I must be missing something here!!
Why would canon remove the funtionality of the Assist button and the AF point registration function...It was an outstanding feature in AI Servo Mode to have the Assist button set for AFPS and the * button set for center focus...the buttons are side/side and switching was a dream,,,now what?? there must be something i'm overlooking..

I just home and charged the battery all the way. (I called ahead and had the shop charge the battery while I drove the 45 min. trip)

This is my first ever 1 series so I can't compare the weight, feel, etc since I have never used and older version. Al I can say is this camera is amazing!

I was looking at ultra wide zooms since i love my 10-22 on my 20d's. I wanted something that I could use on both. I tried both the Sigma 10-20 and the Tokina 12-24. Here are the results from shooting a lightbox in the store. Ignore the dust on the lightbox and the velcro in the Tokina shot

Tokina at 12mm (holy vignetting, Batman!)

If anybody has requests, let me know and I'll try to fulfill them.

has anyone tried playing with the File name "+ image size" setting? i don't see an explanation of it in the manual (page 77). when selected, i cannot play back an image shot in RAW+JPEG although RAW is fine. image seems to be recorded on the card.

the File name + image size setting can be accessed in "File name setting" >
File name". someone please try this.

okay, i think the reason it does not play back is because the file written to the card does not have the three number prefix. i think this could be a bug.

Edited by apoh on May 26, 2007 at 08:31 PM GMT (Reason: added more info.)

Edited by apoh on May 26, 2007 at 08:31 PM GMT

"and shot one of the spare dumsets. 1/50 5.6 14mm"


How many drumsets you got in your home? 'One of the spares' - you got more than two drumsets?

apoh wrote:
has anyone tried playing with the File name "+ image size" setting? i don't see an explanation of it in the manual (page 77). when selected, i cannot play back an image shot in RAW+JPEG although RAW is fine. image seems to be recorded on the card.

the File name + image size setting can be accessed in "File name setting" >
File name". someone please try this.

okay, i think the reason it does not play back is because the file written to the card does not have the three number prefix. i think this could be a bug.

Edited by apoh on May 26, 2007 at 08:31 PM GMT (Reason: added more info.)

Edited by apoh on May 26, 2007 at 08:31 PM GMT

Since the initial delivery is at firmware 1.0.8, I suspect there are a few bugs to find. It took 'em 8 release candidates to get it out the door. The good news is that there may be many cameras built just waiting for software and packaging.

apoh wrote:
has anyone tried playing with the File name "+ image size" setting? i don't see an explanation of it in the manual (page 77). when selected, i cannot play back an image shot in RAW+JPEG although RAW is fine. image seems to be recorded on the card.

the File name + image size setting can be accessed in "File name setting" >
File name". someone please try this.

okay, i think the reason it does not play back is because the file written to the card does not have the three number prefix. i think this could be a bug.

Edited by apoh on May 26, 2007 at 08:31 PM GMT (Reason: added more info.)

Edited by apoh on May 26, 2007 at 08:31 PM GMT

Are you recording to the same card or one format to each card?

Picked mine up today - its everything they hyped about and more. Weighs about the same as my old D2X - really nice.

Noticed lots of new Cf and settings. Wonder how long it will take before a "recommended" list is published and made downloadable (like SI has for the 1D2/N.

Got my 1D2's Really Right Stuff mounting plate to fit (not the "L" Plate, the straight one), but I'm sure they will do some tweaking on one for the 1DIII.

Has anyone played with the AF micro adjustments for different lenses yet? I suppose someone will come up with a target to do this. Seems like a strip of wood with nails 1 inch apart and the middle one painted red or something, Placing the strip at a 45 deg angle to the lens plane should work.

I'm glad I have the long weekend to really dig into this beast!

602crew wrote:
If anybody has requests, let me know and I'll try to fulfill them.

Some nice normal shots would be greatly appreciated unless I am the only one left in the world that doesn't only shoot at 3200 or higher. Also some actual feedback as to impressions about the camera would be apprecated as well. How is the AF? How is the weight and balance? Is the new control layout a plus or a minus? Are you happy that you spent $4500 on it or would it have been better spent on wine, women and song? Things like that.

Hrow wrote:
Some nice normal shots would be greatly appreciated unless I am the only one left in the world that doesn't only shoot at 3200 or higher.


I think the chances of image quality at ISOs under 800 being much better (or worse) is pretty low. That's why people want to see images at ISO 800, 1600, 3200, 6400.

