Review of the Canon 5Dmk3

For more info check out my blog post and review here: www.philipbloom.net/?p=24586
The camera was bought by me and the review was done in my own time for the readers of my blog. I have never and will never be paid by a manufacurer to review a product. For more on my ethics please read the above linked blog post.
Filmed on location in New Zealand

[@SuhaibHussain]

I just got my 5d3 last week. Everything you say in this video Mr.Bloom is true about the sharpness. Amazing the amount of detail you can pull back in post if you shoot flat with this camera. The depth of field just expands!!! Thanks for all your advice in your videos. You are a true inspiration.

[@nelsonpun]

I love coming back to this review to see how far weve come. Still Cant believe we all gushed over this level of quality!

[@philipbloom]

I much preferred the mk II image. It had more character. The mk iii was bland, had improvements in many ways but given the choice today over which to use it would be the mk ii.

[@proto35]

impressed with the review Philip. I have seen many, many MANY reviews on the mrk3, and I must say, I feel that you have taken it to the fullest and best possible way to review it. Pros and cons, and wonderful before and after video shots. Its good to see someone taking it seriously and in such in depth. Definitely a wonderful camera, it hopefully I will be picking one up in the next 3 months or so.

[@RISE-327]

Thankyou Philip for coming to NZ and doing this,i pick up my mk3 today! this review has been a big boost to my decision,cant wait to get stuck in and shoot local events and music videos,i really am exited about the slow mo be it 720 its all i need at this stage,good on ya Canon :]

[@Seeringipity]

I thought I recognized the opening scenes of this video, I have made the trip from Wellington to Picton many times. The camera movement provided by the ferry is really excellent. You have captured the countryside of NZ quite nicely in my opinion, moody and dramatic, delicate and characterful, a majestic landscape that is made up of contrasting details. It's nice to see such an aesthetically beautiful gear review! The mkiii is such a temptation for me but I am resisting the urge to upgrade from my mkii for now. From a 'gear' perspective I am convinced but from the creative aspect I cannot in all honesty convince myself that it would be justified...

[@philipbloom]

"on every level"...how did you work that out now? Detail and dynamic range...sure but "every level"? Have you used both of these cameras?

[@PeterFritzWalter]

Why so many negative comments? I do not understand. I have the 5D Mark II and I am fully satisfied. Honestly, what this camera communites to me contantly is that I am not good enough for the camera versus most of you are saying, that the camera is not good enough for you. I have followed up to Mr. Bloom over now two years, and I got to believe that he is not a company promoter but an individual and very gifted photographer and filmmaker. He has a very clear pragmatic mind.

[@AntonSeim]

Seeing those backlit, late-afternoon shots of waves, with no moire, is kinda blowing my mind.

[@jimmy2035]

Hi Philip, I enjoy learning from your reviews and appreciate the extra empirical knowledge. Wish you many years of success and I hope to meet you one day. One of my mates met you while you were at DigiDirect camera store in Sydney at Bondi Junction, he was stoked at what a cool bloke you are.

[@CFProductionX]

The EOS 5D Mark III used to be good. But a couple of weeks ago it became even better. Thanks to the developers of the Magic Lantern firmware add-on the EOS 5D Mark III can record uncompressed 14-bit raw videos with a resolution of 1920 X 1080 at 24 frames per second. I've seen comparisons between the 5D and the BMCC and in my opinion the 5D's raw videos looked even better ...

[@philipbloom]

Interesting language. Am sure the eloquence serves you well. Did you manage to see the shots that were out of the camera...not are to miss!? Thanks again for being so pleasant.

[@RathOX]

Do you think the 5Dmk3 is still worth it today 2nd hand?

[@SwitchMultiMedia]

Just got it and the first thing I did was find a Philip Bloom review. As always great, honest and to the point. I must say I'm keeping my MkII due to the very little money I can now get if I sell it. Can never have to much full frame so bye bye 7D.

[@DrClementShimizu]

Thanks Philip Bloom, I hope the canon folks treat you like royalty, because this video really pushed me over the edge to buy the 5d MK3.

[@alanrad5]

Thanks for taking the time to give us these great reviews. I would not buy a camera you have not reviewed. I have bought the 5d3. Appreciated. Alan

[@smaakjeks]

j dam It's an absolute joy to use.

