for fine gradation
• Live View in camera and remote, wired and wireless
• New 45-point Area AF sensor with 19 high-precision, cross-type points (f/2.8 compatible), 26 standard-precision AssistAF points
• New methods of AF point expansion during manual AF point selection
• New 10.1-megapixel CMOSsensor, APS-H size
• Improved microlens array and pixel fill factor plus optimized photodiode structure to increase light-reception efficiency
• Professional EOS Integrated Cleaning System with Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit, Dust Delete Data acquisition
• RAW, sRAW (new SmallRAW), RAW+JPEG, sRAW+JPEG, JPEG+JPEG simultaneous recording
• Large and bright 3.0-inch LCD monitor with 230,000 pixels and wide viewing angle
• Five custom WB settings
• Selectable noise reduction for high ISO images, 50% less shadow noise for all images
• Selectable Highlight Tone Priority
• High-magnification, wide-coverage viewfinder and improved focusing screen with 100% finder coverage
• High-capacity, lightweight and compact lithium-ion battery with estimated battery life display
• Enhanced recording options include automatic switching of recording media, separate recordings to media and identical recordings to multiple media
• Silent mode for single images
• Image copying and backup to external media enabled
• Maintains water resistance with new 580EX II Speedlite
• Camera direct printing (PictBridge) improved and DPOF print ordering provided
• Direct printing of RAW and sRAW images
• Direct image transfer
• Wireless/wired LAN for image transfers via new WFT-E2A dedicated Wireless File Transmitter
• External USB recording media and GPS unit usable via the WFT-E2A
• Verification data can be generated, encrypted and appended to the image with new Original Data Security Kit OSK-E3
• Compatible with original image verification system
• Speedlite Custom Functions settable with the camera when the 580EXII Speedlite is attached
• New software package includes Digital Photo Professional 3.0 and EOS Utility 2.0
• New EF16–35mm f/2.8L II USM lensfeatures improved peripheral image quality


For the full press release please visit the Canon USA web site.

Cheers,

Andrew

[Glen C]

What a beast!!! I would love to see a tshot at ISO 6400 to see how it performs. Is Canon moving away from full frame cameras? FF is 36mm x 24mm and this is listed as a 28.1 by 18.7mm sized sensor with a 1.3 crop. Not that I put much int othe FF issue. Can't wait to hold one of these.

[andrewr]

Originally Posted by Glen C

Is Canon moving away from full frame cameras? FF is 36mm x 24mm and this is listed as a 28.1 by 18.7mm sized sensor with a 1.3 crop.

This is nothing new for Canon. The 1D series has always had a 1.3 magnification factor, which is perfect for news and sports. The 1Ds and 5D offer the full-frame sensor, and the 30D, Rebel, etc, offer the 1.6 APS sized sensor. It does seem a bit confusing, but it's probably not a bad idea to offer different solutions for different types of photography and budgets.

Andrew

[rcrampton]

Gotta love this one. Can the 40D be far behind?
Rick

[Glen C]

Thanks Andrew. I wasn't sure what to think but heard a rumor of a FF EOS-1Ds Mark III.

[andrewr]

Originally Posted by Glen C

Thanks Andrew. I wasn't sure what to think but heard a rumor of a FF EOS-1Ds Mark III.

I was definitely surprised to see the 1D Mark III now. The 1D Mark II was released in Aug 2005, but the 1Ds Mark II was released in Sept 2004, which makes it almost a year older, and more in need of an update. However, I think Canon will often release new features in lower priced models first, so they can work out the bugs before including those features in their top of the line flagship camera.

Andrew

[Alastair]

It's my understanding that Canon is coming out with a completely new set of cameras and lenses. The current 1DsMII is at the limits of what at 35mm lens can resolve - any more resolution will not be able to be seen because the lenses can't deal with that kind of detail. Apparently in Apr or May there will be a 22 or 24 MP solution - new body, new lenses.

Remember what you paid for this information - Rumors, all rumors... Get a P-30 - more fun, better skin tones, vastly more expensive...

[John660]

A big disappointment for me, Canon is still completely missing the ball on all of its wildlife/nature shooters...where is our EOS 3 equivalent?? Light, fast, accurate, relatively inexpensive ($3K when it was new). This new body does get the wildlife side of things pretty well, but I'd still like to see 12 MP, not 10, and they still don't have an answer for wide angle landscape photography with this body like Nikon does with it's D2X and the 12-24 lens. VERY disappointed yet again, I have to continue plugging away with my 5D, which is perfect for landscapes, but gives away so much for wildlife photography.

[ssim]

I like this camera so much that I have put my name on the list with my retailer for one. My 1DMKII has got over 150K in actuations so it is time.

I fail to understand the need for more resolution. All of the manufacturers have been very successful in getting the public to buy into this "more MP is better" mindset. At what point does more MP become a mute point. I have enlarged my 1DMKII and 30D up to 24X30 and they were fantastic, even up close. The extra pixels are going to help but if my camera wasn't getting to the point of needing retirement I certainly wouldn't be buying right now.

Is there a body that can do all for everyone. That's why I have FF and crop factor bodies. They each provide a solution for unique situations.

I was somewhat disappointed that they didn't touch the 1DsMKII. I really thought that this would be the body that would get a work over.

[Alastair]

It will get a workover, but apparently not until April - a new body, new lenses, 22-24 MP, etc, etc. At least that is the rumor mill churning away.

And remember, I posted recently about the new Nikon camera that didn't materialize at all, so my reliability is (so far) flawless...