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

It's the little additions that make the Mark III a worthy target for photographers to upgrade from the previous camera. Feature tweaks, as well as a significant boost to the low-light capabilities in stills and video recording, will be invaluable for many photographers.

Improved AF performance; Excellent image quality; Headphone monitoring; Improved video quality with low moire and artefacts; Excellent high ISO performance

Repositioned buttons may annoy Mark II upgraders; No clean HDMI output; Video and images straight from camera can benefit from a small amount of sharpening

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is the continuation of the 5D line which introduced the first full-frame DSLR without an integrated grip, bringing quality images to a smaller form-factor than previously possible.

Very low image noise; Excellent image sharpness; Very accurate colors; Good automatic white-balance; Spectacular subject tracking autofocus; Lightning fast autofocus; Full choice of exposure modes for movies; Class-leading continuous buffer; Large viewfinder with 100% coverage; Highly customizable...

Underexposes often; Expanded ISO of limited use; Low rear control dial; Rear dial prone to accidental changes; Complex interaction between AF and lenses; Slow instant review; Slow to power-off due to sensor cleaning

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

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

Overall, there was really more useful improvements on this camera. Whether you are a new canon user or current fan and want to upgrade, this is it - you will not regret if you choose this unit. Hope this review helps a bit in your buying decision.

This camera works better in higher ISOs and you really notice the difference from the previous model; specially if you are a current user like me of the 5D MKII I notice an improved focus performance when im shooting in video Some improvements came from the Canon 1DX model I love the rate button...

There should be a swivel screen which is helpful if your shooting at lower angles

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is not only a very capable photographic tool in almost all areas, it's also fun and exciting to shoot with. Slight JPEG softness is disappointing in a camera at this level but it's only visible at pixel-level and we would expect most of the camera's target group to shoot...

Good resolution and detail in raw files; Good color and tonality across the ISO range; Reliable metering even in difficult contrast situations; Very responsive and snappy operation; thanks to new Digic 5+ processor; 6 frames per second continuous shooting with good buffering; Excellent build-quality...

Destructive noise reduction results in mushy JPEGs; even at base ISO; Visible sharpening artifacts at default settings; Heavy-handed noise reduction leads to lack of low-contrast detail at higher ISOs; Distortion correction not available 'on the fly; Built-in microphone only monaural; Soft video...