Цифровой Фотоаппарат Canon EOS 1D X — 150 отзывов, плюсы и минусы

SYNOPSIS
I have had this camera for two months and LOVE it! The build quality, colour "truth", speed between frames, and ability to set custom features is remarkable. I am disappointed with the AI Servo reliability but relieved to see that there is a hardware fix.

WHAT I HAD
Previously I had a Digital Rebel (300D - I know, I know, it's an older camera fraught with slowness and poor colour reliability but I had great lenses and the Rebel served me well) and had used a variety of other digital SLR's. The Rebel served me well for 3 years, but it was time to move on. I shoot 30,000 pictures per year and new that I was going to get a lot of use of the next camera... Along with the Rebel, I had the 18-55mm f3.5/5.6 (awful - never sharp), the 70-300mm f3.5/5.6 (works okay at f8), the 70-200mm f2.8 IS (unbelievable), the 2x converter (good but too little light for the Rebel), the 24-70mm f2.8 (unbelievable), the 50mm 1.8 (I know it's controversial, but I love this lens - I have tried the f1.4 but I am happy enough with the f1.8), the 17-40mm f4 (lost with 1.6 ratio of the Rebel but decent with the 1.3 of the EOS 1D), the 580EXII Speddlight flash, an E1 handstrap (must with the EOS 1D), and Canon 200 Knapsack.

HOW I SHOOT
I pretty much only use manual, and sometimes default to Av. I am a control freak in this way and don't like relinquishing this control. Focus is always centre-point.

WHY THE EOS 1D MKIII
I migrated to the EOS1D because most of my pictures were waterskiing and wakeboarding and wanted an ultra-fast, weather-proofed camera that could perform well in low light conditions. The best conditions for wakeboarding are typically at dawn or dusk, and the best pictures are usually when the subject is doing manoeuvres upside down over the water. The ability to have 10 fps, useable ISO 3200 shots, and not have to worry about water splashes was pretty attractive. Of course, this was only one set of reasons for this purchase. I also have a five year old who refuses to sit still for pictures and smiles are only fleeting! Even the 10 fps can sometimes not be fast enough for my little one! My wife's fleeting smiles are another matter!

WHAT I LOVE
1. SPEED
The speed (both in terms of frame rate and ISO) is phenomenal. I am now able to capture pictures that simply would have been missed with other cameras. Whether it be someone hanging upside down over the wake in the middle of an invert, or a three month old smiling, I have the ability to quickly capture a series of photos and choose the best of the best. Additionally, I have found that as the sun sets and I set the ISO to 1600 and 3200 I have some useful (and semi-useful, respectively) pictures with good colour saturation and minimal noise. The 1600 is similar to the noise level that I had as 400 with the Rebel. I am a small f freak, but the ISO capability is enough to have me think that I could live with some higher f lenses!

2. COLOURS
I have been shooting with friends with other cameras, XTi, XT, E-volt 500, D70 and the colour retention is unbelievable with the EOS 1D. Simple pictures are made to be spectacular without any editing.

3. BUILD QUALITY
This camera has presence both in terms of weight and size, but everything feels and sounds of quality. It gives me a heightened sense that every picture is important. Of course this has the negative, especially when attached to a larger lens, of making yourself conspicuous, and I often hear people making comments like "Check out that camera"/"You give me camera envy"/"Do you work for National Geographic?". Not the best comments when you are seeking natural pictures. The camera balances well with the larger L lenses, but looks crazy next to the smaller cheaper lenses (eg. 50mm 1.8).

4. CONTROLS
The EOS 1D, like many professional camera allows a lot (as in a LOT) of flexibility regarding dial controls, settings, etc.. This is an individual thing, but I like the overrides on when to focus/shoot, and setting the dial settings so they are intuitive to me. The heads-up display in the camera together with the accessibility of knobs and triggers are such that I am able to do FAST on-the-fly adjustments.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER
1. FOCUS
I have had no issues with the standard focus (other than with dark-coloured objects in VERY low light), but the AI servo is awful. Be it photos of oncoming roller-coasters on a sunny hot day, or a child on a swing in sunny and cool weather, the servo almost seems to be worse that standard focus. This issue with the EOS 1D is well documented on many websites (see Rob Galbraith) and, as of October 17, 2007, help is one the way. There is a hardware fix.

2. JPEG CONVERSION
The ability of this camera (and most other cameras) to reliably downsize from RAW to JPEG is questionable. I was hoping that this camera would create

The camera arrived quickly and in the product box with all the accessories. It works great and looks brand new

Camera arrived when promised and in the condition stated, if not better. Looked brand new. I used it on two photo shoots so far and have had no issues with it. All the issues attributed to this camera had been repaired by Canon and it seems to be working perfectly for me.

Purchased the Mark III in September 2007. Over one year later this camera still continues to amaze me! The controls are laid out perfectly and the camera feels like it's just the right size in my hands.

Others have complained about the price, but believe me, you get what you pay for!! I purchased this camera to take professional portraits, weddings special events. This camera was an upgrade from the Canon 20d and 30d cameras I previously owned.

Some of my favorite features are the auto - ISO feature. This mode allows you to set the camera in shutter or aperture priority, and if the camera cannot compensate for the exposure, it automatically increases the ISO. Great feature that allows the photographer more creative control of the picture while getting that perfect shot every time.

Another nice feature is the live view shooting. This mode allows you to take long pictures, or pictures in awkward angles without requirig you to look into the viewfinder. You still have to manually focus.

Another feature I like is the ability for the camera to record on multiple media targets. You can set the camera up to record raw on one card and jpeg on another. Or, you can set the camera up to jump to the other card when one is full. This is very convenient for me since I shoot in RAW.

Another feature is the limits, configuration, and file handling settings. You can set the minimum and maximum ISO, shutter, aperture settings, fast shutter speed, slow shutter speed, and the camera will compensate within your set parameters and deliver results.

One last feature worth noting is the microadjustment. This camera allows you to micro adjust for each of your lenses. This is especially useful if you have a front focusing lens that appears to be just a little off. You can adjust the camera so when you attach that lens, the camera automatically adjusts for that particular lens.

Sure, this camera costs a few dollars more, but the payback in the pictures is nothing short of amazing.. This is a TRUE professional camera and as such requires the photographer to have a significant knowledge of photography.

