What do you want from the 5D mk III

[CR Backup Admin]

I edited the quote down to two items which should have been in my list too.

Time lapse should be really simple to add, would save having to connect a laptop with EOS utility to do a simple series of photos.

 I would also prefer to have time lapse built in.  However, Use of a laptop is overkill.

You can use the Canon TC80N3 for time lapse,  I use mine and it works well. 

There are third party units available as well, the Pixel TC-252 seems to fit the bill, but I have no direct experience with it.  http://www.pixelhk.com/Proshow.aspx?id=76

[Flake]

The laptop comes in handy for storing loads of images in RAW especially if you use a 5D MkII memory cards just don't seem big enough.

As for what I'd like from a MkIII I'd like a delivery date Canon can actually meet within a reasonable timescale following the announcement.  So many products seem to have been announced and never delivered to store, I can't see the point of any more announcements until the back logs are cleared.  Before anyone mentions the earthquake some of these date back well before the earthquake struck.

[CR Backup Admin]

The laptop comes in handy for storing loads of images in RAW especially if you use a 5D MkII memory cards just don't seem big enough.

As for what I'd like from a MkIII I'd like a delivery date Canon can actually meet within a reasonable timescale following the announcement.  So many products seem to have been announced and never delivered to store, I can't see the point of any more announcements until the back logs are cleared.  Before anyone mentions the earthquake some of these date back well before the earthquake struck.

Canon has always done pretty well at delivering camera bodies in a reasonable time.  The 5D MK II took a couple of months, but then, the volume of orders took Canon by suprise.  In the case of the new super telephoto lenses, it was a complete fiasco, just like typical Sigma announcements. 

I also much prefer having a product ready to ship when a announcement is made, rather than a development announcement, or a wishful thinking announcement.

[neuroanatomist]

I also much prefer having a product ready to ship when a announcement is made, rather than a development announcement, or a wishful thinking announcement.

Is it just a photography thing?  PocketWizard, Paul C. Buff, etc., also announce products and an availability date, which invariably slips, then slips some more.

On the other end, there's Apple.  No leaks in advance (or very few, at least, with some notable exceptions), product is announced and then starts shipping and shows up on store shelves the very next day.

[gene_can_sing]

I also much prefer having a product ready to ship when a announcement is made, rather than a development announcement, or a wishful thinking announcement.

Is it just a photography thing?  PocketWizard, Paul C. Buff, etc., also announce products and an availability date, which invariably slips, then slips some more.

On the other end, there's Apple.  No leaks in advance (or very few, at least, with some notable exceptions), product is announced and then starts shipping and shows up on store shelves the very next day.

There is a HUGE difference between Apple and Canon though. With Apple, you pretty much know that their products get a pretty good upgrade almost every year. With Apple, generally speaking, their releases are very regular and you've come to expect it, and they usually deliver something really good.

With Canon, the upgrades are far and few, and you never know when to expect anything. Could be this year, could be 2 years from now. There is absolutely no predicting Canon. Canon has got into this pattern of very incremental upgrades to existing products -- add a flip screen here, maybe a 3x crop factor, etc... Many new cameras are just firmware updates of previous versions (t2i, 60d, t3i).

With Apple, they are usually pushing the edge, and that is why everyone just copies them. Apple is extremely progressive and Canon is extremely conservative.

I wish Canon thought like Apple. We would've have the 5D3 a year ago if they did.

[neuroanatomist]

With Apple, you pretty much know that their products get a pretty good upgrade almost every year. With Apple, generally speaking, their releases are very regular and you've come to expect it, and they usually deliver something really good.

That's true, now.  For their computers, at least, it's true because they are using Intel chips, and Intel has a regular schedule and a defined roadmap.  But back when Apple designed/used their own chips (made for them by Motorola), it was a different and far less predictable story.

[gene_can_sing]

With Apple, you pretty much know that their products get a pretty good upgrade almost every year. With Apple, generally speaking, their releases are very regular and you've come to expect it, and they usually deliver something really good.

That's true, now.  For their computers, at least, it's true because they are using Intel chips, and Intel has a regular schedule and a defined roadmap.  But back when Apple designed/used their own chips (made for them by Motorola), it was a different and far less predictable story.

That's an interesting point you bring up. Isn't Sony becoming a major chip maker for cameras? I know they make most if not all, of the chips that goes into Nikon. If Sony becomes an Intel like chips maker for camera manufacturers, who has to make regular schedules and breakthroughs and be held to a higher standard. Wouldn't that squeeze Canon, much in the same way that Apple used to be squeezed when they had Motorola make their chips and had to compete against Intel?

Maybe that would be good for Canon to have some real competition.

[sb]

Here is what I'd love to see in 5DMK3:

1. Built-in radio slave trigger with ETTL support, compatible with next gen Canon radio flashes so that I dont require any third party triggers once and for all (yes I'm looking at you PocketWizard)
2. Built-in ND (and graduated ND??) filters so I can shoot video outside at f/1.4 and not have to use filters. I'm sure they could do this via reduced sensor sensitivity.
3. Faster AF system - PLEASE!!!!! And don't release a 7DMk2 6 months later with an even better AF to make me regret my purchase.
4. No more megapixels. I dont need 30MP, stop the nonsense please
5. Double memory card slot with redundancy mode
6. at least 60fps video if not 120fps. I like smooth slow motion
7. Fix the aliasing issue with the video if you can, I hate seeing those straight lines all jagged-y
8. 6fps fire rate would be nice
9. higher dynamic range would be nice
10. if you can improve signal to noise ratio even more, I'll love you even more

[CR Backup Admin]

[That's true, now.  For their computers, at least, it's true because they are using Intel chips, and Intel has a regular schedule and a defined roadmap.  But back when Apple designed/used their own chips (made for them by Motorola), it was a different and far less predictable story.

