Canon 5D Mk III Official Thread

[pKai 1]

I want to see a full-on review VS the D800 before I make up my mind on this one.....

 

Seems like a $1,000 price hike is a bit much for the increased specs I see on paper...... Have to see real images to see if the new kid on the block earns its higher price tag. The D800 is $3k and that was my expectation for the 5DIII.

 

In the meantime, there are at least double the number of used 5DIIs on eBay this week as there were last week. If they drop much below $1500 for a minty sample, I will seriously consider THAT as my first foray into FF over the III. I've always shot Canon crop (7d currently) since switching to digital a decade ago, but I do miss the large 35mm viewfinder, wide lenses being wide, and of course, the large images.......

[ckhorne 0]

Here's hoping that Aquatica (or possibly other manufacturer's, but since I use Aquatica.... ) will have an option to purchase a new backplate, instead of a whole new housing. I imagine that just the back plate will be $1000, but that'd be better than re-buying the entire housing to go from 5D2 to 5D3.

 

Having said that, I'm not sure if the 5D3 will offer enough of an upgrade to be worthwhile. If they had updated the 1/200 sync speed, then it'd be a no brainer...

[Timmoranuk 10]

I can't see sufficient rationale for a 5D2 owner to upgrade. Yes, a 'nice' to have but maybe not a 'need' to have...

 

Looking the MkII and MkIII specification comparison on the Canon UK www site, the upgrade would seem to offer AF functionality improvements, 2 stops ISO, HDR in camera, 6 fps (versus 3.9) and a SD slot (useful for separating low-res jpgs for quick review). But I can't see that these features are worth the bucks unless you have the revenue to support the investment.

 

But as an addition to a couple of 7Ds and a first investment in FX... Bring the MkIII on!!!

[Drew 0]

Ah Tim, there's also All-I codec, about 1.5 stop of noise performance and improved DR. It's underwhelming compared to the D800's quantum leap from the D700, but I'm happy with 22mp. A few things I don't like is the 150k shutter (having just replaced both my 5D2s!) life since @ 6fps, the frame count will jump faster.

If I can shoot fast action @ ISO1600 cleanly vs ISO800, DOF will jump a stop and the AF improvements, the keeper/loser ratio should improve. It's a great stop gap until Epic Dragon is released, then it'll be 14mp @ 60fps @ 18stops HDR. Who needs DSLR after that?

[Timmoranuk 10]

Ah Tim, there's also All-I codec, about 1.5 stop of noise performance and improved DR. It's underwhelming compared to the D800's quantum leap from the D700, but I'm happy with 22mp. A few things I don't like is the 150k shutter (having just replaced both my 5D2s!) life since @ 6fps, the frame count will jump faster.

If I can shoot fast action @ ISO1600 cleanly vs ISO800, DOF will jump a stop and the AF improvements, the keeper/loser ratio should improve. It's a great stop gap until Epic Dragon is released, then it'll be 14mp @ 60fps @ 18stops HDR. Who needs DSLR after that?

 

But you are a DSLR video nasty Drew. But I'll get there one day, dragged kicking and screaming with my Aquavolts blazing...

[Drew 0]

Tim, that's the point.... @ 60fps... I can grab any of those frames as a still! The 2 formats are merging!

[loftus 42]

Tim, that's the point.... @ 60fps... I can grab any of those frames as a still! The 2 formats are merging!

Do you think Nikon will make one with built-in flash.

[DrMark 0]

Ah Tim, there's also All-I codec, about 1.5 stop of noise performance and improved DR. It's underwhelming compared to the D800's quantum leap from the D700, but I'm happy with 22mp. A few things I don't like is the 150k shutter (having just replaced both my 5D2s!) life since @ 6fps, the frame count will jump faster.

If I can shoot fast action @ ISO1600 cleanly vs ISO800, DOF will jump a stop and the AF improvements, the keeper/loser ratio should improve. It's a great stop gap until Epic Dragon is released, then it'll be 14mp @ 60fps @ 18stops HDR. Who needs DSLR after that?