The battery life is phenomenal! Not only does the camera provide you with a battery meter, it has a menu setting that actually tells you what percentage of battery life you have left and the number of shutter actuations since the last charge. I routinely manage over 2000 (and once over 3000) actuations on a single charge. This is something that NO other digital camera can do! Significant upgrade over the 1dMarkII series cameras where the battery was larger, heavier, and lasted for at most 700 actuations. I thought of purchasing a backup battery, but haven't brought myself to do so because of the longevity of this battery.

This camera has been a very important compliment to my existing L series lenses.

Overall, I would recommend this camera for the professional photographer that is SERIOUS about the business of photography and needs proven professional equipment to deliver results to the customer. I have been considering purchasing a second Mark III as a backup to the one I own. My 5d is currently my backup camera (great, but not at the same level as the EOS-1 series).

You can check out some of my pictures at [...]

I have been using this camera for about a year now. It has been sent back to Canon twice for the " Fixes ". The Camera takes really awesome pictures but only in single shot and on occasion moving subjects. The problem is that you never know what the camera is going to focus on. I have tried many many settings and followed all of Canons suggestions for the AI servo and my keeper rate is very low. It just cannot seem to keep focus when following sports figures - namely football. It seems to focus in front of or jump behind at any given moment - I only use the center focus point to try to alleviate some of this. The AI servo in my opinion is broken for most of what I use it for and that is why I purchased the camera - I could have spent much less money or just kept my 40d which worked better for moving subjects, at least what I take pics of. My still pics are beautiful - but why do I need a 10 fps camera that only gets half of them in focus. I am not entirely satisfied with the camera due to this and wish I purchased something else. The AI servo settings are overly complex and are not intuitive at all - even Canon had to send out supplements to explain how they are supposed to work - the big word is " supposed ". If yours works fine - great - mine doesn't, Canon does not have a fix for my problem yet. Canon pay attention - I am waiting along with others who have pretty much given up that you will get it fixed.

Update: 11/08/09

Just got the camera back after the 3rd time in for repair. Had to be persisitent to get Canon to take it back again. This time they replaced the mirror box and washers and repaired the rubber that was coming off of the back ( no charge ) - not sure why this wasnt done earlier ! Camera now works great.

I purchased a 7d as a backup and now I see just what I have in the 1D, the 1D takes better pictures than the 7d period, pics are sharper and cleaner. Also the 2 memory card slots are a god send. I tend to tilt the 7D when taking some of my sports shots - dont do it with the 1D, I guess because of the size. But what I like the most is the file size, 18mp file sizes are just too big for me to work with. My computer is much slower to respond while working with these files - also my memory cards are now too small I have to buy new ones, the 10mp size is great and the pics are great. I am sending my 7D back. I love some of the features of the 7D but it doesnt compare to the 1D for pics or convenience of file size.

I've had this camera for several weeks now and have been consistently been amazed by its capabilities. The image quality is extraordinary. I've been using it with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens and have yet to be disappointed. The Mark III is complex enough that it prompted me to read the instruction manual, as well as another book ("Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS-1D Mark III EOS-1Ds Mark III"), from cover to cover - something I've never done before. The good news is that the Mark III is so coherent and well designed that it only takes reading the manual once to sort out how to make the most of all of its functions. Overall, this is an extraordinary camera.

I love this camera. It is heavy duty and heavy but rugged, dependable, and takes great pictures. I shoot action sports and in particular HS football, it is awesome and I love it. So will you!

I have owned the Mark III for a little over a year. Not long after receiving it, it quit. I sent it in for a "mirror magnet" problem. After I got it back I would get an Err99 almost daily. I documented it with Canon. It would happen most often when I turned it on for the first time. After several conversations with Canon, I sent it in and they replaced the mirror box. It has not had an Err 99 since then.

The camera was purchased as a "Blue Dot", meaning it had been fixed for the original focus issues some people were reporting. Since the second repair it has functioned flawlessly and now focuses to meet anyone's reasonable expectations. I get 80% to 90% in-focus. In most of the out of focus photos there was a legitimate reason. I can see this when I check my photos in Canon's Zoom Browser. I can see where the camera was focused at the time of shutter release. It is easy to miss a shot on a fast moving object by missing the subject or hitting a different part of the subject. Often times it would be the focus changing from head to hip (on a running dog), not the camera's fault but mine.

There are many settings on this camera to fine tune it to your way of shooting and the shooting situation. I have gotten some awesome action shots from this camera and am very pleased with it.

Canon clearly brought this camera to market too soon. It was not tested properly or either production standards were not watched. I would bet that the parts they were producing were not meeting the standards of their research and development, plus the conditions that caused a problem may not have been reproduced in test. This clearly threw Canon for a loop and they did a poor job managing public relations. I am surprised there has not been a class action lawsuit since so many pros use this camera. Some have toughed it out; those who had a lot of money went to Nikon, which is currently hitting it with some good cameras, something Canon normally is known for.

If you are buying a Mark III now, you are more than likely going to be blown-away by such a great camera that focuses and gives you shots you never imagined. I love shooting it and learning to fine-tune it for particular shooting circumstance.

Working as it works now, I would purchase it again.

Paired with the 24-70mm f2.4 L this is perfect for portraits. I can't imagine the picture quality with the 80mm L lens but, it must be extremely amazing.

In the last 3 years I have gone from 2 different point and shot cameras to the Canon 30D to the Canon Mark III. With each camera, I was telling myself - this should do it for some time. I read and learned as much as I could with each camera. When I got the 30D I was on cloud 9 - this was great - it would be nice to shoot faster though. When I heard about the Mark III coming out, I knew that was hopefully the last stepping stone I would require for sometime.

This thing rocked - couldn't believe how fast it could shot. I was surprised at how many shots were out of focus though (birding). I didn't experience anything like this on the 30D. I read about the AI focus problems and thought - well this is what is happening to me. For the next 5 months Canon stone walled me on a weekly basis. Promised firmware fixes, this fix that fix, reps telling me off.

I wrote a letter to Yoroku Adachi (President of Canon U.S.A.) and got a call back from one of his people. Very apologetic but same old please be patient and apologies galore - but still we won't replace it with a functioning camera - it is a minor issue (again I was told that by numerous reps) - I say it is only minor if you don't use those features.

5 ½ months later it got fixed. I missed the birding season but there is next year (I was told that by a rep too!). It looks like the problem is fixed and looking forward to spring migration. If someone is reading this and hasn't purchased any camera gear yet, buy Nikon. I have too much invested in Canon gear to switch.

I would probably give the camera 4.5-5 stars now. Canon Support would get a 0.

Updated: May 29th, 2008

With the latest firmware updates and hardware fix, I would give this Camera an easy 5 stars. I have shot plays indoors at ISO 1600 (no flash) and can't believe how sharp shots come out.

