*UPDATE* 5D Mark III Sighting?

[Ryusui]

1) On-the-fly image rating during in-camera review?  I'd think that was silly and something photographers would never use, and so Canon would never waste space with a button like that.  But then I remembered the Direct Print button....

That had me chuckling like an idiot for a good minute.  Whoo.  I'm all teary-eyed.

Ditto - that's the first thing I noticed.  One of the great ergonomic advantages of the 1D X was the second joystick for AF point selection in portrait orientation.  The practical voice inside me that knows it's unlikely Canon would put a really good AF system in the 5DIII is being drowned out by the hopeful noise of a 5DIII with better ergomics, more MP, a decent frame rate, and good AF...and the thought of $4K savings on the body to put towards a 500/4L II.

SLAP...wake up!

I dunno...I prefer to dream that the new 5D will have a much better AF system.  Maybe not 19 points, but at least enough to warrant that second joystick on the grip.

[dswatson83]

Two things:
1. Why is the top LCD not showing anything readouts. It looks like the camera is turned off but the switch says on.
2. If this is real, then why does it have the M.Fn. button to switch between all sorts of AF modes if the AF will only have 5-9 pts and be a completely crippled 7D AF or worse as per the other recent 5D3 rumors? This would point to the other rumors as being false no?

I'm guessing he just took a picture and this is the playback on the screen. That would make sense.

[Stu_bert]

6,144 × 4,096 EXIF data... if no PP, does it make a it a 25mp sensor? 1mp more than Sony/Nikon  .

So is it the 5d3 or 7d2?

Must be 5D mkIII because I can't see a 7D coming out without a popup flash to control current flashes.   It is quite common to change the camera model in the EXIF for pre-production models, however the images are typically down-resed to match the older model.

I may be having a senior moment here but the exif data is for the guy who shot the Canon employee - he has nothing to do with the field test, just happened to be in Africa.... ??

[Ryusui]

It's funny, I took a 7D on safari along with the two 1Ds bodies. And half the time I would reach for the 7D I would try and take a shot and curse that the mode dial had changed in the vehicle. 1Ds has buttons. Rarely a problem with landscape, but definitely with nature I would have welcomed a lock function. Horses for courses....

Not necessarily... A few years ago I was in england on vacation and just got the 50D (long gone now)... I was taking some pictures around some castles... and as I was walking, the camera bumping against my side, the f#*&# mode dial switched, I wasn't checking the dial, stupidly assuming it was the same that I left it as... Long story short, I DID notice my images were awful, not happy, didn't know what was wrong, thought my card was screwing up... tried this, tried that, in a panic, formatted the card, still no avail... lost all my pictures up till then.. I eventually figured it out... But i've been bitter with that F#*#(*@ mode dial ever since with my 7D and 5d2... I couldn't have been happier when canon introduced the lock... I do a lot of traveling, walking with my cameras and the dial does get bumped and if you dont train yourself to look at the dial every now and then, you can get quite different results than your expecting...

Huh.  You learn something new everyday.  I really never thought it was a problem.  Thanks for the education, guys.  +1 to each of you for the new perspective.

I'm still choosing to have it removed, though. 

Can someone explain why the EXIF of the image of the prototype camera matters?  Is it a magic prototype camera that can take pictures of itself from odd angles?  Do we think the purported Canon employee had a second prototype camera and handed it to a stranger to take a picture of the first prototype camera to post on the Internet?

I was wondering the same thing myself...

[awinphoto]

I was checking out the LCD screen.  Looks like zooming on an image is done with the top wheel.  This is a big departure from the 7D which had dedicated zoom buttons.

Naw... when you blow up the pic you can see the blue + and - with magnifying glass where it always has been.

Look closer awinphoto...  Look into the LCD screen.  There are icons on the LCD display underneath the white zoom frame.  One icon is for the top wheel, and the other is the magnifying glass.  Looks like you press the blue magnifying glass button on the left side of the body, then control your zoom using the wheel.  The 7D and 5D used to have + and - buttons in the upper-right of the body, but these are now missing.

I can see what you're describing with the button the left side... I would be curious to see what/if the thumb is hiding anything... hard to tell.  Thought I could see the blue signs but with the larger image magnified, its not there...  It's going to be an interesting few months of more speculation.  For all we know this could be one of dozens of designs/prototypes out there...

[Stu_bert]

Not related to the subject of the images but looking at the EXIF the camera is identified as a 1DS3 but the original resolution is 6,144 × 4,096. Not 1Ds3 resolution. Fishy?

http://regex.info/exif.cgi?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.canonrumors.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F01%2FB3J.jpg

6,144 × 4,096 EXIF data... if no PP, does it make a it a 25mp sensor? 1mp more than Sony/Nikon  .

So is it the 5d3 or 7d2?

