Tech Shout!

Canon, a market leader in digital cameras worldwide has just announced the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR camera to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its highest selling EOS single lens reflex camera system. The newly announced EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR camera also happens to be the fastest digital SLR camera in the world. There are so many reason that make the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR camera from Canon a sure hit with professional photographers.

The Canon EOS-1D Mark III Digital is a 10.1 mega pixel SLR camera that employs the new Dual DIGIC III image processor engine. This technology makes it possible to fire huge motor-driven bursts of 110 Large JPEGs or 30 RAW files, providing just enough computational horsepower to perform parallel processing at a rate unmatched by any other digital SLR camera.

The EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR camera also incorporates the all-new 10.1 mega pixel, Canon APS-H size CMOS sensor, which is the most light sensitive and innovative sensor that Canon has developed till date. This digital SLR also features a new microlens array and a much more efficient pixel structure that allows for ultra-low noise. This results in exceptional image quality as well as an amazing ISO range of 100 to 3200 with extensions to ISO 50 and a highly usable ISO 6400.

Generally, photographers who use point-and-shoot digital cameras are very accustomed to looking at the LCD screen on the back of the camera to compose their images. Normally, a single lens reflex cannot do this because the mirror that lets you look through the lens is in the way. With the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR, a photographer has several options in addition to conventional SLR through-the-lens viewing. If the camera is going to be close at hand, the new Live View shooting mode lets the user focus and compose on the extra-large 3.0-inch LCD screen and magnify the image 5x or 10x, to achieve the optimal focus. If a user is going to be several feet away from the camera, in a studio, for example, the camera can be connected to a computer with a USB 2.0 high-speed cable. New software included with the camera, EOS Utility 2.0, lets you view what the camera is seeing in real time and control its operation. If a professional photographer is going to be far away from the camera, say, on the other side of a racetrack or stadium, or if the camera is hidden or buried someplace inaccessible, the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR can be operated wirelessly with the assistance of the new WFT- E2A Wireless File Transmitter. This allows users to view images directly off the camera’s sensor in virtually real time with the ability to adjust many camera settings on the fly. As a side benefit, Live View shooting mode helps to reduce vibration by lifting the reflex mirror out of the optical path well in advance of the exposure, improving image quality at slow shutter speeds.

The EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR camera also features a complete dust management solution called the EOS Integrated Cleaning System. Basically, the new CMOS image sensor has been designed with a lightweight infrared absorption glass cover that vibrates for 3.5 second when the camera is turned on or off, and the sensor is also sealed around the edges, keeping dust at bay. If desired, the brief delay can be cancelled immediately on startup just by pressing the shutter button. Moreover, the cleaning system uses very little of battery power, and users can also turn it off via the custom function menu. The anti-dust system also provides for a software solution called the Digital Photo Professional 3.0 software that records the location of any spots that remain on the sensor as Dust Delete Data.

Just like previous EOS 1-Series Canon cameras, the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR too has 45 AF points. However, 19 of the AF points (rather than 7) are of high-precision cross type configuration. Besides, a new micro-adjustment feature allows for very fine changes in the AF point of focus for each lens type in use, together with the adjustable focus-tracking sensitivity. In addition, the low-light sensitivity of the new AF sensor has been doubled to EV-1 for superior performance. These features will benefit sports and wildlife photographers.

A new EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens succeeds the versatile EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM Lens as a high-performance L-series wide-angle zoom lens, specifically designed for improved peripheral image quality. Compatible with all EOS SLRs past and present, it uses three high-precision aspherical lens elements and two Ultra Low Dispersion (UD) lens elements to minimize lateral chromatic aberration and to produce superb image quality with excellent resolution and contrast. New coatings minimize ghosting and flare. It is an internal focus design, so the front element does not rotate during focusing and zooming, a convenience for users of circular polarizer filters. The lens is also fully casketed and sealed for dust and moisture resistance, and it features an electronic diaphragm with circular blades for natural-looking background blur effects.

The EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR will be supplied with the latest versions of Canon’s powerful software applications, including Digital Photo Professional 3.0 and EOS Utility 2.0, which now support the camera’s Remote Live View and Dust Delete Data functions, as well as incorporating a broad range of additional improvements designed to improve image quality and speed up workflow. Also included are new versions of ZoomBrowser EX and ImageBrowser for easy browsing, viewing, printing and archiving with compatible computer operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, as well as Mac OS X.

According to Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A. Inc., “The new EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR is an essential tool for professional sports photographers and photojournalists because of its exceptional speed and durability and it will attract a broad range of other professional and advanced amateur photographers because of its superior image quality and improved low-light performance. In designing the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR, Canon responded to the requests of its many professional customers by adding new features that cater to their demanding needs. But at the same time, we have once again raised the bar for digital SLR cameras by introducing new technologies that only Canon can offer with the legendary EOS System.”