Berkley White, owner of Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo and a Footage Search Contributor, recently returned from the Cenotes of Mexico where he had a chance to test the new Canon 5D Mark III underwater. We’re excited about the higher quality footage that this digital SLR will be able to deliver, especially given its new codec with an increased data rate, which holds up much better in post production. We were eager to hear Berkley’s conclusion:

On paper, the Canon 5D Mark III may not seem like a revolutionary upgrade, but the improvements that it does make correct some of the most serious shortcomings of the 5D II. There’s better ergonomics with a control layout similar to the Canon 7D. The increased frame rate and super fast autofocus alone are worth the upgrade from the 5D Mark II. And while it may be hard to distinguish between the 5D II clips and 5D III clips in the video above, you’ll be able to get the shot with the Mark III in conditions where you just simply couldn’t pull it off with the 5D Mark II. Other subtle differences like increased ISO performance, reduced noise, increased dynamic range, and much improved video codec help take the Canon 5D Mark III to the next level in image quality for both stills and photo.

Read the full review by Footage Search contributor Berkley White at Backscatter