Canon 5D Mark III official...

[Ellis Vener]

I just love it how Ken Rockwell phrased it: "The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is the best digital SLR ever made... by Canon." (emphasis mine)

KR has no idea how good the camera is. He's not yet  touched one much less shot with one.

[bill t.]

The samples posted on the Canon site are rather poor.  For instance the gal in red against the cloudy sky was shot at f16, which gives it a distinctly 6mp feel.  Nikon had the good sense to limit its D800 test-shooters to f8!

Dpreview has a comprehensive set of ISO comparisons with lots of dark, out of focus areas.  ISO 3200 never looked so good but frankly I had hoped for even better.

[dreed]

I think the 5D and X are a bit close together, why would anyone that does not make a living on Sport/press opt to spend the extra on the X.

I think this is going to come down to what they can deliver at higher ISO.

If the 1DX can deliver at 12800 what the 5D3 delivers at 3200 (for example), then that's a game changer for wedding folks too.

[stevesanacore]

This is extremely disappointing news from Canon.

It really looks like Canon has lost it's way or has just decided to narrow it's offerings. The new 5D3 has nothing that I need that the 5D2 doesn't do well enough already. It seems to me that it's more of a 7D upgrade, a high end prosumer camera body. I'm really confused. I guess I'll continue to use my 1Ds3 and 1D3 for lifestyle work and move over to Nikon for my architectural and landscape work if the D800 lives up to it's expectations. Canon makes two fabulous shift lenses and no camera to go with them...... makes no sense. I do use the 5D2 for video but the 5D3 upgrade is nothing special in that regard. Dedicated video cameras like the Sony F3 or even the FS100 are years ahead already. Even the D800 offers better HDMI output.

Not everyone needs more megapixels, including me on half my work. But for the other half - there is no substitute. The convenience of a 35mm sized body with 36MP at a reasonable price is fantastic. Well maybe Canon will announce something before the D800 is on the shelves to save their market share, otherwise I predict a lot of Canon gear for sale in the near future.

Scratching my head.

[welder]

The same people that rushed out and bought the mkII for it's video capabilities and made a whole new genre of film making. That's probably a much bigger market than architectural photographers not successful enough to use MFDB.

A bit harsh there, don't you think?

There are a number of architectural photographers that choose to work with a 5DII over MFDBs for a number of reasons. Some of those reasons have even been posted on this site:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/techniques/digital_tool_for_architecture.shtml

[hjulenissen]

I do use the 5D2 for video but the 5D3 upgrade is nothing special in that regard.

It seems that the mk3 is able to use all sensels for video, while the mk2 does line-dropping. If true, this should give a significant improvement to aliasing and noise-performance.

-h

[LKaven]

It seems that the mk3 is able to use all sensels for video, while the mk2 does line-dropping. If true, this should give a significant improvement to aliasing and noise-performance.

This would be big news!  Where do you hear that?

[theguywitha645d]

KR has no idea how good the camera is. He's not yet  touched one much less shot with one.

That has never stopped him before. You should read what he wrote about the Pentax 645D.

[DaveCurtis]

There are ISO jpg examples over at dpreview. Noises levels look rather good at 3200 and 6400. There appears to be a slight drop in contrast though as the ISO increase at high level.

I am shooting with a 1DS3 and moving to the 5D3 would be a real option. Better all round performance and less weight. I wouldn't really miss the built in vertical grip of the 1DS3 and the 5D3 looks less toy like than the 5D2 from a pros point of veiw.

We will need to wait for a production version to be tested  to see how the noise and DR stack up against the current generation of cameras.

[Kirk Gittings]

The same people that rushed out and bought the mkII for it's video capabilities and made a whole new genre of film making. That's probably a much bigger market than architectural photographers not successful enough to use MFDB.

The improvements in video are significant to those using the camera for professional video work and will generate a lot of upgrades.

That's quite a statement for someones who is not even an architectural photographer.

[Ellis Vener]

That has never stopped him before. You should read what he wrote about the Pentax 645D.

