Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Canon EOS 5DS

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS
      71
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      73
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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 5DS, 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 5DS was introduced in February 2015. 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 5DS Highlights

      • 50.6 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 61 Focus Points (61 Cross-type)
      • 3.2" 1,040k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 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 5DS
      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 5DS.

      PROS

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      •   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
      •   High Resolution Sensor - 50.6 Megapixel
      •   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
      •   High DxO Overall Score - 87
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      •   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
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   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 5DS

      •   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
      •   Price
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   -2 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Weight - 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 700 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 5DS.

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Canon EOS 5DS
      Cheaper Body only: $3499, €3299, £2999 with 24-105mm: $4299 vs $3699/£2999/€3999 (body only)
      Higher Native ISO 25,600 vs 6,400
      Higher Boosted ISO 102,400 vs 12,800
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
      Headphone Output vs
      Longer Battery Life 950 shots vs 700 shots

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

      Canon 5D II
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      Full Frame

      21.1 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
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Sony FX30
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      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
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      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 5DS

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

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Canon EOS 5DS
      Higher Sensor Resolution 22.3 Megapixel vs 50.6 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 5760 x 3840 vs 8688 x 5792
      Timelapse Recording vs
      Lower Min Metering +1 EV vs 0 EV
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 2293 vs 2381
      Higher DxO Color Depth 24.0 vs 24.7
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.7 vs 12.4
      Higher DxO Overall Score 81 vs 87
      Higher USB Speed USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) vs USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec)
      Dust Proof vs
      Lighter 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz) vs 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 5DS.

      Leica D-Lux (Typ 109)
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.8 MP

      Panasonic S1
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      Full Frame

      24.2 MP

      Panasonic S1
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      1/2.33-inch

      12.1 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 5D IV
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      Full Frame

      30.4 MP

      Canon 5D II
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      Full Frame

      21.1 MP

      Nikon A
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony a6700
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      APS-C

      26.0 MP

      Leica S2
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      Medium format

      38 MP

      Sigma SD1 Merrill
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      APS-C

      15 MP

      Sony NEX-F3
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      APS-C

      16.1 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 5DS
        Video Capture
        Large SensorFull FrameFull Frame
        Many Focus Points6161
        Many Cross-type Focus Points4141
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Large Screen3.2"3.2"
        High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/8000 sec1/8000 sec
        HDMI Output Mini Mini
        Environmental Sealing
        Many Storage Slots22
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS 5D Mark III Canon EOS 5DS
        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 and Canon EOS 5DS have 3.2" Fixed screens with 1,040k dot resolution.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. They both have 100% coverage and 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 5DS features a 50.6 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 100 - 12,800 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 5DS is equipped with Dual DIGIC 6 processor and can take pictures up to 8688 x 5792 resolution.


      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 5DS nothing can be done. On Canon EOS 5DS 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 inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS 5D Mark III has a Mini HDMI and Canon EOS 5DS has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5DS come with LP-E6 battery pack with battery life of 950 shots on Canon EOS 5D Mark III and with battery life of 700 shots on Canon EOS 5DS.


      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 5DS has two card slots - one for SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) and one for CompactFlash (UDMA 7).

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III has 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 5DS. Canon EOS 5D Mark III can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps. Canon EOS 5DS can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Both cameras have Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 61 (41 cross-type) focusing points and from -2 to +18 EV detection range. and from -2 to +18 EV detection range.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5DS range from +1 to +20 EV and 0 to +20 EV respectively and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 5D Mark III and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 5DS.


      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 and Canon EOS 5DS bodies have the same dimensions of 152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99"). Canon EOS 5D Mark III weighs 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz) and Canon EOS 5DS weighs 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz).

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      152 mm

      116 mm

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      152 mm

      116 mm

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      116 mm

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      116 mm

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      76 mm

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      76 mm

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

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

      GOOD
      84
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      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
      74
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   41 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 700 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      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
      GOOD
      70
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   61 Focus Points
      •   41 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 700 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      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
      •   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

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      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
      79
      •   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 - 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      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
      76
      •   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 - 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 700 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5DS and give them scores of 71 and 73 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 5DS

      OVERALL
      71
      OVERALL
      73

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      GOOD
      73
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 22.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 81
      GOOD
      75
      •   Large Sensor
      •   High Resolution Sensor - 50.6 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   High DxO Overall Score - 87

      Photo

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      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
      GOOD
      75
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      32
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

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

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      GOOD
      74
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      GOOD
      74
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5DS

      GOOD
      79
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      77
      •   High USB Speed
      •   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 5DS

      GOOD
      74
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 950 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      GOOD
      72
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 700 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots


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

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