Canon EOS 1D Mark III

Exclusive: Fear the snap of Canon's new D-SLR

Bigger, faster, smarter. Canon's new high-speed SLR is as subtle as a machine gun - and about as fast. Switch into high speed mode and you can grab full quality ten-megapixel pics at a wrist-rattling ten frames per second.

And when we say full quality, we really mean it. The new CMOS sensor inside might not reach the jaw-dropping sharpness of the 16.7-megapixel chip in its big sister, the 1Ds Mark II, but it's a world away from budget cameras.

That's as it should be, considering the Mark III's size and price. The body alone weighs the same as four compact cameras and that's before you add a lens and flash - neither are supplied, so budget for another couple of grand.

The weather-proof magnesium alloy chassis is built for serious photographers, shrugging off bumps and boasting 2,200 shots from each charge of its monstrous Lithium-ion battery.

It's also festooned with more shiny buttons than a platoon of the Household Cavalry - although it's testament to Canon's design skills that getting to grips with these takes mere moments. Two control wheels zip through menus, and there are two additional smaller screens, which hold key information.

The Mark III is also the first pro SLR to offer Live View framing on its glorious three-inch LCD. It's clunkier than on a compact - the autofocus doesn't work, for instance - but is handy for awkward angled shots. Add more manual features and geeky tweaky options than you can shake a very large stick at and you've got pretty much the ultimate go-anywhere, shoot-anything pro camera.