Canon is set to release a firmware update for the Canon 5D Mark III at the end of April providing uncompressed HDMI output support and adding cross-type AF support at f/8. (currently compatible with maximum apertures up to f/5.6)

From Canon:
"When shooting video, HDMI Output makes possible the recording of high-definition uncompressed video data (YCbCr 4:2:2, 8 bit) from the EOS 5D Mark III to an external recorder via the camera’s HDMI terminal.

Even when the EOS 5D Mark III is equipped with an extender and lens making possible a maximum aperture of f/8, the firmware update supports AF employing the camera’s central cross-type points.

The new firmware update will be available, at no charge, in April 2013 from the Canon U.S.A. website and can be downloaded by end users or through Canon Factory Service Centers." - Read entire press release

Canon EOS 5D Mark III available at:

B&H Photo | Amazon.com | Canon EOS 5D Mark III Review

So they will give us AF at f8 but won't change the AF point illumination in AI-servo?
I thought they would do the exact opposite...

And why announce it 6 months in advance

Awesome news but why till April canon?

fraga wrote:
So they will give us AF at f8 but won't change the AF point illumination in AI-servo?
I thought they would do the exact opposite...

And why announce it 6 months in advance

Because Nikon is a scary company .. much like announcing products months before release, to make sure we know they actually have things in the pipeline

I think Sony is the scary up and comer... That said, f/8 will make me very happy. My 500/4.5 will work with a TC, awesome!

mco_970 wrote:
I think Sony is the scary up and comer... That said, f/8 will make me very happy. My 500/4.5 will work with a TC, awesome!

The big problem with sony is the lack of a more diverse range of lenses.
IMHO they will never be a real threat to canon and nikon until they increase their lens lineup considerably.
And that takes time.
A lot of time.

More proof that Canon is going to forever play petty games with their very own customer base.

Canon can kiss my you-know-what. "Sorry suckers, you'll have to wait six more months for an update that should have been included in its original offering. Oh, and that AF point illumination issue that we didn't warn early adopters about? Forget it about it. You don't really need it. We know cameras better than you."

I swear, their executives are idiots wrapped in a moron and sprinkled with stupid.

I don't see what takes until April when the 1Dx firmware is already out. F8 isn't a big deal for my shooting but come on, why does it take Canon so long to do anything these days?

Focus on reducing sensor banding so no resources available .

NCAndy wrote:
I don't see what takes until April when the 1Dx firmware is already out. F8 isn't a big deal for my shooting but come on, why does it take Canon so long to do anything these days?

f8 AF in a non 1D body. I'll believe it when I see it but, AWESOME!

Maybe yesterday in a meeting at Canon someone said "hey, our customers are yelling for these features, how long would it take to come up with a firmware update to provide them?" And someone said "we can have it ready in 6 months".

I know, unlikely, but with a 6 month wait, it's the only theory that makes sense to me...

fraga wrote:
And why announce it 6 months in advance

Probably because they are starting development now and figure that is enough time to develop and beta test the firmware changes. Still seems like a long lead time.

F8 is probably only a few lines of code. The video output is more but they have code to work with and modify for the 5D hardware from other camera(s).

This is definitely a good news, even for the 6-month wait. It's the first time that a Canon SLR-alike other than 1D series will have a capability to focus at f/8. It's a good sign telling that Canon may not be able to stand crippling their cameras. (Or it may be as simple as 5D3 couldn't compete well against D800.)

The reasons this is being announced now is because:

(1) Magic Lantern announced a new firmware update for the 7D that included clean HDMI output, among other detailed features that make movie making much easier.

(2) Less than a week later (emphasis on only a "week") they announced the same update to their Alpha 2 software for the 5D Mark III.

(3) Magic Lantern's firmware update is an open source product that is designed primarily for video users. However, recently there have been some who have opined on this an other bulletin boards that it may not be difficult for Magic Lantern's programmers to fix the two problems offending many 5D Mark III users--a maximum aperture of f/5.6 and easy-to-see AF point.

(4) As for the 6-month delay, it is pure arrogance and Canon's hope that they will give 1D X customers more reasons to believe in a $3000 premium for purchasing that camera over the 5D Mark III. If they wanted to provide the same fixes it made to the 1D X they could do it now if they wanted. If Magic Lantern can offer a similar firmware update for a product that is much more different (i.e. 7D to 5D Mark III) than the differences between the 5D Mark III and 1D X, Canon can certainly do it sooner than six months.

Frankly, Canon's customers are moving faster than they are.

Makes me happy about my 1.4X purchase, but seriously, what takes so long that they need to announce it 6 months in advance?!
Canon should release a beta to CPS members ASAP.

Todd Klassy wrote:
The reasons this is being announced now is because:

(4) As for the 6-month delay, it is pure arrogance and Canon's hope that they will give 1D X customers more reasons to believe in a $3000 premium for purchasing that camera over the 5D Mark III. If they wanted to provide the same fixes it made to the 1D X they could do it now if they wanted.

Ah, didnt think about this one. Bet your right on the nose. Protect the 1 Series at all cost!

I don't know why it needs to take so long, but I do appreciate the advanced notice. I've been on the fence about keeping my 100-400L and now I can look forward to using it with a 1.4x III @f/8. In other words, the announcement helps me strategize my buying/selling a little bit for the next six months.

f8 AF in a non 1D body. I'll believe it when I see it but, AWESOME!

+1. Definitely a shift in Canon's business model. Might they implement f/8 AF in other cameras, like the 7D (or more likely its successor)? At this point anything is possible, as the competition (including the ML crew) seems to have made Canon's management a bit nervous.

John

Canon has actually given us a 5d3 which is truly awesome, and not intentionally crippled. the non red autofocus is a design goof, a big deal to some, not so much to others. as for f8 focusing, there is no magic to it. on can easily tape the pins on a TC to allow it, if the camera is physically capable of doing it.
Canon achiles heel, remains their sensor. This is the reason that they need to be more and more on their toes.
Now the 6d, yeah that was crippled.