For me, the most intriguing feature of the just-announced Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III is the increased megapixel count of the sRAW images. An sRAW image is just like a normal RAW file but smaller. The new camera takes enormous 21MP images at 5616 x 3744 pixels in size; for professional purposes, this is great, but for day-to-day life shots, it’s overkill. What’s great about the 1Ds Mark III’s sRAW images is that they are 5.2MP in size (2784 x 1856 pixels). I found the the sRAW images from the 1D Mark III (2.5MP, 1,936 x 1,288) to be a bit too small, but the 1Ds sRAW images seem to be just the right size.
Thus far, I’ve been on the fence with regards to upgrading to the 1D Mark III. It’s certainly a better camera than my Mark II from a features and ergnomic standpoint — my preference for the control layout of the older 1D-series notwithstanding — but it’s not that much better. The 1Ds Mark III, on the hand, features a big jump in total image quality, not to mention full-frame goodness. The large sRAW images might just be what drives me to upgrade to the 1Ds Mark III instead of a 1D Mark III.
tow.com 