Canon 5D Mark III

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darktiger

[H]ard|DCer of the Month - April 2007
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Yeap, read about the announcement this morning. Wish I had the cash to upgrade, I'll just have to deal with having upgrade envy for a while.

On the other hand however, there isn't a whole lot wrong with the 5D Mark II I have either, it's not all of a sudden going to stop taking excellent pictures. I do long for the upgraded AF/AF points and better/more bracketing options the Mark III has however.

All in due time I suppose. (Oh, and congrats on your buy.)
 
Thanks... March might be a interesting month for me... with that, the new PocketWizard Plus III, Intuos5 wireless, and my new Einstein coming it....... Oh yeah my Olympus E-PL1 full spectrum converted camera :)
 
It is a tad price.... but then again photography is a pretty expensive hobby :)
 
any word on the other lines?

my 40D has crapped out finally after 4 years so in the market for a new one, looking to the 7D but if something is around the corner....
 
I've been following that for a while just for kicks and holy crap its expensive! My dad got the 5D MkII from BH during Christmas time and it was a great deal (about $2k for the body, 16 GB Pro Sandisk CF card worth $100, a $25 camera bag and some software that's probably overpriced). I'm glad that the price didn't plummet even more since then and in fact has gone up. Even after the official price drops, the MSRP is still very much above $2k and big reputable stores tend to sell it near that price.

The Mark II is still an incredible camera, btw. :D
 
Canon's current strategy is to sell both the MK II and MK III side by side for a while. It's similar to what they did with the 1D MK III and MK IV.
Both cameras are more than competent. I'm still excited to see all the great photos coming from the MK II (especially since I own one and can't afford to upgrade,) and just as excited to see the MK III.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
Canon's current strategy is to sell both the MK II and MK III side by side for a while. It's similar to what they did with the 1D MK III and MK IV.
Both cameras are more than competent. I'm still excited to see all the great photos coming from the MK II (especially since I own one and can't afford to upgrade,) and just as excited to see the MK III.
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How is that going to get people to buy a mk3 when the mk2 can be had for half the price? IQ wise the mk2 and mk3 are very very similar and for those who dont need alien-like AF, people will flock to the mk2, making mk3 sell less and less.

But by discontinuing the mk2, people will be more inclined to buy a mk3 or a used mk2.
 
I need the alien-like AF... sometimes it is really hard to focus on a person in a dark sunrise shoot... Plus since I love HDR, I love the ability to bracket 7 images (AEB)... plus I tend to shoot ISO3200 a lot, so a clean ISO6400 would be a step up for me... but again this is for me/for my type of shooting. (plus I love to upgrade :) ).

That said, I love my 5DMkII, but I have had that camera for almost 4 years now. Time to upgrade :)
 
yea im just saying that it will make more sense to force people into a mk3 by discountinuing the mk2 :)

For that price poitn fo a mk2, i cant see it flying off the shelfs. many of us WANT this but at the same time MANY of us cant afford/justify its price tag
 
jonneymendoza said:
yea im just saying that it will make more sense to force people into a mk3 by discountinuing the mk2 :)

For that price poitn fo a mk2, i cant see it flying off the shelfs. many of us WANT this but at the same time MANY of us cant afford/justify its price tag
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Profit is profit. It doesn't matter which camera they sell as long as they sell. if you're on Canons systems they win. If you can't justify the MK III price tag and that's the one you want, then they can't sell it to you anyway. Selling the MK II next to the MK III gives you a camera that is 1K more affordable. If you want a system less than that, then they have the 7D and so on. For a long time Canon had 2 systems at the top. The 1DS and the 5D (not including the speed freak 1D series.) The price difference was from 7k on the 1DS to 2.5k on the 5D. By putting in a few more models they are stratifying the price to allow more users into their systems at different price points they can afford. For a look of what that is going to look like, you can see it already on Canon's official website: http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras

I do expect the 1DS to go down in price a bit after the 1Dx is launched, but I have a feeling that that body will stick around for a while as well. It certainly is no slouch, although its low light performance is lacking even compared with the 5D MK II.

Additionally, the "IQ" of the III as you call it is significantly improved. If you want to know more about that, read articles regarding the new Sensor technologies in the MK III. 2 stops better ISO performance and the gapless micro lens sensor gives substantially increased resolving power.

