Changing to Canon from Nikon

[elbeasto]

As per title, have been shooting a D700 for about a year, perhaps a little less and have decided to go with a 5D3 and the new 24-70II.

I almost went with Canon to begin with, a 5D2 but the AF seemed a little lack lustre for the price tag.
In any case, the new AF system on the 5D3 is meant to be very good and as such I've decided to jump ship and buy into a Canon system.

One thing does concern me however, the fact that the AF selector in the viewfinder is black and not red, or some other colour that would stand out more.

Can this be fixed with firmware, or is it stuck with the black?

[neuroanatomist]

Stuck with black, but there is red illumination. Unlike typical focus screens, where the AF points are etched onto the focus screen, the 5DIII (like the 7D and 1D X) use a translucent LCD next to the focus screen. So, the AF points are displayed black (but can be turned off, a grid can be displayed, electronic level display in the VF, etc.). The points can be illuminated red (by little LEDs lighting them up), but that's not terribly bright (less so than etched screens), and it doesn't work in AI Servo (that part might be addressed in a future firmware update).

[elbeasto]

Hmm, doesn't sound promising. I may have to give one a go in low light before pulling the trigger on it.
Ta for the info.

[FastGass]

I hate to tell you this but are you sure you want to switch? If you plan on heavily you upgrading your entire setup in the brand you are in then it might make sense but if you have a good many lenses invested in your Nikon lineup I think your money would be better invested in a D800 or something. I know everyone thinks the grass is greener on the other side but I think for the most part switching is very costly and the extra money is usually better spent in the brand you are using now.

Just my two cents,
John.

[elbeasto]

Forgot to mention in my first post that I'm not invested in FX glass in any real way, a 50 1.8G only.
Therefore buying a D800E and 24-70 would cost me about the same as a 5DIII & 24-70, give or take a few hundred of course.

If I already had a lot of F-Mount glass I wouldn't do it.

I do question my thinking in that it just may seem like the grass is always greener, although optically I think Canon does have a slight edge in their EF lenses as opposed to FX glass. Nikon on the other hand does release bodies with major improvements over the previous model, whereas Canon almost releases the same body with a different badge number. That said, a Canon body upgrade doesn't have to be bought merely because it has been released.

[Scott Stephen]

Wait for the new 24-70. It still isn't released, but release is just a few months away. Has been for a year or so.

[elbeasto]

Ha, I know that feeling & I really feel for the long time Nikon shooters looking at the 24 & 35 L primes, the 1.4G's didn't come out until 2010 (or there about).