My issue is still with Canon Tech (lack of) Support. I called yesterday about the WFT-E2A and got the usual run-a-round about the product. If you don't think you will ever need Canon Tech (lack of) Support, go Canon.

Updated October 11th, 2009
Well, I finally sent my camera in because I have been getting Error 99's since February - It is nice that it is working agaiin but I have no idea what to say about this camera - when it works it is great but I have had it for about 26 months and out of that time it had either the auto focus problem out of the box and error 99 problems. I would say I have had to deal with the camera being defective for about half of the time I have had it. Canon Support had me do all this useless stuff which of course involved me spending money on memory cards, calibrating the battery, using the AC adapter, various lenses, and cleaning contacts.

I was able to limp along with the camera for about 8 months because I came up with my own 'solution' of pulling the memory cards out, removing the lens, using the ac adapter (instead of the battery), and plugging in the TC803 and just setting that to shoot away until the error 99's stopped. I would than leave the camera on it on and changed the tc803 to take a picture every 3 minutes so it wouldn't go off into error 99 land again.

If I were a pro I would have dumped all my canon gear because this thing has been so unreliable. I have resisted purchasing any other canon bodies because of all the headaches I have had with this thing. Canon Support was friendly but wasted a ton of my time and some more of my $$$. It would be nice to get some sort of gift card from Canon or a lens at cost for all my mental anguish.

The first two weekends with this camera (I'm on my 5th weekend now) yielded garbage photos and I needed help from the 1D3 forum people at DPReview. Look up "1D3 can't focus on a bug's nose" for the discussion. I was shooting bugs and couldn't get clear sharp pictures. My other camera is a 5D which shot great closeups of bugs with my EF 300 F/2.8 and EF 500 F/4 (but with a very high focus failure rate). It was finally decided that I needed to locate the custom function to turn off the assist points on the center focus sensor. That made all the difference.

Also, even before that, just plain old normal pictures produced truly awful jpegs. When I reset jpeg compression to level 10 (instead of 8) that improved picture quality a great deal.

Finally, I suspected level 4 sharpening (Landscape picture style) was not very sharp, so I shot a church bell tower from about 650 yards away using my 500mm and my 5D and this 1D3. Results: the 5D landscape style (factory settings) out-shot the 1D3 landscape style (factory settings), but my custom settings of 5 for sharpening, +1 for contrast, beat the 5D and yielded an incredible picture with detail that the 5D had only hinted at, and the 1D3 Landscape setting didn't reveal at all. Amazing what a difference a small adjustment can make.

Now it is a fabulous camera and takes fabulous jpegs. Focus is very fast, much faster than the 5D, and much more accurate. Which is all I was hoping for. I now have a much higher percentage of well focused, beautifully detailed images that don't need any raw processing to make them look good (and I now delete plenty of pictures for composition reasons alone).

If you shoot jpegs and hate messing with raw files, and you have a 5D or other high end camera that takes great shots, better do a comparison and set up the 1D3 accordingly. Then you'll have a very remarkable camera in the 1D3.

A final note, if you want sharp pictures of bugs that don't stay put, or birds in flight, I recommend using the f/2.8 lenses over the f/4 because the auto focus sensors need it (I shoot most of my pictures in bright sunlight at f/7.1, but it's the auto focus that needs the extra light from an f/2.8 lens, not the depth of field that needs a big aperture).

I haven't tried live view (I'm always outside and really don't care about live view anyway).

I bought this used from someone who was saving up for the Mark IV. Got it in, and sent it off to Canon to get it serviced etc, Canon support got the machine back w/in 4 days and this was during the Christmas time period. Upgraded w/ Firmware not yet released, and replaced shutter mechanism. I do not have the focus issues others had expressed.

this camera is a computer in your hand as far as all the custom functions, you definately need to pick up a magic lantern or some other guide for this body. It's definately not for the faint at heart or people afraid to play with the menus on the back of the camera.. I've been shooting a ton of H.S basketball w/ this thing this winter, it has been a LOT of fun!..

Compare the 1D vs the 1Ds focus point layouts and you'll see that the perimeter points of the full frame 1Ds aren't far enough from the center to be of much use.

1D Mark 4
[...]

1Ds Mark 3
[...]

The full frame 5D models have the same flaw. Track moving subjects using a perimeter focus point, and you'll still have to throw away many pixels later cropping to a pleasing 2/3 composition.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

I am an advanced amateur and was using the 5D Mark I for the past 2.5 years. I loved the images but hated the focusing. In any kind of shot that involved focusing on a subject moving at walking speed, (or less) the 5D would fail to snap into focus. The second shot would never be in focus. In lower light situations (typical interior lighting, not candles), the 5D was even worse. Sometimes the focusing would force the lens to go to maximum close/distance as the 5D hunted for focus - even when the lens was basically in focus to start - this was guaranteed to miss the shot.

The 1Ds, on the other hand, is great at focusing. Super fast, subjects snap into focus quickly, and focusing continues onto 2nd shots and more. And it will focus on lenses that are 5.6 and above - something the 5D did not do (try a telephoto with a filter or extender). From what I can read, the new 5D Mark II has basically the same focusing system so it is not improved in this area.

What kind of shots am I talking about? Shots of people,kids, basketball, soccer, bands, parades, candids on the street, street life, travel, animals in the wild or at home - I would include most everything except still life/landscape photos. Generally any shot you would not be making with a tripod is a situation where the 1Ds' focusing is vastly superior to the 5D.

High resolution is great. But out of focus shots are not keepers.

Finally, the 1Ds Mark III is much more solid than the 5D - everything from the controls to the shutter sound. I love this camera. My only wish is that it were the same size as the 5D since most shoulde camera bags don't account for its height. I don't mind the weight since the the weight of the lenses I am carrying is much heavier than the camera.

Well if you are looking at this fine piece of Photographic equipment odds are you have been to the Canon website and read the specs. I will touch on a few of the items I have noticed since I purchased mine and have been using it.

1st. The feel, just like the 1D M3, this beast is solid. Not too heavy, but solid in the hand. And here in Alaska, I do put the weather sealing to a test, and just like my trusty 1D M3, the 1Ds passes with flying colors.

2nd. Yes its 21.1 MP, but that should not be your main consideration to buy it. Yah 18x12 @ 300Dpi out of the Camera is nice, but nost people dont print over 16x20, and I have sold a lot of prints from my old 20D at that size or even upto 20x30, as long as you shoot it right in the first place. But this is also a drawback as well. Because of the large file size, esp in Raw, and most, if not all, buyers of this body will/should be shooting in raw, be aware that you will need larger CF cards for it. At least 8gig, I use 12Gig for mine, extreme 3's and they work great! Also be aware if you use the internal high iso noise processing, it slows down the buffering a lot!!!