I'm not sure what it is about people,but they gloss over all of these things. They see a similar mp sensor to the last one and say well everything must be the same. I've seen a similar thing with the new iPad (if the retina display is the only improvement, then who cares?) and comparisons with the d800 and its 36mp sensor size as being a more dramatic change.

Not to say that you're disregarding everything else, but there is a reason for the price tag, and there is a reason for selling both systems side by side. Stratification of price, larger share of the market, increased competition.
 
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UnknownSouljer said:
Profit is profit. It doesn't matter which camera they sell as long as they sell. if you're on Canons systems they win. If you can't justify the MK III price tag and that's the one you want, then they can't sell it to you anyway. Selling the MK II next to the MK III gives you a camera that is 1K more affordable. If you want a system less than that, then they have the 7D and so on. For a long time Canon had 2 systems at the top. The 1DS and the 5D (not including the speed freak 1D series.) The price difference was from 7k on the 1DS to 2.5k on the 5D. By putting in a few more models they are stratifying the price to allow more users into their systems at different price points they can afford. For a look of what that is going to look like, you can see it already on Canon's official website: http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras

I do expect the 1DS to go down in price a bit after the 1Dx is launched, but I have a feeling that that body will stick around for a while as well. It certainly is no slouch, although its low light performance is lacking even compared with the 5D MK II.

Additionally, the "IQ" of the III as you call it is significantly improved. If you want to know more about that, read articles regarding the new Sensor technologies in the MK III. 2 stops better ISO performance and the gapless micro lens sensor gives substantially increased resolving power.

I'm not sure what it is about people,but they gloss over all of these things. They see a similar mp sensor to the last one and say well everything must be the same. I've seen a similar thing with the new iPad (if the retina display is the only improvement, then who cares?) and comparisons with the d800 and its 36mp sensor size as being a more dramatic change.

Not to say that you're disregarding everything else, but there is a reason for the price tag, and there is a reason for selling both systems side by side. Stratification of price, larger share of the market, increased competition.
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i totaly disagree with your comments about the mk3 being 2 stops better because real world shots from all over the net such has potn says no. At best its maybe 1 stop better, AT best that is and this is from real users who bought and recieved the mk3 a few days ago posting there findings.

the mk3 is a great camera dont get me wrong but its not leaps and bounds better then the mk2 IQ wise.

Go to teh POTN forum. a dedicated canon fanboy forum to see what i am getting at.

In terms of price point you may be right. they may sell the mk2 as a entry level camera as its £1.5k cheaper in THE UK compared to the mk3 so in regards to the point of selling both mk2 and mk3, i cant argue with you about that, but in terms of IQ improvements over the mk2 and mk3, its not as big as you are saying.
 
jonneymendoza said:
i totaly disagree with your comments about the mk3 being 2 stops better because real world shots from all over the net such has potn says no. At best its maybe 1 stop better, AT best that is and this is from real users who bought and recieved the mk3 a few days ago posting there findings.

the mk3 is a great camera dont get me wrong but its not leaps and bounds better then the mk2 IQ wise.

Go to teh POTN forum. a dedicated canon fanboy forum to see what i am getting at.

In terms of price point you may be right. they may sell the mk2 as a entry level camera as its £1.5k cheaper in THE UK compared to the mk3 so in regards to the point of selling both mk2 and mk3, i cant argue with you about that, but in terms of IQ improvements over the mk2 and mk3, its not as big as you are saying.
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dPreview's samples from a pre-production camera under a near worse case scenario show me useable photos up to 12800. I actually think the 25600 is good also, but I'm being conservative. The 5D II doesn't really have a usable image past 3200. I've done tons of testing on it if you want to call it that. Really it's just event photography without using a flash.

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canoneos5dmarkiii/9#samples

I should also note, low light performance is only one measurement of "IQ." I mentioned that a bit in my earlier post.

dPreview said:
The pixel count may be similar to that of the 5D Mark II, but the Mark III's sensor is entirely new. The pixel architecture is changed, with a promised increase in photoelectric conversion rate (light is more efficiently converted to readable charge).

Canon has also applied its gapless microlens array, meaning more of the light hitting the sensor gets directed down into the photodiodes. Finally there's a newly-developed on-chip noise reduction system to improve the quality of the information coming off the chip.

