5DIII will come

[JR]

I agree that no one here has those data. But Canon has those data. Whenever you register a new product purchase online, you're asked what other camera(s) you own, what lenses you own, what lenses you're planning to buy next year, your profession, your income, etc. I'd argue that some of their choices in the last few years (e.g. a 60D clearly aimed at xxxD upgraders, not 50D upgraders) are driven by just that sort of demographic data.

I'm sure Canon does look at what Nikon/Sony are doing, at all levels - they do need to compete for some philosophical 'best camera in class' even if they're not competing for that many real customers in the upper end of the range.

Good point that this segment (5D and 1D series EOS bodies) is smaller indeed. I cant wait to see the outcome of all this market movement hopefully in the first quarter of 2012 though!

 

[traveller]

Looks like we may get some idea of the 'competition' sooner than we thought: NR looks set to scoop some D800 images!

 

[handsomerob]

At the higher levels, for the most part, buyers are already invested in a system. High profile 'defections' notwithstanding, there's a lot of inertia to changing brands when you have lenses, flashes, etc. So, I contend that for a 5DIII, Canon's greatest need for differentiation is from their own lines, not Nikon/Sony/etc.

Excellent point. That's exactly why I don't expect any vastly superior AF in the 5DIII.

 

[Loswr]

D800 confirmed at 36 MP by NR. Canon was right all along. More MP *is* better. That tears it. I'm selling all my Canon gear and switching to Nikon.

 

[handsomerob]

D800 confirmed at 36 MP by NR. Canon was right all along. More MP *is* better. That tears it. I'm selling all my Canon gear and switching to Nikon.

hehe

Interesting times, love to see tech advancing! Nikon just tripled D700's pixel count, which surely will make some high-ISO fans unhappy... I wonder how many will switch to Canon now

 

[traveller]

Perhaps this is all part of a ploy by Canon and Nikon to increase the price point of their compact full frame bodies up into the $4000+ (>£2500) price band; i.e. no 1Ds/DXx replacement, they'll just up all the specifications of the 5D MkIII/D800 and charge more money for them :

 

[traveller]

BTW - NR now has the first pictures of the D800 posted (supposedly).

 

[AG]

D800 confirmed at 36 MP by NR. Canon was right all along. More MP *is* better. That tears it. I'm selling all my Canon gear and switching to Nikon.

Lol

There is one thing here though, just like how every tablet production part out of china MUST be for the next iPad, similar could be said about a lot of these rumours.

I have a feeling that Canon won't make everybody happy when they finally release the 5D3 (i await the smite that that comment will get), If its not 36+MP, have 40000AF points, shoot RAW 6K video and cost under $2500 people are going to complain no matter what.

For me id be happy if it stayed around the 21MP mark, shot 1080p but cleaner codec (same as 1D-X) but 60fps would be nice too, a clean HDMI out or even ability to dual screen HDMI/onboard LCD, lastly a dedicated record button like the 60/7D have would also be nice.

But then again that could just be a rumour waiting to happen right there.

 

[JR]

D800 confirmed at 36 MP by NR. Canon was right all along. More MP *is* better. That tears it. I'm selling all my Canon gear and switching to Nikon.

lol...you cant do that John, if you defect with the amount of lens you have, then Canon will go out of business - hihihi.

For me the most interesting spec for the D800 is not the 36MP but the fact it will keep the same AF system which is the current D3s one. NOw it will be interetsing to see how Canon react. Not sure they could compete with simply coming out with a 5D III with around 24-30MP and same boring 9 points AF system as the 5D II!!!



...But seriously if you are selling all your lens John, I'm buying! lol

 

[nounours18200]

+1: if the 5D3 does not have a better AF , it will be a disapointment...

 

[CanonFanNum1]

+1: if the 5D3 does not have a better AF , it will be a disapointment...

Disappointment? More like disaster.

I cannot fathom how they could make another 9-point AF ... the 5DmkII shouldn't even have had that.

 

[JR]

+1: if the 5D3 does not have a better AF , it will be a disapointment...

Disappointment? More like disaster.