3rd. Full Frame, just like the earlier 1Ds models its a ful frame sensor. That means 2 things, not only does a 17mm or 14mm lens again be a true wide angle lens, but also with the larger sensor the pixels are more refined and this gives better color and less grain.

4th. The colors of the images in the files. WOW Again the 14bit processors are great!!! Esp for raw, where you can import it in as 16bit for the finer details. One draw back is if you use Photoshop, you will need CS3 to do the raw Conversions, unless you use the Canon program.

5th. You are approaching the image quality of a Dig MF camera, with the portability of a Dslr! Not to mention you can use all the Canon EF lenses, and this camera really should only be used with L series lenses when possible, except for the fisheye as its not made in an L series but the quality is very good anyways. As the Quality of the optics is what affects the quality of the image the most, other than settings in the camera, ie shutterspeed and AV, ISO, etc...

6th. Wonderful Accesories for the camera. I love my wft-e2a. I use it on my 1D M3 a lot and it works great on the 1ds as well. Its a great way to control your camera remotely or to send your files to a remote computer for processing and such while you are still shooting.

This Camera is great. I have used the new nikon d3, and its a much improved camera over the past models, but it does not compare to the top of the line Canon!!!! This camera will not let you down. The noise if shot right is not even noticed until iso 1600 and then you still got to look. ISO 3200 is still great (about the same noise/grain my buddy had on his d200 at iso 400!!!!!)! If you are a Pro and need a camera that can perform the best and give wonderful results, this is it. It kicks butt compared to anything else in the DSLR market!!!

I was lucky to get my 1ds III from Amazon in December, and have pressed the shutter about 5,000 times. (I'm a hobbyist, albeit an insane one.)

Like many others, I abandoned the Nikon camp when there was no sensible upgrade to the D100 at the time the 20D was launched. With the D300 and D3, Nikon now has gotten a lot better, and depending on your needs, one company may be better than the other. In particular, the 1ds III is better at studio photography and perhaps tonal range than the D3. The D3 is much better at low light photography, and is better for sports photography (especially sports photography that doesn't demand the highest resolution).

But, if you're already invested in one manufacturer's lenses, don't switch. Both Canon and Nikon will continue to leapfrog each other for the foreseeable future, and ain't life grand because of it!

Now to specifics:

1. As impressed as I am with the resolution of the 1ds III, I'm even more impressed with the dynamic range. You should absolutely only shoot RAW -- never JPEG! And make sure your workflow is 16 bit Prophoto; I use Lightroom and Photoshop CS3.

2. Spending $8K on a body and using cheap lenses is silly. I use the 16-35 II zoom, the 24-70/2.8, the 135/2.8, and the 100-400. I also enjoy the 50/1.4 and the 24/2.8 Tilt/Shift lenses.

3. Buy a decent tripod and perhaps monopod. Gitzo carbon is my favorite, but they're a bit pricey...

4. Buy a UDMA compact flash card. I got the Crucial 8Gb Lexar Media Professional Udma 300X Compactflash Cf8Gb-300-380, and then the Sandisk 8GB EXTREME III SDHC SD Card Class 6 (SDSDX3-8192, Plastic Case) for the SD slot. For me, the SD card is for overflow. You should also get a CF UDMA reader.

Suggestion for Canon: I'd really like a mode where pictures are striped across the two cards (shot one to CF, shot two to SD, shot three to CF, ...). This would give a strong measure of protection against one card failure (you'd still have half your shots) without sacrificing space. I bracket a LOT, and a typical day of travel photography will fill both cards!

5. The leads to the next point: buy an extra hard disk to take on the road. I use a 320GB 2.5" USB drive. I download shots to my notebook, do a little editing in Lightroom (tossing the undeniably bad shots), then back up the day's work to the external hard disk.

And I'll echo what another reviewer said. If you take a lot of pictures, think of this camera as a three year investment. If you take care of it, you'll get a good resale value -- and instead of an $8K sunk cost, you can think of it as a ~$1500/yr "camera tax." ($8000 - ~$3500 resale - 3*$1500.) Cheap, huh!

Finally, I get a lot of enjoyment out of my 1ds III. It is one of my truly prized possessions, and has greatly improved the quality of my photographs. I bet it does the same for you.

I finally broke down and bought this camera from Calumet,although I almost got it from Amazon. i have been shooting football with this and after years of using the XXD cameras, 60, 10, 20 and 40, this is a see change for me. I'm still learning about the features, but coupled with my 300 f/4. IS, my photos look a lot better than with the 20D or 40D, and I have a lot more keepers too. I recommend to anyone buying this camera to get at least 8GB cards, also get an extra battery. I used the Mark 3 in a rain storm with no problems. I have not used the 40D for sports since I've had the Mark 3. I will be looking forward to buying a second one next year.

This camera should be on a league of it's own. Although Nikon D3 is it's competitor, in my opinon it does not compare. There have been numerous of test stating that 1dMk3 is better than the D3 and vice versa, but the real reason I think this camera really shines are Canon's Lenses, especially the L-series lens. Canon has had years of making their own cmos sensors for their digital camera line compaired to other camera compines. However, taking great pictures does not matter which camera a person has, but on the photographer it's self.

Ok, it's time for me to stop promoting Canon, and start explaining why this camera is great. I had this camera for almost half a year now. At first the autofocus wasn't it's best, but I was able to live with it. I don't really do sports photography, nor am I a pro photographer, and that's probably the main reasons why the autofocus didn't really bother me. However, after I took the camera to the shop (I was lucky because the Irvine Canon factory isn't far from me) and got my 1dMk3 fixed for the autofocus problem and other problems, I have noticed a big difference in performance when I received my camera back. My camera focuses faster and the majority of the shot I've took were useable, comparied to before.

This camera does live up to it's hype and expectations. The picture quality is great even if you're using a non L-series lens. If you use a regular Canon lens compaired to a L-series Canon lens, it's like compairing 720p vs. 1080p on your HD Tv. It's not really noticeable, unless you have a great eye for detail.

I was dissappointed at first that the camera had one cf and one sd drive, instead of two cf drives. Since the sd drive does take sdhc and it's cheaper. I have no problems having one cf drive and sd drive.