That's an interesting point you bring up. Isn't Sony becoming a major chip maker for cameras? I know they make most if not all, of the chips that goes into Nikon. If Sony becomes an Intel like chips maker for camera manufacturers, who has to make regular schedules and breakthroughs and be held to a higher standard. Wouldn't that squeeze Canon, much in the same way that Apple used to be squeezed when they had Motorola make their chips and had to compete against Intel?

Maybe that would be good for Canon to have some real competition.
[/quote]

I think you are thinking of the camera sensor, Sony can't make them fast enough, so they farm out production.

Canon uses a ARM946E-S Core in the 5D MK II processor,  The firmware is done by Canon, and perhaps the overall manufacturing, but they do not design the processor.  Sony, Apple, ...a huge number of companies use the various versions.

Read up on them here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture

[ReyMorlu]

I have been working all my "pro-life" in technical & editorial photography and the first digital camera I consider good enough to be bought in orther to repace my elder equipement based in Hassel, Linhoff and 35mm Canon film cameras was the 5D-2 even not covering all my needs! ...but clients have the last word and labs broke-down in my country and everybody wants digital pics even being a damn rabish!

Pro-photo is gonna be dissapear!!!, and expensive cameras are the new way to spend money for nothing  in adult toys... almost for younger photographers with less than 40 years old. (in my personal opinion)
50% of photostudios are closed now and 80% of labs too, -almost in my country-

What my needs are then...?

1º  No less than 40 MPx, to use it like a medium format camera, BUT improved with versatillity of 35mm lenses
2º  Same accessories (compatible!) whith 5D-2: bp-e6, bateries, CFlash cards (double slot), Speedlites....
3º  MULTIEXPOSURE!!! like old film cameras and Nikon, Pentax, etc. I don't understand why canon does'nt
4º  HDR multiexposure (like pentax K5D) -at least- and panoramic-auto-mode if possible.
5º  Video avi Format also, not only MOV (personally video is not a must for a camera... but!)
6º  7D autofocus sistem
7º  100% coverage viewfinder and more confortable eyepiece 1D series like
8º  4fps at RAW-S1 and 6/8 fps at RAW-S2 or less
9º  Slow motion video 60fps... or more
10º AFORDABLE like it's predecesors: 5D, 5D-II

I'm not gonna pay a buck for a camera whith less than that, the fact of making something different is not enought to make people buying it... whith eyes wide shut!

Take your time guys! im very patient.

[cedrics]

My list:
-Main feature for me would be to keep all buttons in the same spot as mk II. I use the present one underwater and housings don't come cheap... Almost glad mine lasted for two years with the latest full frame!
-Second curtain flash with any strobe brand. Right now you can only do this with Canon's strobes and I can't use these underwater. I understand they want to sell their own brand but in my case this doesnt apply as Canon has no underwater strobe. I used to be able to do this with my 300D and every other brand let's you do this...
-MORE SHARPNESS, tired of having to spend so much time sharpening my shots
-Higher dynamic range
-Better autofocus including proper autofocus in video
-Slow motion
-Ability to choose which area of the sensor to use in video mode. Center Crop would be so nice for macro shooters...
-No more pixels, at least no more than 24MP. Don't want to feel that even my L lenses are not good enough!
-Wireless Strobe, and why not built-in wireless file transfer
-Recharging battery via induction/powermat. With this and the last point I'd never take my cam out of its housing
-SAME PRICE TAG
-announced lenses becoming available... Fisheye zoom should have come out months ago

[cedrics]

-ND Filters in camera
-IS in camera. This IS on lenses business has to be the biggest rip-off ever!

[neuroanatomist]

-ND Filters in camera

Where?  The mirror box is already tight enough, flange to sensor distance can't increase.

-IS in camera. This IS on lenses business has to be the biggest rip-off ever!

Not really.  The IS system optimal for reducing the effect of shake is different for a standard zoom vs. a supertelephoto.  Put another way, it's doubtful that an in-camera system could effectively stabilize a supertele lens. 

[sb]

I'd like to believe that they can create in-camera ND filters via some kind of reduced sensitivity mode instead of an actual physical filter. It might be realm of science fiction, but could they create a software override where they simply discard X percentage of photons which reach sensor nodes? That way, they reduce exposure, thus simulating an ND filter? I'm just thinking out loud...

About IS:

Again, may sound like science fiction (or plain stupidity :-)), but how about a secondary in-body IS system which can work in CONJUNCTION with the lens IS (if available) to even further enhance "hand holdability"?

[neuroanatomist]

I'd like to believe that they can create in-camera ND filters via some kind of reduced sensitivity mode instead of an actual physical filter. It might be realm of science fiction, but could they create a software override where they simply discard X percentage of photons which reach sensor nodes? That way, they reduce exposure, thus simulating an ND filter? I'm just thinking out loud...

This is sort of available already, at least as a '1-stop in-camera ND filter' - some cameras, e.g. the 5DII, offer an ISO 50 setting via a C.Fn, which is really just a processing trick.  While this is a possibility, I think it's tied to Canon increasing the overall dynamic range of their sensors (something I'd really like to see!)

Again, may sound like science fiction (or plain stupidity :-)), but how about a secondary in-body IS system which can work in CONJUNCTION with the lens IS (if available) to even further enhance "hand holdability"?

That would be quite a nice feature!