I went from a 5D MKii to an R5. Admittedly not the type of jump you are making, and the AF on the MK ii is worse than the mk iii, but it was literal night and day. I went from getting 2 out of ever 10 photos of my dog (who is 99% black) to getting 9 out of every 10 photos with nailed focus. The AF is absolutely amazing, and yes you can use all your EF lenses with an adapter and there is no optical detriment as there is no glass or optics at all in the adapter, it is just a spacer. The Eye AF is brilliant and I now use dual back button AF so I can hold one button down and it will focus on to the eye of the subject or I can hold a different button and it will use the AF point. Very flexible and feels like cheating when you first start using it. If I were you, take a couple of your favourite lenses and go to a second hand camera shop and try out the R8, R, and the R6. That will give you a good selection. Any of the full frame R cameras will be an upgrade in the AF and dynamic range department. The EOS R uses the same sensor as the 5D mk IV for example, and that is the oldest of all the full frame mirrorless R range. Regarding the EVF and refresh rate, the R can go up to 60hz which is ok but for many people feels like a downgrade vs optical view finders. The r8 and the R6 both go to 120hz which is what I use on my R5. It means your battery life takes a bit of a hit but it is so much better and not laggy at all. Great for taking pictures of fast action. Then you can fully appreciate being able to instantly see exposure through the EVF and not be distracted by the poor response times. Make sure if you try the cameras out, to set the EVF to 120hz in the settings. I am sure someone in the shop would be able to assist you with that. The cameras will default to 60hz. Answer from Qazax1337 on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/canon › how does canon 5d mark iii compare to today’s canon full-frame mirrorless? should i upgrade?
r/canon on Reddit: How does Canon 5d mark iii compare to today’s Canon full-frame mirrorless? Should I upgrade?
February 2, 2024 -

I was a part-time photographer who quit photography for a couple of years. I was using a Canon 5d mark iii and loved it.

Now I want to do photography again as a hobby. I’m surprised to find out that mirrorless now has better auto-focus than dslr!

I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth it to replace my 5d3 with a modern camera.

I loved my 5d3 but there are a couple of areas I wish it was better:

  1. Auto-focus:

i do miss focus on my 5d3 from time to time, especially taking night time portraits with a wide-open prime lens. I saw new mirrorless can automatically focus on the eye of the model. That seems a big upgrade, is it? How much better is the autofocus on modern mirrorless compared to Canon 5d3?

2. Dynamic range:

I wish I could retrieve more details from the overexposed and underexposed areas of my raw photos when edit them. I couldn’t find any comparison, so was wondering if the technology in this area also took a big leap?

Things I am satisfied with 5d3 and do NOT care for an upgrade: Video capabilities (I don’t shoot video), picture resolution, burst capabilities.

So would you recommend me to replace my 5d3? What’s the cheapest full-frame camera I can buy to upgrade the autofocus and dynamic range from 5d3? Second-hand EOS R? How is the lag on the screen/view finder? I had an old digital camera before and the electronic view finder was so laggy for shooting moving subject.

Also I have some EF lenses (with autofocus). I just need an adapter to continue using them on a Canon mirrorless, correct? Will there be any drawbacks comparing to replacing the EF lenses with mirrorless mount lenses?

Top answer
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I went from a 5D MKii to an R5. Admittedly not the type of jump you are making, and the AF on the MK ii is worse than the mk iii, but it was literal night and day. I went from getting 2 out of ever 10 photos of my dog (who is 99% black) to getting 9 out of every 10 photos with nailed focus. The AF is absolutely amazing, and yes you can use all your EF lenses with an adapter and there is no optical detriment as there is no glass or optics at all in the adapter, it is just a spacer. The Eye AF is brilliant and I now use dual back button AF so I can hold one button down and it will focus on to the eye of the subject or I can hold a different button and it will use the AF point. Very flexible and feels like cheating when you first start using it. If I were you, take a couple of your favourite lenses and go to a second hand camera shop and try out the R8, R, and the R6. That will give you a good selection. Any of the full frame R cameras will be an upgrade in the AF and dynamic range department. The EOS R uses the same sensor as the 5D mk IV for example, and that is the oldest of all the full frame mirrorless R range. Regarding the EVF and refresh rate, the R can go up to 60hz which is ok but for many people feels like a downgrade vs optical view finders. The r8 and the R6 both go to 120hz which is what I use on my R5. It means your battery life takes a bit of a hit but it is so much better and not laggy at all. Great for taking pictures of fast action. Then you can fully appreciate being able to instantly see exposure through the EVF and not be distracted by the poor response times. Make sure if you try the cameras out, to set the EVF to 120hz in the settings. I am sure someone in the shop would be able to assist you with that. The cameras will default to 60hz.
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AF is substantially better, especially coming from the 5D3. Raw files are substantially more flexible especially in the shadows directly compared to the 5D3, which I always found a bit piss poor to edit raw files from. VF lag is not an issue unless you're always shooting in uber low light where it'll drop the refresh rate to get a good exposure for AF. Your lenses will adapt and work better than they ever did on EF. R6 Mark II is all the camera you need and more, the original R6 has a small resolution drop but still fantastic and can be had refurbished from Canon in the US quite easily, and used elsewhere for keen prices.
Discussions