Anther great thing is it's new battery. The battery does last longer. I still have one of Canon's old camera and I needed to have at least 2 back up batteries. So far I only need one with this camera, but my plan is to buy a second one soon.

To top off everything, if you do live close by the Canon factory, they do clean the cmos sensor for free if you don't mind waiting. Well the Irvine factory does clean it for free. Also, the people at the Canon factory did state that it will take about 3 weeks to get my camera back after all the repairs are done, but instead I had received my camera back in about 1 1/2 weeks. So far I've been getting great service from the people at Canon.

I've used several Cameras from Canon, including the F-1N, 10D, 20D, 1Ds, 1Ds Mark II, and now the 1Ds Mark III. This camera will provide you with the tool to capture great work, but you'll need the best lenses. Cheap zooms or cheap prime lenses will produce chromatic aberrations that will make the money spent on this camera a waste. In other words, the resolution of the sensor is so high it exceeds many lenses currently on the market.

Why would someone buy this body instead of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II? Because of the build of the body, the durability of the shutter and battery life. These three factors provide the user with a camera that can withstand the extremes of nature while working.

This camera is heavier than the 5D, even if the 5D has the optional grip, so if you don't like a camera with mass, this camera is not for you.

I have used this camera in the rain, sleet, snow, and the heat of summer. It has performed flawlessly. The resolution provides enough data for beautiful 24"x36" prints.

Yes, I'm a professional photographer and am immersed in the software and hardware to make photographs. I'm aware that there's much more to photography than the camera body, but it's the camera body & sensor that's the cornerstone for great images.

I purchased the Canon 1D Mark III about 1 year ago from Amazon for $4300.00.
I liked the feel of the camera and the battery worked great, but the images it took were nowhere near the quality they should have been. The Al Servo focus was absolutely terrible, it couldn't hardly take a clear picture of a flying bird. My 40D worked better for moving objects.
Then Canon announced the recall on the Mark III, I sent the camera in, they paid shipping, both ways.
WOW!! what a difference!! This camera is now fantastic!
The Al Servo works great, the LCD seems to be much better also.
Not sure what Canon did to fix the problem, but it works great now.
Canon support has been great.
Hope this helps.

This is quite simply the best DSLR in the world. There are a host of settings available to make this camera "Your own". You need to take a while to set this camera up for your own particular needs, and after you have done that....away you go. It is like driving a Rolls Royce. Photos are razor sharp. If you need to crop your photos, you can do so without worrying about loss of quality. It is heavy, but reassuringly so. It must be used with "L" series lenses, otherwise photos will show up imperfections in cheaper lenses. Weatherproofing means you can go anywhere with it, even in our famous British climate. The only little gripe I have with this machine is the LCD screen. I would have thought for this sort of price a high definition screen would have been installed. The screen is only of use for checking the composition of the photo. If you zoom in on any part of the photo the definition is not high enough to be able to confirm the focus accuracy. Having said that, the focussing ability of this camera is so good that if you use it correctly, and make sure you are using the correct focussing points, there is very little chance that your photo will be anything less than razor sharp. As for noise on high ISO settings, it fares extremely well. Obviously there is a little noise, but the photo still retains remarkable detail. Some of this cameras competitors claim virtually noise free images at high ISO settings, but this is nearly always at the expense of detail in the photo. If this is what you want, it can easily be achieved in Photoshop or similar. At least with this camera you have the choice of retaining detail with a little noise, or removing noise and losing some detail. Focussing is spot on. Metering is spot on, even in difficult lighting situations. If you have special needs for focussing or metering, this camera caters for everything that can be thrown at it. I have no hesitation in recommending this camera to anyone who is in the market for a top end DSLR.

I've owned my Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III for about a year now, and while I felt some remorse at first after having spent almost $8000 to purchase it, I can now say that it was worth every penny. You can read the camera's specifications at Canon's Web site, so all I'll say here is that this camera is a joy to use and utterly reliable. I've never owned a finer piece of photographic equipment. That having been said, there is one thing about which you should be aware before purchasing this model: This camera's 21.1 megapixel sensor demands the finest lenses. Some of my old L-series zoom lenses (that worked well with my EOS-5D) are just not sharp enough to use on this camera. In other words, be prepared to spend even more money if you don't own the newest EF prime lenses.

I'm a sports photographer. I've been using this camera for a while now. I decided to give it a good testing before even writing any remarks.

There seems to be a lot of hype about the focus issue. Personally, I've never experienced the problem, and I bet the majority of photographers haven't either. Some people need to do research before blaming the camera. There are many user faults, causing the camera to seem as if it is not focusing. They also need to check their lenses.

I shoot different sports, from rugby to show jumping, polo and horse racing. So, tracking a fast moving object (person or horse) is very important. Out of about 100 images, maybe 2 would be out of focus. Those I would more blame on myself than the camera. People really need to RTFM. There are so many custom settings, especially for focus, to enable you to use the camera to it's full potential, for whatever you use it for.

The camera is pure quality. I don't deny that there are some focus issues, but again, these are under specific circumstances. The body is solid and sturdy. It is good to hold and not too heavy. The battery life is brilliant (nearly 3,000 shots per charge). The fps is stunning. I've had to limit my burst rate to 25 frames, just so I don't fill my memory cards too quickly. :-) I did give it a good workout, using the full fps and burst rate at an event, and I was stunned.

There are just so many custom functions, that allow you to setup the camera depending on what you are doing. That is brilliant for me, since some events are at night under lights, while others are during the day, either cloudy or bright. Different saved setting sets allow me to quickly change to suit my circumstances.

For those who need a fast, reliable pro camera, this would very much be my camera of choice.

One of the most excellent pieces of machinery in the photography world.
10 FPS, ability to use high ISO, ability to use teleconverters and autofocus, micro lens adjustments, and custom functions are why I bought it. Battery lasts all week. I shoot thousands of photos with one charge.

I did have to send it to Canon for an error99 problem, but it's fixed and working perfectly. The aiservo @ 10 FPS can miss a few frames in focus, this bothers me, so I have custon functioned it to shoot @ 7 FPS. It's a bit too sensitive in autofocus even in one shot/centerpoint for very small objects. I mostly do wildlife and birds in flight so this part is critical for us. This is discussed often in bird forums. Lets hope Canon addresses it, as the firmware upgrades have not totally solved this. Extremely fast otherwise.

Even so, it's a joy to use. The colors are better than the 40D.
It's larger, but excellent ergonomics, even for a girl.

In every way Canon has done it again. This camera is lighter, faster, and produces bigger, better files than the mk2. If you make a living shooting pictures, buy it, you may never have to upgrade again. If Photography is your hobby or passion and you can afford it this should be your last camera.

