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

[CatfishSoupFTW]

ugh april... i hope there is a lot more to come than just these two things, which, are great btw, but AF illumination i want badly !

[tapanit]

Also wonder why they'd announce this 6 months before it was availabile....not like its killing me not to have it.  Just seems really strange to announce something so far in advance.  The 1Dx and 7D firmwares were available almost the same day, right? 

Not quite. The 7D firmware was announced some two months in advance, and became available on the pre-announced date, not any earlier. The 1DX firmware, however, was available on the next day after announcement.

[emko]

Canon needs 6 months to add 2 things to the firmware? how long did it take them to even build the full mark 3 firmware? They probably have all this working already just delaying it for some reason.

[MarkII]

5D3 has the 1DX's AF system (a kingly gift, I might add, what a huge upgrade over the 5D2!), but the 1DX has different/better metering, I believe with a dedicated processor for that task.  So it's a hardware wish -- 5D3 folks really shouldn't hold their breath for that, right?

I think that the extra hardware is primarily so that the 1Dx can use colour information to assist AF tracking - and I am not surprised that this needs extra processor support as it is quite a hard thing to do well.

Simple exposure metering is much much less computationally intensive, and since the 5DIII already biases its evaluative metering around the focus point, I think that it is unlikely that there is no way to offer to form of focus-linked spot metering, (for example).

[Mike Miami]

April?
Has the 1DX even been available for 6 months?  Canon got the firmware update out fairly quick for that one.
Didnt take them 6 months for that.
The only reason for this announcement so early was to try and slow down/stop people who are contemplating switching systems.

[msatter]

I would be impressed if the they announced the 5D MKIV to be released that date.

They should outsource changes of software more. Developers outside Canon are faster in developing new features for the cameras and devices that connect to cameras.

[K-amps]

I would be impressed if the they announced the 5D MKIV to be released that date.

They should outsource changes of software more. Developers outside Canon are faster in developing new features for the cameras and devices that connect to cameras.

Great point... the world of software development has advanced eons form Canon's 80's dev model... I guess it will happen once they bring fresh new blood at the top...

[xopher]

• Where can't we have spot metering at the selected AF point like the 1DX?  (Okay, no one really complained about that other than me, but I'm still putting it on this list.)

Wait what? Can someone elaborate on this? Does this mean the 5d3 doesn't spot meter exposure with points other than the center?

The reason why im concerned is because alot of my shots with the 5d3 always end up underexposed even though the on camera light meter says its spot on.

[Baska]

Hi Guys.

I'm reading this forum for many years but created account today because one thing bother me.
I agree with most of complaints about Canon politics, small step improvement via firmware etc.
I have 5D3 and i'm frustrated like You because, this camera is still castrated by marketing in mz opinion, and should immediately have added:
- extended minimum shutter at auto iso
- red AF illumination during servo
- linking spot metering with selected AF point (even if it will be only an approx. I want  to have it rather than not have such a feature at all)
- more button reconfiguration options

And i'm curious.... is this forum is the only place where You share Your feelings which other users about this shortcoming, or rather every time You write an email to canon support with Your personal needs and feelings?

I'm asking that, because personaly I always write to them (I'm not trolling) trying to tell them what else should be fixed via next firmware in my opinion and btw asking them to stop treat Us as a stupid milking cows.

Are You doing the same or just leave your complaints on a forum?


Regards
Baska

[jlev23]

i knew this had to come out at some point, but i thought for sure it would be after the 1D-C would be released.
not having it, is literally a software block, like a governor on a gocart.
i know it's mainly because magic lantern finally figured out the logistics with unblocking it, but ill still wait until the canon firmware is released.

[THX723]

Wait what? Can someone elaborate on this? Does this mean the 5d3 doesn't spot meter exposure with points other than the center?

The reason why im concerned is because alot of my shots with the 5d3 always end up underexposed even though the on camera light meter says its spot on.

Correct. 5D3 only meters from the center, independent of the selected AF point.

[neuroanatomist]

Wait what? Can someone elaborate on this? Does this mean the 5d3 doesn't spot meter exposure with points other than the center?

The reason why im concerned is because alot of my shots with the 5d3 always end up underexposed even though the on camera light meter says its spot on.

If you set Spot Metering on the 5DIII, it uses the spot metering circle in the center of the frame, regardless of the AF point selected. If you want to spot meter for an off center subject, you must put the metering circle on the subject, lock exposure with AE Lock, then recompose and shoot.

The 1-series bodies can spot meter at any of the 61 AF points that is selected, if that function is enabled.  Hey, >$3K has gotta buy something, right? 

[bkorcel]

They are delaying in order to perform adequate testing so they dont get flooded with error 80 complaints.  The only reason they pre-announced was due to the call volume from people asking when the 1DX updates were going to be added to the 5DIII.  Otherwise we would not have heard about it until January or February.

Canon needs 6 months to add 2 things to the firmware? how long did it take them to even build the full mark 3 firmware? They probably have all this working already just delaying it for some reason.

[THX723]

Politics and conspiracy theories aside ...
It is entirely possible the exclusion (at least for now) of the AI-servo AF illumination for 5D3 may be a technical one.

I trust we all understood why AF illumination was avoided in the first place -- interference with the on-board metering system. It was due to popular demand that Canon have since come up with a clever, although quirky, work around with the 1D X. Perhaps it is the lack of an RGB metering system that precluded the same work around from working reliably, if at all, on the 5D3 (and 7D too should they decide to). The red RGB channel could have provided the necessary reference feedback to actively tune out the LED illumination interference through software. This magic trickery may not be feasible with the color-blind 5D3/7D metering sensor.

[Paul D]

Yes, really! Just announced & available in April 2013. Here's my take on what this means for filmmakers:
http://paul-d.tv/blog/2012/10/23/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-clean-hdmi-out-firmware-announced/

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