Mad for it photographers will be looking to put their grannies on eBay come October when Canon’s high end EOS-1DS Mark III full-frame digital SLR hits UK stores.
With a sensor capable of producing files that convert to uncompressed 16-bit TIFFs over 100MB in size, this camera doesn’t just raise the bar for photo professionals – it gives it an almighty boot skywards.
Driven by two Digic III processors and utilising a newly-developed 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor, the new Canon is a drool-worthy monster of a camera, capable of capturing 12 RAW photos (or 56 Large JPEGs) in continuous mode at 5fps.
The chunky bruiser of a snapper sports 63-zone exposure metering, the EOS Integrated Cleaning System and a large 230k 3in LCD with Live View mode (we like that).
The Live View mode displays a real-time image on the LCD – just like a regular digital compact – with studio photographers able to plug the camera into their laptops and use the Live View software to adjust settings and grab the shot from the comfort of their PCs.
In line with its professional billing, the auto focus system packs 19 cross-type sensors with sensitivity up to f/2.8, backed by an additional 26 AF assist points to help with AF tracking accuracy.
A handy new dedicated ISO button comes with a permanent status display on the camera’s LCD, and there’s also 57 custom functions – including preset and user-definable picture styles – to ensure the camera is set up just so for photographers.
The EOS-1DS Mark III supports GPS tagging, enabling location information to be embedded with each picture when the camera is used with a suitable GPS device. There’s also built in wireless too, so photos can be beamed to an external storage device or FTP server.
Naturally, all this high end quality comes with a suitably eye watering price tag, with the EOS 1DS Mark III being available in the UK from October for (gulp!) €7,999.