Good, but conservative & overpriced

Good, but conservative & overpriced

Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR Camera (22 megapixels, CMOS sensor, 8.1 cm (3.2 inch) display, DIGIC 5+ processor) body black (Camera)

Customer Review

At the beginning, with a list price of 3,300 EUR, the 5D3 is clearly overpriced - slowly the street price comes in areas where the list price should be (my 5D3 was vglw an almost unused "Used" reasonable price.). Highly praised in many tests and reviews of the missing camera, despite some revisions over the 5D2, but still quite a few tw. important features, which are of course sometimes at cheaper APS-C or even compact cameras. Canon has probably lost over the past few years, camera technology, in favor of private Sensorbau and video, something out of sight.

Short to me about photography (so that you can evaluate my assessment): since about the mid-90s I shoot with Canon EOS, from mid to high-end, with extensive zoom & Fixbrennweiten lenses from extreme wide angle to extreme telephoto, macro , tilt / shift, fisheye, several Speedlites, etc. I take pictures while traveling (landscape / city, hence the tendency for extreme wide-angle), studio photography, events / concerts, wedding, portrait in studio & Location, Action went with me only to horse racing and kart racing, Experimental (Low / available light, Lightbrush, long-term, multiple-exposure, cross-processed, etc) - so rather unspecific, widely held photo ops. Video is except time to experiment, not an issue for me, so I go in this evaluation it hardly.
I am not making any money with my photos, so just a hobby. Thus, a lot of money put in the hobby, but I will also have a "all-round camera" (not one for Studio, one for outdoor, one for Action, etc.) which need not necessarily cheap, but a good price / quality have ratio!
With APS-C Canon DSLRs I can put my lenses, particularly in the wide-angle not fully utilize, on the other hand the range of full face cameras is generally very limited.
If you do not (like me) due to its many existing lenses on Canon or specifically their full area is bound by the see even with Nikon (possibly Sony) or at least in the Canon APS-C segment (700D, 70D)! Otherwise you have to expect that the full surface cameras support the highly competitive APS-C DSLR market segment financially and therefore probably are unnecessary "expensive.

To operate:
The On / Off switch is, finally arrived there after many years odyssey since the EOS 7D, where he is probably best positioned (apart from optimalerem switch at Nikon & Sony) - the Mode Dial. He was almost too analog times in mean models, the EOS 300D had him already there (just on the other shoulder camera). Down the back I found it very unwieldy even with the analog 1er models. A handle to the Mode Dial never hurts to start taking pictures, there's just now the power switch, and so often you have the camera and not on / off switch.
Thus, the thumb wheel lock is finally separated from the power switch - I had so far actually always on the thumb, so the on / off switch was always used to switch two notches, unnecessary.
However, the On / Off switch looks a bit delicate in the 5D3, which is in need of improvement.
The release button on the Mode Dial can I find more annoying than useful.

The push buttons next to the LCD are more pleasant than under the LCD - while wearing the EOS 50D without battery grip I have sometimes pressed the play button accidentally by bumping the belt.
The zoom button left of the LCD is unfortunately infelicitous. Manual Focus in Liveview- and especially in video mode with magnification on the LCD is so gripping with the left hand accompanied (makeshift remedy the assignment of the thumbwheel SET button with the zoom function). The presettable initial magnification (from 2x) when you press the magnifying glass button and zoom with the command dial on the other hand is a practical innovation.
The Play button frequently required would be at the bottom (or top if necessary) easier to find.

The menu structure (over the Q button or the joystick to navigate) with submenus is very chaotic. Unfortunately, only 6 functions in My Menu "are still possible (without submenus).
Swivel LCD would have been extremely nice, it has unfortunately again just failed in the solid areas segment such as an OLED display. However, the LCD resolution and brilliance is very good, when the sun still limited visible. Here create LCD viewfinder magnifiers remedy for 3.2 "However GNTB. Not so easy to get.

A blessing is the dimming button - who ever like me in portrait orientation, with active external flash, touched when supporting the lens with your left hand the left misplaced preview button by mistake (which solves the adjustment Strobo flash out, for all present a truly surprising enlightening experience), the button in landscape mode from behind white seen from right greatly appreciated!