[@smaakjeks]

j dam If you have the money to spare, I would say yes. However, with camera gear, I highly recommend checking a reliable used market. If you pick out a few models you have your eyes on (Nikon D800 and Canon 6D are both even contenders), you keep a look out for when someone is selling one of those models at a reasonable price (and maybe with lenses you want as well). Nutshell review: The 5D MkIII is really, really expensive, but what I find in reviews is that it's a fantastic all-round camera. Other cameras are better and worse at different things, but MkIII does outstanding when working with video and photo. That's why I bought it. Top of the line performance all around with no compromise. I have no fanboy mentality: this was my first DSLR. So, I have no optics I needed to justify a Canon purchase for. So, ask yourself what you want a camera for. If you have one specific purpose in mind, you can get away with a cheaper camera that perhaps even does the job slightly better than the MkIII.

[@smaakjeks]

j dam Can't help you there. That's something you should consult your family/friends/colleagues with. Best of luck!

[@BurhanEnterpriseKuwait]

This is the first video i have seen on your channel and i am soo glad i accidently found you ! :D Subscribed... Really love your video quality and style ;D

[@TPVPRO]

I agree with everything you said about the 5D MIII. A coworker purchased one and I had the lovely experience of playing with the camera. I use magic lantern with my T2i and 60D and I must say audio is not a issue. I have had great results but the 5D MII on the other hand not so much. But great review as always cheers!

[@DanielByronYT]

Wow! That scene were the trees go from out of the camera footage to sharpened footage is amazing! I actually said "wow" out loud :D

[@philipbloom]

i choose my words utterly correctly. Not SEEING audio levels means what exactly then?

[@malik_alharb]

he always looks like he's in a movie rather than doing a review

[@spawnofsatenzslutz]

Phillip you are one i look up to as a photographer and cinimatographer,your the main reson that pushed me to start learing video,i wish to one day to meet you..

[@nuncio78]

I'm completely blown away by your review! Great overall points brought up that are important to us independent film directors. But the question I have is this; what lenses did you use in your shots? I'm getting ready to buy on but I'm in need of some lens review. Thanks Philip Bloom!

[@philipbloom]

thanks Johnny. Why would i mention 4k here?

[@spider1g5]

I love your reviews, from an Indi Director to the Pro, we all thank you (the color grading reminds me of FilmRiot!)

[@BrotherBloat]

What a fantastic, in-depth review. Mr Bloom, you are awesome! Also: your motel room 'set' looks better than 90% of 'studios' one can see on-line... :]

[@philipbloom]

am sad to say the 6d has all the image issues of the mk2...just with better low light

[@philipbloom]

that's James my assistant who removed the olpf. It's on my blog, he wrote a detailed post on it. Not something i recommend though.

[@FlashOneFilms]

Heyy Phil, Now that the Black Magic is coming out with the 4k what do you suggest among these two cameras since they pretty much around the price?

[@ABColour]

Great photographer/filmaker...!congratulations for your reviews and all this precious knowledge!

[@klokanRsk]

Great video as always, Philip, and amazing NZ shots. Greetings from Vltava (Prague)!

[@forgottenbow]

I've been out of the loop so long I didn't even know this was coming!

[@chrisshent]

THAT review! 5DMK3 still works great for me, best coupled with a L-Series lens and an external Atomos recorder. Lacking the useful autofocus though, but otherwise...

[@CFProductionX]

If you're searching for a DSLM not just for video but also for photografy I suggest to wait until Canon anounces the EOS MII (The successor of the EOS M). Since the EOS M is Canon's first DSLM it has some heavy issues like the super slow auto focus. But Canon said that they want to adress these issues with the next modell. If you want it just for video: With Magic Lantern it should be able to record 1280 X 720 RAW video! Not better than the 5D Mark III but the best you can get for 400 €!

[@philipbloom]

I wish...afraid not...many moire and aliasing issues and of the course the dreaded rolling shutter.

[@AndreRishi]

Excellent and useful review! Awesome, no, PHENOMENAL shots. Good job.

[@kelseydavidshryer]

Thanks Philip! Always respect and appreciate your experience opinion

[@johnnyViDeO]

I was under the impression that the 5DIII did 4k, but it's the 1 D C. I wonder why Canon did not include 1080 60p.

