So when does everyone think things are going to get back to normal around here?

[briansquibb]

I shot the man that was trying to shoot Canon's new horse ...

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

When the 5D MK II came out, it took 6 months to a year for all those complaining about too many MP to quiet down.

 

[moreorless]

This is really exactly the kind of post the OP was talking about, someone making a person judgement that is not shared by many others and talking it up as a stone cold fact.

Aside from assuming that Canon fudged up their marketing and approach to the 5D3, what else is a judgment?

• It's a fact that the d300 is a higher MP camera body - the highest of any currently available in the 35mm format.
• It's a fact that Canon does not have a camera body with equivalent MP in the 35mm format.
• It's a fact that a lot of people here are talking about the d800.
• It's a fact that the d800 is cheaper than the 5D3 and could tempt buyers.
• It's a fact that Canon won't ignore the d800 (unless they just don't care about the competition).
• It's a fact that Canon is focusing a segment of their product development on the cinema market (see the C300).
• It's a fact that Nikon does not have a cinema line of bodies.
• It's a fact that professional photographers will evaluate all imaging products and choose the camera that gives them the highest quality image - regardless of brand loyalty.

If you think I'm making personal judgments, I think you would be wrong, and in my mind - be it a conscious decision or not - you're ignoring the impact the d800 could have on the dSLR market. I think an objective evaluation of the competition is prudent, especially when it potentially offers a better image at a lower cost. What pro photographer would not want to consider all the options available to him?

Where is the folly in that approach? And I'm asking sincerely - not just to start some flame war.

Oh it'll certainly have an impact and some potential Canon users maybe switch(I'm considering it myself as a crop Canon user who takes landscapes) but where you loose me is the view that Canon has definately made an error with the 5D mk3.

Seems to me that a certain sub set of photographers who were most pleased with the 5D mk2's direction have come to believe that there needs are the needs of the vast majority of users. The landscape taking pixel peeping crowd(many of whome will never buy either camera, there just fanboys backing a brand) to me seem both the most over represented and the most vocal on the net. I'd say that the idea that "more resolution is always worthwhile" does not hold for the majority of users, Canon obviously believe that the 5D mk2 was close to that.

Again thats just my opinion, I don't throw it around as fact.

 

[Daniel Flather]

everyone pouring over image files to examine them at sub-atomic levels to see if the molecular structure of the D800 is cleaner.

EPIC.

 

[Marsu42]

everyone pouring over image files to examine them at sub-atomic levels to see if the molecular structure of the D800 is cleaner.

That's the rational opinion that made Canon make their 5d3 with 22mp. Basically, you're saying that the gear has to be in line with the photographer's needs, and too many mp for lower fps or higher noise or dr (though the d800 seems to be unaffected) don't result in good pictures - cropping power is not everything.

However, I really don't see why the resulting mp count and dr/noise tradeoff would be 22 instead of e.g. 28. Canon (marketing) could have lowered the mp to 16, too, and made iso 6400 look like iso 100. But they didn't.

I guess what people are saying/writing based on rational thinking is one thing, what they actually wish for or would buy is another thing alltogether. This is what Canon marketing overlooked when they granted the wish for a "fixed" 5d2 and came up with the current 5d3 specs.

The other way around, I am pretty sure many Nikon gear owners who argued "12 or 16mp are enough" for the last years now are absolutely crazy about "their" brand 36mp body, and so would be Canon users that now praise the 5d3 if Canon would be able to release at least a 28mp 5dx.