I cannot fathom how they could make another 9-point AF ... the 5DmkII shouldn't even have had that.

+1 !!! If the D800 indeed has 36MP with a 51 point AF, the 5D III would look tame in comparaison if it only had 9 points AF. Of course for studio work it might not make a difference, but for many enthousiast like ourselves who use their 5D for different use, it would be a shame. I am now I a point a need a second camera because my 5D II simply is not up to part to take picture of moving subjects and tracking them. For this I would need a 1D mk IV type AF capability...

Cant wait to see the future announcements...

 

[briansquibb]

+1: if the 5D3 does not have a better AF , it will be a disapointment...

Disappointment? More like disaster.

I cannot fathom how they could make another 9-point AF ... the 5DmkII shouldn't even have had that.

+1 !!! If the D800 indeed has 36MP with a 51 point AF, the 5D III would look tame in comparaison if it only had 9 points AF. Of course for studio work it might not make a difference, but for many enthousiast like ourselves who use their 5D for different use, it would be a shame. I am now I a point a need a second camera because my 5D II simply is not up to part to take picture of moving subjects and tracking them. For this I would need a 1D mk IV type AF capability...

Cant wait to see the future announcements...

So you get a 1D4 as a second camera.....

 

[te4o]

+1: if the 5D3 does not have a better AF , it will be a disapointment...

Disappointment? More like disaster.

I cannot fathom how they could make another 9-point AF ... the 5DmkII shouldn't even have had that.

If you're tripod mounted, there's no reason to not use the live view for focus and ignore then predefined AF points completely. There are many advantages to this approach.

And once you're focusing in live view, whether the camera has 9 or 99 AF points is unimportant.

For my purpose of "continuous Manual Focusing" the 5D3 can stay with its current AF (and lower price) - can't be bothered... An improved LV with a better LCD screen (100% coverage) would be a good aid.
But, I guess 5D3 will have at least 7D AF, otherwise no one will be happy to spend money on it. You can't charge 3500 USD for an AF system from 2006-7. That's not gonna happen. Unless there is another FF body with this AF and all new inside.
Still I hope the 5D3 will have interchangeable focusing screens for MF like the current one. Anyone knows whether the 1DX has it as an option?

 

[briansquibb]

The AF on the 5DII is good and accurate. Not as fast as the 7D or 1D4, but it is reliable. In low light it is better than the others.

Once locked on in servo mode it is very good.

Please stop trashing the 5DII AF - it is better than the older prosumer bodies, up to the 50D and up to the 550D. Giving it just that little extra time it does the job everytime - and no other beats it in low light. All about knowing the kit and applying the right technique.

Master the technique and you will get the best IQ of them all

 

[Picsfor]

Please stop trashing the 5DII AF - it is better than the older prosumer bodies, up to the 50D and up to the 550D.

Master the technique and you will get the best IQ of them all

I would like to beg to differ, but instead i'm gonna come right out with it and tell you you're wrong.

I done a night time badger shoot using my old 40D and my 5D2.
I wonder if you can guess which body produced the most accurately focused shots - even though i could only really push it to 1600iso?

Yep, 40D beat it by a country mile. Even though 5D2 had an option of 6400iso, i kept coming back to the 40D.
The focusing is the weak link in this otherwise "perfect camera".

The same could also be said with my 30D - and i have the pic listed some where to prove it. Don't have many by the 5D2 though!

What you are using your 5D2 for, may be perfect for the focusing system; for me, and many others, we often have a variety of situations in which to use our camera.

 

[K-amps]

D800 confirmed at 36 MP by NR. Canon was right all along. More MP *is* better. That tears it. I'm selling all my Canon gear and switching to Nikon.

hehe

Interesting times, love to see tech advancing! Nikon just tripled D700's pixel count, which surely will make some high-ISO fans unhappy... I wonder how many will switch to Canon now

I'd rather folks switch over to Nikon so I can get hold of nice glass on sale. Nikon guys coming here will drive up the prices of lenses...

 

[Loswr]

Please stop trashing the 5DII AF - it is better than the older prosumer bodies, up to the 50D and up to the 550D.

