Canon
EOS-1D Mark III
 vs
Canon EOS
5D Mark II

Updated (March, 2012): Compare the Canon EOS-1D Mark III vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

83
"The original 5D was the first 'affordable' and lightweight full frame camera, and set a standard for low noise at high ISO settings that remains competitive three years later."
dpreview.com | talking about the 5D Mark II's iso-noise
"The 'denser' build and slightly chunkier grip on the EOS 5D Mark II does make it feel that bit more substantial than the EOS 50D, you know there's something special about it from the moment you lift it. That said it's also lighter than an EOS-1D series (obviously) and therefore is more portable for it."
dpreview.com | talking about the 5D Mark II's feel

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Color depth
 Great color depth
23.7 bits
Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.71x
True resolution
 High true resolution
21 MP
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Canon EOS-1D Mark III

63

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
10 fps
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
94 ms shutter lag
Battery life
 Great battery life
2200 shots
Focus points
 Many focus points
45
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%

differences

Advantages of the Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 10 fps vs 3.9 fps
Help
 More than 2.5x faster continuous shooting
Focus points Significantly more focus points 45 vs 9
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Battery life Significantly longer battery life 2200 shots vs 850 shots
Help
 More than 2.5x more shots per battery charge
Cross type focus points Significantly more cross-type focus points 19 vs 1
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Shutter lag Significantly less shutter lag 94 ms vs 206 ms
Help
 2.2x less delay when taking photos
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Startup delay Less startup delay 100 ms vs 400 ms
Help
 4x less delay when turning on
Viewfinder coverage Better viewfinder coverage 100% vs 98%
Help
 Almost the same
Canon EOS-1D Mark III Learn more about
the Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Advantages of the Canon 5D Mark II
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen 920k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 4x higher resolution screen
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 1,815 ISO vs 1,078 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark II has a slight edge (0.8 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Movie format Shoots movies 1080p @ 30fps vs None
Help
 Shoots Full HD (1080p) video as well as still pictures
Overall image quality Better image quality 79.0 vs 71.0
Help
 More than 10% better image quality
True resolution Much higher true resolution 21 MP vs 10.1 MP
Help
 Capture more than 2x more detail in your photos
Color depth Better color depth 23.7 bits vs 22.7 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1 more bits of color
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder 0.71x vs 0.61x
Help
 Around 40% larger viewfinder
Sensor cleaning Has a self cleaning sensor Yes vs No
Help
 Removes dust from the sensor automatically, avoiding spots in photos
Sensor size Significantly larger sensor Full frame 36.0x24.0mm vs APS-H 28.7x18.7mm
Help
 More than 60% larger sensor
Dynamic range More dynamic range 11.9 EV vs 11.7 EV
Help
 0.2 f-stops more dynamic range
Size Significantly smaller 152x114x75 mm vs 156x157x80 mm
Help
 More than 30% smaller
Weight Significantly lighter 850 g vs 1,335 g
Help
 Around 40% lighter
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 6,400 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark II's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Thickness Thinner 3" vs 3.1"
Help
 Around 10% thinner
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The 5D Mark II's boost ISO is 2 f-stops better
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Learn more about
the Canon 5D Mark II
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent pro DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EOS-1D Mark III
63 vs 83
Explain scores
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

advice

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2
votes
by Char-Sevig last month
Canon 50D vs Canon 5D Mark II

I currently have a canon xsi, with several lenses. A canon 70-200mm f/4 L ,55-250mm, 50mm 1.8 ,18-...

One person recommends the Canon 5D Mark II:

"I recently upgraded from the XSi to the 5D Mark II and couldn't be happier. As I'm sure you know, ..."
0
votes
by Poti-Jouseevis-Potgieter last month
Canon 600D vs Canon 5D Mark II

beginner at taking fotos and want to take the perfect pictures

3 people recommend the Canon 600D:

" If you are a "beginner at taking fotos and want to take the perfect pictures" I would recommend ..."

" If you are completely new to DSLR photography then having a 5D2 will give you a very steep learn..."

" The 5D Mark II is a far superior camera to the 600D.  But if you're going to be doing sport and ..."
0
votes
by Kostas-Nomikos last month
Canon 600D vs Canon 5D Mark II

Which is better for video shooting?
-1
votes
by Giovanni-Casta-n-Jim-nez last month
Canon EOS-1D Mark III vs Sony SLT A77

Which camera is better for me the Canon EOS-1D Mark III or the Sony SLT A77?
0
votes
by ZeroXR 6 days ago
Canon 5D Mark II vs Canon 60D

I am considering a future upgrade later on down the line between the 5D Mark II and the 60D. To ...

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
Built-in flash No built-in flash Help
Professional
Weight Heavy Help
EOS-1D Mark III:1,335 g
5D Mark II:850 g
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
HDR Neither has in-camera HDR Help
You could do HDR manually
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
EOS-1D Mark III:3,200 ISO
5D Mark II:6,400 ISO

Compared to recent pro DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Supports RAW Supports RAW Help
Better editing
Light sensitivity (boost) Poor boost ISO Help
EOS-1D Mark III:6,400 ISO
5D Mark II:25,600 ISO
Screen size Very small screens Help
3.0"

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,549 - $1,821 body only

$1,500 - $1,849 with 18-135mm lens
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available
Built-in flash Has a built-in flash
Sensor size Has a slightly smaller sensor
Color depth Has slightly less color depth
Compare the EOS 7D vs the EOS-1D Mark III
Compare the EOS 7D vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Pro DSLR

$3,499 - $3,500 body only

$4,299 - $4,300 with 24-105mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Screen size Has a significantly larger screen
Compare the EOS 5D Mark III vs the EOS-1D Mark III
Compare the EOS 5D Mark III vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,000 - $1,197 body only

$1,100 with 55-200mm lens
Dynamic range Has slightly wider dynamic range
Movie continuous focus Can focus continuously while recording movies
Sensor size Has a marginally smaller sensor
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D7000 vs the EOS-1D Mark III
Compare the D7000 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$2,199 body only
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Built-in flash Has a built-in flash
Weight Is slightly heavier
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the D700 vs the EOS-1D Mark III
Compare the D700 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$848 - $1,304 body only

$1,177 - $1,342 with 18-135mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available
Thickness Is thicker
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the EOS 60D vs the EOS-1D Mark III
Compare the EOS 60D vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Nikon D800

Nikon D800

Pro DSLR

$2,999 - $3,000 body only
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D800 vs the EOS-1D Mark III
Compare the D800 vs the EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Canon Rebel T2i

Entry-level DSLR

$544 - $949 body only

$649 - $867 with 18-55mm lens
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available
Size Is slightly smaller
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
Compare the Rebel T2i vs the EOS-1D Mark III
Compare the Rebel T2i vs the EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS-1D Mark III Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Placeholder

Canon EOS-1Ds

Pro DSLR
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Viewfinder size Larger viewfinder
Screen size Much smaller screen
Live view No live view
Compare the EOS-1Ds vs the EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EOS 5D Mark II Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

appearance

Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EOS 5D Mark II

discussion

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