Canon EOS 5D vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III
      58
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      71
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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 and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 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 was introduced in November 2005 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III was introduced in May 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS 5D Highlights

      • 13.3 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 2.5" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      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
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS 5D
      4. Advantage of Canon EOS 5D Mark III
      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 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

      PROS

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      •   Large Sensor
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   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

      CONS

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 13.3 Megapixel
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   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
      •   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


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

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 71
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      •   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

      Advantage of Canon EOS 5D

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

      Canon EOS 5D vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III
      Lighter 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz) vs 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)

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

      Canon 5DS R
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon 5DS
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon 5D II
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      21.1 MP

      Canon 5D IV
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      30.4 MP

      Nikon Z9
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      45.7 MP

      Panasonic GH5
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      20.3 MP

      Sony a7
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.3 MP

      Fujifilm X-E4
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      26.1 MP

      Panasonic G9 II
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      25.21 MP

      Nikon D500
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.9 MP

      Canon 4000D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Fujifilm X-E1
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      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.

      Canon EOS 5D vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Sensor Resolution 13.3 Megapixel vs 22.3 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 3,200 vs 25,600
      More Powerful Processor DIGIC II vs DIGIC 5+
      Max Image Resolution 4368 x 2912 vs 5760 x 3840
      More Focus Points 9 vs 61
      Center Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 2.5" vs 3.2"
      Higher Resolution Screen 230k dot vs 1,040k dot
      Live View vs
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 96% vs 100%
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps vs 6.0 fps
      Partial Metering vs
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 1368 vs 2293
      Higher DxO Color Depth 22.9 vs 24.0
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.1 vs 11.7
      Higher DxO Overall Score 71 vs 81
      HDMI Output vs Mini
      Built-in Microphone vs Mono
      Microphone Input vs
      Headphone Output vs
      Longer Battery Life 800 shots vs 950 shots
      More Storage Slots 1 vs 2

      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 5DS
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon 5D IV
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      Full Frame

      30.4 MP

      Canon 5DS R
      Image cannot be found

      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
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      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

      Olympus PEN E-PM1
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Nikon 1 V3
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      1-inch

      18.4 MP

      Canon Rebel T5
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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 5D Canon EOS 5D Mark III
        Large SensorFull FrameFull Frame
        High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/8000 sec1/8000 sec
        Environmental Sealing
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS 5D Canon EOS 5D Mark III
        Timelapse Recording
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        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 has a 2.5" screen with 230k dot resolution and Canon EOS 5D Mark III has a 3.2" screen with 1,040k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. Canon EOS 5D has 96% coverage with 0.71x magnification and Canon EOS 5D Mark III has 100% coverage with 0.71x magnification.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 5D features a 13.3 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 - 3,200. 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 576 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600 and expands to 50 - 102,400 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 is equipped with DIGIC II processor and can take pictures up to 4368 x 2912 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3168 x 2112, 2496 x 1664 with 3:2 aspect ratios. 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.


      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 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 5D Mark III nothing can be done. On Canon EOS 5D Mark III it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 5D 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. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS 5D comes with BP-511A battery pack with battery life of 800 shots and Canon EOS 5D Mark III comes with LP-E6 battery pack with battery life of 950 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS 5D has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II) card slot. Canon EOS 5D Mark III has two card slots - one for SD/SDHC/SDXC and one for CompactFlash (Type I, 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, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Canon EOS 5D can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps. Canon EOS 5D Mark III can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps.


      Focusing

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


      Exposure

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


      Flash

      Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal to Canon EOS 5D Mark III. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS 5D body has dimensions of 152 x 113 x 75 mm (5.98 x 4.45 x 2.95") and Canon EOS 5D Mark III body has dimensions of 152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99"). Canon EOS 5D weighs 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz) and Canon EOS 5D Mark III weighs 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz).

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      152 mm

      113 mm

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      152 mm

      116 mm

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      113 mm

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      116 mm

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      75 mm

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      76 mm

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

      Canon EOS 5D and Canon EOS 5D Mark III 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

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      GOOD
      80
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      84
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      AVERAGE
      58
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      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

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      AVERAGE
      61
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      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

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      GOOD
      73
      •   Large Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      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

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      GOOD
      77
      •   Large Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      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)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      GOOD
      77
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      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

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS 5D and Canon EOS 5D Mark III and give them scores of 58 and 71 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

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      OVERALL
      58
      OVERALL
      71

      Sensor

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      GOOD
      72
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 13.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 71
      GOOD
      73
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 22.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 81

      Photo

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      AVERAGE
      57
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 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
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      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

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      GOOD
      74
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

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

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS 5D

      Canon EOS 5D Mark III

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      GOOD
      74
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 950 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots


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

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