Discuss the Mark III on the DPNow forum Today, Canon both delighted and disappointed with revelation of its revamp of the highly-successful EOS-1D Mark III, along with a swathe of new compact Powershot and Ixus digital camera models, Pixma printers and camcorders. The EOS-1D Mark III is most definitely a delight, but the disappointment is that if you were hoping for news of an updated EOS-30D or EOS-1Ds Mark II, you will have to wait. Canon says they have now announced all the new products they intended to for the run up to, and including, PMA, which opens on 8th March.
Today, Canon both delighted and disappointed with revelation of its revamp of the highly-successful EOS-1D Mark III, along with a swathe of new compact Powershot and Ixus digital camera models, Pixma printers and camcorders. The EOS-1D Mark III is most definitely a delight, but the disappointment is that if you were hoping for news of an updated EOS-30D or EOS-1Ds Mark II, you will have to wait. Canon says they have now announced all the new products they intended to for the run up to, and including, PMA, which opens on 8th March.
Alessandro Stanzani, Canon's UK Country Director, welcomes the press to the London launch of the Canon spring collection
Today, Canon both delighted and disappointed with revelation of its revamp of the highly-successful EOS-1D Mark III, along with a swathe of new compact Powershot and Ixus digital camera models, Pixma printers and camcorders. The EOS-1D Mark III is most definitely a delight, but the disappointment is that if you were hoping for news of an updated EOS-30D or EOS-1Ds Mark II, you will have to wait. Canon says they have now announced all the new products they intended to for the run up to, and including, PMA, which opens on 8th March.
10fps, for 110 frames, at 10MP
In this report we’re focussing on the EOS-1D Mark III in particular. To borrow from the concept of a ‘supercar’, the 1D Mark III is a veritable ‘superDSLR‘. Mind you, the out-going 1D Mark II N was in the same class, but Canon has taken the benchmark for action pro DSLR to new heights with the Mark III.
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The old model offered a fantastic 8.5fps shooting rate, but the new Mark III, now equipped with twin, parallel processing Digic III processors that can munch 100MB of data per second, can sustain ten frames per second when recording JPEGs and for a sequence of no less than 110 frames. If that’s not enough, the Mark III gets an upgraded sensor that now offers ten mega pixels of resolution, plus the ability to stream to a live view display.
Bigger, live view display
That display, too, is upgraded, from 2.5 inches to 3 inches. Canon’s DSLR live view mode, which must surely legitimise the concept of live view DSLRs pioneered last year by Olympus and Panasonic, does not offer any autofocus functionality, and does not tilt or angle, but when shooting in continuous mode the reflex mirror, sensibly, stays up, reducing noise and vibration and any restriction on shooting rate.
The moment the Canon EOS-1D Mark III is officially revealed
The Mark III can also be tethered to an external video monitor or, wirelessly, to a digital streamed display monitor using wifi wLan protocols. Asked why Canon had now adopted live view after dismissing it a year earlier, the simple answer was that the paparazzi would really appreciate it.
Sensor cleaning
Following another lead set by Olympus and Panasonic, and introduced earlier on the EOS-400D, the EOS-1D Mark III gets an ultrasonic cleaning system to deal with dust on the sensor. Naturally, the Mark III is fully sealed to keep dust and moisture out of its alloy chassis and this now even extends to the flash hot shoe. Even the data cable ports are ruggedised and a Canon representative demonstrated this by dangling a Mark III attached only by its data cable.
He looks like he means business and so does the camera - watch out celebs, this is the paparazzi dream machine!
The EOS-1D Mark III remains a hefty camera, but the replacement of its predecessor's bulkier NiMH batteries with Lithium Ion types, plus some other weight saving, sees the Mark III tip the scales at over 16% less than the Mark II N.
And there is a new shutter mechanism that is designed to last at least 300,000 cycles – which is rather sensible considering the enhanced shooting rate the Mark III now affords.
Canon's pro-DSLR news was not just about the EOS-1D Mark III; there is a new Speedlite 580EX II flash, a redesigned EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM wide angle zoom and a more compact Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2. A new data encryption solution has also been announced.
Canon EOS lens and body kits
Meanwhile, Canon will be making various DSLR models, from the base 400D-upwards, available in a variety of body and lens combination kits. Just a few examples include the EOS-400D IS Double Zoom Kit, which features the EF-S 17-85mm IS U and the EF 70-300mm IS U lense, the EOS-30D Macro + Ring Flash Kit, in which you will find an EF 100mm Macro lens plus MR-14EX Ring Flash, and an EOS-5D Photo + Speedlite Kit, which includes an EF 50mm 1.4 lens and 220EX Speedlite flash.
Canon is going to offer lots of combination kits for DSLR customers this year
Back to the EOS-1D Mark III, there seems to be conflicting advice concerning when it will ship; we were told April, but our man in Japan, Yoshi, says the information being distributed there indicates May. Here at the UK launch, we were told to expect the Mark III to ship for around £3,000, though no price has been officially set.
We will update this story when we hear more firm news on the shipping date and pricing.