Canon isn't making specific claims for how much of an improvement these changes make to the raw output but, once subjected to the DIGIC 5+'s processing, it will claim a 2-stop improvement in the JPEG images.
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I don't really follow POTN, but I went in and found this thread regarding the 5D MK III. Tri Nguyen at the bottom shows a real world ISO test.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1161542&page=16

Commentators on the next page agree that it's two stops difference, just in case my own personal eye isn't enough validation. Only gripe if you want to call it that, is that it's not from RAW as he currently has no way of opening RAWs.

EDIT:
Here is another thread at POTN with RAWs no processing comparing ISO performance.
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=4504143#post4504143
 
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Not to worry, I will post samples when I get mine in this week :)
 
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just had a go on my mates 60d. even that blew me away compared to my 400d. can imagine me wetting my pants if i ever use a 5dmk3
 
jonneymendoza said:
just had a go on my mates 60d. even that blew me away compared to my 400d. can imagine me wetting my pants if i ever use a 5dmk3
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Well, I remember unboxing my MK2 and using it for the first time. I came from a Rebel XTi (which is the same thing as a 400D) and although it was very exciting to use it, I'll admit it was actually really hard. (My setup was the 5D2, BG-E6 Grip, 24-70mm f/2.8L, and a 580EX II... still is actually.)

Not only are the controls entirely different, there's something about moving from consumer to Semi-Pro or Pro bodies that upon first usage just feels other-worldly. As well as I grasped the exposure triangle before on the XTi, I felt like I had to relearn it all on the 5D2. If I'm honest, I would have to say that it took me at least a year to get a lot of the ins-and-outs and start taking consistently excellent photos. In some aspects that way, I would say I felt like the camera was less forgiving. Now that I know more about the way it operates, I feel like it's more forgiving (slight under-exposures and over-exposures can be saved in post as an example.)

If you're passionate about photography, I'd highly recommend the upgrade. If anything, using it as a tool has made me love photography more as I still consider, ponder, and think about how to monetize my love for the art.
 
I have been using the 5DMkII for almost 4 years now... the MKIII is different..... Autofocus is so awesome... even with backlit subjects (sun behind someone)... Also I am able to lock on objects in a dark room that is lit with dim moonlight coming in through the blinds.... I should be able to play with it more this weekend...
 
darktiger said:
I have been using the 5DMkII for almost 4 years now... the MKIII is different..... Autofocus is so awesome... even with backlit subjects (sun behind someone)... Also I am able to lock on objects in a dark room that is lit with dim moonlight coming in through the blinds.... I should be able to play with it more this weekend...
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It's great to hear that. That's one of the few areas that the 5D2 is lacking (which of course has been complained about since its release in 2008.) I've never had a (big) problem with the 5D2 focus, I found the key was simply to use the center point (which is the only cross sensor) and then re-frame. With the 5D3, I imagine it's stupidly easy. I haven't looked into all the settings, but I believe there is a way to enable only the cross, and double cross sensors and simply ignore the other ones. The cross sensors essentially cover the whole frame so setting it and forgetting it is more than likely possible.

My only question for you is: is it easy to quickly select a specific sensor? I often change them on the 5D2 depending on how I want to frame the shot. One of the advantages of having less sensors to choose from was being able to choose one of the limited ones quickly. Do you find that it's slower to change it to a specific AF sensor now?
 
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Playing around last night, I actually found it easier to select a specific AF point. Also I like the option that it remembers different af points depending on the orientation of the camera (vertical/horizontal). When shooting portraits I switch back and forth fairly often...
 
UnknownSouljer said:
Well, I remember unboxing my MK2 and using it for the first time. I came from a Rebel XTi (which is the same thing as a 400D) and although it was very exciting to use it, I'll admit it was actually really hard. (My setup was the 5D2, BG-E6 Grip, 24-70mm f/2.8L, and a 580EX II... still is actually.)

Not only are the controls entirely different, there's something about moving from consumer to Semi-Pro or Pro bodies that upon first usage just feels other-worldly. As well as I grasped the exposure triangle before on the XTi, I felt like I had to relearn it all on the 5D2. If I'm honest, I would have to say that it took me at least a year to get a lot of the ins-and-outs and start taking consistently excellent photos. In some aspects that way, I would say I felt like the camera was less forgiving. Now that I know more about the way it operates, I feel like it's more forgiving (slight under-exposures and over-exposures can be saved in post as an example.)

