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Canon EOS 1DS Mark III DSLR Camera Body {21.1MP}
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$507.00
Canon's 21MP full-frame studio workhorse built for print.
The EOS-1Ds Mark III sits at the top of Canon's film-era professional hierarchy: a 21.0-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor in a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body, built for shooters who needed every pixel they could get before medium format became accessible. The 45-point AF system and 5.0 fps burst rate won't win any speed contests against sports bodies, but that was never the point. This camera was designed around resolving power and color accuracy, with RAW output at full resolution or three scaled-down alternatives that still leave room to crop aggressively.
The optical pentaprism viewfinder gives 100% coverage at 0.76x magnification, so what you frame is exactly what you get. Live view was a genuine addition at launch and remains useful for tripod work. Dual card slots accepting Compact Flash and SD give you redundancy or overflow in the field. ISO runs natively from 100 to 1600 in 1/3-stop increments, with extension to 50 and 3200 for situations that demand it.
For anyone already invested in Canon EF glass, this body puts that investment to full-frame use at a fraction of what it cost in 2007. The 57 custom functions give working photographers granular control over every aspect of the shooting experience, and the sealed hot-shoe pairs with the 580EX II for weather-resistant flash work on location.
Who It's For
Studio and commercial photographers who output large prints will find the 21.0-megapixel sensor gives them the file size to deliver without upsampling. Landscape and architectural shooters benefit from the 100% viewfinder coverage and tripod-friendly live view when precise framing matters. Portrait photographers already holding Canon EF primes get full-frame rendering with no crop factor to account for. Documentary and editorial shooters doing slower, deliberate work in tough conditions will appreciate the weather-sealed body and dual-slot storage as practical reliability features than marketing points.
Key Features
- 21.0MP full-frame CMOS sensor for print-resolution color accuracy
- 45-point AF system with 100% viewfinder coverage
- 5.0 fps burst rate, 56-frame JPEG buffer
- Dual Compact Flash and SD card slots with UDMA support
- 57 custom functions for granular shooting control
- ISO 100–1600 native, extendable to 50–3200
- Sealed magnesium alloy body with weather-resistant hot-shoe
- Live view on 3.0-inch 230k-dot LCD screen
FAQ
- What resolution does the EOS-1Ds Mark III actually deliver, and can you scale it down?
- 21.0 megapixels at full resolution (5616 x 3744), with three scaled alternatives at 4992 x 3328, 4080 x 2720, and 2784 x 1856. Shoot RAW or JPEG at any of these sizes and still have room to crop aggressively in post.
- How does the 45-point AF system perform compared to modern cameras?
- It's adequate for studio and deliberate field work, but the 5.0 fps burst rate makes this body a poor fit for fast action. The AF system was never the selling point-resolving power was.
- Can you use both Compact Flash and SD cards simultaneously?
- Yes. The dual card slots let you run overflow to SD while using CF as your primary, or mirror write for redundancy. CF accepts UDMA for faster transfers.
- What's the viewfinder experience like at 0.76x magnification?
- The optical pentaprism gives 100% coverage, so you frame exactly what you get. 0.76x is tight for fast manual focus work, but studio shooters on tripods won't notice it.
- Does this body have built-in flash or video recording?
- No built-in flash, but the sealed hot-shoe pairs with external units like the 580EX II for weather-resistant flash on location. No video-this is a stills camera through and through.
- How does ISO performance scale from 50 to 3200?
- Native range runs 100–1600 in 1/3-stop increments. You can extend down to 50 or up to 3200, but native ISO is where the sensor performs cleanly for critical color work.
- What makes the 57 custom functions useful?
- They give you control over metering, AF behavior, drive mode defaults, and flash sync settings without diving into menus. For studio shooters running repeatable sessions, this level of customization saves workflow time.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Sensor | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) |
| Resolution | 21.0 MP |
| Mount | Canon EF |
| AF Points | 45 |
| ISO Range | 100 - 1,600 in 1/3 stops |
| Burst Rate | 5.0 |
| Shutter Speed | 30 sec |
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| ISO Boosted Min | 50 |
| ISO Boosted Max | 3,200 |
| Screen Size | 3" |
| Screen Dots | 230,000 |
| Articulated LCD | No |
| Aperture Priority | Yes |
| Shutter Priority | Yes |
| Storage Types | Compact Flash (Type I or II), SD card |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | No |
| Remote Control | Yes (N3 connector) |
| Dimensions | 150 x 160 x 80 mm (5.91 x 6.30 x 3.15") |
| Weight | 1,385 g (3.05 lb / 48.85 oz) |
This description was generated using AI based on KEH's internal product standards, product expertise, and knowing what customers care about most. While we strive for accuracy, details may vary by individual item.
| Brand Name | Canon |
|---|---|
| Flash System | Canon E-TTL II, Canon E-TTL |
| Focus Type | Autofocus (lens motor) |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF |
| Memory Card Type | Compact Flash (Type I), SD, SDHC |
