Canon 5D mark 3 vs. mark 2 – High ISO noise test

by Sebastian WöberMarch 22^nd, 2012

It’s Canon 5D mark III time!
Here’s a quick comparison between the Canon 5D mark II and mark III at high ISO levels.

This was the test setup:
Shot #1:
Canon 5D mark 2 @ ISO 6400 + Canon 35mm L f1.4 @ f2.0
Source File: LINK
vs.
Canon 5D mark 3 @ ISO 6400 + Canon 35mm L f1.4 @ f2.0
Source File: LINK

Shot #2:
Canon 5D mark 2 @ ISO 3200 + Canon 35mm L f1.4 @ f1.4
Source File: LINK
vs.
Canon 5D mark 3 @ ISO 3200 + Canon 35mm L f1.4 @ f1.4
Source File: LINK

The conclusion I draw from this test:
In terms of lowlight performance the 5D mark 3 is far superior over the 5D mark 2 and most other HDSLR’s by Canon. For me the previous bearable maximum was shooting at ISO 1600 on a mark 2, but it is now ok to shoot at ISO 6400.
It is not only the better sensor performance, but also the better image compression the mark III now provides that gives us a more natural image noise.
This test also clearly shows that in terms of image sharpness the 5D mark 3 provides no improvement over previous HDSLRs whatsoever. I think this is the one thing many expected to improve. I’m afraid if you need a much sharper image you will have to grab a C300 and you can expect Canon not to give you anything as sharp for a while.
To be honest I think it will be several years before we see the famous Canon “C” camera.

What’s your conclusion? Let us know in the comments.