If you're passionate about photography, I'd highly recommend the upgrade. If anything, using it as a tool has made me love photography more as I still consider, ponder, and think about how to monetize my love for the art.
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im quite a computer/gadget geek so i doubt a 5d3 will overwhelm me :)

im also a computer programmer so unless i gotta write code to setup my AF points on the 5d3, i think i will be ok lol but yeah i can see what u mean though
 
Got my 5DM3 a few days ago...super excited to start using it.
 
jonneymendoza said:
im quite a computer/gadget geek so i doubt a 5d3 will overwhelm me :)

im also a computer programmer so unless i gotta write code to setup my AF points on the 5d3, i think i will be ok lol but yeah i can see what u mean though
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I'm a gadget nerd as well, but photography gear just doesn't work the same way. Like all production devices, what you can get out of it not only depends on your knowledge of the subject but also your knowledge of the particular piece of gear. It's not like I couldn't take photos with the camera, or ensure I was getting a proper exposure. It's all the subtle things.

In short, it's simply not like learning another gadget like a cellphone. Moving from cellphone to cellphone doesn't have the same sort of learning curve. I think after having one high end camera however, it gets easier... that I won't deny... but each piece of gear handles differently. The only analogy I can think of is audio gear like high-end synths... like moving from a cheap Casio to a high-end Korg, but unless you do audio production it doesn't really help to explain...

Edit: I thought of another example. It's sort of like moving from a Ferrari F458 to an F1 car. Even as advanced as a Ferrari street car is, it's nothing like being in an F1 vehicle. If you're a fan of Top Gear and have seen the episode in which Richard Hammond has to drive an F1 car two laps, he talks about despite it being "a car" it's just so much more. This is despite the fact that in his daily life, Hammond drives all sorts of different extreme exotics racing around the Top Gear test track. I realize this example is a bit extreme, and I wouldn't say that the distance and difficulty is as far as moving from a street car to F1, but it works as an analogy.
 
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UnknownSouljer said:
I'm a gadget nerd as well, but photography gear just doesn't work the same way. Like all production devices, what you can get out of it not only depends on your knowledge of the subject but also your knowledge of the particular piece of gear. It's not like I couldn't take photos with the camera, or ensure I was getting a proper exposure. It's all the subtle things.

In short, it's simply not like learning another gadget like a cellphone. Moving from cellphone to cellphone doesn't have the same sort of learning curve. I think after having one high end camera however, it gets easier... that I won't deny... but each piece of gear handles differently. The only analogy I can think of is audio gear like high-end synths... like moving from a cheap Casio to a high-end Korg, but unless you do audio production it doesn't really help to explain...

Edit: I thought of another example. It's sort of like moving from a Ferrari F458 to an F1 car. Even as advanced as a Ferrari street car is, it's nothing like being in an F1 vehicle. If you're a fan of Top Gear and have seen the episode in which Richard Hammond has to drive an F1 car two laps, he talks about despite it being "a car" it's just so much more. This is despite the fact that in his daily life, Hammond drives all sorts of different extreme exotics racing around the Top Gear test track. I realize this example is a bit extreme, and I wouldn't say that the distance and difficulty is as far as moving from a street car to F1, but it works as an analogy.
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i agree but if you can figure out how to use a computer or know how ot porgram code, you can learn how to use such a beast of a camera :)


Anyways the reason why i bumped this thread is to ask if you are still enjoying this awsome camera?

i cannot find these in the shops yet here in the UK for me to try it out
 
I am still in total love with the camera. Even after playing with a few friends Nikon D800/D800E, I still prefer my 5dMIII.... It is very fast lowlight camera.

That said, it depends on what you currently have and what you shoot. If you shoot everything from weddings, events, general, studios, dark environments, family, etc then the 5dmiii is perfect.

If I had no lens and shoot primarily landscapes/cityscapes then I would of picked up a Nikon D800E.

I just wish I had more time to go out and shoot more... I have a 3 week old and trying to balance him with my overactive 2 year old takes a lot of time... still wondering how I have logged in 32hours of diablo 3 :)
 
Hi all. 5d3 is begining to go down in price. i can get one now for 2k via a place from hong kong . from £3k to £2k is a bargain but unfortunatly i dont have 2k on me yet!
 
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