Master the technique and you will get the best IQ of them all

I would like to beg to differ, but instead i'm gonna come right out with it and tell you you're wrong.

I have to side with Picsfor on this. Is the 5DII AF horrible? No. It's just about as good as the AF system on which it's based, the 20D. The same one used in the Rebel/xxxD series. I started with a T1i/500D and moved to a 7D in part because the Rebel's AI Servo system just didn't cut it. I know the 5DII has 6 'invisible' AF points supposedly intended to improve AI Servo, but frankly, they don't help all that much - the performance is on par with what I got out of the 500D. The 7D is far superior, and I would imagine that a 1-series would be a significant further step up.

As for low light, the 5DII's specified sensitivity is -0.5 EV, the same as the 7D, xxD, and xxxD bodies. Granted, that's not the whole story - in practice, the 5DII does seem to do better than the 7D in low light, as long as you're using the center AF point. But the off-center AF points of the 5DII? Frankly, they suck. Many times, they just flat out miss focus, even with a top-notch lens like the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. The 7D locks on and holds, regardless of the AF point in use. The statement, "Giving it just that little extra time..." doesn't help me. If I have that little extra time, I'll put the camera on a tripod and manually focus with 10x Live View.

I love my 5DII - the IQ is excellent. But the AF system is it's Achilles' heel - it's not only slower than the 7D and certainly the 1-series, it's not as accurate, nor can it track well.

 

[brando72]

Please stop trashing the 5DII AF - it is better than the older prosumer bodies, up to the 50D and up to the 550D.

Master the technique and you will get the best IQ of them all

I would like to beg to differ, but instead i'm gonna come right out with it and tell you you're wrong.

I have to side with Picsfor on this. Is the 5DII AF horrible? No. It's just about as good as the AF system on which it's based, the 20D. The same one used in the Rebel/xxxD series. I started with a T1i/500D and moved to a 7D in part because the Rebel's AI Servo system just didn't cut it. I know the 5DII has 6 'invisible' AF points supposedly intended to improve AI Servo, but frankly, they don't help all that much - the performance is on par with what I got out of the 500D. The 7D is far superior, and I would imagine that a 1-series would be a significant further step up.

As for low light, the 5DII's specified sensitivity is -0.5 EV, the same as the 7D, xxD, and xxxD bodies. Granted, that's not the whole story - in practice, the 5DII does seem to do better than the 7D in low light, as long as you're using the center AF point. But the off-center AF points of the 5DII? Frankly, they suck. Many times, they just flat out miss focus, even with a top-notch lens like the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. The 7D locks on and holds, regardless of the AF point in use. The statement, "Giving it just that little extra time..." doesn't help me. If I have that little extra time, I'll put the camera on a tripod and manually focus with 10x Live View.

I love my 5DII - the IQ is excellent. But the AF system is it's Achilles' heel - it's not only slower than the 7D and certainly the 1-series, it's not as accurate, nor can it track well.

neuroanatomist,

Your highly valued opinion being said, under those limitations, what do you feel are the *best* uses for the 5dm2. Another words, what are the most practical uses for the 5dm2 and what specific uses would one think about in buying a 5dm2 over say a crop 7d?

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

imagine if they had gone full tilt a few years back when Nikon was floundering, Canon seriously could've grabbed a ton a ton of extra market share and had so many more people on board and buying lenses, etc. Sometimes I think the marketing attitude of recent Canon shoots themselves in the foot in the end.

Really? The numbers over recent years contradict that statement. Consider - last year (2010, latest for which figures are available), Canon had ~45% of the dSLR market share, compared to Nikon's ~30%. Three years before that, in 2007, Nikon had 41% dSLR share to Canon's 40% share. So from 2007 through 2010, Canon grew their market share while Nikon lost it to Sony, Olympus, et al.

So, why change anything? They're winning! Yes, I know the arguments about resting on past laurels, etc., but the can obviously convince themselves that they're doing everything right, and it's hard to argue otherwise...

that's not winning in the way they could've won by any stretch
and look at some of the pro figures