And the D800. He's never touched that camera either.

[Rhossydd]

That's quite a statement for someones who is not even an architectural photographer. Totally Clueless?

Totally clueless ? no. I might not be a professional architectural photographer, although I know a few that are, but I am a television professional and know the impact of the 5D2 and size of that market very well. Any knowledge of that market Kirk ? It doesn't seem to feature in your CV.

[John Camp]

I shoot Panasonic and Nikon, and so have no dog in this fight, but I suspect that the only place you might see a faint difference between a Nikon D800 and the Canon would be in yard-long prints. So, let me give you some basic "pro" thinking about this problem. "Do I make yard-long prints? No." Now, there may be a few people who actually sell yard-long prints, probably numbering in the dozens, but for the rest, the megapixel count will mean almost nothing. For one thing, most people can't print well enough to make much of the difference in megapixel count. I haven't handled the camera, but the sample pictures I've seen suggest that it'll be a good, solid, high-ISO camera that might be better thought of as a cheaper, and perhaps slightly better, competitor to the new Nikon D4.

I have to say, though, that I really don't see the point in the emphasis on film-making. If I were a film maker, I'd get a movie camera. If I were a pro photographer who wanted to expand into video, I'd get a movie camera. If I wanted to take video pictures of my kids, I'd get a (cheap) movie camera.

  





 

[Rhossydd]

I really don't see the point in the emphasis on film-making.

Profit.
Canon have sold huge numbers of 5D2s just for video work. It created an entire new market no one really saw coming. Giving the HDSLR crowd what they want keeps them happy and on-board with Canon, which in turn keeps their profits up. Why's it so expensive ? because they'll pay it.

[jjj]

I shoot Panasonic and Nikon, and so have no dog in this fight, but I suspect that the only place you might see a faint difference between a Nikon D800 and the Canon would be in yard-long prints. So, let me give you some basic "pro" thinking about this problem. "Do I make yard-long prints? No." Now, there may be a few people who actually sell yard-long prints, probably numbering in the dozens, but for the rest, the megapixel count will mean almost nothing.

Good point, except you forgot to take into account that the more megapixels, the bigger it makes your....
 

I have to say, though, that I really don't see the point in the emphasis on film-making. If I were a film maker, I'd get a movie camera. If I were a pro photographer who wanted to expand into video, I'd get a movie camera. If I wanted to take video pictures of my kids, I'd get a (cheap) movie camera.

Speaking as someone who works in films. Cameras like the 5D are very popular as they produce better images for considered film making than anything else that is affordable. Besides once it is rigged up, there's not much difference in use anyway as the camera body is just a recording medium to attach film making kit to. For run and gun video shooting however, then you need a more tradtional video camera form factor. If shooting videos of kids, your pocket camera or phone would be better suited. But that's not what DSLR video cameras tend to be used for.

  





 

[Dennis Carbo]

Totally clueless ? no. I might not be a professional architectural photographer, although I know a few that are, but I am a television professional and know the impact of the 5D2 and size of that market very well. Any knowledge of that market Kirk ? It doesn't seem to feature in your CV.

+1 for totally clueless......

[deejjjaaaa]

So, let me give you some basic "pro" thinking about this problem.

why do you think that most of people who are buying such cameras are "pro" ? nowadays - most are amateurs or pro wannabes... and their line of thinking is (in most cases) different.

[Kirk Gittings]

Rhossydd, Then why are you making broad statements about a professional specialty that you don't even participate in? I have many "friends" in the broadcast and motion picture industry but I don't make broad statements about those specialties. You are totally clueless about the architectural photography profession.

[Rhossydd]

Rhossydd, Then why are you making broad statements about a professional specialty that you don't even participate in?

Do you seriously think the specialisation of architectural photography makes has any significance to Canon's camera development program compared to the impact of the video market ?

[DeeJay]

It is indeed clueless to make a statement like that and reflects a complete amateur with nothing of value to contribute.