overnight flight next to Canon engineer...

[willhuff.net]

Did the engineer say what happens to those prototypes, are they just left at Canon?
I wish I could buy one.

[kubelik]

Did the engineer say what happens to those prototypes, are they just left at Canon?
I wish I could buy one.

someone from another technical industry pointed out on the forums once that these prototypes, while they seem like dream cameras to us, probably have minimal or limited firmware implementation and less-than-ideal software algorithms, as well as possibly non-functional interface with your workflow software.

to some people that might still sound appealing, but to me, I'd much rather pay for a finished product.

[lee_hom]

I know I've said this before, but I really dislike - resent, even - the idea that a significant part of the cost of the 5D3 that I'll buy will have gone into developing video functionality that I will never, EVER, use.

Just sell me a 5D3 without any video functionality, commensurately cheaper, please!

Or, spend the same money enhancing the stills functionality.

If I wanted a camcorder, guess what: I'd go out to a camcorder shop, and buy one.

Sorry to repeat the same old rant.

This just shows a sever lack of understanding about why the 5D became popular for video. The video you can capture is MILES ahead of any "camcorder" in terms of aesthetics. The 5D is one of only TWO digital camera systems in the world that records FF35 video.

As far as to why people would want that for video over a regular camcorder at the camcorder store... well because it DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A CAMCORDER. If you think that going from FF35 to APS-C is bad... try FF35 compared to 1/3" video camera chip... then come back and talk about video on the 5DIII being nonsense. It opened up a completely new look for cinematographers and directors that was, no more than 5 years ago, only available on $250,000 camera systems.

If the 5D2 is so great at video, then why do I keep seeing people on here whining about serious video problems in the 5D2 that Canon "really should have fixed by now, and had BETTER fix in the 5D3!"?

Based on that, I will not accept that the 5D2 is such a dream for video.

So yes, I do have a "serious lack of understanding" of why video is such a good thing. Video in a DSLR is something I do not want, and that I think just adds useless and unwanted purchase cost to the many of us who buy them for stills only. And I bet that the majority (I do dare say "majority") of 5D2 owners do not use the video functionality at all, or to any significant extent.

I, I, I, I, I....thanks God you are not the only customer Canon has.

If the new 5d3 didn't have any video feature, it'll be the last 5D in Canon's product line, there won't be a 5d4 in the future.
They need to consider what features the majority would buy, and make profit. If you want one custom made, it will cost 10x more than the one with "wasted video function" for you.
At the end of the day we are all and have to take advantage of the cheap price from mass production.

[steven63]

I bought a 5dmii in June for the FF and low light abilities.  I've yet to switch it over to video mode.  I couldn't care less about it.

I know I've said this before, but I really dislike - resent, even - the idea that a significant part of the cost of the 5D3 that I'll buy will have gone into developing video functionality that I will never, EVER, use.

Just sell me a 5D3 without any video functionality, commensurately cheaper, please!

Or, spend the same money enhancing the stills functionality.

If I wanted a camcorder, guess what: I'd go out to a camcorder shop, and buy one.

Sorry to repeat the same old rant.

This just shows a sever lack of understanding about why the 5D became popular for video. The video you can capture is MILES ahead of any "camcorder" in terms of aesthetics. The 5D is one of only TWO digital camera systems in the world that records FF35 video.

As far as to why people would want that for video over a regular camcorder at the camcorder store... well because it DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A CAMCORDER. If you think that going from FF35 to APS-C is bad... try FF35 compared to 1/3" video camera chip... then come back and talk about video on the 5DIII being nonsense. It opened up a completely new look for cinematographers and directors that was, no more than 5 years ago, only available on $250,000 camera systems.

If the 5D2 is so great at video, then why do I keep seeing people on here whining about serious video problems in the 5D2 that Canon "really should have fixed by now, and had BETTER fix in the 5D3!"?

Based on that, I will not accept that the 5D2 is such a dream for video.

So yes, I do have a "serious lack of understanding" of why video is such a good thing. Video in a DSLR is something I do not want, and that I think just adds useless and unwanted purchase cost to the many of us who buy them for stills only. And I bet that the majority (I do dare say "majority") of 5D2 owners do not use the video functionality at all, or to any significant extent.

[Dave]

Summarizing:  your "dream" cameras exist as prototypes
but are too expensive to become market models

My "dream cam" is a 7D with a flip screen, WLan and GPS. And that's definetly not expensive. Every 100-Dollar mobile phone has features like that.

[Orangutan]

Steven63: have you ever used Live View? If so, then you have used video mode, you just haven't recorded your video.  Video Mode is little more than saving the data used for Live View.

I bought a 5dmii in June for the FF and low light abilities.  I've yet to switch it over to video mode.  I couldn't care less about it.

[dilbert]

Summarizing:  your "dream" cameras exist as prototypes
but are too expensive to become market models

My "dream cam" is a 7D with a flip screen, WLan and GPS. And that's definetly not expensive. Every 100-Dollar mobile phone has features like that.

Mobile phones get GPS information from base stations, not GPS satellites and that's only on newer phones. So a 100 Dollar mobile phone isn't a GPS receiver in the same way that a GPS navigator is. Thus there's no special hardware required for GPS information in mobile phones.

[Freshprince08]

I've just ordered the 5dii.

Therefore expect a [CR3] post within 48 hours.....!

