The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is Canon's professional full-frame DSLR. If you're looking for high-speed 20fps shooting, 5.5K video, extended battery life, and a tough weather-resistant camera body then the 1D X III could be for you, although you'll need to factor in the price, as this camera is priced at roughly £6499 body only.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Features
If you're the kind of photographer who shoots sports, wildlife, or low-light photography then the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III could be the dream camera for you, particularly if the additional size will help balance a large telephoto lens. Helpfully the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has a large battery that allows for an impressive 2850+ shot battery life, is weather-sealed and "built like a tank" as they say.
It's been four years since the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II was released, and in that time Canon has updated a number of things in the new camera. Both cameras have a 20-megapixel sensor, however, the Mark III offers a higher ISO range up to 102,400 or ISO819,200 extended. Continuous shooting speed has also been improved with 16/20fps available, 16fps with the optical viewfinder, and 20fps when using live view - with AF! AF has been improved, and battery life has been dramatically improved with 2850 shots on offer.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II vs Mark III - some of the key improvements:
- 3.2inch screen with 2.1m dots (vs 1.62m)
- 191 AF points (vs 61), 155 cross-type, 3869 in live-view
- 500,000 shutter life rating
- Updated sensor with an improved low-pass filter
- Video: 5.5K raw (60p, 12-bit), 4K DCI (60p) - full width DCI
- Built-in stereo microphones (vs mono)
- Wi-Fi / Bluetooth built-in
- High-speed Gigabit Ethernet and USB C
- CFexpress support (dual-slot)
- 1.44KG (vs 1.53KG)
The auto-focus system has been updated and now features "deep learning AF" with there being a new Auto setting for the focus scenarios. The AF system features 191 AF points in OVF, with 155 cross-type AF points, with face/head detection. This increases to 3869 in live-view, with Dual-pixel AF built-in to the sensor, and eye-detection AF available. Focus sensitivity has been improved with AF down to -4EV or down to -6EV in live-view.
Video recording has been improved, with 5.5K raw video recording available as well as CINE-4K / 4K UHD video at up to 60fps, and there are built-in stereo microphones. On the side, you'll find the microphone and headphone sockets, and internally the camera offers digital image stabilisation.
Key Features
- 20.1 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor
- 20fps continuous shooting (live-view), 16fps (OVF)
- 500,000 shot shutter life rating
- 100% Optical Viewfinder (OVF), with 0.76x magnification
- 3.2inch touch-screen, with 2.1million dots
- 191/155 point AF, -4 EV
- Flicker Detection for artificial lighting
- 4K 60p / 5.5K raw video
- Movie Digital Image Stabilisation (IS), image area reduced by 10%
- Built-in stereo microphones, mic and headphone sockets
- ISO100 to ISO819,200, Lo 50
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- GPS / GLONASS / QZSM built-in
- Up to 2850 shots battery life (OVF, 23C)
- Weather-sealed magnesium alloy body
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Handling
Handling - The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has a large, solid build quality, and the significant weight gives the camera a noticeable presence. To anyone familiar with the earlier versions of this camera, then the Mark III will be immediately familiar, with almost all buttons being in the same location, and almost all looking the same, however, the AF-On button has changed slightly.
There are four customisable front buttons. There's a top customisable M-Function (multi-function) button. The handling is exceptional with a large handgrip with ample rubber grip, whether you're using the camera in landscape or portrait mode. The shutter release button falls into place, or rather your finger falls into place, thanks to the ergonomic layout of the shutter release button. On top, you'll also find quick access to ISO, WB, and exposure compensation, something we wish all cameras would feature.
What is the AF-EV range? With a good autofocus EV range, down to -4 EV, the camera can focus well in low-light, and indoors. When using the OVF you will find that the AF points are in the central area of the frame, and to get (almost) full coverage of the frame, you'll need to switch to live-view.
If you switch to live view shooting you can select from any area of the screen, and the AF tracking will cover almost the whole frame (with 100%/90% coverage). AF tracking was particularly impressive. You can use the new AF-on button to adjust the AF position by simply moving your thumb over the AF-On button. You can also use the joystick.
There are numerous AF options, with a number of AF shooting scenarios which can be customised, as well as an intelligent Auto mode for when the shooting situation may change. Whilst the camera has built-in help that will give you guidance as to what each option is for, close studying of the Canon manual is recommended so that you are familiar with the multitude of focusing options.
There is a top LCD screen with key shooting information, which can be illuminated. New to the Mark III is a number of illuminated backlit buttons on the back of the camera, which illuminate when you press the light button on top.
The optical viewfinder (OVF) is large and clear and gives a good view of the scene, as well as useful shooting information, without the need to take the camera away from your eye. The optical viewfinder is large and bright and can be customised to show a number of useful things, including a dual-axis electronic level and shooting settings, as well as an anti-flicker warning.
The screen looks very good with a high resolution and very good viewing angles. The touch-screen has been improved, to let you go through the menus and change settings.
The camera menus have a vast range of options and are neatly arranged into colour-coded sections making it easier to find the settings you want to change. You can also customise the "MyMenu" menus with your favourite settings and these can be renamed so that you can set up certain menus for specific shooting scenarios. You can take audio memos if you want.
Battery life - Battery life is rated at 2850 shots according to Canon / CIPA test results when using the OVF, which is very good for a DSLR, and an improvement over the Mark II.
There are two CFexpress (Type B) slots, and you'll need one of these memory cards for use with the camera. Side ports include a full-size HDMI port, USB Type-C, Ethernet, Flash sync, remote release connection, mic, headphone sockets, and WFT (allowing you to add the Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E9).
