Articulated Screen for 5D III ?

[jeremychone]

Am I the only one that would love to see an articulated screen for the 5D Mark III. I have it on the 60D, and it is very nice in many situation, but so far pics and specs do not seem to tell that the 5D III will have it. I hope I am missing something.

 

[JR]

I had a 60D for a little while before my 5DmkII and I found the construction to be subpar not to say cheap! Heck the demo of the 60D at the local store had the rubber skin all broken just with people looking at the camera. In general I think poeple feel having an articulated screen mean it will not be as solid as a fix one. The plastic construction of the 60D articulated screen was a bit cluncky for me.

I cant say I am missing this feature in my 5D at all...but I am just a sample of one here!

 

[thejoyofsobe]

the build quality of the 60D has little bearing on the issue. i know of no reason you can't encase an LCD screen in a weather-sealed magnesium alloy housing with a comparably built hinge.

i find an articulated LCD screen a great tool. i don't have to lay on the ground to get low angle shots or pray that while i'm holding the camera over my head it's got my subject in the frame and in focus. it makes handheld video a lot easier too. when i upgrade to full frame i certainly hope there's a body with an articulated screen, whether it be the 5D3 or the long-desired lower class full-frame camera.

 

[JR]

the build quality of the 60D has little bearing on the issue. i know of no reason you can't encase an LCD screen in a weather-sealed magnesium alloy housing with a comparably built hinge.

i find an articulated LCD screen a great tool. i don't have to lay on the ground to get low angle shots or pray that while i'm holding the camera over my head it's got my subject in the frame and in focus. it makes handheld video a lot easier too. when i upgrade to full frame i certainly hope there's a body with an articulated screen, whether it be the 5D3 or the long-desired lower class full-frame camera.

I think it has some bearing because we probably have not seen a solid construction or design of an articulated screen in a Canon design yet. I am not saying it is not useful, but if we had an example of a weather sealed non-plastic design for such screen then maybe a lot of the opponent to this idea might change their mind... Maybe Canon will surprise us in 2012!

 

[thejoyofsobe]

when you brought up the 60D's rubber skin (a completely unrelated issue to articulated screen) that's what led me to think you were focusing too heavily on the 60D. before the 60D (and now t3i) came out i wouldn't have thought it unwise to prejudge its articulated LCD screen based on my experience with a Powershot S5 when that's a completely different class of camera.

i just look at it as a materials issue. they already put a LCD screen in mag alloy bodies right now. just put mag alloy on the back of it and add a hinge. Canon's not going to put a plastic housed LCD screen on a $3000 camera so while the 60D seems to me to be good to look at from a functionality perspective, I would expect the quality of an articulated LCD screen in a 5D3 to be far suprior.

 

[JerryBruck]

@jeremychone I'm with you all the way on this Jeremy; I can't imagine not missing this feature a lot on any other body, my own 60d has held up very well. This attitude is not universally shared; see: Gear Talk/EOS Bodies/For Stills/Flip out displays -- why the resentment? Anti-flippers tend to feel the "Vari-angle" would be a dangerous weak-point; for some its inclusion on a high end camera would be downright offensive. You will see their reasons. The camera company is surely aware of this and of how sales would be affected either way.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I definitely would use one, but I do not expect it, just like I do not expect a built-in flash.

It does degrade camera reliability, any additional moving part does, and the 5D is on Canons list of Professional bodies so don't expect one.

Maybe the 7D MK II?

 

[AG]

I can't see the 5D3/X getting an articulated screen.

From what i can gather it was never meant for photo shooters but the video side of things.

The reason being that with the 1D and 5D series for video most people use devices such as the Zfinder, Red Rock EVF or external monitor.
But when you take the video capabilities to the mass market. The people that normally buy cheap video cameras for $200. If you offer them an articulated LCD they have a device they are used too. These are not people that will spend an extra $300 on a Zfinder or similar.

Don't get me wrong you can use them on the 60D and lower but thats not who the marketing department was aiming at with this design.

Guess thats another one of them damn video features that no one wanted in their DSLR cameras.

If anything i can see the next 7D gaining the screen and then even being re named the 70D, yes it would have the same build quality and specs as we have come to know in the current 7 series, it will just become the high end crop body (Seriously why do 7D people get so defensive over the idea of changing the number??).

It would actually make sense to do this to make the XXD series worth while again.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I can't see the 5D3/X getting an articulated screen.

From what i can gather it was never meant for photo shooters but the video side of things.

The reason being that with the 1D and 5D series for video most people use devices such as the Zfinder, Red Rock EVF or external monitor.
But when you take the video capabilities to the mass market. The people that normally buy cheap video cameras for $200. If you offer them an articulated LCD they have a device they are used too. These are not people that will spend an extra $300 on a Zfinder or similar.

Don't get me wrong you can use them on the 60D and lower but thats not who the marketing department was aiming at with this design.

Guess thats another one of them damn video features that no one wanted in their DSLR cameras.

If anything i can see the next 7D gaining the screen and then even being re named the 70D, yes it would have the same build quality and specs as we have come to know in the current 7 series, it will just become the high end crop body (Seriously why do 7D people get so defensive over the idea of changing the number??).

It would actually make sense to do this to make the XXD series worth while again.

I guess some think its a video feature, but, I see it as a still feature, since I don't do video.

Being able to frame and compose low angles or in tight places, over the head shots, etc can be a valuable tool. Otherwise, you can just point and hope you have what you want in the frame. I am not able to get down low to frame a photo, and, taking a ladder along is obviously impractical. Many photographers use a wide angle lens, hold the camera up high, and crop later. That worked with the old press cameras and their 4X5 film.

 

[tt]

I'd MUCH prefer an iPad 3 to do tethered preview (so you can see on a double resolution retina display the focus, and depth of field) than have an articulated screen.

For previewing and reviewing, and copy of file storage iPad 3 will be very interesting. Though we await to see EyeFi's plans for CF/the new card format coming out

 

[jm345]

I would love it if the next versions of the 5D and 7D had articulating screens. In some situations I resort to using Canon's Angle Finder C. But an articulated screen with Live View would be much better.