To mark the 25th anniversary of the EOS system, Canon has announced the successor to its . Aptly named the EOS 5D Mark III, it is an evolutionary upgrade rather than a revolutionary one—but that's not a bad thing. It is packed with a 22-megapixel full-frame CMOS image sensor that supports ISO 100 through ISO 25600 in standard mode, and can also be set to ISO 50, ISO 51200, and ISO 102400 if needed. Its Digic 5+ imaging processor can process images with 17 times the speed of the previous Digic 4 version for high-speed JPG and Raw image capture. Event photographers will also appreciate the ability to capture Raw images at 10.5-megapixel and 5.5-megapixel resolutions if desired—perfect for shots that aren't going to be made into large prints. Of course, the camera also supports Raw capture at the full 22-megapixel resolution.

The camera's 61-point autofocus system promises to lock into focus quickly in order to capture action, which can be done at up to 6 frames per second in continuous drive mode. Both are big improvements over the 5D Mark II—it only has 9 autofocus points and is limited to shooting at 3.9 frames per second. The camera's video recording capabilities are also improved—it now supports a slew of HD formats, all with H.264 compression for easy editing. You can use the camera to shoot 1080p24, 1080p25, 1080p30, 720p60, and 720p50 HD video. It can also capture standard definition footage at 25 or 30 frames per second. Video files are limited to just under 30 minutes in length per clip, but the camera is able to automatically break clips up on the fly, so you won't notice the limitation while recording. The camera has a built in microphone for audio, and also sports a stereo mic input as well as a headphone jack for in-field audio monitoring.

The Mark III's rear LCD is 3.2 inches in size and features a 1.04 million dot resolution—slightly higher than the 920k dot screen found on the Mark II. Of course, the camera also features an eye-level pentaprism for traditional shooting—it now offers 100 percent coverage, up from the 98 percent coverage delivered by the Mark II. Dual card slots—one Compact Flash and one SDXC—allow you to use your choice of memory cards. Photographers who are moving up from a lower-end Canon D-SLR will be able to continue to use SD memory, and those looking at the Mark III as a complement to a 1D series camera will be able to share CF cards between them. The dual card slots can operate in one of three ways—you can choose to write the same data to two cards for real-time backup, write Raw files to one card and JPG files to another, or simply use the second card as additional storage after the first one fills up.

A number of new accessories were announced along with the camera. The Speedlite 600EX-RT, which can be used with any E-TTL EOS camera, is an on camera flash that can act as a wireless master for off-camera slave strobes. It has a bult-in radio that supports two-way transmission, eliminating the need for accessory radio attachments. The strobe can control up to 15 other 600EX-RT units, and boasts an effective operating range of just under 100 feet. It is also backwards compatible with the optical Wireless E-TTL system, so shooters who already have an investment in Canon Speedlites aren't left out in the cold. It will ship at the end of this month, priced at $629.99.

The Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT is an accessory that can be used on- or off-camera to give photographers more control of lighting in both the field and studio.Boasting the same 98.4-foot operating range as the Speedlite 600EX-RT, the transmitter can control five groups of flashes. It also can be used to fire up to 15 EOS cameras simultaneously via Canon's Linked Shooting feature. Also available at the end of this month, it will sell for $470.

Other accessories include the Wireless File Transmitter, which supports dual-band 802.11n operation. It connects to the camera's USB port, and also adds a wired Gigabit LAN connection. It will ship in April for $849.99. Geotaggers who are turned off by the lack of a built-in GPS can add one to the Mark III—the GP-E2 can connect either via the camera's hot shoe or via USB, adding latitude, longitude, elevation, and Universal Time Code data to all of your photos. It will ship in April and is priced at $390.

Finally, a vertical battery grip will be made available for the camera. This is a great option for event shooters who often shoot in portrait orientation and need to shoot for extended periods of time with the camera as it can house a second battery, effectively doubling the camera's operating time. It is set to ship at the end of April and will sell for $490.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III should hit the streets at the end of this month. It will be available as a body only for $3,499.00. You can also buy it along with the EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM zoom lens for $4,299.00.