Asking for 5D III firmware improvements

[FRANCE5CO]

Hello everybody

I own a 5D III and I'm very frustrated with some limitation that could be easily fixed with a firmware upgrade. For example auto ISO!!!! I wont exposure compensation in manual mode with auto ISO and I want to be able to set shutter speed faster than 1/250 in Av!!! The cheapest Nikon can do that from years !!! Canon what are you waiting for?

The question is: is it possible to make a wish list in this forum for the next firmware upgrade? Maybe Canon engineers will read it and listen to users needs

 

[RLPhoto]

1. AF focus speed with Speedlites

2. Blink AF point fix

3. f/8 Focusing

Its funny because the 5D3 61-point AF is fantastic while also being wretched at the same time.

 

[FRANCE5CO]

OK, this is the spirit, keep on writing, someone at Canon will listen!!!

 

[mirekti]

Let they put some more DR too.

 

[FRANCE5CO]

Let they put some more DR too.

Would be nice but we have to wait the 5D mk4 for this!!! (Maybe Canon should buy sensors from Sony )

 

[awinphoto]

my wish list is when I take a picture, it makes my models look skinnier, younger, and more vibrant... Also for it to make my coffee in the mornings and dont forget the scrambled eggs.

 

[Daniel Flather]

The circle in the viewfinder that is basically the spot metering circle, it needs to be bolder or red. I loose it in the frame sometimes. And yes, I know it's always in the middle, but it's nice to be able to see it with ease. Like the scope of a gun.

 

[Drizzt321]

The circle in the viewfinder that is basically the spot metering circle, it needs to be bolder or red. I loose it in the frame sometimes. And yes, I know it's always in the middle, but it's nice to be able to see it with ease. Like the scope of a gun.

Actually...I'll take spot linked metering...but I know that's reserved for 1D's, so

 

[Steven_urwin]

Just 1 request...

Please oh please take a look at the AF beam assist focus.

Maybe as a little Xmas present? I will be a good boy for the rest of the year, if you can fix this one thing for me

Regards,

 

[MarkII]

I want to be able to set shutter speed faster than 1/250 in Av

You mean with non-HS flash modes? If so, that's a hardware restriction...

Some more control over auto-ISO would be nice, but most of all I wish that they would include an intervalometer (like used to be included in the G-series, until marketing decreed that it should require the purchase of an ungainly and awkward external trigger...).

Overall though, I think the 5DIII firmware is pretty good - they removed a lot of idiotic restrictions on the 5DII (like bracketing options), and it is rare that I find myself needing something it does not do.

 

[sparda79]

Maybe we should start this topic on Canon's official forum site:-
http://forums.usa.canon.com/

 

[TAF]

If the hardware will support it, I would be most pleased to have a 1200 fps (or faster) video capability, even if it necessitated as little as 320x240 resolution (if needed to reduce the readout/data move time).

High speed video is just so ridiculously expensive...

 

[East Wind Photography]

Also fix the issue when you remove a memory card and put it back in that it switches to the other card even when camera power is off! I think they fixed this on the 1DX but the 5DIII was left in the dust....

 

[Daniel Flather]

The circle in the viewfinder that is basically the spot metering circle, it needs to be bolder or red. I loose it in the frame sometimes. And yes, I know it's always in the middle, but it's nice to be able to see it with ease. Like the scope of a gun.

Actually...I'll take spot linked metering...but I know that's reserved for 1D's, so

I thnk you need to read my post again.

 

[Bosman]

Also fix the issue when you remove a memory card and put it back in that it switches to the other card even when camera power is off! I think they fixed this on the 1DX but the 5DIII was left in the dust....

^^ Agreed! Keep CF as main until you switch it. I would think the auto switch feature could wait til you try composing a shot to switch it to SD.

 

[Axilrod]

Well there is an update coming in April, all they mentioned was clean HDMI but it's possible some of these issues will be addressed as well.

 

[Bosman]

Well they definitely have enough time to work out the bugs and work in the features thats for sure.

 

[Marsu42]

Actually...I'll take spot linked metering...but I know that's reserved for 1D's, so

Afaik this is a hardware limitation, the 5d3 uses the 7d/6d metering, the 1dx has an entirely different version.

I own a 5D III and I'm very frustrated with some limitation that could be easily fixed with a firmware upgrade.

If it's something that differentiates the 5d3 from the 1dx than your chances of success are slim, unless Canon sees the need to give the 5d3 a boost beyond hdmi & f8. One example of braindead limitations would be the crippled min. shutter speed setting, the 6d also has it only up to 1/250s.

 

[nwardrip]

You can submit emails to Canon technical support with your requests and they will be read. You will get a polite email saying your requests will be considered and/or forwarded to the appropriate people. Here's to hoping they actually follow through with that...

5D Mark III email support:
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer/eos_slr_camera_systems/eos_digital_slr_cameras/eos_5d_mark_iii/form_display/support_by_kb_email

Generic support:
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer

I've asked for:
1) Illuminated focus points
2) f/8 AF (they have promised this now)
3) Old zoom functionality in addition to new (I still hate the slow wheel zoom, but love the instant zoom)
4) Allow "Flash sync speed in AV mode" in "My Menu"...5D2 and 7D have this
5) More minimum shutter speed options
6) EV with auto-ISO
7) Built-in intervalometer functionality
8) Clean HDMI out (they have promised this now)
9) 1080p 60fps
10) Better dynamic range in future sensors

Regarding AF point and exposure linking, I too really wish the feature was available on the 5D3. I posted about this a few weeks ago, so I'll copy it again here.

On the 5D3, the density of the focus points versus the density of the metering grid does not match well, so I don't think that this is a likely 5D3 feature. The 5D3 and 7D share the same 63-zone, 9x7 grid. On the 7D (which has AF point-linked exposure), the focus points directly matched up with the exposure metering region, as can be seen in this graphic from the-digital-picture.com 7D review:

So AF-linked exposure was a no-brainer on the 7D. Not so on the 5D3. However, on the 1DX, the metering grid is now 4x more dense (252 zones or 18x14), plus it has the 100K pixel RGB metering sensor, so it can match up the regions and pixels closest to the AF point with much more precision.

 

[Steb]

1. AF focus speed with Speedlites

Read about this issue before but have not used my Speedlite so far. Just gave it a try now... 5D3 + 16-35L Mk II + 430EX II.

I switched of the light and started to focus in complete darkness with single AF point. At 35mm instant lock at different distances between 0.5 and 4m even with the most outside point. At 16mm the outside point is far away from the assist beam light so of course this does not work. But still instant lock with the center point. As long as the AF point is within the area illuminated by the assist beam I have no problems getting a fast focus lock.