Canon's EOS 5D Mark III has a lot to live up to. For a start, the original Canon EOS 5D was the first DSLR to really bring full-frame digital photography within the reach of enthusiast photographers.

Not everyone will be able to afford a 5D Mark III, but if you're serious about movie making on a budget then this is a serious piece of kit via which to do it Not a camcorder, but included because Digital SLRs have really taken off the past couple of years as primary tools for ‘videographers'.

Setting a new benchmark for amateur and independent film makers; affordable alternative to pro broadcast cameras; rock solid workhorse-like build

Pricey if you don't require broadcast quality video; slight delay whilst mirror mechanism flips out of the way before video recording can commence; clip duration limited to just under 30 minutes as it's a camera not a camcorder

After Nikon's D90, it felt like the crown of video would go to that firm. But, surprisingly, it was Canon that swooped in, and hoovered up the newly established video-from-SLR market.

Stills are beautiful; capable of producing superb video; lightning-fast auto-focus; rapid shooting; solidly built

No "clean" HDMI output; buttons to control camera settings take some getting used to; we'd love to see some more high frame-rate modes

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is an excellent camera, capable of taking stunning photos in a wide variety of situations and has a wealth of lenses available to go with it. The 5D Mark III may not be as ground-breaking as the 5D Mark II , but this is simply because the Mark II was so good, and where the...

6fps continuous shooting; Full HD video at 25/24 fps; Built in HDR creation; Great 3.2inch screen; Weather sealed magnesium body; Excellent noise performance; Excellent image quality; Full printed manual; Built in help; Built in electronic level; Ability to rate images in playback

RRP compared to Mark II

These results really do speak for themselves. The 5D Mark III consistently captured sharp, well-exposed shots throughout my tests. The auto-focus subsystem was sharp, and with 61 points, it was easy to get exactly the shot I was after.

Image quality; Build; Movie clarity; Improvements over predecessor

None

Breathtaking image quality and a wide range of autofocus options are among the highlights of this superbly rounded package

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.

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

5D owners may well have felt that the MkII didn't really do enough to grab their attention because it didn't address enough of its older sibling's deficiencies. The increased resolution was attractive, but again not enough on its own.

A photographic tour-de-force – if you can justify the cost it'll be hard to resist