Canon 5d Mark iii ve Canon 5d Mark iv - Renk Farkı : r/canon
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Why are Canon 5D Mark III and IV so expensive?
5D IV holds it value because it's reliable, it's widely considered one of the best cameras Canon has ever produced More on reddit.com
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98
50
February 14, 2024
Canon 5D III VS 5D MK IV
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Canon 5D III VS 5D MK IV
The 5D4 gives you a higher resolution sensor (30 vs 22 MP) and better autofocus. It also adds the autoflicker feature for shooting with certain lighting. Tons of video differences. I wouldn't expect it to be different with regard to color. Frankly, you should be taking the processing out of the equation by shooting raw. More on reddit.com
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February 10, 2025
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Gizmodo
gizmodo.com › canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-review-the-best-dslr-for-shootin-5895239
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review: The Best DSLR for Shooting Video
March 23, 2012 - Yeah, the Mark II is still a killer deal, but the 5D Mark III is better. That’s all there is to it. The refinements just make it a vastly better tool for photographers and videographers. The autofocus system alone is enough to justify choosing the Mark III over the Mark II. But it’s all of the refinements—the sum of the Mark III’s parts—that make it the best camera you can spend $3,500 on. https://gizmodo.com/why-you-should-buy-a-canon...
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Camera Decision
cameradecision.com › specs › Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Detailed Specs
3.20" Fixed Type Screen · Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder · 6.0fps continuous shooting · 950g. 152 x 116 x 76 mm · Weather-sealed Body · Replaced Canon 5D MII · Replaced by Canon 5D MIV · Check price at AMAZON · Check price at B&H PHOTO · Canon EOS 5D Mark III Detailed Specifications ·
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Canon Central and North Africa
en.canon-cna.com › for home › product range › cameras › eos digital slr and compact system cameras
Canon EOS 5D Mark III - EOS Digital SLR and Compact System Cameras - Canon Central and North Africa
The EOS 5D Mark III is a full-frame 22.3 MP DSLR with 61-point autofocus and 6fps continuous shooting. Capture high-quality Full HD movies, with manual control over everything from frame rate to audio.
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EOSHD
eoshd.com › news › hands-on-with-the-canon-5d-mark-iii
Hands-on with the Canon 5D Mark III video mode - EOSHD.com - Filmmaking Gear and Camera Reviews
March 7, 2012 - But Atomos Ninja owners might be disappointed with the fact that there will be no 10bit 4-2-2 uncompressed 1080p from the 5D Mark III. Canon told me the sensor downscales onboard and outputs a uncompressed video feed directly to DIGIC 5+ which then processes and encodes it.
Find elsewhere
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MPB
mpb.com › en-us › product › canon-eos-5d-mark-iii
Used Canon EOS 5D Mark III
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is a full-frame DSLR built for reliable performance across stills and video. Its 22.3-megapixel sensor delivers detailed images with wide dynamic range, while the 61-point AF system ensures accurate subject tracking.
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Canon U.S.A.
usa.canon.com › home › canon support › eos 5d mark iii
Canon Support for EOS 5D Mark III | Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Title Canon Support | Service Notice: EOS-5D Mark III RAW file processing with DPP ver. 3.11.10
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The Phoblographer
thephoblographer.com › home › long term review: canon 5d mark iii
Long Term Review: Canon 5D Mark III - The Phoblographer
August 17, 2012 - The first thing you might notice is that the back LCD screen is now a bigger, more wide screen version at 3.2″ rather than the 3.0″ on the 5D Mark II. The LCD is quite vibrant and is very easy to see, even in daylight.
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Localnavy433photography
localnavy433photography.com › 2024 › 04 › 14 › long-term-review-of-the-canon-5d-mark-iii-for-general-photography
Long term review of the Canon 5D Mark III: For General Photography – LocalNavy433 Photography
April 14, 2024 - The reason for this is simply they for some reason decided that a warm and magenta tone was going to be baked into the files. I found that shooting on the cooler side gives me a realistic look on the back of the camera. This has taught me to really work on the white balance more in post. The Canon 5D3 taught me to become a better natural editor on my images.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Canon_EOS_5D_Mark_III
Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Wikipedia
