High ISO Image Comparison: Canon 5D Mk II vs Canon 5D Mk III

Yesterday, we did a quick comparison of three cameras. But today, we’re featuring the 5D Mk II and 5D Mk III shooting the same image with the 50mm f1.4 at the same settings. Can you tell which one is which?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Image one is from the 5D Mk III, Image 2 is from the 5D Mk II. Thanks for trying!

Gear Used

Process

The cameras were both set to ISO 6400, 1/100th and F4. The white balance was changed to be the same in post-production and the clarity and sharpness were boosted to the same levels.

Images

Image 1

Image 2

So what do you think? Which photo belongs to which camera? Let us know in the comments and why you think so.

No peeking at the EXIF data! We will do more tests in our full review.

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

Tagged as: 50mm, 5d Mk II, 5d mk III, canon, high iso, image quality

phoTobin

my guess would be image 2 is the Mark III for what looks to me in the image to be slightly stronger clarity.
sean lancaster

image 1 is the Mark III for what looks like better sharpness. I cannot tell a difference in noise, but I am on a small laptop and can’t view both at once.
Jesse Scroggins

Image 1 is the Mark III. Less image banding in the dark sky, and the noise looks less muddy overall.
http://www.facebook.com/jacek.hofman Jacek Hofman

Image 1 is the Mark III.
Ypa

i think image2 also is mk3, “big” difference around the 3 lights.
Morganson

I can’t see significant difference beetwen this photos. The noise level is almost same.
quad

Noise levels are similar, the 1st one is 5D mk III, more dynamic range and more accurate color balance.
Ice

1st is mark iii, less noise and has more dynamic range
http://twitter.com/noahtom Noah Tom

It would have been better if you shot both at a green light or both at a red light the color cast is changing the images, but I would say the first image is generally sharper and has less noise.
- ChrisGampat
  
  The color cast isn’t changing the images tremendously. they were adjusted in post to be the same white balance level.
  
  The cast also doesn’t spread throughout the entire image and there are plenty of hints as to which one is which.
  
  *-Chris Gampat*
  Editor in Chief, ThePhoBlographer.com
  Twitter.com/Phoblographer
  Facebook.com/ThePhoblographer
Gianluca

Difficult one. I don’t see difference in noise or dynamic range as others do, but I see more details in picture 1 on the wall on the right between the blackboard and the bench. So pic. 1 is the Mk III
pursh

first one is little warmer so 5d mkii sensor
Michael

image 1 is the Mk3, image 2 is the MK2. Color reproduction and dynamic range on image 1 is slightly better. I am not a working pro, so the more I see the MKII-III comparisons, the more i lean towards putting my cash down for the Mk II (upgrading from a 60D). Silent shooting, better AF, and 6 fps would be fun but so would an extra $1400 in my pocket. These posts really do make you scratch your head a bit- Excellent as always!
Neil

Image 1 shows the highest resolution of detail at that ISO speed. In particular, the corners of the wooden frame round the blackboard have lines where the sections of the wood join, and you can see a significant improvement in detail in image 1 over image 2. In image 2 the joints look slightly mushy. For this reason I believe image 1 to be the 5DIII.

On the note of the 5DIII, I’ve seen significant numbers of people stating that noise isn’t much improved between the 5DII and 5DIII. I personally would say that there isn’t a huge amount of difference in noise, but there is a significant improvement in image quality at high iso speeds. For this reason I feel that the 5DIII images hold up better to noise reduction software, giving more defined detail after processing.

Also, in this particular case, the noise didn’t seem to be massively different, but I’ve seen other examples where it is quite apparent. Different light sources, white balance, ambient temperatures, contrast of light etc. can make huge differences in the case of both cameras.
Pingback: Quick Unscientific High ISO Comparison: Canon 5D Mk II, Sony A99, and Sony …