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

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS-1D Mark III and the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III was introduced in February 2007 and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II was introduced in October 2005. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III Highlights

      • 10.1 MP APS-H CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 45 Focus Points (45 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 10.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II Highlights

      • 17.2 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 45 Focus Points
      • 2.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS-1D Mark III
      4. Advantage of Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS-1D Mark III and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II.

      PROS

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/300 sec
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 2200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Large Sensor
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.1 Megapixel
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Heavy - 1335 g (2.94 lb / 47.09 oz)
      •   No Video Capture
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 2.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low USB Speed
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Heavy - 1565 g (3.45 lb / 55.20 oz)


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   19 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   DxO Overall Score - 71
      •   Sensor Resolution - 17.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 74

      Advantage of Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon 1D III
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS-1D Mark III over Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II.

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III vs Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
      Larger Screen 3.0" vs 2.0"
      Live View vs
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/300 sec vs 1/250 sec
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.7 vs 11.3
      Higher USB Speed USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) vs USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec)
      Lighter 1335 g (2.94 lb / 47.09 oz) vs 1565 g (3.45 lb / 55.20 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS-1D Mark III.

      Canon 1D IV
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      APS-H

      16.1 MP

      Canon 1D II N
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      APS-H

      8.2 MP

      Canon 1D X III
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      Full Frame

      20.1 MP

      Canon 1D
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      APS-H

      4 MP

      Canon 1Ds
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      Full Frame

      11 MP

      Canon 1D C
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      Full Frame

      18.1 MP

      Canon 1Ds III
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      Full Frame

      21.1 MP

      Canon 1D X
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      Full Frame

      18.1 MP

      Canon 1D X II
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      Full Frame

      20.2 MP

      Canon 1D II
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      APS-H

      8.2 MP

      Sony a7 IV
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      Full Frame

      33.0 MP

      Nikon 1 S1
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      1-inch

      10.1 MP

      Advantage of Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      Canon 1Ds II
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II over Canon EOS-1D Mark III.

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III vs Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
      Larger Sensor APS-H vs Full Frame
      Higher Sensor Resolution 10.1 Megapixel vs 17.2 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 3888 x 2592 vs 4992 x 3328
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.58x vs 0.70x
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 1078 vs 1480
      Higher DxO Color Depth 22.7 vs 23.3
      Higher DxO Overall Score 71 vs 74

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II.

      Canon 1D II
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      APS-H

      8.2 MP

      Canon 1D II N
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      APS-H

      8.2 MP

      Canon 1D
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      APS-H

      4 MP

      Canon 1D X III
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      Full Frame

      20.1 MP

      Canon 1D C
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      Full Frame

      18.1 MP

      Canon 1Ds
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      Full Frame

      11 MP

      Canon 1D IV
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      APS-H

      16.1 MP

      Canon 1D X II
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      Full Frame

      20.2 MP

      Canon 1Ds III
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      Full Frame

      21.1 MP

      Canon 1D X
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      Full Frame

      18.1 MP

      Nikon D3500
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon Rebel SL1
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
        High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/8000 sec1/8000 sec
        Environmental Sealing
        Many Storage Slots22
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS-1D Mark III Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
        No Video Capture
        Low Native ISO3,2003,200
        No Face Detection
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Resolution Screen230k dot230k dot
        No HDMI Output
        No Built-in Microphone
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        Heavy1335 g (2.94 lb / 47.09 oz)1565 g (3.45 lb / 55.20 oz)

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III has a 3.0" screen with 230k dot resolution and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II has a 2.0" screen with 230k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. They both have 100% coverage.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III features a 10.1 megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor with dimensions of 28.7 x 18.7 mm and a total area of 536.7 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200 and expands to 50 - 6,400 in boosted mode. Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II features a 17.2 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 576 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III can take pictures up to 3888 x 2592 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3456 x 2304, 2816 x 1880, 1936 x 1288 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II can take pictures up to 4992 x 3328 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3600 x 2400, 3072 x 2048, 2496 x 1664 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Canon EF lens mount. Due to APS-H sensor in Canon EOS-1D Mark III its crop factor is equal to 1.3x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.3. Due to Full Frame sensor in Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II its crop factor is equal to 1x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.


      No Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS-1D Mark III it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II nothing can be done. On Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS-1D Mark III nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

      Both models have USB inputs for data transfer.


      External Storage Slots

      Cameras have two card slots - one for SD and one for CompactFlash (Type I/II).

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III has Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane shutter. Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II has Electronic with the CCD sensor and Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS-1D Mark III, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II. Canon EOS-1D Mark III can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps. Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 45 (19 cross-type) focusing points and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II has 45 focusing points..


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Canon EOS-1D Mark III ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range. You can also do exposure lock and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS-1D Mark III and and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II.


      Flash

      Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/300 sec on Canon EOS-1D Mark III and 1/250 sec on Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III body has dimensions of 156 x 157 x 80 mm (6.14 x 6.18 x 3.15") and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II body has dimensions of 156 x 158 x 80 mm (6.14 x 6.22 x 3.15"). Canon EOS-1D Mark III weighs 1335 g (2.94 lb / 47.09 oz) and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II weighs 1565 g (3.45 lb / 55.20 oz).

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      156 mm

      157 mm

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      156 mm

      158 mm

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      157 mm

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      158 mm

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      80 mm

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      80 mm

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      Size comparisons of Canon EOS-1D Mark III and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      GOOD
      80
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      80
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      AVERAGE
      64
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   19 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Long Battery Life - 2200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      61
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   19 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 2200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      GOOD
      72
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   19 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/300 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      73
      •   Large Sensor
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Small Screen - 2.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      GOOD
      70
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   19 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1335 g (2.94 lb / 47.09 oz)
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Large Sensor
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1565 g (3.45 lb / 55.20 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1335 g (2.94 lb / 47.09 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 2200 shots
      POOR
      51
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1565 g (3.45 lb / 55.20 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS-1D Mark III and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II and give them scores of 59 and 58 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      OVERALL
      59
      OVERALL
      58

      Sensor

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 71
      GOOD
      73
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 17.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 74

      Photo

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   High Flash Sync Speed - 1/300 sec
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   19 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   45 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      GOOD
      70
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Small Screen - 2.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      BAD
      33
      •   Low USB Speed
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS-1D Mark III

      Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

      GOOD
      79
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1335 g (2.94 lb / 47.09 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 2200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      GOOD
      78
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1565 g (3.45 lb / 55.20 oz)
      •   2 Storage Slots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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