Hammerli wrote:


Are you recording to the same card or one format to each card?

recording to the same card. and the Record func. is set to Standard

I've uploaded several more of Hammerli's 1D3 raw files here

Jeff wrote:
I'm most curious about the Highlight Tone Priority setting in relation to DR (compared to the results with a previous 1-Series body), and the AI Servo focus tracking ability for shooting sports.


Sounds to me like it simply pushes more of the levels of dynamic range into the highlights, and out of the shadows.

So, you get better tonal gradation in the highlights at the expense of extra noise in the shadows.

DavidP wrote:
Jeff wrote:
I'm most curious about the Highlight Tone Priority setting in relation to DR (compared to the results with a previous 1-Series body), and the AI Servo focus tracking ability for shooting sports.


Sounds to me like it simply pushes more of the levels of dynamic range into the highlights, and out of the shadows.

So, you get better tonal gradation in the highlights at the expense of extra noise in the shadows.


But does it work and if so, is the trade off worth it?

Hrow wrote:
Some nice normal shots would be greatly appreciated unless I am the only one left in the world that doesn't only shoot at 3200 or higher. Also some actual feedback as to impressions about the camera would be apprecated as well. How is the AF? How is the weight and balance? Is the new control layout a plus or a minus? Are you happy that you spent $4500 on it or would it have been better spent on wine, women and song? Things like that.


There are a couple of "semi-normal" shots HERE which member Beewee was kind enough to host for me. The first two are high ISO, the second two are shots I took indoors today with the 580EXII bounced off the ceiling. It's been raining all day and so again the subject matter isn't the best, but at least there is some color in them. All shots done at AWB and Evaluative metering.

DavidP wrote:
Hrow wrote:
Some nice normal shots would be greatly appreciated unless I am the only one left in the world that doesn't only shoot at 3200 or higher.


I think the chances of image quality at ISOs under 800 being much better (or worse) is pretty low. That's why people want to see images at ISO 800, 1600, 3200, 6400.


With the changes in the AA filter, sensor design and the move to 14 bit I would expect that the images would be different and hopefully better even at the lower ISOs. If it is not, then I am going to have to re-evaluate my purchase decision and perhaps I'll end up thanking Canon for being a bit slow out of the gate with this one.

Hrow wrote:
DavidP wrote:
Jeff wrote:
I'm most curious about the Highlight Tone Priority setting in relation to DR (compared to the results with a previous 1-Series body), and the AI Servo focus tracking ability for shooting sports.


Sounds to me like it simply pushes more of the levels of dynamic range into the highlights, and out of the shadows.

So, you get better tonal gradation in the highlights at the expense of extra noise in the shadows.


But does it work and if so, is the trade off worth it?

One of the interesting things I found is that when you enable the Highlight Tone Priority (C.Fn II-3) the lowest ISO you can select is ISO 200. This had me scratching my head and I had to reset all my C.Fn tweaks until I re-read the fine print in the manual. Not sure why they did that.

Hopefully tomorrow, I'll get out and experiment with this feature.

Jeff wrote:

Jeff wrote:
I'm most curious about the Highlight Tone Priority setting in relation to DR (compared to the results with a previous 1-Series body), and the AI Servo focus tracking ability for shooting sports.


DavidP wrote:
Sounds to me like it simply pushes more of the levels of dynamic range into the highlights, and out of the shadows. So, you get better tonal gradation in the highlights at the expense of extra noise in the shadows.


Right. Exactly what we've been reading and speculating about for the last 3 months. And now I'd like to see some real data on the matter from people with the camera in their hands.


Given the lack of hands-on type comments I'm beginning to think that maybe no one has actually gotten one. If they had, I am sure that they would have been very anxious to let us poor folks who are waiting know just what they thought of their new camera.

(This type of approach worked with my kids, we'll see how it does here. )

OK - so I just made a simple test of the Highlight Tone Priority mode. These 6 images were shot from my rear deck looking into the western sky about 1 1/2 hours before sunset in New Mexico.

The first three are with the function enabled and for the last three, its disabled. It was saved to "Autoviewer" right out of Photo Mechanic - no tweaking of the RAW images of any kind, save the JPG conversion.

To me, it looks like there are more details in the high clouds in the first 3 (enabled). The back of the house looks darker. In the second set of three, the sky seems more washed out, and the white stucco of the house is brighter.

ISO 200, 35mm f/1.4L set at f/8. Av mode.

Check it out.

http://johnmaiophotography.biz/1D3_Test/

Isn't the Sony Alpha like that (with re: the higher base iso in the highlight mode)