My five favorite improvements in no particular order.

Faster and more accurate autofocus

Less noise at high ISO making 3200 a viable choice.

File quality that beats many 22MP medium format digital backs.

Live preview, it's cool, fun, and useful.

Improved handling due to lighter more balanced feel

Yes I know number three will get me in trouble but the price, faster handling, and much broader lens selection make it great choice in the 22 to 30MP range. The 39MP backs are clearly more detailed and smoother but this Canon will push many a P25 and H3D-22 onto ebay in the next year.

Canon has set the standard again the mk3 is truly brilliant. The only better deal may be the well cared for used mk2's easily found on ebay.

I just wanted to add a comment regarding cost. Now that my second mk2 has found a new home I can evaluate the true cost of an $8000.00 dslr. I paid $7300.00 each for my mk2s. Sold them for an average of $3620.00 making the cost if you add in an extra battery and firewire cables for three years around $4000.00 each. I anticipate this kind of return for the mk3s and considering they will work in a high demand professional environment for three years or so I'd say the mk3 is a ridiculous bargain.

By the way both of my mk3s have performed flawlessly and were spot on with regards to viewfinder alignment.

I have a 5D that has been moved to backup duty since acquiring this beauty. The problem I was having with the 5D was that many of my images were getting rejected by the stock agency I shoot for due to excessive shadow noise. I spent hours cleaning up noisy shadows in post, and still got some rejects. Not so with the 1Ds. It produces absolutely clean, perfect, huge files straight out of camera with little or no post work. Even when you turn on the extended ISO and crank it to "Hi" (essentially ISO 3200), The images it produces are just outstanding. It may be a bit big and heavy for the casual user, but pros shouldn't be bothered by it. It is actually not much bigger or heavier than a 5D with a battery grip installed. I like the live view when shooting macros on a tripod. It really helps get the focus just perfect. Battery life is awesome. I shot about 1800 RAW files over a 4 day shoot and still had juice left without charging. Bottom line, if you have the cash, and want the best camera this side of a hasselblad H3d-39, then go for it! You can see some images that I shot with this at my site [...] (the battleship was shot with this and the 16-35)

This Camera is brand new, and like most new electronics will have a few bugs, and I figure most can be fixed by firmware updates or Canon, will do any minor adjustments needed when its sent in for Service.

I sold off my 5D to step up to this one. For shooting in non perfect weather, like my Alaskan winters, or even some summer days, this camera does perform great. The Battery life is great. I am use to long life, as all my cameras have the battery grips on them, but I was shocked by how long the battery lasted with the new Mark, and even better it telling you when to recondition it! WOW!!

The NOISE on the Mark 3 is FANTASTIC!! Compared to the 5d, its almost 2 stops better, and thats with the cameras noise reduction mode turned off. The noise/grain at 3200 is very useable, and even 6400 is not too bad, granted I would not print a 20x30 but at iso 1600 I can. The Highlight preservation feature is great, esp for wedding photographers. You can now shoot the wedding dress in sunlight and have the detail! I know several pros that are moving from their nikon d2x to the Mark 3 because of that and the very low noise!!!

I shoot Automotive (hot rods and high end sports cars, and make custom photographic art for the owner), as well as the wonderous Alaskan wilderness, landscapes and wildlife. This Camera is a dream to use. It is not as heavy as the older Marks, and personally I think it is about the same weight as the 5D was with the battery grip, but has a better fell in my hand.

The 10MP is fine and I can still take images to 20x30 and larger with no problems! The 1.3 crop factor still gives me the prospective I like on my extreme wide angle lenses, like my 14mm or the fisheye. If you are one of the lucky ones to get one of these wonderful cameras, you are lucky, if you want one, get on a list fast.

Mine is even used a lot around and for photos of the guests at my folks B&B in Soldtona Alaska, the Kenai River Hideaway, and even the guests love to see it, and are impressed by the quality images even at low light! I have some images on my website, as well as the B&B site if you want to check them out. Enjoy! Its a great CAMERA!!!!

Kevin

I have been a loyal Canon user for many years. I own a 30D and the MarkIIID. The Mark IIID was sent back for the recall to address the AF. The work they did to it negatively effected the color balance. It was sent back to the factory. The factory then lost my camera (having shipped it with the wrong FEDEX number). They sent another Mark III. It had back focus problems. In the meantime, another camera was sent as a loaner. It was proudly pronounced in tip top shape and was new. It arrived half packed, used, dirty sensor and dirty contacts for the lens. The AF didn't work. Canon believes that they didn't do anything wrong. Customer Service Rep. Elizabeth Wood responded with a litany of liability-speak but bottom line, they would only send another camera. The MarkIII has significant AF problems, even with the firmware upgrade. Save yourself the stress, don't buy Canon

So got this little baby a few days ago... it arrived right on time and was well packaged. Took it out for a little test spin the next day... all I can say is oh my god wow this thing is the best camer I have every had the privlige of using! I had the Canon Rebel XTi, the 1D mark II, and now this camera... it is by far the best camera I have ever used.... it takes fantastic photos (exposures were so good that they required minimal post production work), great color, responsive, and long battery life. This will be my primary camera for years to come... it is great! if you can stomach the price, you will not be disapointed one bit!!!

I've had this camera now for 6 months. I heard all the hype about it's "faults" etc so was a little concerned. But, then I really started to read, and found that most of the issue was hype. Only some photographers in some specific conditions had the problem. Then Canon announced some hardware and firmware fixes.

This camera is just stunning. The quick and accurate AF is brilliant. It can lock on and track the target very well. It's clearly sharper for centre focus but also does brilliant for landscape images and still portraits.

The fps and burst rate is second to none. It's a beast when you set it off. I shoot mostly sport, so a nice burst can be the difference between capturing and missing that image.

The body is great. Not too heavy for what it does, and it's balanced very well. The construction and weather sealing are great.

I could go on and on about just how good this camera is. It is well worth having a look at. So, go to your local store, feel the camera, fire off a burst and then there's no going back.

One would reasonably have expected an $8,000+ camera to be well designed and well engineered. Sure, it is "Ok" but "ok" for a much lower price.
Specifically:

1. It has an unacceptably high incidence on "Err99" error codes which disable the camera altogether until it is sent back to Canon for repair.

2. It has an unacceptably high rate of viewfinder misalignment incidences where the viewfinder shows the horizon to be horizontal but the horizon in the image taken isn't.

