OFFICIAL: CANON EOS 5D Mark III - User Thread - Part 3

[avsquare]

There are some good points made. I guess unless we work with the design team at Canon, we will never know the true answer. Here are some thoughts I have:

i) The 5D3 sensor stands on its own... meaning that it produces great photos for those who know how to get the most out of their camera. Canon was careful not to produce a sensor that was materially and effectively inferior than its predecessors... namely the 5d Classic and the 5D2. The 5D3 sensor is every bit as good if not marginally better than its ancestors.

ii) The 1DX sensor maxes out at 18mp. I think that most of us would agree that if Canon introduced an 18mp sensor, the entire Canon community would be in an uproar. It would be intolerable to go backwards from a 21mp sensor in the 5D2 to an 18mp sensor in the 5D3. It was bad enough that the competition came out with a 36mp sensor.

iii) Many rumours are predicting that the upcoming entry level full frame will incorporate the same 5D3 sensor as part of its package. This may become the first time that a 5D sensor has been shared with another model.

I think the main reason why different sensors are used is to ensure that their product lines are clear.

The new sensors introduced in 5D3 and 1DX both features gapless microlenses which is not seen in previous FF bodies, which explains the huge improvement in ISO performance VS 5D2 and 1Ds3. The 1DX's pixel size is slightly larger than the 5D3's and 1DX boasts a 16 channel read out compared to 5D3's 8 channel - that would explain why 1DX's ISO performance is better and able to achieve 12FPS compared to 5D3's 6FPS.


One thing about Canon, as everyone would have agreed, is their strength in marketing. These people (in a negative way), don't make improvements look good on paper only, but also the product itself. Just like when you compare the 5D3 with 5D2 on paper, yes you do see improvement paperwise, you may not think much but when you've used it, you'd see the difference.

Same goes to 1DX and 5D3. Although the 1DX is a few MP behind 5D3, somehow based on my limited use, I think there's a slight difference in the IQ between the two.

 

[doodah]

In the past, threads related to APS-C cameras attract the most attention.

I am somewhat surprised by how popular this 5D3 thread is.

 

[Wai]

iii) Many rumours are predicting that the upcoming entry level full frame will incorporate the same 5D3 sensor as part of its package. This may become the first time that a 5D sensor has been shared with another model.

Sharing the same sensor doesn't mean the pix quality will be the same.

Just like you can have the SAME engine in a high performance car and a normal sedan car. But the engine in the sedan version will be de-tuned so that it will produce lesser power than it is capable of.

The reason is that other components in the sedan car will be of lower grade/spec, so it cannot take the high power output from a tuned engine.

 

[raydio]

In the past, threads related to APS-C cameras attract the most attention.

I am somewhat surprised by how popular this 5D3 thread is.

I am equally surprised especially when the price of the 5D3 is factored in.

There has been very little activity particularly in the xxxD threads which in the past were very active. Comparatively, there is hardly a peep heard about the newly introduced 650D.

 

[Tucksoon]

CS peeps getting richer? :bsmilie:

 

[raydio]

Sharing the same sensor doesn't mean the pix quality will be the same.

Just like you can have the SAME engine in a high performance car and a normal sedan car. But the engine in the sedan version will be de-tuned so that it will produce lesser power than it is capable of.

The reason is that other components in the sedan car will be of lower grade/spec, so it cannot take the high power output from a tuned engine.

Yes this is very true. The old adage: "you get what you pay for", is correct 99.9% of the time.

 

[avsquare]

In the past, threads related to APS-C cameras attract the most attention.

I am somewhat surprised by how popular this 5D3 thread is.

CS peeps getting richer? :bsmilie:

You have to consider back then, when 5DC was launched.. what was the launch price and the purchasing power of that amount money at that point of time compared to today. I think it's just that FF cameras are increasingly better and at the same time, more affordable.

Look at 1Ds3's launch price back then, 12K? 1DX is 9.3k and it's a much more powerful camera.

Yes this is very true. The old adage: "you get what you pay for", is correct 99.9% of the time.

