The Canon EOS and Photography Forums

Bob, could you answer this question: If a photographer has a 7d and only prints up to 13 x 19, are there any reasons to also have a 5d III?...thanks

My guess would be no, unless you are shooting at high ISO settings (say ISO 3200 or more) and you're looking closely at the print. The 5D MkIII certainly does show a noise advantage at higher ISO settings. I'm not sure at what ISO that difference would start to become noticeable but my guess is that at 800 and below it wouldn't be much of an issue and at 3200 and up you'd start to see it more and more. When I get hold of a 5D MkIII to test I'll be able to give a better answer on that score.

Mu understanding is that the AF system of the 5D MkIII may be better (faster) too, but the 7D is very good and unless you're shooting fast moving subjects, AF isn't going to materially affect image sharpness.

The third reason favoring the 5DIII might be the availability of high quality wideangle lenses like the new 24/2.8 II IS, 28/2.8 II IS and 24-70/2.8 II. You can use them on a 7D but they won't be as wide.  That could have an influence on the image quality of large prints, but only as a secondary effect.

Whether any potential benefits would be worth the price difference (currently around $2000) is a question that depends on how deep your pockets are and your application! If I was a professional wedding or portrait photographer for example, I'd want the 5D MkIII, but mostly for issues not related to print quality at 13x19 at low to mid ISO settings.

Thanks, Bob...I'll be looking for your review.