3. It fails to operate the programming of Canon's own 580 EX flash (the non-version-II).

4. Resolution may well be 21 megapixels, but that is only 25% more in each the two linear dimensions compared to the 5D that costs a fraction of the cost. (square root of 21/13).

5. The image "noise" at high ISO settings is much higher than that of the much lower priced 5D. This is inevitable since the imaging array of the 1Ds has more pixes within the same area, so each pixel is smaller. For high ISO settings I have to revert to the 5D. This limits the camera's usefuleness to bright light situations only.

6. The artificially inflated price (by limiting supply, in the classical supply and demand argument) is outrageous. Canon needs to be taught some humility and customer-relations as soon as other brands offer similar full frame resolutions.

I have this camera for 3 weeks now. About 600 pictures have been taken at this time. Without any reservation, I can highly recommend this camera on the following reasons:

1) Auto focus - I tried all modes, one-shot or al-servo. I used a combination of lens - 180 mm micro, 28-300mm telezoom, 24-70mm and never experienced the problems mentioned on the web as claimed so by some experts. It was as hot as 85 degrees in a very dry heat area. The camera performed flawlesslty.

2) Color - comparing the color of the shots taken from 1d mark iii and 1d mark ii n, I have found that the color is more natural and rich. There is no distortion to my eyes. I shot using 100 - 1600 ISO and saw the consistent color quality in netural mode.

3) Sensor cleaning - it works very effectively. I had to clean up the sensor on my 1d mark ii n almost every 50-100 shots. Now, the automatic cleaning starts whenever I power off of change lens. Sometimes I have to do it twice. Overall, it works very well.

4) View finder - not only the 3 inch LCD is larger but it is also more clear and real to see the pictures. I am really satisified with the display.

5) Control - the new layout is much better than 1d mark iin. I use 20d type of control with one finger, I can change and navigate quickly. 1d mark iin is less intuitive.

6) Battery power - I used a varierty of zoom lens and played back a lot using the LCD. After 500 shots, the battery showed that I still have 50% or so jucie to go. I think that achieving 1000 shots on a full charged battery is quite good. My previous 1d mark ii n can only go for half or 1/3 of it.

Overall, I am very satified with the performance. However, the software provided to clean up the dust is not that great. The dust data somehow is not recognized by the software. I have to use other software to clean up the dust. Out of 500 pictures, I got 5 pictures showing dust and I removed them in two sensor cleaning cycles. It is an expensive toy but well worth the money if you can afford it.

It's definitely an improvement over the 1Ds Mark II, which means it's the best 35 mm format digital out there, period. Auto dust removal is a huge plus - FINALLY - and picture quality, especially noise suppression, is noticeably improved. Downside: Canon's firmware and software and control buttons and dials, which have always been needlessly convoluted and confusing, are, if anything, even MORE convoluted and confusing on this model than the Mark II. How anybody could screw up anything so simple so thoroughly is beyond me. Oh, and another thing - what they call ISO 100 is more like ISO 64 - just so you know. Overexpose everything a half or 2/3 of a stop to compensate. But after all that is said and done, it does make absolutely gorgeous pictures - nipping at Hasselblad's $35,000 medium format heels. Go ahead, mortgage the house and splurge - you won't regret it.

Definite FIVE STARS!!! I am a Canon girl all the way. I've had the S3 IS, the SD630, the SD900, the Rebel XTi, the Rebel XSi, and now the 1D Mark III. I can't believe the difference between the XSi and the 1D Mark III. From the overall feel of the body, to the shutter sound, to the quality of the photos. The dual processors make a huge difference. Combined with the extensive line of Canon lenses, this is a phenomenal camera. I am sold on the professional line, though the XSi will now become my back-up body for when I shoot weddings, etc.

I've been reading about what a great camera this is, but it seemed like a big chunk of money to plunk down when I was pretty happy with my 30D. Boy was I surprised. I bought the mark III because I wanted a pro body - one reason being that I knew my recently purchased Canon 500 mm f/4 IS would not autofocus with 2X teleconverter. The Mark III will autofocus down to f/8.0. I'm mostly a budding bird photographer, and after making a few images I saw the great color reproduction. The camera is balzingly fast from it's AF to it's 10FPS mode. It will take me fair bit of time to explore all of the custom settings avaialble - so many ways to set it up to your personal liking. Plus it has "My Menu" which allows quick access to the items that you use a lot, e.g. format, autofocus options, etc. My 30D, which is a fine camera, feels more like a toy in my hands. The mark III fits your hand like a glove, feels solid and performs wonderfully. This is more camera than I'll ever need, but I'm certain with practice I'll grow into it. Buy this camera if you want the very best!!

Canon tried to make a big splash with the 30th anniversary EOS, but it really was a dud. I've had this body for over 6 months now, and it's by far the worst purchase decision I've every made.

1. It doesn't focus as it's supposed to. It has out of focus shots for one shot and AI modes, at a far worse rate than its predecessor. Canon even acknowledged this defect.

2. It has severe error problems (such as Error 99).

3. Even after the fix, it still doesn't focus as it should -- lots of professional sites note this -- and now Canon is indicating as of 2/1 that there could be another fix in the works.

If you're like me and heavily invested in Canon glass, then there's nothing to do but ride it out and hope they eventually get it right. (I still have faith in Canon, and think their products are very good, and the image quality of the 1dIII is simply amazing when it works....) But if you're new to the dslr (and ask yourself then, why you need such an expensive body anyway), it's worth investigating other options. The one thing a photographer can't have is a body that can't be depended upon.

A friend has been doing portraits with a special 20x24" Polaroid camera for many years. Polaroid has announced that they are stopping production of the film, so we decided to see if an image from the 1Ds Mark III could be used as a substitute. We created some images with the 1Ds Mark III in the same studio as the Polaroid, using some basic Canon lenses, such as the 50/1.4. We sent the RAW files off to Pictopia to have 20x30" prints made. The resulting images didn't have the interesting artistic variation of the Polaroids, but they were more detailed.

The image quality of the camera is undeniably great. The user interface is more complex than the Nikon D3, for example, with deeper menus. Canon gives you dozens of options for what to do with the two memory cards, for example. The camera sorely needs a "help" button.

What else could this machine use? A built-in GPS and built-in WiFi.

Do you need it? Not unless you are going to make some truly huge prints and you are intending to be disciplined about tripod and lens. Pictopia made us some 20x30" prints from the EOS 5D (13 MP; one quarter the price) that looked great.

