*UPDATE* 5D Mark III Sighting?

[Axilrod]

Anyone know what those 4 little lights are under the screen to the left? It's like a cluster of 3 small dots and then a slightly larger oval shaped one...

 

[mathino]

Anyone know what those 4 little lights are under the screen to the left? It's like a cluster of 3 small dots and then a slightly larger oval shaped one...

I think they are not lights but could be mic holes.

 

[ers811]

With four threads all covering the same topic, it's hard to know where to post anything. But, I am curious about peoples' reaction to this thought.

If the 5D MkIII offers a "pro-style" autofocus, but if the sensor is essentially unchanged (no significant increase in Resolution, ISO speed, noise or dynamic range) will people buy it? Maybe throw in some bells and whistles, which this body seems to have.

That would be one way to differentiate between the 1DX and address the major concern/problem with the 5D II. Canon could easily do that and retain the same price-point as the current 5D.

Reaction?

Autofocus alone, while nice, is not enough for me. I do understand the difference between the 7D and the 5D.... I get that the 5D is more targeted at landscape and portrait type photogs, so making only a small change not even related to the 5D line (i.e. material hardware innovations increasing IQ) wouldn't do much for me. A lot of people whine about the AF on the 5D2, but it's not intended to be a sports camera, the 7D is. And for what it's made to do, the AF is actual pretty good.

I think most potential 5D3 buyers are landscape, portrait, and video folks. We almost certainly need more DR and less noise to upgrade.

The other bells and whistles are just firmware usually, and as a software developer it drives me nuts. I know if I had access to their code I could add SO much SO easily. Can't WAIT for MagicLantern unified for the 5D2.

Another drawback -- as much trouble as the MagicLantern folks have had with the 7D, the 5D3 might never get hacked.


Eric

 

[GoldenEagle]

Button Placement as Clues?

IIRC, when the 5DM2 came out, video was a new addition to DSLR bodies that had for decades been designed for "stills only". The Set button to start recording? Clearly primitive controls, but we didn't care, because we had a FF sensor, 1080 video that rocked in low light, and existing inventory of lenses!

When the 7D came out, there was more time to redesign the buttons to make dedicated video functions and tweak the layout, (mostly) all welcomed.

So looking at a 2012 prototype, seeing a button placement, and then concluding that the "inner guts" of the camera must be/must not be either a 5DM3 or a 7D2 seems rather spurious, at best.

Wouldn't Canon take all their collective "best ideas" (past and present, at least in terms of button placement) and put them in to play in a new prototype?

I'm just thinking that us amateur detectives should not "read too much into" the potential inner workings of the camera based on button placement on prototype vs button placement on "rushed to video" 5DM2 or 7D.

 

[DJL329]

I notice an absence of "speaker" holes. Of course these could be anywhere, but on the 7d they are to the left and the 5D2 on the right of the viewfinder. But considering the mess made of covering up the Canon logo, it looks otherwise like a body ready for release, not a cobbled together beta version.

Anyone know what those 4 little lights are under the screen to the left? It's like a cluster of 3 small dots and then a slightly larger oval shaped one...

I think they are not lights but could be mic holes.

I believe those 3 are the speaker holes. The other "oval" is the ambient light sensor for the LCD screen.

 

[mathino]

I notice an absence of "speaker" holes. Of course these could be anywhere, but on the 7d they are to the left and the 5D2 on the right of the viewfinder. But considering the mess made of covering up the Canon logo, it looks otherwise like a body ready for release, not a cobbled together beta version.

Anyone know what those 4 little lights are under the screen to the left? It's like a cluster of 3 small dots and then a slightly larger oval shaped one...

I think they are not lights but could be mic holes.

I believe those 3 are the speaker holes. The other "oval" is the ambient light sensor for the LCD screen.

+1 Exactly what I think

 

[Loswr]

I'm thinking more and more that this is a new line. If it's really got 'pro AF' and no pop-up flash, it could be APS-H as some have suggested - a 'pro 7D' replacement that would fill the needs of wildlife shooters. They could bring it in cheaper than the 1D IV, say $3800. The would keep selling the 5DII for the time being - it's still selling well - and eventually they'd release a C dSLR for the video side, and a high MP 5DIII for studio/landscape.

 

[JR]

I'm thinking more and more that this is a new line. If it's really got 'pro AF' and no pop-up flash, it could be APS-H as some have suggested - a 'pro 7D' replacement that would fill the needs of wildlife shooters. They could bring it in cheaper than the 1D IV, say $3800. The would keep selling the 5DII for the time being - it's still selling well - and eventually they'd release a C dSLR for the video side, and a high MP 5DIII for studio/landscape.

All plausible of course, but with a rumored announced date of Feb 7th (same as Nikon rumored D800 announcement) it also make sense for Canon to counter the D800 by announcing their small body FF no?

Of course it might not be high MP, but still. I guess we will know in a few weeks!

 

[mathino]

I'm thinking more and more that this is a new line. If it's really got 'pro AF' and no pop-up flash, it could be APS-H as some have suggested - a 'pro 7D' replacement that would fill the needs of wildlife shooters. They could bring it in cheaper than the 1D IV, say $3800. The would keep selling the 5DII for the time being - it's still selling well - and eventually they'd release a C dSLR for the video side, and a high MP 5DIII for studio/landscape.