 

The video side is the important thing for me. I shoot video and still about equally, and I am really tired of dealing with two cameras. I would go with a GH2, but the housing choices are limited, and the still picture side is a little underwhelming. My guess is that everybody will house the 5D MKIII; the question is who will get there first?

 

I'm sure I would be happy with an APS-C version of the 5D MKIII (good video, same degree of sensor improvement, same size pixel, just smaller sensor and fewer pixels), but I have my doubts that it will ever happen. Who knows when Canon will update the 7D, and when they do, I bet it will have more pixels than the 5D MKIII, not fewer.

 

As to the lack of built-in flash, here is where Ikelite really has an advantage with their TTL implementation (all electronic). However, I'm sure somebody will come out with an LED based slave trigger. Of course, the best would be wireless TTL, but that would require entirely new strobes, and I don't know how well the signal would travel underwater (not my area of expertise).

 

--Mark

[Jolly 3]

5D III vs D800 could be simple decision. Look into your lens bag what's compatible I wouldn't switch my lenses based on one camera generation for average pros and cons. As long as there is nothing substantial missing ...

 

Radio strobe firing sounds interesting. Would be cool to dive with completely cableless strobe housings

But the required hot-shoe mounted transmitter would give the camera housing a not soo cool design ;-)

 

Understood the touch control feature is just a second option of adjusting? As long as adjustments can still be made via the wheel we won't face a problem here.

[Timmoranuk 10]

.

 

As to the lack of built-in flash, here is where Ikelite really has an advantage with their TTL implementation (all electronic). However, I'm sure somebody will come out with an LED based slave trigger. Of course, the best would be wireless TTL, but that would require entirely new strobes, and I don't know how well the signal would travel underwater (not my area of expertise).

 

--Mark

 

Assuming a LED mini-flash where to be developed, firstly it would need to incorporate Canon's native flash protocol if S-TTL functionality where to be achieved otherwise it would be limited to a simple manual trigger and secondly, any housing would have to be equipped with sufficient space above the hot shoe and fibre optic sync ports. Without the latter two, I'd assume the prospect of FO sync on the 5D3 to be dead in the water...

[Nextwo 1]

Here is some pictures of Canon 5D mk3 in a Aquatica 5D mk2 UWhousing.

 

It won't go all the way in, need to remove one of the aperture wheels. But still missing 5mm.

 

The new buttons on the top is not in the same place.

 

 

 

Mark III in a 5D MkII housing

 

 

I think more of the aperture wheels need to go, so the camera can get all the way in.

 

Here is the wheel I took out. And you can see that the functions wheel is almost the same place.

 

 

I think I can get the Mark III to work, but only take pictures. But until Aquatica get a new housing out. The main trigger have to be adjusted a little.

 

Dag

[ErolE 3]

Dag,

 

Completely off topic, but what s with the Swedgelock 90 degree elbow ontop of your housing? Using it as a vacuum port??

 

Erol

[Nextwo 1]

Dag,

 

Completely off topic, but what s with the Swedgelock 90 degree elbow ontop of your housing? Using it as a vacuum port??

 

Erol

 

Yes, I use it for vacuum testing.

[Alex_Mustard 0]

Looking at how close it is on the Aquatica - there is probably a pretty good chance on a less "fitted" housing, such as the Ikelite?

 

Although in January I tried the Nikon D800 in both Subal and Ikelite housings and it wouldn't quite fit in either.

 

Alex

[ErolE 3]

It's a great stop gap until Epic Dragon is released, then it'll be 14mp @ 60fps @ 18stops HDR. Who needs DSLR after that?

 

All that sounds good, but it means a change from using stobes to continous lighting. There are some distinct draw back to that.