I had this camera for about 5 weeks and so far no problems. I shot 3 weddings and 1 engagement in India plus numerous other events, family portraits, etc etc with this camera. One of the complaints (by other reviewer's) was that the AL Servo do not function in hot weather. I can assure you that it is hot and humid in India and the camera works just fine. I was the official track photographer for a local school district athletic meet last week and I had the opportunity to test the AL Servo function. Wow, pictures were amazing.

I can only tell you how satisfied I am with this camera based on my experiences with it. So far (thousands of pictures to credit) the camera is working flawlessly under some extreme (hot and dusty so far)conditions. I am a event photographer and I travel throughout the world. I started my photgraphy career with a Minolta Film 35 mm (manual) camera at age 10. I had many cameras after that (including D200 and EOS 30D) I've been photgraphing pictures for over 23 years and still trying to get that dream shot :) But for now I have a great camera to work with to get that shot.

My advice is to go to a camera shop and test this camera and see for yourself. If you are some what an experienced photographer, you won't be dissappointed.

When one reads the early reviews of this camera, they will be surprised to see the focusing problems experienced by a seeminly large number of photographers. Canon has come out with both hardware and firmware fixes to this body. I purchased a model with a serial number indicating manufacture after these fixes have been effected. I am having absolutely no issues with this camera's focusing in both focusing modes. I love this camera. It is truely a magnificient camera. For those of you who are serious about your photography, you won't be disappointed (except for the cost). Enjoy if its in your budget.

After reading bad reviews on the focus problems with this camera I waited a while to pull the trigger. I shoot sports, equestrian (some indoors), and stage dance. I bought this camera for low light useage, and the superior focus speed. I have not been dissapointed. I use 3200iso when necessary without any worries. My mark3 came from Canon with the latest firmware update already installed. The battery life is incredible, shot 1700 images and still had 40% left. The wait was worth it.

Great camera. Wonderful images. Fast, responsive, wonderful viewfinder. Good dynamic range. I wonder why amazon.com's dpreview.com web site has chosen not to publish their review of Canon's flagship despite being announced over a year ago.

Excellent tool for the professional photographer. As a pro with years of experience using 1D series cameras, moving up to the 1Ds was effortless but extremely rewarding. Was making money off of prints from the camera within 72 hours. Build quality and image quality is exceptional. Responsiveness for action sports is accurate, fast and very reliable. Even in low light situations where I am using it at ISO 3200 and f2.8 and wider so that I can use shutter speeds at 1/500 and 1/1000 in high school gymnasiums and pools. So far, studio shots have been blowing me away with the image clarity, contrast and color - especially with L series lenses. Just wish I didn't have to pay the price of a used small car for it and it's impact on increasing my equipment insurance.

I've had the 1Ds Mark III for over a month now and have shot in churches, outdoors and in the studio. It excels in every environment. The first thing you'll notice is the immensely big, bright viewfinder. It barely feels like looking through something! The LCD display is very good as well. Build is very solid. I've used it with the Canon 85mm 1.2 II L and the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS L. Both deliver outstanding results and are hand-holdable. The new automatic dust-removal system is very good, leaving only a couple of spots against the blue sky when shot at small apertures, when there used to be countless on the 5D. Image quality is fantastic, and the images are huge, making cropping while retaining a big image easy. The menu system is very easy to operate, custom functions offer a plethora of options. Shutter sound is wonderful, and at 5fps very fast for 21MP. It's expensive for sure, but definitely worth it.

I upgraded from a 5D, 40D, 30D and the Mk III is the perfect camera. This camera is blazingly fast and gives me pictures that I just could not get with other cameras (e.g. shooting baseball I pretty much get "bat on ball" pics for every hitter). I shoot 6400 ISO a lot with basketball and the low noise is perfect and even much better than the 5D. I have had no issues with the AF with my "blue dot" Mk III. I think this is the perfect camera I will keep for decades to come.

Not to contradict R. Herbert who did the first review of this camera, there do appear to be some issues on the SERVO focusing on Some Lenses and Some focusing conditions.

However there are several photographers out there that have not run into any focusing issues (I'm one) and we are all sure that Canon will look into the issue and come out with a fix.

Meanwhile if you are considering this camera I would suggest that you don't let this issues turn you away from in unless you plan to shoot track and field events in the next couple of months.

The advantages of this camera over almost any other cameras in the market is amazing.

Clean ISO 3200 and a very useable ISO 6400, 10 frames per second shooting, Live view (it works!), new light battery that seems to last forever, real wheather sealed body, more customizeable options that you can think of...

What else? 14-Bit images, highlight priority mode, fine tuning of all your lenses' focusing, dual card shooting...

I had been thinking about a 5D, however when this camera came out I was amazed at all the available functions and decided to forego the full frame (Sensor size is 28.1 x 18.7 mm, a 1.28 crop factor) and go for this beauty.

If you can afford it and are considering it (and you can find one) by all means go for it, you won't be dissapointed.

I bought this camera a couple of days ago and think it is the best piece of equipment that I have ever owned.

No focus problems with this machine... except those caused by the operator. This is by far the most sophisticated camera I have ever had to learn, but am throughly enjoying the ride.

This camera hasn't improved my "photographic eye" but the photos are technically better than the ones taken with my 20D.

I had semi-switched from Nikon to Canon with the purchase of this camera. Despite reports over focusing issues, I haven't had any real problems with it. The frame rate and high ISO on it is phenomenal. Anyone whose wanting a pro-caliber camera, this unit and the Nikon D3 are, in my opinion, ought to be the top 2 choices. Having used both cameras, I have to give Nikon the nod because of its 9-fps burst at FULL frame, slightly lower noise level at high ISO, and a more accurate auto white balance. Nevertheless, the Mark III is a fantastic camera. Shooting with both Canon & Nikon is like dating a blonde & brunette at the same time. :o)

This is an update on my first review of 7/29/07 writen 3/22/08. I have owned this camera 8 months and have taken thousands of photograhps with it. I know some owners have complained about the Af but I have not had the expierence they describe. I have done sports, landscaped, and portraite photography whith this camera and it excells in every area. In ai servo I get 85-90% of my shots in focus I consider that to be very good concidering sometimes its me not the camera missing the shot. I read a review in Shutter Bug the author of the artical had given the camera to a pro sports photographer to test it. The sports photographer reported getting consistently out of focus shots when shooting slow moving traffic.
The auther took the same camera and went back to the same spot under the same conditions and was able to get consistently in focus sharp photos. So maybe some of these complaints are due to user eror and not the camera.When you consider the high iso performence and superior image quality this camera produces this is a great camera. From my personal expierence this is an outstanding piece of equiptment and I highly recomend it.