echelonphoto wrote:
Well I am glad some of you have confirmed my frustrations....I thought I had a lemon.
I certainly don't regard mine as a lemon, I can certainly imagine that for guys who rely on the focusing system more than me it would be a huge improvement, but as for the actual images, very similar to the 5D2 which shows it was a good camera and still is.
There is very little you couldn't use the 5D3 for and that is really the point, it is an excellent dslr, as much as I will need for a long time. A bigger image would have been nice though.
retrofocus wrote:
was the issue solved on the 5D III that the Pocket Wizards do not work with this camera? I never heard it was solved with the firmware update, but I might have missed it.
I can't answer as I don't use them, I'm sure someone else can
retrofocus wrote:
...or summarizing it simply: the 5D III is what the 5D II should have been in the first place - a good 21MP FF camera with now a good AF.
That isn't summarizing what Dan said. Stop posting on every 5DIII thread about it being over-priced and 4 years late. Guess you really want to the price to drop so you can finally pick one up.
snapsy wrote:
But this is a gear forum. Where should gear be discussed if not here?
Discussing gear is fine. Also fine to have an understanding of how those changes in gear translate into the real world experience and the final product.
AF improvement in the 5DIII, from all accounts, is primarily improvement in outer AF points and servo tracking. Making it better for wildlife/sports/etc. Center point on the 5DII was never really reported as an issue from what I can see. So in this case it is good to know what areas of the gear are improved and in what situations you will notice a difference in performance when actually using the gear.
jctriguy wrote:
Stop posting on every 5DIII thread about it being over-priced and 4 years late. Guess you really want to the price to drop so you can finally pick one up.
You said it exactly right here - 4 years late and overpriced! Nops, as I mentioned earlier, I am not interested at all in this camera, I have tested it, and to me the difference to my 5D IIs was too small. I repeat: some who rely a lot on AF might get good use of the 5D III if they are willing to pay the price for it.
If you are annoyed by my posts, please just use the "hide me" button.
jctriguy wrote:
Discussing gear is fine. Also fine to have an understanding of how those changes in gear translate into the real world experience and the final product.
AF improvement in the 5DIII, from all accounts, is primarily improvement in outer AF points and servo tracking. Making it better for wildlife/sports/etc. Center point on the 5DII was never really reported as an issue from what I can see. So in this case it is good to know what areas of the gear are improved and in what situations you will notice a difference in performance when actually using the gear.
The 5D3 does address my pet-peeve that all the Canons with the simpler focusing systems (like the 5D2) had - shooting portraits in portrait orientation, where there wouldn't be a trustworthy focusing point anywhere near the eyes, so you'd have to focus/recompose every shot, which with a tripod mounted camera is a pain.
The 5D3 has no problems in this area, thankfully. A big plus for me.
retrofocus wrote:
...or summarizing it simply: the 5D III is what the 5D II should have been in the first place - a good 21MP FF camera with now a good AF.
jctriguy wrote:
That isn't summarizing what Dan said. Stop posting on every 5DIII thread about it being over-priced and 4 years late. Guess you really want to the price to drop so you can finally pick one up.
retrofocus wrote:
I had asked this question in a post here a few weeks ago, but never got a response: was the issue solved on the 5D III that the Pocket Wizards do not work with this camera? I never heard it was solved with the firmware update, but I might have missed it.
Are those devices made by Canon? Why would Canon be responsible to make it work on a new body, even with an updated firmware?
If there is one area where the 5D3 whips the 5D2 silly is in AF. It is the single most improved aspect of the 5D series. I have zero doubts about this having used the 1DS3 5Dc 5D2 and now the 5D3 in a wide range of lighting and subject conditions professionally.
In regards to Image Quality, it is quite similar in the 1DS3, 5D2 and 5D3. Except maybe at iso 6400 and in long exposures where the 5D3 is a bit cleaner.
The 5D3 is better built and weather sealed. Those who have opened up the 5D3 and looked at its insides can vouch for that fact.
After that the differences are mainly on the features and control layout that each one has or doesnt have.
AGeoJO wrote:
Are those devices made by Canon? Why would Canon be responsible to make it work on a new body, even with an updated firmware?
Do you think I would buy now the new latest speedlites just to get radio-controlled flash with the new camera? To me this alone would be a big drawback if I would consider a new camera.
AGeoJO wrote:
Are those devices made by Canon? Why would Canon be responsible to make it work on a new body, even with an updated firmware?
retrofocus wrote:
Do you think I would buy now the new latest speedlites just to get radio-controlled flash with the new camera? To me this alone would be a big drawback if I would consider a new camera.
You are not interested in upgrading to the Mark III anyway. So, it doesn't matter whether it would be compatible to your PW, right? Do you think that the existing PW units will be compatible with any new Canon camera in the future then?
AGeoJO wrote:
You are not interested in upgrading to the Mark III anyway. So, it doesn't matter whether it would be compatible to your PW, right? Do you think that the existing PW units will be compatible with any new Canon camera in the future then?
It sounds like this issue remains and wasn't resolved with the latest firmware update. Thanks for the indirect answer to my question. You are absolutely right, reason for my question is if this was just an error which would be resolved or if this is a strategy of Canon which will be implemented in future cameras. If it is the latter, then I will just wait for an updated PW version for a future Canon camera which I consider.
echelonphoto wrote:
Edward....I played with the camera at home for a whole day before using it on the job...but as you know...you can't always duplicate conditions exactly in each case. Plus I
had my backup mk2 ready to go around my neck. Its not like I haven't used Canon bodies
before....anyone who says this isn't a problem hasn't really pushed this camera.