+1

 

[raydio]

This is one of the first HDR photos that I've processed out of my 5D3. The photo below is a picture of our beloved Funan Mall... which I call, "A Gadget Man's Paradise! The photo was shot using the Sigma 12-24 lens at 12mm.

This was my workflow in Elements 10 using the jpeg version of the photo (Canon renders HDR only in JPEG):

- adjust vertical distortion
- darken highlights
- increase contrast
- increase saturation slightly
- increase sharpness

* Note: the HDR process took care of the enormous amount of chromatic aberration that resulted from the light coming from the glass roof.

Then I processed the RAW photo of the of the first of three source photos that the camera took in the HDR process (this is the one with normal exposure). This is a great way to compare the HDR photo (above) with a normally exposed photo (below):

The results are pretty close. The 2nd photo is visually more appealing especially when viewed at 100% below...(sorry I don't have a 100% crop of the HDR photo for direct comparison). Over-all, I'm pretty happy with the built-in HDR function of the 5D3.

100% crop of the non-HDR photo:

 

[Wai]

Look at 1Ds3's launch price back then, 12K? 1DX is 9.3k and it's a much more powerful camera.

1Ds MKII cost $15-16K back then, and I just sold mine for around $2K :cry:

But look at it this way, I have earn back the cost and to fund my new 5D3

 

[avsquare]

1Ds MKII cost $15-16K back then, and I just sold mine for around $2K :cry:

But look at it this way, I have earn back the cost and to fund my new 5D3

hell yeah.. I can't imagine the price of 1Ds back then.. and 15K back then is not like 15k now LOL...

Maybe 12 years down the road (1D series seem to be every 3 years).. imagine a 1D camera 2-3x more powerful than 1DX but maybe only 65% of 1DX's price. :bsmilie:

 

[DjSnap]

Hi cs peeps,i am looking to upgrade to 5dmk3 next week and was wondering whats the price like?just the body itself.
Btw I am paying by full cash.

Thanks for the help and appreciates it

 

[avsquare]

Hi cs peeps,i am looking to upgrade to 5dmk3 next week and was wondering whats the price like?just the body itself.
Btw I am paying by full cash.

Thanks for the help and appreciates it

$4,699 :bsmilie:

 

[dodgethis]

Hi cs peeps,i am looking to upgrade to 5dmk3 next week and was wondering whats the price like?just the body itself.
Btw I am paying by full cash.

Thanks for the help and appreciates it

Have you done any asking around on your own?

 

[DjSnap]

$4,699 :bsmilie:

thats rrp....

 

[avsquare]

thats rrp....

Have you done any asking around on your own?

Yup, that's the recommended retail pricing. How much the respective shops want to sell, ask them for a quote.. Prices subject to changes.

 

[DjSnap]

Yup, that's the recommended retail pricing. How much the respective shops want to sell, ask them for a quote.. Prices subject to changes.

I did ask around and calling them up..they said best price is subject to changes cant say...

 

[raydio]

Hi cs peeps,i am looking to upgrade to 5dmk3 next week and was wondering whats the price like?just the body itself.
Btw I am paying by full cash.

Thanks for the help and appreciates it

I bought mine about 3 weeks ago and at that time the average street price was around $4150.

 

[avsquare]

I did ask around and calling them up..they said best price is subject to changes cant say...

Precisely the reason to call, or even tour the Funan mall and ask each shop for their price on that day and make a decision. Prices move accordingly due to market forces and competition.

 

[BigBaby]

In the past, threads related to APS-C cameras attract the most attention.

I am somewhat surprised by how popular this 5D3 thread is.

Haha yeah can see that more people are upgrading from APS-C to FF. But cannot deny that 5D MKIII is a awesome camera.

 

[BigBaby]

Hi cs peeps,i am looking to upgrade to 5dmk3 next week and was wondering whats the price like?just the body itself.
Btw I am paying by full cash.

Thanks for the help and appreciates it

I got mine less than a month from CP. The price was around $4130+ with a free Sandisk Extreme 32GB CF card.

It is best for you to call them for quote. Price may varies.