There’s been a host of new camera options (the Canon C300, RED Scarlet, etc.) made available to upstart filmmakers and production companies in recent months. However, the 5D was the market’s (affordable) originator and its newest iteration, the Mk III, looks to continue its standing as the industry staple.
Unveiled today, the 22.3-megapixel Mk III also comes equipped with the Digic 5+ processor found in Canon’s top-of-the-line 1DX camera—it’s 17 times more powerful than the Mk II’s Digic 4 chip. And the Mk III’s new gapless micro lens reportedly lets in more light, so the amount of noise seen at the Mk II’s ISO 6400 is now what you get at the Mk III’s ISO 25,600.
Even the smaller changes should make prove significant. For one, the Mk III now packs a headphone jack, so users can finally monitor audio levels during filming.
The camera will hit stores at the end of March. Priced at $3,500 for the body and $4,300 for the kit including a 24-105mm lens, it’s about $1,000 more than its predecessor, which will live on at a marked-down price. That’ll make for two different price points for the 5D, at which there are probably no better alternatives.