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Performance
The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
Canon EOS 1D X Mark III Sample Photos
Sample Photos - You can't really go wrong with a Canon EOS camera, and the EOS-1D X Mark III is no exception. Colour reproduction is excellent, exposure is reliable, and focus is rapid. Continuous shooting offers up to 16fps (using the OVF) 20fps (using live-view and mechanical shutter), with unlimited JPEG images or over 1000 raw images (an improvement over the 170 raw shots on the 1D X Mark II).
You might want to avoid shooting HEIF, as currently, Windows and Photoshop don't support the files. Switching on HDR PQ highlight priority switches the camera from JPEG and RAW to HEIF and RAW. Something to be aware of, and also, Hello Adobe, Microsoft, HEIF file format has only been around for 3 years, so you might want to start supporting it, just an idea.
Auto lighting optimizer (ALO) can extend the dynamic range and detail captured in photos, improving shadow and highlight detail recording. You can also use highlight tone priority.
Lens aberration correction is built-in and includes peripheral illumination correction (vignetting), distortion correction, and digital lens optimizer (which includes diffraction correction). The 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM is a dependable lens, although the lack of optical image stabilisation is noticeable, particularly when recording video. To find out more on what we think of the 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens read our review.
Canon EOS 1D X Mark III ISO test images
ISO Noise Performance - The standard ISO range goes from ISO100 to ISO102400, and this can be extended down to ISO50 (Low), and up to ISO819200. Noise reduction settings are Disable (off), low, standard (default), and high. We took these shots on the default setting.
For the lowest noise and best detail possible we would recommend using ISO50 to ISO1600, as images have low levels of noise and good levels of detail. For lower light situations ISO3200 to ISO25600 still provides good results, although noise increases and detail is reduced, with fine detail going at ISO6400. At ISO51200 noise levels become strong and we would recommend avoiding this setting if possible, although results may still be useful if resized and used on the web. Above ISO102400 is best avoided as noise is extremely high, and detail is very low. Colour saturation remains good, even as the ISO speed increases.
Canon EOS 1D X Mark III White-balance test images
White Balance Performance - There are two different options for auto white balance, with default giving a warm result, and capturing the atmosphere of the scene, and alternatively you can select the "White" option, which will give a more accurate result. This is particularly useful if you plan on using the camera for product shots. This option is designed to work under Tungsten, but it also works under fluorescent and mixed lighting. This makes it possible to get good results in a variety of lighting conditions and means you shouldn't need to use the white balance presets.
Canon EOS 1D X Mark III Digital filters
Digital Filters - The Picture Styles can be customised with options for sharpness (strength, fineness, threshold), contrast, saturation, and colour tone. We've shown the built-in styles, and there are a further three customisable user-defined styles.
Video - The camera uses the full width of the sensor for 4K DCI video recording. If you're planning on using this camera for video, you'll want to use a lens with optical image stabilisation, or you'll want to use a tripod (due to the weight of the camera). The digital image stabilisation helps, and the enhanced digital IS is particularly effective at creating stable footage. 5.5K video is recorded as raw footage in 12-bit, which will need further processing. Slow-motion video is recorded at up to 120fps at a resolution of 1920x1080 (FullHD). Video quality is good, with plenty of detail captured, and if you do want high-quality video footage then the camera is certainly capable of delivering it. The size and weight of the camera will make it difficult for extended video recording handheld compared to smaller cameras, but for studio work, it may not be as much of an issue. You can watch additional videos on the ePHOTOzine YouTube Channel.
Value For Money
The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is available for £6500 body only. This makes it one of the most expensive cameras we can find.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, 20mp, 16/20fps continuous shooting, 5.5K video (raw), C4K 60fps, £6500
Nikon D6, 20mp, 14fps continuous shooting, 4K UHD video, £6299
Sony A99 II, 42mp, IBIS, 12fps continuous shooting, 4K UHD video, £2999 (RRP, discontinued)
Mirrorless options
Sony A9 II, 24mp, 10/20fps continuous shooting, 4K 60fps, £4699
Leica SL2, 47mp, IBIS, 10/20fps continuous shooting, C4K 60fps, £5300
Panasonic Lumix S1R, 47mp, IBIS, 9fps continuous shooting, 4K 60fps video, £2999 (with 24-105mm lens)
Olympus OM-D E-M1X, 20mp, 60fps continuous shooting, C4K 24fps, £1799
Have a look at more options available in the Top 20 Best Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras, or the Best Full-Frame DSLRs. You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Verdict
The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is designed for the professional sports and wildlife photographer. It offers 20fps continuous shooting with AF and a mechanical shutter, plus a tough tank-like build quality designed to survive the toughest of environments.
While high-speed continuous shooting used to be the domain of full-frame professional DSLRs, such as the 1D X, and Nikon D5/D6 etc. There are a number of mirrorless cameras that offer high-speed continuous shooting. In the "professional" area, there is the Sony Alpha A9 and A9 Mark II with 20fps continuous shooting (with an electronic shutter). There's also the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II (and III), E-M1X, and Panasonic Lumix G9, all with 60fps continuous shooting (at 20mp), albeit without continuous AF at that speed. You've also got the option of Canon's own mirrorless cameras that offer 20fps continuous shooting, in the Canon EOS R5, and Canon EOS R6.
What these cameras don't offer, however, is the battery life on offer from the 1D X Mark III, and the 2850 shot battery life is only bettered by the Nikon D6 with its 3580 shots. For those wanting something smaller, or for video use, then there are cheaper options out there, particularly if you also want higher resolution images.
So if you're looking to spend £6500 on a camera body, want something with excellent low-light performance, fast reliable focus, and high-speed shooting, with exceptional battery life, then have a look at the Canon EOS 1D X Mark III, as it certainly delivers.
| The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is designed to meet the professional sports photographers every need, and for professional sports photographers who have the budget, this camera delivers excellent results. |