Must be 5D mkIII because I can't see a 7D coming out without a popup flash to control current flashes.   It is quite common to change the camera model in the EXIF for pre-production models, however the images are typically down-resed to match the older model.

Can someone explain why the EXIF of the image of the prototype camera matters?  Is it a magic prototype camera that can take pictures of itself from odd angles?  Do we think the purported Canon employee had a second prototype camera and handed it to a stranger to take a picture of the first prototype camera to post on the Internet?

Phew... my post exactly.... so not a senior moment... yipee 

[EYEONE]

Oh dear god, no.  Not that stupid mode dial unlock button.  To me, that's one of the most useless additions that Canon can put on a semi-pro body.  I can see the reason for putting it on the 60D, but come on.  Anyone using a 7D or higher should have some idea of what they're doing and in all my years of photography I've never heard of anyone accidentally switching the mode dial unintentionally.  If the new 5D is in fact coming standard with the unlock button, I hope that one can "downgrade" and remove it.  Even for a fee, I'd do it.

Actually, I dunno if you shoot with a 7D or a 60D or not but the lock would be quite useful to me. I'm not a full time pro but I absolutely know my way around my camera. And I accidentally change the mode dial while turning the camera on or off all the time. I'll put the camera to my face and get really confused when I start turning dials because the camera has switched from M to Av by mistake. When the switch is down at the bottom it's not a big deal like on the 5DII but with the switch at the top it causes some problems.

I've considered upgrading to the lock.

[Dnd]

Looks like the body on the 200-400 is the 1DX.  With the on/off location on the first body with the 600mm... I am leaning towards 7DII.. any takers??  Nice battery Grip with joystick though..

[Craig Richardson]

Not related to the subject of the images but looking at the EXIF the camera is identified as a 1DS3 but the original resolution is 6,144 × 4,096. Not 1Ds3 resolution. Fishy?

http://regex.info/exif.cgi?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.canonrumors.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F01%2FB3J.jpg

6,144 × 4,096 EXIF data... if no PP, does it make a it a 25mp sensor? 1mp more than Sony/Nikon  .

So is it the 5d3 or 7d2?

Must be 5D mkIII because I can't see a 7D coming out without a popup flash to control current flashes.   It is quite common to change the camera model in the EXIF for pre-production models, however the images are typically down-resed to match the older model.

Can someone explain why the EXIF of the image of the prototype camera matters?  Is it a magic prototype camera that can take pictures of itself from odd angles?  Do we think the purported Canon employee had a second prototype camera and handed it to a stranger to take a picture of the first prototype camera to post on the Internet?

I believe this is a Canon employee being shot by another Canon employee (with a 5D mk III as well) for a controlled leak to hype up the camera.   Why would Canon charter a safari outing with the public when they could just easily go on private outing?

[tt]

Quick & dirty comparison for 7D, 5D Mark II, and this spotted model.

As canonrumors points out:
No popup flash
Joystick on the battery grip

On the top:
Exposure mode dial:
Creative Auto seems to have gone: Fully Automatic, P, TV, Av, M, then 4 more I can't make out (presumably B, C1-C3)
On-Off switch ala 7D WB, AF-Drive, ISO, Bulb on the top (Metering mode, AF mode, ISO sensitivity, bulb, M-Fn.

On the back:
Menu & Info side by side, ala 1DX. but with a whole column of buttons like the 5D MkII and the 7D.
On the LHS from the bottom: Erase, Play, Zoom,  ??,  ??
Start/Stop of the 7D (not 5d MkII/1DX), mini joystick, On screen settings adjustment Q Menu on the button below it.
Mini-joystick on the grip.

[thewallbanger]

I believe this is a Canon employee being shot by another Canon employee (with a 5D mk III as well) for a controlled leak to hype up the camera.   Why would Canon charter a safari outing with the public when they could just easily go on private outing?

I think you're on to something, Craig! 

[tt]

Pity the photographer didn't just take a snap of the camera strap - much quicker way to ID the camera. I mean, it could have said EOS 5D Mark III

[well_dunno]

Quick & dirty comparison for 7D, 5D Mark II, and this spotted model.

Thanks tt!

[awinphoto]

Pity the photographer didn't just take a snap of the camera strap - much quicker way to ID the camera. I mean, it could have said EOS 5D Mark III

You dont think canon would have been stupid enough to make it THAT easy for people to spot now do ya?   

[ers811]

I believe this is a Canon employee being shot by another Canon employee (with a 5D mk III as well) for a controlled leak to hype up the camera.   Why would Canon charter a safari outing with the public when they could just easily go on private outing?

That was my first impression, too.  6 pages of feedback in an hour, from 1 forum!

Maybe the 'Rate' button is for built-in intervalometer???  I really doubt it... but the 5D is supposed to be the artist, and the 7D the athlete, right?  Seems more like something you'd have a custom menu for though, if built in.