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

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II
      71
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      69
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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 5D Mark III and the Canon EOS 5D 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 5D Mark III was introduced in May 2012 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II was introduced in February 2009. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III Highlights

      • 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 61 Focus Points (61 Cross-type)
      • 3.2" 1,040k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 6.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II Highlights

      • 21.1 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 920k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 3.9 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS 5D Mark III
      4. Advantage of Canon EOS 5D 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 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

      PROS

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      •   Video Capture
      •   Large Sensor
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   41 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.9 fps
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


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

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      •   Price
      •   Sensor Resolution - 22.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   -2 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 81
      •   Weight - 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 950 shots
      •   Sensor Resolution - 21.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      •   Weight - 850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 850 shots

      Advantage of Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon 5D III
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 5D Mark III over Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Canon EOS 5D Mark II
      Higher Sensor Resolution 22.3 Megapixel vs 21.1 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 25,600 vs 6,400
      Higher Boosted ISO 102,400 vs 25,600
      More Powerful Processor DIGIC 5+ vs DIGIC 4
      Max Image Resolution 5760 x 3840 vs 5616 x 3744
      More Focus Points 61 vs 9
      Larger Screen 3.2" vs 3.0"
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,040k dot vs 920k dot
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 98%
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps vs 3.9 fps
      Higher Max Metering +20 EV vs +18 EV
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 2293 vs 1815
      Higher DxO Color Depth 24.0 vs 23.7
      Higher DxO Overall Score 81 vs 79
      Headphone Output vs
      Longer Battery Life 950 shots vs 850 shots
      More Storage Slots 2 vs 1

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

      Canon 5DS
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon 5D IV
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      Full Frame

      30.4 MP

      Canon 5D
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      Full Frame

      13.3 MP

      Canon 5DS R
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Sony FX30
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      26 MP

      Olympus E-520
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Pentax K-7
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      15 MP

      Nikon 1 J1
      Image cannot be found

      1-inch

      10.1 MP

      Nikon D750
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      Full Frame

      24.3 MP

      Nikon 1 V3
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      1-inch

      18.4 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PM1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Canon Rebel T5
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Advantage of Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      Canon 5D II
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 5D Mark II over Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Canon EOS 5D Mark II
      Lower Min Metering +1 EV vs -0.5 EV
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.7 vs 11.9
      Lighter 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz) vs 850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

      Canon 5D IV
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      Full Frame

      30.4 MP

      Canon 5DS R
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon 5D
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      Full Frame

      13.3 MP

      Canon 5DS
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon M
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon 7D II
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Sony a7 II
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      Full Frame

      24.3 MP

      Sony a7R III
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      Full Frame

      42.4 MP

      Fujifilm X-T1 IR
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      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Canon Rebel T5
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon Rebel T3i
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Nikon 1 J1
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      1-inch

      10.1 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 5D Mark III Canon EOS 5D Mark II
        Video Capture
        Large SensorFull FrameFull Frame
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/8000 sec1/8000 sec
        HDMI Output Mini Mini
        Environmental Sealing
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS 5D Mark III Canon EOS 5D Mark II
        Timelapse Recording
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        Low Video Recording Limit30 min30 min
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi via optional WFT-E7 transmitter
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III has a 3.2" screen with 1,040k dot resolution and Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a 3.0" screen with 920k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. Canon EOS 5D Mark III has 100% coverage with 0.71x magnification and Canon EOS 5D Mark II has 98% coverage with 0.71x magnification.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III features a 22.3 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 864 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600 and expands to 50 - 102,400 in boosted mode. Canon EOS 5D Mark II features a 21.1 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 - 6,400 and expands to 50 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


      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 5D Mark III is equipped with DIGIC 5+ processor and can take pictures up to 5760 x 3840 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3840 x 2560, 2880 x 1920, 1920 x 1280, 720 x 480 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon EOS 5D Mark II is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 5616 x 3744 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4080 x 2720, 2784 x 1856, 5616 x 3744, 3861 x 2574, 2784 x 1856 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Canon EF lens mount. Due to their Full Frame sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) 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 5D Mark III it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 5D Mark II nothing can be done. On Canon EOS 5D Mark II it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 5D Mark III nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS 5D Mark III has a Mini HDMI and Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5D Mark II come with LP-E6 battery pack with battery life of 950 shots on Canon EOS 5D Mark III and with battery life of 850 shots on Canon EOS 5D Mark II.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III has two card slots - one for SD/SDHC/SDXC and one for CompactFlash (Type I, UDMA 7). Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II, UDMA 7), Microdrive card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5D Mark II have Electronically Controlled Vertical-travel Mechanical Focal-plane. shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 5D Mark III, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Canon EOS 5D Mark III can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps. Canon EOS 5D Mark II can shoot continuously up to 3.9 fps.


      Focusing

      Both cameras have Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with Canon EOS 5D Mark III having 61 (41 cross-type) focusing points and from -2 to +18 EV detection range and with Canon EOS 5D Mark II having 9 focusing points. and Canon EOS 5D Mark III having from -2 to +18 EV detection range.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5D Mark II range from +1 to +20 EV and -0.5 to +18 EV respectively and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Canon EOS 5D Mark III and ±2 EV range on Canon EOS 5D Mark II. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 5D Mark III and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 5D Mark II.


      Flash

      Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III body has dimensions of 152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99") and Canon EOS 5D Mark II body has dimensions of 152 x 114 x 75 mm (5.98 x 4.49 x 2.95"). Canon EOS 5D Mark III weighs 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz) and Canon EOS 5D Mark II weighs 850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz).

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      152 mm

      116 mm

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      152 mm

      114 mm

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      116 mm

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      114 mm

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      76 mm

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      75 mm

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      Size comparisons of Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5D 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 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      84
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      84
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      73
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   41 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 950 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      71
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.9 fps
      •   Battery Life - 850 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   41 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 950 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.9 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 850 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      81
      •   Large Sensor
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   41 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      82
      •   Large Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      78
      •   Large Sensor
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   41 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)
      GOOD
      80
      •   Large Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      75
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 950 shots
      GOOD
      77
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 850 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5D Mark II and give them scores of 71 and 69 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 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      OVERALL
      71
      OVERALL
      69

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      73
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 22.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 81
      GOOD
      73
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 21.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79

      Photo

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.9 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      83
      •   -2 EV Min AF Detection
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   41 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      83
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      74
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      79
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      75
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D Mark II

      GOOD
      74
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 950 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 850 g (1.87 lb / 29.98 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 850 shots


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

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