[@AEDigitalProductions]

Hello Philip, very informative review! Question, do you think if you record on the Canon 5d Mark iii with the Atomos Ninja blade through the (now) clean hdmi, is post sharpening still necessary to get the same detail as your post sharpening examples in this review?

[@clutchpictures5083]

We've wondered this ourselves. In theory I think no, but what's the harm in trying? If it looks better, great!. Sometimes I will run Magic Bullet Denoiser on a shot, boosting it 10%, other times 70%. whatever looks better. We'd be interested to hear if you've tried it.

[@garrettgibbons]

Fantastic review. Thank you! In my opinion, the post sharpening (while better than the in-camera sharpening) doesn't look good for the high-detail, deep-DOF shots. It looks lovely in the shallow-DOF footage to my eye.

[@perhaar]

Hi, What kind of sharpening filter do you use to bring out all the details like that? Is that just the build in from your editor, and if so what program du you use to edit? I have the Canon EOS 6D and have kind of the same "problem" that you talked about. I'm using Premiere Pro from Adobe... Thanks a lot /PH

[@nimasoufiani1636]

Thank you very much Philip! I enjoy these videos and find it very insightful. Keep up the good work.

[@PeeHooo]

Phillip, have checked out the Nikon D5200? The image looks pretty darn clean for a entry-level DSRL, there is not almost any moire or aliasing problems in the video. And it looks sharp as well. Plus you have clean HDMI out, which is pretty darn cool.

[@ruiz460]

Hey Philip, Thanks for another great review. Have you found there to be a "sweet spot" with the Premiere sharpener on the Mark III footage? I have been testing a little on some interviews using 2 mark III's - 1 with a 50mm A cam, the other 70-200mm B cam. It seems that each shot can take a different amount of sharpening. Would you suggest to stay around a certain point (sharpener number) to get the clearest image out of the camera? Thanks!

[@supremebacon]

Mr. Bloom, you helped me finalize my decision to buy a Mark III. Thank you for that.

[@PollyTikkle]

Dear Phillip, The difference with the "sharpen" filter is mind blowing. I am thinking of purchasing this camera but I use FCP. To your knowledge will the FCP 'sharpen' filter be just as effective. Also at 90mpbs recording rate need I be concerned about purchasing Ninja 2 to capture broadcast quality. The ninja is quite heavy. It really crushes me to know that even with the clean HDMI update they have not figured out a way to keep the on camera monitor on.A ninja strapped to your belt is ideal

[@kontube00]

good as always Mr. Bloom.

[@thephpjo]

he said it: prolost flat. This means it is simply the built in Neutral Picturestyle with Sharpening set to 0, Contrast to -4 and Saturation to -2. So it is Neutral(0,-4,-2,0)

[@LouisLuzuka]

would you still recommend this in 2016? or do you push people to save up for a 4k sony camera like the a7s or a7s mk ii or a6500?

[@mcladrifter]

Yes, the 5D4 is a disappointment for video from what I've heard, but ML is available for the 5D3. The A7R/S 2 are still considered heavyweights, as for the 6500, there is not the much in it between that and the 6300

[@LouisLuzuka]

omg i don't know what to pick ):

[@philipbloom]

yup!

[@puiselo]

it's not really a "filter", it's more like an effect in adobe premiere (and other editing programs). Sharpening can be used when post processing your footage in premiere, just choose it from the "video effects"-list

[@pauchara]

Your sound in this VIDEO just marvelous! I wish you could make a tutorial for better post Video work! You are my inspiration! Just ordered 5Dm3

[@tonybeccar]

Great review!! Such beautiful images, as always... I wanted to ask you if you got your hands on a 6D recently?? I'm planning to upgrade from my 7D and wanted to know how the 6D competes with the 5DmkIII according to your excelent review on fine detail, anti aliasing and moiré.. Thank your VERY much, cheers from Argentina!!

[@ibbzto]

Hi Philip - I love your reviews. Great work! Could you tell me what lens were you using when you shot this on Mark 3? Thks

[@foxtowerproductions]

Great work as usual, Phillip. You've pretty much convinced me to sell my Mark II. BTW: You can get sharpness right out of the camera. Google this "Filmmaker removes 5D Mark III's low-pass filter for increased sharpness." Cheers.

