Canon EOS 5D MARK III User Manual

Power
to evolve

Creativity redened

Setting a new standard

A unique 22.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and
DIGIC 5+ image processor come together to deliver
stunning images. Enjoy natural tones, increased clarity,
and astonishing low-light performance.

Redefining video production

The legacy of the EOS 5D Mark II continues,
building on HD-video performance that
revolutionised an industry. Take complete
control with manual adjustment of audio
and video and use wide-aperture lenses
bringing your creative vision to life.

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Brochure photography: Brent Stirton of Getty Images.
Canon Ambassador with the EOS 5D Mark III

Performance you can rely on

With a 61-point autofocus system that feels
like an extension of your eye, continuous
shooting at up to 6 fps and built-in HDR
functions, the EOS 5D Mark III delivers
superb images no matter what the
conditions throw at you.

At the heart of the EOS 5D Mark III lies a
sensor that delivers detail, tone and colour
like never before. It’s as if digital photography
had been invented all over again.

The full-frame
advantage

22.3-megapixel resolution

The EOS 5D Mark III produces
files measuring 5760x3840
pixels from its 22.3-megapixel
sensor. This equates to a 60MB
TIFF file – enough for fine-art
quality printing at sizes up to
A1 as well as extensive cropping
for alternative compositions
without loss of image quality.
Images are rich in detail, with
excellent sharpness straight
from the camera.

High in sensitivity,
low in noise

When light levels get low, the
EOS 5D Mark III keeps performing,
producing incredible images up
to a maximum native sensitivity
of ISO 25,600. This setting can be
expanded by a further two stops
to ISO 102,400 for specialist
applications in surveillance or
photojournalism – it’s just like
seeing in the dark.

High-ISO shooting gives you
the versatility to choose the
exposure settings you want,
regardless of the lighting
conditions. Retain depth of field
by maintaining small apertures,
or freeze action with high
shutter speeds.

Wide dynamic range

Extremes of light and dark can
be difficult to handle, but the
EOS 5D Mark III’s wide dynamic
range means that detail is
recorded in both shadow and
highlight areas for a more
natural result. The camera’s
Highlight Tone Priority function
ensures the lighter areas of the
scene are not overexposed,
while Canon’s Auto Lighting
Optimizer (ALO) looks after
shadow areas.

The EOS 5D Mark III also
sports high dynamic range
(HDR) shooting built in to the
body. Capture three frames
in succession at differing
exposures and the camera will
blend them together, offering a
choice of tone-mapping options
to ensure the result matches
your vision.

A redesigned CMOS sensor – made by Canon
specifically for the EOS 5D Mark III – is exactly the same
size as 35mm film, meaning wide-angle lenses can
be used to their true potential and photographers can
enjoy precise control over depth of field. This full-frame
sensor is central to the EOS 5D Mark III’s ability to
deliver high-quality still images and HD-movies.

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The EOS 5D Mark III is the result of continuous refinement and

Engineered
for performance

A combination of new design and
manufacturing processes has given the
EOS 5D Mark III a sensor that is faster,
more sensitive and higher in resolution,
while using less power.

Each of the 22.3 million photosites on the
surface of the sensor is equipped with an
individual micro lens that helps to gather
and focus light. The gapless design of this
lens array means light is collected effectively
from a variety of angles and positions,
greatly increasing efficiency and boosting
low-light performance.

The sensitivity of the sensor is increased
by two stops without the need for extra
electronic signal amplification, giving the
EOS 5D Mark III the ability to operate up
to the equivalent of ISO 102,400.

A large 6.25 µm pixel size captures more
light, enabling the EOS 5D Mark III to record
detail in both bright highlights and dark
shadow areas, giving your photography
a more natural look and feel.

Gap-less Microlenses Microlenses

Photo Diode

CMOS Sensor

development, over generations of EOS design. Sophisticated

electronics, optics and engineering – all pioneered by Canon.

14-bit electronic architecture
and DIGIC 5+ processing

Once image data is captured, the
EOS 5D Mark III processes it with astonishing
speed. An 8-channel readout from the
image sensor sends data quickly and
efficiently to a DIGIC 5+ processor, where
it is turned into JPEG or RAW image files.

