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Canon's upcoming 5D Mark III firmware update brings uncompressed HDMI output support, enhanced AF functionality
Proud owners of that sleek and relatively powerful Mark III will be happy to know Canon has just announced a firmware update for its flagship 5D model. The Japanese camera maker is touting this upcoming release as one that will bring clean HDMI-out support to the EOS shooter, which should be great for folks who would like to monitor their recordings in real time. Additionally, Canon's improved the Mark III's AF functionalities yet again; this time out by enabling the unit's auto focus system to adequately adjust to the type of lens that it is paired with. Unfortunately, it looks like users will have to wait a little while to install the new firmware, as the company won't be making it available until April of next year -- at which point it can be grabbed from the soon-to-be bookmarked source link below.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III's light leak fix found to be black tape
When Canon promised a fix for the EOS 5D Mark III's preview LCD leaking light, photographers wondered just what the "countermeasures" would be to prevent the display from affecting exposure readouts. The remedy, it turns out, is a simple patch -- of the physical kind, not software. Roger Cicala at LensRentals was brave enough to tear down one of the DSLRs shipping with a fix already in place and found black electrical tape covering the LCD area that would otherwise spill light into the exposure meter. While basic, the solution does the trick, and will no doubt be a relief to shutterbugs who want to know exactly what exposure they'll get while snapping photos in the dark.
Canon reports slightly higher profits in Q1, teases new compact cameras on the way
Canon reported its Q1 2012 earnings this week, and things certainly appear to have gone better than the last time we checked in when it replaced the company president. While revenue declined slightly, net profit reached 61.54 billion yen ($766 million), up 11 percent from a year ago. There's no executive moves to report, however on the earnings call executive VP and CFO Toshizo Tanaka noted a unit sales increase of 30 percent for SLR cameras including the new EOS 5D Mark III as well as the cheaper T3i, Mark II and 60D models, combined with strong sales for WiFi-connected point-and-shoots. As far as new products, while its new cinema cameras got a glancing mention the plan this year includes compact cameras "offering the image qualities that approaches SLR cameras", with improved design and network connectivity features. All the numbers and earnings call talk are in black and white at the links below, although we prefer to spend our time speculating about the future of mirrorless cameras.
Canon announces EOS 5D Mark III: 22.3 MP full-frame sensor, 6 fps, 102,400 max ISO, 1080/30p HD, yours for $3,500 (video)
Suffice it to say, March 2012 is a notable month for Canon. Not only does it mark the 25th anniversary of the first EOS SLR, but it's also ushering in Canon's latest addition to its full-frame DSLR lineup. That gorgeous beast your eyes are feasting upon is the company's new EOS 5D Mark III. That's right folks, this isn't a replacement for the Mark II, but rather an updated variant meant to sit between the workhorse of four years and the company's soon to arrive EOS-1D X. At a glance, the shooter is nearly indistinguishable from its older sibling, although a closer inspection reveals a new name badge, improved weather- and dust-resistance and some slight tweaks to its top-mounted info display and buttons on the back. Don't be fooled, however, as there are obviously major changes here worthy of the new moniker. Key specs include a larger 1,040,000-dot 3.2-inch rear LCD, Digic 5+ processor, 22.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, 61-Point High Density Reticular autofocus with 41 cross-types (all of which are borrowed from the 1D X), dual memory card slots (SD and CompactFlash) an extended ISO range of 50 to 102,400 (100 to 25,600, natively), OVF with 100 percent coverage (versus 98 previously), and a maximum 6 FPS burst speed. Naturally, the 5D Mark III is no slouch in the video department: it can capture h.264 footage at HD resolutions up to 1080 at 24/25/30p or 720 at 50/60p, with an effective ISO range of 100-128,000 -- and of course there's a stereo mic input for the microphone of your choice. Better yet, not only does it allow for real-time control of your audio levels during filming, but also monitoring, being the first EOS-series DSLR to come equipped with a headphone jack (!) -- something that's been sorely missing in the world of ILC cameras. We've only skimmed the surface, however, so join us past the break for further details and a quick video overview. %Gallery-149132%