The spring, which is bouncing the memory card slot cover is very pleasant. The weather seal (allegedly otherwise the state of the analog EOS-1N), is the battery and card compartment, whether lack of seals, however, significantly reduced.
Unfortunately still is the front e-dial above the trigger. As with all Canon's my advice to the middle finger to trigger use, since then a program shift after focusing can be performed without refocusing.
The additional button M.Fn, next to the shutter button is quite handy (eg for the useful function the tilt of the camera on the AF points in the viewfinder display.) - But * (Exposure Lock) and FEL (Flash Exposure Lock) can be no longer together put on the * key, which clearly puts the usefulness of M.Fn.
The light switch for the upper LCD is mounted outside right, much easier to find in the dark (Beginning at 5D2 there).

The vertical grip BG-E11 is a bit beefy, the position of the vertical-trigger used to, the joystick in portrait mode too low (although in my replica BG 5mm higher than the original). Opposite the BG-E6 (the 5D2) introducing the battery from the side is somewhat tricky, but there is also the option for AA batteries (also rechargeable AA batteries have 1.2V to work in spite of my 5D3).
Sometimes there is criticism that the battery grip is extra to buy. I find very comfortable that you can run the 5D3 without BG, traveling a great advantage (for me a significant argument against all EOS 1D models)! Downside is the really high price of Canon BG-E11 - here provide significantly cheaper, almost identical replicas at best remedy, in my experience with coequal feel!

About the technology:
For sensor I can only say, with 22Mpx can live more than good, 15-18 MPx would vglw. have been safe enough. The RAW format was regarding noise, resolution, moiré and dynamic compared to the 5D2 reportedly not improved - subjectively I see on RAW compared to the 5D2 slight advantage at 25600 ISO with more pleasant "noise pattern (!) -. After 3 years of development betw 5D2 and 5D3 is this increase is therefore disappointing that 2 high ISO levels (51k and 102k) are more likely to be marketing transition, although the 5D3 (as already the 5D2) in regard to available light certainly one of the top products on the market is (only the 1DX has here probably with slightly smaller resolution and better sensor even more to offer).
Very useful I find the extension "on 50 low-ISO - after 1 light level" Reserve "in some experiments with the panel, even on bright days.

The AF works pretty well, though he mucks even in extreme situations sometimes! The many AI Servo AF modes settings and dialing mode field (both from the 1DX) I find quite an overkill and unnecessarily complicated (since the analog F5 puts Nikon in its CAM module, the Focus tracking apparently much easier to make). The few action shots that I've tried with the 5D3, I was the 6 AI Servo modes really convince any; the AF points fidget nervously, losing always like the object to be tracked. Disturbing I also think that can not be disabled by the 6 selectable AF area dialing mode of Single Area AF mode. 61 AF points are also a lot of unnecessary, after scolding the AF of the Canon 5D2 has here probably dazzle greatly exaggerated and tried with complexity. The end of April, 2013, about a year after market introduction of the 5D3, was finally able to firmware V1.2.1 the center AF sensitivity at 1: increased 8.0 (already in the analogue EOS 3 was the, also a Nikon D600 (! ) creates) - after making it with me at the EF 28-135mm / 1: 3.5-5.6 at full telephoto with 2x converter (thus 1: 5.6 to about 1:11 converts) focus on center AF possible in overcast conditions in the room.
With 61 AF points would again AF-eye control, as with analog EOS (added, in one of my EOS 3 was the rather poor, in the other, however, very good), have been useful - the visit but since the digital EOS unfortunately generally not more. The Area AF ellipse might be larger in the 5D3 for some photo-situations - here are probably technical limitations prevail. In transverse and two high formats, the AF mode and the / the chosen AF / he be different or the same - it is missing, the camera tries when switching between formats to activate the corresponding analog AF (so if, for example, . in landscape mode, the AF area on the top left is active is also again the AF activates the upper left corner when you switch to portrait mode).
STM lenses are regarding AF not supported - the lack of hybrid AF (as with EOS 650 / 700d / 70d) makes autofocus while filming therefore virtually impossible.
The camera-shake warning (as in the analogue EOS 10), measured over the AF sensors, would be important for stabilizing lenses - even those (now old) innovation is still lacking.

USB 2.0 instead of 3.0 has been installed - that does not hurt immediately, but future-proof is different. Because now USB 3.0 for external USB HDD is already standard, the 5D3 will appear over the next 3-5 years here very quickly anachronistic! Canon also saves here at the wrong place.