The DIGIC 5+ processor is 17 times faster
than the previous DIGIC 4 generation
of image processor. This power enables
sophisticated image-quality improvements
during processing. EOS Scene Detection
technology analyses each composition,
looking for movement, colour and the
presence of faces, as well as assessing
brightness and contrast. Adjustments are
then applied to AF, exposure white balance
and Auto Lighting Optimizer.

Auto Lighting Optimizer

The Auto Lighting Optimizer function
uses the Canon’s EOS Scene Detection
technology to optimise brightness, contrast
and saturation according to the scene and
subject. In particular it addresses dynamic
range, preserving highlights in bright
areas through careful exposure metering,
while brightening shadows with subtle
adjustments to contrast.

Noise reduction The combination of CMOS
sensor technology and DIGIC 5+ processing
enables noise reduction that is two stops
more effective than 5D Mark II camera.
Images shot at ISO 6400 look like pictures
you’d previously expect from ISO 1600.

Lens correction

Three type of lens correction are
performed, further enhancing the quality
of the EF lens range.

• Peripheral illumination correction aims
to counteract the effect of any light fall-off
towards the edges of the frame, which can
be seen when shooting wide open or with
fast-aperture lenses.

• Chromatic aberration correction tackles
coloured fringing effects and soft halo
artefacts that can come from lateral and
axial chromatic aberration – that is when
light of different colours focuses at slightly
different points.

• Distortion correction can be applied
during image playback when required.
It addresses the small levels of pincushion
and barrel distortion sometimes seen when
straight-line objects are near the edges of
the frame.

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EOS Movies

The EOS 5D Mark III lets you be as creative
with moving pictures as you are with still
photography. Shoot high-definition video in
1080p resolution, enjoying manual control over
variables including shutter speed, aperture, ISO
sensitivity, audio level, colour and frame rate.
Access to Canon’s extensive EF lens range
provides new and exciting creative opportunities,
such as the ability to exploit shallow focus and
film in low light.

Conforming to industry standards

The EOS 5D Mark II changed the way that
many creative professionals approached
video, empowering them to tell stories from
new viewpoints and use techniques that
would previously have been out of their
budgets. Carrying on the legacy, the EOS
5D Mark III now conforms to film-industry
standards, with footage fitting seamlessly
into non-linear editing workflows.

Access the QR
code with your
mobile device
to view the
EOS 5D Mark III
sample video

Files are recorded as .mov files using the
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec. A choice of
compression techniques is now available.
The interframe IPB standard reduces file
sizes by describing only what has changed
between frames, referencing previous and
successive frames in order to do so. It’s an
ideal technology for longer-length clips,
File sizes are small, for easy streaming and
portable viewing.

Also available is intrafame ALL-I
compression, which treats each frame
discretely and does not reference other
frames when reducing file sizes. This
preserves image quality when editing
footage, and is an ideal approach for
broadcast-quality applications and
video production.

The EOS 5D Mark III now also records
time-code information in the standard
hr:min:sec:frame format laid down
by the Society of Picture and
Television Engineers.

Complete creative control

Enjoy freedom over shutter speeds and
frame rates, choosing from 1/4000-1/30sec
when shooting at 24, 25, or 30 fps, or
1/4000-1/60sec when shooting at 50 or
60 fps. Select ISO sensitivities up to ISO
12,800 (extendable to the equivalent of ISO
25,600), and shoot with apertures as wide
as f/1.2 with selected EF or EF cine lenses.

The Silent Control function enables
vibration-free adjustments while filming.
A touch-sensitive area around the edge of
the quick control wheel allows navigation of
the Quick Control screen with the slightest
of touches. Audio level, ISO, aperture and
shutter speed can all be fine-tuned without
stopping filming.

Audio

Support your movies with the soundtrack
they deserve. The EOS 5D Mark III features
connections for an external microphone
for recording 16 bit digital stereo sound at
48khz as well as headphone socket for live
audio monitoring.

Recording level can be set automatically or
manually on a 64-level scale. The standard

3.5mm mic socket accepts virtually all

electret condenser microphones.

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