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I just took delivery of the 5D3

Chris Giles

New member
So it was shipped from Hong Kong yesterday morning and arrived 24 hours later.

This has to be some sort of record.

The 5D3 is at best 1 stop better in ISO capability when all the NR is turned off.



The warm smear of the 5D2 has gone, files are better, stronger and easier to push and pull about. It's a 1Ds3 basically as far as colour and IQ goes.

The silent shutter is incredible. When you first hear it you'll be amazed.
The screen is extremely accurate too, rendering the image as it looks on the bigger screen. A great feedback tool.

Higher ISO and the 5D3 keeps hold of the dynamic range. Colours are still good beyond 6400

AF and AI servo mode works very well. I'm loving the viewfinder grid too.
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
How would you describe the new AF of the 5D III in terms of accuracy and speed?

AF of the 5D III compared to 1Ds Mark III?

ken
 

Chris Giles

New member
Well they're different systems Ken. I was using spot focus points and on the 5D3 only had the cross type points available to select. There was no discernable difference between the 1Ds3 and the 5D3.

This is good, the 1Ds3 or at least my 1Ds3 is sharp as a bullet and very fast. The 5D3 was at least equal to this with AI servo mode being better on the 5D3.

But, until I've stuck a wedding through it, a bride walking towards me in low light etc I've no real accurate answer for you.

At this point in time I can honestly say I don't think the 1Ds3 can do anything better than the 5D3. But I've a wedding on Friday and I'll be using it then and will report back.
 
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kdphotography

Well-known member
... There was no discernable difference between the 1Ds3 and the 5D3.

This is good, the 1Ds3 or at least my 1Ds3 is sharp as a bullet and very fast. The 5D3 was at least equal to this with AI servo mode being better on the 5D3.

....
My 1Ds Mark III is extremely fast and accurate. The 5D and 5D II are dogs by comparison. If the 5D III is as good as you say (hell, just close to 1Ds Mark III) in AF performance, that makes the 5D III a very different camera indeed.

It makes the decision that much harder compared to the 1Dx just right around the corner, and that much more $...

ken
 

Chris Giles

New member
Ken, I'll be getting both. The 5D3 is going to be the backup for the 1Dx.

Truth be told, the larger pixels and cleaner high ISO means more to me than the image size.

If anything, perhaps I'll turn to the 5D3 for different parts of a wedding day, when I'm carrying the camera around all the time at the reception for example and the weight is a bit much.

@Giorgio = You're welcome :)
 

Chris Giles

New member
It's an oversized tennis ball. Dogs love them.


Hasselblad H1 + 80mm 2.8 + Phase one P25 back
(ISO200, 1/60, 2.8)



5D3, 85L II, (ISO200, 1/60, 2.8)

 

Uaiomex

Member
I like the P25 better. The difference is minute though. At this size, only thing I can tell is the much superior 3D effect. Resolution is just a slight notch better for the P25.
Eduardo
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Maybe the HC 100/2.2 verses the 85/1.2L would be a closer comparison?

As far as what can be determined by web images, it looks like the Blad/Phase shot shows a more gentle tonal roll-off and has a bit cleaner shadow areas ... which is what I'd expect.

Mk-III looks pretty good though.

Do you have a MK-II to do a side-by-side? I wonder how much the newer sensor is bringing to the party.

I think Canon has made the perfect wedding/event camera ... especially considering the new 600EX RC speed-lights.

-Marc
 

MCTuomey

New member
I think Canon has made the perfect wedding/event camera ... especially considering the new 600EX RC speed-lights.
Interesting point - I was thinking the Mk III as a 28-30 oz body w/ the newly slimmed 24-70, maybe a fast prime, and one of the new speedlights make for a very versatile lightweight event/PJ type of kit.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Interesting point - I was thinking the Mk III as a 28-30 oz body w/ the newly slimmed 24-70, maybe a fast prime, and one of the new speedlights make for a very versatile lightweight event/PJ type of kit.
If the wedding business was better where I live, I'd seriously consider a 5D MK-III with a 50/1.2L just for low available light work as a suppliment to my Sony A900 main camera.

But it isn't good, so I probably won't :rolleyes:

-Marc
 

pophoto

New member
I just came back from Kaua'i and shot about 1700+ images of family and landscape mix. Probably won't be posting anything here, but I will add a few comments about the 5D Mark III. Firstly I haven't processed any of the RAWs yet, since LR4 cannot see them yet, which is my main RAW processing tool. Okay disclaimer out of the way.

AF: This to me is the most important aspect. I was expecting at least a 5D Mark II image quality and with everything in the new camera just to be built on top and as an improvement. Surely this was so. Initially I felt the AF tracking just average, but over time I felt I am happy with it. I am comparing to the D700, which I remember I was able to track my son running around all the time, and felt 100% shooting with f2.8 all images were sharp.