January 15, 2026 - The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is a professional-grade 22.3 megapixel full-frame digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera made by Canon. Announced on 2 March 2012 as the successor to the EOS 5D Mark II, the camera featured a 61-point autofocus system ...
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Canon
global.canon › en › c-museum › product › dslr808.html
EOS 5D Mark III - Canon Camera Museum
Succeeding the highly acclaimed EOS 5D Mark II, released in November 2008, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR camera achieves significant advances in imaging performance to support a wide range of imaging-expression possibilities. The newly developed 35 mm full-frame approximately 22.3-megapixel CMOS sensor employs an improved photo diode structure and eliminates the gaps between the microlenses to realize enhanced sensitivity and low-noise performance.
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PCMAG
pcmag.com › home › reviews › cameras
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review | PCMag
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
The long-awaited successor to Canon's extremely popular EOS 5D Mark II camera is finally here. As its name implies, the company's 22-megapixel EOS 5D Mark III ($3,499 list, body only) is an evolutionary upgrade rather than a revolutionary one. The full-frame Mark III's improvements are largely ...
Rating: 4 ​
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Photography Life
photographylife.com › home › reviews › cameras and lenses
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review
Canon 5D Mark III
At the end of the day, it is not ... the 5D Mark III is obviously from the standpoint of a long time Nikon shooter, so you will find plenty of comparisons and references to Nikon in this review. Sensor: 22.3 MP full frame CMOS sensor, 6.25µ pixel size ... Movie Modes: 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps), 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps) ... A detailed list of camera specifications is available at Canon.c...
Rating: 4.5 ​
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Digital Photography Review
dpreview.com › reviews › cameras › canon eos 5d mark iii
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review: DPReview | Photography News, Gear Reviews & Community
The new sensor, coupled with Canon's latest DIGIC 5+ processor, offers a standard ISO range of 100 - 25,600 that's expandable to 50 - 102,800. An 8-channel sensor readout enables continuous shooting at 6 fps.
Published   May 23, 2012
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Newegg
newegg.com › home › electronics › digital cameras › dslr cameras › canon
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3MP Full Frame CMOS with 1080P Full-HD Video Mode Digital SLR Camera - Body Only - Newegg.com
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 5260B002 Black Digital SLR Camera - Body Only
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3MP Full Frame CMOS with 1080P Full-HD Video Mode Digital SLR Camera - Body Only
Price   $1,394.95
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My Photo Mojo
myphotomojo.com › home › canon eos 5d mark iii vs canon eos 5d mark iv
Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Canon EOS 5D Mark IV - My Photo Mojo
April 4, 2018 - The wait is over! Canon have announced the 5D Mark IV, the successor to the hugely popular Canon EOS 5D Mark III. I confess to purchasing my Mark III the day it was released (2nd March 2012), making my camera body, four & a half years old! Being a full time working portrait photographer, it’s fair to say my Mark III has been put through it’s paces, including even being run over at one stage, yet it’s still going strong.
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Backscatter
backscatter.com › Canon-5D-MarkIII-Camera
Canon EOS 5D Mark III Camera Body
Canon is proud to present the highly anticipated EOS 5D Mark III. With supercharged EOS performance and stunning full frame, high-resolution image capture, the EOS 5D Mark III is designed to perform.
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Videomaker
videomaker.com › home › reviews › cameras
Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR Review - Videomaker
June 13, 2022 - Uncompressed video output via HDMI is really all that's left that we could have asked for from the 5D Mark III, and we're hoping that Canon will give it to us in a future firmware update. Until then, the Mark III is still a safe purchase for veteran DSLR shooters. For those of you who have been waiting on the sidelines, it's time to put your reservations to rest and take a good hard look at shooting video with a still camera. Sensor: CMOS Sensor Size: 36x24mm (35mm Full-frame) Effective Pixels: 22.3MP Maximum Still Image Area: 5760 x 3840 Still Image File Format: JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon Origin