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My Christmas wish came true last week — I got my hands on Canon's professional flagship DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. Yes, I'm talking about the highly-anticipated Canon EOS 1Ds MK III.
Notwithstanding the whopping price tag of $12,799, this 21.1-megapixel full-frame camera is a stunning piece of digital imaging technology. It sports Canon's latest Dual Digic III imaging processors, dust-reduction Integrated Cleaning System (ICS), high-speed continuous frame rates of up to five frames per second, super-precise 19-point auto-focus (AF) system and 63 metering zones linked to AF points.
The camera's weather-resistant magnesium-alloy body is packed with a large three-inch liquid crystal display. However, even the bright-in-all-weather screen could not help in manual focusing, as auto-focus cannot be enabled when using Live View.
As a result, I found I preferred using the optical viewfinder, which has 100-per-cent frame coverage, a feature not seen in most current DSLRs in the market. In fact, its optical viewfinder is the biggest and brightest I have seen in a Canon DSLR thus far.
Powering up the camera is almost instantaneous but powering down is a tad slow, at nearly four seconds, due to sensor cleaning. The good thing is I have yet to see specks of dirt on my pictures, despite changing lens regularly.
Apart from the shut-down speed, everything about the camera is fast and furious. Shutter lag is minimal, with auto-focusing spot-on in most lighting conditions.
Although not the fastest, shooting at Al Servo mode at five frames per second proves to be no slouch either; especially when it is delivering 21.1 megapixels full-frame images. Trust me, you won't miss your magical moment with this camera.
The button placement and menu controls are logical and user-friendly. Gone are the "two-button" press and dial-turning stunts you used to have to pull off to change settings in the older versions. There is also a new rear joystick for you to browse menus and preview pictures easily. Even the silent shooting feature is a scroll away on the front wheel dial.
Image quality is mind-blowing, with sharp pixel rendition, superb colour reproduction, accurate auto-white balance and smooth skin tones. You can blow up the pictures and still see intricate details. Its 21.1-megapixel output ensures pictures are good enough for giant posters and billboards. Watch out, medium-format cameras — your end is nigh!
Surprisingly, the camera's high ISO performance is not on par with that of its predecessors. Don't get me wrong; the noise performance is still good. But at ISO 1600 and above, noise grain is harsher when compared with my company-issued EOS 1D MKII.
That said, I doubt users of the 1Ds MKIII would shoot at such high ISO.
VERDICT
I've not tried the Nikon D3 but the Canon EOS 1Ds MKIII is the best DSLR camera I've used so far. With its huge megapixel output, superior image quality, intuitive handling and responsive mechanisms, the camera is more than worthy of its hefty price tag. - TODAY/ar
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