[@DIGITALSCREAMS]

Really like your informative videos thanks. Im looking at a 5d MKIII as my first camera. I have to say I really like the sharpening and color grading you've done....it really makes a massive difference (on my screen atleast!). I don't have any video experience...but im assuming most people use abit of sharpening here and there if it doesn't degrade the image quality too much? What lens did you use to shoot these lovely videos? Many thanks.

[@4xoverland]

AM a pro user just migrated from Mk2 to 3. Thanks for your insight.

[@quickwitha45]

I love my canon 5D markII and it will give you beautiful shots and I love my canon 5D mark III and it gave you beautiful shots, for the money they are both good value they are two different cameras you really you cant compare if you want a perfect camera buy the 1Dx and if you love filming buy a bloody $14,000 video camera! and if you like filming at night buy a $6000 night vision camera!

[@ghaithsalman]

great work man ,i do like,, i would like to know which lenss you used by filming your review ? thanks for all your efforts ,

[@kolourbarproductionmyconat2124]

Great and detailed as usual... But, sir philip Bloom,. here is my observation: wanna suggest that you please ADD subtitle to this review. thanks in advance as i look forward to your usual cooperation.

[@SuperAnalogue]

Most useful & real life 'factful' review I've seen. Thanks.

[@henrikmoellernielsen]

Great review. You say that you should not sharpen video on camera, what program do you then use for sharpening? Thanks, Henrik

[@MrGenericFilmz]

5 minutes into your Black Magic review and turned it off. 5 minutes into this 5dmk3 review, and I went online and bought one. Cheers!

[@georgemaier1293]

What's the track you have playing over the ISO test? It's lovely. I'm guessing from some royalty free compilation or something?

[@Chromaticsketches]

Thank you so much Phil! - I was just gonna get a MKII. I'll save up some more and get the MKIII instead. Still checking out Blackmagic though. What would you recommend? - Thanks again! -Adrian

[@TheDrums11]

These reviews are flipping good quality

[@arctictiger1992]

Is the film at the start of the review filmed from the Picton Ferry in New Zealand?

[@fd3871]

Hey Philip, I was wondering whats your thoughts on the following: I shoot alot in dark rooms, clubs, .etc. Currently I have a 7D, but if I go above, 1200 its just not very usable. For this reason, I have seen a lot of ISO tests with the 6D, 5D Mk ii and iii, and was impressed with the footage from all three cameras. Furthermore there didn't seem to be a huge difference between them. I was wondering, with a limited budget would it be best to get a new 6D, a used Mk ii or to actually save up and get the Mk iii?

[@Tomikene]

i can shoot ISO12800 on 6D its clean!

[@detriplea]

Hi Phil,Am about to do a feature film in July and want to ask wether you think it would be wise to shoot it all on 2 5d Mark 3's? Also,watched some of Danny Lacey's films, love your style

[@curtishenderson3944]

Great review. Can you do a tutorial video on the post sharpening and color grading?

[@dspjonathan]

What did you use in Premiere to increase the Sharpening please? What is the name of the filter!? THX very nice job by the way!

[@nhapzmoreno]

5d3 stomps my 7D ...aliasing,moire,noise and lowlight i was impressed to the mrkIII iQ.. i keep my 7D for backup camera to use 8fps and 1.6x crop for far range

[@dropdown305]

Awesome review Mr. Bloom. Keep at it.

[@SterlingTheFilmmaker]

Mr. Bloom, are you adding the cinematic black bars on the top and bottom in post? May I ask why you do this? What is the purpose? (I do it as well just because I think it looks cool aha). I was just curious as to what purpose it serves. Do you do this on footage to be shown on the big screen as well? Thank you for all of your reviews and for all the work you do!

[@TheUltimateBlooper]

I'm pretty sure it's to emulate the cinema 1:2.35 format for the most part. A lot of people do it. But I'd say don't add-in the black bars but rather just crop the video to the 2.35 format and it'll be lighter on your hard drive.

[@SterlingTheFilmmaker]

Thanks man. I appreciate your comment. I'll try that.

[@TheUltimateBlooper]

SterlingTheFilmmaker No problem!

[@SAndSPictures]

2.35:1 Not the other way around.

[@TheUltimateBlooper]

S&S Pictures Lmao, honest typo :)

[@t2nolan]

Can you talk about your color grading around 13:31 and 14:10? It looks great coming off of a DSLR!

[@PointGuardOfficial]

hey phil for the test shots that you are showing throughout the video are these taken with magic lantern?