My settings are mostly with AI servo, Case 5 (I probably need more experimenting here, chime in if you have anything to add here), I mostly shoot with my 50mm at f1.2 to f2.0, and felt I could get 8-9/10 sharp and focus where I want it. The biggest difference was that when I was shooting at f2.8 with the Nikon, I wanted his face to be in focus. Shooting with the Canon at f1.2 I wanted his closest eye to be in focus (head turned of course :p). I got a high percentage of this. AF does have difficulties searching in very low light. This was evident during my last night at dinner at the St. Regis. Oh, Joel McHale (Community) was outside when I left, sorry no happy snaps of him, I don't do that sort of thing :)

As soon as the joint Birthday desserts were brought out for my son and another little girl sharing our vacation together, with candle light, the focus can pick out light instantly again.

Silent Shutter: I used this in both in Live view and regular High Speed Silent. Personally, I feel only the user can hear it. I didn't really experiment with this theater or on set as such. In the hotel room, my wife didn't even realize I had released the shutter.

Custom settings on mode dial & Bracketing: I love this. I don't even remember if my Mark II had this, but it is easy to register the setting of the camera into this. I set up for my landscape photography, and portraits for chasing after my son moments. I set up the camera for exposure bracketing, I think it can do up to 7 images, I had it set to 3 exp with 2 stops over and 2 under, I used to bracket with 5 shots for this. I will see how this turns out, since family vacation with kids are like drive by shootings with cameras. All in all, this was easy to use, I also had my grid in live view set to 3x3.

Shutter sound: I know this is a personal thing, but I am very happy with it and didn't feel like it interfered with my operation of the camera at all.
All in all, the camera feels very improved. I'm still waiting for LR4 to have the camera listed. So if the proof is in the pudding, that's what mostly remains. As far as handling is concerned, it's minimal quibble and very forward looking for me.

Personally, my biggest quibble is the image review with the zoom, they now have you use the dial to zoom, I would have preferred if they left the old with with two buttons to zoom in and out as well. I don't mind retraining myself, but that's one thing that I have hard programmed in for now.

So far, one vacation, 1700+ images, 3 battery charges (includes wife browsing through all the images at night on the LCD screen, which is probably why the battery drain), 76% of use on a 64GB SD card. I even brought with me a full set of 10 cards.... no idea why! Probably thought I was on a wedding shoot all week :p

I may also now cancel my Nikon D800E, mostly because good enough is good enough, and I don't necessarily need better or the best. I think the 5D3 with L lenses are a great combination and certainly fits my needs right now. Certainly feeling the burn in my wallet after the vacation. I think the next thing on my list is still a camera that might be the Fuji X200. Vacations, a DSLR and set of 3 primes with tripod is a good reminder every time! It certainly doesn't tell you that you need to exchange it for another DSLR, at least if you are as happy as I am with it!
 

Chris Giles

New member
Well the first real test took place when I shot a wedding with the 5D3.

The AF is the best I've ever used on any camera. (never used a Nikon).
Noise levels are almost exactly the same as the 1Ds3 until ISO1600 when it pulls away.

I was confidently shooting ISO3200 and in the resulting shots, there's hardly any noise...well it's there but only if you zoom in at 50% or greater.

The biggest thing you'll notice in the images is how accurate the AWB is and how despite higher ISO's the colour remains in the image.

I don't know if it's me but the images seem a little soft. In focus perfectly but soft. I need to test this more.

@Marc - I have a 5D2 but I probably won't be comparing them. The images are better in a sense that the over saturation has gone in the 5D3 images. Based on the noise quality and levels of noise it's truly like they put a modified 1Ds3 sensor in there. Almost as if they rushed it to production. There's not a lot more that can be said, 22mp isn't very far from 21mp. There's no real differences that jump out to me.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Well the first real test took place when I shot a wedding with the 5D3.

The AF is the best I've ever used on any camera. (never used a Nikon).
Noise levels are almost exactly the same as the 1Ds3 until ISO1600 when it pulls away.

I was confidently shooting ISO3200 and in the resulting shots, there's hardly any noise...well it's there but only if you zoom in at 50% or greater.

The biggest thing you'll notice in the images is how accurate the AWB is and how despite higher ISO's the colour remains in the image.

I don't know if it's me but the images seem a little soft. In focus perfectly but soft. I need to test this more.

@Marc - I have a 5D2 but I probably won't be comparing them. The images are better in a sense that the over saturation has gone in the 5D3 images. Based on the noise quality and levels of noise it's truly like they put a modified 1Ds3 sensor in there. Almost as if they rushed it to production. There's not a lot more that can be said, 22mp isn't very far from 21mp. There's no real differences that jump out to me.
Thanks Chris, keep the feed-back coming! Nothing like real world.

-Marc
 
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