I went ahead and started a thread over at Canon:
http://forums.usa.canon.com/t5/EOS/Canon-5D-Mark-III-firmware-wishlist-feature-request/m-p/7081

jhpeterson said:

Nice work, Woodruff! Didn't I see this tease the other day? I don't suppose you have more you care to show us....

I'm off to the Middle East, as well, in less than a week, touring Egypt, Jordan and Israel for a total of 20 days. While I'm there on a specific project, I'd be most interested in hearing what were the high points of your trip.

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I posted it in the 5D3 Samples section a few days ago. Then I saw saw that there was a video section. Ill be posting some more shorter pieces highlighting the trip soon.

As for your trip, I'm totally jealous. The company I was hired by had me slated for Egypt, but then cancelled it . Have a great time over there! Highlights for me were the Western Wall (both outside and inside it), Caesarea and the Druze villages of the Golan Heights (I think its Buq'ata that's built in an old volcano crater?) There's also a Hookah lounge in Tiberius in the old square next to the abandoned mosque (right by the sea). Pretty cool atmosphere.

My best advice is to always be shooting and always be ready for the unexpected. I know thats kind of redundant for a trip like this, but things really do take you by surprise. Especially in Jerusalem. The place is so diverse and so active that you really dont know what will walk around the corner. And just as fast as it happens, its over. If you make it to Palestine, be open minded. I ran into a pretty big rally in Bethlehem and started shooting video in the crowd. Two guys who were waving the big flag and saw me.....and immediately started cheering to get my attention and started singing. Eventually the whole group chimed it. It was pretty awesome.

As for Jordan, Petra is probably one of the most fascinating places I've ever been to. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the back of it (takes a few hours from the main entrance). Also, if a Bedouin merchant asks you to tea in her tunnel house (they live in the tunnels networking throughout the city), do it! Its a once in a lifetime experience.

Otherwise, have a safe trip and take some great shots!

dlleno said:

I thought 5D3 files were not compatible with LR 3?

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Haven't had a problem so far.

1DX is the top model and expected to be used in very harsh environments so dont worry.

I've been using a 300 2.8 + 2x III extender on a 5D Mark III. It's not the sharpest thing ever, but it gets the job done and it's nowhere as terribad as the ver2.

The Speedliter's handbook is brilliant! I much enjoyed reading it and it helped me understand some of the more cryptic stuff in speedlites that the manuals rarely gives more info on than the mention that 'behind this menu you'll find this setting' - ok, but what does it actually do. Syl explains all of this very nicely I think.
That's the place to start as everyone else has also pointed out.

Thanks so much everyone for your input, it's very much appreciated. I think it will be less than ideal but I only shoot weddings & I think in general it won't be too stressful or frustrating & the good points of the 5Dmkiii will more than compensate. Thankyou all again 4ur assistance : ) Cheers Pete

Just picked one up today, had a bit of time to play with it indoors.

First impressions are very good. It handles well; zoom and, more importantly, focus rings operate very smoothly with slight damping and very little dead-play from one direction to another so MF is quite usable (~150 degrees end to end) and much better than on the f/2.8 version I passed on because of sticky MF feel.

AF is quiet and fast, especially when the 3m and beyond limiter switch is on. AF accuracy in low light, using center (cross type) AF point on a D5100 body was spot on at all distances between MFD of about 1m to about 8m I had available.

The VR (optical stabilization) worked very well also, getting pixel-sharp handheld shots at 200mm and 1/15s with no problem. I suspect it could go even slower and still maintain a reasonable keeper rate.

Still have to do stop-down focus shift tests, check the bokeh, CA and corner shading on FF but so far, so good. I'm looking forward to putting it to more tests and then shooting some real subjects with it. The smaller size and reduced weight are pleasant changes from hauling around the big 2.8 glass. (altho the new Tamron 2.8 is interesting and will be considered as an option for my F-mount systems)

I did not opt for the very pricey OEM tripod mount. I'll wait until there's a better value alternative but I would deem it a necessary item if using this lens with a lightweight body like the consumer-oriented D5100 or similar. It's just too much mass and length to hang off the end of a plastic body when using a tripod. It might be OK when mounted on a more substantial body like the D800 or other semi-pro or pro chassis.

Since I rarely use my EF 70-200 f/2.8 L 2 wide open, this smaller, lighter, and possibly as-sharp option may supplant one more bit of my Canon kit. The latest Canon classic fast zoom has been disappointing me with ugly bokeh too often anyway. I didn't use the EF 70-200/4 IS so can't compare it.

So if any Nikon users are considering this lens... YES, it's certainly worth considering.

Thanks. My main issue is that I need to store it in a dry cabinet as fungus is even less fun!

dswatson83 said:

Given the price tag of the 35mm f/2 IS, Canon will definitely be pricing a new 35mm L upwards of $1,700. Unless Canon makes it an f/1.2 or puts some major weather sealing on it...something to add additional value, it will still be a tough pill to swallow given how great the Sigma is shaping up to be. I'm worried about what Canon is doing to buyers that don't have funds to spend $1500+ on a prime. Putting IS in lenses has priced many people out of the new 24mm, 28mm, and now 35mm lenses...plus they are all slow for primes. If they do the same thing with the 50mm f/1.4, those with less funds may have no place to turn.

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So Canon can complete the classic normal lengths with three F/1.2 lenses, although this would mean a drastic change in design, and overall it could be that much bigger, heavier, and slower to focus.
And it won't be named 35Lii as it's not an update but a whole new lens (50L F/1.0 to 50L F/1.2).

On full frame it's hard to interview people at shallower than 2.8 on a 50mm (really, it's hard at any shallower than about f4) because any little movement by the subject throws them out of focus. Assuming you're doing the interviewing and not pulling focus full time, you don't really need the fast lens. So as said, the zoom will serve you well.

