6 month's so when they deliver it in 3 you all can get downright giddy!!

J_Glowacki wrote:
6 month's so when they deliver it in 3 you all can get downright giddy!!

possibly, then they can look way ahead of schedule once again

Monito wrote:
NormanPCN wrote: F8 is probably only a few lines of code

The software is more complex than you assume.


You mean there is more to this than changing
decimal focusMinAperture = 5.6m;
to
decimal focusMinAperture = 8;



(OK, so I doubt they use C# for the firmware... )

pingflood wrote:
You mean there is more to this than changing
decimal focusMinAperture = 5.6m;
to
decimal focusMinAperture = 8;



(OK, so I doubt they use C# for the firmware... )
Yeah, most firmware out there is still written in straight C, with the rare bit of assembly here and there (ie. for the start of the bootloader). The main exception to this is application type devices like smartphones. Canon is known to use Datalight ROM-DOS, an embedded OS based on the old DOS that was used on PCs during the 80's and 90's in its past cameras, assume that's what they are still using.

Phase detect focus isn't quite so easy, there are numerous other parameters to be set or optimized, processes to be tested and possibly re-worked. Testing to determine which focus points should be active for which lenses, etc. I think someone discovered a while back (during some one-tap or two-tap AF testing) that some of the newer lenses were essentially closed-loop, or they used feedback from the lens to get the best focus, while older lenses were open-loop. Even if making the change were that simple, then it's a matter of testing it with every possible lens or combination thereof, different versions of the teleconverters and different versions of the lens and so on. Development can be like this, a week to make the change, and months to test it and prove that it works, and that it doesn't break something else.

In short it's more complicated than people who aren't involved think it is. Today, more than half the work of making a new camera (or just about anything like that) is software, testing, fixing the software, and so on.

Yup, the more complex systems get the more crucial testing becomes. I do ERP systems development on a pretty intense level and you are absolutely right that the code might not take much time and effort, but testing can be far more of an effort!

Monito wrote:
NormanPCN wrote: F8 is probably only a few lines of code

The software is more complex than you assume.



Getting f/8 AF might have been tricky they may have had to adjust all sort of things and do tons of field testing, etc. who knows for sure though. Transferring it from 1DX to 5D3 should be relatively trivial though unless there is something they kept hidden about the two AF systems and there is more different stuff under the hood than claimed.

But the specific release date and timing point very much to that is simply when marketing wants to splash it out, maybe as their big NAB release on the low end or something.

Update:

Canon USA has updated the EOS 5D Mark III product page, confirming April 30, 2013 as the release date for the new firmware. This update will provide uncompressed HDMI output support and adding cross-type AF support at f/8.
Fred

Woot!

Thanks Fred.

Time to order a 2x III tc

I expect a leak to come out before the 30th. Check other Canon websites if you want to get ahead.

No word on whether the firmware will include the previously announced AF-assist beam enhancements?

No frickin' Auto ISO fix for M mode and no better options for minimum shutter speed in Av mode with Auto ISO. I assume the 5D III will get the same stroboscopic AF point illumination option as the 1D X in AI servo.

30th? I want it now!

Lunchb0x8 wrote:
30th? I want it now!

arrghhh looks like it will come out JUST as soon as the last spring trees drop all of their petals, would've been awesome to try the uncompressed video on some of that. How come when they say a given month it always has to be held until THE last day of the month. oh well. at least the AF stuff will be in time for the later spring migration



(no clue why they didn't remove the absurd autoiso shutter limit though, how hard to change 2 bytes of code? yeah I know I know some droid in marketing justifies his salary over the whole don't dare let anything but 1 series do autoiso properly even though every other make does it up and down the lineup)


great we are getting these two upgrades though! that is the main thing! and it's a very good thing!

dolina wrote:
I expect a leak to come out before the 30th. Check other Canon websites if you want to get ahead.

i hope so. If you notice it popping up anywhere, please post back to this thread.

I love how Canon continues to pee on itself. They announce a firmware update 6 mos. in advance, and then wait until the last day of the month to roll it out. That, coupled with the fact that it won't fix the AF point illumination issue makes me really start to question Canon's abilities (or lack thereof).

Mmm they enable something they have never done on one of the non pro series cameras before and thats peeing on themselves??
Yea right..

The 5D series IS a pro series camera. But more to the point, REMOVING a feature from a line of camera and replacing it with something this crippled IS peeing on themselves.

Lemming.

Access wrote:

Phase detect focus isn't quite so easy, there are numerous other parameters to be set or optimized, processes to be tested and possibly re-worked. Testing to determine which focus points should be active for which lenses, etc. I think someone discovered a while back (during some one-tap or two-tap AF testing) that some of the newer lenses were essentially closed-loop, or they used feedback from the lens to get the best focus, while older lenses were open-loop. Even if making the change were that simple, then it's a matter of testing it with every possible lens or combination thereof, different versions of the teleconverters and different versions of the lens and so on. Development can be like this, a week to make the change, and months to test it and prove that it works, and that it doesn't break something else.

In short it's more complicated than people who aren't involved think it is. Today, more than half the work of making a new camera (or just about anything like that) is software, testing, fixing the software, and so on.

And most of that testing has already been done on the 1D X. The 5D III is only a little different.

Lots of whining over a free upgrade adding f8 focusing

You want some cheese with that whine?

The 5d iii kicks butt. I am happy canon is updating focusing to f8 for free

No more need for 3rd party non-reporting tc