Review: Canon 1DX Mark III is a flagship camera with a flagship price

The big Canon 1DX Mark III exudes quality and robustness.

Taken with a Canon 1DX Mark III camera. Picture: Neale Maynard

Cameras can be a bit like cars. Some are uninspiring, some are competent, and some are aspirational.

Canon's new 1DX Mark III is in the last category, an image capturing machine designed to deliver the best over and over again with amazing ISO ability, freakish frames per second (up to 20 with autofocus tracking and electronic shutter) and weather-and-dust-defying build quality.

The Mark III is the latest in the 1DX line, a series of professional cameras that we wouldn't usually review in The Australian – except that non-professionals with deep pockets do actually buy them.

An acquaintance with a 1DX Mark II shared some stunning images from a rodeo taken on the previous version of this camera, the autofocus delivering stunning sharpness. He's a very keen amateur and, like other keen prosumers, the 1DX is an aspirational purchase for some photographers, and a tool of trade for many others.

The big Canon tips the scales at 1.44kg, exudes quality and robustness and has a magnesium alloy body that feels like you could use it to hammer in a nail.

Inside, the 20.1 megapixel full-frame 1DX is a hi-tech wonderland of Canon cleverness.

Taken with a Canon 1DX Mark III camera. Picture: Neale Maynard

There's an extended ISO range that starts at 50 and goes all the way up to ISO 819,200. Older readers will remember when fast film in the pre-digital era was a lofty ISO 400.

Dynamic range is said to be better than previous models, and Canon has implemented a new high-detail low-pass filter. Some digital cameras, particularly high-resolution models like Nikon's D810, removed the low-pass or anti-aliasing filter to ensure maximum detail.

Low-pass filters are designed to reduce moire in images – patterns which can interfere with an image. Canon's approach has been to keep the filter in place while ensuring detail loss is minimised.

There's a new type of mirror system which Canon says allows it to achieve almost zero mirror bounce while achieving 16 frames per second (or 20 fps in Live View mode). Press the shutter button in high-speed drive mode and the camera sounds amazing (as you'd expect with the shutter firing 16 times per second) although it can also run silently using the electronic shutter.

Despite this impressive speed (and the need to power a host of internal systems), the camera's battery has sufficient grunt to allow 2850 shots per charge.

Picture: Neale Maynard

The 1DX Mark III uses the new CFexpress fast memory cards, so users can continue shooting without having to wait for the images to write to the cards.

And as well as built-in GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, there's built-in Ethernet which is faster than its predecessor, and an option of wireless file transfer via the new WFT-E9 accessory.

The camera also has some impressive video credentials: 4K full frame video with RAW recording and in-built 5-axis stabilisation for video via Movie Digital IS.

Our 1DX Mark III test camera delivered excellent results using Canon's 70-200 2.8 lens on an early morning seaside walk and coupled with the 85mm f1.4 lens it produced some pleasing imagery.

The 1DX Mark III is a flagship camera with a flagship price – it's listed on Canon's website at $11,299 and at some retailers for a little less. The warranty is an impressive five years.