Where are the BIG information leaks??

[Ricku]

We all know that Canons next full frame cameras are on their way, and we all know that they are out there right now, beeing tested in the hands of selected professional photographers.

What I would love to know is how they manage to keep the camera specs and all the information to themselves, without ever slipping up?? Why are there no real leaks? I mean real heavy styff with pictures, full system specs, photos of the manual, and everything else that we are dying to know.

How come that none of the testers just thinks "oh what the heck", and leaks the whole camera out on the web?

That is probably what I would do if I were a tester. But then again, I've always been bad on keeping secrets..

[neuroanatomist]

At a minimum, they'd never be an advance tester again. Quite likely, Canon would sue for damages resulting from the NDA breach.  Possibly worst for the leaker, Canon would allow his/her identity to be known, if not outright publicized, which could be very detrimental to professional credibility. 

[gary]

Ricku, that may be one of the reasons you are not a tester

[LetTheRightLensIn]

At a minimum, they'd never be an advance tester again. Quite likely, Canon would sue for damages resulting from the NDA breach.  Possibly worst for the leaker, Canon would allow his/her identity to be known, if not outright publicized, which could be very detrimental to professional credibility.

yeah it would be bad for their careers to say the least and they could get fined as much as they earn in a few years or more

[dr croubie]

but where are they testing them, and how can they account for the public? almost anywhere you go these days with a big camera, you're going to turn heads, and if one of those heads is someone like me, i'll be looking a bit closer to see what equipment they're using.
So are they testing them out in nature? every time i go for a walk somewhere i think is secluded enough, inevitably i'll run into someone else with a camera, maybe a P&S, last time it was a nikon guy with a macro lens and ring flash up a hill 4km from the nearest road, 50km from the centre of the city.
or are they huddled in a studio, maybe taking portraits where noone else sees the camera but the models and makeup artists (who probably wouldn't know the difference between a hasselblad and an iphone)

even if the testers have signed NDAs, the public hasn't. probably the models even haven't. is it just that lucky that noone's spotted anyone using one?

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Test cameras are common, it does not mean that they will be released.  Many pro photographers tape the badge on their camera with black tape, the test cameras will be taped as well.  Under the tape there will be no logo, or a old model logo.

Those who are given cameras to test are usually in the elite Canon "Makers of Light", and take holding their tongue seriously.  That doesn't mean that info does not slip out, but telling it from the stuff made up by others isn't always easy.

As to release plans, only those in Canon who need to know are told, not even vice presidents or other high executives unless they need the information.  Its a small number.  If there is a leak, false info can be planted to find who is leaking it.

[UncleFester]

Beta cameras are out wayyy before gearheads feet start getting itchy for their next version and there is no guarantee model X gets used anyway. 

[noisejammer]

 It's a harsh fact of life - you can only be betrayed by someone you trusted.

Its a small number.  If there is a leak, false info can be planted to find who is leaking it.

Even better, you can supply each person "in the know" with a subset of information, all of which is true. This prevents people colleagues who exchange thoughts feeling that they are not trusted. Then if that subset emerges, you can identify at least one of your problem children. Another option is to supply them all with a mix of true and false information...

This approach is (of course) vulnerable to abuse by the person who makes up the information packs. With care, you can devise strategies to prevent this too.

[keith_cooper]

As someone who does beta testing under NDA for a number of companies (not Canon DSLRs btw ;-)  ) I know that it's not the sort of thing you treat lightly, both from a legal liability and professional reputation POV.

If I've visitors to the office or studio, I make sure there is nothing untoward left laying around. I also know that not all features of a final product may appear in a test item and vice versa.

Curiously enough, the fact that I've been running our rumour pages for years has never been much more than an occasional conversation topic, since very few people get to hear of major product announcements and it's well known that false specs are put out to test for 'reliability' and 'leakiness' ;-)

Looking back over major announcements over the last 6-7 years, I'm seeing much less solid info out there. That said I'm still minded to say that the 5D3 won't come until after the 1Ds3 replacement, and if it uses the same sort of sensor - quite a while after.

[Viggo]

Considering how similar a 1d3 and a 1d4 are on the outside, and the things that ARE different could easily be disguised, it could well have been lot's of mk4's out there used by trusted pro's to test without anyone knowing. These secrets, although fun for us to both hear about and specualte about, is VERY serious and important to keep out of the wrong hands. The element of surprise is everything. It's almost as important to keep the camera a secret as to making it. I mean, I've seen much leaked products, and I skip past them when they get released in a whole other way then if I had never seen any true rumors about it. And Nikon and Canon fight each other for millions and millions of our money each year. If it takes only one stupid tester to blow the specs, you can be sure it's taken seriously. Ever seen "Scareface"? That would look like a kindergarten compared to how Nikon or Canon would treat you if you leaked the new flagship to the whole world..... Just sayin'....

[Dave]

The element of surprise is everything

I don't think so, maybe just concerning the featres, but not concerning the release date. Apple has proven that.

They release products on a regular base, everyone knows when the new iPhone will be released (+- one or two months) and to be honest: I really like that. I don't like the short product lifetime, but it helps a lot to plan your investments.

I for myself have a 350D and I want a new cam, espacially for video. And it's kind of frustating... Canon has "something" in the pipline nobody can deny that. And the new features are imo pretty clear.

And I'm not quite sure which model I want (5D/7D/60D)... so that release policy is Kind of frustating.

[motorhead]

I think that the odd leak and tiny hints about forthcoming specifications adds to the consumer buzz so can do nothing but good to hype a new product. But bear in mind we are talking about the Japanese mind set here, not a western business. They tend to operate to very different pressures, both internal and external.

[traveller]

Canon have been tightening up recently, but there are still generally leaks in the couple of weeks before an announcement.  I certainly believe that these leaks are well orchestrated by the marketing department!

Therefore, what I draw from the lack of any big leaks, is that any announcements are still some time away (whether that be weeks or months).  When we start getting a larger number of "CR3" rumours, we can be sure that Canon marketing is feeding out genuine information to build up the hype. 

[Velo Steve]

...  And Nikon and Canon fight each other for millions and millions of our money each year....

This brings up an interesting point.  Testers carefully protect the information they are trusted with from the public for all the good reasons given in this thread.  After all, honesty and self-interest are aligned.

That doesn't mean that the other company can't get the information from an unscrupulous tester.  An offer of cash and anonymity could go a long way, and the public would never know.  The camera might even make a brief visit to the other company's engineering group.

I hope they aren't actually this cutthroat.  I've probably been watching too many crime dramas.