Oh good to know, yeah can't replicate wedding conditions.
jasonpatrick wrote:
Hundreds of people have commented on this site about the greatness of the 5dIII...the only complaints I've heard is that it doesn't have enough MP's
Then you haven't been paying attention to the complaints RE: the AF point illumination issue. That said, however, the 5D Mark III AF is much, much snappier for me than what I was accustomed to on the 5D and 5D2. No comparison.
If you want faster auto focus in those conditions, you can tune the AI Servo to help, and stop using the single focus. I think that is the best use of the 1DX/5DIII.
First, start with the 44 page "manual" on the 1DX focusing system. It also applies to the 5DIII.
Then tune the AI Servo mode, using the "Release vs. Focus" priority for first image, and succeeding images.
Use that to find the right balance & strategy for you between acquisition and focus quality.
For example, if you put it in multi-shot mode, you can let the first be a "release" priority, the second be a "focus" priority. Then compare the two images, along with the time between exposures, etc. to find the right balance for you.
That will depend on how fast changing the situation is, how quickly your flash recharges, whether you can take a second image without flash, etc. Whether the assist is faster or slower at certain light levels than no assist.
The auto focus system has so many complexities and options that it can take quite a while to re-think our older methods.
This is the kind of "dance" that we develop with the features of any camera, and have to re-learn with each new camera.
I remember being **so, so happy** with the 20D, because it finally allowed me to keep the shutter button half pressed, waiting to take a picture, while still writing the buffer to the card (the 10D stopped writing as soon as you half pressed the shutter, so the buffer never cleared and you were sort of dead in the water until the camera was done writing.)
Small things can make a big difference! I do believe the 1DX/5DIII auto focus is by far the best we have ever had.
Good luck! I am sure you will find your solution with experience.
Try also the sports forums, there are some long articles on various auto focus configurations that work for certain situations. Seems that even pros who have been using the 1DX for 6 months are just finding all of the tricks to milk best performance out of each situation. Complex tools with lots of options!
thanks for the reply murph....I did try ai servo....but it really doesn't give you good control of your subject in crowd conditions...like a dance floor...or if you are shooting a group portrait...it could inadvertently focus on the background.
echelonphoto wrote:
bought a new one on Friday. Took it out to my Sat wedding and shot with it as my main camera.
Sorry, but it is a big mistake to use a new camera you aren't used to as the main camera for a once in a lifetime event so soon before reading the manual and becoming very familiar with it by testing and practice.
Under pressure like that, it is much too easy to form a false impression and think you wasted your money.
Start over and pretend it just arrived a minute ago. Reading the manual is a great first step.
echelonphoto wrote:
I am an event and portrait pro and have been shooting Canon digital for the past 9 years. I was
a big fan of the orig. 5d...then upgraded to the Mark2, I have been using the two mk2 bodies for the
last 4 years. With everyone raving about the new mk 3 and unbelievable af...I finally bit and bought
a new one on Friday. Took it out to my Sat wedding and shot with it as my main camera. First thing
I noticed was that it was much slower to acquire focus in one shot mode in lower light areas with the
flash assist. I'm not talking about really dark areas but normally lit indoor scenes at a reception. I would
have to wait one to two seconds for the focus confirmation beep....this is using the center af spot or group (I tried both) in one shot mode. Today I took out my current mk2 and my new mk3 and played with
both in my living room using the 24-105 lens. The light is on the lower side...maybe shooting at iso
2000 at 60th at F4. I first compared one shot mode....the Mk2 is def. faster to acquire...whether you use
flash or not. This is testing both the center point and outer point. In ai servo mode....they both appeared
to be equal....so what's up Canon? Is this a big sham...or am I doing something wrong?
The positive things I can say are the AWB seems to be more accurate and the photos do appear somewhat sharper. Also the adjustment with my two 600rt's...one master and one slave seems to be
more responsive and more accurate...the ettl works better. One the negative side...the shutter sounds
like s--t and the viewfinder seems to be darker....Show more →
Have to agree with most of what you said here - although I will disagree about the 5d2 being better on the dark dance floor. IMHO the 5d2 was a little slower at center point, and the other 8 points thoroughly useless.
I got my 5d3 in early october, and have shot 5 weddings with it. My motivation for the 5d3 was explicitly to make my reception dance shots better - with the 5d2 I had to shoot center point exclusively and recrop in post. Now I can use off-center AF points and get roughly the same speed performance as the 5d2 center point - which is admittedly disappointing based on the reputation. lately I actually tend to use my 7d with a long lens (85/1.8 or 70-200/2.8is) for the couple/parent dance closeups as it seems to perform better in piss-poor light. Truthfully, I think the best investment I made was picking up a 17-40 for the 5d3 to get wide shots of those, with the 7d getting the bread and butter timing of the tight shots. The 7d isn't always perfect, but it definitely seems faster in the typical reception lighting conditions
oh - I should mention that the 5d3 is definetely awesome for the night shot though. I can't believe how good iso 6400 looks and the offcenter AF points work to get the focus plane in the right place
I've owned them together (the 5D3 and 5D2) and shot them side-by-side with the same lenses in the same situations. I certainly do not share the opinion of some here that it's normal for the 5D3 to have any issue with AF speed in low light or with the 24-105 or 85/1.8 (or any other lens I have used on it).
My experience has been quite opposite actually...for me the 5D3 AF has been a large improvement over the 5D/5D2 and is the best AF system I have used in any camera...particularly with regard to accuracy/consistency and especially in dim conditions.
I routinely shoot running/playing kids with my 5D3 at 1/250 @ F/1.8 @ ISO 12800 in poor indoor lighting with the 85/1.8 and AF is very quick and accurate. That is far less light than the 1/60 @ F/4 @ ISO 2000 conditions mentioned in the OP and results have been excellent...far fewer OOF shots than I had with my former 7D, 5D, 5D2 or 1D3 in the same scenarios.