[JKrumsick 3]

<br />All that sounds good, but it means a change from using stobes to continous lighting. There are some distinct draw back to that.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

Yea, we are a ways off from video stills being as good as dslr stills. And the lighting and such won't be as good.

[Oceanshutter 121]

Looking at how close it is on the Aquatica - there is probably a pretty good chance on a less "fitted" housing, such as the Ikelite?

 

Although in January I tried the Nikon D800 in both Subal and Ikelite housings and it wouldn't quite fit in either.

 

Alex

 

 

 

If anyone has access to the new mkiii, and a ikelite mkii housing. I would be very interested to see if that could work.

[Segerdahl 0]

Regarding new back plates for old housings.

The idea is great but in reality it's often a bad deal. I have switched cameras way too often. Once I bought a back plate instead of a new housing. It was much cheaper than buying a new housing and it felt like a good deal. Problem is that when I changed camera again, it was impossible to sell the backplate. I could easily sell the complete housing (with either the new or the old backplate), but selling just the back plate turned out to be impossible (anyone looking for a D300s backplate for Ikelite D300 or D300s uw-housing?).

 

So, I recommend to instead sell the old housing and buy a new one. I would have saved money doing that.

Edited March 16, 2012 by Segerdahl

[in_minsk_we_trust 3]

There will be tons of these tests flooding the web next week, and I'm sure many of you are already sick to death of the 5Diii, but this one over at EOSHD gets me real excited.

 

I'm a video shooter who's giving up a big gates housing because I can't travel with it anymore. Just too much for me. Mostly I shoot technical stuff and the low iso on the iii is looking pretty good for my apps. It's gonna be a learning curve to transition to the small housing but I'm excited by what I'm seeing.

 

Chris

[Drew 0]

I'll try post some stuff later in the week. Nothing to scream about but it's the DR and ISO3200+ noise difference that's most noticeable, compared to the 5D2. I'll probably use it for topside and keep the 5D2 for uw until the housings start coming out. Not going to get much money for the 5D2 housing/camera combo anyways.

All-I in 90mb/s(!) is a bit higher in resolution but not very significantly so, but better moiré and aliasing control.

 

I don't think there's much of a difference between the 1Dx/5D3/D4/D3s in terms of noise now... probably in the 1/3 stop range. The 61 pt AF system tracks better and acquires subjects with a bit more spirit. But for normal shooting, it's not much difference. Haven't tried low light scenes yet, maybe that's where the difference will lie.

It's an upgrade and an incremental one (albeit very impressive). That's what Canon usually does anyhow. It's not a game-changer for DSLR like the 5D2 was, since 1080p video is everywhere and the incremental improvements aren't as impressive as Nikon's huge jump from near zero to hero.

 

** Dammit, dead pixel! Have to send it back!

[Daanivd 0]

Has anyone looked yet how it would fit in a 7D housing? The 5D mkiii design seems to have a lot more in common with the 7D in terms of button placements than the 5D mkii.

[numba9 0]

Dag:

 

Just got the body and tried dropping into my 5DM2 Subal with almost the same result. Close but just not quite. I'm guessing in the range of just a few mil off, but in several areas.

 

Talked to Subal last week and they were still waiting to get in the Mk3 and couldn't comment on adaptability yet.

 

I would think that based on what I'm seeing it will be more than a new tray and back.

[sharky1961 2]

Hands on preview

 

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/CanonEOS5DMarkIII

[whitey 2]

5D III vs D800 could be simple decision. Look into your lens bag what's compatible I wouldn't switch my lenses based on one camera generation for average pros and cons. As long as there is nothing substantial missing ...

 

I looked in the lens bag and it was all Canon. So the 5dmk3 is in the mail, along with the kit lens and some other random glass that seemed like it would look nice on the front of the new camera.

 

So Jolly...about that eTTL we were discussing...

 

[loftus 42]

I think both Nikon and Canon boys can be happy with their new toys. The D800 and 5DMkIII are both insane cameras!