Looking for opinions (good & bad) on photog whom r using quantum external power packs with canon flash.
Have heard can cause some damage to flash unit . Considering the "blade" model so I will not need a cable from battery pack on my belt connecting to the flash. thnx pete

What Neuro said.
Another advantage of back button focus on the 5D MK3 is it enables Zeiss manual lenses (at least the 35mm F/2 I have) to focus pretty damned accurately.

1) Tap shutter to meter.
2) Push and keep AF-ON button engaged.
3) Rotate focus ring slowly until focus highlight turns red and camera beeps.

I'm shooting at F/2.8 and F/4 and so far it works very reliably

ET

Greatland said:

I have used SanDisc cards since I switched from film to digital cameras. I shoot a 1Dx and a MKIV.....what is the absolute best card that I can put in my cameras?

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Be careful on the 1D MK IV, SD speeds are indeed hampered by the controller (in the camera). So doesn't matter what card you put in beyond a 20MB/s card, you'll find no difference. Which means if you are writing to both then the SD is a "bottleneck"

Both the MK IV and the 1DX can do UDMA 7 in CF so the latest cards will give you the best performance. Of course this is more in terms of how quick the camera flushes to the memory card. I recently tried a 60MB/s CF vs 30MB/s on the MK IV and was pleasantly surprised by the difference

Finally, you perhaps might want to consider trading off size of memory card vs speed. By this I mean I'm not happy with more than 8GB card for normal (16GB for sports nature) on the basis of how much data I am prepared to lose should a card fail. I've only had 1 CF fail - a transcend, which failed before I used it in anger (failed during soak testing)

Best therefore does depend, as mentioned, on your needs...

mikezphoto said:

Here is what I love about the 5D3 ....

Am I just oblivious to problems or a lot of people just suffering from "the grass is always greener" syndrome because of the rave reviews the D800 gets on websites like DXO?

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You've summed it up very well. I don't have problems with the 5D3 either, other than the black AF points. It is the best wedding camera I've ever used. DxO doesn't shoot weddings, so their ratings don't reflect important camera features that matter to me. I have lots of D800 files from a 2nd shooter and they are wonderfully detailed (if you make giant-sized prints), but the color is not as pleasing as from the 5D3. And Nikon doesn't have the medium raw file size option or the new flashes with built in radio.

A second hand 1ds mark iii. No idea why so many forget that.

I eventually want exactly that to go with my 7d. The 5d3 is out, I'll have more benefit with a 1d body. If that's the same for you, have a look. I know keh normally have some. Other options are a 1d mark iii maybe, but only because they're cheaper and the mark iv is still very expensive even second hand. However... It's not like its not worth looking.

I'm thinking one attractive value proposition for these guys is to use them remotely as slaves while keeping a genuine Speedlite as the master. Cost is attractive to buy two or three of the yongnuo's and you're still well below the cost of one speedlite. Use the Speedlite Master for fill (off camera using Syl's OCF ETTL cord), a pair of yonguos as the key, and a third Yonguo as a hair light. or if you are outdoors, use all four flashes together to fight the sun (key), a 5-in-one reflector for fill -- and you still have three light sources using the sun itself for the hairlight.

There are lots of good parts left, sell it for parts on ebay, and it may allow repair of several other lenses.

This is my first attempt of video on the Canon 5D Mark III.
Alot of room for improvement but I've been inspired by some of the people here to give it a go.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fergalocallaghan/8265738680/#secretfc61824cd1in/photostream

great video and review..

Canon 6D vs Nikon D600 vs 5D Mark III

Mine is loud too. It's normal for this lens.

Jesse said:

"When you are talking about the same framing, focal length and subject distance have equal and opposite effects, and thus they cancel each other out. When comparing lenses of different focal lengths for the same framing, DoF is determined only by aperture. So at f/2.8 for the same framing, there's no DoF difference between the 100mm Macro and the 135L, but the 135L can open up to f/2 meaning it can achieve a shallower DoF for the same framing."

Mind blown. So would this work for all lenses? Eg. a 24mm and 200mm?

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24mm f/4, 200mm f/4, 600mm f/4 - for the same FoV, the DoF will be the same (mostly...at very wide angles, the relationship breaks down a little bit, but even then it's <10% difference). Obviously, you'll be further away, the longer the lens. Also, different rules apply at macro distances (1:1 or close to it).

Not familiar with Tamron lenses. All I know is that I sold my Canon 70-200mm I to buy the II....and ever since then....every time I shoot with it and pull the images up on screen...I say
.."This photo is so sharp, I can't believe this is a f*#king zoom lens!!!!!"
I think it has to do with the contrast, too.
I can't say for sure as I have not tried the Tamron..but I will bet that it just does not have that WOW factor. My old version one did not have that WOW factor either.
Is the WOW factor necessary? No....but it is really nice to have!!!!!
I am sure that the Tamron is a very descent lens.

McCardie09 said:

I'm looking to sell at least one of my lenses but I'm stuck on which one. I shoot with a Canon 7d and here are the the lenses I have:

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM

Tamron AF18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC

I just got the Canon 17-55 and I love it so I know I'm keeping that one. If it helps, 90% of the time I shoot family, baby/children and high school senior portraits.

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Is there a trick behind your question? This is ALMOST no brainer.......sell that Tammy

http://www.lenscoat.com/lenscoat®-canon-200400-p-1917.html?osCsid=a00e709987a0fa561de57d0b872a91ef
No price or date yet, but a very nice photo.

Pinchers of Peril said:

That is awesome!!! You should have painted on an IS button as well

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Regrettably, it is not mine