- Superb image quality: entirely new 21.1 Megapixel Full-Frame Canon CMOS Sensor, Highlight Tone Priority, and 14-bit A/D conversions for outstanding color tones.
- Dual "DIGIC III" Image Processor for excellent image quality and processing speed.
- Live View Function capabilities, displayed on the large 3.0-inch LCD monitor.
- Outstanding durability thanks to a shutter durability-tested to 300,000 cycles, dust- and water-resistant design, and EOS Integrated Cleaning System.
- Up to 5 fps, burst rate up to 15 consecutive RAW images or 45 full-resolution JPEGs, and compatible with newest UDMA high-speed CF cards.
- Fast and precise AF system, with 19 high-precision, cross-type AF points with f/2.8 or faster lenses and 26 additional "Assist Points."
- Compatible with wireless file transmitter WFT-E2A, extensive remote control accessories, and 15 different interchangeable Ec-series focus screens.
A New Full-Frame Performance Standard
Superb image quality: entirely new 21.1 Megapixel Full-Frame Canon CMOS Sensor, Highlight Tone Priority, and 14-bit A/D conversions for outstanding color tones.
The EOS-1Ds Mark III incorporates Canon's newest CMOS sensor, which delivers approximately 21.1 effective megapixels (5,632 x 3,750 pixels). The recording area of the sensor is 36 x 24mm, which is equivalent to the full-frame size of the 35mm film format. The tremendous pixel count delivers high-resolution images of exacting precision, with Photoshop™ file sizes over 60MB for outstanding quality at large print sizes and post-processing cropping flexibility. Despite the higher pixel density, Canon CMOS sensor technology ensures exceptionally low noise and the widest usable ISO range* (from 50 to 3200, using ISO range extension).
* Standard output sensitivity. Recommended exposure index.
Highlight Tone Priority
Activated via a Custom Function on the EOS-1Ds Mark III, the unique Highlight Tone Priority feature takes full advantage of the camera's 14-bit per channel digital conversion to provide smoother gradations from the grays to the highlights and preserve greater detail in image highlight areas — a perennial problem for digital photographers, especially those who work in bright sunlight or contrasty studio lighting. Highlight Tone Priority expands the available range of capture in the highlights, yet it exacts no penalties in either shadow detail or other aspects of image capture.
Advanced 14-bit A/D Conversion
Whereas most other digital cameras use 12-bit A/D (analog-to-digital) converters, the EOS-1Ds Mark III employs superior 14-bit per channel converters to process the output of the imaging sensor. In each color channel, this means there are 16,384 distinct brightness steps from the darkest to brightest tone (vs. 4,096 previously). This ensures smoother tonal transitions and more natural gradations. RAW images are recorded at the full 14 bit, and once processed will preserve the entire range of tones when opened in Photoshop's 16-bit color space.
"Picture Style" settings
With another great feature, Picture Style technology, photographers can recreate characteristics of their favorite films. Color, saturation, sharpness and contrast settings create noticeable variation in the saved image. In addition to six preset Picture Style settings (Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful and Monochrome), users can create three additional settings for their particular photographic style.
Picture Style settings are applied directly to JPEG images, giving tremendous flexibility to shooters who prefer the ease of JPEG files. If RAW images are processed in Canon's Digital Photo Professional software (v. 3.2 or higher) or RAW Image Task software, the versatile Picture Style settings can be modified or completely changed in the computer, without affecting the original file.