The Canon 1Ds Mark III (as well as the 1D ... see below) is supposed to have solved the dust problem that has been a feature of Canon DSLR cameras ever since they entered the market. In my case the dust problem is as bad as what I had with the 5D. Just before Christmas I had my camera cleaned by the local Canon agent and already I have about ten persistent spots.



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To combat against stray dust that enters the camera and adheres to the image sensor during a lens change, the 1D Mark III features a Canon-designed Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit. The IR-cut filter cleans itself automatically with ultrasonic vibrations, removing dust from the sensor assembly.

Dust that has been missed by the Integrated Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit can also be erased with software included in Digital Photo Professional (DPP) Version 3.0. The 1D Mark III's imaging sensor is able to single out the dust particles on its surface, then plots out their location coordinates within the image. This data is transmitted along with the image, whether JPEG or RAW, and can be either manually or automatically erased in Canon's DPP version 3.0. This added software option ensures the cleanest possible image, perfect for printing or archiving.