[@nickm977]

5Dmkiii forever!

[@tanjaree]

The best mk3 review.

[@TheHolibonich]

Hey the beginning song is from the tree of life! The Moldau River , Are you a fan of Terrance Malick?

[@cuboirs]

what plug exactly do you use for sharpening in post? also for grading? btw great video

[@CFProductionX]

Yes, I worked with them and you are right: It's very time consuming to edit RAW footage. But you can work with the Magic Lantern RAW videos in Resolve just like you can do it with the normal Blackmagic Cinema DNG files. So, working with the Magic Lantern RAWs isn't worse than it is with other RAW cameras :)

[@hugoomoreira]

thanks for the response. was in doubt to buy the Sony A99 or Nikon D800. I think I'm going to nikon D800 Greetings Hugo Moreira

[@DirectorsGuild]

Hi. I am going to purchase the Mark III right now! :) I hope to (eventually) bring my creations to the big screen. Would you be kind enough to make a tutorial video about MUST HAVE EQUIPMENT to go with the Mk III for big screen. ie Absolutely essential Lens, MemCards, Microphone, Rigs, anything that you personally use. Also what camera settings do you recommend for optimal usage of the MkIII? Can premiere handle the footage natively? Is there image loss? Many many thanks. :)

[@sya007]

hey there! good job with the review. how do you do the sharpening and grading of those videos? e.g. apps. thank you!

[@tommorgan6771]

Is there an equivalent Sharpening/Grading filter for Final Cut Pro X and/or After Effects? Thanks for all your tips Philip!

[@jensemand]

Hello Phillip and thanks. Do you shoot a standard picture profile or all flat?

[@Obniaa]

Hi Philip, You have inspired many of us. Thank you. I have just finished my phd and I am thinking of making science videos. The goal is to excite and attract young minds in science and engineering. So I need a video camera, I was thinking of getting a Panasonic AG-AF100 over Canon 5d mark iii. I was more inclined towards the panasonic one, since I can get a used one for 2300 USD also I can shoot 60 fps at full HD. Do you have any preference.

[@GsChandra]

super cinematography is really awesome

[@philipbloom]

Check out my site

[@Nijoto]

Hi Phillip, do you have videos on your post processing/grading techniques? I'd love to see them if you do; and if not, it would be great if you made one. :)

[@smaakjeks]

Very informative! This will make a world of difference for my videos! Thanks! Also: it would be helpful for us fledgling video-makers to know which export setting you use for the videos, and what sharpness effect levels work best. :-)

[@StillPictureProduction]

Thank you for pointing out the lack of sharpness and fix. I was wondering how sharpness would differ, or be the same, once Canon releases the new firmware and then the Ninja 2 is used? Thank you.

[@GabeDavid]

like the dragan-like effect in the riport :) DaVinci?

[@BryanConover]

Gee...it only took Canon a half a decode to implement the ability to change audio levels while recording?

[@GautamBhuyan]

Best Review on KZbin

[@rokuthekiller]

Hi there, just some questions from an arts & film-making student in Mexico. I have the option of working with a 5D mark iii and a FS100 (haven't tested the Sony yet), but in a quick comparison, which one gives you less rolling shutter and less moiré?? and, what about sharpening??... Would you rather use the FS100 for handheld shooting??

[@SeaLight]

Do you use an unsharp mask, or just simply sharpening. Finding it hard to figure out which is better for 5Dmk3 footage.

[@MOVIMKR7]

im glad the mk3 is out, now the firmware upgrade could happen if canon wants to beat theyellow grandfather. but its on canon

[@PatrickJasonMagic]

Hello Philip, Can you also use Premiers sharpening on 6d footage? Does it go crap like the mark ii does or is it crispy and sharp like the mark iii? Thanks a lot!!

[@lenalee6094]

With the rolling shutter still an issue, does that mean the mark III isn't suitable for sliding, panning or hard moving action?

[@-ZELTHELD-]

Great review Philip. However, I cannot help it, from a non professional view, I find those first treated intro shot a bit "processed" looking, a bit like 3D effect with what we call in German "Scherenschnitt" appearance (scissor cut would be the translation), as those sharpened edges of the landscapes do not give smooth perception of "real" depth. If I imagine most consumer set have HQV or QDEO processing on top (like in full HD beamers / TVs) it can be better to leave it a bit less processed.