[Dave]

Mobile phones get GPS information from base stations, not GPS satellites and that's only on newer phones. So a 100 Dollar mobile phone isn't a GPS receiver in the same way that a GPS navigator is

Nope, I mean a REAL GPS phone. I've just saw an Android phone with GPS for 129 Bucks (tax included). Okay, a no name cellphone, but 129 bucks!
So why does a camera who costs more than ten times that much NOT have this really usefull feature?

[wellfedCanuck]

Summarizing:  your "dream" cameras exist as prototypes
but are too expensive to become market models

My "dream cam" is a 7D with a flip screen, WLan and GPS. And that's definetly not expensive. Every 100-Dollar mobile phone has features like that.

Mobile phones get GPS information from base stations, not GPS satellites and that's only on newer phones. So a 100 Dollar mobile phone isn't a GPS receiver in the same way that a GPS navigator is. Thus there's no special hardware required for GPS information in mobile phones.

That's not true. Most smart phones will aproximate a position using the cell network and then lock in a position with the GPS. But- there are apps that are network-independant and will give you a GPS position even when you're off the grid. I've tried this for myself way out in the Canadian wilderness.

[Bruce Photography]

Steven63: have you ever used Live View? If so, then you have used video mode, you just haven't recorded your video.  Video Mode is little more than saving the data used for Live View.

I bought a 5dmii in June for the FF and low light abilities.  I've yet to switch it over to video mode.  I couldn't care less about it.

I too highly value Live View to compose the image, meter zones (approx.), and magnify the image 10x to get pin point focus without having to move the camera and change the composition.  I just recently added the 60d to my list of bodies and I'm very impressed with the Canon implementation of the the tiltable screen.  I plan to generate a new thread about the advantages of having a tilt screen.  I'm hoping only people that either own a 60d or have rented it and used it for at least a week will add to the discussion.  I way swayed against the tilt when I saw so many commenters talk about making the lcd more fraile.  Now that I've actually used it for awhile, I think that is a very empty argument put forth by people who haven't used the 60D in the field and seen how the rescessed frame that the lcd sits in protects the lcd when seated.  Great Implementation!

[Lawliet]

It opened up a completely new look for cinematographers and directors that was, no more than 5 years ago, only available on $250,000 camera systems.

Only to those who had no clue in the first place. Adapting a normal HD cam to offer the same look as a 35mm, of MF/LF/anything artisticly desired for that point, shouldn't challenge a DoP who is worth his salt.
OTOH none of the VDSLRs offer even basic features, like trouble free interaction with most of the better lights. What good is a cheaper cam if the additional rental and fuel bills exeed the costs of a dedicated movie cam? And that doesn't figure in costs for pick-ups/reshoots caused by camere quirks.

[Macadameane]

Summarizing:  your "dream" cameras exist as prototypes
but are too expensive to become market models

My "dream cam" is a 7D with a flip screen, WLan and GPS. And that's definetly not expensive. Every 100-Dollar mobile phone has features like that.

Mobile phones get GPS information from base stations, not GPS satellites and that's only on newer phones. So a 100 Dollar mobile phone isn't a GPS receiver in the same way that a GPS navigator is. Thus there's no special hardware required for GPS information in mobile phones.

That's not true. Most smart phones will aproximate a position using the cell network and then lock in a position with the GPS. But- there are apps that are network-independant and will give you a GPS position even when you're off the grid. I've tried this for myself way out in the Canadian wilderness.

I can confirm that the Android has ways to operate both.  I write android software for work, and the phones do pick up both from cell provider nets and GPS.

[NormanBates]

to all those stating "if I wanted to do video I'd get a videocam": maybe with the recent sony FS100 and F3, and panasonic AF100, that may start to be the a good idea, but prior to that, it was definitely no; it's just shows you have no idea what you're talking about

searching IMDB, for number of films shot using...

5D2 = 1640
7D = 1290

DVX100 = 1620
EX1 = 772
EX3 = 338
XL1 = 156
XL2 = 32

if you don't know WHY, you can ask

http://www.google.com/search?q=canon+5D+site%3Aimdb.com%2Ftitle&hl=en&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
http://www.google.com/search?q=canon+7D+site%3Aimdb.com%2Ftitle&hl=en&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
http://www.google.com/search?q=dvx100+site%3Aimdb.com%2Ftitle&hl=en&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
http://www.google.com/search?q=sony+ex1+site%3Aimdb.com%2Ftitle&hl=en&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
http://www.google.com/search?q=sony+ex3+site%3Aimdb.com%2Ftitle&hl=en&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
http://www.google.com/search?q=canon+xl2+site%3Aimdb.com%2Ftitle&hl=en&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=
http://www.google.com/search?q=canon+xl1+site%3Aimdb.com%2Ftitle&hl=en&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=


edit: oh, and you might say: "yes, but that means 20K bodies sold for video, tops!"
the answer is that there's much more video shot with these cameras besides movies big and small
nearly every ad or music video you see today was shot using a DSLR

[Bob Howland]

the answer is that there's much more video shot with these cameras besides movies big and small
nearly every ad or music video you see today was shot using a DSLR

Show me the data please. And what about the home improvement and science documentaries that I watch, not to mention weddings, events and corporate training videos? These people seem to move way too fast to use anything with manual focus. Plus there is so much DOF that either the lens is stopped way down or they are using a relatively small sensor.