It is also possible. At one Canon event one photographer asked about 5D Mk II repacement and the rep said there is a possibility of a new line in the future. Ofc, no info if near futre or what.

Just a my thoughts:

1.) I think that current 1D Mk IV within it's specs is a very good camera (16 Mpx vs. 18 Mpx on 1D-X, I know about different sensor and tehcnology) for sports/wildlife pros who does need extended reach of 1.3 crop. With the relese of 1D-X, pros have a good combination of FF and all specs. So I think that with current 1D-X and 1D Mk IV combination of reach and FF is just fine - they can choose between them.

2.) I think Canon is also listening to customers with some surveys and they also analyze their sales. So what I think is that we will see a high resolution camera meant for studio (maybe this will be 4k camera) and 1 as a replacement for 5D Mk II (maybe they will change it to 5D-X and put there some more pro features).

That's what I think that might happen

 

[mretman]

Photoshoped images or they're not the same camera.

Maybe someone else spotted this (I haven't read every post)

The buttons above the top display are not the same. Look at the ISO button and the display light button.

 

[DJL329]

Photoshoped images or they're not the same camera.

Maybe someone else spotted this (I haven't read every post)

The buttons above the top display are not the same. Look at the ISO button and the display light button.

That's been covered multiple times. The camera attached to the 200-400mm w/1.4x TC lens is a 1DX. The one on the 600mm lens is the body that has yet to be determined, whilst making everyone here droool.

 

[doug13]

Stephen Quote: "I hope this helps everyone understand that this is not an inside "leak" or media attempt on the part of Canon".


Now you tell me how the hell he knows that if he said that he spoke with the guy only twice , he was just too sure of that in my understanding, Canon is just playing Nikon's game at the moment. Im not blaming Stephen, i just think that he is just naive to think that Canon would do such a silly thing.

 

[doug13]

I notice an absence of "speaker" holes. Of course these could be anywhere, but on the 7d they are to the left and the 5D2 on the right of the viewfinder. But considering the mess made of covering up the Canon logo, it looks otherwise like a body ready for release, not a cobbled together beta version.

Bottom Left, easier to see on the RAW file

 

[mathino]

Photoshoped images or they're not the same camera.

Maybe someone else spotted this (I haven't read every post)

The buttons above the top display are not the same. Look at the ISO button and the display light button.

Check those pics again. Those pics are from 2 different cameras: camera with red strap is 1D-X and with black is the mystery camera ;-)

 

[msowsun]

It has already been established that there were two different cameras being used with the 200-400. One was a new unknown (5D MkIII / 5D X / 7D Mk II), and the other was a 1D series.

 

[tt]

Stephen Quote: "I hope this helps everyone understand that this is not an inside "leak" or media attempt on the part of Canon".


Now you tell me how the hell he knows that if he said that he spoke with the guy only twice , he was just too sure of that in my understanding, Canon is just playing Nikon's game at the moment at the moment. Im not blaming Stephen, i just think that he is just naive to think that Canon would do such a silly thing.

I think he meant that he himself wasn't leaking stuff. Yes, it might of been a set up of which he took photos of the kit, but he was wanting to set the record straight that he wasn't a Canon employee (which had been said to him).

If it is an APS-H line - presumably will be an interesting wait till Photokina for those holding out for a 5D MkIII.

 

[pumpkin]

Any Idea, what's the function of the green rectangular with an A+ at the mode dial?
Maybe they merged the fully automatic an creative automatic into one mode?

 

[mathino]

Any Idea, what's the function of the green rectangular with an A+ at the mode dial?
Maybe they merged the fully automatic an creative automatic into one mode?

I guess that's possible. 2 automatic (semiauto modes) are redundant so maybe they decided to merge them to one. And, if you're buying a 5D/7D camera you know what you are buying, that it's a sophisticated camera and you probalbly won't even turn that dial to "auto".

 

[waving_odd]

Stephen Quote: "I hope this helps everyone understand that this is not an inside "leak" or media attempt on the part of Canon".


Now you tell me how the hell he knows that if he said that he spoke with the guy only twice , he was just too sure of that in my understanding, Canon is just playing Nikon's game at the moment at the moment. Im not blaming Stephen, i just think that he is just naive to think that Canon would do such a silly thing.

I think he meant that he himself wasn't leaking stuff. Yes, it might of been a set up of which he took photos of the kit, but he was wanting to set the record straight that he wasn't a Canon employee (which had been said to him).

+1

 

[Loswr]

Stephen Quote: "I hope this helps everyone understand that this is not an inside "leak" or media attempt on the part of Canon".


Now you tell me how the hell he knows that if he said that he spoke with the guy only twice , he was just too sure of that in my understanding, Canon is just playing Nikon's game at the moment. Im not blaming Stephen, i just think that he is just naive to think that Canon would do such a silly thing.

You seem to be riding this horse awfully hard. What he seems to be saying is that Canon had no direct role or influence over his taking those images and posting them to the Internet on his blog. Is that so hard for people to accept?

Now...did Canon intentionally set up a situation where something like this could happen, by sending a prototype camera to a very public location certain to be filled with photographers? Quite likely. But please, let's leave out the full on conspiracy theory...