5D Mark III available for preorder in Australia !!!!!

[HDNitehawk]

Would that justify twice the price to you?
In the pre-order add it says that the 5D3 would already have increased weather-sealing and I think the 5D2 already does a good enough job for anyone but the real heavy duty photographers. The same counts for the frame-rate. It's nice to get 10FPS, but how often would you really need it? And for the times you do timing your shots can be just as important as the frame rate.

I don’t need 10fps but I sure use it on my 1D IV all the time for wildlife and sports.
It is very nice to have.

I think the 5D III with those specs is still a great camera for still life work. I doubt the AF system will meet the requirements to match the performance of the 1D's with action. Even if they use the 1D's AF system I bet canon cripples the AI servo mode so it will not compete with the 1D X. It will probably not have the same options available for customizing the AF system. But if it can at least be as accurate as the 1D series it is a big upgrade IMO.

[Kayaker72]

If it turns out it is: what would the 1DX have that justifies the enormous price-difference over the 5D3?

If those are the specs, and I hope they are, and the IQ on both the 5DIII and 1DX turn out to be excellent, then I think the 1DX becomes a smaller production niche camera for pros that need the fps and super high ISO performance. The 5DIII becomes the more mass produced upper echelon camera for everyone else.

I like it. If true, it is more of Canon adjusting to the market rather than trying to get the market to adjust to Canon.

[Sean Setters]

Would that justify twice the price to you?

Nope. Then again, I haven't been able to justify the base cost of a 5D Mark II, either.

Compared to the 7D, I think the 5D Mark II's benefits for me include a slightly higher resolution, cleaner files at high ISOs, and shallower DOF at the comparable apertures. When it comes to the 5D Mark III, it seems like the only additional feature I'd appreciate is the upgraded autofocus system. Truth is, I usually do static portraiture--I don't really need a top-of-the-line autofocus system. And if I do, the 7D's up to the job.

The price of a used 5D Mark II may drop low enough in the next year for me to purchase one just to see if the benefits are worthwhile to me. Until that time, I'll use what I've got. It seems to be working alright so far...


Ode: Contemplative by budrowilson, on Flickr

[neuroanatomist]

If the 5D III does have the AF system of the 1D series, I would go for it.

Good point. If it turns out it is: what would the 1DX have that justifies the enormous price-difference over the 5D3?

Based on the spec list, it won't have 'the same AF' since the tracking capabilities of the 1D X use data from the 100K pixel RGB metering sensor, and the 5DIII is not getting that, but rather the 63-zone iFCL metering found in the T3i/600D, 60D, and 7D.

As to what justifies the price difference, there's not nearly the gap that existed between the 5DII and 1DsIII, and that's a good thing. The 1D X has faster fps, better build and sealing (the 5DIII will likely be to 7D standards, good but not the best), better metering, likely a higher flash sync speed (1/250 s vs. 1/200 s, I'd guess, but no specs on that yet), spot metering linked to any AF point, one more ISO stop, well over double the shutter durability, two CF card slots (vs. 1 CF + 1 SD), and also likely the customizability of the 1-series.

As an example of the latter, when shooting with a wide lens (e.g. 35L) in Av mode, the camera will allow the shutter speed to fall to 1/30 s which is too slow for people moving, so I'd rather it bump ISO instead. With a 1-series, you can set up min/max values for shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to suit various situations.

Personally, I've got some serious thinking to do... The 5DIII is most of want I want from the 1D X, and half the price. I can afford the 1D X, but $3K to spend on other stuff (24-70mm f/2.8L II?) would be nice...

[Rocco]

Not to mention the Ethernet port on the 1Dx. Awesome if you're in a studio shooting tethered.

[Dr Croubie]

teds.com.au:
5D3 + 24-70 (i presume mk I) kit $6800

US:
5d3 (lets presume $3500)
24-70 $1300 (b+h price)
qantas Sydney - LAX and return: $1300
total: $6100


Which is the better deal here?

[btaylor]

Based on the spec list, it won't have 'the same AF' since the tracking capabilities of the 1D X use data from the 100K pixel RGB metering sensor, and the 5DIII is not getting that, but rather the 63-zone iFCL metering found in the T3i/600D, 60D, and 7D.

Precisely where I was heading, basically the bare bones of the 1DX AF system minus the metering system. So who knows where it sits.

likely a higher flash sync speed (1/250 s vs. 1/200 s, I'd guess, but no specs on that yet),
spot metering linked to any AF point,
you can set up min/max values for shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to suit various situations.

These are the three things that frustrate me the most about my 5D2. If those were rectified (along with a good AF system) it will take a lot of convincing for me NOT to upgrade.

It is the same list posted on Canon Rumor’s site. I am sure it has some basis, whether fully accurate or not. He could have just as easily borrowed it from Canon Rumors just so he could be the first to offer the camera for preorder.

No. I was following the canon rumors forum last night and the spec list came after the screen grab from Ted's was posted there. Ted's is pretty much the largest chain on camera stores in Australia, I highly doubt they would pull their info from a forum rather than from Canon itself.

I think the 5D III with those specs is still a great camera for still life work. I doubt the AF system will meet the requirements to match the performance of the 1D's with action. Even if they use the 1D's AF system I bet canon cripples the AI servo mode so it will not compete with the 1D X. It will probably not have the same options available for customizing the AF system. But if it can at least be as accurate as the 1D series it is a big upgrade IMO.

I agree that the 5D3 probably won't match the 1D series in terms of autofocus, but I wouldn't expect it to. If it has AF performance on par with the 7D I'd be happy enough.

[btaylor]

teds.com.au:
5D3 + 24-70 (i presume mk I) kit $6800

US:
5d3 (lets presume $3500)
24-70 $1300 (b+h price)
qantas Sydney - LAX and return: $1300
total: $6100


Which is the better deal here?

I'd be getting on the plane. Add another $1000 for me though, I need to get from Mount Isa to Brisbane first!

[clemmb]

Now available for pre-order in Australia. Ted's is a very reputable chain of camera stores over here (although I don't use them because retail in Australia is ridiculously expensive)

http://www.teds.com.au/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii

Looks like Ted's has removed it from their web-site

[Dr Croubie]

Looks like Ted's has removed it from their web-site

Surely that wasn't a sly plan by Ted's, the traffic to their site must have gone crazy over the last few hours... [/cynical]
(Although, even if people had visited the site, they would have laughed at the price and kept going.)

Probably more like, "our NDA is lifted on March 2nd, it's march 2nd in australia, lets unveil it" then a few hours later, "oops, we're meant to life the NDA on march 2nd USA time, now canon are angry"