When CF and SD card slot, I'm the one hand (for compatibility with the EOS 50D) very pleased that a CF specialist is. For SD I was skeptical whether ultimately the wider dissemination (not technically better!) From SD (HC) and the possibility of Eye-Fi, however, not a bad choice. But the speed of SD is significantly slower than that of CF ([...]), bad for high-speed serial recordings. By the way, If you delete an image from the memory card with parallel recording on CF and SD, then the picture is deleted only on the selected map as the primary - that confuses possibly the downloading of the other card or can the equal second map might run by mistake when taking full sooner.

Then there's the built-in flash, or rather the lack of internal flash! Canon here affords a very rough Schnitzer! Had there been options 5D3 for me, that would clearly have been a KO criterion (also 6D and 1DX do not have). Clear, internal flashes are not light giants struggle with flat lighting, shading, etc.
Who, for example, always photographed. His Wedding orders can easily schedule an external flash unit. But in an all-round device often leads to unexpected situations; I have several times (with different camera models) have unexpectedly at the last emergency, to the internal flash recourse - after hours of marching on vacation you are suddenly in a cave or dark cabin, the external flash is the 2h distant car, great! It does not even go to Photo Yes / No, it's a small fill-in flash in the gloomy forest can improve photos by factors, not to mention the highlights in portraits.
This is malicious product management at Canon, such people should rather destroy supermarket shelves simple as camera designs. It comes with internal vs. external flash not just about more transport volume, additional weight and cost, it is also important to have an extra charged battery or batteries functioning hand! I try the problem with a 270 EX compensate for the lack of beautiful flash is not anyway!
With the 7D I had the hope that the (late but arrived at Canon) control external flashes with the internal flash also creates the step into full-frame (like Nikon usual) - unfortunately non-existent!

The DEP program (A-DEP was against scrap) is probably forever in Canon's history. An outstanding feature of every Canon EOS, dead recently for decades: rarely used, but in these rare cases practically replaced by nothing else (no one can tell me with depth-the reaching depth of field can be seen in the viewfinder or on the LCD; all photo-DOF -Apps are also just a bad imitation of such a function); According to Canon representative "of professionals not needed" - aha, why is depth at the latest in product or macro photography always subject, why build reputable large format camera manufacturers like Sinar and Horseman or medium-format manufacturer as Mamiya and Rollei scales or computer for the depth of their machines, why there was formerly depth of field scale on the focus indicators of lenses? Who doubts the sense of such things really no idea of ​​photographic art!
Instead they would rather DEP can die the full-automatic program, or facial recognition, for decades one of the most useless inventions in camera construction.

No built-in AF-assist illuminator (so is not the strobe flash meant with the internal flash, but a red AF assist light in the camera, quite common in all analogue EOS in the late 90s, have cheaper models this by a bothersome shrill white Light replaced) - with increasing ISO values ​​for some years also lacks here in the EOS DSLRs clearly an important feature for available-light photography!

The sync speed is 1/200 "(Nikon creates here for many years 1/250" to 1/320 ") - here Canon continues to focus on low level!
GPS is also missing (can be found only at EOS 6D).
The viewfinder coverage is finally 100% - less is in digital photography and inappropriate!

Built-HDR is indeed a nice toy for first experiments / impressions, I would still put here on appropriate post-processing software on the computer.
The multiple-exposure after years finally found its way into the digital world of EOS Full Surface. Unfortunately there is no way in the Live View between live image and photos back and be able to blend her (appears fix 50:50 crossfade), accurate positioning of the camera for multiple exposures would thus easier.

The white balance is usually remarkably accurate. The exposure is more accurate than with the EOS 50D, but (in addition to spot, selective, integral and multi-field) is missing again the multi-spot metering, the measurement of lights for RAW is absent, just as would be (in addition to exposure compensation via thumbwheel) an additional exposure ( desirable for balancing the measurement on the lights or general faulty measurements). Exposure compensation is fortunately to + -5EV.

The Silent triggering mode is very good, the camera is at the expense of frame rate (up to max. 3 frames / s usually still sufficiently fast) so but much quieter. Up to 6 images / s in high-speed mode, I never need practical.

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