Canon EOS 5D Mark III Firmware adds HDMI & AF Upgrades

[Gothmoth]

do i miss something or where is a link to the source?

there is enough time to put in advertising links to BH  and co. but no link to the source of this press release?   

[sach100]

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 23, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced a new firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR camera that improves the camera’s performance and usability.

AI Servo AF point illumination will be added with a  Firmware Update around August 2014.

haha..

Common canon it's about time.. oh wait, in 5 more months it will be about time.

[tron]

And what about the minimum shutter in auto ISO? Doesn't need an update (to add at least 1/500, 1/1000) ?

[Lee Jay]

f/8!  Now, just make sure the same thing gets in to the 7D replacement.

Next up - video crop modes.  Come on, Canon, the Rebel T2i and T3i had them!

[Rat]

April 2013? You mean April 1st 2013? Because in that case everything is explained 

My thoughts exactly. No way that a software fix gets announced this far ahead, unless there's something fidgety going on.

Mind you, I'm very happy with f/8. I'm going to borrow a 100-400 quite a bit more often now. Then, I'm going to try and shoot birds and miss, because still no red illumination in Servo AF

Don't see the need for uncompressed hdmi - but that's obviously because Nikon, and now the fanboys need to be appeased. Clear indication that forums like these are totally counterproductive 

And what about the minimum shutter in auto ISO? Doesn't need an update (to add at least 1/500, 1/1000) ?

Yup, there's that too. Must have!

[neuroanatomist]

do i miss something or where is a link to the source?

It's up on PR Newswire and Business Wire - it's not uncommon for corporate press releases to hit those wire services before they get them up on their own website.

[hmmm]

Don't forget the part about ... at no charge...  Not as soon as one would like, but this is pretty good aftermarket support.  Kudos to Canon.

Meanwhile... at NR they are splashing a story about how a gap in the corner of the shutter curtain housing makes the D600 a dust bunny.   Folks are quippping about I AM NIKON / I AM SILENT on its failure to even acknowledge the issue (so far anyway).

I don't mean this as a C/N snipe (just think about tainted rubber for perspective) -- I'd like to make two points:

1) This pre-announcement of support shows Canon is serious and energized about competing.
2) As one considering what to do moving forward from Canon APS into FF sometime in the next several months, this does score some points with me for staying with Canon.

Oh, and speaking of tainted rubber and dust bunnies: the general rule still holds: never be an early adopter.   

[dave]

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon/newsroom?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e024806daf9c

[clicstudio]

It's ridiculous that it takes a mega company like canon 7 months to add 2
Features to a camera.
The release was scheduled for December 21, 2012. But so is the end of the world as we know it...   

[Kumakun]

I still love my 5DIII, but the non-illuminated AF thing...  Some quirks I get used to and they don't bother me after a while, but in this particular case the more I use the camera the more the AF points bug me (when shooting in dark conditions).  I don't do much in the way of video; I guess the uncompressed HDMI is cool, and if I ever get a chance to rent a lens where it becomes relevant the F/8 upgrade is nice. 

But I was really hoping for the AF illumination like on the 1DX.  Thanks Canon. 
 

[tron]

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon/newsroom?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e024806daf9c

Thanks for the link. It looks it will be a dark (=not AF illumination in SERVO) update 

[dave]

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon/newsroom?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e024806daf9c

Thanks for the link. It looks it will be a dark (=not AF illumination in SERVO) update 

Maybe they're giving themselves 6 months to work that one out. I might give it a go in my lunch break

[dolina]

Craig,

Nikon's D800 record uncompressed files via HDMI to an external recording device since day 1. Same with cross-type f/8 AF.

Both features are available on the D800 at a much lower price point than the 5D3.

===========

If you want more "reach" the 5D3 has more MP than a 1DX.

I hope Canon also does these two features with the 7D or 7D Mark II.

[tron]

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/about_canon/newsroom?pageKeyCode=pressreldetail&docId=0901e024806daf9c

Thanks for the link. It looks it will be a dark (=not AF illumination in SERVO) update 

Maybe they're giving themselves 6 months to work that one out.

  

[cayenne]

Wow. Bravo on adding uncompressed HDMI! But I guess they might have had to since ML just did it.

<snip>

Ok, can someone explain to me what the uncompressed HDMI means for us?

I understand that it can now be monitored externally, which is nice...but can someone explain to me what it means with respect to the mentioned "external recorder"...what is the external recorder? A computer/laptop?  Would this be of higher quality than what gets put on the CF/SD cards when recording?

Would this be a "RAW" video out, like the Blackmagic camera? 

Can anyone explain the particulars here what this means with regard to video with the 5D3.....?


Thanks in advance,

cayenne