Alex Conley, a frequent LensGiant customer, gives you a brief but information-packed review on one of Canon's latest cameras.

The Canon 5D Mark III is often considered to be the best bang for the buck in the Canon lineup. It's professional enough for the working photographer, yet not nearly as much of an investment as the 1D X, even though they share the same auto focus system.

When it comes to video production, few other DSLRs can really come close. Many features and tweaks were placed on the 5D Mark III in support of its video production capabilities. Essentially, you can think of the 5D Mark III as a full frame upgrade to the Canon 7D.

Shooting with the 5D Mark III, I first noticed how relatively light the camera is compared to the Canon 6D. Some will see this as an obvious advantage; the lighter your gear, the less fatigue sets in at the end of the day. I personally like the feel of a heavier, metal-bodied camera.

Settling behind the viewfinder, I found all the controls intuitive and instinctive from shooting other Canon cameras. The shutter sound is very mechanical and distinctive from any other camera I have used. It sounds very metallic and some users even mistook this as a problem with the camera. Rest assured, the sound is normal and you can quiet the shutter with a silent shooting mode.

I think that the Mark III is a solid shooting camera, although my feelings are mixed. While Canon has made this camera perform slightly better in the role of action photography and sports, it's still not my first option for fast shooting and live action. The Canon 1D-X becomes your best option for a full frame fast shooter, and it has a hefty price tag. This is where renting the Mark III from LensGiant comes in handy, because they provide an exceptional alternative.

When I had a chance to sift through my images, I immediately compared the Canon 6D to the 5D Mark III. The differences were rather clear, even with the same lenses. The 5D handled low light and noise much better and controlled chromatic aberration (purple fringe colors around subjects) quite well. The only downside is its slow shooting capabilities, struggling to only half the frame rate (6fps) of the 1D-X.

Overall, the 5D Mark III is probably the most versatile of the Canon lineup. It handles multiple situations extremely well. It is well balanced and has become a photographers favorite for good reason.

In closing, I have found that this camera is exceptional when paired with the Canon 24-105 F.4 IS USM. The image stabilization and wide focal range allow the 5D Mark III to become a Swiss Army knife of cameras.

Rent a Canon 5D Mark III from LensGiant here.


Alex Conley is a Professional Writer and Photographer based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Alex has produced written and photographic content for leading automotive blogs and magazines around the country and currently works as a creative writer for Roush Performance of Plymouth, Michigan.