When the Canon EOS 5D Mark II was announced in September 2008, just ahead of that year's Photokina trade show, it immediately attracted a flurry of attention for its 21.1-megapixel sensor and Full HD video capability.

It's been nearly four years since Canon released the EOS 5D Mark II, the camera that turned digital still cameras into affordable workhorses for videographers and indie filmmakers. And this next evolution was definitely created with those filmmakers in mind.

Canon's Mark II users have been waiting three years for the third 5D in the series, and it's been well worth the wait - the camera has been vastly improved in nearly every aspect. Read on to discover how and why it's our Editor's Choice winner.

Excellent image quality; Improved handling; More responsive 61-point AF system; Fast six-frames per second shooting speed

Video not much improved out of camera; No non-compressed video thru HDMI; Video rolling shutter effect still visible

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is the successor to the enormously popular EOS 5D Mark II, and builds on the success of this full-frame DSLR. When the original EOS 5D was launched in October 2005, it represented the first 'affordable' full-frame DSLR.

Great photo and video quality with low noise at high sensitivities; Powerful 61-point AF system with easy presets; Large viewfinder with 100% coverage and detailed 3:2 screen; 6fps continuous shooting; Good ergonomics; build quality and twin card slots

No built-in flash or wireless controller, No built-in Wifi or GPS; Both are expensive accessories, No articulated screen, no interval timer, No movie crop mode, no clean HDMI, no continuous movie AF, 36 Megapixel Nikon D800 available for less

With a camera of such pedigree, there are naturally high expectations. Find out how good it is in the What Digital Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III review

Excellent set of features; build-quality is much better than MkII; AF system and overall performance

Expensive compared to some rivals

Announced just over 3 years since its popular predecessor, the long-awaited and much-rumoured Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR camera has finally arrived. The EOS 5D Mk II was something of a break-through camera for Canon, bringing 35mm full-frame, 1080p HD video recording to a wider audience.

The long-awaited successor to Canon's extremely popular EOS 5D Mark II camera is finally here. As its name implies, the company's 22-megapixel EOS 5D Mark III ($3,499 list, body only) is an evolutionary upgrade rather than a revolutionary one.

Compact for a full-frame SLR; 22-megapixel resolution; Large optical viewfinder; Bright, high-res rear LCD; Fast autofocus; 6fps continuous shooting; Excellent high ISO performance; 1080p video recording

Expensive; Slow focus in Live View and Video modes; No built-in flash; Not compatible with EF-S lenses

Canon has a long tradition of producing innovative and groundbreaking DSLRs. In 2003, for example, the 6.3MP Canon 300D became the first consumer-grade DSLR to sell for under ￡1,000.

Vastly improved AF module; Addition of 'headphones in' socket; Enhanced ISO range/performance; Faster DIGIC 5+ processor; Built like a tank; Exceptional image quality; Fantastic video performance

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is one of the most highly regarded DSLRs of all time, so the 22.3-million-pixel Mark III upgrade has a great deal to live up…

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is the ultimate digital SLR for under $4000 right now and offers a great balance between resolution, physical size, ISO sensitivity for low light shooting, movie capability and price.

Excellent image quality; camera performs best with quality lenses; Very good build quality with weather sealing and intuitive controls; Big and sharp 3.2 inch LCD and large viewfinder; Full manual controls with RAW image mode and lots of configuration options; Silent shooting modes when using the...

Slow focusing in live view mode; No built-in flash; autofocus assist light or wireless control without attachment; No continuous focusing during movie recording; More playback tools and effects would have been nice